History of the Americas Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow can the West rediscover its authentic spirit? Exploring the period from 1899 to 1945 – from the end of the US frontier and the writing of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to the conclusion of World War II and the dropping of the atom bomb – Luigi Morelli traces the events that led the United States to become the world’s dominating imperial force. America, he demonstrates, is deeply connected to Britain, Germany and Eastern Europe, particularly Russia. Yet despite their tragic collective histories, there is hope for the future – if only America can claim its true task. --- Searching for the Spirit of the West challenges many of the falsehoods that pass for mainstream history. Utilizing a wealth of documented evidence from the research of overlooked historians, economists, social and spiritual thinkers, the author takes a symptomatic view of the past, revealing hidden, longer-term trends. This approach offers a new understanding of events such as the rise of Nazism, the Great Depression, the new Deal, and even the roles of banking and clandestine ‘brotherhoods’ in world history. Morelli also appraises The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in parallel with America’s cultural achievements. Through imagination, L. Frank Baum’s contemporary fairy-tale enables us to intuit the true mission of the West and its potential contribution to world culture, now and in the future.Table of ContentsIntroduction – Chapter 1: America at the End of the Frontier – Chapter 2: America 1900 to 1914 – Chapter 3: World War I and Building Up Communism: 1914–1933 – Chapter 4: The Year 1933: The Legacy of the Past – Chapter 5: 1933: America’s New Image – The year 1933 in the Soviet Union and in Germany – Chapter 6: The Spiritual Scientific Significance of the Year 1933 – Interlude: From East to West; the Life of Frank Baum – Chapter 7: Building Up Nazi Germany – Chapter 8: World War II and the Atomic Bomb – Chapter 9: America and the Transformation of the Will – Conclusions: Looking at the Future – Appendix 1: Karl Marx’s Early Soul Trials – Appendix 2: Montagu Norman – Bibliography

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisCollection, colonialism, translation, and the ephemera that shapes the stories we tell about ourselves.Featuring new original works by: Yásnaya Elena Aguilar, Cristina Rivera Garza, Joseph Zárate, Juan Cárdenas, Velia Vidal, Lina Meruane, Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, Dolores Reyes, Carlos Fonseca, Djamila RibeiroThe Central and South American collection at the British Museum collections contains approximately 62,000 objects, spanning 10,000 years of human history. The vast majority cannot be displayed, and those objects are the subject of Untold Microcosms , a collection of ten stories from ten Latin American writers, and inspired by the narratives about our past that we create through museums, in spite of their gaps and disarticulations.Trade Review

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book tells the fascinating story of Montréal, Canada, from prehistoric time through the 21st century. From the Iroquoian community of Hochelaga to the bustling economic metropolis that Montréal has become, this account describes the social, economic, political, and cultural forces and trends that have driven the city’s development, shedding light on the city's French, British, and American influences. Outlining Montréal 's diverse ethnic and cultural origins and its strategic geographical position, this lively account shows how a small missionary colony founded in 1642 developed into a leading economic city and cultural centre, the thriving cosmopolitan hub of French-speaking North America.Trade Review“Linteau has succeeded in producing a short, punchy, popular history of Montreal.” —Paul Gessell, Quill & Quire

