Autobiography: historical, political and military Books

Book SynopsisWhat could impel a privileged 24-year-old American serving in the US Army in Germany in 1952 to swim across the Danube River to what was then referred to as the Soviet Zone? Why did he decide to forsake the land of his birth and build a new life in the young German Democratic Republic? These are the questions at the core of this memoir by Victor Grossman who was born Stephen Wechsler but changed his name after defecting to the GDR. A child of the Depression, Grossman witnessed first-hand the dislocations wrought by the collapse of the US economy during the 1930s. Unemployment, poverty, strikes and the fight to save Republican Spain from fascism made an indelible impression as he grew up in an environment that nurtured a commitment to left-wing causes. He continued his involvement with Communist activities as a student at Harvard in the late 1940s and after graduation, when he took jobs in factories in Buffalo, New York and tried to organize their workers. Fleeing McCarthyite America and potential prosecution, Grossman worked in GDR with other Western defectors, He was able to establish himself as a freelance journalist, lecturer and author. Travelling through East Germany he evaluated the failures as well as the successes of the GDR's ""socialist experiment"". He also recorded his experiences, observations and judgements of life in East Berlin after reunification, which failed to bring about the post-Communist paradise so many had expected.Trade ReviewThis work is unique and important. It is one of the very few autobiographies by a Communist activist of the generation of the 1940s. Neither a 'confession' nor a vulgar apology, it is unrepentant but not uncritical. - Alan Wald, University of Michigan

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn Gregory Bourke kept a monumental set of diaries as aide-de-camp to Brigadier General George Crook. This second volume (of a projected set of six) opens as Crook prepares for the expedition that would lead to his infamous and devastating Horse Meat March. Although Bourke retains his loyalty to Crook throughout the detailed account, his patience is sorely tried at times. Bourke's description of the march is balanced by an appendix containing letters and reports by others such as Lt. Walter Schuyler and Surgeon Bennett Clements. The diary continues with the story of the Powder River Expedition, culminating in Bourke's eyewitness description of Col. Ranald Mackenzie's destruction of the main Cheyenne camp in what became known as the Dull Knife Fight. Bourke finishes this volume with a retrospective of his service in Tucson, Arizona. Each volume in the series is extensively annotated and contains a biographical appendix on Indians, civilians, and military personnel named in the volume.Trade ReviewThe University of North Texas Press deserves the thanks of all those interested in the North American Indian wars for undertaking the publication of this invaluable primary source. - Journal of Military History

Read more less

Book SynopsisU.S. Marine George Burlage was part of the largest surrender in American history at Bataan and Corregidor in the spring of 1942, where the Japanese captured more than 85,000 troops. More than forty per cent would not survive World War II. His prisoner-of-war ordeal began at Cabanatuan near Manila, where the death rate in the early months of World War II was fifty men a day. Sensing that Cabanatuan was a death trap, he managed to get transferred to the isolated island of Palawan to help build an airfield for his captors.Malaria and other tropical diseases caused him to be sent to Manila for treatment in 1943 (a year later, 139 of his fellow POWs were massacred on Palawan). After another year of building airfields, Burlage survived a 38-day voyage in the hull of a Japanese hell ship and ended the war as a miner for Mitsubishi in northern Japan. By sheer luck, strength, and a bit of sabotage, he survived and was freed in September 1945 after the Japanese surrendered. He had endured starvation and torture and lost half of his prewar weight, but no one had killed him.After the war Burlage became a journalist and wrote about his POW experiences. His daughter Georgianne discovered his writings after George passed away in 2008, and edited them with additional historical material to provide context for his World War II experiences in the Pacific.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn my year in Vietnam, I walked the booby-trapped rice paddies of the Delta, searching for the elusive Viet Cong, and later macheted my way through the triple-canopy jungle, fighting the North Vietnamese Regulars...I sweated, thirsted, hunted, killed. Somewhere in all my experiences, I overlapped the situations of nearly every infantryman and many others who served. Michael Lee Lanning's journal of his first tour of duty in Vietnam provides an unvarnished daily account of life in the field - the blood, fear, camaraderie, and tedium of combat and maneuver. Fleshed out with narrative and detail years later, the pages of this memorable book, first published in 1987, show an eager young recruit growing before the reader's eyes into a proud but bloodied combat veteran. Subsequent volumes in his ""Vietnam Trilogy"" will detail Lanning's tour as a company commander and his postwar investigation into the mind of the enemy. Through his eyes, readers see the reality of a war that did not always receive glory but was, in his words, ""the only war we had.

Read more less

Trade ReviewThe letters of Charles O. Musser shed welcome light on the experience of federal service west of the Mississippi River. - Gary W. Gallagher ""Soldier Boy contains many valuable insights into the Civil War in the West, gives a realistic picture of life and death among the so-called common soldiers of that conflict, and does these things in a roughhewn but frank and colorful fashion that makes for enjoyable reading. This is a splendid addition to the literature of the Civil War produced by the men who fought it."" - Albert Castel, author, Decision in the West: The Atlanta Campaign of 1864

Read more less

Book SynopsisFormer Ohio governor Richard Celeste's remarkable journey from humble beginnings in northeast Ohio to Yale, Oxford, Washington DC, India, the governor's residence, and beyond"Dick, remember this admonition: to whom much is given, much is expected." As the eldest child in his Italian American family, Richard F. Celeste frequently heard his maternal grandmother repeat this aphorism. His paternal grandmother's advice was, "Bresta your cards." This divergent advice reverberated within him for years to come, informing Celeste's approach to what has become a life of serving others.In the Heart of it All recounts Celeste's childhood in Lakewood, Ohio, where his politically ambitious father eventually served as mayor. Awarded a scholarship to attend Yale University, Celeste studied history and later became a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford; while living overseas, he met and quickly married his first wife, Dagmar Braun. Upon returning from Oxford, Celeste expected to begin a teaching career but was recruited to serve as a liaison for Peace Corps volunteers in Latin America, and the young couple relocated to Washington, DC, where they became friendly with Chet and Steb Bowles. When President Kennedy appointed Chet Bowles US ambassador to India, he invited Dick to work as his personal assistant. There, under Bowles's tutelage, Dick began to consider a political career of his own.Celeste returned to Ohio and successfully ran for the Ohio House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1970. After serving two terms, he was elected lieutenant governor in 1974 but lost the 1978 governor's race by a slim margin. Celeste worked in DC as director of the Peace Corps while plotting his next move, and in 1982, his gubernatorial campaign resulted in a landslide victory. He served two terms as Ohio's governor, tackling an epic savings and loan crisis along with mental health reform and job creation.Celeste describes candidly why he considered and dismissed a presidential campaign in 1988. He went on to serve as ambassador to India under President Clinton, traveling there with his second wife, Jacqueline Lundquist, and bringing his career full circle. Shortly after that position ended, Celeste became president of Colorado College, serving from 2002 to 2011.In each position, Celeste has used his grandmothers' wisdom to guide his decision making, putting the needs of his various constituents—Ohio citizens, Peace Corps volunteers, diplomatic colleagues, and college students—above his ego and popularity ratings, and, as he poignantly reflects, sometimes even before his family. In the Heart of It All offers a remarkably frank and expansive account of Celeste's personal and professional life, including his disappointing defeats and thrilling victories.Trade Review"Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "In the Heart of It All: An Unvarnished Account of My Life in Public Service" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in political biographies and memoirs …. [and] will prove a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library American Biography & Memoir collections." —Midwest Book Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne young woman's correspondence with her community's servicemen, maintaining connection and boosting morale throughout the Civil WarDuring the American Civil War, soldiers frequently wrote letters to friends and family members as a way of maintaining their connections to loved ones at home. However, most of the published collections of Civil War letters contain correspondence between just two individuals. Letters to Lizzie: The Story of Sixteen Men in the Civil War and the One Woman Who Connected Them All contains a collection of letters exchanged between 16 men—15 soldiers and a quartermaster at a military hospital—and one young woman, Lizzie Brick. Since Lizzie herself could not bear arms, she took up her pen and through ongoing correspondence helped these Union soldiers sustain their motivation for the cause.The men served in 11 different regiments in the Army of the Potomac, and their correspondence reveals unique insights into the connections between home front and battlefront during the Civil War and into the dynamics of male-female friendships in the 19th century. The letters span the entire war, and within them, the soldiers share their opinions about the people of the South, describe their experiences on the battlefield, and voice their frustrations with their commanders and the conduct of the war.Letters to Lizzie presents a complex portrait of a young woman during wartime as well as the concerns of soldiers, thus contributing to our understanding of the connections between servicemen and their communities and the role that women played during the Civil War in sustaining these relationships.Trade Review"The 124 letters contained within its covers and the impressive editorial work by Professor Scythes not only makes Letters to Lizzie well worth reading and adding to any Civil War enthusiast's library, this book also needs to be included in the discussion of the finest collections of Civil War soldiers' letters available." —Emerging Civil War "Lizzie Brick longed to carry a musket for the Union cause, but as a woman she could only wield a pen on behalf of her nation. She became a pen pal with sixteen men wearing the blue, instructing, and inspiring them to be pure in thought, moral in camp, and brave in battle. Scythes has put together a volume of soldier correspondence that is unlike any publication that we have seen in the field of Civil War history." —Peter S. Carmichael, professor of Civil War studies at Gettysburg College and author of The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Fought, Thought, and Survived in Civil War Armies "This unique collection of letters captures the Civil War's impact not just on one or two letter-writers but on a whole community of ordinary Americans. Most compellingly, it highlights the crucial wartime role played by many women, like Lizzie Brick, who anchored social networks stretched from home front to battlefield." —Christopher Hager, author of I Remain Yours: Common Lives in Civil War Letters "I absolutely love this unique collection of letters. Civil War soldiers especially valued female correspondents, and here we see how women like Lizzie connected men to each other. Through Lizzie and her friends, the social expectations of young people during the Civil War are made vivid for modern readers." —Lorien Foote, professor of history at Texas A&M University "This is an extraordinary collection of letters that captures the pathos and passion of the war years. These letters provide rich detail on the monotony of camp, dangers of battle, anguish of sickness, and the social milieu of these young men who went off to war. Lizzie kept them all anchored to the world they had left behind, and kept their letters so that we have a wonderful snapshot into that world." —Judkin Browning, co-author of An Environmental History of the Civil War

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith a closeness perhaps unique to siblings orphaned young, Orlando and Artimisia “Missie” Palmer exchanged intimate letters throughout their lives. These letters (interspersed with additional letters from Oliver Kennedy, the Palmers’ first cousin) offer a clear and entertaining window into the life and times of a junior Confederate officer serving in the Western Theater of the Civil War. Though he initially felt Americans would see “the folly and the madness” of going to war, Orlando enlisted as a private in what would become Company H of the First (later Fifteenth) Arkansas Infantry, informing his sister that he had volunteered “not for position, not for a name, but from patriotic motivation.” However, he was ambitious enough to secure an appointment as Maj. Gen. William Joseph Hardee’s personal secretary; he then rose to become his regiment’s sergeant major, his company’s first lieutenant, and later captain and brigade adjutant. Soldier letters typically report only what can be observed at the company level, but Palmer’s high-ranking position offers a unique view of strategic rather than tactical operations. Palmer’s letters are not all related to his military experience, though, and the narrative is enhanced by his nuanced reflections on courtship customs and personal relationships. For instance, Palmer frequently attempts to entertain Missie with witticisms and tales of his active romantic life: “We have so much to do,” he quips, “that we have no time to do anything save to visit the women. I am in love with several dozen of them and am having a huge time generally.”The Folly and the Madness adds depth to the genre of Civil War correspondence and provides a window into the lives of ordinary southerners at an extraordinary time.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThomas E. Alexander was among 20,000 military service personnel ordered into the Strategic Air Command, formed in 1946 as US military and political leaders began to understand the growing nuclear threat posed by Stalin's USSR. Alexander served for a number of years in this elite force, designed as a primary deterrent to Soviet military ambitions.In this gripping memoir, Alexander describes what it was like to occupy a 'mole hole' beside a SAC runway, ready to go from full sleep to taxiing for takeoff within seven minutes of the sounding of the klaxon. He shares the experience of sitting on the couch with his family and watching President Kennedy's announcement of the discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba, realizing that within hours he would be airborne. He tells what it was like to be at a New Year's Eve party on the base, only to hear the announcement that his unit had just been activated. Less than twenty-four hours later, he was in Greenland.In SAC Time: Navigating the Strategic Air Command, Alexander presents 'an honest and reflective account of the impact the Cold War had on individuals who were then on the front lines of defense - like it or not.' Coauthor Dan Utley says of Alexander's narrative, 'The story of an ordinary individual in extraordinary times has value. . . . These are stories Tom Alexander has waited much of his life to share with others, but they are as rich as the day they occurred.'

Read more less

Book SynopsisArrested in 1962 as South Africa’s apartheid regime intensified its brutal campaign against political opponents, forty-four-year-old lawyer and African National Congress activist Nelson Mandela had no idea that he would spend the next twenty-seven years in jail. During his 10,052 days of incarceration, Mandela wrote hundreds of letters to unyielding prison authorities, fellow activists, government officials, and most memorably, to his wife Winnie and his five children. Now, 255 of these letters, the majority of which were previously unseen, provide the most intimate portrait of Mandela since Long Walk to Freedom. Painstakingly researched, authenticated and catalogued by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the letters have been drawn from the Foundation’s archive as well as from public and private collections held by the Mandela family and South African government archives. Mandela’s letters are organised chronologically and divided by the four prisons in which he was incarcerated. Each section opens with a short introduction to provide a historical overview of each of these periods and the collection features a foreword by Zamaswazi Dlamini-Mandela. Whether writing about the death of his son Thembi after a request to attend the funeral was ignored, providing unwavering support to his also-imprisoned wife or outlining a human-rights philosophy that resonates today, The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela reveals the heroism of a man who refused to compromise his moral values in the face of extraordinary human punishment. Ultimately, they confirm Mandela’s position among the most inspiring historical figures of the twentieth century.Trade Review"Madiba's words give us a compass in a sea of change. Firm ground amidst swirling currents." -- Barack Obama"A veritable treasure trove, they grant a forensic insight into his courage, superhuman fortitude and clarity of political judgment; into his agony at failing in his duties as a husband and father of two girls, toddlers when he was snatched away; and his torment at being refused permission to attend either his mother's or his son’s funeral. To me, even as a biographer of Mandela, it is a revelatory volume." -- Peter Hain - The Daily Telegraph"... this mesmerising book of prison letters... through these compelling letters the thinking, feeling, loving man he was comes back to us." -- Gillian Slovo - The Guardian"Venter has done an excellent job of sifting through the South African national archives, which alone contain 57 boxes of his prison letters and papers, and smaller collections that are scattered all over the place." -- Ivan Fallon - The Sunday Times"Nelson Mandela’s long, thoughtful letters, written during his 27 years in prison, display an unwavering certainty that change would prevail." -- Tim Adams, Book of the Day - The Guardian"... as a series of illuminating snapshots into one of the most important political icons of post-colonial Africa, the book will have a timeless value." -- The Irish Times"Remarkably, this collection only serves to enhance and consolidate Mandela’s reputation as a defining figure of the last century and the present one. The letters are in multiple languages, English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa, but they speak the language of humanity, which is the language of that fraught but loaded prison word: time." -- The Herald"To commemorate what would have been his 100th birthday, a book of 250 letters has just been published, providing a remarkable insight into the man, his tenacity and endurance and the struggle for his country's freedom." -- The Independent"A superbly edited collection of the ANC chief's prison letters paint a portrait of Mandela the family man, the political thinker and the inmate... As well as presenting 255 letters across 640 pages here, the South African journalist Sahm Venter does a fine job of putting them into historical context." -- The Irish Independent"So much rubbish has been written over the years by those who feared, revered or pretended to know Nelson Mandela that it is useful, finally, to be able to read about him and the privations of his prison years in his own contemporaneous, understated prose." -- The Spectator"The back cover of The Prison Letters Of Nelson Mandela is adorned with several quotes from the book, all expressing the kind of noble sentiments you might expect from one of the Great Men of History. In fact, though, this is a bit misleading — because, taken as a whole, the book itself gives us a far more rounded, interesting and, above all, human portrait of Mandela than that." -- The Daily Mail"Published in what would have been his centenary year, this fascinating collection of correspondence provides a revealing and deeply emotional glimpse into the mind of the 20th century's greatest leader." -- World of Cruising

Read more less

Book SynopsisWriting Home offers readers a firsthand account of the life of Emma Alderson, an otherwise unexceptional English immigrant on the Ohio frontier in mid-nineteenth-century America, who documented the five years preceding her death with astonishing detail and insight. Her convictions as a Quaker offer unique perspectives on racism, slavery, and abolition; the impending war with Mexico; presidential elections; various religious and utopian movements; and the practices of everyday life in a young country. Introductions and notes situate the letters in relation to their critical, biographical, literary, and historical contexts. Editor Donald Ulin discusses the relationship between Alderson’s letters and her sister Mary Howitt’s Our Cousins in Ohio (1849), a remarkable instance of transatlantic literary collaboration.Writing Home offers an unparalleled opportunity for studying immigrant correspondence due to Alderson’s unusually well-documented literary and religious affiliations. The notes and introductions provide background on nearly all the places, individuals, and events mentioned in the letters. Published by Bucknell University Press. Distributed worldwide by Rutgers University Press.Trade Review"Emma Botham Alderson, author of this important collection of letters, is an unusually articulate, observant, and skilled writer, who brings to life the courage and ingenuity of America’s nineteenth-century English settlers. Such records are of special significance in our own time, when many are sadly unappreciative of the hardships and heartbreak of the immigrant experience. Donald Ulin provides a wealth of well-researched material to help us better understand the text and its historical context." -- Paula Feldman * co-editor of The Collected Poetry of Mary Tighe *"Emma Botham Alderson, an English Quaker woman setting out on a new life in the United States, was an acute and sensitive observer of life in the Ohio Valley in the 1840s. Her letters to family back in England are filled with observations on everything from landscapes to politics to slavery and antislavery to Quaker peculiarities. We are fortunate that they have survived, and fortunate that they have found such a skilled and thorough editor in Donald Ulin." -- Tom Hamm * editor of Quaker Writings: An Anthology, 1650-1920 *"Bucknell University Press must be highly congratulated for fulfilling so successfully the role of an academic press (no surprise for Bucknell) and not shrinking this volume to a slender market piece. The book contains Ulin’s full scholarly apparatus of endnotes, an appendix of the physical and postal attributes of the letters, an appendix of names, a rich bibliography, and a detailed index. Ulin and Bucknell University Press have demonstrated the highest standard of academic publishing. This book is worth every penny and is something to write home about." * Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies *"The letters are a wonderful window into Alderson's experiences...The editorial sections are tremendously insightful and valuable. Ulin has completed a lot of research about all manner of aspects of Alderson's life and context." * Quaker Studies *Table of Contents Illustrations Abbreviations Preface Introduction Friends and Family Final Years in England Letters, Authorship, and Transnational Modernity Editorial Practices and Principles I. Leaving home: the Shenandoah, across the Alleghenies, the First Winter Six Weeks at Sea Across the Alleghenies American Friends The Botany of Home Letters (1842 to 1843) 1. To Unknown, July 8, 1942 2. To Ann Botham, August 17, 1842 3. To Ann Botham and Mary Howitt, September 1842 4. To Ann Botham and Anna Harrison, October 7, 1842 5. To Anna Harrison and Daniel Harrison, November 30, 1842 6. To Ann Botham, January 16, 1843 to February 24, 1843 7. To Mary Harrison and Margaret Ann Harrison, March 27, 1843 8. To Ann Botham, April 7, 1843 to April 16, 1843 9. To Ann Botham, May 16, 1843 to May 28, 1843 II. A Home of their Own: First Years at Cedar Lodge Pittsburgh to Cincinnati by Steamboat Landscapes: Beauty and More Botany Becoming (and Unbecoming) Americans Family and Friends Friends and the Great Separations Letters 1843 to 1845 10. To Anna Harrison and Daniel Harrison, June 1843 11. To Ann Botham, July 25, 1843 12. To Ann Botham, September 6, 1843 13. To Mary Howitt, October 3, 1843 14. To Ann Botham, October 29, 1843 to November 14, 1843 15. To Anna Harrison, November 20, 1843 to December 1, 1843 16. To Ann Botham, December 31, 1843 17. To Ann Botham, January 28, 1844 to March 9, 1844 18. To Ann Botham, April 22, 1844 to May 6, 1844 19. To Ann Botham, May 19, 1844 to June 14, 1844 20. To Ann Botham, June 2, 1844 to July 24, 1844 21. To Anna Harrison, September 2, 1844 to September 13, 1844 22. To Mary Howitt, October 13, 1844 23. To Ann Botham, October 24, 1844 24. To Ann Botham, December 1, 1844 to December 26, 1844 25. To Mary Howitt, January 20, 1845 26. To Ann Botham, March 7, 1845 to May 27, 1844 27. To Ann Botham, April 4, 1845 28. To Ann Botham, May 21, 1845 29. To Anna Mary Howitt, June 10, 1845 30. To Anna Harrison, July 19, 1845 31. To Ann Botham, September 13, 1845 32. To Ann Botham, October 1845 32. To Ann Botham, October 1845 33. To Ann Botham, October 25, 1845 34. To Anna Harrison, November 5, 1845 35. To Ann Botham, November 1845 to December 24, 1845 36. William Howitt, December 28, 1845 III. The Final Years Race and Racism in America Becoming an Author The End Letters 1846-1847 37. To Margaret and Herbert Howitt, January 1, 1846 to January 8, 1846 38. To Margaret and Herbert Howitt, January 9, 1846 to January 20, 1846 39. To Mary Howitt, February 15, 1846 to February 21, 1846 39. To Mary Howitt, February 15, 1846 to February 21, 1846 40. To Margaret and Herbert Howitt, January 28, 1846 to March 2, 1846 41. To Ann Botham, March 23, 1846 42. To Margaret and Herbert Howitt, March 2, 1846 to March 26, 1846 42. To Margaret and Herbert Howitt, March 2, 1846 to March 26, 1846 43. To Margaret and Herbert Howitt, April 1, 1846 to April 16, 1846 44. To Mary Howitt, April 18, 1846 to May 18, 1846 44. To Mary Howitt, May 1, 1846 to May 18, 1846 45. To Ann Botham, May 3, 1846 to May 18, 1846 46. To Mary Howitt, May 14, 1846 to June 14, 1846 46. To Mary Howitt, May 15, 1846 to June 14, 1846 47. To Mary Howitt, June 30, 1846 to July 11, 1846 48. To Anna Harrison, June 26, 1846 to July 15, 1846 49. To Ann Botham, July 12, 1846 50. To Mary Howitt, July 13, 1846 to June 27, 1846 51. To Mary Howitt, August 2, 1846 to August 15, 1846 52. To Mary Howitt, August 1846 to September 21, 1846 52. To Mary Howitt, August 1846 to September 21, 1846 53. To Ann Botham, September 21, 1846 54. To Ann Botham, September 1846 55. To Mary Howitt, September 27 1846 to October 20, 1846 56. To Mary Howitt, October 24, 1846 to November 20, 1846 56. To Mary Howitt, October 24, 1846 to November 20, 1846 57. To Anna Harrison, November 1846 58. To Ann Botham, November 24, 1846 59. To Ann Botham, December 20, 1846 60. To Mary Howitt, November 29, 1846 to December 25, 1846 61. To Mary Howitt, February 2, 1847 62. To Mary Howitt, February 21, 1847 to October 7, 1847 63. To Mary Harrison and Margaret Ann Harrison, March 20, 1847 64. To Ann Botham, March 1847 65. To Ann Botham, April 10, 1847 to April 20, 1847 66. To Ann Botham, May 23, 1847 67. To Ann Botham, June 1847 to July 1847 68. To Mary Howitt, July 23, 1847 69. To Mary Howitt and Ann Botham, July 24, 1847 70. To Anna Harrison, August 24, 1847 71. To Mary Howitt, October 1847 72. To Ann Botham, October 9, 1847 73. To Mary Howitt, November 23, 1847 74. To Mary Howitt and William Howitt, December 1847 75. To Ann Botham and William Howitt, December 18, 1847 Epilogue Cedar Lodge The Aldersons and their Descendants The Harrisons and their Descendants The Howitts and their Descendants Joseph Taylor and Family Appendix 1. Physical and Postal Attributes Appendix 2. Directory of Names Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisBorn in Prague to Holocaust survivors, Hadassah Lieberman and her family immigrated in 1949 to the United States. She went on to earn a BA from Boston University in government and dramatics and an MA in international relations and American government from Northeastern University. She built a career devoted largely to public health that has included positions at Lehman Brothers, Pfizer, and the National Research Council. After her first marriage ended in divorce, she married Joe Lieberman, a US senator from Connecticut who was the Democratic nominee for vice president with Al Gore and would go on to run for president. In Hadassah, Lieberman pens the compelling story of her extraordinary life: from her family's experience in Eastern Europe to their move to Gardner, Massachusetts; forging her career; experiencing divorce; and, following her remarriage, her life on the national political stage. By offering insight into her identity as an immigrant, an American Jew, a working woman, and a wife, mother, and grandmother, Lieberman’s moving memoir speaks to many of the major issues of our time, from immigration to gender politics. Featuring an introduction by Joe Lieberman and an afterword by Megan McCain, it is a true American story.Trade Review“Lieberman’s new memoir is a candid, thoughtful, and moving account of her journey from war-shattered Czechoslovakia to the heights of US politics. Its pages capture Hadassah’s love of family, respect for tradition, and deep devotion to her adopted country. As a fellow immigrant, I am glad she is sharing her story of pursuing, and achieving, the American dream.” -- Madeleine K Albright“Hadassah’s story resonates with all immigrants regardless of where they came from or when. Her beautifully written memoir is moving and inspirational. It will make you cry; it will make you laugh. It is a uniquely American story and her journey is now a part of our history.” -- Elaine L Chao, former US Secretary of Labor“Drawing on both her personal and familial experiences, Lieberman has written a moving and insightful memoir that speaks on the nature of faith, the importance of personal history, and the individual commitment that democracy requires.” -- Henry A Kissinger“Lieberman’s story is an American dream. A child of Holocaust survivors and a committed Jew, she became a witness to the topmost reaches of American political life, almost becoming the ‘Second Lady’ of the United States. It was an unbelievable saga, and she takes the reader along with her as she looks back on that journey.” -- Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies, Emory University“My work in search of the tragic fate of Ukrainian Jews, as well as other victims of the Nazi war machine, has been sobering. Nonetheless, it is important to continue with this effort, to learn what we can, to listen to survivor testimony, and to bear witness. This is exactly what Lieberman has marvelously done in her amazing and moving book recounting her family’s experiences during the Second World War. A book for young generations to read, to stay awake and to stay strong!” -- Father Patrick Desbois, founder and president of Yahad-In Unum and author of The Holocaust by Bullets"Lieberman has a unique story to share…Intriguing…Moving." * Kirkus Reviews *"Whether writing about marriage, motherhood, illness, being on the campaign trail or an official visit to the concentration camps, Lieberman expresses herself with honesty, dignity, heart and wisdom." * Jewish Journal *"An opportunity for [Lieberman] to honor her parents and to tell her story of light that had originated from darkness." * Cleveland Jewish News *Table of ContentsList of Figures, Foreword, Preface, Acknowledgements, Chapter One. Momuch, Chapter Two. Daddy, Chapter Three. My Immigrant Identity, Chapter Four. Leaving Gardner, Chapter Five. Remarriage, Motherhood and Meaning, Chapter Six. Living in the Spotlight, Chapter Seven. A Stone from Auschwitz, Chapter Eight. Election 2000, Chapter Nine. Gratitude

