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Seeking Palestine: New Palestinian Writing on Exile and Home
by Raja Shehadeh Penny JohnsonHow do Palestinians live, imagine and reflect on home and exile in this period of a stateless and transitory Palestine, a deeply contested and crisis-ridden national project, and a sharp escalation in Israeli state violence and accompanying Palestinian oppression? How can exile and home be written?<P><P>In this volume of new writing, fifteen innovative and outstanding Palestinian writers-essayists, poets, novelists, critics, artists and memoirists-respond with their reflections, experiences, memories and polemics. What is it like, in the words of Lila Abu-Lughod, to be "drafted into being Palestinian?" What happens when you take your American children-as Sharif Elmusa does-to the refugee camp where you were raised? And how can you convince, as Suad Amiry attempts to do, a weary airport official to continue searching for a code for a country that isn't recognized?Contributors probe the past through unconventional memories, reflecting on 1948 when it all began. But they are also deeply interested in beginnings, imagining, in the words of Mischa Hiller, "a Palestine that reflects who we are now and who we hope to become." Their contributions-poignant, humorous, intimate, reflective, intensely political-make for an offering that is remarkable for the candor and grace with which it explores the many individual and collective experiences of waiting, living for, and seeking Palestine.Contributors include: Lila Abu-Lughod, Susan Abulhawa, Suad Amiry, Rana Barakat, Mourid Barghouti, Beshara Doumani, Sharif S. Elmusa, Rema Hammami, Mischa Hiller, Emily Jacir, Penny Johnson, Fady Joudah, Jean Said Makdisi, Karma Nabulsi, Raeda Sa'adeh, Raja Shehadeh, Adania Shibli.
The Selected Letters of Anthony Hecht
by Anthony HechtSpanning seven decades, these often intimate, brilliantly astute letters by the eminent poet Anthony Hecht reflect a body of work that influenced the history of twentieth-century American poetry.Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anthony Hecht (1923–2004) was known not only for his masterful control of form and language but also for his wit and humor. With the help of Helen Hecht, the poet’s widow, Jonathan F. S. Post combed through more than 4,000 letters to produce an intimate look into the poet’s mind and art across a lifetime. The letters range from Hecht’s early days at summer camp to college at Bard, to the front lines of World War II, to travels abroad in France and Italy, to marriage, and to fame as a poet and critic. Along the way, Hecht corresponded with well-known poets such as John Hollander, James Merrill, Anne Sexton, and Richard Wilbur. Those interested in the lives of contemporary poets will read these highly personal letters with delight and surprise.
The Selected Letters of Willa Cather
by Willa Cather Andrew Jewell Janis Stout<P>This first publication of the letters of one of America's most consistently admired writers is both an exciting and a significant literary event. <P>Willa Cather, wanting to be judged on her work alone, clearly forbade the publication of her letters in her will. <P>But now, more than sixty-five years after her death, with her literary reputation as secure as a reputation can be, the letters have become available for publication. <P>The 566 letters collected here, nearly 20 percent of the total, range from the funny (and mostly misspelled) reports of life in Red Cloud in the 1880s that Cather wrote as a teenager, through those from her college years at the University of Nebraska, her time as a journalist in Pittsburgh and New York, and during her growing eminence as a novelist. <P>Postcards and letters describe her many travels around the United States and abroad, and they record her last years in the 1940s, when the loss of loved ones and the disasters of World War II brought her near to despair. <P>Written to family and close friends and to such luminaries as Sarah Orne Jewett, Robert Frost, Yehudi Menuhin, Sinclair Lewis, and the president of Czechoslovakia, Thomas Masaryk, they reveal her in her daily life as a woman and writer passionately interested in people, literature, and the arts in general. <P>The voice heard in these letters is one we already know from her fiction: confident, elegant, detailed, openhearted, concerned with profound ideas, but also at times funny, sentimental, and sarcastic. <P>Unfiltered as only intimate communication can be, they are also full of small fibs, emotional outbursts, inconsistencies, and the joys and sorrows of the moment. <P>The Selected Letters is a deep pleasure to read and to ponder, sure to appeal to those with a special devotion to Cather as well as to those just making her acquaintance.
Selected Speeches and Writings of Theodore Roosevelt
by Theodore Roosevelt Gordon HutnerTheodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) was our most published president with an incredible output of writing including forty books, over a thousand articles, and countless speeches and letters. Collected here in one volume are examples of Roosevelt's voluminous writings over a dazzling array of topics. Organized by general categories, readers can sample writings on subjects as varied as the environment, the danger of professional sports; the famous charge of San Juan Hill, and Roosevelt's passion for literary criticism. From addresses and presidential messages on public policy and national ideals, to biography, to travel writing, to ecological concerns, to writings on hunting, to international politics and history, Roosevelt's talents and achievements as a writer went far beyond what we now expect of our public leaders. Roosevelt's legacy as one of the first progressive American politicians, his concerns about environmentalism, his internationalism, and his unflinching belief in the American character and destiny uncannily speak to the issues of our own day and can be found in the pages of this representative and judicious anthology of his work.
Self-help Messiah
by Steven WattsAn illuminating biography of the man who taught Americans "how to win friends and influence people" Before Stephen Covey, Oprah Winfrey, and Malcolm Gladwell there was Dale Carnegie. His book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, became a best seller worldwide, and Life magazine named him one of "the most important Americans of the twentieth century." This is the first full-scale biography of this influential figure. Dale Carnegie was born in rural Missouri, his father a poor farmer, his mother a successful preacher. To make ends meet he tried his hand at various sales jobs, and his failure to convince his customers to buy what he had to offer eventually became the fuel behind his future glory. Carnegie quickly figured out that something was amiss in American education and in the ways businesspeople related to each other. What he discovered was as simple as it was profound: Understanding people's needs and desires is paramount in any successful enterprise. Carnegie conceived his book to help people learn to relate to one another and enrich their lives through effective communication. His success was extraordinary, so hungry was 1920s America for a little psychological insight that was easy to apply to everyday affairs. Self-help Messiah tells the story of Carnegie's personal journey and how it gave rise to the movement of self-help and personal reinvention.
Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation
by Aisha TylerIn her book Self-Inflicted Wounds, comedian, actress, and cohost of CBS’s daytime hit show The Talk, Aisha Tyler recounts a series of epic mistakes and hilarious stories of crushing personal humiliation, and the personal insights and authentic wisdom she gathered along the way. The essays in Self-Inflicted Wounds are refreshingly and sometimes brutally honest, surprising, and laugh-out-loud funny, vividly translating the brand of humor Tyler has cultivated through her successful standup career, as well as the strong voice and unique point of view she expresses on her taste-making comedy podcast Girl on Guy. Riotous, revealing, and wonderfully relatable, Aisha Tyler’s Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation is about the power of calamity to shape life, learning, and success.
Senator Hattie Caraway: An Arkansas Legacy
by Nancy HendricksThe forgotten story of the first woman elected to the US Senate, and her historic career during the Depression and Second World War—includes photos.Hattie Caraway unexpectedly became a United States senator in 1931 by filling the seat of her late husband. But what her colleagues viewed as an honorary position was in fact the start of a distinguished career. Despite strong male opposition, Hattie won reelection—and loyally and effectively served her Arkansas constituency for twelve years through the difficult times of the Great Depression and World War II. In this biography Caraway scholar Dr. Nancy Hendricks recounts Senator Caraway’s historic career through previously unseen letters and photos, and shows how Caraway effected change in the American political landscape.
Sertorius and the Struggle for Spain
by Philip MatyszakThe epic battle to liberate Spain from Roman rule is a masterclass of ancient guerilla warfare, recounted by the author of Ancient Rome on 5 Denarii a Day. In the year 82 BC, after a brutal civil war, the dictator Sulla took power in Rome. But among those who refused to accept his rule was the young army officer Quintus Sertorius. Sertorius fled, first to Africa and then to Spain, where he made common cause with the native people who had been savagely oppressed by a succession of corrupt Roman governors. Discovering a genius for guerilla warfare—and claiming to receive divine guidance from Artemis—Sertorius came close to driving the Romans out of Spain altogether. Rome responded by sending reinforcements under the control of Gen. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, who would go on to become Pompey the Great. The epic struggle between these two commanders, known as the Sertorian War, is a masterclass of ancient strategy and tactical maneuver. Massively outnumbered, Sertorius remained undefeated on the battlefield, but was eventually assassinated by jealous subordinates, none of whom proved a match for Pompey. The tale of Sertorius is both the story of a people struggling to liberate themselves from oppressive rule, and the story of a man who started as an idealist and ended almost as savage and despotic as his enemies. But above all, it is the story of a duel between two great generals, fought between two different styles of army in the valleys of the Spanish interior.
Setting the Tone: Essays and a Diary
by Ned RoremA sterling collection of essays, commentary, reviews, and personal recollections on art, love, and the musical life, from Ned Rorem, award-winning composer and author extraordinaireNed Rorem, the acclaimed American composer and writer, displays his incisive, sometimes outrageous genius for artistic critique and social commentary with a grand flourish in this engaging collection of essays and diary entries. Fearlessly offering opinions on a wealth of subjects--from the lives of the famous and infamous to popular culture to the state of contemporary art--Rorem proves once again that he is an artist who tells unforgettable stories not only through music, but with a pen, as well. Setting the Tone gathers together essays and commentary previously published elsewhere and combines them with pages from Rorem's ongoing diary, offering readers a vivid and enlightening view of Rorem's world along with an honest portrait of the author himself. Whether he's lambasting critics and former friends and acquaintances, vivisecting opera, or presenting his views on theater, film, books, or composers and their music, Rorem is ingenious, incorrigible, and madly entertaining.
Seven American Deaths and Disasters
by Kenneth GoldsmithIn Seven American Deaths and Disasters, Kenneth Goldsmith transcribes words used by people describing events they had never prepared themselves to witness, as they unfurl. In doing so, he reveals an extraordinarily rich linguistic panorama of passionate description. Taking its name from the Warhol paintings of the same name, Goldsmith recasts the mundane as the iconic, creating a sense of prose poems that encapsulate both the Kennedy assassinations, that of John Lennon, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, 9/11 and the death of Michael Jackson.
Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong
by David WalshThe basis for the upcoming major motion picture The Program directed by Stephen Frears (High Fidelity, The Queen, Philomena), starring Chris O'Dowd as journalist David Walsh and Ben Foster as Lance Armstrong.When Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France in 1999, the sports world had found a charismatic new idol. Journalist David Walsh was among a small group covering the tour who suspected Armstrong's win wasn't the feel-good story it seemed to be. From that first moment of doubt, the next thirteen years of Walsh's life would be focused on seeking the answers to a series of hard questions about Armstrong's astonishing success. As Walsh delved ever deeper into the shadow world of performance-enhancing drugs in professional athletics, he accumulated a mounting pile of evidence that led a furious Armstrong to take legal action against him. But he could not make Walsh--or the story--go away, and in the autumn of 2012, Walsh was vindicated when the cyclist was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. With this remarkable book, Walsh has produced both the definitive account of the Armstrong scandal, and a testament to the importance of journalists who are willing to report a difficult truth over a popular fantasy.
Seven League Boots: Adventures Across The World From Arabia To Abyssinia
by Richard HalliburtonSeven League Boots, which was first published in 1935 and his fifth and final book, details American adventurer Richard Halliburton’s epic adventures in a variety of remote places. The author of The Royal Road to Romance, who seems incapable of writing a dull page, reports each of his new adventures with the same contagious zest, the same charm and swing and dash that have won such unrivaled popularity for his other tales. In this fifth and final book, richly illustrated throughout with striking pictures, the reader will be taken on a journey of Halliburton’s dinner with Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia; his interview with the infamous assassin of Czar Nicholas II in Russia; his attempt to sneak into the forbidden city of Mecca; and, finally, his elephant march over the Alps in the tracks of Hannibal. It is Halliburton at his best, reckless and romantic.
Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness
by Eric MetaxasIn Seven Men, New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas presents seven exquisitely crafted short portraits of widely known--but not well understood--Christian men, each of whom uniquely showcases a commitment to live by certain virtues in the truth of the gospel. Written in a beautiful and engaging style, Seven Men addresses what it means (or should mean) to be a man today, at a time when media and popular culture present images of masculinity that are not the picture presented in Scripture and historic civil life. What does it take to be a true exemplar as a father, brother, husband, leader, coach, counselor, change agent, and wise man? What does it mean to stand for honesty, courage, and charity, especially at times when the culture and the world run counter to those values? Each of the seven biographies represents the life of a man who experienced the struggles and challenges to be strong in the face of forces and circumstances that would have destroyed the resolve of lesser men. Each of the seven men profiled--George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, John Paul II, and Charles Colson--call the reader to a more elevated walk and lifestyle, one that embodies the gospel in the world around us.
Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness
by Eric MetaxasA beautiful gift edition of this instant classic exclusively for graduates, with a special letter from Eric Metaxas to those entering the next phase of life's journey. What makes a great man great? In Seven Men, New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas explores that most important of questions in through the captivating stories of some of the greatest men who have ever lived. How did George Washington resist the temptation to become the first king of America, and why did William Wilberforce give up the chance to be prime minister of England? What made Eric Liddell cast aside an almost certain Olympic gold medal? What enabled Jackie Robinson to surrender his right to fight back against racists, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer to jeopardize his freedom and safety to defy the Nazis? In this stirring and inspiring work, Eric Metaxas reclaims a long-lost sense of the heroic--the idea that certain lives are worthy of emulation. Get to know the seven men in this book, and your life will be immeasurably richer.
Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness
by Eric MetaxasIn Seven Men, New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas presents seven exquisitely crafted short portraits of widely known-but not well understood-Christian men, each of whom uniquely showcases a commitment to live by certain virtues in the truth of the gospel. Written in a beautiful and engaging style, Seven Men addresses what it means (or should mean) to be a man today, at a time when media and popular culture present images of masculinity that are not the picture presented in Scripture and historic civil life. What does it take to be a true exemplar as a father, brother, husband, leader, coach, counselor, change agent, and wise man? What does it mean to stand for honesty, courage, and charity, especially at times when the culture and the world run counter to those values? Each of the seven biographies represents the life of a man who experienced the struggles and challenges to be strong in the face of forces and circumstances that would have destroyed the resolve of lesser men. Each of the seven men profiled-George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, John Paul II, and Charles Colson-call the reader to a more elevated walk and lifestyle, one that embodies the gospel in the world around us.
Seven Years' Campaigning In The Peninsula And The Netherlands; From 1808 To 1815.—Vol. I (Seven Years' Campaigning In The Peninsula And The Netherlands; From 1808 To 1815 #1)
by Sir Richard D. HeneganThe guns that boomed over the Napoleonic battlefield could be fired at a rate of two rounds a minute, blasting all and sundry in range to tiny pieces. No small wonder that the artillery of the period was so feared. However, supplying the guns was a tricky proposition, as the ammunition for the guns was bulky, difficult to move and dangerous to handle. Over train as wild as Portugal and Spain, command of Wellington's field train was bound to be an arduous and trying job. Sir Richard Hennegan was the man to whom this post fell. His seven years' campaigning with Wellington were filled with adventure and dash, and he was often at the front during movements of the army, assessing the best routes for his valuable cargo. This led to frequent meetings with the enemy and his allies, the Spanish Guerillas, who almost executed him twice due to mistaken identity. During engagements, the need to bring up ammunition to replenish the guns and muskets led him to be often near the commander and in the middle of the firing line. His memoirs are filled with memorable scenes and soldiers whom he met in and out of the line.Highly recommended. Author -- Sir Richard D. HenneganText taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in London : Colburn, 1846.Original Page Count - xv and 364 pages.
