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Madame Chiang Kai-shek: China's Eternal First Lady (Biography And Memoir Ser.)
by Laura Tyson LiThe first biography of one of the most controversial and fascinating women of the twentieth century. Beautiful, brilliant, and captivating, Madame Chiang Kai-shek seized unprecedented power during China&’s long and violent civil war. She passionately argued against Chinese Communism in the international arena and influenced decades of Sino-American relations and modern Chinese history. Raised in one of China&’s most powerful families and educated at Wellesley College, Soong Mayling went on to become wife, chief adviser, interpreter, and propagandist to Nationalist leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. She sparred with international leaders like Churchill and Roosevelt, and impressed Westerners and Chinese alike with her acumen, charm, and glamour. But she was also decried as a manipulative Dragon Lady,&” and despised for living in American-style splendor while Chinese citizens suffered under her husband&’s brutal oppression. The result of years of extensive research in the United States and abroad, and written with access to previously classified CIA and diplomatic files, Madame Chiang Kai-shek objectively evaluates one of the most powerful and fascinating women of the twentieth century. &“Li brilliantly analyzes a fearless and profoundly conflicted woman of extraordinary force.&” —Booklist
Daughter of Heaven: A Memoir with Earthly Recipes
by Leslie LiIn this powerful, touching memoir of a critically acclaimed Chinese-American writer, taste becomes the keeper of memory and food the keeper of culture when Nai-nai, her extraordinary grandmother, arrives from mainland China.Leslie Li’s paternal grandfather, Li Zogren, was China’s first democratically elected vice president, to whom Chiang Kai-shek left control of the country when he fled to Formosa in 1949. Nine years later, Li’s wife, Nai-nai, comes to live with her son’s family in New York City, bringing a whole new world of sights, smells, and tastes as she quickly takes control of the kitchen. Nai-nai’s tantalizingly exotic cooking opens up the heart and mind of her American granddaughter to her Chinese heritage—and to the world. Through her grandmother’s traditional cuisine Leslie bridges the cultural divide in an America in which she is a minority—as well as the growing gap at home between her rigid, traditional Chinese father and her progressive American-born mother. Interspersed throughout her intimate and moving memoir are the author’s personal recipes, most from Nai-nai’s kitchen, that add a delicious dimension to the work. A loving ode to family and food, Daughter of Heaven is an exquisite blend of memory, history, and the senses.
Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life
by Yiyun LiIn her first memoir, award-winning novelist Yiyun Li offers a journey of recovery through literature: a letter from a writer to like-minded readers. “A meditation on the fact that literature itself lives and gives life.”—Marilynne Robinson, author of Gilead“What a long way it is from one life to another, yet why write if not for that distance?”Startlingly original and shining with quiet wisdom, this is a luminous account of a life lived with books. Written over two years while the author battled suicidal depression, Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life is a painful and yet richly affirming examination of what makes life worth living. Yiyun Li grew up in China and has spent her adult life as an immigrant in a country not her own. She has been a scientist, an author, a mother, a daughter—and through it all she has been sustained by a profound connection with the writers and books she loves. From William Trevor and Katherine Mansfield to Søren Kierkegaard and Philip Larkin, Dear Friend is a journey through the deepest themes that bind these writers together. Interweaving personal experiences with a wide-ranging homage to her most cherished literary influences, Yiyun Li confronts the two most essential questions of her identity: Why write? And why live?Advance praise for Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life “In this exquisite, intimate, lyrical memoir, Yiyun Li reveals her life in flashes appended to an arrestingly coherent philosophy of time, self, and place. Uniting the discipline of a scientist with the empathy of a novelist, she scatters profound and often difficult truths through these generous, wise, challenging pages.”—Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree “Yiyun Li has written a remarkable account of her literary life, begun in her youth in China with the books that first engaged her in the great conversations of literature. In her own emergence as an important and gifted writer in English she has brought a new voice to that great world. She has also been, in the deepest sense, sustained by it. Her new book is a meditation on the fact that literature itself lives and gives life.”—Marilynne Robinson, author of Gilead “Literature, national identity versus the individual self, the clash of public and private, the mysterious nature of relationship, indeed, human nature itself—these subjects and more are explored with remarkable subtlety and rare, limpid mental beauty. A must-read for anyone trying to stay sane in a world that might be perceived as insane.”—Mary Gaitskill, author of The Mare “This extraordinary book is the story of a writer being made and making herself. It is the story of depression coming in waves and being beaten back through love and stubbornness. And also it is one of our finest writers scrutinizing the books that have mattered most to her.”—Akhil Sharma, author of Family Life “Reading Yiyun Li feels like being inside a mind—a quietly forceful, unrelenting mind. Within the limits of language, which she all but touches, she unfolds an argument with the self. She is suspicious of the very concept of the self, but she does not, ultimately, refuse its possibilities. ‘What a long way it is from one life to another,’ she writes, while closing that space.”—Eula Biss, author of On Immunity
Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden: Two Sisters Separated By China's Civil War
by Zhuqing LiSisters separated by war forge new identities as they are forced to choose between family, nation, and their own independence. Jun and Hong were scions of a once great southern Chinese family. Each other’s best friend, they grew up in the 1930s during the final days of Old China before the tumult of the twentieth century brought political revolution, violence, and a fractured national identity. By a quirk of timing, at the end of the Chinese Civil War, Jun ended up on an island under Nationalist control, and then settled in Taiwan, married a Nationalist general, and lived among fellow exiles at odds with everything the new Communist regime stood for on the mainland. Hong found herself an ocean away on the mainland, forced to publicly disavow both her own family background and her sister’s decision to abandon the party. A doctor by training, to overcome the suspicion created by her family circumstances, Hong endured two waves of “re-education” and internal exile, forced to work in some of the most desperately poor, remote areas of the country. Ambitious, determined, and resourceful, both women faced morally fraught decisions as they forged careers and families in the midst of political and social upheaval. Jun established one of U.S.-allied Taiwan’s most important trading companies. Hong became one of the most celebrated doctors in China, appearing on national media and honored for her dedication to medicine. Niece to both sisters, linguist and East Asian scholar Zhuqing Li tells her aunts’ story for the first time, honoring her family’s history with sympathy and grace. Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden is a window into the lives of women in twentieth-century China, a time of traumatic change and unparalleled resilience. In this riveting and deeply personal account, Li confronts the bitter political rivals of mainland China and Taiwan with elegance and unique insight, while celebrating her aunts’ remarkable legacies.
Three Brothers: Memories of My Family
by Yan LiankeFrom the Franz Kafka Prize–winning author. “Full of love, sorrow, and tenderness . . . a deeply heartfelt account of his family in the 1960s and 70s.” —Xiaolu Guo, award-winning author of Nine ContinentsWith lyricism and deep emotion, Yan Lianke chronicles the extraordinary lives of his father and uncles, as well as his own during the Cultural Revolution. Living in a remote village, Yan’s parents are so poor that they can only afford to use wheat flour on New Year and festival days, and while Yan dreams of fried scallion buns, and even steals from his father to buy sesame seed cakes. He yearns to leave the village, however he can, and soon novels become an escape. He resolves to become a writer himself after reading on the back of a novel that its author was given leave to remain in the city of Harbin after publishing her book. In the evenings, after finishing back-breaking shifts hauling stones at a cement factory, sometimes sixteen hours long, he sets to work writing. He is ultimately delivered from the drudgery and danger of manual labor by a career in the Army, but he is filled with regrets as he recalls these years of scarcity, turmoil, and poverty.A philosophical portrait of grief, death, home, and fate that gleams with Yan’s quick wit and gift for imagery, Three Brothers is a personal portrait of a politically devastating period, and a celebration of the power of the family to hold together even in the harshest circumstances.“This engaging book asks readers to consider the nature of life and death, city versus country, and the impact generations can have on each other.” —Winnipeg Free Press
The Many Lives of Miss K: Toto Koopman - Model, Muse, Spy
by Jean-Noel Liaut Denise Raab JacobsA life of glamour and tragedy, set against the watershed cultural and political movements of twentieth-century Europe. "Toto" Koopman (1908-1991) is a new addition to the set of iconoclastic women whose biographies intrigue and inspire modern-day readers. Like her contemporaries Lee Miller or Vita Sackville-West, Toto lived with an independent spirit more typical of the men of her generation, moving in the worlds of fashion, society, art, and politics with an insouciant ease that would stir both admiration and envy even today. Sphinxlike and tantalizing, Toto conducted her life as a game, driven by audacity and style. Jean-Noël Liaut chases his enigmatic subject through the many roles and lives she inhabited, both happy and tragic. Though her beauty, charisma, and taste for the extraordinary made her an exuberant fixture of Paris fashion and café society, her intelligence and steely sense of self drove her toward bigger things, culminating in espionage during WWII, for which she was imprisoned by the Nazis in Ravensbruck. After the horrors of the camp, she found solace in Erica Brausen, the German art dealer who launched the career of Francis Bacon, and the two women lived out their lives together surrounded by cultural luminaries like Edmonde Charles-Roux and Luchino Visconti. But even in her later decades, Toto remained impossible for anyone to possess. The Many Lives of Miss K explores the allure of a freethinking and courageous woman who, fiercely protective of her independence, was sought after by so many but ultimately known by very few.
Sterker dan schizofrenie
by Audrey Liauw Richard Carlson Jr.Mijn verhaal over paranoïde schizofrenie, obsessieve-compulsieve stoornis, depressie, anosognosie, suïcide, en de behandeling en het herstel van ernstige geestesziekte
Horses Don't Fly: The Memoir of the Cowboy Who Became a World War I Ace
by Frederick LibbyFrom breaking wild horses in Colorado to fighting the Red Baron's squadrons in the skies over France, here in his own words is the true story of a forgotten American hero: the cowboy who became our first ace and the first pilot to fly the American colors over enemy lines. Growing up on a ranch in Sterling, Colorado, Frederick Libby mastered the cowboy arts of roping, punching cattle, and taming horses. As a young man he exercised his skills in the mountains and on the ranges of Arizona and New Mexico as well as the Colorado prairie. When World War I broke out, he found himself in Calgary, Alberta, and joined the Canadian army. In France, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an "observer," the gunner in a two-person biplane. Libby shot down an enemy plane on his first day in battle over the Somme, which was also the first day he flew in a plane or fired a machine gun. He went on to become a pilot. He fought against the legendary German aces Oswald Boelcke and Manfred von Richthofen, and became the first American to down five enemy planes. He won the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry in action. Libby's memoir of his cowboy days in the last years of the Old West evokes a real-life Cormac McCarthy novel. His description of World War I combines a rattling good account of the air war over France with captivating and sometimes poignant depictions of wartime London, the sorrow for friends lost in combat, and the courage and camaraderie of the Royal Flying Corps. Told in charming, straightforward vernacular, Horses Don't Fly is an unforgettable piece of Americana.
The King's Rose
by Libby Alisa M.Life in the court of King Henry VIII is a complex game. When fifteen-year-old Catherine Howard catches the king?s eye, she quickly transforms from pawn to queen. But even luxury beyond imagination loses its luster as young Catherine finds her life?and her heart?threatened by the needs of an aging king and a family hungry for power. Will their agendas deliver Catherine to the same fate as her infamous cousin, Anne Boleyn?sacrificed at the altar of family ambition? Engaging historical fiction with a throbbing YA heartbeat, this thrilling novel will draw readers into the intrigues and dangers of the Tudor court. .
