Biography: general Books

Book SynopsisHe was the greatest batsman of his generation and, as captain, possessed the sharpest tactical mind in the game.Bursting onto the scene in 2004 with a Test century on debut, Michael Clarke was Australian cricket's golden boy. And the batting prodigy they nicknamed Pup' certainly fulfilled his destiny in a stellar 11-year international career of 115 Tests, 8643 runs and 28 centuries.Yet Michael Clarke also sparked fiercer debate than any other Australian sports star. For a decade his personal life, career fortunes and controversies real or imagined were splashed across front pages and scrutinised. Was he simply a hard-working, western suburbs kid living every Aussie boy's dream? Or a 21st-century cricketer mired in all the trappings of celebrity?My Story is the real Michael Clarke, standing up and speaking out for the first time.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith his trademark tragic-comical voice and arresting storytelling, Domingo Martinez once again delivers a deeply personal memoir full of wry asides and poignant, thoughtful reflections in his new book My Heart Is a Drunken Compass.Trade ReviewThe author of The Boy Kings of Texas (2012) returns with another deeply personal and moving memoir. It begins with two late-night phone calls, several years apart. In one, in March 2007, he learns that his brother has sustained a head injury after a fall; the other, in December 2009, tells him that his ex-fiancée has driven her car over the side of an overpass. In writing about this traumatic period in his life, Martinez talks candidly and painfully about his own mental collapse, his alcoholism and drug use, and his slow path to recovery. It’s not what you might call an entertaining memoir—if anything it’s almost operatically tragic—but Martinez writes so frankly, so eloquently, that we are compelled to keep reading, if for no other reason than to see if this poor guy finds a way to come out the other side of all he’s gone through. He does, but it is a hard-won breakthrough. * Booklist *Martinez holds nothing back as he interweaves his own downward spiral with tales of his Mexican-American family, his interactions with his social circle, his work and his fraught bond with Steph. . . .Page after page, the captivating Martinez releases a flood of raw emotions in this tender and illuminating memoir. * Shelf Awareness *This tragicomic memoir is not just about the complications of family, but also about the power of narrative to heal and make whole. A passionate . . . account of personal redemption. * Kirkus *The follow-up to his first book, the Nation Book Award Finalist The Boy Kings of Texas, this work finds Martinez again mining his personal and family life for narrative gold. This time, instead of focusing on his border childhood he turns his attention to his adult life in Seattle, most notably his younger brother Derek’s near fatal drunken fall and his ex-fiancé’s harrowing car accident that act as catalysts for an exploration of his own personal traumas—including his alcoholic tendencies and near-suicidal depression. Though Martinez’s mischievous nature can still illicit a smile, the self-deprecating humor of the first book has mostly been replaced with self-loathing as the author continually realizes he is unable to help his loved ones because he more often than not refuses to help himself. However, the fact that he knows his issues and is able talk about them in such intricate prose ('My heart was a drunken compass even then, before I was a drunk.') allows this work to remain compelling despite the author’s inability to change. As Martinez rides a roller coaster of relapse and redemption, those who survive Martinez’s self-inflicted wounds and hang on till the end are rewarded with a conclusion that’s unlikely as it is uplifting. * Publishers Weekly *My Heart is a Drunken Compass is a tragic comedy filled with wit and cultural insight….[Martinez] can be hilarious and insightful, especially about moments when cultures merge or collide…..Martinez’s voice, which seems like a cross between a border outlaw and an Ivy League scholar, is so self-assured it’s difficult not to get pulled into the story. Even when he hits rock bottom, he never loses his sense of humor, and his tenacity to survive is inspiring. If his raw will and Texas grit can’t save him, his writing just might. * The New York Times Magazine *Though his eager readers will no doubt be curious as to what sustains a man who has lived on box wine, Xanax and pizza, the greater curiosity is what Martinez, who has produced two memoirs that unspool the tropes of identity writing in a form that often resembles a fine travelogue, will, with his ferocious wit and fearless self-examination, mine for us next. * The Dallas Morning News *My Heart is a Drunken Compass is as chatty, funny, philosophical, touching and brutally honest as Domingo Martinez’s first memoir, The Boy Kings of Texas. * Seattle Times *At heart a cautionary tale about the destruction that alcoholism, addiction and mental illness can inflict on a family, it's a tough read - and would be harrowing, even - if it weren't so hilarious. * Houston Chronicle and Herald—Zeitung *Domingo Martinez is an essential new American voice, and My Heart Is a Drunken Compass delivers on the promise of The Boy Kings of Texas. In a life of chaos and pain he manages to find grace, and humor, and—contrary to the title of this book—real moral purpose. This is a riveting book. -- Dave EggersTo be an aspiring writer from a poor Mexican-American family of heavy drinkers on the border might read tragic if it weren’t so hilarious in Martinez’s My Heart is a Drunken Compass. Might seem easier when he moves to the Northwest and tries to make like one of the civilized. Glazed, troubled, often lost, Martinez’s too hot, drunken heart is still awful funny in cool Seattle. -- Dagoberto Gilb, author of Before the End, After the Beginning and Woodcuts of Women