Seven Years' Campaigning In The Peninsula And The Netherlands; From 1808 To 1815.—Vol. II (Seven Years' Campaigning In The Peninsula And The Netherlands; From 1808 To 1815 #2)
by Sir Richard D. HeneganThe guns that boomed over the Napoleonic battlefield could be fired at a rate of two rounds a minute, blasting all and sundry in range to tiny pieces. No small wonder that the artillery of the period was so feared. However, supplying the guns was a tricky proposition, as the ammunition for the guns was bulky, difficult to move and dangerous to handle. Over train as wild as Portugal and Spain, command of Wellington's field train was bound to be an arduous and trying job. Sir Richard Hennegan was the man to whom this post fell. His seven years' campaigning with Wellington were filled with adventure and dash, and he was often at the front during movements of the army, assessing the best routes for his valuable cargo. This led to frequent meetings with the enemy and his allies, the Spanish Guerillas, who almost executed him twice due to mistaken identity. During engagements, the need to bring up ammunition to replenish the guns and muskets led him to be often near the commander and in the middle of the firing line. His memoirs are filled with memorable scenes and soldiers whom he met in and out of the line.Highly recommended.Author -- Sir Richard D. HenneganText taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in London : Colburn, 1846.Original Page Count - xii and 352 pages.
Sewing Freedom
by Barry Pateman Jared DavidsonSewing Freedom is the first in-depth study of anarchism in New Zealand during the turbulent years of the early 20th century-a time of wildcat strikes, industrial warfare, and a radical working class counter-culture. Interweaving biography, cultural history, and an array of archival sources, this engaging account unravels the anarchist-cum-bomber stereotype by piecing together the life of Philip Josephs-a Latvian-born Jewish tailor, antimilitarist, and founder of the Wellington Freedom Group. Anarchists like Josephs not only existed in the 'Workingman's Paradise' that was New Zealand, but were a lively part of its labour movement and the class struggle that swept through the country, imparting uncredited influence and ideas. Sewing Freedom places this neglected movement within the global anarchist upsurge, and unearths the colourful activities of New Zealand's most radical advocates for social and economic change. Includes illustrations by Icky from Justseeds and a foreword by Barry Pateman (Kate Sharpley Library Archivist and Associate Editor at the Emma Goldman Papers)."Davidson has produced much more than a soundly researched and very engaging biography... this is an excellent, wide-ranging contribution to our knowledge of the international (and indeed transnational) anarchist movement, and sweeps us along in a fascinating story that takes us from the pogroms in Russian Latvia, to the working-class slums of Victorian Glasgow, to the early struggles of the nascent labour movement in New Zealand."-Dr David Berry, author of A History of the French Anarchist Movement"Many millions of words have been written on New Zealand history. The labour movement does not feature prominently in this vast corpus; in fact, quite the contrary. And within this relatively sparse coverage, anarchism is almost invariably assigned at best a passing mention. We must be grateful for Davidson's determination to restore an anarchist voice to the history of the outermost reach of the British Empire."-Dr Richard Hill, Professor of New Zealand Studies & author of Iron Hand in the Velvet Glove"A ground breaking tale of a rebel life, skillfully unearthed by Jared Davidson. A must read."-Lucien van der Walt, co-author of Black Flame
Sex, Drugs, Ratt & Roll
by Stephen Pearcy Sam BenjaminA jaw-dropping tell-all from the lead singer of the 1980s supergroup Ratt: the groupies, the trashed hotel rooms, the drugs--and just how much you can get away with when you're one of the biggest hair metal stars of all time.In the mid-1980s, Ratt, alongside Motley Crüe, Poison, and Quiet Riot, were laying down the riffs and unleashing the scissor kicks that would herald the arrival of music's most flamboyantly debauched era. Now with Sex, Drugs, Ratt & Roll, Ratt frontman and chief rabble-rouser Stephen Pearcy divulges all the dirty details of the era when big-haired bands ruled the world. Stephen was primed for a life of excess from an early age--his father died of a heroin overdose when he was twelve, and by the age of fifteen, Stephen was himself a drug addict. When Stephen met the thrill-seeking Robbin Crosby, he knew he'd found his perfect partner in crime--both in music and partying. Ratt's 1984 debut single, "Round and Round," became one of the top-selling metal songs of all time, but it was the band's off-stage escapades that were the stuff of legend. "Our tour bus is like our pirate ship, it's where we rape and pillage," said Pearcy in 1987. Now Pearcy's memoir reveals all the rock star excess--the partying, the women, the $2,000-a-day drug habits--letting fans see into this harrowing hair-metal lifestyle and what it's really like behind the scenes when you're a rock star.
