History of the Americas Books

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"When [John] Donne exclaimed ‘O my America! My new-found-land’ to his latest girlfriend, he was oblivious to the long history of that territory so painstakingly mapped by Pekka Hämäläinen in Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America." -- Paul Muldoon - The Times Literary Supplement"[M]agisterial . . . the pace and the scope of the book have a force of their own: Hämäläinen makes it clear that America’s past is crazily, energetically, tumultuously crowded with incident; that Indigenous power has affected everything about America . . . I can only wish that, when I was that lonely college junior and was finishing Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, I’d had Hämäläinen’s book at hand. It would have helped me see that there was indeed a larger story: that my civilization hadn’t been destroyed; that my tribe’s contribution to the past wasn’t merely to fade away in the face of history; that Native peoples—for better or for worse—made this country what it was, and have a role to play in what it now struggles to be." -- David Treuer - The New Yorker"T]he single best book I have ever read on Native American history, as well as one of the most innovative narratives about the continent." -- Thomas E. Ricks - The New York Times Book Review"[A] towering achievement. By gathering the experiences of multiple Native peoples—across an astounding expanse of time and space—Indigenous Continent explodes the view that American history unfolded inexorably according to European and American des" -- Andrew Graybill - The American Scholar"The author, an Oxford historian, recasts the history of North America from a Native American perspective, making clear that Native tribes controlled the continent for millenniums (‘On an Indigenous time scale, the United States is a mere speck’). One of t" -- The New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisThis timely book explores immigration into the United States and the effect it has had on national identity, domestic politics and foreign relations from the 1920s to 2006. Comparing the immigration experiences of Chinese, Japanese, Mexicans, Cubans, Central Americans and Vietnamese, this book highlights how the US viewed each group throughout the American century, the various factors that have shaped US immigration, and the ways in which these debates influenced relations with the wider world. Using a comparative approach, Montoya offers an insight into the themes that have surrounded immigration, its role in forming a national identity and the ways in which changing historical contexts have shaped and re-shaped conversations about immigrants in the United States. This account helps us better understand the implications and importance of immigration throughout the American century, and informs present-day debates surrounding the issue.Trade ReviewIf a historian’s job is to challenge established narratives, then Benjamin Montoya has certainly delivered. This work offers a groundbreaking reinterpretation of US immigration policies, skillfully weaving together domestic elements—from legislation to citizenship—and the longstanding racial biases in immigration with the intricate dynamics of international relations. The outcome is a compelling and fresh perspective on the making of the USA into “a nation of immigrants.” This book deepens our understanding of a pivotal aspect of US society - and politics. It merits a broad readership on both sides of the Atlantic. * Christoph Rass, Professor of Modern History and Historical Migration Research, Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies, Osnabrueck University, Germany *In this thoughtful, analytical, and humane new book, Benjamin Montoya demonstrates how U.S. foreign policy decisions have shaped the migration choices of millions—and vice versa. Drawing on case studies of European, Asian, and Latin American migrants, and spanning more than two centuries of history, this book offers a valuable overview for students and fresh insights for scholars. * Christopher Capozzola, Professor of History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA *Table of ContentsList of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgements Introduction Part I–Laws and Systems 1. A synthesis of U.S. juridical immigration law, 1780s-2010s 2. A synthesis of U.S. congressional immigration restriction, 1880s to 2000s 3. A synthesis of the parallel developments of the international and the U.S. refugee resettlement regimes, 1921-1980 Part II–Case Studies 4. Japanese, 1900s-1920s 5. Mexicans, 1920s 6. Jews, 1930s-1940s 7. Chinese, 1930s-1950s 8. Vietnamese, 1970s 9. Cubans, 1960s-1980 10. Central Americans, 1980s-1990s 11. Mexicans, 1980s-2000s Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOften described as the greatest city in the world, New York is one of the iconic cities of the world. Yet much of its architecture and culture which so defines the city we know today only came into being in the 1930s, in what was perhaps the most significant decade in the city's 400 year history.Jules Stewart shows how, after the roaring twenties, the catastrophic Wall Street Crash and ensuing Depression, New York rose from the ashes and underwent an architectural, economic, social and creative renaissance under the leadership of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. After seizing power, he declared war on the mafia mobs running vast swathes of the city, attacked political corruption and kick-started the economy through a variety of construction and infrastructure projects. At the same time, a cultural revolution was underway as the jazz age and the Harlem Renaissance took hold. From the Empire State Building to the Pastrami Sandwich and the Cotton Club, Gotham Rising tells the Trade Review[This] book may not be revelatory for many New York aficionados, but its historical digressions, nuggets of forgotten footnotes and the stark contradictions in a city ascendant — but also disproportionately poor, homeless and unemployed — make for riveting reading. * The New York Times *'Gotham Rising is an insightful look at what New York was like in the 1930s. Jules Stewart takes you from the Great Depression right up to the beginning of World War II' * Manhattan Book Review *Filled with enticing details and vivid portraits of the titans who drove New York in the 1930s, Gotham Rising is a delightful romp through one of the city's most dynamic eras. Jules Stewart deftly weaves history with heroes and villains, with fascinating tales of LaGuardia, F.D.R., and Robert Moses, as well as the men who built the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center. * Eric Schmitt, Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times correspondent *"From its opening irreverent quotations from John Steinbeck and E. B. White, Jules Stewart's Gotham Rising: New York in the Thirties offers a roguish romp through a remarkable decade that in many ways still defines much about the great American metropolis...The Harlem Renaissance, Greenwich Village bohemia, Tammany Hall politics, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and all the larger-than-life figures directing so much of the action it's an amazing story, well worth telling.' * Anthony W. Robins, author of New York Art Deco: A Guide to Gothams Jazz Age Architecture *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Foreword by Amor Towles Acknowledgements Preface Introduction 1. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? 2. The Little Flower and Goliath 3. Trouble in the streets 4. ‘I Can’t Figger What Dis City is Comin’ To’ 5. All That Jazz 6. Gotham Gets a Facelift 7. The Thing about Skyscrapers 8. Seventy-Seventh Floor, Please 9. Anything You Can Do 10. You’re the Top 11. They All Laughed at Rockefeller Center 12. Village Life 13. Huddled Masses Yearning to Breathe Free Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisCovers events from the end of the Second World War to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sequel to US Naval Aviation 1898-1945.