Read more less

Book SynopsisEverest was not conquered by force of will alone. It required immense planning, research, and preparation. Dr. Griffith Pugh’s role in the first successful ascent of Everest in 1953 by Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay was absolutely pivotal, yet this story has until now remained untold. Trade Review"In this illuminating and well-researched portrait of an eccentric, brilliant scientist, Tuckey demonstrates Pugh's important contributions to the British success on Everest, while also openly addressing his faults and her own troubled relationship with him" - Library Journal"Harriet Tuckey's gripping account finally establishes her father's role as the difference between triumph and failure, and the man himself as the real hero of the expedition."- The Daily Mail (UK)"Marvelously enjoyable and exciting...poignant." - The Times"Remarkable...complex and multi-dimension...intensely compelling." - High Altitude Medicine & Biology"Terrific, a priceless gift. Harriet Tuckey's journey to find her dad is a beautiful, no-holds-barred bit of writing that tells not only about physiologist Griffith Pugh but also a big hunk of Everest history that has somehow stayed discreetly under wraps for six decades. As the story of Pugh's seminal but under-recognized contribution to the success of Everest '53, it fills in a big blank on the map and is a window on the interpersonal dynamics and politics surrounding that first ascent." - Tom Hornbein, US Mountaineer, Emeritus professor of anesthesiology and physiology and author of Everest: The West Ridge"Shines an entirely new light on the great expedition - a riveting read, full of surprises" - Sir Chris Bonington"A most remarkable work about a perfectly extraordinary man. I much admire it." - Jan Morris"The most important addition to the story of Everest" - Doug Scott'Superb...this compulsively readable and data-rich book is a tribute to a very distinguished applied physiologist of extraordinary vision, ability, energy and tenacity" - Craig Sharp, Emeritus Professor of Sports Science, Centre for Sports Medicine and Human Performance, Brunel University"Moving...meticulously researched...New insights that will set many people thinking again of the great achievement...This book should help to set the record straight...Superb..." John West, Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Physiology, University of California, San Diego

Read more less

Book Synopsis?Nefarious gangs made up of families are famous in the Old West—the James Brothers, the Dalton Gang. This book includes the well known and the more obscure gangs connected through blood ties.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Wonderfully constructed. Extraordinarily incisive. Regulary revelatory." - Peter FitzSimons, The Sydney Morning Herald"While Day's tone is always measured, and his claims backed up by primary sources, his icy rendering of Mawson will undoubtedly prove controversial among Antarctic historians, some of whom have charged him with revisionism. But for the ordinary reader, the tale of a hero succumbing to his all-consuming monomania may prove irresistible." - Weekend Australian"An excellent, excoriating and long-overdue account of Mawson's 1911-1914 Antarctic expedition. Time for the truth…Mawson is completely defrosted by David Day. Bravo." - Sunday Mail