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter the Japanese invasion of Burma in late 1941, 11-year-old Colin McPhedran was forced to flee his homeland on foot, across the steep Patkoi Mountain Ranges, to safety in India. Over a three-month period, Colin, along with his mother, elder brother and sister and thousands of others who died, battled the annual monsoon rains, starvation, disease and exhaustion, in an attempt to cover the 500-kilometre journey across the border.This autobiography recalls McPhedran’s pre-war childhood as part of a large Anglo-Burmese family, the Japanese invasion and his extraordinary trek to freedom. This new edition seeks to answer key questions asked by those readers who wrote in their hundreds to Colin, who passed away in 2010, asking ‘What happened afterwards?’ It also reveals new information about the man who found and rescued Colin when he was at death’s door on the jungle refugee trail to India.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMost American soldiers in Iraq had a deep, thick plastic box called a “guerrilla box” which usually sat at the end of their cot. Soldiers would keep all kinds of things in their box. Weapon cleaning kits. Extra equipment. Blankets and pillows from home. Footballs. Protein powder. Mine was full of books. These are not confessions. Nor are they essays. Nothing is off the table in Did You Kill Anyone?, a hybrid compendium of thoughts and observations whose narrative thrust is propelled and shaped by the inquiry itself. Drawing from and elaborating on years of the author’s work on the peripheries of this subject, published in such outlets as The Paris Review, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, and The American Conservative, Did You Kill Anyone? asks a question that is rarely, if ever, discussed publicly: `why do soldiers miss war?’. With the intimacy of a memoir and the force of a critical analysis, Scott Beauchamp gives his daring, counterintuitive take, interrogating the frivolous conformity of our increasingly inhuman(e) culture.