Criando hijos, creando personas
by Alejandra Libenson¿Cómo lograr que nuestros hijos coman bien? ¿Cuándo es el momento de sacarles los pañales? ¿A dormir se aprende? ¿Cuándo y cómo destetar al bebé? ¿Cuál es la mejor manera de estimular? ¿Qué significa "poner límites"? ¿Qué jardín de infantes elegir y cómo lograr una buena adaptación? ¿Los celos son "normales"? ¿Cómo manejar los miedos de los niños y los nuestros? ¿Cómo los preparamos para los cambios? ¿Cómo superar la culpa por volver a trabajar? Durante tres años, Alejandra Libenson respondió, a través de la web, a estas y a muchas otras inquietudes que le transmitían padres de diversos lugares del mundo. Sobre esta base, de preguntas y respuestas reales, comenzó a gestarse este libro con el objetivo de que esta rica experiencia sirviera a muchos otros padres. Ningún niño es igual a otro; ningún padre reacciona de idéntica manera ante sus hijos. En consecuencia, no existen "recetas" mágicas para criarlos, sino caminos posibles, que se van descubriendo en la prolongada, ardua y maravillosa tarea de ser padres. Respondiendo el interrogante individual, personal y propio de cada mamá, papá o adulto a cargo de niños, la autora nos va abriendo la puerta a diferentes formas de pensar la crianza de nuestros hijos, nos acerca soluciones insospechadas y nos ayuda a encontrar nuevos enfoques. Un libro diferente que parte de la convicción de que criar niños no es un adiestramiento ni un camino que se transita siguiendo recetas. Es crear personas, es creer en ellos y crecer con ellos.
Revival: Economic Methods And The Effectiveness Of Production (1971) (Routledge Revivals)
by E G Liberman Arlo SchultzThis title was first published in 1971: Aims to provide an exciting and psychologically penetrating account of the life of Russia's 18th century tsar/reformer and the theme of progress through violence in Russia.
Mi libro enterrado
by Mauro LibertellaRelato autobiográfico sensible y equilibrado sobre la muerte de su padre, Héctor Libertella, escritor de culto e impulsor de un canon alternativo en la literatura argentina. En octubre de 2006 muere Héctor Libertella, escritor de culto de la literatura argentina y padre de Mauro Libertella. Cuatro años después el hijo escribe esta novela, que recuerda los últimos días de su padre y también los momentos fundamentales de la relación entre los dos. Mi libro enterrado enhebra así el hilo dorado de un vínculo filial. Como una caja de resonancias en miniatura, es al mismo tiempo una despedida, un réquiem, un homenaje, una canción desesperada y un texto que relata una entrada a la literatura: un libro sobre cómo se escribe un primer libro. Apoyado sobre un puñado de escenas de enorme impacto emocional, el autor genera una identificación instantánea. Ambientada en la Buenos Aires de fin de siglo, se puede leer, sin embargo, como una novela sobre cualquier padre en cualquier ciudad del mundo, dentro de la gran tradición de la literatura de duelo. La critica ha dicho... «Un libro conmovedor, no sólo por los hechos que narra sino por encontrar una voz propia, capaz de narrar esa miseria con una legibilidad encomiable. Un libro valiente e inolvidable.»Diego Zúñiga «Mauro narra el derrumbe de Héctor, su agonía, su muerte, su velatorio, su entierro, sin crudeza (porque la crudeza supondría efectismo) pero sin opacidad (porque la opacidad supondría afectación). Un registro notablemente auténtico, admirablemente honesto.»Martín Kohan «Un libro conmovedor en el mejor de los sentidos. Un homenaje íntimo, grave, lacónico.»Ignacio Echevarría «Este es un libro sobrio y muy bello, que no podría entenderse como ajuste de cuentas ni como un panegírico. Al momento de describir lo que hay en él, también brillan estas otras palabras, en necesario desorden, plenas, inevitables: nobleza y amor.»Alejandro Zambra
The Forgotten Giant of Bletchley Park
by Harold LibertyIn recent years, the work of the Bletchley Park codebreakers has caught the public’s imagination with books and films. While men such as Alan Turing and Dilly Knox have been recognized, Brigadier John Tiltman has been hardly mentioned. This overdue biography reveals that ‘The Brig’, as he was known, played a key role. After distinguished Great War military service, he established himself as a skilled codebreaker between the Wars, monitoring Russian and other unfriendly powers’ messages. During World War Two he was regarded as the most versatile of cryptographers, cracking a range of codes including Japanese ones. He made the first breakthrough against the German High Command Lorenz system and what he found led to the creation of machines including Colossus, the first recognisable computer. His lack of recognition may be down to his apparent lack of association with Enigma but, in truth, he was closely involved at the start. In addition to his cryptological brilliance, ‘The Brig’ was a gifted communicator and team-builder whose character combined charm, intelligence, determination and common sense. He was key to building the special relationship with our American partners both during and after the war. Harold Liberty’s biography shines light on a man whose contribution was essential to Britain’s survival and triumph in the Second World War.
The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln
by Philosophical LibraryOne of America's most important presidents and great communicators Remembered for his leadership during the dark years of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln remains one of the most studied and intriguing figures in American history. Collected from his letters, documents, and speeches, The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln examines the sixteenth president's statements on politics, the Civil War, slavery, education, law, Reconstruction, and his private life, and offers readers both his most notable remarks in their original context and insight on a variety of earlier and less explored historical events. His wry and self-deprecating humor comes through whether he is speaking of his own election or writing to his wife. Arranged chronologically, Lincoln's quotes reflect his evolution from humble small-town politician to a leader facing his nation's greatest internal crisis and massive social change.
The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt
by Philosophical LibraryNearly five hundred sage observations from the "First Lady of the World"A role model for generations of women, Eleanor Roosevelt lent her passion, support, and life experience to humanitarian causes in the United States and abroad, making her a popular and influential figure of the twentieth century. Both as a first lady and as a public figure, Mrs. Roosevelt championed the poor, minorities, and women. Her work as a civil rights advocate resulted in the desegregation of the armed forces and the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Culling quotes from her books, letters, and articles, and also providing timelines, contextual explanations, and a reader's guide, The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt offers a thorough and lasting tribute to a tireless and compassionate leader.
The Wisdom of Jane Austen
by Philosophical LibraryThe perfect companion for Austen's devoted following For over 150 years, Jane Austen has charmed readers with her keen observations and satirical wit. Although set in the parlors and ballrooms of nineteenth-century Britain, her novels continue to resonate deeply with readers as her endearingly imperfect characters share their hopes and foibles, passions and disappointments, in their quest for love and ultimately happy marriage. Collected from her novels, early stories, and letters, The Wisdom of Jane Austen shares her witty and timeless views on a range of subjects, from love and marriage, to fashion and duels, and, of course, pride, prejudice, sense, and sensibility.
Wisdom of the Presidents: The Wisdom of FDR, The Wisdom of Theodore Roosevelt, The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, and The Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson
by Philosophical LibraryThe collected writings and wisdom of four great US presidents: Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Featuring both official and personal letters, documents, speeches, and articles, this brilliant anthology is filled with the ideas and observations of four iconic leaders who not only guided their nation through trying times, but also left a legacy of wisdom to guide future generations.The Wisdom of FDR What made Franklin Delano Roosevelt an effective leader? His policies and decisions changed our nation's and the world's history. But more than his skill as a savvy politician and progressive thinker, FDR's ability to voice his thoughts on national concerns, social change, and humanity directly and eloquently spoke to the hearts of the people. His observations and opinions cover everything from faith, war, and peace to religion, freedom, and the very definition of what it is to be an American. The essays included here--"The Four Freedoms," "We Belong to Many Races," "True Education," "The Rights of the Common Man," "Dynamic Democracy," and "Government with a Soul"--illustrate how a great American president communicated a changing worldview.The Wisdom of Theodore Roosevelt Few American presidents are remembered for such a vivid personality as Teddy Roosevelt. In this fascinating portrait of one of America's most dynamic figures, the vibrant thinker, politician, and outdoorsman relays his passionate feelings on a wide array of subjects, showcasing his evolving beliefs on topics including his strenuous life, the bully pulpit, childhood, imperialism, religion, and even his daughter, Alice. Through his own words, the modern reader comes to understand how Roosevelt saw deeply into American society and its problems and willed the people to mobilize and deal with issues head on.The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln Remembered for his leadership during the dark years of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln remains one of the most studied and intriguing figures in American history. The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln examines the sixteenth president's statements on politics, the Civil War, slavery, education, law, Reconstruction, and his private life, offering both his most notable remarks in their original context and insight on a variety of earlier and less explored historical events. His wry and self-deprecating humor comes through whether he is speaking of his own election or writing to his wife, and his quotes reflect his evolution from humble small-town politician to a leader facing his nation's greatest internal crisis and massive social change.The Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson Statesman. Diplomat. Politician. Scholar. Inventor. Architect. President. Few men exemplify the Enlightenment ideal more than Thomas Jefferson. Here, his dynamic personality and insatiable curiosity jump off the page and draw the reader into the young country he so greatly influenced. Whether the topic is the right to freedom or the future of Native Americans, westward expansion or the political climate in France, his personal impressions of historical luminaries or his architectural preferences, his financial troubles or his feelings about religious freedom, Jefferson's convictions are brilliantly explained and often ahead of their time. The Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson paints a detailed and revealing portrait of the mind of an American Renaissance man.
The Wisdom of Theodore Roosevelt
by Philosophical LibraryA fascinating portrait of a dynamic figure in American history Few American presidents stand as such vivid personalities in our history as Theodore Roosevelt. Through this selection of quotations and excerpts, drawn from his speeches, articles, letters, and other writing, this vibrant thinker, politician, outdoorsman, and more relays his passionate feelings on a wide array of subjects. Provided by topic and in chronological order, Roosevelt's quotations show his evolving beliefs on everything from the strenuous life to the bully pulpit, childhood to imperialism, religion to his daughter, Alice. Throughout, the modern reader comes to understand how Roosevelt saw deeply into American society and its problems, and willed the people to mobilize and deal with issues head on.
The Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson
by Philosophical LibraryA fascinating look inside the mind of an American Renaissance man Statesman. Diplomat. Politician. Scholar. Inventor. Architect. President. Few men exemplify the Enlightenment ideal more than Thomas Jefferson. In this comprehensive collection of quotations from Thomas Jefferson's letters, official communications, and other writings, the dynamic personality and insatiable curiosity of this brilliant man jump off the page and draw us into the young country he so greatly influenced. Whether writing about the right to freedom or the future of Native Americans, the westward expansion or the political climate in France, his personal impressions of historical luminaries or his architectural preferences, his financial troubles or his feelings about religious freedom, Jefferson's convictions are brilliantly explained and often ahead of their time. With seventeen chapters arranged chronologically to highlight the evolution of his thought, as well as a timeline and a cross-section of his finest works, The Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson paints a detailed and revealing portrait of this great man.
The Wisdom of William Shakespeare
by Philosophical LibraryHundreds of ideas and quotations from the pillar of Western literature The playwright Ben Jonson said William Shakespeare was not "of an age but for all time." The most influential and oft-quoted figure in English literature, Shakespeare reveals an uncanny understanding of human behavior, and he imparts his wisdom through the varied voices of his characters. His thoughts on love, friendship, power, politics, injustice, education, humanity, life, death, and grief, here organized by subject, collectively demonstrate that no writer before or since has captured so well the motivations that drive our behavior. In this invaluable collection, scholars and enthusiasts alike will find an easy-to-use and comprehensive guide to the Bard of Avon.
Ronald Reagan: 100 Years
by Ronald LibraryRonald Reagan: 100 Years is the official centennial publication from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. Featuring archival photographs of the Reagan family along with insightful text, this book is the ultimate commemorative edition to mark the one hundredth anniversary of President Reagan’s birth. It offers an intimate, insider’s glimpse of the life and legacy of America’s most beloved leader.
Don Vito
by Francesco La Licata Massimo Ciancimino N. S. ThompsonThis is the true story of Vito Ciancimino--Don Vito da Corleone, the "Mayor of the Corleones"--who spent forty years in the grip of death, mafia, politics, business deals and the secret service. Don Vito recounts years of clandestine and previously censored contacts between politicians and the mafia--between the Italian State and the Cosa Nostra. The key witness is Massimo, the penultimate and hitherto closest of Don Vito's five children, who has given his personal testament for the first time. His account rewrites some of the most important events of Italy's recent history. If Roberto Saviano's Gomorra revealed the workings of the mafia system from street level, Francesco La Licata and Massimo Ciancimino's Don Vito tells us about the people who held the reins of power. In the words of Attilio Bolzoni of Republica: "This is the portrait of a man who was a key player from post war Italy to our days in one of the most daunting of Italian affairs, a figure who inspired fear, a devil. He was friend with mafia bosses and great politicians, of killers and respectable gentlemen. Vito Ciancimino was the incarnation of power itself, maybe the most hated and feared, the most suspected and worshipped, man of Palermo and of the whole Sicilian society".
Henry VI & Margaret of Anjou: A Marriage of Unequals
by Amy Licence“An illuminating and entertaining read . . . an analytical assessment of the two figures who led the Lancastrian faction during the Wars of the Roses.” —History . . . The Interesting Bits!He became king before his first birthday, inheriting a vast empire from his military hero father; she was the daughter of a king without power, who made an unexpected marriage at the age of fifteen. Almost completely opposite in character, together they formed an unlikely but complimentary partnership.Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou have become famous as the Lancastrian king and queen who were deposed during the Wars of the Roses but there is so much more to their story. The political narrative of their years together is a tale of twists and turns, encompassing incredible highs, when they came close to fulfilling their desires, and terrible, heart-breaking lows. Personally, their story is an intriguing one that raises may questions. Henry was a complex, misunderstood man, enlightened and unsuited to his times and the pressures of kingship. In the end, overcome by fortune and the sheer determination of their enemies, their alliance collapsed. England simply wasn’t ready for a gentle king like Henry, or woman like Margaret who defied contemporary stereotypes of gender and queenship.History has been a harsh judge to this royal couple. In this discerning dual biography, Amy Licence leads the way in a long-overdue re-evaluation of their characters and contributions during a tumultuous and defining period of British history. “A delight to read . . . A fresh new look at this power couple.” —Adventures of a Tudor Nerd
Edward the Confessor: Last of the Royal Blood (The English Monarchs Series)
by Tom LicenceAn authoritative life of Edward the Confessor, the monarch whose death sparked the invasion of 1066 One of the last kings of Anglo-Saxon England, Edward the Confessor regained the throne for the House of Wessex and is the only English monarch to have been canonized. Often cast as a reluctant ruler, easily manipulated by his in-laws, he has been blamed for causing the invasion of 1066—the last successful conquest of England by a foreign power. Tom Licence navigates the contemporary webs of political deceit to present a strikingly different Edward. He was a compassionate man and conscientious ruler, whose reign marked an interval of peace and prosperity between periods of strife. More than any monarch before, he exploited the mystique of royalty to capture the hearts of his subjects. This compelling biography provides a much-needed reassessment of Edward&’s reign—calling into doubt the legitimacy of his successors and rewriting the ending of Anglo-Saxon England.
Leave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job. Kill It In Your Career. Rock Social Media
by Aliza Licht"If you want the job of your dreams, read this book." - Stacy London, TV personality and style expertLeave Your Mark isn't an advice book -- it's a mentorship in 288 pages.Aliza Licht- global fashion communications executive, fashion's favorite 'PR girl,' and former Twitter phenomenon - is here to tell her story, complete with The Devil Wears Prada-like moments and insider secrets.Drawing invaluable lessons from her own experience, Licht shares advice, inspiration, and a healthy dose of real talk. She delivers personal and professional guidance for people just starting their careers and for people who are well on their way.With a particular emphasis on building your personal brand (something she knows a thing or two about), Aliza is your sassy and knowledgeable guide to the contemporary working world, where personal and professional lines are blurred and the most important thing you can have is a strong sense of self.