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Book SynopsisThe Incas is a captivating exploration of one of the greatest civilizations ever seen. Seamlessly drawing on history, archaeology, and ethnography, this thoroughly updated new edition integrates advances made in hundreds of new studies conducted over the last decade. Written by one of the world's leading experts on Inca civilization Covers Inca history, politics, economy, ideology, society, and military organization Explores advances in research that include pre-imperial Inca society; the royal capital of Cuzco; the sacred landscape; royal estates; Machu Picchu; provincial relations; the khipu information-recording technology; languages, time frames, gender relations, effects on human biology, and daily life Explicitly examines how the Inca world view and philosophy affected the character of the empire Illustrated with over 90 maps, figures, and photographsTable of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition ix Preface to the First Edition xv 1 Introduction 1 2 The Land and Its People 33 3 The Incas before the Empire 68 4 The History of the Empire: Narrative Visions 91 5 Thinking Inca 119 6 The Politics of Blood in Cuzco 174 7 The Heartland of the Empire 198 8 Inca Ideology: Powers of the Sky and Earth, Past and Present 247 9 Family, Community, and Class 290 10 Militarism 321 11 Provincial Rule 351 12 Farmers, Herders, and Storehouses 392 13 Things and Their Masters 418 14 Invasion and Aftermath 449 References 476 Glossary of Foreign Terms 520 Index 527

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Book SynopsisA commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 as told through stories and photographs from The Associated Press.

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Book SynopsisA new edition for HL Option 2, History of the Americas, Topic 17: Civil rights and social movements in the Americas post-1945The renowned IB Diploma History series, combining compelling narratives with academic rigor.An authoritative and engaging narrative, with the widest variety of sources at this level, helping students to develop their knowledge and analytical skills. This second edition provides:- Reliable, clear and in-depth narrative from topic experts - Analysis of the historiography surrounding key debates- Dedicated exam practice with model answers and practice questions- TOK support and Historical Investigation questions to help with all aspects of the Diploma

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Book SynopsisExam Board: EdexcelLevel: AS/A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst Teaching: September 2015First Exam: June 2016Target success in Edexcel AS/A-level History with this proven formula for effective, structured revision; key content coverage is combined with exam preparation activities and exam-style questions to create a revision guide that students can rely on to review, strengthen and test their knowledge.- Enables students to plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner- Consolidates knowledge with clear and focused content coverage, organised into easy-to-revise chunks- Encourages active revision by closely combining historical content with related activities- Helps students build, practise and enhance their exam skills as they progress through activities set at three different levels- Improves exam technique through exam-style questions with sample

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Book SynopsisIn 1519, the Conquistador Hernán Cortés landed on the mainland of the Americas. His quest to serve God, win gold, and achieve glory drove him into the heartland of what is now Mexico, where no European had ever set foot before. He marched towards to the majestic city of Tenochtitlan, floating like a jewel in the midst of Lake Texcoco. This encounter brought together cultures that had hitherto evolved in complete isolation from each other Catholic Spain and the Aztec Empire. What ensued was the swift escalation from a clash of civilizations to a war of the worlds. At the conclusion of the Conquistador campaign of 151921, Tenochtitlan lay in ruins, the last Aztec Emperor was in chains, and Spanish authority over the native peoples had been definitively asserted. With the colourful personalities Cortés, Malinche, Pedro Alvarez, Cuitláhuac, Cuauhtémoc driving the narrative, and the vivid differences in uniforms, weapons, and fighting styles between the rival armies (displayed

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Book SynopsisUpdated and revised from the popular 2002 edition, with full-colour maps and new images throughout, this is a concise study of the American Revolutionary War. The American Revolution, or the American War of Independence, has been characterized politically as a united political uprising of the American colonies and militarily as a guerrilla campaign of colonists against the inflexible British military establishment. In this book, Daniel Marston argues that this belief, though widespread, is a misconception. He contends that the American Revolution, in reality, created deep political divisions in the population of the Thirteen Colonies, while militarily pitting veterans of the Seven Years'' War against one another, in a conflict that combined guerrilla tactics and classic 18th-century campaign techniques on both sides. The peace treaty of 1783 that brought an end to the war marked the formal beginning of the United States of America as an independent politTable of ContentsIntroduction Background to War Warring Sides Outbreak The Fighting The World Around War How the War Ended Conclusion and Consequences Chronology Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisIn this fully illustrated introduction, acclaimed historian Carl Benn examines the War of 1812 and its significance in US history. The war of 18121815 was a bloody confrontation that tore through the American frontier, the British colonies of Upper and Lower Canada, and parts of the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. The conflict saw British, American, and First Nations forces clash, and in the process, shape the future of North American history. Carl Benn explains what led to America''s decision to take up arms against Great Britain and assesses the three terrible years of fighting that followed on land and sea, where battles such as Lake Erie and Lake Champlain launched American naval traditions.This new edition has been updated throughout to draw on the research and advances in scholarship in the two decades since original publication in 2002. Benn examines how this has not only impacted basic assumptions of force size and battle dates in some cases, buTable of ContentsIntroduction Background to War Warring Sides Outbreak The Fighting The World Around War How the War Ended Conclusion and Consequences Chronology Further Reading Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisDrawing on vivid contemporary accounts, this is a fascinating exploration of how and why the Revolutionary War descended into a brutal existential struggle.This engrossing history of the Revolutionary War conclusively shows that those caught up in it believed they had nothing to lose by fighting without regard for the rules of so-called civilized warfare. The clarion call to arms Liberty or Death was far more than just rhetoric. At its grimmest level, it was a conflict in which military restraint was more the exception than the rule, a struggle in which combatants believed their very existence was in question. This led to an acceptance of violence against persons and property as preferable to a defeat equated with political, cultural, and even physical extinction. It was war with an expectation and acceptance of ferocity and brutality anything to avoid defeat.A number of historians have previously concluded that United States' founding struggle reached a level of ferocity few Americans now associate with the movement for independence. However, these studies have described what happened, without looking in detail at why the conflict took such a violent a turn. Written by two esteemed Revolutionary War historians, War Without Mercy does exactly that. Based on years of research and enlivened by little known primary sources, this is an intriguing and fresh look at a period of history we thought we knew.

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Book SynopsisBy the author of Ashes Under Water (Lyons Press), here is one of the great untold stories of World War II. The Hidden Hindenburg at last reveals the cause of aviation's most famous disaster and the duplicity that kept the truth from coming to light for three generations. It also finally catches up with a German legend who misled the world about the Hindenburg to bury his own Nazi connections. Drawing on previously unpublished documents from the National Archives in Washington, along with archival collections in Germany, this definitive account explores how the Hindenburg was connected to the Dachau concentration camp, a futuristic German rocket that terrified the Allies, and a classified project that imported Nazi scientists to America after the war. It took author Michael McCarthy four years to get to the bottom of this epic disaster, in which the largest object civilization has ever managed to fly burnt up in less than one minute. Along the way, he found a talTrade ReviewAbout Ashes Under Water: “This is a tour-de-force from an enormously gifted writer. In quickly sketched chapters McCarthy depicts a mysterious early-twentieth-century shipping disaster—the weather, the moguls, the greed, the ads, the hundreds of working people setting out for a picnic who ended up in a makeshift morgue. The second half of the book brilliantly tracks the legal maneuvering and the murky trial that ultimately exonerated the crew, government inspectors, and the owners. Ashes Under Water is prodigiously researched and richly imagined. McCarthy’s vivid images kept bringing me back to our own contemporary society with its increasing disparity between the middle class and the powerful rich.”—Jeanne Murray Walker, author of The Geography of Memory“After more than a decade of research, journalist and Chicago resident Michael McCarthy shares a heartbreaking history in Ashes Under Water: The SS Eastland and the Shipwreck That Shook America. McCarthy gives this little-known Lake Michigan tragedy a thorough and compassionate telling and covers the media frenzy and indictments that followed. . . . Plentiful notes and a lengthy bibliography provide opportunity for further study for those interested. Ashes Under Water is carefully researched yet compellingly told and combines the appeal of famous historical figures and places with everyday men and women struggling to survive. In this thoughtful treatment, the Eastland’s story will deservedly capture the sympathy and imagination of diverse readers.”—Foreword Reviews

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Book SynopsisWhen terrorists attacked on September 11, 2001, Lieutenant Brian Murphy rescued seven people from the World Trade Center. Even as steel girders buckled and groaned, Brian rushed back up the stairs of the North Tower in search of those in need. He died a hero, one of more than four hundred police officers, firefighters, and other first responders who perished that fateful day. Three years later, Vietnam veteran and retired NYPD detective-sergeant Jimmy Murphy is on a mission to find the truth behind his son''s death. Why was Brian in the tower that morning? Had he anticipated the attack? Suspecting a cover-up of a deeper truth, Jimmy must confront his family, friends, and old colleagues in the police department to discover what happened to Brian and who his eldest son really was.Murphy''s investigation takes him from his home turf in the Irish American enclave of Rockaway Beach to Muslim Atlantic Avenue and beyond in order to find his own truth about 9/11. Dry-eyed and Trade ReviewLarry Kirwan's sweeping novel, "Rockaway Blue," is a defiant and celebratory tour of Irish-American life in the town best known for the long-gone amusement park and the Ramones' 1970s siren song that gleefully beckons: "we can hitch a ride to Rock, Rock, Rockaway Beach." * Echo Book Review *Rockaway Blue is a well-told, emotional journey... Rockaway Blue is a great read, Highly Recommended, and a Top Shelf Selection. * Ohio Irish American News *

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Book SynopsisAt the dawn of the twentieth century, a small but determined band of barrel jumpers risked their lives in one of the world’s most wondrous waterfalls. Only a few survived. By turns a family drama and an action-adventure story, The Age of Daredevils chronicles the lives of the men and women who devoted themselves to the extraordinary sport of jumping over Niagara Falls in a barrel—a death-defying gamble that proved a powerful temptation to a hardy few. Internationally known in the 1920s and ‘30s for their barrel-jumping exploits, the Hills were a father-son team of daredevils who also rescued dozens of misguided thrill seekers and accident victims who followed them into the river. The publicity surrounding the Hills’ spectacular feats ushered in tourism, making Niagara Falls the nation’s foremost honeymoon destination, but ultimately set Red Hill Jr. on a perilous path to surpass his father’s extraordinary leaps into the void. Like the works of Jon Krakauer and David McCullough, The Age of Daredevils explores the primal force of fear and the thirst for adventure that drive humans to the brink of death to see if they can somehow escape.

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Book SynopsisThis title is endorsed by Cambridge Assessment International Education to support the History of the USA 1820-1941 Option from the Cambridge AS Level History syllabus for first examination from 2021.Develop knowledge and analytical skills with engaging comprehensive coverage of the History of the USA 1820-1941 Option from the Cambridge AS Level History syllabus for first examination from 2021. - Trust in the clear and authoritative content written by topic experts- Develop source skills through questions on a wide range of sources- Stay focused on the key issues you need to understand with questions throughout each chapter - Improve study and understanding through detailed chapter summary diagrams- Build confidence with applying your knowledge through exam guidance and exam-style questions

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Book Synopsis“My greatest aim has been to advance the art of photography and to make it what I think I have, a great and truthful medium of history.” —Mathew Brady Mathew Brady and his team of assistants risked their lives to capture up-close images of the fury of the American Civil War and its aftermath. Brady actually got so close to the action during the First Battle of Bull Run that he only narrowly avoided capture. Brady's Civil War Journal chronicles the events of the war by showcasing a selection of Brady's moving, one-of-a-kind images and describing each in terms of its significance. Brady’s team not only captured thousands of portraits of the combatants, the generals, the fighting men, the sick, the dead, and the dying, but also documented the infrastructure of the war machine itself, recording images of artillery pieces, the early railroads, and extraordinary engineering feats. The text by Theodore P. Savas, an expert on the Civil War, adds context to Brady's memorable photographs, creating an unrivaled visual account of the most costly conflict in American history as it unfolded. His unique record of the war gives modern readers a fascinating insight into the terrible maelstrom that shaped our nation.

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Book Synopsis*THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*Four Hundred Souls is an epoch-defining history of African America, the first to appear in a generation, told by ninety leading Black voices -- co-curated by Ibram X. Kendi, author of the million-copy bestseller How To Be an Antiracist, and Keisha N. Blain, author of Set the World on Fire.In chronological chapters, each by a different author and spanning five years, the book charts the four-hundred-year journey of African Americans to the present - a journey defined by inhuman oppression, visionary struggles and stunning achievements.Contributors include some of today's leading writers, historians, journalists, lawyers, poets and activists. Together - through essays and short stories, personal vignettes and fiery polemics - they redefine America and the way its history can be told.'A vital addition to the curriculum on race in America... Compelling' Washington Post'A resounding history...that challenges the myths of America's past... Fresh and engaging' Colin Grant, GuardianTrade ReviewAn impressive and illuminating collection that rejects Blackness in America as a singular experience and instead illustrates the range of Black experiences and voices * Time, 21 Most Anticipated Books of 2021 *A polyphonic work that unites writers, historians, lawyers, poets and activists ... From Morgan Parker's poem Before Revolution to writer Bernice L McFadden's soaring exploration of Zora Neale Hurston's genre-defining writing, it's something quite incredible * Stylist *Highly readable and far more compelling than a mere historical digest would have been ... This collection teaches us that nothing about the latest crisis is new ... a vital addition to that curriculum on race in America and should serve as a gateway to the solo works of all the voices in Kendi and Blain's impressive choir * Washington Post *A provocative, stirring anthology . . . Four Hundred Souls weaves a tapestry of unspeakable suffering and unexpected transcendence * O: The Oprah Magazine, 20 of the Best Books of February 2021 to Fall in Love With *

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Book SynopsisWhen most people think of the history of modern conservatism, they think of Ronald Reagan. Yet this narrow view leaves many to question: How did Donald Trump win the presidency? And what is the future of the Republican Party?In The Right, Matthew Continetti gives a sweeping account of movement conservatism's evolution, from the Progressive Era through the present. He tells the story of how conservatism began as networks of intellectuals, developing and institutionalizing a vision that grew over time, until they began to buckle under new pressures, resembling national populist movements. Drawing out the tensions between the desire for mainstream acceptance and the pull of extremism, Continetti argues that the more one studies conservatism's past, the more one becomes convinced of its future.Deeply researched and brilliantly told, The Right is essential reading for anyone looking to understand American conservatism.

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Book SynopsisWho rules America? All the Presidents' Bankers is a ground-breaking narrative of how an elite group of men transformed the American economy and government, dictated foreign and domestic policy, and shaped world history.Culled from original presidential archival documents, All the Presidents' Bankers delivers an explosive account of the hundred-year interdependence between the White House and Wall Street that transcends a simple analysis of money driving politics,or greed driving bankers.Prins ushers us into the intimate world of exclusive clubs, vacation spots, and Ivy League universities that binds presidents and financiers. She unravels the multi-generational blood, intermarriage, and protege relationships that have confined national influence to a privileged cluster of people. These families and individuals recycle their power through elected office and private channels in Washington, DC. All the Presidents' Bankers sheds new light on pivotal historic events,such as why, after the Panic of 1907, America's dominant bankers convened to fashion the Federal Reserve System how J. P. Morgan's ambitions motivated President Wilson during World War I how Chase and National City Bank chairmen worked secretly with President Roosevelt to rescue capitalism during the Great Depression while J.P. Morgan Jr. invited Roosevelt's son yachting and how American financiers collaborated with President Truman to construct the World Bank and IMF after World War II.Prins divulges how, through the Cold War and Vietnam era, presidents and bankers pushed America's superpower status and expansion abroad, while promoting broadly democratic values and social welfare at home. But from the 1970s, Wall Street's rush to secure Middle East oil profits altered the nature of political-financial alliances. Bankers' profit motive trumped heritage and allegiance to public service, while presidents lost control over the economy,as was dramatically evident in the financial crisis of 2008.This unprecedented history of American power illuminates how the same financiers retained their authoritative position through history, swaying presidents regardless of party affiliation. All the Presidents' Bankers explores the alarming global repercussions of a system lacking barriers between public office and private power. Prins leaves us with an ominous choice: either we break the alliances of the power elite, or they will break us.Trade Review"All the Presidents' Bankers spins an enormous amount of research into a coherent, readable narrative. Even her frequent kvetches about the lifestyles of rich and famous bankers are entertaining...There is always room for criticism, and Ms. Prins does it rather well. Banking was her first career before taking up journalism. She can talk the talk and is knowledgeable about the many points where banking and public policy intersect...Give her credit... for seeing through the facade of Dodd-Frank into the danger of another meltdown that lurks in our day of quasi-nationalized banking."--George Melloan, Wall Street Journal "A calm, authoritative elucidation of verifiable history"--Financial Times "Even those who have read Secrets of the Temple, William Greider's massive and brilliant 1987 expose of the Federal Reserve, will find Prins's book worth their time. She presents a new narrative, one that shows how the changing cast of six has shaped America's fortunes under presidents in both parties."--American Prospect "Prins divides her justifiably long text into digestible one- to three-page segments and seamlessly incorporates dozens of prominent banker profiles. Her work is highly recommended both to general readers and to students of financial history."--Library Journal "A revealing look at the often symbiotic, sometimes-adversarial relationship between the White House and Wall Street... [A] sweeping history of bank presidents and their relationships with the nation's chief executives"--Kirkus Reviews "The relationship between Washington and Wall Street isn't really a revolving door. Its a merry-go-round. And, as Prins shows, the merriest of all are the bankers and financiers that get rich off the relationship, using their public offices and access to build private wealth and power. Disturbing and important." --Robert B. Reich, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley "Nomi Prins follows the money. She used to work on Wall Street. And now she has written a seminal history of America's bankers and their symbiotic relationship with all the presidents from Teddy Roosevelt through Barack Obama. It is an astonishing tale. All the Presidents' Bankers relies on the presidential archives to reveal how power works in this American democracy. Prins writes in the tradition of C. Wright Mills, Richard Rovere and William Greider. Her book is a stunning contribution to the history of the American Establishment." --Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and author of The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames "Nomi Prins takes us on a brisk, panoramic, and eye-opening tour of more than a century's interplay between America's government and its major banks -- exposing the remarkable dominance of six major banks, and for most of the period, the same families, over U.S. financial policy." --Charles R. Morris, author of The Trillion Dollar Meltdown "Nomi Prins has written a big book you just wish was bigger: page after page of killer stories of bank robbers who've owned the banks--and owned the White House. Prins is a born story-teller. She turns the history of the moneyed class into a breathless, page-turning romance--the tawdry affairs of bankers and the presidents who love them. It's brilliant inside stuff on unforgettable, and unforgivable, scoundrels." --Greg Palast, Investigative reporter for BBC Television and author of Billionaires & Ballot Bandits "In this riveting, definitive history, Nomi Prins reveals how US policy has been largely dominated by a circle of the same banking and political dynasties. For more than a century, Presidents often acquiesced or participated as bankers subverted democracy, neglected the public interest, and stole power from the American people." --Paul Craig Roberts, former Wall Street Journal editor and Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury "Nomi Prins has done it again -- this time with a must read, a gripping, historical story on the first corporate staters -- the handful of powerful bankers and their decisive influence over the White House and the Treasury Department from the inside and from the outside to the detriment of the people. All the Presidents' Bankers speaks to the raw truth today of what Louis D. Brandeis said a hundred years ago: 'We must break the Money Trust or the Money Trust will break us.'" --Ralph Nader "Required reading for anyone who wants a realistic explanation of how the economic system in the United States is increasingly tilted in favor of those who move in the right circles -- and why, as a nation, we are very much on the verge of going from great to good. I encourage everyone to read this book and reflect deeply on the wake-up call Prins is desperately trying to get us to hear."--Bowling Green Daily News "Money has been the common denominator in American politics for the last 115 years, as Nomi Prins admirably points out. All the Presidents' Bankers is an excellent survey of how money influences power and comes dangerously close to threatening democracy." --Charles Geisst, author of Wall Street: A History "All the Presidents' Bankers is gracefully written, carefully researched, and accessible. It is a must read for anyone concerned with politics and economics -- in other words, just about everybody." --Thomas Ferguson, Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Boston and Senior Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute

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Book SynopsisBrilliant, painful, enlightening, tearful, tragic, sad, and funny, this photo-essay book is at its core about healing, and about the social justice work that still needs to be done in the era of hip-hop, Black Lives Matter, and the historic presidency of Barack Obama." ,Kevin Powell, author of The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy's Journey into Manhood A brilliantly conceived volume. Bryan Shih and Yohuru Williams demonstrate why the Panthers'story,its lessons and failures,even fifty years after its founding remains key to understanding national and international struggles for freedom and justice today." ,Cheryl Finley, professor and director of visual studies, Cornell UniversityEven fifty years after it was founded, the Black Panther Party remains one of the most misunderstood political organizations of the twentieth century. But beyond the labels of extremist" and violent" that have marked the party, and beyond charismatic leaders like Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, and Eldridge Cleaver, were the ordinary men and women who made up the Panther rank and file.In The Black Panthers , photojournalist Bryan Shih and historian Yohuru Williams offer a reappraisal of the party's history and legacy. Through stunning portraits and interviews with surviving Panthers, as well as illuminating essays by leading scholars, The Black Panthers reveals party members' grit and battle scars,and the undying love for the people that kept them going.Trade Review"The Black Panthers succeeds by destroying any assumptions you may have had [about the Black Panther Party]. The book tells the story of the Black Panthers through first-person accounts from people who were part of the movement but who mostly were not the stars-people who look like they could be my aunts and uncles...[It] does the much needed task of bringing the movement down to earth." ?Rembert Browne, New York Times Book Review "Shih's powerful black-and-white portraits...are by turn-and sometimes all at once-bold, unflinching, poetic, familiar, cloaked, direct, joyful, defiant, mischievous and suspicious...To many readers, these stories of nascent revolution and service will be enlightening, even eye-opening, giving a new view of an organization that was vilified, feared and opposed in history and the press. For others, they are a reminder of a time when black organizers and other people of color declared an unstinting willingness to improve their communities and radically change the trajectory of their people's lives." ?Tina McElroy Ansa, Washington Post "While no doubt rooted in the past, Portraits from an Unfinished Revolution focuses squarely on the present, with portraits and interviews with former members today. While the authors did an excellent job of tracking down higher-ups in the party, the book smartly turns its focus to the 'real heroes,' the group's rank-and-file members, giving us a fuller picture of life as a Black Panther, and the impact those years had on people's lives... A well-rounded primer on the Black Panther Party, then and now, top to bottom."?Mother Jones "A brilliantly conceived volume that offers a refreshing take on a well-trod history too often told from the perspective of its Oakland-based, male leaders and their iconic images. Uniquely, this powerful book is driven by Bryan Shih's recent portraits of local chapter rank-and-file members, whose gripping recollections told in oral histories illuminate the complexity and importance of the BPP's grassroots organizing structure in history and for our own times. This innovative volume boasts a remarkable series of essays by leading scholars on a range of topics including Black Power, women, the rank-and-file, ethnic nationalism, health activism and international outreach as well as a treasure trove of archival images from the Black Panther Newspaper. Together, Bryan Shih and Yohuru Williams demonstrate why the Panthers story-its lessons and failures-even fifty years after its founding, remains key to understanding national and international struggles for freedom and justice today." ?Cheryl Finley, Associate Professor and Director of Visual Studies, Cornell University "An hypnotic reflection pool on the movement, the mythologies, and the women and men who challenged oppression as no other organization made in America ever had before. Brilliant, painful, enlightening, tearful, tragic, sad, and funny, this photo-essay book is at its core about healing, and about the social justice work that still needs to be done in the era of hip-hop, Black Lives Matter, and the historic presidency of Barack Obama."?Kevin Powell, author of The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy's Journey into Manhood "During our moment of Black Lives Matter on the one hand and Trump-enabled open racism and hatred on the other, connecting to the stories of a previous generation of activists feels vital, and in these portraits, quite stunning."?Flavorwire "An eye-opening experience...Reading The Black Panthers has changed a lot for me. The photos, the essays, the information found in this volume have now made my education on the Party paramount. Their movement will now be part of my activism, their fight, which sadly still rages on, is my fight."?Dan Arel, Patheos "Fifty years [since the party's founding], photojournalist Shih and historian Williams observe that the party remains 'one of the most misunderstood organizations of the twentieth century.' To dispel this fog, they met with 45 surviving rank-and-file members, men and women who went on to become teachers, professors, attorneys, elected officials, founders and directors of not-for-profit organizations, and artists. Each is present here in striking photographic portraits and revelatory oral histories...Incisive essays provide a larger historical context." ?Booklist, Starred Review "With a splendid assemblage of pictures and interviews, photographer Shih and historian Williams shine fresh light on the people in and the diverse activities of the Black Panther Party (BPP) on the 50th anniversary of its founding. Shih's photographs of the 45 interviewees have the vibrancy and immediacy of treasured family portraits. The interviewees' compelling recollections are buttressed by succinct but substantive essays...The special virtue of this book is as bottom-up, rather than top-down, history-an illuminating view of the everyday aspects of 'one of the most misunderstood organizations of the 20th century.'"?Publishers Weekly, "Most Anticipated Books for Fall 2016" "This highly recommended compilation of interviews and photographs of the Black Panther Party helps reframe its legacy to include the humanitarian work they performed across the United States. Readers interested in the current Black Lives Matter movement will find resonance in the Panthers' stories."?Library Journal "An intelligent, unapologetic book."?Shelf Awareness "An interesting celebration of a unique era's activism."?Kirkus Reviews

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Book Synopsis The story of the United States military is the story of the country itself. Both have grown and changed over time. Learn about the unique histories, traditions, weapons, leaders, stats, and fun facts of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force, and their roles within the military in this fun and fascinating guide! From the few hundred soldiers in its ranks when it was first established, to the over one million service members today, the U.S. military has grown in power and size over its 250-year history. Its organization and branches have changed to adapt to new technologies and national needs. The Handy Armed Forces Answer Book: Your Guide to the Whats and Whys of the U.S. Military looks at each branch of the U.S. military. It answers more than 500 of the most intriguing questions, including … How is the U.S. military organized? How do the branches work together? When did the Army Air Corps become the U.S. Army Air Force? What is the selection process like for Special Forces? Who was the Continental Army’s first Commander in Chief? How does the military rank structure function? How does somebody become an Air Force officer? What was the “Brown Water Navy”? What is the motto of the Coast Guard? How many bases does the military have? What is the Marine Corps Hymn? Did any Coast Guard vessels serve in combat? What type of aircraft is Air Force One? Who said “Retreat? Hell! We just got here!” Who were the Buffalo Soldiers? What are the Blue Angels? What is the most challenging USAF plane to fly? What is the origin of the Coast Guard “racing stripe”? Does the Space Force have any operational bases? How did a mutiny help establish the United States Naval Academy? What is the longest-serving personal weapon used by the American soldier? What is the difference between a UAV and a drone? What attack submarines does the Navy deploy? Who defends the United States against cyberattacks and other digital threats? The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force are uniquely American, each in their own way. Learn what makes each branch special in The Handy Armed Forces Answer Book! With more than 140 photos and graphics, this fascinating to me is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography and extensive index add to its usefulness.