Read more less

Book SynopsisRevisionary Narratives examines the historical and formal evolutions of Moroccan women’s auto/biography in the last four decades, particularly its conflation with testimony and its expansion beyond literary texts. The book analyzes life narratives in Arabic, colloquial Moroccan Darija, French, and English in the fields of prison narratives, visual arts, theater, and digital media. The various case studies highlight narrative strategies women use to relate their experiences of political violence, migration, displacement, and globalization, while engaging patriarchal and (neo)imperial norms and practices. Using a transdisciplinary interpretative lens, the analyses focus on how women authors, artists, and activists collapse the boundaries between autobiography, biography, testimony, and sociopolitical commentary to revise dominant conventions of authorship, transgress oppressive definitions of gender roles and relations, and envision change.Revisionary Narratives marks auto/biography and testimony as a specific field of inquiry within the study of women’s postcolonial cultural productions in the Moroccan and, more broadly, the Maghrebi and Middle Eastern contexts.Trade ReviewReviews‘This work presents an original study and critique of current cultural production by Moroccan women as a response to the repressive Years of Lead …The qualities of the work are exceptional and it will add a dimension to the studies on Moroccan women’s cultural production that has not been addressed before.'Valérie K. Orlando, University of Maryland'This book's central focus on auto/biography and testimony in works of cultural production by women of Morocco makes a valuable contribution to recent scholarship in life writing/life narratives critically departing from the mostly male-centred repertoire of the sovereign subject. By including photographic and accompanying artistic practices, Hachad extends the field of auto/biographical studies beyond the preoccupation with writing.'Norman Saadi Nikro, University of PotsdamTable of ContentsIntroduction: Moroccan Women’s Auto/biographical and Testimonial Acts in ContextChapter 1: The Rise of a Feminist Consciousness in Saïda Menebhi’s Prison WritingsChapter 2: (Re)writing the Woman Resister: Violence, Gender, and Legitimacy in Fatna El Bouih and Malika Oufkir’s TestimoniesChapter 3: Speaking for the Voiceless: Political and Ethical Considerations of Moroccan Women’s ‘Collective Testimonial Self’Chapter 4: Visual, Cultural, and Geopolitical Thresholds in Lalla Essaydi’s Depiction of Moroccan WomenChapter 5: Carolle Bénitah’s Photo-Embroidery: Remembering, Reframing, Disfiguring, and Embellishing the PastChapter 6: Modes of Feminine Resistance and Testimony in the Wake of the Mudawana reform and the Arab Uprisings: Contemporary Discourses of Contestation in Naïma Zitan’s play Daily and Fedwa Misk’s Webzine QandishaConclusion: The Future of Moroccan Women’s Auto/biography and TestimonyBibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisGeorge Warde Norman, 1793-1882, a Director of the Bank of England 1821-72, was an important figure in both the development and the implementation of the theory of monetary control, embodied in the Bank Charter Act of 1844. Norman wrote an Autobiography covering his first 54 years, and this provides a remarkable portrait not only of Norman himself but of the social and intellectual network in which he lived. He was an intimate of the Utilitarians, especially George Grote with whom there was ultimately a quarrel which has never been made public before. He was a businessman, at first in the timber trade, in which connection he spent time in Norway, and made the acquaintance of Napoleon’s Marshall, Bernadotte, by then King of Sweden and Norway, and then in fire insurance. He also wrote on economic matters, not only on monetary issues but also on trade theory and taxation. The Autobiography, which has survived fire and flood, was rediscovered in the 1960s by D.P. O’Brien who at that time prepared a typescript which has been used by scholars. With the release of this edition, the work is now available for the first time in a fully edited and corrected version. It should be of interest to historians of economic thought, economic historians, and students of nineteenth century intellectual history and society.Trade Review‘This is an elegant and scholarly volume by two prominent authorities in the history of economic thought. . . This is a work of tremendous scholarship and one which will be of great interest to historians of economic thought and others interested in nineteenth century intellectual history and society.’ -- John Vint, History of Economic Thought Newsletter‘This is the autobiography of a prominent 19th century economist, which was miraculously saved from destruction by fire. It would be interesting simply as a personal account of the education of an upper class gentleman of the Victorian era. But Norman became a long-serving director of the Bank of England who entered into public debates on matters of public finance and international trade. The editors are well-known authorities in the history of economic thought and provide us with a 50-page introduction to the technicalities of Norman’s contributions. This is an invaluable entrée into classical economics as it was experienced at the time.’ -- The late Mark Blaug, formerly of the University of London and University of Buckingham, UK‘This book has been a long time in the making but well worth the wait. It is a work of immense scholarship. The editors of George Warde Norman’s autobiography have put a huge effort into the production. The volume has a splendid introduction and is then packed with fascinating detail revealing the world of an important nineteenth century figure - the grandfather of Montagu Norman no less - that lights up the working of the Bank and the City and much else besides.’ -- Forrest H. Capie, Bank of England, UKTable of ContentsContents: Preface by D.P. O’Brien Introduction by D.P. O’Brien 1. Early Years 2. Eltham School 3. Eton 4. Early Working Life 5. France and Napoleon 6. Serious Illness 7. Travels 8. The Bank and Economic Studies 9. More Illness and Travels 10. Monetary Problems 11. More Travels 12. Some Family Matters 13. Public Life 14. The Storms of 1848 Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt’s midnight and there are fists pounding on the door. Authoritative voices shouting, “We’re coming in! Get on the floor!” A few terrorized minutes later a family member is dragged out by armed men, disappearing into the night. This scenario is the greatest fear of many twentieth-century families—and to the unlucky, it’s a lived reality. For the ethnic Chinese who had been settled in Northern India for many years, 1962 was filled with moments of terror like these. After the Sino-Indian Border War broke out in 1962, on the authorization of Prime Minister Nehru more than two thousand Chinese-Indians were torn from their homes and placed in local jails before being transported more than one thousand miles to the Deoli internment camp in the Rajasthan desert. Born in Calcutta in 1949 and raised in Darjeeling, Yin Marsh was just thirteen years old when first her father was taken and then she, her grandmother, and eight year old brother were forcibly removed from their home and thrown first into Darjeeling Jail. Upon arrival in Deoli, Yin and her family were assigned to the same bungalow where Prime Minister Nehru himself had done time during India’s war for independence. Eventually released, Yin emigrated to America with her mother. She attended college, married, and raised her own family, all without telling the story of her emotional trauma. It wasn’t until her own college-age daughter began to ask questions and when a friend’s wedding would require her to return to her homeland that Yin was finally able to face what had happened to her and her family. In the fascinating memoir Doing Time with Nehru, the little-known history of how the Chinese were treated in post-Independence India is brought to light and through Yin’s story, readers can glimpse the hardship, cruelty, and harsh lessons required for survival.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMy Political Journey is P.J. Patterson’s account of his time as an active and successful participant in the political and social development of Jamaica and the Caribbean, from the mid-1950s well into the early 2000s. He was widely regarded as a master political strategist and universally acknowledged as an astute negotiator.Jamaica is an enigma: its global impact belies its population and geographical size. This story of one of its most exceptional citizens is an enlightening revelation of the island’s political and cultural narrative. Patterson was born in 1935, the dawn of a new era in the development of Jamaica and the Caribbean. A previously disenfranchised population would gain a voice through universal adult suffrage and have a say in the direction of the nation’s affairs. Within a few decades, an independent nation would emerge to make a significant impact on the global landscape. Patterson is both a product of this new Jamaica and one of its architects, and his is a compelling and intimate account of a dramatic era for the young nation.P.J. Patterson led his country with distinction, implementing policies and programmes to foster social renewal and the development of a modern Jamaica that was prepared to face the challenges of the new millennium. Throughout his career in the People’s National Party, he gained international respect through the pivotal roles he played in the advancement of the causes of the developing countries of the world. My Political Journey recounts his performance at the national, regional and global levels and is a fascinating record of a nation’s postcolonial growth.Trade Review“Were My Political Journey not memoirs obedient to modesty, an apt title might have been The Best of the Caribbean. For that is what P.J. has been and because of the values, the dreams, the efforts that guided that life, this candid account of them will influence generations of West Indians beyond the present to know that the best is attainable still.” - Sir Shridath “Sonny” Ramphal, Former Commonwealth Secretary General“This is more than an autobiography as it provides invaluable insights, information and, more importantly, the context of the issues that have consumed the attention of Caribbean leaders for the last fifty years. . . . Perhaps the most significant aspect of this memoir is P.J.’s keen sense of the changes that were occurring and the need for new strategies for successful governance and leadership in the age of globalization.” - The Most Honourable Sir Kenneth Hall, former Governor General of Jamaica“A fascinating memoir. Prime Minister Patterson, as a real statesman, shows how the English-speaking Caribbean became a unique player at the regional arena, enlarging its influence in the Latin American Region, and at the world level.” - Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile“For many decades Jamaica stood out in our eyes as an outstanding example of valuable and moving solidarity. This was significantly because of the eminent and principled position which the late Prime Minister Michael Manley took in support of the struggles for the liberation of South Africa and Africa from apartheid and colonialism. We were fortunate that as we entered into the post-apartheid period we could still count on Jamaica to continue to serve as a reliable comrade-in-arms, thanks to the support and wisdom of P.J. Patterson as we grappled with the new challenges at home and abroad which came with our liberation.” - Thabo Mbeki, former President of South Africa“My Political Journey tells this important story of the power internationalist solidarity has to change the world. . . . This book provides a universal awareness that integrates free, state and community economic vision which points us in the direction of peace, prosperity and a meaningful life for all of God’s children. Seeing the world through the Jamaican soul allows you to really believe that ‘One Love’ is truly an attainable realty.” - Ambassador Andrew J. Young, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mayor of Atlanta

