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This Much Country
by Kristin Knight PaceA memoir of heartbreak, thousand-mile races, the endless Alaskan wilderness and many, many dogs from one of only a handful of women to have completed both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod.In 2009, after a crippling divorce that left her heartbroken and directionless, Kristin decided to accept an offer to live at a friend's cabin outside of Denali National Park in Alaska for a few months. In exchange for housing, she would take care of her friend's eight sled dogs. That winter, she learned that she was tougher than she ever knew. She learned how to survive in one of the most remote places on earth and she learned she was strong enough to be alone. She fell in love twice: first with running sled dogs, and then with Andy, a gentle man who had himself moved to Alaska to heal a broken heart. Kristin and Andy married and started a sled dog kennel. While this work was enormously satisfying, Kristin became determined to complete the Iditarod -- the 1,000-mile dogsled race from Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast.THIS MUCH COUNTRY is the story of renewal and transformation. It's about journeying across a wild and unpredictable landscape and finding inner peace, courage and a true home. It's about pushing boundaries and overcoming paralyzing fears.
Black Sheep: A Story of Rural Racism, Identity and Hope
by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys'Honest and authentic - I could not put it down' Michelle Griffith Robinson OLY'Black Sheep is powerful testimony for anyone seeking to deepen their own anti-racist journey. This is passionate, raw writing, with moments of reflection that we can all learn from. It's a story that had to be told, and must be heard' Jeffrey BoakyeSabrina Pace-Humphreys is a 44-year-old mother of four and grandmother of three, an award-winning businesswoman, an ultrarunner, a social justice activist and a recovering alcoholic. She is a mixed-raced woman, the daughter of a white Scottish Roman Catholic woman and a Black man. When she was two, her parents separated and Sabrina, her mother and her white-presenting younger sister moved to a small market town where no-one looked like her. From as young as she can remember, she was the subject of verbal and physical racist abuse.In Black Sheep, Sabrina reveals how she got from there to here: about growing up in a home, a school and a town where no-one looked like her and her subsequent struggle to understand and find her identity; about her lived experience of rural racism; about becoming a teenage mother and her determination to break that stereotype; about her battle with alcoholism and her mental health; about how running saved her life; and ultimately about how someone can not only survive but thrive in spite of their past. Sabrina's experience will chime with anyone who has felt like an outsider. Poignant and eye-opening, and exploring themes of trauma, identity, mental health and addiction, Black Sheep is a tale of triumph: of grit and determination, of hope over despair.
Black Sheep: A Story of Rural Racism, Identity and Hope
by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys'Honest and authentic - I could not put it down' Michelle Griffith Robinson OLY'Black Sheep is powerful testimony for anyone seeking to deepen their own anti-racist journey. This is passionate, raw writing, with moments of reflection that we can all learn from. It's a story that had to be told, and must be heard' Jeffrey BoakyeSabrina Pace-Humphreys is a 44-year-old mother of four and grandmother of three, an award-winning businesswoman, an ultrarunner, a social justice activist and a recovering alcoholic. She is a mixed-raced woman, the daughter of a white Scottish Roman Catholic woman and a Black man. When she was two, her parents separated and Sabrina, her mother and her white-presenting younger sister moved to a small market town where no-one looked like her. From as young as she can remember, she was the subject of verbal and physical racist abuse.In Black Sheep, Sabrina reveals how she got from there to here: about growing up in a home, a school and a town where no-one looked like her and her subsequent struggle to understand and find her identity; about her lived experience of rural racism; about becoming a teenage mother and her determination to break that stereotype; about her battle with alcoholism and her mental health; about how running saved her life; and ultimately about how someone can not only survive but thrive in spite of their past. Sabrina's experience will chime with anyone who has felt like an outsider. Poignant and eye-opening, and exploring themes of trauma, identity, mental health and addiction, Black Sheep is a tale of triumph: of grit and determination, of hope over despair.
