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The Force of Destiny: The Life and Times of Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel
On the eve of World War II, a promising young high school musician has his dreams and aspirations for a life in music suddenly interrupted by the call to war. With a fateful and circuitous path leading Arnald D. Gabriel to participate as a machine gunner with the 29th Infantry, on June 6, 1945-D-Day-he finds himself fighting for his country on Omaha Beach. However, from frontline combat and the horrors of war comes the story of a hero who will ultimately realize his dream. The Force of Destiny chronicles the journey of Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel as he navigates the challenges of war and its aftereffects to eventually rise to the pinnacle of his profession as the commander and conductor of the United States Air Force Band in Washington, DC. Conducting in all fifty states and across the globe in fifty countries, Col. Gabriel is known worldwide for his innovative and powerful leadership style and his unique musical genius. Not just a hero in the music profession, his Bronze Stars and other combat awards speak to his heroism in defense of his country and its values.
With a destiny in music and a fate that would shape his personal character and professional future, discover in his powerful story a quest of courage and triumph, magnificence and admiration, and the pursuit of excellence.
With a destiny in music and a fate that would shape his personal character and professional future, discover in his powerful story a quest of courage and triumph, magnificence and admiration, and the pursuit of excellence.
348 pages, Hardcover
Published March 16, 2016
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About the author
Michael A. Gabriel
1 bookMichael A. Gabriel is a retired airline pilot who has spent over forty years in the industry. He and his wife Trish live in Vero Beach, Florida and this is his first book.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 15, 2018
I loved this biography about Colonel Gabriel’s life, a man whom I have always had a deep admiration and respect for. With detailed insights into his whole life, I learned a lot about him as a person, leader, and innovator. Colonel Gabriel’s actions in life have rewarded the world through turning his visions of the benefits of music into reality. Whether he was at home in his youth, fighting for his country during World War II, or serving as the commander and conductor of the United States Air Force Band, his determination to keep moving forward and to bring his love of music to all of us is prevalent. To this day, his retirement from the Air Force and from teaching has not hindered him from continuing to conduct and bring his worldly wisdom to us. Written with love, this book authored by his son is fantastic, and I thank him for it. I am thrilled and am honored to have been under Colonel Gabriel’s direction and am a better person because of it. I highly recommend this biography of this brilliant, insightful, generous man, whose destiny was to share his knowledge and love of music with all of us.
March 21, 2019
A very touching memoir. Detail upon detail from New York, to Omaha Beach, to Washington, DC, and beyond. I'm trying to find the words to describe how I felt along the way.
As the text progresses to the modern time, many of the names I attribute to musical success are collaborators, or under the command, of the Colonel. I'm in awe knowing how much of modern-day band music flows from the passion that Col. Gabriel set in place.
Who better to write the memoir than his son; a boy-turned-man that had a front row seat to history along the way.
As the text progresses to the modern time, many of the names I attribute to musical success are collaborators, or under the command, of the Colonel. I'm in awe knowing how much of modern-day band music flows from the passion that Col. Gabriel set in place.
Who better to write the memoir than his son; a boy-turned-man that had a front row seat to history along the way.
July 2, 2019
Years ago I had the pleasure of playing under Colonel Gabriel’s baton when he conducted a piece we played for the retired AF band reunion in Williamsburg, VA. I joined the USAF band career field in 1978 and Col. Gabriel was a legend, so finally getting the opportunity to experience his presence was a real delight. I could write paragraphs on the influence he had on band music and professionalism, but his son already wrote this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and learning of his extraordinary life, truly an amazing life of which I knew little before this reading. The only reason I give it 4 instead of 5 stars comes from some very inattentive editing (on the same page Pittsburgh is spelled with and without the ‘h’) with lots of typo errors that should have easily been caught. Plus, once the book gets into Gabriel’s work with the Air Force Band, most of the writing details different concerts and tours - almost to a point of tedium. The beginning of the book discussing Gabriel’s experiences during the war gave a great insight to the man. But later in the book it seems that the main takeaway is that Gabriel was a driven workaholic who spent little time with his family. One would expect, as it was written by his son, a more intimate view of Gabriel as a man, husband and father. Nevertheless, the book is a must read for anyone interested in the life of a military musician and of course learning about a truly great and influential leader.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and learning of his extraordinary life, truly an amazing life of which I knew little before this reading. The only reason I give it 4 instead of 5 stars comes from some very inattentive editing (on the same page Pittsburgh is spelled with and without the ‘h’) with lots of typo errors that should have easily been caught. Plus, once the book gets into Gabriel’s work with the Air Force Band, most of the writing details different concerts and tours - almost to a point of tedium. The beginning of the book discussing Gabriel’s experiences during the war gave a great insight to the man. But later in the book it seems that the main takeaway is that Gabriel was a driven workaholic who spent little time with his family. One would expect, as it was written by his son, a more intimate view of Gabriel as a man, husband and father. Nevertheless, the book is a must read for anyone interested in the life of a military musician and of course learning about a truly great and influential leader.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews