Biography: general Books

Book SynopsisAn exiled professor’s journey from inside and beyond academe In the summer of 2014, Steven Salaita was fired from a tenured position in American Indian Studies at the University of Illinois for his unwavering stance on Palestinian human rights and other political controversies. A year later, he landed a job in Lebanon, but that, too, ended badly. With no other recourse, Salaita found himself trading his successful academic career for an hourly salaried job. Told primarily from behind the wheel of a school bus—a vantage point from which Salaita explores social anxiety, suburban architecture, political alienation, racial oppression, working-class solidarity, professional malfeasance, and the joy of chauffeuring children to and from school—An Honest Living describes the author’s decade of turbulent post-professorial life and his recent return to the lectern. Steven Salaita was practically born to a life in academia. His father taught physics at an HBCU in southern West Virginia and his earliest memories are of life on campus and the cinder walls of the classroom. It was no surprise that he ended up in the classroom straight after graduate school. Yet three of his university jobs—Virginia Tech, the University of Illinois, and the American University of Beirut [AUB] —ended in public controversy. Shaken by his sudden notoriety and false claims of antisemitism, Salaita found himself driving a school bus to make ends meet. While some considered this just punishment for his anti-Zionist beliefs, Steven found that driving a bus provided him with not just a means to pay the bills but a path toward freedom of thought. Now ten years later, with a job at American University at Cairo, Salaita reconciles his past with his future. His restlessness has found a home, yet his return to academe is met with the same condition of fugitivity from whence he was expelled: an occasion for defiance, not conciliation. An Honest Living presents an intimate personal narrative of the author’s decade of professional joys and travails.Table of ContentsPreschool | 1 An Honest Living | 7 Career Training | 29 Left-Rights | 55 The Influence of Anxiety | 71 The Big Picture | 83 The Anxiety of Insignificance | 103 From Alexandria to Cairo | 129 School | 161

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover the early life and legacy of groundbreaking American writer Toni Morrison in this beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book biography.Born Chloe Ardelia Wofford in Ohio, Toni Morrison grew up listening to her family tell myths, legends, and stories from the Bible. She loved hearing the music and power of the words. Toni also heard new stories from the students from other countries who went to her school. After an early childhood of soaking up tales from those around her, it was no surprise Toni grew into a voracious reader. She worked at her town library as a teenager and was an editor for a New York publisher as an adult. When it came time for her to write her own stories, she knew she wanted to write about her people—Black people. Early in the morning and late at night after her children were asleep, Toni began work on what would become an acclaimed and trailblazing body of work. This luminous picture book has back matter with further reading on Toni Morrison’s life and work.Trade Review Gr 2-5–Toni Morrison was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford. At an early age she fell in love with words, melodies, stories, and the rhythm and rhyme of music. She went on to Howard University, where she changed her name to Toni because it was easier to pronounce. She eventually taught at Cornell and at her alma mater. There she met and married her husband. Soon after the birth of her second son, Morrison’s marriage failed, and she moved to New York City for a fresh start as an editor. During the day she edited others’ work; at night, after her children went to bed, she would write her own. At age 39, she published her first novel. Though the world knew her as Toni Morrison, she insisted that Chloe Wofford was the one who won the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first Black woman to do so. Her books often focused on Black history and motherhood, race, and skin color, and she sought to empower her people. Her stories inspired others to do the same. This lyrical biography about Morrison’s accomplishments and legacy has a reverential tone, putting the groundbreaking author on a well-deserved pedestal. This title honors her memory and the sheer enormity of her life’s work. A perfect complement, Ransome’s painterly illustrations—done in watercolor and collage—shine with a beatific light. Remarks about her books and Morrison herself float in the background. Back matter includes an author’s note, further reading, and a selected list of her awards and books published. VERDICT An awe-inspiring picture book biography about an outstanding storyteller. -- School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW * 12/23/2022 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWithin the next decade, China could be home to more Christians than any country in the world. Through the 150-year saga of a single family, this book vividly dramatizes the remarkable religious evolution of the world’s most populous nation. Shanghai Faithful is both a touching family memoir and a chronicle of the astonishing spread of Christianity in China. Five generations of the Lin family—buffeted by history’s crosscurrents and personal strife—bring to life an epoch that is still unfolding. A compelling cast—a poor fisherman, a doctor who treated opium addicts, an Ivy League–educated priest, and the charismatic preacher Watchman Nee—sets the book in motion. Veteran journalist Jennifer Lin takes readers from remote nineteenth-century mission outposts to the thriving house churches and cathedrals of today’s China. The Lin family—and the book’s central figure, the Reverend Lin Pu-chi—offer witness to China’s tumultuous past, up to and beyond the betrayals and madness of the Cultural Revolution, when the family’s resolute faith led to years of suffering. Forgiveness and redemption bring the story full circle. With its sweep of history and the intimacy of long-hidden family stories, Shanghai Faithful offers a fresh look at Christianity in China—past, present, and future.Trade ReviewLin, a former journalist, weaves the history of her family—through success and persecution, family relationships and separation—into the wider history of 19th- and 20th-century China, with a focus on the role and influence of Christianity. She begins with the conversion of her Chinese great-great-grandfather to Christianity and traces his descendants through her grandfather, a minister educated in the United States, and her father, a Philadelphia-based doctor. Lin’s family story is unique, providing a view of recent and contemporary Chinese life that differs from the standard histories, and it’s emotionally compelling, particularly when she describes the years Lin’s father spent separated from his parents and siblings with little insight into their experiences of the Cultural Revolution and emigrating to the U.S. Lin writes with a novelist’s narrative flair and grace and a historian’s fine eye for detail, and as she sketches the personalities, dreams, and life circumstances of her relatives, her thorough research and compassion for her subjects are evident. Scholars and lay readers interested in China will enjoy this vital work. * Publishers Weekly, Starred Review *Some authors find the world in a teacup, but author Lin finds it, instead, in a single Chinese family, hers, the Lins, whose fortunes and religious evolution she follows over the course of five generations that, together, epitomize the rise of Christianity in China. A former reporter, Lin has done prodigious research to limn the history of her family and, by extension, that of China, too. She demonstrates an extraordinary gift for verisimilitude, bringing her material to vivid life as she begins her story in the last quarter of the nineteenth century with Old Lin, a fisherman-turned-cook for Anglican missionaries. From that humble beginning, the family’s story is one of upward mobility. Old Lin’s grandson and the author’s grandfather, for example, attended the prestigious St. John’s University in Shanghai on his way to becoming an academic, clergyman, and prolific writer; his brother-in-law Watchman Nee was an even more celebrated minister with a wide following. Together, the author argues, the two men built a religious foundation that—despite the terrible depredations of the Cultural Revolution—was sturdy enough to support the contemporary religious revival in China. Richly detailed and informed by fascinating characters, Lin’s story is altogether a compelling and inspiring one that is sure to interest a wide range of readers. * Booklist, Starred Review *A Christian odyssey through three centuries of Chinese history. Family stories have a way of unfolding gradually, in bits and pieces, and former longtime Philadelphia Inquirer correspondent Lin's is no exception. The author grew up hearing occasional stories from her Shanghainese father, a preoccupied neurosurgeon, about his father, a minister, along with another relative, an uncle 'with the curious name of Watchman Nee' who was China's version of Billy Graham. Only after the post-Cultural Revolution détente were she and her family permitted to visit, and only then did the official repression of Chinese Christians begin to lift somewhat. Lin recounts the origins of the faith there with the arrival of European missionaries, their proselytizing coming at about the time that true opium, and not just that of the masses, was being imported in quantity—and often leading to a view among Chinese that there should be 'no distinction between missionary and merchant.' In later years, writes the author, the communist state attempted to co-opt Christian churches with state-appointed clerics, when it wasn't outright persecuting Christians to begin with. Lin traces the story of her family's increasing involvement with organized Christianity over the years, finally leading to Watchman Nee, who early on in the communist era was accused of espionage and being an 'economic criminal' because of his family's bourgeois pharmaceutical business. By Lin's account, he did what he could to work within the boundaries of the state's evolving religious policy, sometimes, Lin reports, 'coyly.' The author's portraits of family members and other Shanghainese and their many difficulties during the worst years of the repression are affecting. As for the state of Christianity in China now, she expresses guarded optimism; though Watchman Nee's works are still banned, she writes that one pastor told her the old repression would be 'impossible' because 'there are too many believers.' A useful, interesting book for students of modern Chinese history and of missionary Christianity. * Kirkus *Through exhaustive research and primary interviews, Lin debuts with this fascinating story of her family, uncovering her paternal side’s lengthy adherence to the Christian faith. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Lin grew up knowing little about her relatives in China. However, as she grew older and became more aware of the tribulations of her Chinese relatives, she decided to delve into this history, exploring revelations of both a personal and spiritual nature. China’s tumultuous last two centuries witnessed the rise of imperialism, burgeoning nationalism (accompanied with xenophobia), and recent communism (the Cultural Revolution of 1966–76 saw even further measures taken against foreign beliefs and systems). Yet, the deeply planted seed of Christian faith remained strong and flourished within Lin’s family. Interviewing her distant kin was often a challenge as many were uncomfortable talking about past troubles. Consequently, this work is an intriguing interlocution between memory and fact. VERDICT Lin’s family serves as an apt proxy for all Chinese Christians whose faith endured during a time of great censure. This book serves as a solid primer on the subject as there have been few books which have examined this little known history. * Library Journal *Jennifer Lin’s ties to the characters fill the reader with empathy, leaving the reader feeling as if they themselves are standing on the Bund in Shanghai with Pastor Lin, watching his sons sail away, knowing that this would be their last goodbye. Jennifer Lin is a storyteller.... Tales like that of the Lin family deserve to be told again and again, because narratives like Shanghai Faithful reinterpret history, providing an alternative to the official account. Even if we remain ultimately unable to reverse the passage of time, it is only by allowing memories and official accounts to coexist that we are able to piece together the larger picture. This is the tenacity of memory. * Los Angeles Review of Books *This panoramic, true story spans thousands of miles, about 160 years, two continents, and myriad cultural upheavals and human lives. But Jennifer Lin's Shanghai Faithful would not glow as it does unless it were so well told. . . . Shanghai Faithful lives, with people you care about, consequences that hurt, real tension and relief. . . . To paraphrase Desmond Tutu, there is no future without forgiveness. Note that word in the subtitle of this grand book, a word that reminds us, on a huge scale, of what faith can do for people and what people will do for faith. * The Philadelphia Inquirer *[Shanghai Faithful: Betrayal and Forgiveness in a Chinese Christian Family] is a compelling narrative covering five generations of the Lin family in China. * CatholicPhilly.com *Lin’s book helps explain what shaped the mentality of Chinese Christians.... Anyone interested in modern Chinese (Christian) history, society, and culture and seeks to grasp what shaped the Chinese mentality in general must read this family odyssey. For Lin, her family lineage and her 'distance' from China, makes her the ideal author to present a precise and valuable addition to the study of Chinese Christian theology in twentieth century. * Reading Religion *A superb book, one that could well serve as an introduction to modern Chinese history and to the history of Protestantism in China.... Jennifer Lin [has] done extremely careful and painstaking research in archives, general reading, and oral interviews over several decades.... [She] is a marvelous storyteller! Without making anything up—all the conversations and even the inner thoughts of the characters come from written records and eyewitness accounts—she has given us an account that is rich, nuanced, complex, realistic, compelling, and very inspiring. * Global China Center *If you are at all interested in the historical development of the church in China, this book is a must-read. * ChinaSource *Jennifer Lin, in her moving family history, Shanghai Faithful, uses the experiences of her grandfather, Rev Lin Pu-chi, to recount the extraordinary route Christianity took over five generations, from remote missionary churches in the 19th century to cosmopolitan Shanghai in the 1930s and right up to and past the Cultural Revolution. There are stories of oppression and courage, but also a rueful sense of opportunities lost, of a liberal and humane community persecuted and ultimately exiled for their beliefs. * Irish Times *As someone who knew little to nothing about Chinese history, I found Shanghai Faithful to be extremely comprehensible with beautiful imagery. The author creates a family timeline that connects perfectly with the historical background.... Shanghai Faithful is both an educational and invigorating read.... [I]t’s an impressive compilation of one family’s stories, which represent the struggles faced by thousands of Christian families in China. * WPSU's BookMark *Only an experienced and dogged journalist like Jennifer could possibly investigate and write such a thoroughly gripping historical personal narrative. I was with her every step of the way—not just because my parents were born in the Shanghai area but because I shared with her so very much. You must join her for this worthwhile journey! -- Connie Chung, television journalistThrough her own family history, Jennifer Lin has authored a beautifully written elegy to that generation of foreign-educated, humanist, and often Christian Chinese who had begun to form a cosmopolitan class in China that was comfortable on both sides of the East/West divide and might have successfully led China from its cultural traditionalism into modernity. Instead, this class was savagely persecuted and then erased by Mao and his revolution, thus creating tens of thousands of family stories as heartrendingly tragic as this one. At the same time, China was denied a whole generation of its best-educated and most able professionals, teachers, scientists, businessmen, artists, and leaders, creating a national tragedy of such titanic proportions that the country has still not recovered from it. -- Orville Schell, director, Center on US-China Relations, Asia SocietyThis masterful biography is a loving and skillfully written portrait of the Lin family, spanning five generations. The author also provides an authentic survey of the historical events that overtook the family members during these decades. I recommend this book highly for both the novice and the ‘old China hand.’ -- Daniel Bays, professor emeritus, Calvin College, and author of A New History of Christianity in ChinaJennifer Lin has written a dramatic, wide-ranging history of modern China, focusing on the lives of her grandfather and his brother-in-law, Watchman Nee, to explain how Western Christianity became a Chinese religion. Her riveting account of their trials and tribulations offers an illuminating perspective on China’s ongoing struggle to create a new national and cultural identity. Scholars as well as general readers interested in religion, politics, and the history of China's relations with the United States will find Lin's story full of valuable insights. -- Terry Lautz, Harvard-Yenching Institute, and author of John Birch: A LifeIn revealing the truth of how her family helped spread Christianity in China, Jennifer Lin weaves a captivating, poignant story about the nature and power of belief. This epic study shows the high price that can be paid by those who insist on holding fast to faith and family at a time when everything is at risk. -- Jeff Gammage, author of China Ghosts: My Daughter's Journey to America, My Passage to FatherhoodThis engrossing book offers rich insights on faith and loyalty in a Christian family in Shanghai. Jennifer Lin's compelling narrative, often immensely emotional, will be of great interest for anyone who wishes to know about the everyday struggles of Chinese Christians as they endured persecution and suffering during the most hostile years of Mao's rule. -- Joseph Tse-Hei Lee, Pace UniversityCapturing the epic sweep of a turbulent Chinese century through a personal lens, Jennifer Lin tells a poignant, riveting, and deeply researched tale of her family's journey of faith, from the nineteenth-century Chinese villager who first encountered Western missionaries to the twentieth-century Christian leaders—one working within the system and one pushing for something new. Persecuted under Communist rule, each left a mark still felt in China today, where ever more people seek something to believe in. -- Mary Kay Magistad, creator and host of "Whose Century Is It?" podcast, former NPR and PRI China correspondentShanghai Faithful is an extraordinary book based on thorough research and an intensely personal quest for understanding. Jennifer Lin’s family history is vividly told and packed with insights. It provides a unique window into the complicated and often painful history of Protestant Christianity in modern China. Her account traces the Chinese Christian experience across five generations, from early missionary encounters through the nationalist currents of the 1920s and the attacks on Christianity during the Maoist decades. It centers around the figures of her grandparents, the Anglican minister Lin Pu-chi and his wife Ni Guizhen, the sister of the influential Chinese indigenous church leader Watchman Nee (Ni Tuosheng). I have learned much from reading this gripping and deeply moving book. -- Ryan Dunch, University of AlbertaJennifer Lin’s Shanghai Faithful is an extraordinary story about a family in a rapidly changing world. Its wide-ranging narrative links family members on two continents and covers more than a century of tumultuous change. Lin’s research is meticulous and combines archival precision, sophisticated historiographical framing, and memorable storytelling. I will surely be assigning Shanghai Faithful in my own teaching, because its story brings to life a remarkable era in Chinese, American, and global history. -- Robert André LaFleur, Beloit CollegeOne of the most impressive books I've read in a long time. [Jennifer Lin] is an incredible writer. . . . I couldn't put it down! -- Hank Hanegraaff, the Bible Answer ManTable of ContentsList of Characters Note on Spellings and Reporting Introduction Prologue: Shanghai, 1956 Part I. Foreign Ghosts 1 Cook: Fujian Province, Mid-1800s 2 Doctor: Fujian Province, 1890 3 Firstborn: Fuzhou, 1907 Part II. Patriots 4 Light and Truth: Shanghai, 1913 5 A Modern Man: Aboard SS Nanking, 1918 6 Second Daughter: Fuzhou, 1920 7 Running Dog: Fuzhou, 1924 8 Alma Mater: Fuzhou, 1928 Part III. A House Divided 9 Watchman Nee: Shanghai, 1932 10 Island of Shanghai: Shanghai, 1937 11 Bund to Boardwalk: Shanghai, 1949 Part IV. New Order 12 American Wolves: Shanghai, 1950 13 Missing: Shanghai, 1955 14 Prelude: Shanghai, 1957 Part V. Bad Elements 15 Lane 170: Shanghai, 1966 16 Yellow Music: Shanghai, 1968 17 Barefoot Doctor: Jilin Province, 1969 18 Passages: Shanghai, 1971 19 Father, Hello! Shanghai, 1972 20 Lost: Jilin Province, 1973 Part IV. Revival 21 Faith: Fuzhou, 2015 Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisCatherine the Great: A Reference Guide to Her Life and Works covers all aspects of her life and work. Empress Catherine the Great was one of the most famous and amazing women in world history. Includes a detailed chronology of Catherine’s life, family, and work. The A to Z section includes the major events, places, and people in Catherine’s life. The bibliography includes a list of publications concerning her life and work. The index thoroughly cross-references the chronological and encyclopedic entries.Table of ContentsEditor’s forward. Jon WoronoffPrefaceChronologyIntroduction ENTRIES A-ZSelected BibliographyList of selected featured and documentary films about Catherine II and her reign.About the author

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis powerful memoir weaves the stories of valiant women who survived the Rwandan genocide with the struggle of their champion, Karen Sherman, to recover from her own history of abuse. The strength of these women helped Karen find her own way—through conflict zones and confrontations with corrupt officials to a renewed commitment to her family.Trade ReviewA moving, fascinating story filled with emotional highs and lows, adventures and setbacks—and a large dose of wisdom. Every woman will relate to aspects of Brick by Brick and be inspired. -- Melanne Verveer, former United States ambassador for global women’s issuesKaren Sherman tells her poignant story of being a mother, a successful leader, and an advocate for women worldwide in Brick by Brick. Her empathy for women who have been victims of violence, abuse, and disempowerment is inspirational, and her story truly has the unique power to connect the stories of women everywhere. -- Joyce Banda, former president of MalawiTable of ContentsAuthor’s Note Prologue PART I 1 The Move 2 The Country 3 The Work 4 Activists in Debt 5 Tag, You’re It 6 Sometimes Together, Sometimes Apart 7 Rumbek 8 Grace 9 Women in Rwanda PART II 10 Home 11 Straddling 12 Social Networks 13 Odd Woman Out 14 Debora 15 Women Leaders 16 Top of the Continent PART III 17 Pain into Power 18 Yei 19 Women’s Day 20 Yvette 21 Reentry 22 Spring Awakening 23 Ladies’ Choice 24 Out of Africa 25 A Better Place Epilogue Acknowledgments Selected Bibliography Index About the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book is about the times and public career of Eliot Howland Lumbard, a lawyer who most of his life lived and worked in Manhattan and whose legal career spanned more than fifty years beginning in the early 1950s. He was not your "ordinary lawman." In fact, he might easily have been identified as a "Renaissance Lawman." The concept was introduced by the National Advisory Commission on Higher Education for Police Officers referring to the graduation of future officers who would be sufficiently knowledgeable in order to develop and deliver better programs for coping with crime (see Sherman 1978). While Lumbard gained considerable expertise in the operations of the political and justice systems, he proceeded to capitalize on this knowledge to become both an advocate and initiator of progressive reforms. His activities are juxtaposed with many of the major historical developments of his time. This is done so the reader might be able to fit a little into the "shoes" of Lumbard and some of those other persons whose careers and interests overlapped with his. The greatest emphasis is given to the various public service aspects of Lumbard's life and those of his generation. The chronicled events should help readers better understand what motivated the people to behave as they did since the world today is a much different place than what Americans were experiencing in the first three decades after WW II. Cultural and technological changes have combined to make our present-day world quite different from over a half-century ago. Consider that in the spring of 2019 two NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will make history by becoming the first all-women team to perform a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, but back in the 1960s, being a flight attendant was very often a young woman's dream. Readers interested in police work, WW II, civil rights, organized crime, legal ethics, criminal justice history, public service leadership, American government, policy making for crime control, the publishing process, computer-based criminal justice record systems, and the history and state of the maritime service should find this book especially rewarding. There are no other comparable books on the market. Lumbard bad a unique legal career and his contributions have seldom, if ever, been duplicated. His contributions on behalf of public safety have been largely forgotten.Table of ContentsPart 1: The Early Years and WW II Service Chapter1. Introduction: An Overview Few people alive today know about Eliot Howland Lumbard or the names of those of his associates who worked with him to establish an academic field that is now taught in thousands of colleges and universities throughout the world and a number of other substantial projects concerned with the administration of justice. He never became a judge, elected official, police commissioner, or college president. Nonetheless, in the latter half of the 20th century, he was particularly active and received substantial notoriety for his crime control programs during the late fifties, the sixties and early seventies. Moreover, his achievements are all the more remarkable because his formative years showed little indication of his future pursuits in the fields of justice administration and policy formation. It is an unfortunate fact that Lumbard's official appearance on this stage was so brief since many of his areas of concern still plague our system of justice. This chapter traces significant American historical and political events leading-up to the period oftin1e when Lumbard took center stage pursuing New York's criminal justice policy-making during the mid-1960s. An overview of Lumbard's career is presented as well as brief sketches of earlier reformers, including Asser Levy, Rev. Charles Henry Parkhurst, and August Vollmer. Chapter 2.Growing-Up in Fairhaven, Massachusetts Lumbard grew up during the late twenties and thirties. It was the era of the Great Depression, but Eliot's dad was able to earn a living as a foreman in nearby factories. It was also the age before television when radio listening was a major pastime. His hometown of Fairhaven is located in a waterfront area surrounded by small inlets and river coves with outlets to the sea, the perfect landings for the fast motor-crafts favored and used by rumrunners and bootleggers in the era of Prohibition which ended in 1933. Lumbard's family owned a 25 foot catboat whose distinguishing feature is an enorn1ous sail that is attached to a high mast in the bow of the boat. During his legal career, and towards the end of his life, seafaring and maritime law was to play major roles in his life. His brother Roger, five years older than Eliot, was an avid sailor, but at age 17 died in an accident in a laboratory at the New Bedford Textile School while engaged in a chemistry experiment. This event traumatized Lumbard's mother and was a severe blow for young Eliot who idolized his brother. The brothers had a passion for making model boats, that would be mounted and displayed cut lengthwise and Eliot had an early love for boyhood adventure books which he shared with other children in his neighborhood by organizing his own lending library. The chapter includes information about Eliot's ancestor John Howland. The latter was a distant relative on his mother's side who was born about 1599 and came on the Mayflower in 1620 as an indentured manservant of John Carver, Plymouth Colony's first elected governor. Eliot's mother was interested in genealogy and named her youngest son after John Alden and bestowed the nan1e "Howland" as Eliot's middle name. Other topics covered include details concerning the beautiful architecture of Fairhaven's high school and library. These splendid public facilities came into being due to Henry Huttleston Rogers, the town's wealthiest and most illustrious citizen and benefactor who made his fortune in the oil refinery business, becoming a leader at Standard Oil. Such surroundings may have contributed to Lumbard's desire to become a published author. Chapter 3. Merchant Marine Officer Training This chapter provides an overview of merchant marine officer training at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, during peacetime and wartime as well as the nature of the emergency shipbuilding program that was established during World War II. It highlights Lumbard's experience as a cadet in the abbreviated wartime Academy program. Discussion also centers on various historical points related to the period such as: the importance of "Liberty ships;" the significance of the Morro Castle disaster in 1934; the litigation involving whether active merchant marine service during the period December 7, 1941 to August 15, 1945 qualified U.S. merchant seamen for the purposes of benefits administered by the Veterans Administration (VA); as well as the nature of the Seamen's Act of 1915,abolishing imprisonment for desertion on American ships anywhere at sea. The law required the U.S. to abrogate treaties that allowed the practice and helped drive up wages around the globe, leading foreign ship owners to pay American pay scales to replace crews that quit in U.S. ports. Chapter 4. Midshipman and Merchant Marine Ship's Officer In this chapter the various voyages undertaken, usually in convoys, by Lumbard as part of his midshipman training are narrated. His first training cruise assignment was undertaken in early October 1943 when he reported to the United States Army Transport (USAT) Thomas H Barry, the former Oriente, the sister ship of the Morro Castle. This chapter also includes information about how Lumbard earned his Second Mate's rating while his ship was anchored off the city of Seattle and various facts about the history of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (located at Kings Point, NY); for example, that it is the only institution among the nation's five federal service academies to be authorized to carry a "Battle Standard Pennant" as part of its color guard. The "Battle Standard" perpetuates the memory of the 142 Cadet-Midshipmen who died during World War II. Kings Point is the only federal academy that sent its students into "harm's way" during their training. Chapter 5. Pursuit of Higher Education and Family Life Lumbard had available very limited funds to pay for his educational expenses at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in Philadelphia. He took on a variety of odd jobs to pay his expenses and condensed his studies into three years. At Penn, he joined a fraternity and washed the dishes for sixty frat brothers at lunch and dinner in exchange for his room and board. While an undergraduate student, Lumbard also sold life insurance, became a professional blood donor, modeled for Army recruiting posters, sold fme upholstery, and supervised college parking lots. He even agreed to participate in a drug texting arrangement in exchange for medical care. At that time, merchant marine veterans did not qualify under the Gl Bill for any benefits. At the same time, Lumbard's personality made him quite popular on campus and he was elected president of his freshman class. Part II: Criminal Justice Public Service Chapter 6. Federal Prosecutor The chapter provides initial details regarding the start of the nuclear age and the efforts of Senator Joseph McCarthy to root out Communists in the U.S. Government. In this atmosphere, Lumbard undertook the role of an assistant federal prosecutor in order to obtain direct experience about America's criminal justice system and to gain invaluable preparation for the private practice of law. However, he had to first learn if he had passed the tests for admission to the New York State Bar. It was to be the first in a series of public service appointments involving the administration of justice. He gained immense experience over a three year period working on cases under federal Jaw concerning: veterans reemployment rights claims; Social Security benefits; the Water Pollution Act; taxes (e.g., IRS, Alcohol Tax Unit); U.S. Customs Service seizures (including obscene articles); seizures by the Bureau of Narcotics; the Gold Reserve Act of 1934; and various government contracts. Chapter 7. Chief Counsel Established from 1958 to 2009, the Temporary State Commission of Investigation has served as a bipartisan fact-finding agency, investigating and reporting on organized crime and racketeering, the conduct of public officers and other matters affecting public peace, safety and justice. The Commission initially had four commissioners and its main office was in New York City. Its existence was made contingent on periodic state legislative renewals (typically, for three years), hence the use of term "temporary" in its official title. The occurrence of earlier crime investigations and the details surrounding the discovery of the Appalachian, NY meeting of organized crime bosses are examined. In addition, reference is made to the work of the U.S. Senate's Kefauver Committee which traveled to fourteen cities during 1950 and 1951, compiling voluminous amounts of testimony. Lumbard was appointed the Commission's first chief counsel and he played a large role in establishing the staff of the Commission and organizing its first office as well as developing its earliest cases.· Chapter 8. The Governor's Representative: Part One In this chapter Lumbard's efforts to develop a more efficient system of factual interchange among the various stakeholders concerned with crime control issues is addressed. The School of Criminal Justice at the University of Albany did this through the development of a graduate level curriculum (known as the "Albany Model") as well as the subsequent research produced by its faculty and alumni. While on Rockefeller's staff, Lumbard proposed the creation of a School of Criminal Justice, eventually established at the State University of New York in Albany. He brought the major stakeholders together in this endeavor and shepherded their efforts to bring it into being. The day to day struggles to create the first dedicated doctoral level program in the field of criminal justice is unraveled, demonstrating how Lumbard was involved in every aspect of the planning for the creation of the school. Ultimately, its creation paved the way for the field of criminal justice to be recognized as a stand-alone academic discipline, rather than merely as a subdivision of criminology or public administration. In addition, Lumbard also led the effort for the establishment of the New York State Identification and Intelligence System (NYSIIS), including meeting with experts on the West Coast. NYSIIS soon became a model for how best to use computer technology for sharing information about criminal histories and activities. NYSIIS brought law enforcement information sharing into the computer "age. His efforts to create both institutions are considered in detail. Chapter 9. The Governor's Representative: Part Two This chapter explores the events surrounding and the discussions which took place when Lumbard convened and chaired meetings of the Oyster Bay Conferences on Organized Crime. The meetings were of such importance to national security that a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative quietly observed the proceedings. The day to day and behind the scenes activities of Lumbard are explored as he continues to expand upon his initial job mandate and how soon he became recognized as the governor's primary representative and advisor for crime control matters. Emphasis focuses on Lumbard's fan1iliarity with the issues concerning organized crime enforcement and his initiation and coordination of the series of meetings known as the "Oyster Bay Organized Crime Conferences." There were a total of six Oyster Bay conferences. The Sixth Conference was organized by the new School of Criminal Justice at Albany after Lumbard had been forced out of the Rockefeller Administration. The conferences held at Oyster Bay in Long Island, New York, contributed to the formation of a federal task force on organized crime in President Johnson's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. The chapter concludes with a section about the task force and provides some of the facts surrounding Lumbard's departure from his "part-time position" as the Governor's Speci.al Assistant Counsel for Law Enforcement. The period is the spring of 1967 and Lun1bard's leave­­ taking was decidedly unceremonious. Part III: Post-Executive Chamber Pursuits Chapter 10. A Crime Control Book Project In the turbulent sixties, crime seemed to be on everyone's minds. This was especially true of President Lyndon Johnson. One of President Johnson's earliest initiatives concerned crime and his singular achievement was the establishment of the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice (often referred to simply as "the President's Crime Commission"). Lumbard was well aware of the work of the Commission, having been appointed to one of its task forces while stiJI working in Rockefeller's Administration. This chapter highlights the steps undertaken by Lumbard to comply with edits of his publisher and when the process dragged and deadlines passed by, the inevitable happened. His efforts were found wanting and ultimately his various efforts to find an alternative publisher were stymied. The give and take of these efforts is chronicled including the critiques he received from various editors, especially the editor in chief at Harper & Row, Evan Thomas. The chapter also concludes the narrative of why Lumbard resigned his position in the Rockefeller Administration. He had no choice since he was told to do so by Rockefeller's chief counsel, Robert (Bobby) Douglass, who was acting on behalf of Governor Rockefeller. Additionally, some attention is given to the main reason why Lumbard's idea for a Department of Crime Control failed to be approved by the State of New York's 1967 Constitutional Convention. Chapter 11. The New York City Police Foundation In a variety of ways, the origins of the independent New York City Police Foundation, Inc. (NYCPF) are rooted in the history of policing. In the U.S., policing during the latter half of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth was, at times, particularly corrupt and it was not uncommon to discover that many local governments were steeped in illegal activities. Payoffs for police to look the other way were a matter of routine. In New York City, it became necessary to establish the Commission to Investigate Alleged Police Corruption (known informally as the Knapp Commission, after its chairman Whitman Knapp). It was a five-member panel initially formed in April 1970 by Mayor John V. Lindsay to investigate corruption within the New York City Police Department. Community support for policing was thrown into tatters by the revelations of the Knapp Commission's sensational hearings. Lumbard's concern and his working knowledge of police conuption gained while serving as chief counsel for the State Investigation Commission inspired him to undertake the necessary steps to create the NYCPF and to achieve its incorporation as a non-profit organization in New York State by November 1971. This chapter reveals for the first time how Lumbard with the assistance of attorney Richard M. Estes was able to work with Patrick Murphy, the city's police commissioner and recruit the necessary board members so that an ethical alternative would be available for persons freely desirous of contributing to local public safety initiatives. Later, Murphy would head up a national police foundation, through the generosity of the Ford Foundation. A wide range of funded NYCPF projects are summarized as well as some criticism of its work. Lumbard actively served as a director or trustee of the NYCPF for more than two decades. Chapter 12. Teaching at John Jay College In the second half of the 