Black Sheep: A Story of Rural Racism, Identity and Hope
by Sabrina Pace-HumphreysSabrina Pace-Humphreys is a 43-year-old mother of four and grandmother of two, an award-winning businesswoman, an ultrarunner, a social justice activist and a recovering alcoholic. She is a mixed-raced woman, the daughter of a white Scottish Roman Catholic woman and a Black Church of England man. When she was two, her parents separated and Sabrina, her mother and her white-presenting younger sister moved to a small market town where no-one looked like her. From as young as she can remember, she was the subject of verbal and physical racist abuse.In Black Sheep, Sabrina reveals how she got from there to here: about growing up in a home, a school and a town where no-one looked like her and her subsequent struggle to understand and find her identity; about her lived experience of rural racism; about becoming a teenage mother and her determination to break that stereotype; about her battle with alcoholism and her mental health; about how running saved her life; and ultimately about how someone can not only survive but thrive in spite of their past. Sabrina's experience will chime with anyone who has felt like an outsider. Poignant and eye-opening, and exploring themes of trauma, identity, mental health and addiction, Black Sheep is a tale of triumph: of grit and determination, of hope over despair.(P) 2022 Quercus Editions Limited
The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them
by Wayne Pacelle“If the animals knew about this book they would, without doubt, confer on Wayne Pacelle, their highest honor.”—Jane Goodall“The Bond is the best overall book on animals I have ever read. Brilliant and moving.”—John Mackey, CEO and Co-founder of Whole Foods Market“The Bond is at once heart-breaking and heart-warming. No animal escapes Wayne Pacelle’s attention; nor should his book escape any human animal’s attention.”—Alexandra Horowitz, New York Times Bestselling Author of Inside of a Dog The president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, the world’s largest animal protection organization, Wayne Pacelle brings us The Bond, a heartfelt, eye-opening exploration of the special bond between animals and humans. With the poignant insight of Animals Make Us Human and the shocking reality of Fast Food Nation—filled with history, valuable insights, and fascinating stories of the author’s experience in the field—The Bond is an important investigation into all the ways we can repair our broken bond with the animal kingdom and a thrilling chronicle of one man’s extraordinary contribution to that effort.
Legendary Locals of Santa Fe
by Ana PachecoFounded in 1610, Santa Fe has been a beacon for those yearning for adventure, a different way of life, a place of expression, and the opportunity to meld the old with the new. Designated America's first United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Creative City in 2005, Santa Fe is home to people from around the world. Legendary Locals of Santa Fe pays tribute to a diverse group of individuals, who through different eras have contributed to the city's vitality: Native American Po'pay, leader of the Pueblo Revolt; world-renowned sculptor Allan Houser; performing artist Maria Benitez, who rejuvenated the genre of Spanish Flamenco dance and music; Pulitzer Prize authors Willa Cather and Oliver La Farge; Fray Angelico Chavez, Santa Fe's preeminent historian; Santa Fe Opera founder John Crosby; Stewart L. Udall, former Secretary of the Interior under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations; and Sgt. Leroy A. Petry, the 2011 Medal of Honor recipient. All share an enduring spirit and belief in the community that the Spanish explorers had the foresight to name "the City of Holy Faith."
Demente criminal
by Ibéyise PachecoEL extraordinario libro inspiró la serie televisiva Demente criminal Roxana Vargas despierta de un sueño profundo mientras está siendo violada. En medio de la confusión, recuerda que está en una sesión con su psiquiatra y tiene la certeza inmediata de que ha sido sedada. Roxana acabó siendo asesinada por el psiquiatra Edmundo Chirinos, un personaje siniestro con influencia en los centros de poder de su país. Tras la muerte de la joven se develó una sociedad cómplice y fue posible desenmascarar un poder que guardó silencio ante las andanzas de Chirinos. Ésta es la historia de Roxana, una joven de apenas diecinueve años de edad que soñaba con ser periodista. También es la historia de su asesino, Edmundo Chirinos, un poderoso médico que incursionó en la política y llegó a ser candidato a la presidencia de la República. El asesinato de Roxana causó revuelo en los medios de su país, sobre todo por las revelaciones que salieron a la luz. Al psiquiatra intachable, aplaudido por todo un país, se le decomisaron fotografías de unas 1200 mujeres, muchas de ellas tomadas en su consultorio mientras éstas yacían desnudas y aparentemente sedadas. El trabajo incisivo de una valerosa periodista, Ibéyise Pacheco, puso al descubierto la doble personalidad del psiquiatra, una suerte de doctor Jeckill y señor Hyde venezolano. En su investigación #en la cual entrevistó a los implicados y relacionados con el caso, y en especial al doctor Chirinos# reconstruye y da cuenta de la retorcida personalidad de Chirinos, la truculencia del caso, los testimonios dramáticos de las víctimas y los archivos de la fiscalía. Con un estilo preciso y sin dejar cabos sueltos, la periodista no elude las escenas más crudas, deja que lo explícito se muestre y mientras, como telón de fondo, un acercamiento al carácter nacional, quizá dislocado, quebrado psíquicamente.