Read more less

Book SynopsisBefore the charismatic John Duval Gluck, Jr. came along, letters from New York City children to Santa Claus were destroyed, unopened, by the U.S. Post Office. Gluck saw an opportunity, and created the Santa Claus Association. The effort delighted the public, and for 15 years money and gifts flowed to the only group authorized to answer Santa's mail. Gluck became a Jazz Age celebrity, rubbing shoulders with the era's movie stars and politicians, and even planned to erect a vast Santa Claus monument in the center of Manhattan until Gotham's crusading charity commissioner discovered some dark secrets in Santa's workshop. The rise and fall of the Santa Claus Association is a caper both heartwarming and hardboiled, involving stolen art, phony Boy Scouts, a kidnapping, pursuit by the FBI, a Coney Island bullfight, and above all, the thrills and dangers of a wild imagination. It's also the larger story of how Christmas became the extravagant holiday we celebrate today, from Santa's early begTrade Review"Palmer deftly weaves in other cultural touchstones such as the genesis of the Boy Scouts, Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” and the WWI Christmas Day armistice (in which opposing armies traded goods) to tell the larger story of America’s adoption and adaptation of Christmas that endures to this day. It’s a highly readable account of the evolution of one of America’s favorite holidays and traditions." * Publishers Weekly *"Required reading" * New York Post *" Miracle on 34th Street encounters the Wolf of Wall Street in this holiday biography of "the man who saved Christmas" during New York's Jazz Age. A solid read for those who enjoy Santa Claus culture, crime, and history from the streets of Manhattan." * Parade.com *"Fascinating and compelling – this book is sure to be a hit in the office this year for Secret-Santa gifts, something special for the boss, and even suitable as a bulk-purchase for every employee company wide. Actually, this exciting new book should be considered as a holiday corporate gift for top customers and suppliers in addition to office workers across every generation." * Examiner.com *"Engaging...intriguing...highly recommended for history fans." * Library Journal *"One of 10 Favorite New York City History Books of 2015." * The Bowery Boys *“Palmer takes the reader on an interesting and informative history of how Christmas has become the monster holiday that it is in New York.” * The Tablet *"What do you get when you cross thousands of poor children writing letters to Santa Claus with a silver-tongued con artist and his big dreams? You get a rollicking true story of Christmas in New York City in the Roaring Twenties, complete with kind-hearted millionaires, corrupt politicians, crusading reformers and a man, not entirely a crook, who wanted to make needy kids a little happier. Alex Palmer’s The Santa Claus Man is a fascinating look at how Christmas tugs at both the heart and the wallet and how a dapper advertising genius with a waxed moustache used Santa to make himself, for a moment at least, rich and famous. Lovers of the world’s favorite holiday will find enjoyment and enlightenment in this entertaining new history.” — Gerry Bowler, author of Santa Claus: A Biography and The World Encyclopedia of Christmas"Gun-toting boy scouts? Baby cribs hung from skyscraper windows? A Christmas building with a giant stained-glass Santa Claus in midtown New York? Those are a few ploys of scam artist and quasi-philanthropist John Gluck, as told in Alex Palmer's lively and well-researched biography of him. The Santa Claus Man draws a picture of an era in New York when the pockets of the wealthy were open to anyone who was willing to buy into schemes with kind-hearted promises of help to the poor. Gluck's greatest success, the Santa Claus Association, attracted society ladies and movie stars by promising to fulfill the wishes of children who wrote to Santa begging for gifts, until it was investigated by an alert and suspicious public welfare official. Palmer's book is fun to read and raises questions about gullibility and fraud even more relevant today than they were in the 1920s. “ —Jean Ashton, New York Historical Society's Library Director Emerita"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and his name is John Duval Gluck, Jr., the founder of the Santa Claus Association in New York City in 1913. Have yourself a very merry Christmas by picking up a copy of the heartwarming and heartbreaking story of Gluck, skillfully written by Alex Palmer in his new book, The Santa Claus Man. It is a true gift to anyone who ever wanted to believe in Santa, recounting Gluck’s effort to make the legend of Santa a reality to children by responding to the thousands of letters written to the North Pole that ended up in the dead letter files in the city’s post offices. Palmer superbly recounts the trials and tribulations of Gluck and his organization as well as placing the Christmas holiday and the invention of Santa Claus into historical perspective. I suggest that while you’re dashing through the snow you pick up a copy of this inspiring book as a present for you and your whole family.” — J. North Conway, author of the New York City Gilded Age Trilogy: King of Heists, The Big Policeman and Bag of Bones"From the very first page the reader is immersed in a bygone New York of celebrities and debutantes, impoverished children, colorful con men, crusading politicians, crass commercialism, and, above all, outsized ambition and striving self-invention; a historical city, come to think of it, not all that different than the New York City of today. One only hopes that in a hundred years’ time we will have a chronicler as skilled and entertaining as Alex Palmer to tell our tales.“ — Stephen Duncombe, co-author of The Bobbed-Haired Bandit: A True Story of Crime and Celebrity in 1920s New York"The Santa Claus Man is a heartwarming story of an organization founded on altruism, but as with many tales from New York's past, it comes with a twist. This story connects to the real-life landmarks and legends of NYC's history and shows how our town served as the birthplace for the secular Santa Claus we now all know so well." —Dave Herman, founder of the City Reliquary Museum and Civic Organization, Brooklyn, NYC"The Santa Claus Man is a Christmas pudding of a book, studded with historical nuggets and spiced with larceny. John Duval Gluck's conniving lends new meaning to the adage ‘Charity begins at home.’” --Gerard Helferich, author of Theodore Roosevelt and the Assassin"John Gluck was the near perfect mix of shrewd huckster and canny sentimentalist to turn a Santa Claus charity into a lucrative swindle. With verve and vivid detail, Alex Palmer rescues Gluck's tale of striving, duplicity, and benevolence, a Santa Claus Man who wanted both to make children happy and to line his own pockets. In the process Palmer reveals a shadowy world of ill-regulated charity operations that found the American Christmas all too ripe for exploitation. Letters to Santa will never seem quite so innocent again.” --Leigh E. Schmidt, author of Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays and Heaven's Bride: The Unprintable Life of Ida C. Craddock, American Mystic, Scholar, Sexologist, Martyr, and Madwoman"Alex Palmer’s lively historical account of John Gluck, founder of the Santa Claus Association and stand-in for Santa himself, adds a new chapter to the tale of New York’s most famous saint. It’s an early 20th century true story featuring corruption, a lawsuit, civic-minded haberdashers, and the many children whose letters to Santa would have gone unanswered if it were not for Santa’s helpers. Mr. Gluck, flawed, entrepreneurial, and kind-hearted, stands at the center of this finely researched and entirely engaging work.” —Penne Restad, author of Christmas in America: A History"Urban historians and market enthusiasts alike will be treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the back office of Henkel's Chop House, the basement of the Hotel Astor, the aisles of Washington Market, the Knickerbocker Building, Woolworth Building, General Post Office, and Macy's, in this fantastic account of the man who put Santa Claus on the calendar and mental map for thousands of children in early twentieth-century New York." —Helen Tangires, author of Public Markets"In his heyday, Washington Irving might have willed John D. Gluck into being. Though their antic contributions to American lore took place in different centuries, both were unreligious New York City bachelors who brought Santa Claus to life. The sprightly St. Nick whom Irving bequeathed to American literature and Gluck further popularized is putty in Alex Palmer’s clever hands. The Santa Claus Man is a warmhearted and informative history, and a luscious tale besides.” — Andrew Burstein, author of The Original Knickerbocker: The Life of Washington Irving

Read more less

Book SynopsisParalyzed from the chest down after being pushed into a pool on the night of her bachelorette party, Rachelle Friedman and her four best friends made a decision to never reveal the name of the friend who pushed her in. The girls’ rare and special bond led to Rachelle's recovery, a lifelong secret, and her eventual fairy-tale wedding.Trade ReviewRachelle’s story is not just one of overcoming the most difficult of circumstances . . . it is a story of friendship, loyalty, triumph, and, most of all, a love story. It will move you, remind you of what is truly important in life and inspire you. You will admire Rachelle’s strength, celebrate the love she shares with her husband, Chris, and you won’t be able to put this book down. -- Jenn Berman, host of VH1 Couples Therapy and The Dr. Jenn Show on Oprah Radio; author of SuperBaby