Read more less

Book SynopsisAll Join Hands is the story of what happened when a ten-thousand-year-old musical tradition wasput into the hands of a seventeen-year-old Boston boy in 1947. While in high school, DudleyLaufman apprenticed with fiddlers and callers throughout New England. Eventually, he squiredthe old country dance traditions through to their revival in the 1960s at the Newport FolkFestival, the Club 47, and Robert J. Lurtsema's Morning Pro Musica broadcasts. Decades ofperformances in famous venues and small villages led to his receiving the National HeritageFellowship Award in 2009. As Tom Rush, iconic singer/songwriter says, Tom Curren has done a brilliant job here,weaving an engaging narrative of how Dudley Laufman coordinated and energized the amazingresurgence of an ancient art formthe contradance/square dancein New England andbeyond. All Join Hands calls for a new quickening of spirit, nurtured and energized by thetraditional arts of New England.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn award-winning historian on the transformative year in the sixties that continues to reverberate in our lives and politics—for readers of Heather Cox Richardson.If 1968 marked a turning point in a pivotal decade, 1964—or rather, the long 1964, from JFK’s assassination in November 1963 to mid-1965—was the time when the sixties truly arrived. It was then that the United States began a radical shift toward a much more inclusive definition of “American,” with a greater degree of equality and a government actively involved in social and economic improvement.It was a radical shift accompanied by a cultural revolution. The same month Bob Dylan released his iconic ballad “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” January 1964, President Lyndon Johnson announced his War on Poverty. Spurred by the civil rights movement and a generation pushing for change, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Immigration and Nationality Act were passed during this period. This was a time of competing definitions of freedom. Freedom from racism, freedom from poverty. White youth sought freedoms they associated with black culture, captured imperfectly in the phrase “sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll.” Along with freedom from racist oppression, black Americans sought the opportunities associated with the white middle class: “white freedom.” Women challenged rigid gender roles. And in response to these freedoms, the changing mores, and youth culture, the contrary impulse found political expression in such figures as Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan, proponents of what was presented as freedom from government interference. Meanwhile, a nonevent in the Tonkin Gulf would accelerate the nation's plunge into the Vietnam tragedy.In narrating 1964’s moment of reckoning, when American identity began to be reimagined, McElvaine ties those past battles to their legacy today. Throughout, he captures the changing consciousness of the period through its vibrant music, film, literature, and personalities.Trade ReviewMississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Nonfiction Book of the Year“Illuminating, provocative, and entertaining . . . The book shines when serving as a reminder of why the public remains infatuated with the decade. The 1960s, McElvaine explains, ‘still define the political, social, cultural, and economic battle lines along which Americans contend today.’”—Washington Post“The Times They Were a-Changin’ is a riveting book on the progressive advances that were achieved in 'the Long 1964.' McElvaine presents vivid details and unapologetic truths that can help to thwart rightwing radicals’ plans to annihilate the progress we have made toward equality. This eye-opening book makes clear the reasons society must study past mistakes to prevent them from reoccurring.”—Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman, House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on U.S. Capitol "In a lively, lucid, and fast-paced narrative, Robert McElvaine summons the past to illuminate today’s existential threats to democracy--and the resources that might help us surmount them. In the hands of this gifted storyteller, 1964 becomes a prism through which to see the present with fresh eyes, just in time to save the future."—Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America “Sparkling with insights on every page, Robert McElvaine’s take on 1964 reminds us vividly of the days when the sixties were young and hopeful and liberation was something new and exciting. A brilliant reminder of how the pursuit of freedom by Americans of every kind gave us the world we still live in today.”—Thomas Frank, New York Times bestselling author of What’s the Matter with Kansas? “Reading The Times They Were a-Changin’ provides a fascinating look at the greater tides of American culture and sentiment in the last 60 years that gives clarity about our current moment.”—Liz Phair, singer, songwriter & author “1964 was a seminal year in modern American history, across culture and politics. In The Times They Were A-Changin', Bob McElvaine skillfully and compellingly tells the story, weaving into it important links to and observations on American history past and present. Let's hope the future represents the best and not the worst of that year's events and trends!”—Norman Ornstein, Emeritus Scholar, American Enterprise Institute“A richly researched, fast-paced historical reminder of the pivotal year of 1964.”—James T. Patterson, Ford Foundation Professor of History, Brown University, Bancroft Prize-winning author of Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945–1974“Here is the book you must read to understand how the United States changed in the 1960s. In this beautifully written book, McElvaine combines political and cultural history with the skills of a master craftsman. There are fresh insights on nearly every page.”—Lloyd C. Gardner, Charles & Mary Beard Professor of History Emeritus, Rutgers University, author of Pay Any Price: Lyndon Johnson and the Wars for Vietnam “The Times They Were a-Changin’ is a fascinating, highly readable reminder of that crucial period in the 1960s when American history permanently changed course.”—Clayborne Carson, Martin Luther King Jr. Centennial Professor of History Emeritus, Stanford University and author of In Struggle: SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s “Robert McElvaine’s vivid new book takes us into the heart of the ’60s, to a year dominated by questions of freedom and justice, equality, and opportunity. The Times They Were a-Changin’ is a compelling, enlightening, sometimes heartbreaking reminder of what once was, what might have been, and what still could be, if only we’re willing to demand the best of our nation and ourselves.”—Kevin Boyle, William Smith Mason Professor of American History, Northwestern University, and award-winning author of The Shattering: America in the 1960s “The Times They Were A-Changin’ is a rich and revealing work of narrative history that takes a close look at pivotal cultural, political, and social movements that continue to have an impact today. Robert McElvaine carefully weaves together historic events and popular culture to tell a story not only about the beginning of ‘the sixties' but also the way that 1964 disrupted the strict conformity of the 1950s. This is a book not so much about the way we lived then as it is one that explains a great deal about the way we live now.”—W. Ralph Eubanks, author of A Place Like Mississippi and former director of publishing, Library of Congress “With the consummate skill of a remarkably mature historian, Robert McElvaine looks at the year 1964, making the powerful case of just how crucial that year was for creating the period we call The Sixties and for creating issues that have passed down to the present moment. McElvaine skillfully maneuvers between politics and popular culture, social movements and artistic trends, foreign policy and changing personal habits, sketches of individuals and sweeping historical panoramas. This book is just great!”—Alexander Bloom, author of Takin’ It to the Streets: A Sixties Reader and Long Time Gone: Sixties America Then and Now “A highly original and deeply insightful analysis of events from 1964 and their direct connections to the present day's brutal political divisions. McElvaine's masterful, highly readable (and frequently humorous) interpretation of events solidly makes the connections between then and now. The Times They Were A-Changin' is a powerful reminder of the fragility of progress and the ever-present need to remain actively vigilant against primitive retrograde attempts to dehumanize those considered different.”—Lewis Perdue, author of Daughter of God "McElvaine’s book will be enjoyable for readers who like popular history, and particularly for Baby Boomers feeling wistful about the past."—Library Journal "McElvaine restores America's vision as if an opthalmologist."—Clarion-Ledger

Read more less

Book SynopsisRiots and revolutions. Relationships and rivalries. Freedom and enslavement.The generation of Philadelphians prior to the American Revolution propelled the meteoric rise of the city into the thriving cultural heart of Colonial America. This is the dramatic story of Philadelphia's ascension over the course of the final decades of colonial America, detailing along the way the lives of the people molding the city in their image. You will travel into the heady salon of Elizabeth Graeme. Be there with David Rittenhouse in his observatory tracking the transit of Venus. Experience the rise and fall of the friendship of John Morgan and William Shippen. Follow Anthony Benezet's crusade against slavery. And witness the transformation of Philadelphia as its citizens gain their political voices to declare their independence.Raising Philadelphia takes the reader through this critical moment in American history to bring to life the vibrancy of Philadelphia as it rose up to become America's first gre