1970s, Lumbard became seriously interested in a possible career in college administration and teaching. Previously, Lumbard had worked as a part-time lecturer at the New York University Law School from 1963-1965. In addition, he occasionally served as an Adjunct Professor of Law and Criminal Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice from 1975-1985. Whether his motivation for working at John Jay College was intentional or accidental is somewhat uncertain since his first teaching duties at the college came about on the eve of a proposal to close the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The college is one of several branch campuses of the City University of New York. Certainly, Lumbard was no stranger to the academic world having already earned three college degrees and having spent years working towards the creation of the State University of New York's School of Criminal Justice at Albany. This chapter explores: the history of John Jay College of Criminal Justice; how and when the college was saved from closure: and the activities and efforts Lumbard undertook to teach his graduate level courses. Due to his network of contacts, Lumbard was able to routinely invite a variety of high level criminal justice practitioners to his classes dealing with public policy making in the field of crime control. Chapter 13. Crime Control Consultant Lumbard undertook an extraordinary assignment in the spring of 1968--the reform of the criminal justice system in the state of New Jersey. His efforts in this regard are explained. Lumbard was hired as a fifty dollar an hour chief criminal justice consultant to the newly established "Special Joint Legislative Committee to Study Crime and the System of Criminal Justice in New Jersey." The Committee was established by law on a temporary basis and chaired by Edwin Forsythe. In the fall of 1968, Lumbard resumed his efforts and served as counsel to the New Jersey Senate Committee on Law, Public Safety and Defense. The most significant recommendations resulted in the creation of a state-level Division of Criminal Justice under the control of the Attorney General, and the establishment of an independent Commission of Investigation. The Division was empowered to conduct and supervise criminal investigations and prosecutions. The Commission, meanwhile, was designed to conduct fact-finding investigations, bring the facts to the public's attention, refer findings to appropriate law enforcement agencies for possible prosecution and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature for improvements in laws and in the operations of government. Ten years later, Lumbard's law firm (Lumbard and Phelan) was retained for advice regarding the organization of a new non-profit corporation to be known as "the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City.'' In 1978, the process of incorporation involved the same types of efforts undertaken to incorporate the New York City Police Foundation. Chapter 14. Legal Practice and in the Matter of Roy M. Cohn Lumbard's full potential in civil law practice was not realized until after the era of the '60s had ended. The types of cases which Lumbard dealt with in his private practice are summarized and the greater part of these involved his work as a litigator in maritime law cases and as a trustee in large and complex bankruptcies. Lumbard played a significant role in the lengthy disbarment proceedings of the mid-1980s concerning Roy Cohn. Cohn's legal troubles drew national attention, when in an unusual and rare action, the five-Judge panel of the Appellate Division tribunal decided to release the voluminous pages of Lumbard's hearing panel nearly a year before the fmal decision was made regarding Cohn's disciplinary case. Typically, disciplinary proceedings are kept confidential, but a lawsuit was initiated by The New York Times and The Daily News for the release of information. In justification of its decision the court concluded that Cohn had in effect waived his right to confidentiality by publicly accusing the court-appointed disciplinary hearing committee of which Lumbard was a member of "having been constituted of incompetents who prosecuted him for a political purpose, upon meritless charges, with the intent of 'smearing' him" (Simon 2005). Part IV: More Literary Pursuits: Failure and Success Chapter 15. World Criminal Justice Systems Wartime service as a world mariner, specific concerns regarding threats from the nations under communist rule, and professional knowledge of international commerce and affairs, probably contributed to Lumbard's readiness to consider a new venture in publishing involving international justice systems. This chapter considers the second serious attempt by Lumbard to add to the formation of the criminal justice education canon. An opportunity arose to advance a reference book idea which would require the services of research assistants when Lumbard happened to meet Dr. Philip J. Stead at a John Jay College event. Within a very short time, Lumbard had prepared a preliminary outline, indicating that the proposed work would also include: definitions of key terms; a general bibliography; maps; and various appendices such as a United Nations docwnent entitled Proposed Code of Ethics for Law Enforcement Officials. The planned book was tentatively entitled World Criminal Justice Systems. Chapter 16. Merchant Marine History Project The maritime industry as a whole is much more than the deep-sea merchant fleet. Ever since his World War II experiences as a Cadet-Midshipman, Lumbard had continued his steadfast interest in this field by having specialized in maritime law and by maintaining ties to the alurrmi association of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy as well as the Academy's museum. This chapter also considers Lumbard's views on America's maritime policies, the status of the American maritime industry, and its history including the unsuccessful attempt by President Eisenhower to introduce atomic-powered shipping to the American commercial fleet which began with the construction and voyages of the NS Savannah, the first nuclear-powered cargo­­passenger ship. Chapter 17.The Legacy of a Renaissance Lawman Lumbard had a unique ability to bring together knowledgeable and successful business and public figures in order to establish a variety of new intuitions and in one final instance a team to prepare a series of volumes devoted to the maritime industry. Time and again he demonstrated this trait in the interests of public safety and a more stable society. While not all of his goals were fulfilled, especially with regard to criminal justice literary works, near the end of his life he harnessed all of his strength to retwn to his first college in order to pursue the publication of works devoted to the unsung heroes of the merchant marine. This chapter briefly summarizes Lumbard's contributions in crime control and on behalf of the maritime services. It also provides several new details regarding his involvement in the organized crime conferences held at Oyster Bay, Long Island as well as his establishment of a scholarship at the University at Albany. Hopefully, this retelling of Eliot Lumbard's public service activities and those of a few of his generation whom he encountered along the way may serve to inspire other persons to engage in similar good deeds.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book is about the times and public career of Eliot Howland Lumbard, a lawyer who most of his life lived and worked in Manhattan and whose legal career spanned more than fifty years beginning in the early 1950s. He was not your "ordinary lawman." In fact, he might easily have been identified as a "Renaissance Lawman." The concept was introduced by the National Advisory Commission on Higher Education for Police Officers referring to the graduation of future officers who would be sufficiently knowledgeable in order to develop and deliver better programs for coping with crime (see Sherman 1978). While Lumbard gained considerable expertise in the operations of the political and justice systems, he proceeded to capitalize on this knowledge to become both an advocate and initiator of progressive reforms. His activities are juxtaposed with many of the major historical developments of his time. This is done so the reader might be able to fit a little into the "shoes" of Lumbard and some of those other persons whose careers and interests overlapped with his. The greatest emphasis is given to the various public service aspects of Lumbard's life and those of his generation. The chronicled events should help readers better understand what motivated the people to behave as they did since the world today is a much different place than what Americans were experiencing in the first three decades after WW II. Cultural and technological changes have combined to make our present-day world quite different from over a half-century ago. Consider that in the spring of 2019 two NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will make history by becoming the first all-women team to perform a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, but back in the 1960s, being a flight attendant was very often a young woman's dream. Readers interested in police work, WW II, civil rights, organized crime, legal ethics, criminal justice history, public service leadership, American government, policy making for crime control, the publishing process, computer-based criminal justice record systems, and the history and state of the maritime service should find this book especially rewarding. There are no other comparable books on the market. Lumbard bad a unique legal career and his contributions have seldom, if ever, been duplicated. His contributions on behalf of public safety have been largely forgotten.Table of ContentsPart 1: The Early Years and WW II Service Chapter1. Introduction: An Overview Few people alive today know about Eliot Howland Lumbard or the names of those of his associates who worked with him to establish an academic field that is now taught in thousands of colleges and universities throughout the world and a number of other substantial projects concerned with the administration of justice. He never became a judge, elected official, police commissioner, or college president. Nonetheless, in the latter half of the 20th century, he was particularly active and received substantial notoriety for his crime control programs during the late fifties, the sixties and early seventies. Moreover, his achievements are all the more remarkable because his formative years showed little indication of his future pursuits in the fields of justice administration and policy formation. It is an unfortunate fact that Lumbard's official appearance on this stage was so brief since many of his areas of concern still plague our system of justice. This chapter traces significant American historical and political events leading-up to the period oftin1e when Lumbard took center stage pursuing New York's criminal justice policy-making during the mid-1960s. An overview of Lumbard's career is presented as well as brief sketches of earlier reformers, including Asser Levy, Rev. Charles Henry Parkhurst, and August Vollmer. Chapter 2.Growing-Up in Fairhaven, Massachusetts Lumbard grew up during the late twenties and thirties. It was the era of the Great Depression, but Eliot's dad was able to earn a living as a foreman in nearby factories. It was also the age before television when radio listening was a major pastime. His hometown of Fairhaven is located in a waterfront area surrounded by small inlets and river coves with outlets to the sea, the perfect landings for the fast motor-crafts favored and used by rumrunners and bootleggers in the era of Prohibition which ended in 1933. Lumbard's family owned a 25 foot catboat whose distinguishing feature is an enorn1ous sail that is attached to a high mast in the bow of the boat. During his legal career, and towards the end of his life, seafaring and maritime law was to play major roles in his life. His brother Roger, five years older than Eliot, was an avid sailor, but at age 17 died in an accident in a laboratory at the New Bedford Textile School while engaged in a chemistry experiment. This event traumatized Lumbard's mother and was a severe blow for young Eliot who idolized his brother. The brothers had a passion for making model boats, that would be mounted and displayed cut lengthwise and Eliot had an early love for boyhood adventure books which he shared with other children in his neighborhood by organizing his own lending library. The chapter includes information about Eliot's ancestor John Howland. The latter was a distant relative on his mother's side who was born about 1599 and came on the Mayflower in 1620 as an indentured manservant of John Carver, Plymouth Colony's first elected governor. Eliot's mother was interested in genealogy and named her youngest son after John Alden and bestowed the nan1e "Howland" as Eliot's middle name. Other topics covered include details concerning the beautiful architecture of Fairhaven's high school and library. These splendid public facilities came into being due to Henry Huttleston Rogers, the town's wealthiest and most illustrious citizen and benefactor who made his fortune in the oil refinery business, becoming a leader at Standard Oil. Such surroundings may have contributed to Lumbard's desire to become a published author. Chapter 3. Merchant Marine Officer Training This chapter provides an overview of merchant marine officer training at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, during peacetime and wartime as well as the nature of the emergency shipbuilding program that was established during World War II. It highlights Lumbard's experience as a cadet in the abbreviated wartime Academy program. Discussion also centers on various historical points related to the period such as: the importance of "Liberty ships;" the significance of the Morro Castle disaster in 1934; the litigation involving whether active merchant