Un amor en Auschwitz: Una historia real
by Francesca PaciLa historia de un prisionero polaco y una judía que se enamoraron en el campo de exterminio. Un hecho real, inexplicable e injustamente olvidado, que la periodista Francesca Paci reconstruye por primera vez a través de fuentes extraídas de los archivos del Museo Estatal de Auschwitz, documentos de la época y conversaciones con los pocos testigos de esta historia de amor que siguen vivos. Mala Zimetbaum era una joven encantadora, culta y carismática. Hablaba varios idiomas y las SS la eligieron como intérprete y traductora. Una mujer de gran generosidad, que ayudaba en todos los sentidos a sus compañeros de prisión. Edek, Edward Galin'ski, era una persona fuera de lo común: uno de los primeros deportados a Auschwitz-Birkenau. Fue testigo del nacimiento y crecimiento de la máquina de genocidio, pero nunca se dio por vencido. En 1944, aunque el Tercer Reich se aproximaba a la derrota, en los campos de exterminio la masacre continuaba. En este entorno Edek y Mala, enamorados, van al encuentro de su destino. «Mala y Edek se quedan solos, de nuevo solos bajo las estrellas; es la primera noche que pasan juntos, dos veinteañeros que han visto un infierno cada vez más sediento de sangre y que han salido de él cogidos de la mano. El lager donde estabanencerrados hasta hace pocas horas es el pasado. Delante se alza la oscura silueta de los Beskid Ma#y que deben empezar a subir en cuanto salga el sol, momento en el que tendrán que ponerse de nuevo en marcha.»
My Best Friend is a Wookie
by Tony PacittiIn a galaxy far, far away a geek was born.So begins the real-life hero's journey of Jedi Knight wannabe Tony Pacitti. In this hilarious coming-of-age memoir, Tony shows how Star Wars has served as a source of comfort, guidance, and wisdom in his life. From the first thunderous boom of John William's score, seven-year-old Tony takes on Star Wars as his moral compass, his mentor, even his psychologist. Like his hero Luke Skywalker, Tony must then overcome Stormtrooper bullies, Lando turncoats, and Emperor Palpatine authority figures and embrace his own geekiness to grow into a man worthy of riding shotgun with Chewie. With the sense of humor of Han Solo, the willpower of Luke Skywalker, and the wisdom of a (much younger) Yoda, Pacitti uses the Force to follow his heart, overcome obstacles, and live a life worthy of a Jedi knight, endearing Star Wars fans everywhere in the process!
My Best Friend is a Wookie: One Boy's Journey to Find His Place in the Galaxy
by Tony PacittiIn a galaxy far, far away a geek was born.So begins the real-life hero's journey of Jedi Knight wannabe Tony Pacitti. In this hilarious coming-of-age memoir, Tony shows how Star Wars has served as a source of comfort, guidance, and wisdom in his life. From the first thunderous boom of John William's score, seven-year-old Tony takes on Star Wars as his moral compass, his mentor, even his psychologist. Like his hero Luke Skywalker, Tony must then overcome Stormtrooper bullies, Lando turncoats, and Emperor Palpatine authority figures and embrace his own geekiness to grow into a man worthy of riding shotgun with Chewie.With the sense of humor of Han Solo, the willpower of Luke Skywalker, and the wisdom of a (much younger) Yoda, Pacitti uses the Force to follow his heart, overcome obstacles, and live a life worthy of a Jedi knight, endearing Star Wars fans everywhere in the process!
My Best Friend is a Wookiee
by Tony Pacitti"In a galaxy far, far away a geek was born. "So begins the real-life hero s journey of Jedi Knight wannabe Tony Pacitti. In this hilarious coming-of-age memoir, Tony shows how "Star Wars" has served as a source of comfort, guidance, and wisdom in his life. From the first thunderous boom of John William s score, seven-year-old Tony takes on "Star Wars" as his moral compass, his mentor, even his psychologist. Like his hero Luke Skywalker, Tony must then overcome Stormtrooper bullies, Lando turncoats, and Emperor Palpatine authority figures and embrace his own geekiness to grow into a man worthy of riding shotgun with Chewie. With the sense of humor of Han Solo, the willpower of Luke Skywalker, and the wisdom of a (much younger) Yoda, Pacitti uses the Force to follow his heart, overcome obstacles, and live a life worthy of a Jedi knight, endearing "Star Wars" fans everywhere in the process
Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words
by Michael Pack Mark PaolettaDrawing on historical documents and exclusive interviews, authors tell the inspiring story of Clarence Thomas's rise from a childhood of poverty and prejudice in the segregated South to Supreme Court Justice. Companion to blockbuster documentary Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words, but a fascinating stand alone read, as well!*The full story behind the wildly successful documentary film, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words* Born into dire poverty in the segregated South and abandoned by his father as a child, Justice Clarence Thomas triumphed over seemingly insurmountable odds to become one of the most influential justices on the Supreme Court. Yet after three decades of honorable service, few know him beyond his contentious confirmation and the surrounding media firestorm. Who is Justice Clarence Thomas, in his own words? In the follow-up to the wildly successful documentary by the same name, Created Equal builds on dozens of hours of groundbreaking, one-on-one interviews with Thomas to share a new, expanded account of his powerful story for the first time. Producer Michael Pack and Mark Paoletta, a lawyer who worked alongside Thomas during his confirmation, dive deep into the Justice&’s story. Drawing on a rich array of historical documents and unreleased conversations with Thomas, his wife, and those who knew him best, Created Equal is a timeless account of faith, race, power, and personal resilience.