Read more less

Book SynopsisEduardo Faingold chronicles his family's experiences before, during, and after the military dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983). He uses his diaries, interviews in Latin America and Israel, documents and pictures given to him by his family and friends and studies the works of political scientists, historians and journalists. He begins with his family history from the time when his ancestors immigrated in the 19th century from Byelorussia and Bessarabia to Argentina as a part of the Baron de Hirsch's emigrant wave that established farming villages in the provinces of Santa Fe and Buenos Aires. Then, using his family's history as background, he discusses his life as an exile in Israel and Denmark from 1976 to 1979, his return to Argentina to comply with his military service in the Argentine Marine Infantry and his return to Israel in 1980.In a revealing preface to the second edition of Exile from Argentina, the author updates the family history and notes some important political events in Argentina and Israel in the 1980s and beyond that help contextualize the author's experiences. Notably, as the author points out in this new preface to Exile from Argentina, by the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, all his siblings and their families, as well as his mother, the descendants of his ancestors who emigrated to Argentina from Byelorussia and Bessarabia at the turn of the 19th century to escape the violence of the Russian pogroms, are now scattered in five continents, living their lives in cultures as varied as those of the United States, Brazil, Israel, Norway, Sweden, and Australia. Finally, this new edition of Exile from Argentina features a trove of historical photos and documents of the author and his family which were not included in the first edition of the book.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEduardo Faingold chronicles his family's experiences before, during, and after the military dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983). He uses his diaries, interviews in Latin America and Israel, documents and pictures given to him by his family and friends and studies the works of political scientists, historians and journalists. He begins with his family history from the time when his ancestors immigrated in the 19th century from Byelorussia and Bessarabia to Argentina as a part of the Baron de Hirsch's emigrant wave that established farming villages in the provinces of Santa Fe and Buenos Aires. Then, using his family's history as background, he discusses his life as an exile in Israel and Denmark from 1976 to 1979, his return to Argentina to comply with his military service in the Argentine Marine Infantry and his return to Israel in 1980.In a revealing preface to the second edition of Exile from Argentina, the author updates the family history and notes some important political events in Argentina and Israel in the 1980s and beyond that help contextualize the author's experiences. Notably, as the author points out in this new preface to Exile from Argentina, by the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, all his siblings and their families, as well as his mother, the descendants of his ancestors who emigrated to Argentina from Byelorussia and Bessarabia at the turn of the 19th century to escape the violence of the Russian pogroms, are now scattered in five continents, living their lives in cultures as varied as those of the United States, Brazil, Israel, Norway, Sweden, and Australia. Finally, this new edition of Exile from Argentina features a trove of historical photos and documents of the author and his family which were not included in the first edition of the book.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis authentic account is a tribute to the courage and resolve with which soldiers and their loved ones confront uncertainty, fear, hardship and the loss of their comrades. Subjected to continual changes of affiliation as the Falklands campaign unfolds, 2 Troop has to create its own identity and sense of belonging drawing on its professional belief, strength of leadership, and intrinsic camaraderie. This is the story of how they did it, and the contribution they made, in one of the toughest campaigns since World War 2. A ‘must read’ for aspiring junior commanders and students of the realities of war.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen a country experiences a civil war, media reports are mainly brought to the attention of the outside world by those who can only report on the surface impressions obtained during a short visit or from the comfort of a studio thousands of miles away. My experiences, living and working at the grass roots level, during and after the crisis in Nigeria in the 1960s has a different perspective. As a young Scotswoman married to a Nigerian from the breakaway republic of Biafra we lived as refugees with our young family, forced to leave our home seven times in the 30 months of the civil war as the war raged around us. Cut off from the outside world, in a situation the British High Commissioner in Nigeria had predicted at the onset, would be over in two weeks, we lived a life full of experiences which gave me a `qualification in survival' no university could have imparted. Without electricity, gas, petrol or phones, and often without money, medicine or safe drinking water we learned to appreciate the basic necessities of life. I was 18 years old, living in Dunfermline, Scotland when the man I was to marry asked me for a dance at the Kinema Ballroom. Two years later my career plan to qualify as a nurse was over and I was married to Len Ofoegbu, with a baby daughter and we were on our way to a new and very different life. Our first home was in the capital, Lagos, and was a big culture shock to Len and I. The newly independent West African country was already experiencing political and civil unrest, leading to violence, massacres, coups, and the inability of the central government to control the situation. Hundreds of thousands of Easterners who had settled throughout the whole of the country now `went home' as they had become the targets of slaughtering mobs. The secession of the Eastern Region, calling itself Biafra, followed and a David and Goliath bitter conflict ensued. The word `kwashiorkor' and pictures of starving children and adults appeared in the Western press for the first time. I was one of around a dozen, mainly British, foreign wives of Biafrans who remained with their husband throughout the civil war. I worked voluntarily with relief agencies in feeding centres, clinics, an orphanage and, after Biafra surrendered in January 1970, in a children's hospital in return for food for my growing family. In May 1970 we moved back to live in Lagos where we went through more crises as a family. I became an early member of Nigerwives, an organisation for foreign wives and partners of Nigerians which became like an extended family as we gave mutual support and strove to resolve anomalies in Nigerian laws which put unnecessary restrictions affecting our particular circumstances. By the 1980s I accepted that my husband and I had grown so far apart that I could no longer remain with him. My legal reason to remain in Nigeria was `to accompany him' and he could withdraw his immigration responsibility for me at any time. I needed a security which he could not give me and I left him and Nigeria to begin a new life and career in Britain in 1985. I was advised when I completed the original manuscript in the 1970s not have it published as Nigeria was extremely sensitive about any account which was sympathetic to the Biafran side of the civil war. In 1986 a much shorter version of Together in Biafra, titled Blow The Fire, telling the story up to 1970 was printed by Tana Press in Nigeria. I retain the copyright. It was published under my married name Leslie Jean Ofoegbu. It has been cited in academic papers. An example is A Lingering Nightmare: Achebe, Ofoegbu and Adichie on Biafra, Francoise Ugochukwu 2011.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book contains the German text of selected sections of Otto von Bismarck's three-volume autobiography Gedanken und Erinnerungen. It covers Bismarck's youth briefly before delving more deeply into his political achievements from 1847 until retirement. Gibson summarises each chapter and provides explanations for biographical and historical references made in the text.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction; Abbreviations; 1. Bis zum ersten vereinigten Landtage; 2. Das Jahr 1848; 3. Erfurt, Olmütz, Dresden, 1849–51; 4. Diplomat, 1851–3; 5. Wochenblattspartei. Krimkrieg, 1854–5; 6. Besuche in Paris, 1855–7; 7. Zwischenzustand, 1859–62; 8. Rückblick auf die preuzische Politik; 9. Dynastien und Stämme; 10. Der Frankfurter Fürstentag; 11. Schleswig-Holstein; 12. Nikolsburg; 13. Der norddeutsche Bund; 14. Die Emser Depesche; 15. Versailles; 16. Kulturkampf; 17. Der Dreibund; 18. Kaiser Wilhelm I; 19. Kaiser Friedrich III; 20. Prinz Wilhelm; 21. Zunehmende Uneinigkeit zwischen Bismark und dem Kaiser; 22. Die Kaiserlichen Erlasse von 4 Februar 1890; 23. Wandlungen; 24. Meine Entlassung; 25. Kaiser Wilhelm II; Appendix I; Appendix II; Appendix III.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAlfred Russel Wallace (1823?1913) was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer and biologist, best remembered as the co-discoverer, with Darwin, of natural selection. His extensive fieldwork and advocacy of the theory of evolution led to him being considered one of the nineteenth century''s foremost biologists. He was later moved by a variety of personal experiences to examine the concept of spirituality, but his exploration into the potential for compatibility between spiritualism and natural selection alienated him from the scientific community. He was also a social activist, highly critical of unjust social and economic systems in nineteenth-century Britain, and one of the first prominent scientists to express concern over the environmental impact of human activity. This autobiography was first published in 1905. Volume 2 deals with his many eminent acquaintances, including Darwin and Huxley, his lecture tour in America, and his involvement with spiritualism and with social activism.Table of Contents25. My friends and acquaintances – Darwin; 26. My friends and acquaintances – Spencer, Huxley, Mivart, etc.; 27. My friends and acquaintances – Sir James Brooke, Professor Rolleston, Mr. Aug. Mongredien, Sir Richard Owen, Dr. Richard Spruce; 28. My friends and acquaintances – Dr. Purland, Mr. Samuel Butler, Professor Haughton; 29. Sketch of my life and work, 1871-1886; 30. An American lecture tour – Boston to Washington; 31. Lecturing tour in America – Washington to San Francisco; 32. Lecturing tour in America – California to Quebec; 33. Literary work, etc., 1887-1905; 34. Land nationalization to socialism, and the friends they brought me; 35. Mesmerism to Spiritualism – correspondence with scientific and literary men; 36. Two biological inquirers: an episode in the history of Spiritualism; 37. Spiritualistic experiences in England and America; 38. The anti-vaccination crusade; 39. A chapter on money matters – earnings and losses – speculations and law-suits; 40. My character – new ideas – predictions fulfilled; Addendum; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this 1902 published work teacher and historian James Bonwick (18171906) recalls his lifelong contribution to the fields of education and historical writing. The author traces his life from boyhood to the years he spent in Australia, establishing schools and recording the lives of the Tasmanian aborigines.Table of ContentsPreface; Part I. Boro' Road School Recollections: 1. The Old Boro' Road Boys' School; 2. Greek and Egyptian pupils; 3. My own further training; 4. John Thomas Crossley; 5. Transition from home to abroad; Part II. My Life in Australia: 6. Tasmania; 7. South Australia, 1849–52; 8. Life in Victoria; 9. New South Wales; 10. Queensland; Part III. Later Life in England: 11. After my return home; Part IV. World Wanderings: 12. Egypt and the Egyptians; 13. Impressions of America; 14. Visits to other lands; Part V. Family Records: 15. Family records; A small selection of poems; My literary work.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of Essence''s Best Books of the Year. NAACP Image Awards Winner for Outstanding Literary Work in the Debut Author category.With a foreword by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.“There was no greater friend to the poor, to the lost, to the left out, and to the left behind. If you want to understand this great man, read his historic, important book and learn the lessons and values from his ‘moral voice crying in the wilderness’ on behalf of our American democracy.”—Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) Known for his poise, intellect, and influence until his death in October 2019, Elijah Cummings was one of the most respected figures in contemporary politics, a politician who held fast to his beliefs but was not afraid to reach across the aisle in the name of friendship and progress. Since his earliest days