marine service during the period December 7, 1941 to August 15, 1945 qualified U.S. merchant seamen for the purposes of benefits administered by the Veterans Administration (VA); as well as the nature of the Seamen's Act of 1915,abolishing imprisonment for desertion on American ships anywhere at sea. The law required the U.S. to abrogate treaties that allowed the practice and helped drive up wages around the globe, leading foreign ship owners to pay American pay scales to replace crews that quit in U.S. ports. Chapter 4. Midshipman and Merchant Marine Ship's Officer In this chapter the various voyages undertaken, usually in convoys, by Lumbard as part of his midshipman training are narrated. His first training cruise assignment was undertaken in early October 1943 when he reported to the United States Army Transport (USAT) Thomas H Barry, the former Oriente, the sister ship of the Morro Castle. This chapter also includes information about how Lumbard earned his Second Mate's rating while his ship was anchored off the city of Seattle and various facts about the history of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (located at Kings Point, NY); for example, that it is the only institution among the nation's five federal service academies to be authorized to carry a "Battle Standard Pennant" as part of its color guard. The "Battle Standard" perpetuates the memory of the 142 Cadet-Midshipmen who died during World War II. Kings Point is the only federal academy that sent its students into "harm's way" during their training. Chapter 5. Pursuit of Higher Education and Family Life Lumbard had available very limited funds to pay for his educational expenses at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in Philadelphia. He took on a variety of odd jobs to pay his expenses and condensed his studies into three years. At Penn, he joined a fraternity and washed the dishes for sixty frat brothers at lunch and dinner in exchange for his room and board. While an undergraduate student, Lumbard also sold life insurance, became a professional blood donor, modeled for Army recruiting posters, sold fme upholstery, and supervised college parking lots. He even agreed to participate in a drug texting arrangement in exchange for medical care. At that time, merchant marine veterans did not qualify under the Gl Bill for any benefits. At the same time, Lumbard's personality made him quite popular on campus and he was elected president of his freshman class. Part II: Criminal Justice Public Service Chapter 6. Federal Prosecutor The chapter provides initial details regarding the start of the nuclear age and the efforts of Senator Joseph McCarthy to root out Communists in the U.S. Government. In this atmosphere, Lumbard undertook the role of an assistant federal prosecutor in order to obtain direct experience about America's criminal justice system and to gain invaluable preparation for the private practice of law. However, he had to first learn if he had passed the tests for admission to the New York State Bar. It was to be the first in a series of public service appointments involving the administration of justice. He gained immense experience over a three year period working on cases under federal Jaw concerning: veterans reemployment rights claims; Social Security benefits; the Water Pollution Act; taxes (e.g., IRS, Alcohol Tax Unit); U.S. Customs Service seizures (including obscene articles); seizures by the Bureau of Narcotics; the Gold Reserve Act of 1934; and various government contracts. Chapter 7. Chief Counsel Established from 1958 to 2009, the Temporary State Commission of Investigation has served as a bipartisan fact-finding agency, investigating and reporting on organized crime and racketeering, the conduct of public officers and other matters affecting public peace, safety and justice. The Commission initially had four commissioners and its main office was in New York City. Its existence was made contingent on periodic state legislative renewals (typically, for three years), hence the use of term "temporary" in its official title. The occurrence of earlier crime investigations and the details surrounding the discovery of the Appalachian, NY meeting of organized crime bosses are examined. In addition, reference is made to the work of the U.S. Senate's Kefauver Committee which traveled to fourteen cities during 1950 and 1951, compiling voluminous amounts of testimony. Lumbard was appointed the Commission's first chief counsel and he played a large role in establishing the staff of the Commission and organizing its first office as well as developing its earliest cases.· Chapter 8. The Governor's Representative: Part One In this chapter Lumbard's efforts to develop a more efficient system of factual interchange among the various stakeholders concerned with crime control issues is addressed. The School of Criminal Justice at the University of Albany did this through the development of a graduate level curriculum (known as the "Albany Model") as well as the subsequent research produced by its faculty and alumni. While on Rockefeller's staff, Lumbard proposed the creation of a School of Criminal Justice, eventually established at the State University of New York in Albany. He brought the major stakeholders together in this endeavor and shepherded their efforts to bring it into being. The day to day struggles to create the first dedicated doctoral level program in the field of criminal justice is unraveled, demonstrating how Lumbard was involved in every aspect of the planning for the creation of the school. Ultimately, its creation paved the way for the field of criminal justice to be recognized as a stand-alone academic discipline, rather than merely as a subdivision of criminology or public administration. In addition, Lumbard also led the effort for the establishment of the New York State Identification and Intelligence System (NYSIIS), including meeting with experts on the West Coast. NYSIIS soon became a model for how best to use computer technology for sharing information about criminal histories and activities. NYSIIS brought law enforcement information sharing into the computer "age. His efforts to create both institutions are considered in detail. Chapter 9. The Governor's Representative: Part Two This chapter explores the events surrounding and the discussions which took place when Lumbard convened and chaired meetings of the Oyster Bay Conferences on Organized Crime. The meetings were of such importance to national security that a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative quietly observed the proceedings. The day to day and behind the scenes activities of Lumbard are explored as he continues to expand upon his initial job mandate and how soon he became recognized as the governor's primary representative and advisor for crime control matters. Emphasis focuses on Lumbard's fan1iliarity with the issues concerning organized crime enforcement and his initiation and coordination of the series of meetings known as the "Oyster Bay Organized Crime Conferences." There were a total of six Oyster Bay conferences. The Sixth Conference was organized by the new School of Criminal Justice at Albany after Lumbard had been forced out of the Rockefeller Administration. The conferences held at Oyster Bay in Long Island, New York, contributed to the formation of a federal task force on organized crime in President Johnson's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. The chapter concludes with a section about the task force and provides some of the facts surrounding Lumbard's departure from his "part-time position" as the Governor's Speci.al Assistant Counsel for Law Enforcement. The period is the spring of 1967 and Lun1bard's leave­­ taking was decidedly unceremonious. Part III: Post-Executive Chamber Pursuits Chapter 10. A Crime Control Book Project In the turbulent sixties, crime seemed to be on everyone's minds. This was especially true of President Lyndon Johnson. One of President Johnson's earliest initiatives concerned crime and his singular achievement was the establishment of the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice (often referred to simply as "the President's Crime Commission"). Lumbard was well aware of the work of the Commission, having been appointed to one of its task forces while stiJI working in Rockefeller's Administration. This chapter highlights the steps undertaken by Lumbard to comply with edits of his publisher and when the process dragged and deadlines passed by, the inevitable happened. His efforts were found wanting and ultimately his various efforts to find an alternative publisher were stymied. The give and take of these efforts is chronicled including the critiques he received from various editors, especially the editor in chief at Harper & Row, Evan Thomas. The chapter also concludes the narrative of why Lumbard resigned his position in the Rockefeller Administration. He had no choice since he was told to do so by Rockefeller's chief counsel, Robert (Bobby) Douglass, who was acting on behalf of Governor Rockefeller. Additionally, some attention is given to the main reason why Lumbard's idea for a Department of Crime Control failed to be approved by the State of New York's 1967 Constitutional Convention. Chapter 11. The New York City Police Foundation In a variety of ways, the origins of the independent New York City Police Foundation, Inc. (NYCPF) are rooted in the history of policing. In the U.S., policing during the latter half of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth was, at times, particularly corrupt and it was not uncommon to discover that many local governments were steeped in illegal activities. Payoffs for police to look the other way were a matter of routine. In New York City, it became necessary to establish the Commission to Investigate Alleged Police Corruption (known informally as the Knapp Commission, after its chairman Whitman Knapp). It was a five-member panel initially formed in April 1970 by Mayor John V. Lindsay to investigate corruption within the New York City Police Department. Community support for policing was thrown into tatters by the revelations of the Knapp Commission's sensational hearings. Lumbard's concern and his working knowledge of police conuption gained while serving as chief counsel for the State Investigation Commission inspired him to undertake the necessary steps to create the NYCPF and to achieve its incorporation as a non-profit organization in New York State by November 1971. This chapter reveals for the first time how Lumbard with the assistance of attorney Richard M. Estes was able to work with Patrick Murphy, the city's police commissioner and recruit the necessary board members so that an ethical alternative would be available for persons freely desirous of contributing to local public safety initiatives. Later, Murphy would head up a national police foundation, through the generosity of the Ford Foundation. A wide range of funded NYCPF projects are summarized as well as some criticism of its work. Lumbard actively served as a director or trustee of the NYCPF for more than two decades. Chapter 12. Teaching at John Jay College In the second half of the 1970s, Lumbard became seriously interested in a possible career in college administration and teaching. Previously, Lumbard had worked as a part-time lecturer at the New York University Law School from 1963-1965. In addition, he occasionally served as an Adjunct Professor of Law and Criminal Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice from 1975-1985. Whether his motivation for working at John Jay College was intentional or accidental is somewhat uncertain since his first teaching duties at the college came about on the eve of a proposal to close the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The college is one of several branch campuses of the City University of New York. Certainly, Lumbard was no stranger to the academic world having already earned three college degrees and having spent years working towards the creation of the State University of New York's School of Criminal Justice at Albany. This chapter explores: the history of John Jay College of Criminal Justice; how and when the college was saved from closure: and the activities and efforts Lumbard undertook to teach his graduate level courses. Due to his network of contacts, Lumbard was able to routinely invite a variety of high level criminal justice practitioners to his classes dealing with public policy making in the field of crime control. Chapter 13. Crime Control Consultant Lumbard undertook an extraordinary assignment in the spring of 1968--the reform of the criminal justice system in the state of New Jersey. His efforts in this regard are explained. Lumbard was hired as a fifty dollar an hour chief criminal justice consultant to the newly established "Special Joint Legislative Committee to Study Crime and the System of Criminal Justice in New Jersey." The Committee was established by law on a temporary basis and chaired by Edwin Forsythe. In the fall of 1968, Lumbard resumed his efforts and served as counsel to the New Jersey Senate Committee on Law, Public Safety and Defense. The most significant recommendations resulted in the creation of a state-level Division of Criminal Justice under the control of the Attorney General, and the establishment of an independent Commission of Investigation. The Division was empowered to conduct and supervise criminal investigations and prosecutions. The Commission, meanwhile, was designed to conduct fact-finding investigations, bring the facts to the public's attention, refer findings to appropriate law enforcement agencies for possible prosecution and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature for improvements in laws and in the operations of government. Ten years later, Lumbard's law firm (Lumbard and Phelan) was retained for advice regarding the organization of a new non-profit corporation to be known as "the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City.'' In 1978, the process of incorporation involved the same types of efforts undertaken to incorporate the New York City Police Foundation. Chapter 14. Legal Practice and in the Matter of Roy M. Cohn Lumbard's full potential in civil law practice was not realized until after the era of the '60s had ended. The types of cases which Lumbard dealt with in his private practice are summarized and the greater part of these involved his work as a litigator in maritime law cases and as a trustee in large and complex bankruptcies. Lumbard played a significant role in the lengthy disbarment proceedings of the mid-1980s concerning Roy Cohn. Cohn's legal troubles drew national attention, when in an unusual and rare action, the five-Judge panel of the Appellate Division tribunal decided to release the voluminous pages of Lumbard's hearing panel nearly a year before the fmal decision was made regarding Cohn's disciplinary case. Typically, disciplinary proceedings are kept confidential, but a lawsuit was initiated by The New York Times and The Daily News for the release of information. In justification of its decision the court concluded that Cohn had in effect waived his right to confidentiality by publicly accusing the court-appointed disciplinary hearing committee of which Lumbard was a member of "having been constituted of incompetents who prosecuted him for a political purpose, upon meritless charges, with the intent of 'smearing' him" (Simon 2005). Part IV: More Literary Pursuits: Failure and Success Chapter 15. World Criminal Justice Systems Wartime service as a world mariner, specific concerns regarding threats from the nations under communist rule, and professional knowledge of international commerce and affairs, probably contributed to Lumbard's readiness to consider a new venture in publishing involving international justice systems. This chapter considers the second serious attempt by Lumbard to add to the formation of the criminal justice education canon. An opportunity arose to advance a reference book idea which would require the services of research assistants when Lumbard happened to meet Dr. Philip J. Stead at a John Jay College event. Within a very short time, Lumbard had prepared a preliminary outline, indicating that the proposed work would also include: definitions of key terms; a general bibliography; maps; and various appendices such as a United Nations docwnent entitled Proposed Code of Ethics for Law Enforcement Officials. The planned book was tentatively entitled World Criminal Justice Systems. Chapter 16. Merchant Marine History Project The maritime industry as a whole is much more than the deep-sea merchant fleet. Ever since his World War II experiences as a Cadet-Midshipman, Lumbard had continued his steadfast interest in this field by having specialized in maritime law and by maintaining ties to the alurrmi association of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy as well as the Academy's museum. This chapter also considers Lumbard's views on America's maritime policies, the status of the American maritime industry, and its history including the unsuccessful attempt by President Eisenhower to introduce atomic-powered shipping to the American commercial fleet which began with the construction and voyages of the NS Savannah, the first nuclear-powered cargo­­passenger ship. Chapter 17.The Legacy of a Renaissance Lawman Lumbard had a unique ability to bring together knowledgeable and successful business and public figures in order to establish a variety of new intuitions and in one final instance a team to prepare a series of volumes devoted to the maritime industry. Time and again he demonstrated this trait in the interests of public safety and a more stable society. While not all of his goals were fulfilled, especially with regard to criminal justice literary works, near the end of his life he harnessed all of his strength to retwn to his first college in order to pursue the publication of works devoted to the unsung heroes of the merchant marine. This chapter briefly summarizes Lumbard's contributions in crime control and on behalf of the maritime services. It also provides several new details regarding his involvement in the organized crime conferences held at Oyster Bay, Long Island as well as his establishment of a scholarship at the University at Albany. Hopefully, this retelling of Eliot Lumbard's public service activities and those of a few of his generation whom he encountered along the way may serve to inspire other persons to engage in similar good deeds.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis compelling book begins on the 2nd of August 1793, the day Marie Antoinette was torn from her family’s arms and escorted from the Temple to the Conciergerie, a thick-walled fortress turned prison. It was also known as the “waiting room for the guillotine” because prisoners only spent a day or two here before their conviction and subsequent execution. The ex-queen surely knew her days were numbered, but she could never have known that two and a half months would pass before she would finally stand trial and be convicted of the most ungodly charges. Will Bashor traces the final days of the prisoner registered only as Widow Capet, No. 280, a time that was a cruel mixture of grandeur, humiliation, and terror. Marie Antoinette’s reign amidst the splendors of the court of Versailles is a familiar story, but her final imprisonment in a fetid, dank dungeon is a little-known coda to a once-charmed life. Her seventy-six days in this terrifying prison can only be described as the darkest and most horrific of the fallen queen’s life, vividly recaptured in this richly researched history.Trade ReviewThoroughly documents Marie Antoinette’s imprisonment, trial, and execution. Bashor . . . tells the story of Marie Antoinette’s last 10 weeks by drawing on contemporary sources as well as modern scholarship. The king was executed in January 1793; on Aug. 2, 1793, when this book begins, Marie Antoinette was taken to the Conciergerie prison in Paris. Her trial began on Oct. 14, and two days later she was found guilty and sent to the guillotine. Bashor describes the damp, filthy prison’s privations; attempts to help or rescue the queen; the revolutionary tribunal and the monarch’s trial with its prosecutor, indictment, jury, witnesses, testimony, and sentencing; and Marie Antoinette’s final moments. In all this, the author provides novelistic and empathetic attention to detail and personalities, as when he notes that Marie Antoinette recorded the heights of her children on the prison wall or how she kept busy by converting toothpicks into tapestry needles. He marshals a wide array of evidence, carefully distinguishing likely and trustworthy accounts from less believable ones and sorting out confusing episodes such as the Carnation Plot. In his readable book, Bashor shows that the Vienna-born Marie Antoinette, as a foreigner (and, probably, as a woman), became a scapegoat for the mob’s rage and that her trial was a sham. . . . Impressive, well-researched, useful, and accessible. * Kirkus *A page-turner . . . The level of detail is in many ways admirable. * Early Modern Women *A fascinating book that brings eighteenth-century France to vivid life. Mixing memory and archives with great skill and rich writing, Will Bashor pulls the reader into the dark cell where the queen of France, Marie Antoinette, spent her last days. Nothing escapes the acute vision of this historian-novelist: the prices of meals, the barking of the dogs, the tiny notes written by the queen a year before, the weather on the fatal day—October 16, 1793—and, of course, the scaffold in front of the Tuileries. No better proof that ‘Grande Histoire’ can be understood with ‘Petite Histoire.’ Un régal! -- Jean-Clément Martin, l’Université Paris, Panthéon-SorbonneA brilliant and ambitious tour de force. Will Bashor is the first historian to focus on this most dramatic period of the queen’s life. Impressively documented and researched, his intriguing book will be a must-read for all who are passionate about the most pivotal epoch in French history. -- Professor Yolande Aline Helm, Ohio UniversityA fascinating portrayal of Marie Antoinette’s last days. Anyone who is in thrall to her story, as I am, will find this a compelling account of her tragic fate. Will Bashor’s meticulous research creates a vivid and memorable image of the people with whom she interacted, the prisons where she was confined, her journey to the guillotine, and her final resting place. -- Dana Ivey, Obie-award-winning actressIn meticulous detail and with a seemly sense of empathy, Will Bashor recounts the last tragic days of Marie Antoinette. Her confinement, trial, and execution are recorded with supreme precision. The fear and insecurity of the fallen queen in her stinking dungeon and on her way to the guillotine are almost palpable. Written in a lucid style that reads like a novel, this impressive book on the fate of France’s last queen reminds us ruthlessly of the cruel side of the French Revolution. Will Bashor at his best. -- Cor Speksnijder, De Volkskrant, the NetherlandsTable of ContentsAUTHOR’S NOTE PROLOGUE CHRONOLOGY INTRODUCTION PART ONE: THE CONCIERGERIE Chapter 1: Transfer from the Temple Prison À Savoir: “The Queen of France at the Conciergerie” Chapter 2: The Queen’s Dungeon Cell À Savoir: The Queen’s Final Portrait Chapter 3: The Horrors of the Conciergerie À Savoir: The Game “Guillotine” Chapter 4: Kindhearted Souls À Savoir: Rosalie Lamorlière PART TWO: RESCUE THE QUEEN! Chapter 5: Royalist Supporters À Savoir: The Queen’s Expenses in the Conciergerie Chapter 6: The Carnation Plot À Savoir: “Le Chevalier de la Maison Rouge” Chapter 7: The Queen’s New Cell À Savoir: The Controversy Chapter 8: Tightened Security À Savoir: Count Fersen Meets Rougeville PART THREE: THE QUEEN’S ARRAIGNMENT Chapter 9: Prosecutor Fouquier-Tinville À Savoir: Jacques-Louis David Chapter 10: The Indictment, the Jury, and the Witnesses À Savoir: Le Tribunal Révolutionnaire Chapter 11: The Revolutionary Tribunal – Day One À Savoir: Meteorologists Report Chapter 12: The Revolutionary Tribunal – Day Two À Savoir: Meteorologists Report PART FOUR: OCTOBER 16, 1793 – COLD & CLOUDY Chapter 13: The Queen’s Last Rites À Savoir: The Queen’s Dog Chapter 14: The Route of the Fatal Tumbril À Savoir: Sanson Obituary Chapter 15: The “National Razor” À Savoir: Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin PART FIVE: THE ABSURDITY Chapter 16: The Unfortunates and the Sole Survivors À Savoir: Madame Élisabeth of France Chapter 17: La Cimetière de la Madeleine À Savoir: Basilica of Saint-Denis EPILOGUE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS & CREDITS SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENDNOTES

Read more less

Book SynopsisDuring the summer of 1924, everyone was obsessed with Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, the two wealthy, brilliant, lovers who had brutally murdered a boy with a chisel just for the “thrill.” Between the charm and accessibility of the dashing teenage defendants, their “deviant” sexual appetites, and the 1920s’ culture wars over the generational shift in acceptable morality, it is no wonder it was labeled the trial of the century. 100 years after the murder, this groundbreaking new biography reveals the motivations behind Bobby’s death and the secret life of one of his killers.Pulling on previously unseen archival collections from across the country, Arrested Adolescence looks at the full life of Nathan Leopold to discover the secrets hidden from history.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of AbbreviationsIntroductionPart One: ChildhoodChapter 1: Growing UpChapter 2: A New RelationshipChapter 3: Wild LivesPart Two: CrimeChapter 4: PlanningChapter 5: ExecutionChapter 6: CaughtPart Three: Sentencing HearingChapter 7: IncriminationChapter 8: The Hearing BeginsChapter 9: The Hearing EndsPart Four: PrisonChapter 10: A New CodeChapter 11: TurbulenceChapter 12: The Prime of LifeChapter 13: LossChapter 14: Depression and New HopeChapter 15: Image RehabilitationChapter 16: ParolePart Five: FreedomChapter 17: A New LifeChapter 18: Emerging from SeclusionChapter 19: FreedomChapter 20: Notoriety Becomes CelebrityChapter 21: High LifeChapter 22: Decline and DeathConclusionBibliographyAbout the AuthorIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisI’ve been called a “badass cop” throughout my career but the truth is that isn’t the real me – at least, not how I’ve ever viewed myself. Behind that veneer there has always been an insecure little girl who struggled to find her way in life. I was in search of strength and self-confidence when I entered my law enforcement career, but I ended up suffering new traumas that I was ill prepared to cope with. I struggled to find success in the tough, gritty, male dominated world of policing. I faced biases, repeated layoffs, and became a seasoned undercover officer working as a prostitute, drug addict, and thief. I left law enforcement and returned to college, where education and research offered me enlightenment to the realities of policing that I was too submerged into the subculture to see. I was forced to come to grips with the many mistakes and misconceptions I made while working as a police officer and only now do I understand how institutional biases are perpetuating many of the same mistakes I made in policing today.Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrefaceChapter One: Whores, Lollipops, & RosieChapter Two: Love is Stronger than DNAChapter Three: Being DupedChapter Four: L.A.C.S.T.A.B.Chapter Five: A False ShieldChapter Six: Cockroaches and CommendationsChapter Seven: The Good, the Bad and WorseChapter Eight: Pawn Shops and PyramidsChapter Nine: The Urban CurseChapter Ten: The Inmate Lover Returns to Baldwin RoadChapter Eleven: TinaChapter Twelve: EnlightenmentAbout the AuthorIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis new edition provides a summary of these new archival discoveries and assesses their impact on our understanding of the decisions Ellingson and Robinson made.