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn “engagingly written” (The Wall Street Journal) account of the “Punitive Expedition” of 1916 that brought Pancho Villa and Gen. John J. Pershing into conflict, and whose reverberations continue in the Southwestern US to this day.Jeff Guinn, chronicler of the Southwestern US and of American undesirables (Bonnie and Clyde, Charles Manson, and Jim Jones) tells the “riveting and supremely entertaining narrative” (S.C. Gwynne, New York Times bestselling author of Empire of the Summer Moon) of Pancho Villa’s bloody raid on a small US border town that sparked a violent conflict with the US. The “Punitive Expedition” was launched in retaliation under Pershing’s command and brought together the Army, National Guard, and the Texas Rangers—who were little more than organized vigilantes with a profound dislike of Mexicans on both sides of the border. Opposing this motley military brigade was Villa, a guerrilla fighter who commanded an ever-changing force of conscripts in northern Mexico. The American expedition was the last action by the legendary African American “Buffalo Soldiers.” It was also the first time the Army used automobiles and trucks, which were of limited value in Mexico, a country with no paved roads or gas stations. Curtiss Jenny airplanes did reconnaissance, another first. One era of warfare was coming to a close as another was beginning. But despite some bloody encounters, the Punitive Expedition eventually withdrew without capturing Villa. Today Anglos and Latinos in Columbus, New Mexico, where Villa’s raid took place, commemorate those events, but with differing emotions. And although the bloodshed has ended, the US-Mexico border remains as vexed and volatile an issue as ever.Trade Review"The Mexican borderlands in the early 20th century are a history buff’s dream: violent, romantic, epic in scale, a little bit crazy, and featuring an astounding cast of larger-than-life historical characters. Out of this striking raw material Jeff Guinn has fashioned a riveting and supremely entertaining narrative. I highly recommend it.” -- S. C. Gwynne, author of New York Times bestsellers Empire of the Summer Moon and Rebel Yell"Engagingly written. . . . Mr. Guinn’s deft writing makes War on the Border an enjoyable primer on Mexican-American relations in the latter years of the 19th-century and during the Mexican Revolution, as well as an adequate introduction to Mexican political intrigues of the time." -- Peter Cozzens * The Wall Street Journal *"A tightly focused history of the relations between the U.S. and Mexico in the early 20th century . . . A riveting account of a dynamic period featuring larger-than-life characters and plenty of drama and suspense." * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *"A lively, intricate narrative of America’s early-twentieth-century conflicts with Mexico, including the nearly year-long Punitive Expedition. . . . A rich examination of a thorny clash within the Mexican government and a quietly damning indictment of American foreign policy at a time when the U.S. expected Mexico to capitulate to every demand." -- Chris Vognar * Texas Monthly *"General 'Black Jack' Pershing’s 1916 pursuit of Pancho Villa into Mexico has, unfortunately, long occupied a dusty and overlooked corner of history. Let us now give thanks that Jeff Guinn has written a stirring book that promises to be the classic treatment of this hair-raising time and place. This is a terrific tale of valorous advances and feckless blunders, of brilliant commanders and greedy knaves, and every page crackles with high adventure." -- Doug J. Swanson, author of Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers"Jeff Guinn has focused on a memorable period of border history -- the decade (1910-1920) of the Mexican Revolution. A gifted writer, Guinn is able to explain a complex situation peopled with larger-than-life figures." -- Charles H. Harris III, coauthor of The Texas Rangers in Transition: From Gunfighters to Criminal Investigators, 1921–1935"Guinn brings the U.S.-Mexico conflicts of the early 20th century to vibrant life in this superior history. . . . A riveting introduction to a lesser-known chapter in American history." * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *"Guinn gives us a riveting account of one of the most dynamic periods in U.S.-Mexican relations. His captivating narrative is a result of his strong source materials and nuanced storytelling. This is a great read for both the academic and non-academic audiences alike." -- Miguel A. Levario, author of Militarizing the Border: When Mexicans Became the Enemy

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen people think of Kentucky, three things usually come to mind: bourbon, Colonel Sanders''s secret chicken recipe, and the glamorous Kentucky Derby. Add college basketball to that list, and you have yourself a superfecta. Looking beyond these time-honored traditions, however, visitors will find in Kentucky a diverse patchwork of faces and places, each as unique as the state''s geography. Kentucky, Y''all: A Celebration of the People and Culture of the Bluegrass State is an entertaining and informative compilation of the state''s favorite oddities, cultural quirks, traditions, and rites of passage. Authors and proud Kentuckians Blair Thomas Hess and Cameron M. Ludwick share the best stories from their experiences as writers, travelers, and residents in this ode to the Commonwealth. From the iconic to the obscure, the book reveals vital knowledge that every Kentuckianwhether by birth, residence, or simply in mind and heartshould know. What is beer cheese? Who was Bill Monroe? Where can

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book, originally published in 1930, is a facsimile edition of the first monograph devoted to the great Mexican illustrator and engraver Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913). It reproduces more than 400 prints from Posada s vast production, collected by Pablo O Higgins from those that could be located and identified at the time. The images of these high-spirited, at times macabre, broadsheets include the famous calaveras, or skeleton caricatures, along with illustrations for songs, corridos (traditional ballads), and religious prayers. With their striking visual qualities, they enriched the tradition of the popular Mexican print. In addition to the images, the book includes an introduction by Frances Toor, the legendary editor of the magazine Mexican Folkways, and an essay by Diego Rivera on Posada. 406 engravings

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Bridge-Builders is a short story written by way of Rudyard Kipling, the renowned British author. The narrative is about in British-ruled India and centers across the construction of a railway bridge. The tale revolves across the characters Strickland, a British engineer, and his Indian counterpart, Riviere. As they work together on constructing the bridge, the tale explores the complexities of British colonialism in India. Kipling delves into subject matters of cultural conflict, mutual recognize, and cooperation between the British and the local population. The Bridge-Builders offers a poignant portrayal of the demanding situations and hardships faced by way of the laborers, a lot of whom are local Indians, in constructing the bridge. It highlights the inherent tensions among the colonial rulers and the colonized as they attempt to work collectively to obtain a common aim. Kipling's narrative skillfully captures the intricate web of relationships, hierarchies, and cultural dynamics at play within the British Raj. The tale no longer most effective serves as an exploration of colonial India but additionally as a reflection at the broader troubles of imperialism, colonialism, and the ethics of building bridgesboth literal and metaphorical. The Bridge-Builders is a thought-frightening paintings that exemplifies Kipling's knack for depicting the complexities of colonialism and the interaction between cultures, all inside the context of an apparently simple undertakingbuilding a bridge.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn eye-opening account of the Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902, showing how the strike—and the violent backlash that ensued—reveal the genesis of modern policing.In the early years of the twentieth century, in the coalfields of eastern Pennsylvania, nearly 150,000 miners took part in one of the most critical events in the history of US labor organizing. The brutal response by the state of Pennsylvania—as well as the federal government—inaugurated the structure and power of policing that we know today.In this gripping account of the Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902, scholar and activist David Correia takes readers through the story of the United Mine Workers of America, their struggle against systems of private policing—which were present in practically every industry in the US—and the development of public, professionalized, state-sanctioned, and state-serving police.The demands of their strike included shorter work days, higher wages, and safer conditions in the deadly mines. However, their labor was crucial to westward expansion, colonial occupations in the Caribbean and the Philippines, and many burgeoning industries in the US. To keep the fires of capitalism burning, industrialists prodded state and federal governments to intervene. Together, they established the first uniformed police force of its kind—a model soon emulated in other states.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisCatherine Julien''s new translation of Titu Cusi Yupanqui''s Relasçion de como los Españoles Entraron en el Peru--an account of the Spanish conquest of Peru by the last indigenous ruler of the Inca empire--features student-oriented annotation, facing-page Spanish, and an Introduction that sets this remarkably rich source in its cultural, historical, and literary contexts.Trade ReviewCatherine Julien's translation is remarkable for two reasons. Aside from its dual language presentation, it is one of a handful of historical narratives authored by native Andeans during the Spanish colonial period, and is a faithful translation of Titu Cusi Yupanqui's sixteenth-century history. . . . This invaluable source book features extensive annotations, facing page Spanish-English text, and an important introduction that explains the historical perspectives revolving around Titu Cusi's History. This work is highly recommended for classroom use. --Colonial Latin American Historical ReviewTitu Cusi Yupanqui's History of How the Spaniards Arrived in Peru offers a unique 'vision of the vanquished' that is not only the only story of the fall of the Inca state written by an Inca; it is also a son's effort to explain his father's defeat. For Titu Cusi was the son of Manco Inca, who welcomed the Spaniards into the Andes in exchange for their support in his claim to become the ruler of the Inca state following the deaths of his two brothers, Huascar and Atahuallpa, in the civil war that they fought with each other over the right to assume the royal fringe, or maska paycha, reserved for the ruling Inca. Catherine Julien's extensive research in Inca history and archaeology makes her uniquely qualified to offer us this dual-language edition of Titu Cusi's version of how the Incas lost Peru to a small gang of invaders from across the sea. --Karen Spalding, University of ConnecticutCatherine Julien's introduction provides an excellent and comprehensive overview of the intricate historical circumstances that led to the creation of this text, including Titu Cusi's attempts to negotiate an arrangement with the Spanish authorities that would be advantageous to himself and his kinship group. Julien also offers an important perspective on the historical significance of Titu Cusi's narrative for the historiography of sixteenth-century Peru. . . . The Spanish transcription and the annotated English translation appear on facing pages, which facilitates a critical reading and reflection on the hermeneutical issues presented by both texts in translating Quechua concepts and grammatical structures. While the Spanish transcription follows eh sixteenth-century manuscript very closely (supplying only modern punctuation), the translation, though very accurate, places a premium on readability. Scholarly impeccable as well as palatable to the modern reader, this duel language edition makes an important contribution to critical and textual scholarship on Titu Cusi's text that will be invaluable for researchers, teachers and students of colonial Andean culture. --Ralph Bauer, Bulletin of Spanish Studies

