Mighty Little Man: My Story, His Story, Our Story

by Jonathon Scott Payne

Overview

The beloved cat Little Man is in trouble. Jonny, a US Air Force engineer, has faced many personal and professional challenges throughout his life, met quite a few successes and failures, and loved and lost his fair share of pets, but none of them compare to his experience with Little Man.

Before he is even a year old, Little Man is declared mascot of Jonny's military unit, and the special bond between Jonny and Little Man grows stronger with each passing year. But they eventually face a heart-wrenching situation more painful in many ways than any Jonny has faced before. He will have to adopt his "whatever it takes" approach in order to wage battle against Little Man's certain death. While working against overwhelming odds, a moment of desperation forces Jonny to call out, "God save Little Man!"

This is the true story of a military man's can-do mentality toward achieving his goals, whether it's flying missions, restoring an old car, or putting all questions of cost aside in an attempt to help a dear friend survive the most frightening and challenging period of his life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501078514
Publisher:	Jonathon Scott Payne
Publication date:	10/10/2014
Pages:	340
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

Jonathon Scott Payne is a retired US Air Force officer who is currently employed as an engineer for the US Army. He earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and his master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Florida. In 1992, he graduated from the US Air Force Test Pilot School as a flight test engineer.

Payne served three years with the Canadian Forces during his time in the US Air Force, has flown more than thirty-five types of military and civilian aircraft, and has logged over sixty extremely hazardous flight test missions.

He and his wife live in Madison, Alabama, where they enjoy riding their Harley-Davidson motorcycles and looking after the most spoiled rotten cats in the entire world-and they wouldn't have it any other way.

Editorial Reviews

2014-11-04
Payne's debut memoir is an upbeat celebration of one man's love for his four-legged feline friend.It may be hard for some people to believe that a gun-loving, Harley-riding military veteran from Alabama would write gushing sentiments about his cat, but Payne has been an unabashed cat lover since he was a young child. This friendly memoir combines the story of Payne's own life—he was an officer in the U.S. Air Force and later a mechanical engineer for the U.S. Army—with tales of his many beloved pets, particularly a spunky, oversized gray tabby cat named Little Man. Beginning with some humorous and some poignant childhood anecdotes (not surprisingly, his mother was also a cat lover), Payne describes several memorable pets, such as Butch, a lovable but dimwitted kitty who didn't notice when a lit birthday candle set his tail on fire. Then there was Cindy, a mean little Chihuahua who was born with a crooked jaw, so that her tongue permanently stuck out. All of Payne's animals had plenty of personality, but the one who held a special place in his heart was Little Man, who would head-butt the bedroom door until someone let him in. As the author tells their fast-paced story, it becomes obvious that he and Little Man are a lot alike. Both had their own difficulties to face—Little Man is diabetic, and Payne's family struggled financially—yet they both thrived, despite the odds. Ultimately, Payne earned his "jump wings" badge in parachutist training and attended test pilot school. Little Man faced a much bigger challenge, as he struggled to survive a severe, mysterious illness. At times, the story rambles as the author jumps from place to place, including many details of his own life; for example, reading about his scuba diving excursion to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and how he posed for pictures with the koalas at the zoo, can sometimes feel like one is watching a friend's unexciting home movies. It also takes a while to get to the heart of the story, which is Little Man's illness. However, pet lovers who hang in there will be touched by Little Man's and Payne's determination.An often sweet story for cat lovers of all stripes.

Kirkus Reviews