Read more less

Book Synopsis“A profound spiritual exploration into the life and work of the beloved poet Kahlil Gibran, a much-needed guide for our times.” –Reza Aslan, author of Zealot In Search of a Prophet is a fascinating journey through the spiritual life of Kahlil Gibran, the great Lebanese poet and author of The Prophet, a book originally published in 1923 that has sold over 10 million copies and been translated into dozens of languages. Capturing our imaginations and enriching our spirits, Paul-Gordon Chandler explores this beloved writer and artist, a celebrated mystic who sought to build bridges and tear down walls and who remains a cultural icon among all people of goodwill. In Search of a Prophet is not a traditional biography but a compelling spiritual journey through Gibran’s writings, art, and the places he lived. From Gibran’s birthplace village high in the snowy mountains of Lebanon, Chandler leads us through his emigration to Boston, art training in Paris, career in New York, and to the far-reaching places of influence his writings and art have traveled, alerting readers of Gibran’s continuing relevance for today. This paperback edition, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the publication of The Prophet, includes a foreword by The Most Rev. Bishop Michael Curry, former presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, as well as a new preface by the author.Trade ReviewChandler blends memoir and biography in this introductory exploration of poet Kahlil Gibran’s influences, writings, and impact. He traces Gibran’s life from his birth in Lebanon in 1883 and his immigration to the United States in 1895 to his return to the Middle East in 1899 and his encounters with leading artistic figures in Europe before his death in 1931. Each chapter centers on a key work of Gibran’s, with ample excerpts to get a sense of his style and messages. This orderly chronology will help readers fill in details and get a better sense of what events shaped Gibran’s work, including personal losses, World War I, and the dislocation of being an immigrant. Those unfamiliar with the poet’s work will gain solid insights into how and why Gibran sought out universal reconciliation of the religious impulses stemming from his Maronite Catholic upbringing, his Arab identity, and his Western education. Chandler includes anecdotes from his own travels, including (but not exclusively) to sites related to Gibran’s life.... [This book] provides a solid introduction to Gibran and his complex work. * Publishers Weekly *Episcopal priest Chandler (Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road) concedes that there are many fine biographies of Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931), the early 20th-century artist and writer best known for The Prophet. Instead, Chandler invites readers to follow Gibran’s spiritual journey, of which Prophet is but one vista. The narrative is also a record of Chandler’s own pilgrimage. With each stop, Chandler reveals how Gibran’s intense embrace of all that was around him mirrored a direct spiritual encounter that underlies the edifice of religion. Chandler enriches the narrative with quotes from Gibran’s works and letters, descriptions of his artwork, reflections from people who knew him and those for whom his works are still transformative. Gibran was bound and embraced by many worlds: East and West, Muslim and Christian, pastoral and urban, ancient and modern; intoxicated with the teachings of Jesus, but not the church. VERDICT Chandler succeeds in providing a portrait of a hard-won spirituality that transcended religion even while embracing it. * Library Journal *Paul-Gordon Chandler takes readers on a fascinating journey across three continents as he explores the life, works and spirituality of Kahlil Gibran . . . Full of contemporary links to Gibran (who knew that Elvis Presley could recite The Prophet by heart?), In Search of a Prophet underscores the timelessness of Gibran’s vision of a shared humanity that crosses all cultural and religious divides. * AramCo World *Paul-Gordon Chandler takes us on a profound spiritual journey into the life and work of one of the most famous and beloved poets, Kahlil Gibran, showing us how this timeless poet is a much-needed guide for our times. In his hands, Kahlil Gibran becomes an intimate friend. -- Reza Aslan, author of No god but God and Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of NazarethPaul-Gordon Chandler has done us a great service by writing this wonderful book. Part travelogue through the many places Kahlil Gibran lived, part journey through the artist's great works, it all comes together in a way that gives us powerful glimpses into the inner life of a spiritual giant. -- Eboo Patel, founder and president, Interfaith Youth Core; author of Acts of Faith and Interfaith LeadershipThere are certain places you should visit before you die, and to enjoy them best, you need a guide who knows them well. Similarly, there are certain writers you should read before you die, and you'll enjoy them even more with an experienced guide beside you. Kahlil Gibran is such a writer, and Paul-Gordon Chandler is such a guide. Gibran, assisted by Chandler, will introduce you to a great land that lies within you. -- Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual MigrationAn inspiring and vivid exploration into the all-embracing spirituality of Kahlil Gibran. Chandler takes us on a journey into the inner and outer worlds of a man who defied religious and cultural boundaries to assert a vision of an underlying humanity and faith that all people share, free of dogma. This original and revealing account of Gibran’s life and work is timeless, sharing with us profound wisdom that can guide us through the challenges of our world today. A modern classic of spirituality. -- Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, president, Union Theological SeminaryPaul-Gordon Chandler is a curious wanderer, a man of spiritual depth and refreshing insight. His journey into Kahlil Gibran’s life and timeless teachings offers solace and shelter in our divided and troubled times. -- Jeffrey Fleishman, senior writer on film, art, and culture, Los Angeles Times; author of Shadow Man: A NovelHere Paul-Gordon Chandler artfully traces the contours of Khalil Gibran’s life—a life which transcended so many of the divides we human beings erect among ourselves. In a world increasingly fraught with voices calling us toward power and away from each other, this book arrives as a balm and an incitement to continue the important work of healing the world. -- Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, senior minister, Riverside Church, New YorkPaul-Gordon Chandler brilliantly captures the universal spirituality of the beloved poet Kahlil Gibran as we journey with him to discover how the Levant, his birthplace—the land of Moses's Sacred Valley, Jesus's Mount of Olives, and Mohammad's mosque of Al Aqsa—and early disappointments influenced his art and poetry. In Search of a Prophet is revelatory and a true inspiration for those seeking to build bridges, not walls. -- Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat, president, Islamic Affairs Council of Maryland and Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation FoundationBefore reading this book my only real knowledge of Kahlil Gibran was the poem often read at weddings in the 1970s and 80s, and frequently caricatured. What that limited knowledge didn't reveal was the story of his life, the depth of his convictions, and the gift of his wisdom. This book tells his story, revealing the depth and passing on that gift. -- The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal ChurchIn Search of a Prophet is a profound look at Kahlil Gibran’s prophetic voice for peace and reconciliation during his lifetime. Paul-Gordon Chandler movingly demonstrates how Gibran, through his life and writings, issued a timeless call to respect all peoples and their religious traditions equally, thereby serving as an indispensable guide for our times. -- Ambassador Rabbi David N. Saperstein, former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious FreedomIn this deeply spiritual look at the life of Kahlil Gibran, Paul-Gordon Chandler opens us to a voice more relevant to our times than when his work appeared years ago. Chandler’s biography rings with the same grandeur and deep insight present in Gibran’s poetry, and it is pleasant to read and nourishing to digest. With our world so deeply suspicious and divided, Chandler’s look at Gibran offers us a biography—and a spirituality—that displays a vision of our common humanity. It is a great inspiration during times like these. -- Rev. James Winkler, president and general secretary, National Council of ChurchesTable of ContentsChapter One: The Sacred ValleyChapter Two: The Heretic Chapter Three: The Lover Chapter Four: The Madman Chapter Five: The Tempest Chapter Six: The Prophet Chapter Seven: The Son of ManChapter Eight: The WandererChapter Nine: A Man for Our TimesTimeline of the Life of Kahlil Gibran

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the twentieth century, China underwent a monumental dynastic change and was transformed from an outmoded monarchy into a modern communist state. This century of revolutionary change was marked by political upheaval and social chaos. It was a period in which Chinese began to go abroad to study and conduct business while foreigners came to China for economic opportunity and adventure. In the process, Chinese and foreigners began to meet and form romantic relationships. These love affairs (fengliu yunshi 風流韻事) are notable because they coincided with the last phase of Western imperialism, including its lingering racial prejudices and even laws against interracial sexual relationships. Conversely in China, there were periodic outbreaks of hostility and violence against foreigners. This book explores the interracial relationships of twenty-two people who, transcended these obstacles to cross color lines and fall in love.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the twentieth century, China underwent a monumental dynastic change and was transformed from an outmoded monarchy into a modern communist state. This century of revolutionary change was marked by political upheaval and social chaos. It was a period in which Chinese began to go abroad to study and conduct business while foreigners came to China for economic opportunity and adventure. In the process, Chinese and foreigners began to meet and form romantic relationships. These love affairs (fengliu yunshi 風流韻事) are notable because they coincided with the last phase of Western imperialism, including its lingering racial prejudices and even laws against interracial sexual relationships. Conversely in China, there were periodic outbreaks of hostility and violence against foreigners. This book explores the interracial relationships of twenty-two people who, transcended these obstacles to cross color lines and fall in love.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFollow one of the first women network news producers as she climbs the career ladder right through the headlines of American history and inspires us all to speak up for our ourselves and fight for our own success. From Cuba to Vietnam and to Tiananmen Square, Linda Mason stood side-by-side with CBS news anchors Walter Cronkite, Charles Kuralt, and Dan Rather to bring the world stories of history-in-the-making and smash the glass ceiling of the network news world. As one of the first women to serve as producer for a primetime network news broadcast, Linda Mason blazed a trail of perseverance as she climbed the network ladder. Her list of adventures included taking Dan Rather to Cuba to meet Fidel Castro, taking Rather and General Norman Schwarzkopf to Vietnam to assess the war-torn country 20 years after the end of the war, and witnessing first-hand the protests in China’s Tiananmen Square.In writing Speak Up, Mason reflects on her career and the leadership lessons she learned along the way. The formula she shares with all young professionals is simple, but the lessons are timeless: work hard, don't complain, ask questions, and when the time is right, speak up about what is next. Mason followed this formula to great success and looks forward to following the groundbreaking careers of today’s professionals throughout media, politics, and in all leadership roles.Trade ReviewLinda Mason made such a strong impression on me when I was a new Broadcast Associate through standards seminars that she ran. I still invoke her name and think of her as a holy grail of sorts for thorough, serious vetting and consideration in news reporting. -- Josh Ravitz, senior director of rights and clearances, CBS NewsLinda Mason blazed a trail across the tough and sometimes hostile terrain of network TV news and helped clear a path for every woman who followed her. It's an inspiring story of brains, guts, and determination along with a colorful insider's account of one of America's most celebrated institutions by a pioneer who was there every step of the way—whether the guys liked it or not. -- Marcy McGinnis, former Sr. Vice President, CBS NewsAt a time when TV news has been demonized and polarized, it's refreshing to read this colorful memoir by a groundbreaking journalist whose intelligence, integrity, and good humor propelled her to great heights—through the glass ceiling and beyond. -- Andrew Heyward, former president, CBS NewsWomen everywhere are in debt to Linda Mason. Her perseverance helped make CBS News vibrant with the contributions of women and people of color. Speak Up is a fight for justice wrapped in the amazing adventures of an intrepid journalist. -- Scott Pelley, correspondent and anchor, CBS NewsTable of ContentsIntroductionForeword by Connie ChungChapter 1: Hello, Fidel!Chapter 2: Growing UpChapter 3: CBS – Here I AmChapter 4: The Most Trusted Man in America Chapter 5: … Standards: The Secret SauceChapter 6: CBS Scandal: Drugs, Payola, and the Mafia Chapter 7: I Face the JuryChapter 8: Work at Work, Work at Home Chapter 9: Women’s Place at WorkChapter 10: Weekend News, Here I ComeChapter 11: The Story Man: Charles KuraltChapter 12: Turmoil at Tiananmen SquareChapter 13: Rather at the HelmChapter 14: CBS In TurmoilChapter 15: A Dream Fulfilled: DocumentariesChapter 16: Vietnam: 20 Years LaterChapter 17: 9/11Chapter 18: Too Close to CallChapter 19: Crisis Shakes CBS News to its RootsChapter 20: Heartache in BaghdadChapter 21: Cronkite’s Memorial ServiceChapter 22: The Future: Digital NewsChapter 23: Off the Clock: Life After CBS NewsFootnotesBibliographyAcknowledgements