The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company
by David PackardIn the fall of 1930, David Packard left his hometown of Pueblo, Colorado, to enroll at Stanford University, where he befriended another freshman, Bill Hewlett. After graduation, Hewlett and Packard decided to throw their lots in together. They tossed a coin to decide whose name should go first on the notice of incorporation, then cast about in search of products to sell. Today, the one-car garage in Palo Alto that housed their first workshop is a California historic landmark: the birthplace of Silicon Valley. And Hewlett-Packard has produced thousands of innovative products for millions of customers throughout the world. Their little company employs 98,400 people and boasts constantly increasing sales that reached $25 billion in 1994. While there are many successful companies, there is only one Hewlett-Packard, because from the very beginning, Hewlett and Packard had a way of doing things that was contrary to the prevailing management strategies. In defining the objectives for their company, Packard and Hewlett wanted more than profits, revenue growth and a constant stream of new, happy customers. Hewlett-Packard's success owes a great deal to many factors, including openness to change, an unrelenting will to win, the virtue of sustained hard work and a company-wide commitment to community involvement. As a result, HP now is universally acclaimed as the world's most admired technology company; its wildly successful approach to business has been immortalized as "The HP Way".
Edwin O. Reischauer and the American Discovery of Japan
by George PackardIn 1961, President Kennedy named Edwin O. Reischauer the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Already deeply intimate with the country, Reischauer hoped to establish a more equal partnership with Japan, which had long been maligned in the American imagination. Reischauer pushed his fellow citizens to abandon caricature and stereotype and recognize Japan as a peace-loving democracy. Though his efforts were often condemned for being "too soft," the immensity of his influence (and the truth of his arguments) can be felt today. Having worked as Reischauer's special assistant in Tokyo, George R. Packard writes the definitive-and first-biography of this rare, charismatic talent. Reischauer reset the balance between two powerful nations. During World War II, he analyzed intelligence and trained American codebreakers in Japanese. He helped steer Japan toward democracy and then wrote its definitive English-language history. Reischauer's scholarship supplied the foundations for future East Asian disciplines, and his prescient research foretold America's missteps with China and involvement in Vietnam. At the time of his death in 1990, Reischauer warned the U.S. against adopting an attitude toward Asia that was too narrow and self-centered. India, Pakistan, and North Korea are now nuclear powers, and Reischauer's political brilliance has become more necessary and trenchant than ever.
Edwin O. Reischauer and the American Discovery of Japan
by George R. PackardIn 1961, President Kennedy named Edwin O. Reischauer the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Already deeply intimate with the country, Reischauer hoped to establish a more equal partnership with Japan, which had long been maligned in the American imagination. Reischauer pushed his fellow citizens to abandon caricature and stereotype and recognize Japan as a peace-loving democracy. Though his efforts were often condemned for being "too soft," the immensity of his influence (and the truth of his arguments) can be felt today. Having worked as Reischauer's special assistant in Tokyo, George R. Packard writes the definitive - and first - biography of this rare, charismatic talent. Reischauer reset the balance between two powerful nations. During World War II, he analyzed intelligence and trained American codebreakers in Japanese. He helped steer Japan toward democracy and then wrote its definitive English-language history. Reischauer's scholarship supplied the foundations for future East Asian disciplines, and his prescient research foretold America's missteps with China and involvement in Vietnam. At the time of his death in 1990, Reischauer warned the U.S. against adopting an attitude toward Asia that was too narrow and self-centered. India, Pakistan, and North Korea are now nuclear powers, and Reischauer's political brilliance has become more necessary and trenchant than ever.