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Book SynopsisWhile there have been other books about Aldrich Ames, Circle of Treason is the first account written by CIA agents who were key members of the CIA team that conducted the intense "Ames Mole Hunt." Sandra Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille were two of the five principals of the CIA team tasked with hunting one of their own and were directly responsible for identifying Ames as the mole, leading to his arrest and conviction.One of the most destructive traitors in American history, CIA officer Aldrich Ames provided information to the Soviet Union that contributed to the deaths of at least ten Soviet intelligence officers who spied for the United States. In this book, the two CIA officers directly responsible for tracking down Ames chronicle their involvement in the hunt for a mole. Considering it their personal mission, Grimes and Vertefeuille dedicated themselves to identifying the traitor responsible for the execution or imprisonment of the Soviet agents with whom they worked. Their efforts eventually led them to a long-time acquaintance and coworker in the CIA's Soviet-East European division and Counterintelligence Center, Aldrich Ames.Not only is this the first book to be written by the CIA principals involved, but it is also the first to provide details of the operational contact with the agents Ames betrayed. The book covers the political aftermath of Ames's arrest, including the Congressional wrath for not identifying him sooner, the FBI/CIA debriefings following Ames's plea bargain, and a retrospective of Ames the person and Ames the spy. It is also the compelling story of two female agents, who overcame gender barriers and succeeded in bringing Ames to justice in a historically male-oriented organization. Now retired from the CIA, Grimes and Vertefeuille are finally able to tell this inside story of the CIA's most notorious traitor and the men he betrayed.Trade ReviewCircle of Treason is an enormously important account of a complex, often frustrating, case written by those who did much of the work to break it."--Studies in Intelligence "The authors provide intriguing insights into the background and tradecraft of a number of productive operations the CIA ran against the GRU and KGB from the 1960s through the 1980s. They also show how, when operations went wrong or were compromised by traitors, sources paid with their lives. Circle of Treason has the advantage of being written by two intelligence professionals, not by academics or journalists, and thus is an authoritative account of the Soviet sources that were providing the U.S. with invaluable information during the Cold War until Ames betrayed them. Because classified material on operational cases was going to be made public, the CIA took over three years to approve the book's publication. The authors note that 90% of the disputes were resolved in their favor." --The Wall Street Journal "In a brutally frank account of CIA traitor Aldrich Ames's career, Grimes, a 26-year veteran of the CIA's Clandestine Service, and Vertefeuille, a long-time CIA counterintelligence officer, pull back the curtain on the hunt for an American who spent years working for the KGB without being discovered. Espionage buffs will love the details taken from previously classified CIA files, as well as a penetrating view of him as an "All-American boy" and spy. Well-researched and written in a clear, no-frills style, this fascinating Cold War saga will allow any American without a security clearance to better understand how Aldrich Ames could have become one of the most damaging moles in U.S. intelligence history." --Publishers Weekly "What makes this volume interesting is that it was written by longtime CIA insiders, who saw firsthand how the agency's network inside the Soviet Union crumbled. They write authentic sketches of agents working for the CIA who were betrayed by Ames, such as Dmitriy Polyakov, a general in the GRU (Soviet military intelligence), the highest-ranking Soviet official in uniform to spy for the United States during the Cold War, who was arrested and executed after Ames identified him. This book adds an insider perspective to the bookshelf…" --The Washington Post "The Ames story of vast treasonous duplicity may have been often told, but this is an insiders' perspective, with clarifying details and upfront identification of the vicious damages, the sad glories and the assorted 'warts' of the case. It provides an extraordinarily detailed discussion of the agents and their secrets betrayed by Ames, with stunning assessments of the devastating losses for all structural and human components. Having met the criteria and demands of the CIA's Publications and Review Board provides prima facie notice of cooperation, but the depth and intricacy of the revelations simply must be seen in print to be believed. Whatever the rationale for the unabashed candor, there is a truism [that has always been known inside Langley but not always in a Hollywood context], 'you could not make up this stuff.' Indeed Mmes. Grimes and Vertefeuille, did not make it up, but relate it in intimate, excruciating, and spellbinding details, making it all the more extraordinary and worth reading." -- American Ex-Prisoners of War Bulletin "…[A] fine book which is gripping without any pyrotechnics, a story that could not be told except by the women who brought Ames down." -- The Dispatch (Columbus, MS) "Circle of Treason, written by two women CIA employees--Sandra Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille--is an extraordinary tribute to their training, ingenuity, years of service and access to CIA top secret files, Soviet agents collaborating with the CIA, and FBI colleagues. It took them years to uncover the CIA mole in their midst. The book is a tribute to their work." --Betty McIntosh, retired CIA officer and author of Sisterhood of Spies "All in all, Circle of Treason is a disturbing read, but an essential one for anyone interested in the intricate detail work involved in a counterintelligence investigation -- and a tribute to two women who helped push it to a conclusion." -- The Washington Times "This is an important contribution to the field of literature. Although there are a half dozen books dealing with the Aldrich Ames case, they are of very differing quality and none contains all the background information on sources which CIA recruited inside the KGB and GRU that this book contains. Also, this is an 'insider' story. These two women actually participated in the running of some of these operations, watched their sources being arrested and executed by the Soviets, and then spent years of their lives uncovering Ames, the 'mole' who gave it all away. Very engagingly written. For me it was a page-turner!" --RADM Thomas A. Brooks, USN (Ret.), former Director of Naval Intelligence "Only the authors of Circle of Treason could write this fascinating insider account, which not only deals with their tenacious, painstaking pursuit of the CIA's most damaging spy but also reveals the extraordinary efforts the CIA took to ensure the safety of its sources fighting the oppressive Soviet regime. This is essential reading for intelligence professionals and for anyone interested in the day-to-day reality behind Cold War espionage." --Michael Sulick, former Director of CIA's National Clandestine Service "You can now read the insiders' own, long-awaited account of the unmasking and capture of Aldrich Ames, the most notorious and damaging CIA officer to ever work as a KGB mole inside the Agency. This is the team that caught him. This is the story of how they did it. His betrayal greatly damaged U.S. national security, led to the executions of at least 8 courageous Soviet intelligence officers, and roiled the U.S. Intelligence Community for years. No picture of this infamous case is complete without this gripping narrative by the investigators themselves." --Peter Earnest, Executive Director, International Spy Museum "A story that only two CIA mole hunters could tell, Circle of Treason fills the gaps in earlier books, giving readers a vivid, behind-the-scenes account of how America's worst CIA traitor, Aldrich Ames, was unmasked. Sandy Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille put human faces on his many victims, revealing important details about their personal lives, motivations, and the incredible secrets they provided us that cost them imprisonment or their lives. A thoroughly researched and riveting, must read." --Pete Earley, author of Confessions of a Spy: The Real Story of Aldrich Ames "Writing with inside knowledge and access, retired CIA officers Sandy Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille bring clarity and vivid color to the complex and often misunderstood story of the Aldrich Ames spy case. They were involved, supporting CIA's most important cases in the Soviet Union, first witnessing the arrests of valuable agents and then uncovering Ames' treachery with hard work and brilliant insights. Circle of Treason is a page-turner, the real story a thousand times more interesting than spy novels and fictional movies." --Burton Gerber, retired CIA operations officer, co-editor of and contributor to Transforming U.S. Intelligence and Vaults Mirrors and Masks: Rediscovering U.S. Counterintelligence