Read more less

Book SynopsisDavid Frye''s skillful translation and abridgment of Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala''s monumental First New Chronicle and Good Government (composed between 1600-1616) offers an unprecedented glimpse into pre-colonial Inca society and culture, the Spanish conquest of Peru (1532-1572), and life under the corrupt Spanish colonial administration. An Introduction provides essential historical and cultural background and discusses the author''s literary and linguistic innovations. Maps, a glossary of terms, and seventy-five of Guaman Poma''s ink drawings are also included.Trade ReviewDavid Frye achieves a tour de force in rendering the chronicle comprehensible to a large audience without diminishing its richness as an historical source. The different sections of this book respect the chronicle's original composition and translate Guaman Poma's main argument with accuracy. . . . Frye's translation . . . offers a vivid portrayal of Peru's colonial society with its different strata, revealing the intricate nature of indigeneity and gender in the Andes following the Spanish conquest. . . . [T]he English text is fluid throughout. This fluidity, however, neither stifles Guaman Poma's voice nor tones down his zeal in condemning the brutality and inequity of the colonial system. Frye's achievement undoubtedly leans on his comprehension of the literary and historical context that surrounds the mestizo author, a context he summarizes in the introduction. Punctuated by knowledgeable annotations throughout the pages and complemented by a glossary of Pre-Hispanic and colonial terms, this translation proves to be a valuable contribution for introducing students to the Andean society of the colonial era. --Bulletin of Latin American ResearchDavid Frye is a professional anthropologist and skilled translator. [This book] includes an Introduction which provides most of the information needed to understand Guaman Poma de Ayala's text and Frye's translation thereof, a map, a glossary, an index, and generally helpful notes that demonstrate a solid command of the relevant primary and secondary literature. The sections of the lengthy manuscript . . . selected for translation are representative of the work as a whole. . . . Frye also includes some of Guaman Poma de Ayala's several hundred black-and-white drawings, which should be viewed as an integral, not merely supplementary, part of his work. . . . [T]his is a welcome translation, all the more so because it is well done. . . . Frye has been painstaking in his explanation of terminology. I recommend this work for courses on Latin America during the colonial period, or more specifically the Central Andes (i.e., Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia). --Hispanic American Historical ReviewGenerations of scholars have grappled with the challenge of interpreting the person and project of the native Andean chronicler Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala. This abridged English translation of Guaman Poma's Nueva corónica y buen gobierno represents at least two accomplishments. First, it brings this person and project to many readers for the first time. And, second, the words allow for new encounters with the possibilities in this text. These words have a piercing directness that cannot be denied, and they will jar even seasoned scholars, who thought they knew Guaman Poma. Frye has made judicious choices about inclusion, he has consulted widely, he has not shied away from the transformations that were part of being authentically native Andean in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, and he has wisely refused to fill the telling silences left by the author himself. Most significantly of all, for students and teachers, is that--in as much as it is possible--he has allowed Felipe Guaman Poma to speak for himself. --Kenneth Mills, University of TorontoTable of ContentsIntroduction; The First New Chronicle and Good Government; The Ages of the World; The Pontiff's Throne; The Ages of the Indians; The Fifth Age of Indians: The Incas; The Conquest of This Kingdom; Good Government; Conquest Society in the Andes; Andean Society Under Spanish Rule; Conclusions and Appendices; Glossary; Index.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Instant New York Times Bestseller now available in paperback!A fast-paced, rollicking, behind-the-scenes account of how the GOP since the 1950s has encouraged and exploited extremism, bigotry, and paranoia to gain power, American Psychosis offers readers a brisk, can-you-believe-it journey through the netherworld of far-right irrationality and the Republican Party's interactions with the darkest forces in America. In a compelling and thoroughly-researched narrative, Corn reveals the hidden history of how the Party of Lincoln forged alliances with extremists, kooks, racists, and conspiracy-mongers and fostered fear, anger, and resentment to win elections-and how this led to Donald Trump's triumph and the transformation of the GOP into a Trump personality cult that foments and bolsters the crazy and dangerous excesses of the right.The Trump-incited insurrectionist attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was no aberration. American Psychosis shows it was a continuation of the long and deep-rooted Republican practice of boosting and weaponizing the rage and derangement of the right.The gripping tale in American Psychosis covers the last seven decades. From McCarthyism to the John Birch Society to segregationists to the New Right to the religious right to Rush Limbaugh to Newt Gingrich to the militia movement to Fox News to Sarah Palin to the Tea Party to Trumpism, the Republican Party has deliberately nurtured and exploited right-wing fear and loathing fuelled by paranoia, grievance, and tribalism. This powerful and important account explains how one political party has harnessed the worst elements in politics to poison the nation's discourse and threaten American democracy."[Corn is] a great journalist. I love the way he thinks. I love the way he writes. I'm so glad he's done a super-readable, modern history of the right...We just need smart, digestible history about this stuff right now...[American Psychosis] is perfectly timed...Relevant history for where we are right now." -Rachel Maddow, host, The Rachel Maddow Show"With American Psychosis, David Corn 'did the full homework to take us all the way back to where it really begins.'" -Lawrence O'Donnell, host, The Last Word

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe greatest ideologically motivated violent threat to American democracy is a Church that has lost its soul.How did a Church that purports to follow the teachings of Jesus - the Prince of Peace - become a breeding ground for violent extremism?When Elizabeth Neumann began her anti-terrorism career as part of President George W. Bush''s Homeland Security Counsel in the wake of the September 11 attacks, she expected to spend her life protecting her country from the threat of global terrorism.But as her career evolved, she began to perceive that the greatest threat to American security came not from religious fundamentalists in Afghanistan or Iraq but from white nationalists and radicalized religious fundamentalists within the very institution that was closest to her heart - the American evangelical church. And she began to sound the alarm, raising her concerns to anyone in government who would listen, including testifying before Congress in February of 2

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERUSA TODAY AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER'Salena Zito…. She understands you people and me better than we do.” -- President Donald J. Trump“You're going to learn things in this book. Beautifully written. Story after story after story.' -- Mark Levin​From the acclaimed journalist standing only a few feet away from the stage when the gunshots began is this gripping first-hand account of the near assassination of Donald Trump – and the inside story of Trump’s heartland-fueled victory.  That day in Butler, had the wind gusted less, had Trump’s head turned in a slightly different direction, or had the adrenaline-fueled heart of the shooter beat slower, America would have been plunged into chaos, possibly even civil war. As a local reporter with deep ties to the area, Salena Zito had been invited by the president to interview him at the Butler Farm Show Grounds. She was standing only four feet away from the presidential podium when the bullets started to fly. A campaign staffer tackled her to the ground. Throughout it all, Salena never stopped reporting. She spoke by phone to Trump several times in the immediate aftermath and was granted access to community members, rally participants, family members and local law enforcement officials. “I rarely look away from the crowd,” Trump told her in one of several of those conversations. “Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?” Known for her on-the-ground reporting on populism and rural America, Salena zooms out to tell the fascinating story of the battle for America’s heartland and the issues that actually motivate voters. To understand how and why Trump won the 2024 election, you have to understand places like Butler. Big cities like Los Angeles, New York and D.C. don’t decide who wins election cycles, but people in places like Butler, Pennsylvania sure do. President Trump gave the author extraordinary access for this book, including to his top aides, to his running mate JD Vance, to billionaire supporter Elon Musk, and even his security detail.  There are moments that define America. The late afternoon hours of July 13, 2024 was one of them. This book is a narrative of that fateful day, the people of the heartland and the untold story of how the president found his way back into the heart of the electorate.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe two narratives published together in The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson and the Comedy of Those Extraordinary Twins are overflowing with spectacular events. Twain shows us conjoined twins, babies exchanged in the cradle, acts of cross-dressing and racial masquerade, duels, a lynching, and a murder mystery. Pudd’nhead Wilson tells the story of babies, one of mixed race and the other white, exchanged in their cradles, while Those Extraordinary Twins is a farcical tale of conjoined twins. Although the stories were long viewed as flawed narratives, their very incongruities offer a fascinating portrait of key issues—race, disability, and immigration—facing the United States in the final decades of the nineteenth century.Hsuan Hsu’s introduction traces the history of literary critics’ response to these works, from the confusion of Twain’s contemporaries to the keen interest of current scholars. Extensive historical appendices provide contemporary materials on race discourse, legal contexts, and the composition and initial reception of the texts.Trade Review“Hsuan Hsu’s fine edition of Pudd’nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins charts the complex interplay between formal innovation and historical analysis central to understanding Mark Twain’s purposively flawed tale. Hsu offers a comprehensive introduction, situating the novel within Twain’s career and the broader concerns of racial segregation and violence, citizenship, and embodiment facing the US in the final decade of the nineteenth century. Equally useful are the appendices, which provide background information on the narrative’s legal and historical contexts. They situate Twain as both a vantage onto the most pressing social issues of the 1890s and a writer experimenting with the novel form at the height of his craft. This edition establishes Pudd’nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins as one of Twain’s great works of social commentary and aesthetic innovation.” — Edlie L. Wong, University of Maryland“Hsuan Hsu’s edition of Pudd’nhead Wilson breaks new ground in the historical contextualizing for which Broadview is known. In both the quantity of documents, reviews, and essays that are provided and especially the structure of the appendices, this Pudd’nhead Wilson is a quasi-manifesto for the historicizing of a literary text. Three of the six appendices rethink the way we have constructed the novel’s socio-historical contexts, ranging from Legal Contexts, to Race Discourse, to the last, Contexts of Embodiment, in which Siamese twins and fingerprinting are brought together through the intersecting marginalization of African-American, immigrant, and disabled subjects. This is a Pudd’nhead Wilson for our times as well as—perhaps even more than—Twain’s.” — Susan Gillman, University of California, Santa CruzTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionMark Twain: A Brief ChronologyA Note on the TextThe Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson and the Comedy Those Extraordinary TwinsAppendix A: Composition Mark Twain, Letter to Fred J. Hall (12 December 1892) Mark Twain, Letter to Fred J. Hall (30 July 1893) Mark Twain, Notes for Pudd’nhead Wilson From Mark Twain, the Morgan Library Manuscript of Pudd’nhead Wilson (1893) From Sales Prospectus for Pudd’nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins (1894) Illustrations from Century Magazine Serialization of Pudd’nhead Wilson (1893–94) Illustrations from First American Edition of Pudd’nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins (1894) Discarded Layout for Title Page of Pudd’nhead Wilson (1894) Appendix B: Contemporary Reviews Martha McCulloch Williams, “In Re ‘Pudd’nhead Wilson,’” Southern Magazine (February 1894) William Livingston Alden, The Idler (August 1894) The Athenaeum (19 January 1895) From “Mark Twain’s New Volume,” New York Times (27 January 1895) Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen, Cosmopolitan (January 1895) Outlook (2 March 1895) The Critic (11 May 1895) Appendix C: Literary and Cultural Sources From the Judgment of Solomon (1 Kings 3) Reginald Heber, “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains” (1819) Charles White, “Old Bob Ridley” (1855) From Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845) From Edgar Allan Poe, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841) Mark Twain, “The Late Benjamin Franklin,” The Galaxy (July 1870) From Mark Twain, The Prince and the Pauper (1882) Appendix D: Legal Contexts From Goodspeed v. East Haddam Bank (1853) From Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) From Argument of Albion W. Tourgée, undated legal brief in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Charles W. Chesnutt, “What Is a White Man?” The Independent (30 May 1889) Appendix E: Race Discourse From Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau, Essay on the Inequality of Human Races (1853–55) From “Shot Down at His Door; The Chief of the New-Orleans Police Brutally Murdered,” New York Times (17 October 1890) From Frances Harper, Iola Leroy (1892) From W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk (1903) Appendix F: Contexts of Embodiment From J.N. Moreheid, Lives, Adventures, Anecdotes, Amusements, and Domestic Habits of the Siamese Twins (1850) Mark Twain, “Personal Habits of the Siamese Twins,” Packard’s Monthly (August 1869) From Sir Francis Galton, “The History of Twins” (1875) From “The Tocci Twins,” Scientific American (December 1891) From H. Frith and E.H. Allen, Chiromancy, or the Science of Palmistry (1883) From Sir Francis Galton, Finger Prints (1892) Works Cited and Further Reading

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1861, Harriet Jacobs became the first formerly enslaved African American woman to publish a book-length account of her life. In crafting her coming-of-age story, she insisted upon biographical accuracy and bold creativity telling the truth while giving herself and others fictionalized names. She also adapted conventions from other popular genres, the sentimental novel and the slave narrative. Then, despite facing obstacles not encountered by Black men and white women, she orchestrated the book's publication and became a traveling bookseller in an effort to inspire passive Americans to support the abolition of slavery.Engaging with the latest research on Jacobs's life and work, this edition helps readers to understand the enormity of Jacobs's achievement in writing, publishing, and distributing her life story. However, it also shows how this monumental accomplishment was only the beginning of her contributions, given her advocacy work over the nearly forty years that she lived after its publication. As a survivor of sexual abuse who became an advocate, Jacobs laid a foundation for activist movements such as #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo. This edition also features six appendices, placing resources at readers' fingertips that further illuminate the issues raised by Jacobs's remarkable life and legacy.Trade Review“Those familiar with Harriet Jacobs’s autobiography will discover new, vital details about her lifelong struggle in defense of Black women and Black people. Those encountering this work for the first time will be profoundly altered by Jacobs’s relentless pursuit of equal rights and justice. This beautifully rendered edition is a must-read for all.” — Kali Gross, Emory University“Koritha Mitchell is a brilliant literary historian and theorist. With breathtaking sensitivity to the forces, conditions, and places in Jacobs’s life, Mitchell breathes new life—and brings deeper understanding and refreshing insight—into this classic narrative. Though it is over a century and a half old, through Mitchell’s keen critical lens, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl remains relevant and impactful. Black women’s lives and letters are in the very best of hands with Professor Koritha Mitchell.” — Imani Perry, Princeton University“Koritha Mitchell’s exemplary edition of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is what happens when a Black feminist-activist sharpens her pencil today. Engaging with an expansive array of archival documents and current scholarship, Mitchell goes beyond excellent historicizing to deftly demonstrate how ‘[US] society doles out life chances according to identity.’ It’s the best edition I’ve seen to date, in large part because of Mitchell’s introduction.” — Joycelyn Moody, University of Texas San AntonioTable of ContentsAppendix A: Historical Contexts 1. 'Handed by The Blacks of New Haven City,' petition, 1788 2. From the Fugitive Slave Act, 1850 3. Notice warning Black people in Boston to be on guard after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, 24 April 1851 4. United States Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney, the Dred Scott decision, 6 March 1857 5. From the First Confiscation Act, 1861 6. From the Second Confiscation Act, 1862 7. The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 8. From the Freedmen's Bureau Act, 1865 9. The Thirteenth Amendment, 1865 10. From the Fourteenth Amendment, 1868 11. From the Fifteenth Amendment, 1870 12. From United States Supreme Court Justice Billings Brown, Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896 Appendix B: Other Historical Connections 1. Laws of Virginia, Act XII, 1662 2. From Olive Gilbert, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth,1850 3. Documents regarding Nat Turner's Insurrection, 1831 a. 'Anonymus' to Governor John Floyd, 28 August 1831 b. Proclamation by Governor John Floyd, 17 September 1831 4. Advertisement, American Beacon, 30 June 1835 5. South Carolina Negro Seamen Act, 1822 Appendix C: The Composition, Publication, and Reception of Incidents1. Harriet Jacobs's First Forays into Writing for Publication a. From New York Daily Tribune, 21 June 1853 b. New York Tribune, 25 July 1853 2. Correspondence from Harriet Jacobs to Amy Post a. From Harriet Jacobs to Amy Post, after 28 December 1852 b. From Harriet Jacobs to Amy Post, 14 February 1853 c. Harriet Jacobs to Amy Post, 4 April 1853 d. From Harriet Jacobs to Amy Post, c. May 1853 e. From Harriet Jacobs to Amy Post, 9 October 1853 f. From Harriet Jacobs to Amy Post, March 1854 3. Correspondence from Lydia Maria Child to Harriet Jacobs a. Lydia Maria Child to Harriet Jacobs, 13 August 1860 b. Lydia Maria Child to Harriet Jacobs, 27 September 1860 4. Original Title Page 5. Correspondence from John Greenleaf Whittier to Lydia Maria Child, 1 April 1861 6. William C. Nell, 'Linda, the Slave Girl,' Liberator, 24 January 1861 7. From unsigned book review, Weekly Anglo-African, 13 April 1861 8. From unsigned book review, Anti-Slavery Advocate, 1 May 1861 Appendix D: Life after Incidents 1. From Linda [Harriet Jacobs], 'Life Among the Contrabands,' Liberator, 5 September 1862 2. From 'Jacobs (Linda) School, Alexandria, Va,' Freedmen's Record, February 1865 3. 'From Harriet Jacobs,' Freedman, February 1866 4. 'From Louisa Jacobs,' Freedmen's Record, March 1866 5. Linda [Harriet] Jacobs, 'Savannah Freedmen's Orphan Asylum,' Anti-Slavery Reporter, 2 March 1868 6. Letters by an Adult Louisa Jacobs (1880-84) a. 'Ah me!' 25 March 1880 b. 'Rest and quiet is what she needs,' 7 September 1884 c. 'I was sure Mother would not refuse him,' 21 December 1884 7. Remembrances upon Jacobs's Death a. From the Eulogy by Reverend Francis Grimké b. From the Obituary for Harriet Jacobs, Woman's Journal, May 1897 Appendix E: Enduring Legacy 1. From Ellen Driscoll, 'The Loophole of Retreat' 2. From Lydia Diamond, Harriet Jacobs: A Play, 2011 3. Quotations from Lorna Ann Johnson, Freedom Road, 2004 Appendix F: People and Places Relevant to Incidents 1. Who Is Who in Incidents 2. Image of Dr. Norcom 3. Image of Louisa Jacobs 4. Visual Rendering of Floor Plan of Grandmother's House and Hiding Place 5. Visual Rendering of the Edenton Neighborhood in Which Jacobs Was Born and Hid 6. Image of Amy Post 7. Image of Harriet Beecher Stowe 8. Image of Lydia Maria Child