Sex, Lies, and Cookies
by Lisa GlasbergOne womans misguided quest for love, sex, and as much airtime as possible . . . On The Howard Stern Show, radio personality Lisa Glasberg, aka Lisa G. , is painted as a violin-playing, cookie-baking cat lady, but thats all about to change. This alleged wallflower once used her skills in the kitchen to show up at a suitors doorstep wearing nothing but a fur coat and carrying a plate of freshly baked cookies. Now, in her unrated memoir, Lisa G. reveals all about her adventures and misadventures growing up and looking for love in all the wrong places. Her journey begins in the only place where she felt comfortable--behind the microphone. Lisa became a workaholic with a larger-than-life radio personality. But when the "on air" lights switched off, she struggled to find her true self. Through therapy and some soul-searching, she transformed from an insecure young woman who attempted to win over men with her culinary prowess into an independent adult who finally learned to love herself. Lisas story is full of inspiration and lots of laughs. Smart, sassy, and stacked, Lisa always put her career first. While searching for the perfect job, the aspiring radio star dated her way through an urban bachelorettes predictable gallery of potential mates. In Sex, Lies, and Cookies, Lisa details her hilarious sexcapades, which include everyone from a nice Jewish doctor with a unique fetish to the classic unavailable type who wants an "open relationship. "Lisa G. also shares behind-the-scenes stories from her A-list celebrity interviews, friendships, and time hanging with hip-hop royalty like P. Diddy, Will Smith, and Flavor Flav. Along the way, Lisa G. became known for having the hottest ticket in town--entry into her exclusive and legendary cookie parties. The book includes the recipes for more than twenty-five of Lisa G. s famous desserts, like "Losing my Cherry Cookies" and "Double D-licious Oatmeal Cookies," as well as tips for hosting your own fabulous cookie party. Sex, Lies and Cookies is a tasty read that proves why the most satisfying relationship youll ever have starts with learning to love yourself (and how a little cookie dough can help).
Sex, Lies and The Dirty
by Nik RichieTheDirty.com, a heavily trafficked online gossip sheet, was created by an entrepreneur by the name of Nik Richie--whose Iranian parents named him Hooman Karamian.Richie's appearances on programs like Dr. Phil, Anderson Cooper 360, Nancy Grace, and 20/20 suddenly provided him with notoriety as the Internet's bad boy, whose site is employed by angry ex-mates (of both sexes) to post sordid and vengeful revelations online.TheDirty.com also presents opinionated comments from Nik himself about the shape of women's bodies, as well as a language particular to his site. "Porta-Potties" describes women who prostitute themselves to perverse Saudi royalty. "The Greg" refers to his or anyone else's penis, and "Scooby" refers to his sidekick friend.Sex, Lies and The Dirty is Nik's confession of the backstage realities of his website, and his sordid lifestyle prior to hooking up with his lovely wife Shayne.Nik Richie is the host of a weekly web-radio show that commands a million listeners each week. And along with his wife Shayne, he will star in the upcoming VH1 reality series, Couples Therapy. The controversy has just begun.
The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut's Mummy
by Jo MarchantMore than 3,000 years ago, King Tutankhamun's desiccated body was lovingly wrapped and sent into the future as an immortal god. After resting undisturbed for more than three millennia, King Tut's mummy was suddenly awakened in 1922. Archaeologist Howard Carter had discovered the boy-king's tomb, and the soon-to-be famous mummy's story--even more dramatic than King Tut's life--began.The mummy's "afterlife" is a modern story, not an ancient one. Award-winning science writer Jo Marchant traces the mummy's story from its first brutal autopsy in 1925 to the most recent arguments over its DNA. From the glamorous treasure hunts of the 1920s to today's high-tech scans in volatile modern Egypt, Marchant introduces us to the brilliant and sometimes flawed people who have devoted their lives to revealing the mummy's secrets, unravels the truth behind the hyped-up TV documentaries, and explains what science can and can't tell us about King Tutankhamun.