Read more less

Book SynopsisA sweeping yet intimate exploration of Latin America’s political history, Forging Latin America profiles fifty-two of the region’s most influential figures who, for better or worse, have shaped its character and destiny from the Spanish Conquest to the present day. This polyphonic gathering of dictators, reformers, revolutionaries, artists, writers, priests, and activists not only foregrounds the major political developments since 1492 but also spotlights lesser-known stories of hope, change, and resistance from the ground up. Along the way, the book shows how ideas can bring down a government or build one, how power corrodes ideology until the perpetuation of power becomes an ideology in and of itself, and how the intellectual heritage of Latin America has been used, disputed, and reinvented over five astonishing centuries.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA sweeping yet intimate exploration of Latin America’s political history, Forging Latin America profiles fifty-two of the region’s most influential figures who, for better or worse, have shaped its character and destiny from the Spanish Conquest to the present day. This polyphonic gathering of dictators, reformers, revolutionaries, artists, writers, priests, and activists not only foregrounds the major political developments since 1492 but also spotlights lesser-known stories of hope, change, and resistance from the ground up. Along the way, the book shows how ideas can bring down a government or build one, how power corrodes ideology until the perpetuation of power becomes an ideology in and of itself, and how the intellectual heritage of Latin America has been used, disputed, and reinvented over five astonishing centuries.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis heart-wrenching story immerses readers in the dramatic survival of one outspoken man who illuminates the souls of a billion ordinary Chinese citizens. An Wei—a stubborn, hardworking peasant who has lived by his values and stood up for his convictions­—has succeeded against all odds in the authoritarian environment of China. Despite grinding poverty, hunger, reeducation campaigns, and attacks from jealous peers, An Wei continues to inspire with his daring achievements, such as launching a democratic congress in his own village. His compelling life provides a vivid backdrop for understanding the development of modern China from the unique perspective of an outspoken citizen. Through his audacious determination and survival skills forged in rural poverty, An Wei’s unstoppable drive to improve himself and rural China will captivate and enthrall readers. Her website can be found at https://nancypine.info/Trade ReviewCombining lucid, concise descriptions of China’s history with intimate details of peasant commune life culled from a decade’s worth of interviews with An Wei, Pine presents an eye-opening portrait of how ordinary Chinese people can become driving forces for reform. Readers seeking to go beyond the headlines about China will learn much from this account. * Publishers Weekly *Generalizations about China and its struggle for meaningful reform can be corrected with this work about the life of one man. An Wei has witnessed the most traumatic and important events of twentieth-century China and has become a visionary fighter for grassroots democracy at the village level. Nancy Pine’s excellent book enables us to delve into the inner world of this modest yet effective survivor-reformer. After four decades of writing and teaching about China, I would recommend Pine’s scrupulous research and vivid focus on An Wei to anyone interested in understanding the jagged landscape of change in China today. -- Vera Schwarcz, Wesleyan University; author of Colors of Veracity: A Quest for Truth in China, and BeyondAn invaluable read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of modern China and the benefits and burdens endured by its people. Nancy Pine masterfully reveals the personal aspirations of one man who struggled to establish grassroots democracy in the countryside, stood up for truth within the provincial bureaucracy, and built substantial bridges for US-China relations. His is a compelling life story about the crucial issues facing China today. -- Sharon Crain, Shaanxi Teachers UniversityNancy Pine tells a delightfully readable and inspiring story about China through the life of An Wei. Readers will be fascinated by how he overcame setbacks, pursued education, and persevered through tumultuous governmental changes to become an interpreter for presidents and creator of democracy in his village. I look forward to encouraging all my contacts to read this book. -- Greta Nagel, Museum of Teaching and LearningMore than just another account of an individual involved in US-China relations, this fascinating account tells the story of a man who is an exemplar of global citizenship and whose actions have shown the younger generation on both sides of the globe how to interact in selfless ways that benefit others. -- Kelly Long, Colorado State UniversityThis one book could change your opinion about what you think of China, its government, and its people. -- Debra Foster, niece of Helen SnowChina matters. But how can American readers possibly grasp the complexities of that world power whose fate and ours are inextricably bound? The best way may be to read Nancy Pine's superb biography of one extraordinary man whose odyssey through modern China is the closest we can come to a complete explanation of what makes China tick. -- Eric Maisel, author of Coaching the Artist WithinAn Wei's personal history is interwoven with China's history as it grew from dynasty to chaos to unified country. Nancy Pine’s book makes the ‘image’ of China more than a superficial Communist behemoth—it gives an insider's perspective to the experiences of people who lived there throughout these transitions and who live there now. -- Elizabeth Tatum, social justice activistAn Wei's story of courage and dedication deserves to be better known in both China and the United States. -- Robert Farnsworth, author of From Vagabond to Journalist: Edgar Snow in Asia, 1928–1941Like Edgar Snow in Red Star Over China in the 1930s, Nancy Pine has discovered a largely unknown Chinese figure in a remote village who encapsulates much of the extraordinary story of modern China. Snow found Mao Zedong. Now Pine gives us An Wei, a bright, ambitious child born to a peasant family in the same region. He and his family suffer through the traditional plagues of old China, drought and locusts among them. Then they must endure the new hardships inflicted by Mao, the grandiose building of communes, starvation during the Great Leap Forward, and the cruelties of the Cultural Revolution. In a modern twist, An Wei finds his own way forward by learning English and becoming a translator for visiting American dignitaries, among them, Snow’s widow. -- Fox Butterfield, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of China: Alive in the Bitter SeaThe friendship between An Wei and Helen Foster Snow must be one of the great friendships of the twentieth century. Symposiums, schools, scholarships, exhibits, and exchanges between China and the United States—all organized by An Wei over a period of nearly forty years, carry the US-China connection of friendship to the coming generations. How did a man with such entrepreneurial ability emerge out of the Cultural Revolution? Nancy Pine's book is the remarkable answer. -- Sheril Foster Bischoff, Helen Foster Snow Literary TrustIt is oh-so-true that most Americans know China solely through quick commercial tours and media propaganda. Nancy Pine’s biography of a single man and his fascinating career gives a glimpse of what has and can happen to make a difference in so many lives―one person at a time. After many years of being associated with An Wei and his colleagues and mentees through work, I can attest to his commitment and his enduring legacy. Nancy Pine portrays my friend as a man who has successfully spanned a gap and made the world better for those around him and those of us on the other side of the global bridge. Enjoy the read! -- Mary Warpeha, US-China Peoples Friendship Association of MinnesotaIt is rare when an individual’s life so perfectly parallels a revolutionary era in a vast nation’s history. It is even rarer when that individual tells his story in fascinating detail to an American. That American is China scholar, Nancy Pine. The individual is An Wei, born in 1942, synchronized to catch the wave of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, Great Leap Forward and the oppression and corruption that followed. Chinese history is revealed in the details of a boy’s life; a boy who caught and killed sparrows to protect his family’s crops; who gathered fake money so he could use the paper three times over to practice his writing; a young man who grew up to challenge government corruption with the skill of a tight-rope walker. Ms. Pine’s writing is clear, concise and swift moving; never upstaging a remarkable man’s story. In One in a Billion the complex history of a complex country unrolls with the ease of a deeply textured Chinese scroll. To read this book is to absorb Chinese history through one person’s unforgettable life story. -- Val Zavala, KCET award-winning journalistThrough the life of an ordinary man in China, Pine tells an extraordinary saga of struggle, perseverance, fortitude, and joy. Her subject matter, Mr. An Wei, has not held high positions nor is he wealthy, but his work has affected many lives in China and the United States. He continues to bring the two peoples closer to each other despite their many political and ideological differences. His story will inspire others to stand up and persist in doing what’s right. -- Peter Chan, Brigham Young UniversityFrom the very beginning of Nancy Pine’s book One in a Billion, I was drawn to the personal childhood stories of An Wei and the parallel historical events behind them. Especially for me, an immigrant from China who went through similar vicissitudes during those early decades of modern China’s development, An Wei’s experiences resonate with me and bring back many memories. Dr. Pine gives his rural and primitive daily life a distinctive regional flavor, her descriptions of local peasants and indigenous agriculture in An Shang village are vivid and true to character. In addition, Dr. Pine introduces many historical events such as the Great Leap Forward and foot-binding. This is a great story of one man’s long journey from a Chinese village to becoming a bridge between China and America. I found the book not only entertaining, but also informative. -- Joan Huang, freelance composerA vivid and gripping account of the hardships overcome by a poor boy in rural China on the path to becoming a major force in the promotion of education and English language learning. An Wei seized the opportunity to get an education and used it aggressively to get that opportunity for the most underserved of China’s children.It is the story of China in turbulent times; from farm subsistence living to the city, from nothing to becoming the link to expanding knowledge among villages in Central China.A true story of courage, determination, and the drive of an individual on a never-ending quest for the betterment of community. A story of altruism that depicts overcoming obstacles and the harshness of life. One in a Billion is a personal story with a universal theme. A story of triumph against overwhelming odds told through one man’s journey. -- Peter H. Antoniou, California State University San MarcosIn Nancy Pine’s fascinating biography, One in a Billion, An Wei emerges as the Forest Gump of China. He was not only present for all of the major events that took place after 1949 but even shows up in pictures cheek and jowl with famous personages like Jimmy Carter, Edward Heath, and Helen Foster Snow. But . . . he is just one of the many Chinese who have lived through tumultuous times far from the cosmopolitan cities of Beijing and Shanghai. Pine uses the story of An Wei as a frame for telling the story of China. . . . The result is both a detailed and a panoramic exploration of her subject, a meditation on both the one and the billion. * Foreign Policy in Focus *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAuthor’s Note Prologue 1 Beginnings 2 A System Unraveling 3 Moving On 4 Into the Maelstrom 5 Clinging to Shattered Dreams 6 Unshackled 7 Building a Future 8 American Connections9 Setting the Record Straight10 Gathering Storm Clouds11 Working in Limbo12 Stately Maples 13 Against Rural Habits 14 Democracy and a New School in An Shang 15 Pigsties, a Website, and Dedicated Desks 16 Let’s Teach Them Together Notes Bibliography Index About the Author

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less