Read more less

Book Synopsis"This book explores settler colonial genocides in a global perspective and over the long durée. It does so systematically and compellingly, as it investigates how settler colonial expansion at times created conditions for genocidal violence, and the ways in which genocide was at times perpetrated on settler colonial frontiers. This volume will prove invaluable to teachers and students of imperialism, colonialism, and human rights."—Lorenzo Veracini, Swinburne University of Technology, and author of The World Turned Inside Out: Settler Colonialism as a Political IdeaTrade Review"A succinct, insightful, and highly readable text discussing an issue that deserves to be integral to any world history course. Using four finely crafted, yet widely dispersed, case studies Adhikari strikingly shows how vulnerability and resistance occur as the waves of global capitalism hit indigenous societies."—Robert Gordon, University of Vermont“Illuminating and compelling. This is a volume about genocide, a recurrent phenomenon in world history that, disturbingly, has created our modernity. Mohamed Adhikari equips the reader with a sound conceptual introduction, then provides four detailed yet clear accounts of genocide in the Canary Islands, Queensland, California, and German Southwest Africa. He has expertly provided the big picture as well as the specifics true to each history. Primary sources from each episode invite the reader’s participation in analysis. A book with which to think and to teach others.”—Lora Wildenthal, Rice University

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Masters and Servants, Scott P. Stephen reveals startling truths about Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) workers. Rather than dedicating themselves body and soul to the Company’s interests, these men were hired like domestic servants, joining a “household” with its attendant norms of duty and loyalty. The household system produced a remarkably stable political-economic entity, connecting early North American resource extraction to larger trends in British imperialism. Through painstaking research, Stephen shines welcome light on the lives of these largely overlooked individuals. An essential book for labour historians, Masters and Servants will appeal to scholars of early modern Britain, the North American fur trade, Western social history, business history, and anyone intrigued by the reach of the HBC.Trade Review"Blacksmiths, bookkeepers, loggers, tanners, coopers, cooks, sail-makers, interpreters, surveyors, clergy, the list goes on as Stephen marches us through the lives of the early Hudson’s Bay worker. Some were unscrupulous fortune hunters. Some chose to abandon families in England and travel thousands of miles to seek their livelihood in furs…. We also read stories of belligerence, arson, thievery, and murder…. Everything is thoroughly documented using the Company’s voluminous archive." [Full review at https://ormsbyreview.com/2020/10/06/937-verzuh-stephen-hbc-workforce/] -- Ron Verzuh * The Ormsby Review *"[Masters and Servants] is an important and valuable contribution. Stephen has opened a new window into early HBC history, while revealing some of the good, some of the bad, and some of the ugly of a legendary institution.” [Full article at https://reviewcanada.ca/magazine/2020/04/the-human-factor/] -- Michael Taube, Literary Review of Canada, April 2020"In sum, this is an important publication that will be of interest to labour historians as well as scholars of the North American fur trade and early modern Britain." -- Scott Berthelette, Labour/Le Travail 86, Winter 2020"Overall, the book reflects the work of a historian comfortable with the hard work of archival research and with an eye for detail and insightful quotations. In many respects, it does for Hudson’s Bay Company employees what Carolyn Podruchny’s Making the Voyageur World did for employees of the Montreal-based fur trade companies in recreating their values, worldview, and distinctive work environment." -- Michael Payne * Prairie History *"HBC posts were really an extension of early modern Britain, Stephen argues, and are best understood as microcosms of that strictly hierarchical society.... Stephen is a master of the vast documentary resources found in the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, and he makes rich use of this material to make his point." [Full review at https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/books/masters-and-servants] -- Bill Moreau * Canada's History, February-March 2021 *"This is a richly textured and deeply researched work. It tells us much about how the HBC fits into the larger British Atlantic world, and how its masters and servants constituted new communities out on the edge of empire.... This will be a 'must read' for anyone involved in fur trade studies." [Full review at: DOI: 10.1080/02722011.2020.1852744] -- Jim Mochoruk * American Review of Canadian Studies, 50:4 *"Stephen’s emphasis on the familial and negotiated nature of the post community is the book’s most important historiographical contribution. His analysis upends older Marxist-informed studies of labour in the fur trade that tended to highlight the classed and ranked nature of the posts." -- Tolly Bradford, Histoire sociale / Social History, November 2021"This study will be invaluable to those interested in the activities and ideals that underpinned long-distance trading companies in the British Atlantic world, and those interested in the experiences and expectations of early modern service. The originality of this study comes from its focus on understanding the internal relationships within the HBC between employers and employees, specifically looking at three groups: the London-based Committee, and in the Bay, the company’s masters (factors) of factories, and the servants who worked in them..." -- Eleanor Bird, British Journal of Canadian Studies, Autumn 2021Table of ContentsEditorial Note Acknowledgements Introduction Abbreviations 1 | Early Modern Contexts 2 | The Hudson’s Bay Company as Enterprise and Employer | 1668–1786 3 | “No Certain Method for Any Thing” | Recruitment, 1670–1713 4 | “Men to Do the Business” | Recruitment, 1714–1786 5 | “Diligent Men” and “Idle Fellowes” | Evaluation and Retention of Personnel 6 | The Inland Experience 7 | Master-Servant Relationships 8 | Tensions within the Household Model Conclusion Appendix Choosing Our Words Carefully Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisWillard Freer lived in remote areas of northern BC for most of his life. Born in Kamloops in 1910 and raised in the Peace River country, Freer came to the Kechika River valley in 1942, where he worked for a number of years with famed packer and guide Skook Davidson. He then built a cabin about 35 kilometres to the north and spent the rest of his life in the valley, and at Fireside, an Alaska Highway lodge near the junction of the Kechika and Liard rivers. By all accounts, Freer was a quiet, introverted person, who faithfully kept a daily diary from 1942 to 1975. Most of the entries are brief, but cumulatively they provide a detailed record of life in northern BC and southern Yukon Territory. Due to his proximity to the famed Alaska Highway and the historic Davie Trail, Willard encountered many of the Indigenous people who lived, worked and travelled through the Kechika valley, as well as casual visitors, bush pilots, government survey parties including the Geological Survey of Canada, major mining companies, and branches of the US Army in northern BC during World War II. Willard Freers diaries are the most extensive written record of daily life in one of the most remote regions of British Columbia. KECHIKA CHRONICLER provides a voice for his story.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPurses and bags have always been much more than a fashion accessory. For generations of Americans, the purse has been an essential and highly adaptable object, used to achieve a host of social, cultural, and political objectives. In the early 1800s, when the slim fit of neoclassical dresses made interior pockets impractical, upper-class women began to carry small purses called reticules, which provided them with a private place in a world where they did not have equal access topublicspace. Although many items of apparel have long expressed their wearer's aspirations, only the purse has offered carriers privacy, pride, and pleasure. This privacy has been particularly important for those who have faced discrimination because of their gender, class, race, citizenship, or sexuality. The Things She Carried reveals how bags, sacks, and purses provided the methods and materials for Americans' activism, allowing carriers to transgress critical boundaries at key moments. It explores how ens