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Lady Rode Bucking Horses depicts an era of the American West when capturing renegade horses from the hills above the homestead served as training ground for extraordinary horsemanship. It documents the life of the outstanding girl who outrode them all at stampedes and roundups and the woman she became, her spirit undaunted throughout a life marked with courage and adventure, triumph and heartache.Born on a Montana homestead in 1887, at the age of two, Fannie Sperry declared I gonna catch me a white-face horsie. A remarkable woman who became a world champion, she raced thoroughbreds with a women''s relay team known as the Montana Girls, twice won the title of Lady Bucking Horse Champion of the World, rode with Buffalo Bill Cody and other top western performers, became the first woman in the state of Montana to be granted an outfitters license, and was named a charter member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBrave Hearts: Indian Women of the Plains tells the story of Plains Indian women through a series of fascinating vignettes. They are a remarkable group of women - some famous, some obscure. Some were hunters, some were warriors and, in a rare case, one was a chief; some lived extraordinary lives, while others lived more quietly in their lodges. Some were born into traditional families and knew their place in society while others were bi-racial who struggled to find their place in a world conflicted between Indian and white. Some never knew anything but the old, nomadic way of life, while others lived on to suffer through the reservation years. Others were born on the reservation but did their best in difficult times to keep to the old ways. Some never left the reservation while others ventured out into the larger world. All, in their own way, were Plains Indian women.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe lure of the high places is in your blood. The call of the mountains is a real call. The veneer, after all, is so thin. Throw off the impedimenta of civilization, the telephones, the silly conventions, the lies that pass for truth. Go out to the West. Ride slowly, not to startle the wild things. Throw out your chest and breathe; look across green valleys to wild peaks where mountain sheep stand impassive on the edge of space. Let the summer rains fall on your upturned face and wash away the memory of all that is false and petty and cruel. Then the mountains will get you. You will go back. The call is a real call. So wrote Mary Roberts Rinehart in her famous travelogue, Through Glacier Park, first published in 1916, as the already famous mystery writer introduced readers to recently minted national park and to the scenic wonders of Montana and to the adventures to be found there. Howard Eaton, an intrepid guide who had become known for his Yellowstone experience, had convin

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom Roughing it with the Men to Below the Border in Wartime Mary Roberts Rinehart''s The Out Trail features seven tales from her adventures in the West from fishing at Puget Sound to hiking the Bright Angel trail at the Grand Canyon. Though she was best known at the time for her mystery novels, Rinehart''s travel writing, starting with her 1915 travels to the then young Glacier National Park, offers observations and insights into the fun and difficulties of early twentieth-century travel and her fellow travelers with humor and clarity of detail that makes them vivid for today''s travelers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne year after her successful trip across Glacier National Park with Howard Eaton, chronicled in Through Glacier Park, mystery novelist Mary Roberts Rinehart was back in the saddle, heading into the rugged Western portion of the park with her family and ready for more adventure. She wrote, looking at the daunting road ahead, But all this was before us then. We only knew it was summer, that the days were warm and the nights cool, that the streams were full of trout, that such things as telegraphs and telephones were falling far in our rear, and that before us was the Big Adventure. Rinehart''s humor and enthusiasm about her summer-long camping adventure through the Rocky Mountains and Cascades is full of the newness of the experience, the wonders of the relatively unexplored park, and the same wonders that inspire visitors today are still fresh for a modern audience. With a foreword by her grandson, Rick Rinehart, this edition is a classic to be enjoyed by a new generation.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisPrinciples of Posse Management tells the stories of the lawmen and leaders of the Old West who organized citizens in the pursuit of law and order. This collection of tales reveals what Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and other legends of the old west knew about leadership with a clever twist on the classic shoot-em-up, black-hats-vs-white-hats tale.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1900, the young and beautiful Leonel Ross Campbell became the first female reporter to work for the Denver Post. As the journalist known as Polly Pry, she ruffled feathers when she worked to free a convicted cannibal and when she battled the powerful Telluride miners' union. She was nearly murdered more than once. And a younger female colleague once said, Polly Pry did not just report the news, she made it! If only that young reporter had known how true her words were. Polly Pry got her start not just writing the news but inventing it. In spite of herself, however, Campbell would become a respected journalist and activist later in her career. She would establish herself as a champion for rights of the under served in the early twentieth century, taking up the causes of women, children, laborers, victims and soldiers of war, and prisoners. And she wrote some of the most sensational stories that westerners had ever read, all while keeping the truth behind her success a secret from her

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhich lawman did the most to tame the frontier, Bat Masterson or Wyatt Earp? Neither of them was a saint. At times their actions were not in compliance with the law, and they only served as peace officers for limited portions of their lives. What sets them apart from the thousands of sheriffs and marshals who served on America''s frontier? Did they make more arrests than others? Did they kill large numbers of men? Did they lead adventurous lives? Was it their character? Was there just the right ring to their names that led people to remember them? Did they get the right publicity at the right time? Did they just outlive all the others? Or was it a combination of these factors? This joint biography reveals the intersection of their legacies and attempts to answer the questions about their place in the story of the West. .