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“In Congress, we miss his wisdom, his warm friendship, and his great humanity. In Baltimore, we miss our champion. God truly blessed the United States with the life and leadership of Elijah Cummings. What a blessing that, with this wonderful book, generations of Americans—our ‘living messengers’ to the future—will now be able to read his words and learn from his beautiful life!” — From the Foreword by Speaker Nancy Pelosi "Impressive on multiple levels . . . an urgent call to action, imploring us to defend our democracy as it is assailed by threats internal and external. And, perhaps above all, it is a poignant reminder of just how much the nation lost with his death. . . . To read this book is to join the ranks of his admirers." — NPR "Moving insight into a remarkable man, which remains a touching tribute to his accomplishments in the later years of his life." — Library Journal (starred review) "A forceful valedictory. . . . Cummings’s paeans to family, faith, and general idealism make this a moving tale worth reading." — Publishers Weekly "The legendary, late Baltimore congressman shares the stories of his past with an eye to the future in this apt-for-our-times memoir." — Newsweek “Excellent political memoir by the late Democratic representative from Baltimore…A thoughtful and inspiring exhortation to do better by a much-missed leader.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “I absolutely love the late Rep. Elijah Cummings’ book ‘We’re Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of our Democracy.’ It was his last call to action before he passed away.” — Suzanne Malveaux, CNN National correspondent “This memoir serves as an urgent call to action for all Americans as we strive to live up to our nation’s pledge of ‘liberty and justice for all’ as only Elijah could deliver it. He and I often spoke of our shared backgrounds and experiences, probably the most significant of all was that we each grew up as the son of a preacher…He is missed, but his message lives on in this powerful testimony of how we can best move our country toward the promise of ‘a more perfect union.’” — Rep. James E. Clyburn, House Majority Whip (D-SC)

Read more less

Book SynopsisSomeone should sneak into Vietnam, track down their buddies there, give them messages of support from back home, and share a few laughs over a can of beer.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Camp 14 returns with the untold story of one of the most powerful spies in American history, shedding new light on the U.S. role in the Korean War, and its legacy In 1946, master sergeant Donald Nichols was repairing jeeps on the sleepy island of Guam when he caught the eye of recruiters from the army's Counter Intelligence Corps. After just three months' training, he was sent to Korea, then a backwater beneath the radar of MacArthur's Pacific Command. Though he lacked the pedigree of most U.S. spies—Nichols was a 7th grade dropout—he quickly metamorphosed from army mechanic to black ops phenomenon. He insinuated himself into the affections of America’s chosen puppet in South Korea, President Syngman Rhee, and became a pivotal player in the Korean War, warning months in advance about the North Korean invasion, breaking enemy codes, and identifying most of the targets

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less