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Book SynopsisAt the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Mormons were deliberately excluded from one of the main attractions, the Parliament of Religions. Organizers believed that Mormonism, with its connections to polygamy, did not merit a place alongside other world religions being showcased for the similar ways in which they inspired people to follow God. At the same time, however, Americans who had long shown hatred or distrust toward their Mormon neighbors had begun to look at Mormonism in a different light. Underlying this new look at Mormonism was a rapidly developing belief in America's fading western frontier as a place linked to core American values such as self-reliance, personal freedom, and democratic rule. With a unique history intimately tied to the frontier, Mormonism began to be seen less as something outside America, and more as a faith closely associated with the country's most important principles. In Frontier Religion Konden Smith Hansen examines the dramatic influence these perceptions of the frontier had on Mormonism and other religions in America. Endeavoring to better understand the sway of the frontier on religion in the United States, this book follows several Mormon-American conflicts, from the Utah War and the antipolygamy crusades to the Reed Smoot hearings. The story of Mormonism's move toward American acceptability represents a larger story of the nation's transition toward modernity and religious pluralism. This book challenges old assumptions and provokes further study of the ever changing dialectic between society and faith.

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Book SynopsisAward-winning authors Scott L. Mingus Sr. and Eric J. Wittenberg are back with the second and final installment of “If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania”: The Army of Northern Virginia’s and Army of the Potomac’s March to Gettysburg. This compelling and bestselling study is the first to fully integrate the military, political, social, economic, and civilian perspectives with rank-and-file accounts from the soldiers of both armies during the inexorably march north toward their mutual destinies at Gettysburg.Gen. Robert E. Lee’s bold movement north, which began on June 3, shifted the war out of the central counties of the Old Dominion into the Shenandoah Valley, across the Potomac, and beyond. The first installment (June 3-22, 1863) carried the armies through the defining mounted clash at Battle of Brandy Station, after which Lee pushed his corps into the Shenandoah Valley and achieved the magnificent victory at Second Winchester on his way to the Potomac. Caught flat-footed, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker used his cavalry to probe the mountain gaps, triggering a series of consequential mounted actions. The current volume (June 23-30) completes the march to Gettysburg and details the actions and whereabout of each component of the armies up to the eve of the fighting.The large-scale maneuvering in late June prompted General Hooker to move his Army of the Potomac north after his opponent and eventually above the Potomac, where he loses his command to the surprised Maj. Gen. George G. Meade. Jeb Stuart begins his controversial and consequential ride that strips away the eyes and ears of the Virginia army. Throughout northern Virginia, central Maryland, and south-central Pennsylvania, civilians and soldiers alike struggle with the reality of a mobile campaign and the massive logistical needs of the armies.Untold numbers of reports, editorials, news articles, letters, and diaries describe the passage of the long martial columns, the thunderous galloping of hooves, and the looting, fighting, suffering, and dying. Mingus and Wittenberg mined hundreds of primary accounts, newspapers, and other sources to produce this powerful and gripping saga. As careful readers will quickly discern, other studies of the runup to Gettysburg gloss over most of this material. It is simply impossible to fully grasp and understand the campaign without a firm appreciation of what the armies and the civilians did during the days leading up to the fateful meeting at the small crossroads town in Adams County, Pennsylvania.

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Book SynopsisBetween the 1880s and 1920s, a broad coalition of American dissidents, which included rabble-rousing cartoonists, civil liberties lawyers, socialist detectives, union organizers, and revolutionary martyrs, forged a culture of popular radicalism that directly challenged an emergent corporate capitalism. Monopoly capitalists and their allies in government responded by expanding conspiracy laws and promoting conspiracy theories in an effort to destroy this anti-capitalist movement. The result was an escalating class conflict in which each side came to view the other as a criminal conspiracy.In this detailed cultural history, Michael Mark Cohen argues that a legal, ideological, and representational politics of conspiracy contributed to the formation of a genuinely revolutionary mass culture in the United States, starting with the 1886 Haymarket bombing. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources, The Conspiracy of Capital offers a new history of American radicalism and the alliance between the modern business corporation and national security state through a comprehensive reassessment of the role of conspiracy laws and conspiracy theories in American social movements.

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Book SynopsisIn October 1785, American statesman John Jay acknowledged that the more his countrymen ""are treated ill abroad, the more we shall unite and consolidate at home."" Behind this simple statement lies a complicated history. From the British impressment of patriots during the Revolution to the capture of American sailors by Algerian corsairs and Barbary pirates at the dawn of the nineteenth century, stories of Americans imprisoned abroad helped jumpstart democratic debate as citizens acted on their newly unified identity to demand that their government strengthen efforts to free their fellow Americans. Deliberations about the country's vulnerabilities in the Atlantic world reveal America's commitment to protecting the legacy of the Revolution as well as growing political divisions.Drawing on newspaper accounts, prisoner narratives, and government records, David J. Dzurec III explores how stories of American captivity in North America, Europe, and Africa played a critical role in the development of American political culture, adding a new layer to our understanding of foreign relations and domestic politics in the early American republic.

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Book SynopsisDwight D. Eisenhower is one of America’s greatest and least appreciated presidents. Behind the demeanour that made Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower so popular was a cold-as-steel intelligence that kept his country prosperous and out of danger. Because his operating methods were so deeply hidden, it is only in the past few decades that historians have grasped the full extent of his achievements.Ike in Love and War shows the hidden sacrifices that made Eisenhower remarkable. It probes the mission that was driving him: the quest to reconcile his skill as a fighter with his mother’s pacifism, which led him to become the greatest peacekeeper of his age. More than other biographies, this one explores the man’s emotions. It puts the long-standing dispute about his romance with Kay Summersby in a new perspective: tragedy. Here is the story of a unique American, the passion and brilliance he kept concealed, the ambition that propelled him, the sacrifices that wore down his health, and the sheer self-mastery that made it all look easy. It never was. His achievements are timely as Americans face unprecedented dangers. This is the story of the world Ike made, the things he achieved, and the surprises that may still be in store for us as we strive to understand his life in full.Trade Review“Richard Striner’s new book on Dwight Eisenhower presents a groundbreaking look into this genuinely great American leader’s sense of self and how and why he is such a defining historical figure. Striner pursues the depths of how Ike accomplished so much for America and the world - much of it unrecognized at the time. Who was this soldier-statesman and who and what shaped and motivated him? These questions and more are answered in this superbly engaging book of great consequence. A book that is especially relevant in our dangerously complicated and volatile world of today. Eisenhower’s quiet insightful and courageous leadership is the hallmark of leadership …..all leadership.” -- Chuck Hagel, Vietnam Veteran, Former U.S. Senator and Former Secretary of Defense“Richard Striner is an unapologetic admirer of the man humbly reared in Abilene, Kansas, and who rose to become the most important wartime commander in American history. Eisenhower served two terms as president at the height of the Cold War and was, Striner concludes, ‘a masterful president.’ Striner’s rigorous research and lively writing produce a compelling case for Ike’s leadership, in a book that itself is ‘masterful.’” -- David A. Nichols, author of A Matter of Justice: Eisenhower and the Civil Rights Revolution, Eisenhower 1956: The President’s Year of Crisis, and Ike and McCarthy: Dwight Ei"Richard Striner's new biographical study, Ike in Love and War, breaks new ground in depicting Dwight D. Eisenhower as the tragic hero of America's modern democracy. Deeply researched and accessible, as well as provocative, it fits old facts into new perspectives and, most useful of all, broadens our understanding of the shrewd, complex, principled, often-misunderstood man who was the preeminent soldier-statesman of our times." -- Philip Terzian, author of Architects of Power: Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and the American Century