Read more less

Book SynopsisWho was the biggest, baddest outlaw in the Old West? Billy the Kid or Jesse James? Which outlaw did the most to wreak havoc across the frontier? And which outlaw left behind the biggest legacy? Author Bill Markley takes on those questions and more in this thoughtful and entertaining examination of these legendary lives. Trade Review“There’s hardly any overlap in the lives of the Frontier West’s two most famous lawbreakers, who may have crossed paths only once, but by presenting the essential details of their colorful if short careers side by side, Bill Markley gives us a chance to contemplate and compare the pair and decide for ourselves which one we believe was the greatest outlaw. The author offers his own informed opinion in the afterword, but no matter how anyone stacks them up against each other or against the other badmen of the Wild West, Jesse and the Kid are the two that never ride off into the sunset of our imaginations. They stick with us forever, and they never grow old.” —Gregory Lalire, editor of Wild West magazine and author of the 2019 historical novel Our Frontier Pastime, 1804-1815

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe tragic tale of the Nez Perce flight for freedom in the summer of 1877 is a touchstone in the history of the American West. Chief Joseph's 1,200-mile running battle with the United States Army ended just forty miles from the Canadian border and safety, when he famously declared I will fight no more forever and accepted the fate of his people. However few people know the story of the confrontation between the Nez Perce and tourists in Yellowstone Park during that fateful summer. This collection of true stories from that extraordinary summer reveals the history of the ordinary people who were caught up in those dramatic events.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn The 50 Greatest Players in Chicago Bears History, sports historian Robert W. Cohen ranks the top 50 players ever to perform for one of the NFL''s most historic franchises. This work includes quotes from the subjects themselves and former teammates, photos, recaps of memorable performances and greatest individual seasons, as well as a statistical summary of each player''s career with the Bears. The Bears'' best are profiled here in what is bound to be a much discussed book among the team''s broad fan base. An added bonus are the honorable mentions, the next 25 players who have contributed to the Bears'' astounding run as one of America''s great sports teams.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisLawman or outlaw? Black-hatted villains and white-hatted good guys of the Old West walk the streets of our imagination. Hollywood draws a convenient line in the Western dirt, differentiating between the two. But in reality, at times it was difficult, if not impossible to distinguish who was who. Shadowy faces roamed the West. When Outlaws Wore Badges explores the world of lawman and outlaw wrapped into one person. At times the badge speaks, other timesthe gun. Living in the Old West was not easy. Often, law and justice were left behind in the east, when men migrated to the open lands of the West. Some men took advantage of fluid regulations while others found themselves helping to invent and enforce law and order. A few men did both.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNineteenth century New England was the hunting ground of five female serial killers: Jane Toppan, Lydia Sherman, Nellie Webb, Harriet E. Nason, and Sarah Jane Robinson. PRETTY EVIL NEW ENGLAND tells the story of these five women, from their humble births through the circumstances that led to them committing their heinous crimes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBrave Hearts: Indian Women of the Plains tells the story of Plains Indian women through a series of fascinating vignettes. They are a remarkable group of women some famous, some obscure. Some were hunters, some were warriors and, in a rare case, one was a chief; some lived extraordinary lives, while others lived more quietly in their lodges. Some were born into traditional families and knew their place in society while others were bi-racial who struggled to find their place in a world conflicted between Indian and white. Some never knew anything but the old, nomadic way of life, while others lived on to suffer through the reservation years. Others were born on the reservation but did their best in difficult times to keep to the old ways. Some never left the reservation while others ventured out into the larger world. All, in their own way, were Plains Indian women.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMarco Siffredi was the first person to snowboard Mount Everest in 2001, and was regarded by many as the world's best snowboarder. Jeremy Evans explores the 23-year-old''s mysterious disappearance as he descended Everest from the Hornbein Couloir, an unrelentingly steep, difficult to access route with a high failure rate. Using exclusive never-before-granted interviews with family and friends, Evans aims to solve Everest''s last great mystery, exploring Marco''s pursuit of a dream, his love of freedom and adventure, and how his French family was forever altered by his loss.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe newest series from Globe features regional history with a true crime twist! Written by true crime author-experts, each book focuses on the most significant (and prolific) violent female criminals from that state or region. Female killers are often portrayed as caricatures: Black Widows, Angels of Death, or Femme Fatales. But the real stories of these women are much more complex. The author provides a look at the lives of at each killer through primary source materials, including diaries and trial records. Readers will be glued to their seats as they follow the killers through broken childhoods, first brushes with death, and overwhelming urges that propelled these women to commit these heinous crimes. The kidnappings, murders, investigations, trials, and ultimate verdicts will stun and surprise readers as they live vicariously through the killers and the dogged investigators who caught them.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe newest series from Globe features regional history with a true crime twist! Written by true crime author-experts, each book focuses on the most significant (and prolific) violent female criminals from that state or region. Female killers are often portrayed as caricatures: Black Widows, Angels of Death, or Femme Fatales. But the real stories of these women are much more complex. The author provides a look at the lives of at each killer through primary source materials, including diaries and trial records. Readers will be glued to their seats as they follow the killers through broken childhoods, first brushes with death, and overwhelming urges that propelled these women to commit these heinous crimes. The kidnappings, murders, investigations, trials, and ultimate verdicts will stun and surprise readers as they live vicariously through the killers and the dogged investigators who caught them.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen Ernest Hemingway died on July 2, 1961, Mary Hemingway asked the Hemingway's good friend, journalist Leonard Lyons, to announce the death of the Nobel Prize-winner to stunned readers and admirer everywhere. Both Hemingways admired Lyons for his fidelity to the truth, that he would get the story right. (As it turns out the truth was not quite what it seemed, since Mary initially denied that her husband's death was suicide.) This memoir recounts the quarter-century long friendship between Hemingway and Leonard Lyons, which eventually came to include Lyons's wife and three sons. In this short book Jeffrey Lyons recounts visits to Hemingway in Cuba (where Papa first taught him how to shoot a gun) as well as nights out with the great writer at such popular New York watering holes as the Stork Club and Toots Shor's. Throughout the book Hemingway comes across as a hard-working, generous, and thoughtful man of letters, and not the gruff, hard drinking beast perpetually looking for a fight