Read more less

Book SynopsisA highly original reinterpretation of how race and class shaped the entirety of Southern history through the experience of four interconnected family lines. The Southern Fault Line explores the under-appreciated division in the South between the oligarchic rule of plantation owners and industrialists on the one hand, and the more democratic mindset of the mountain-dwelling small farmers on the other. These two mindsets were in continual tension from the 1800s to the 1960s, when the adherents of the more democratic side of the struggle capitulated to the oligarchical side in response to the Civil Rights movement.Bryan Jones draws from his own family''s centuries-old history in the region to explore the rise and fall of the two minds of the South. Through a comparison of the experiences of a slaveholding line in his family with three non-slaveholding lines, Jones provides a rich history of the politics of both class and race in the region from the Founding era to the present. The slaveholding side of his family settled in Black Belt Alabama, while ancestral members of the other side of his family were poorer uplanders. In the 1890s, the latter supported the burgeoning populist movement, which for a short window of time tried to unite poor Blacks and poor whites against the patrician planter class and industrialists. After a series of close elections, the planter class was able to stanch the populist tide. They did this in large part by sowing racial division among populism''s supporters. Indeed, one of Jones'' ancestors helped draft the 1901 Alabama constitution that made Jim Crow the law of the state. Throughout, Jones shows how deep the political differences were between the two regions, with oligarchy characterizing the slaveholding region and a more democratic ethos shaping the non-slaveholding areas. Jones serves as the final observer, a white boy observing not only the demise of the Jim Crow South, but--in the wake of the Civil Rights movement--the demise of the mountain democratic South as well. Today, the vast majority of Southern whites regardless of class support an oligarchical Republican Party.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow did Gettysburg become the most famous battle of the American Civil War and one of the most consequential in world history? Why is the most visited battlefield, the place where veterans came in the greatest numbers, where Presidents pay homage, and millions of families have vacationed? What was it about this three-day struggle in July 1863 in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania that made it seem the turning point of the war, or the high-water mark of the Confederate rebellion? Gettysburg explains the battle''s place in the Civil War, why two vast armies clashed there, and how, in the century and a half since, it has been re-imagined, re-created and re-enacted. It is the story of a battle which no one planned but which became the bloodiest encounter of the war, and one with dramatically high stakes. The postwar romanticisation of Gettysburg as the place of might-have-beens is based on a kernel of reality. But it also suited the interests of both the winners and the losers for Gettysburg to become the Civil War in miniature: a glorious, storied, tragic tale small enough to comprehend, but large enough to be inspirational. If this was the battle that determined the war, Confederates could tell themselves that if only they had made different tactical choices, they would have won their independence, while Northerners could credit valour for their victory, without the unromantic need to invoke superior resources. Yet there was only a war because of slavery, and Gettysburg''s importance lies in its role in ending it. In the speech Abraham Lincoln gave there, four months after the battle, he expressed the hope that Union victory would inaugurate a new birth of freedom. The history of the battle has been shaped by a contest over what that means.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisOver 170 years, Pittsburgh rose from remote outpost to industrial powerhouse. With the formation of the United States, the frontier town located at the confluence of three rivers grew into the linchpin for trade and migration between established eastern cities and the growing settlements of the Ohio Valley. Resources, geography, innovation, and personalities led to successful glass, iron, and eventually steel operations. As Pittsburgh blossomed into one of the largest cities in the country and became a center of industry, it generated great wealth for industrial and banking leaders. But immigrants and African American migrants, who labored under insecure, poorly paid, and dangerous conditions, did not share in the rewards of growth. Pittsburgh Rising traces the lives of individuals and families who lived and worked in this early industrial city, jammed into unhealthy housing in overcrowded neighborhoods near the mills. Although workers organized labor unions to improve conditions and c

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe schooner America was a technological marvel and a child star. In the summer of 1851, just weeks after her launching at New York, shecrossed the Atlantic and sailed to an upset victory against a fleet of champions. The silver cup she won that day is still coveted by sportsmen. Almost immediately after that famous victory, she began a decades-long run of adventure, neglect, rehabilitations, and hard sailing, always surrounded by colorful, passionate personalities. America ran and enforced wartime blockades. She carried spies across the ocean. And she was on the scene as yachtsmen and business titans spent freely and competed fiercely for the cup she first won. By the early twentieth century, she was in desperate need of a thorough refit. The old thoroughbred floated in brackish water at the United States Naval Academy, stripped of her sails and rotting in the sun. Refitting America would be a massive projectexpensive and potentially distracting for a nation struggling to emerge fr

Read more less