Shadow Warrior: William Egan Colby and the CIA
by Randall B. WoodsWorld War II commando, Cold War spy, and CIA director under presidents Nixon and Ford, William Egan Colby played a critical role in some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. A quintessential member of the greatest generation, Colby embodied the moral and strategic ambiguities of the postwar world, and first confronted many of the dilemmas about power and secrecy that America still grapples with today. In "Shadow Warrior," eminent historian Randall B. Woods presents a riveting biography of Colby, revealing that this crusader for global democracy was also drawn to the darker side of American power. Aiming to help reverse the spread of totalitarianism in Europe and Asia, Colby joined the U. S. Army in 1941, just as America entered World War II. He served with distinction in France and Norway, and at the end of the war transitioned into AmericaOCOs first peacetime intelligence agency: the CIA. Fresh from the fight against fascism, Colby zealously redirected his efforts against international communism. He insisted on the importance of fighting communism on the ground, doggedly applying guerilla tactics for counterinsurgency, sabotage, surveillance, and information-gathering on the new battlefields of the Cold War. Over time, these strategies became increasingly ruthless; as head of the CIAOCOs Far East Division, Colby oversaw an endless succession of assassination attempts, coups, secret wars in Laos and Cambodia, and the Phoenix Program, in which 20,000 civilian supporters of the Vietcong were killed. Colby ultimately came clean about many of the CIAOCOs illegal activities, making public a set of internal reportsuknown as the ofamily jewelsOCOuthat haunt the agency to this day. Ostracized from the intelligence community, he died under suspicious circumstancesua murky ending to a life lived in the shadows. Drawing on multiple new sources, including interviews with members of ColbyOCOs family, Woods has crafted a gripping biography of one of the most fascinating and controversial figures of the twentieth century.
Shadow Woman
by Grant Hayter-MenziesKansas-born Pauline Benton (1898-1974) was encouraged by her father, one of America's earliest feminist male educators, to reach for the stars. Instead, she reached for shadows. In 1920s Beijing, she discovered shadow theatre (piyingxi), a performance art where translucent painted puppets are manipulated by highly trained masters to cast coloured shadows against an illuminated screen. Finding that this thousand-year-old forerunner of motion pictures was declining in China, Benton believed she could save the tradition by taking it to America. Mastering the male-dominated art form in China, Benton enchanted audiences eager for the exotic in Depression-era America. Her touring company, Red Gate Shadow Theatre, was lauded by theatre and art critics and even performed at Franklin Roosevelt's White House. Grant Hayter-Menzies traces Benton's performance history and her efforts to preserve shadow theatre as a global cultural treasure by drawing on her unpublished writings, the recollections of her colleagues, the testimonies of shadow masters who survived China's Cultural Revolution, as well as young innovators who have carried on Benton's pioneering work.
Shadow Woman: The Extraordinary Career of Pauline Benton
by Grant Hayter-MenziesKansas-born Pauline Benton (1898-1974) was encouraged by her father, one of America's earliest feminist male educators, to reach for the stars. Instead, she reached for shadows. In 1920s Beijing, she discovered shadow theatre (piyingxi), a performance art where translucent painted puppets are manipulated by highly trained masters to cast coloured shadows against an illuminated screen. Finding that this thousand-year-old forerunner of motion pictures was declining in China, Benton believed she could save the tradition by taking it to America. Mastering the male-dominated art form in China, Benton enchanted audiences eager for the exotic in Depression-era America. Her touring company, Red Gate Shadow Theatre, was lauded by theatre and art critics and even performed at Franklin Roosevelt's White House. Grant Hayter-Menzies traces Benton's performance history and her efforts to preserve shadow theatre as a global cultural treasure by drawing on her unpublished writings, the recollections of her colleagues, the testimonies of shadow masters who survived China's Cultural Revolution, as well as young innovators who have carried on Benton's pioneering work.