Read more less

Book SynopsisNatalie Wood and lovely Richard Beymer, to the mercurial Jerome Robbins and passionate Rita Moreno, with whom Chakiris remains friends. I know exactly where my gratitude belongs, Chakiris writes, and I still marvel at how, unbeknownst to me at the time, the joyful path of my life was paved one night in 1949 when Jerome Robbins sat Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents down in his apartment and announced, I have an idea.'

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis biographical history tells the story of an American family in conflict and four brothers'' attempts to regain the prestigious position their family once held. Loaded with never-before-published photos and little-known facts, this probing character study examines the men, the myths, and the legends of the Outlaw Youngers.The Youngers - Bob, Cole, Jim, and John - tested the boundaries of the violent and turbulent post-Civil War society in which they lived. The author investigates events from the Border and Civil Wars, details of the Youngers'' attempts at legitimate ranching in Texas, and the frequent and often brutal murders and robberies. Using never-before-published accounts from Jim and Bob Younger, the author presents a new theory regarding the James-Younger gang and the actual Younger involvement - a theory which opposes the one held for over 100 years. She also offers insights into the Northfield robbery and gives reasons why the Younger

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the 2019 National Outdoor Book Award for Outdoor Literature! In the summer of 1987 Ed Gillet achieved what no person has accomplished before or since, a solo crossing from California to Hawaii by kayak. Gillet, at the age of 36 an accomplished sailor and paddler, navigated by sextant and always knew his position within a few miles. Still, Gillet underestimated the abuse his body would take from the relentless, pounding, swells of the Pacific, and early into his voyage he was covered with salt water sores and found that he could find no comfortable position for sitting or sleeping. Along the way he endured a broken rudder, among other calamities, but at last reached Maui on his 63rd day at sea, four days after his food had run out. Dave Shively brings Gillet's remarkable story to life in this gripping narrative, based on exclusive access to Gillet's logs as well as interviews with the legendary paddler himself.Trade Review"A great read for those who prefer more secure ways to explore life’s questions, and an inspiration to adventurers. This classic tale will stand the test of time! Thanks, Dave Shively." -- Nigel Foster, author of On Polar Tides and The Art of Kayaking"I have been waiting thirty years for this book. When I first heard of Ed Gillet's heroic paddle to Hawaii I was thrilled and inspired in my own traveling. But this is much more than a book about a kayak journey. It is that great thing in travel—a brave quest, the solitary traveler turning his back on the cynics,and heading into a turbulent sea in a small boat, and finding landfall. It is a great metaphor for human endeavor. 'Never before, never since' indeed. But Ed Gillet is that rare creature—a modest man and also a hero. Dave Shively has told his story well." -- Paul Theroux, award-winning novelist and travel writer of The Old Patagonian Express and The Happy Isles of Oceania"Awe. That’s the only word I can think that not only describes my reaction to reading about Ed Gillet’s incredible feat of ingenuity, endurance and sheer audacity, but of Shively’s accomplishment in the recounting of it. The author’s palpable, authentic feel for big water, for the paddle and for the scope of the saga comes through on every page, providing perspective without sounding, if you’ll pardon the term, pedestrian. By the time I finished the book I was exhausted, but felt like doing nothing more than jumping in my own boat and paddling a little bit further than the day before. You can’t ask more from a book than that." -- Sam George, legendary surf editor, director and writer of Riding Giants and Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau"In 1987 Ed Gillet crossed from California to Hawaii in an ordinary sea kayak, and barely spoke of it for 30 years. Now Gillet has opened his heart and journals to Dave Shively, who weaves a gripping portrait of a man as enigmatic and pure as the journey that defined him." -- Jeff Moag, Canoe & Kayak editor-at-large and former longtime editor of Canoe & Kayak“This is one of those absorbing books that is certain to carry you away on an inner voyage of your own. It is about an audacious attempt by Ed Gillet to cross the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii, a journey that would take at least two months. His means of travel? A kayak. That's right. A kayak! Even solo adventurers crossing the ocean in a row boat have a place to sleep. But a kayak? This is truly a great adventure, and outdoor writer and kayaking aficionado Dave Shively is perfect to tell the story. Does Gillet make it? You can find out in this first rate chronicle of the journey.”—National Outdoor Book Awards