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Book SynopsisIn 1947, James Hickman shot and killed the landlord he believed was responsible for a tragic fire that took the lives of four of his children on Chicago 's West Side. But a vibrant defense campaign, exposing the working poverty and racism that led to his crime, helped win Hickman 's freedom. With a true-crime writer 's eye for suspense and a historian 's depth of knowledge, Joe Allen unearths the compelling story of a campaign that stood up to Jim Crow well before the modern civil rights movement had even begun. As deteriorating housing conditions and an accelerating foreclosure crisis combine to form a hauntingly similar set of circumstances to those that led to the Hickman case, Allen 's book restores to prominence a previously unknown story with profound relevance today.Trade Review"What I appreciate about Joe Allen's work is that he demonstrates as a historian…the power of information—meticulous, distilled, coherent, principled.” —John Pilger, author of Freedom Next Time "In a remarkable feat of historical excavation and taut storytelling, Joe Allen tells the incredible story of James Hickman, an African-American man who struck back after a black Chicago slumlord and arsonist decimated his family and nearly destroyed his life. A stark look into a past of big city racism and poverty that we shouldn't forget—and an important contribution to the history of social justice in America.” —Alex Heard, author of The Eyes of Willie McGee "James Hickman was one of the hundreds of thousands of black Mississippians to move to Chicago in the 1940s. The nightmarish tragedy that befell the Hickman family there, as well as the actions of the dedicated activists who fought to save Hickman's life by revealing the institutional foundations of that tragedy, are vividly depicted in Joe Allen's important and moving history. Hickman's story illustrates the toxic nature of racial segregation and economic exploitation. The outraged community that united to support Hickman is a refreshing reminder of people's power to organize for change.” —Beryl Satter, author of Family Properties: Race, Real Estate, and the Exploitation of Black Urban America "[A] remarkable book... Allen tells the story in admirably straightforward fashion...[painting] a horrific portrait of the inhumane conditions in which blacks were forced to live in the post WWII Chicago." –Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune "People Wasn't Made to Burn presents the 1947 Hickman trial in Chicago and its revelations as a metaphor for racial prejudice and its effects on the lives of ordinary people. The book's story tells of James Hickman's frustration over his inability to get justice in the arson death of his four children, his subsequent killing of the landlord who was deliberately responsible for the fire, and the efforts of the heroic and conscience-arousing Hickman Defense Committee that enabled him to walk out of court a free man.” —Kenan Heise, author of Chicago Afternoons With Leon

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Book SynopsisThe tension between openness and transparency with the need to keep information secure and out of the hands of an enemy has been at the heart of some of the most riveting episodes in American history. This title provides primary documentation on the secrets, leaks, and scandals throughout all of America's history.

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Book SynopsisThere have been many things written about Canada's violent siege of Kanehsatà:ke and Kahnawà:ke in the summer of 1990, butWhen the Pine Needles Fall: Indigenous Acts of Resistanceis the first book from the perspective of Katsi'tsakwas Ellen Gabriel, who was the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) spokesperson during the siege.

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed book by Jonathan Mayo, now available in paperback"Reads like a pacey, page-turning, cold war political thriller." Dermot O'Leary This is the story of JFK's assassination as told from the frontline: it is about the people - from the highest to the lowest - who were caught up in that four-day whirlwind in November 1963.From Dallas nightclub reporter Tony Zoppi, who found himself carrying the president's casket; Secret Service agent Clint Hill beating his hands in despair on the trunk of the limousine as he watches Kennedy die; Howard Brennan, a construction worker on a lunch break watching a man take aim on the motorcade with a rifle; reporter Hugh Aynesworth with only an electricity bill on which to write notes for the scoop of his career; DJ John Peel a few feet from Oswald as he's questioned by the press; to Robert Kennedy sitting in the dark in the back of an empty army truck, waiting for his brother's body to arrive.The Assassination of JFK: Minute by Minute is pure chronological narrative, giving a blow by blow account of the terrible events as they unfolded."Packed with vivid detail, and arranged in the minute by minute style that Jonathan Mayo has pioneered, this account of the murder of John F Kennedy gripped me from the first page to the last." Jeremy VineTrade ReviewPacked with vivid detail, and arranged in the minute by minute style that Jonathan Mayo has pioneered on the radio, this account of the murder of John F Kennedy gripped me from the first page to the last. * Jeremy Vine *Reads like a pacey, page-turning, cold war political thriller. * Dermot O'Leary *Packed with vivid detail, and arranged in the minute by minute style that Jonathan Mayo has pioneered on the radio, this account of the murder of John F Kennedy gripped me from the first page to the last.Reads like a pacey, page-turning, cold war political thriller.

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Book SynopsisIn late May 1918 in Valdosta, Georgia, ten black men and one black woman, Mary Turner, eight months pregnant at the time, were lynched and tortured by mobs of white citizens. Through hauntingly detailed full-color artwork and collage, Elegy for Mary Turner names those who were killed, identifies the killers, and evokes a landscape in which the NAACP investigated the crimes when the state would not, when white citizens baked pies and flocked to see black corpses, and when black people fought to make their lives-and their mourning-matter. With introductions from C. Tyrone Forehand, great grand-nephew of Mary and Hayes Turner, whose family has long campaigned for the deaths to be remembered; abolitionist activist and educator Mariame Kaba, reflecting on the violence visited on black women's bodies; and historian Julie Buckner Armstrong, who opens a window onto the broader scale of lynching's terror in American history.Trade ReviewIn this particular historical moment when young Black people are engaged in a renewed struggle against state violence, Mary Turner's story resonates. She insists that we #SayHerName too. -- Mariame Kaba, founder and director of Project NIA, from the prefaceHarrowing. ... This succinct work confronts readers with atrocity, in a necessary tribute. * Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) *[Elegy for Mary Turner] retells the story [of Mary Turner's murder] in a manner at once unflinching, and, at turns, delicate. The delicacy is owed to Williams' rendering. -- Rosalind Bentley * Atlanta Journal-Constitution *Essential ... Williams doesn't just deplore unspeakable evil or try to argue with it. She confronts it in its own realm - the realm of art. -- Etelka Lehoczky * NPR Books *Elegy for Mary Turner brings America's brutal history of 20th century lynching alive through Mary Turner. -- Bill Berkowitz * BuzzFlash *

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