The Pit and the Alternative

About the Book

The struggle of a young man raised in the coalmining area of Pennsylvania during the war years, seeking to escape the deadly pit and become a success. He describes the harshness and casualties of the mines. He joins the Air Force and learns that his supervisors forgot his training needs for promotions, and he must grasp the situation himself to make his own way in life. Travel with him as his Air Force career takes you to northern Maine, the Arctic Circle for two months of total darkness and freezing temperatures, the burning deserts of French Morocco, the jungles of Panama, through Central and South America then back to the hustle of the New York City area. The hunting and fishing trips themselves will keep you on the edge of your chair or lying beside it laughing. He settles in Colorado after retirement and, after trying three different jobs, settles on police work with the Department of Defense for a second career. His trip is historical, adventurous, humorous, educational, and real. Emotions run high in the pursuit of the ideal job, and happiness in retirement.

About the Author

Born in rural Pennsylvania, Charles Avery retired from the US Air Force after twenty years as a Policeman and recruiter, then Department of Defense as a Policeman. He retired in Colorado, spending time fishing, hunting, enjoying his grandchildren, and freelance writing for local papers, archery and hunting magazines.