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisJackie Robinson famously said that a life is not important except for the impact it has on other lives. As we celebrate Robinson's 100th birthday in January 2019, A Fine Team Man profiles not only Robinson, but nine other figures whose lives were altered by the great experiment, as the integration of baseball was called then. Profiled here are Rachel Robinson, the stoic and enduring wife; Branch Rickey, the tight-fisted but far-sighted general manager/owner of the Dodgers; baseball commissioner Happy Chandler, who navigated political factions as he paved the way for integration; Clyde Sukeforth, the jack of all trades whose assessment, instruction, and encouragement of Robinson were crucial to the player's success; Red Barber, whose own views on integration were altered by Robinson's example of grace under pressure; Wendell Smith, the prominent black journalist who helped Robinson navigate through the trappings of a racist society; Burt Shotton, whose low-key style of managi

Read more less

Book SynopsisLong before the screen placed the face of Mary Pickford before the eyes of millions of Americans, this girl, born August 13, 1860 as Phoebe Anne Oakley Moses, had won the right to the title of America's Sweetheart. Having grown up learning to shoot game to help support her family, Annie won first prize and met her future husband at a shooting match when she was fifteen years old. He convinced her to change her name to Annie Oakley and became her husband, manager, and number-one fan for the next fifty years.Annie quickly gained worldwide fame as an incredible crack shot, and could amaze audiences at her uncanny accuracy with nearly any rifle or pistol, whether aiming at stationary objects or shooting fast-flying targets from the cockpit of a moving airplane. Despite struggles with her health and even a long, drawn-out legal battle with media magnate William Randolph Hearst, Annie Oakley poured her energy into advocating for the U.S. military, encouraging women to engage in s

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1900, the young and beautiful Leonel Ross Campbell became the first female reporter to work for the Denver Post. As the journalist known as Polly Pry, she ruffled feathers when she worked to free a convicted cannibal and when she battled the powerful Telluride miners' union. She was nearly murdered more than once. And a younger female colleague once said, Polly Pry did not just report the news, she made it! If only that young reporter had known how true her words were. Polly Pry got her start not just writing the news but inventing it. In spite of herself, however, Campbell would become a respected journalist and activist later in her career. She would establish herself as a champion for rights of the under served in the early twentieth century, taking up the causes of women, children, laborers, victims and soldiers of war, and prisoners. And she wrote some of the most sensational stories that westerners had ever read, all while keeping the truth behind her success a secret fr

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Bad Old Days of Montana celebrates the state's glorious and rowdy past. Many people born and bred here relish just how bad things used to be: the terrain, the inhabitants and especially the quality of whiskey. It almost goes without saying that Montana had all the characteristic wild west elements and in abundance! The chapters focus on the infamous and notorious rather than the law-abiding and civic-minded settlers. These pages, like the state, recount the tales of people who came west seeking if not their fortune, at least opportunity. It is no secret that Montana was settled by the adventurous willing to brave the harsh conditions and to prevail. Whether on the right or the wrong side of the law, all settlers and pioneers made unique contributions to the state's complex culture. Certainly, in the nineteenth century, Montana was not for the faint of heart.Beginning with the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 as the origins of the mountain men, the book will offer a var

Read more less

Book Synopsis Many of us have dog-eared copies of Mastering the Art of French Cooking in our kitchens or fondly remember watching episodes of The French Chef, but what was behind the enormous appeal of this ungainly, unlikely woman, who became a superstar in midlife and changed our approach to food and cooking forever? In the spirit of The Gospel According to Coco Chanel and How Georgia Became O''Keeffe, Julia Child Rules dissects the life of the sunny, unpretentious chef, author, cooking show star, and bon vivant, with an eye towards learning how we, too, can savor life. With her characteristic wit and flair, Karen Karbo takes us for a spin through Julia''s life: from her idyllic childhood in California to her confusing young adulthood in New York; her years working for the OSS in Sri Lanka; her world class love affairs with Paris and Paul Child; and her decades as America''s beloved French chef. Karbo weaves in Trade Review“In Julia Child Rules, Karen Karbo has written that rare bird of a book: one that manages on every page to be as enlightening as it is entertaining, as smart as it is funny. In prose as clean and sharp as your best kitchen knife, Karbo gives us a portrait of the incomparable Julia Child that’s intimate, inspiring, and unlike anything I’ve ever read about Child before. I want to make wallpaper out of this original and beautiful book just so I can have Karbo’s unparalleled wit and wisdom always on hand.” —Cheryl Strayed, author of the New York Times bestseller Wild“If you love Julia Child (and who doesn’t?), then you will love Karen Karbo’s smart and entertaining book. Karbo’s take on Ms. Child’s life is like being invited to a lively dinner party where ideas and experiences are related with great verve and wisdom. Read this book and discover why Julia does indeed rule! Bon appétit.” —Whitney Otto, author of the New York Times bestseller How to Make an American Quilt“Karen Karbo gives us a riveting, zingy new perspective on the indomitable, cheery, lovable, hardworking French Chef. Julia Child Rules cracked me up as it inspired and moved me. It made me want to cook with Julia and Karen in a cramped, under-equipped Paris kitchen, bustling about in aprons, swilling wine and whisking and deglazing, then eating with all the gusto in the world.” —Kate Christensen, author of Blue Plate Special: An Autobiography of My Appetites "The love affair with the iconic Julia Child continues in Karbo’s guide to living with abandon, as Child always did, which gives a window into the legendary cook, author, and television host’s fascinating backstory. One of the lessons Karbo draws from Child’s life is that one must face adversity rather than being daunted by it. And from the start, Child, a red-haired, freckle-faced girl who grew to 6’3", experienced a great deal of knocks. But rather than dwell on her awkward appearance, she felt 'free to be herself.' Child tried to join the military during the WWII effort, but was rejected due to a 'physical disqualification.' She eventually got a job with the OSS (a predecessor of the CIA) and was tasked with organizing massive amounts of data; later, this experience helped her craft precise, detailed recipes. More significantly, she met Paul Child--her future husband and #1 cheerleader--while working for the OSS. As Karbo persuasively argues, Paul 'gave her herself. Without him she wouldn’t have found her calling at last' at age 38. Karbo’s joyful take on the ebullient, self-described 'California hayseed' will charm readers new to the twists and turns of Child’s life, as well as devoted fans." --Publishers Weekly“Humorous, balanced mix of biography, autobiography, and self-help guide appeals to cooking fans and non-cooks alike. In Julia Child Rules: Lessons on Savoring Life, Karen Karbo explores what made Julia Child so successful. She parses the aspects of Julia’s personality, her struggles, and her joy for life that made her the influential icon we all know today. It is also part autobiography of the defining moments in Karbo’s own life, such as the death of her mother when Karbo was seventeen. The author intersperses the perfect mix of personal anecdotal information, and her fun personality comes through in conversational writing. There are many footnotes, too, where Karbo’s humor is most evident. But, ultimately, it is a self-help book about how to find true happiness, following Julia Child’s guide to life. For a book about Julia Child, Karbo’s perspective is somewhat unexpected, because while Karbo clearly admires Julia Child as a person, she does not seem to share Julia’s love of cooking. She’s enamored mostly with Julia’s willingness to immerse herself fully in a new craft and career so late in life (in her late thirties), and that motivation is what Karbo encourages readers to emulate. She isn’t encouraging readers to love cooking, but to find their own passion—the thing they would want to devote themselves to fully, as Julia did when she set out to write a comprehensive cookbook on mastering the art of French cooking. For that reason, this book will have wide appeal. Those who love cooking and those who don’t, those who are fans of Julia Child and those who aren’t, will all find Karbo’s suggestions useful and thought-provoking—because the “rules” aren’t really about cooking at all. They are about overcoming adversity, having a strong work ethic, and not conforming to the expectations of others. Karbo draws these lessons from the fact that Julia (McWilliams) Child married for the first time later in life, after meeting Paul Child while she was working for the OSS (the precursor to the CIA). She also trained as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu in middle age. Karbo even draws lessons from young Julia, who was quite tall as a child—usually the tallest girl in her class or any room she was in, in fact. But rather than view this as something that made her an outcast, Julia found a way to use it to her advantage, never dwelling on things she didn’t have the ability to change. This intriguing book is about how Julia Child became an icon, and Karbo attributes Child’s success to her unique view on life. Here, through a fun and engaging set of rules, Karbo instructs readers on how they can follow Julia’s example and find true joy in life, too.” –ForeWord Reviews"Karbo’s (The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World’s Most Elegant Woman, 2011, etc.) delightful foray into Julia Child’s life blends entertaining facts with Child-inspired lessons for living the good life. The author chronicles the great cooking instructor’s childhood in Southern California, her work in Sri Lanka, her lifelong love affair with Paul Child, her trials while learning to cook and her midlife TV career. Child’s life has been dissected many times, but Karbo adds a personal layer to the narrative. While exploring her inspirational and aspirational qualities, the author weaves in bittersweet memories of her family life and her mother, an early fan of Child’s. As an explanation of America’s complex fascination with Child, Karbo writes, '[m]y theory is that our real attachment to Julia is less about her cooking, or even about what she did for the cause of serious cuisine, and more about our admiration for her immutable aptitude for being herself.' The author holds Child up as an example of a woman comfortable in her own skin, intent on creating good food and finding a passion in life. Karbo underscores the lessons for achieving a happy life, as lived by Child, using chapter titles like 'Live with Abandon,' 'All You Need Is a Kitchen and a Bedroom' and 'Cooking Means Never Saying You’re Sorry.' Along the way, the author ladles out solid advice for contemporary women on a variety of topics, including the joy of hard work and how to both cultivate ways to amuse yourself and disobey the rules that society sets out for women. 'Julia pretty much ignored the whole thing, and it may be the only real lesson there is for the end of our days,' writes Karbo about Child’s take on old age. 'Just pretend like it isn’t happening, until you have no choice but to accept reality.' A lighthearted trek through a food icon’s life, studded with satisfying tips for modern living." --Kirkus"Some titles just have a way of sticking Unique ingredients Portland’s Karen Karbo follows biographical treatments of Katharine Hepburn, Coco Chanel and Georgia O’Keeffe with “Julia Child Rules: Lessons on Savoring Life.” From Julia’s country club youth, through her “Less Learning, More Moonshine” adventures in higher education, her high-security service in the earliest incarnation of the CIA, her cross-country martini-fueled courtship with her husband-to-be and her entrance into our kitchens and our homes, the woman was a joyous and fascinating force of nature. Karbo’s informative and inspirational concoction is an absolute treat. The only downside — no, not the calories — is that you have to wait until October to enjoy it." --Register-Guard

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less