Nuestro hombre: Richard Holbrooke y el fin del siglo americano
by George PackerUn vívido relato que nos acerca a una de las figuras más complejas y relevantes de la diplomacia estadounidense. Richard Holbrooke fue un actor principal en un período histórico de incuestionable trascendencia, marcado por el ascenso y por la caída del poder de Estados Unidos. En un vibrante relato, George Packer saca a la luz el idealismo y el propósito humanitario del controvertido diplomático enfrentados, paradójicamente, a su terquedad y su egolatría, y ahonda en el papel clave que desempeñó en las guerras de Vietnam, Bosnia y Afganistán, cuyas consecuencias resuenan hasta nuestros días. La obra no solo penetra en los secretos y la personalidad de Holbrooke, sino que permite al lector abrirse camino a través de las esferas sociales y gubernamentales a las que este perteneció. Una incursión sin precedentes en la diplomacia estadounidense. Reseñas:«Dudé que cualquier novela, ni siquiera una coescrita por Graham Greene y F. Scott Fitzgerald, pudiera capturar a Holbrooke por completo, y ciertamente pensé que ninguna biografía lo haría. Pero ahora una lo ha conseguido. El libro de Packer retrata a Holbrooke en todo su esplendor... Una historia trepidante con sabor a tragicomedia de Shakespeare.»Walter Isaacson, The New York Times «Absolutamente fascinante. Una elegía tanto de Holbrooke como de la visión estadounidense del poder que este representaba. Una obra profunda, reflejada a través de una atractiva prosa.»Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor «Si este libro rebosa tal intensidad, complejidad y profundidad narrativa es porque su autor había nacido para escribirlo. La fuerza de estas páginas reside en la figura de Holbrooke, que Packer ha definido al mismo nivel que Boswell definió la verdad humana que se escondía tras Samuel Johnson.»Thomas Powers, The New York Review of Books «Una lectura genial, exuberante, elaborada y con el toque justo de cotilleo.»Roger Boyes, The Times «La prosa enérgica de Packer transporta al lector a través de los tres primeros actos de la vida diplomática de Holbrooke. Un trabajo de investigación impecable.»Paddy Hirsch, NPR «Cautivador.»Max Boot, The Washington Post «Excepcional, una de las disecciones del poder en Estados Unidos más fascinantes que he leído jamás.»Steve Bloomfield, The Guardian «Se devora como una novela. Cautivadora y brillante, desprende un aire irresistible de arrogancia.»Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times «Para los Estados Unidos, Packer es una voz de una claridad y una humanidad excepcionales. Cuando nuestros descendientes tracen el mapa de las ruinas de este imperio moderno en búsqueda de sus vestigios culturales, el tesoro que perdurará y van a poder desenterrar son testimonios como el de Packer.»Independent
Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century
by George PackerFrom the award-winning author of The Unwinding--the vividly told saga of the ambition, idealism, and hubris of one of the most legendary and complicated figures in recent American history, set amid the rise and fall of U.S. power from Vietnam to Afghanistan"I doubt that any novel, not even one co-written by Graham Greene and F. Scott Fitzgerald, could have captured Holbrooke fully, and I certainly thought that no biography ever would. But now one has. George Packer's Our Man portrays Holbrooke in all his endearing and self-willed glory.... Both a sweeping diplomatic history and a Shakespearean tragicomedy." --Walter Isaacson, The New York Times Book ReviewRichard Holbrooke was brilliant, utterly self-absorbed, and possessed of almost inhuman energy and appetites. Admired and detested, he was the force behind the Dayton Accords that ended the Balkan wars, America's greatest diplomatic achievement in the post-Cold War era. His power lay in an utter belief in himself and his idea of a muscular, generous foreign policy. From his days as a young adviser in Vietnam to his last efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, Holbrooke embodied the postwar American impulse to take the lead on the global stage. But his sharp elbows and tireless self-promotion ensured that he never rose to the highest levels in government that he so desperately coveted. His story is thus the story of America during its era of supremacy: its strength, drive, and sense of possibility, as well as its penchant for overreach and heedless self-confidence. In Our Man, drawn from Holbrooke's diaries and papers, we are given a nonfiction narrative that is both intimate and epic in its revelatory portrait of this extraordinary and deeply flawed man and the elite spheres of society and government he inhabited.
The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America, First Edition
by George PackerA riveting examination of a nation in crisis, from one of the finest political journalists of our generation.<P><P> American democracy is beset by a sense of crisis. Seismic shifts during a single generation have created a country of winners and losers, allowing unprecedented freedom while rending the social contract, driving the political system to the verge of breakdown, and setting citizens adrift to find new paths forward. In The Unwinding, George Packer, author of The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq, tells the story of the United States over the past three decades in an utterly original way, with his characteristically sharp eye for detail and gift for weaving together complex narratives.<P> The Unwinding journeys through the lives of several Americans, including Dean Price, the son of tobacco farmers, who becomes an evangelist for a new economy in the rural South; Tammy Thomas, a factory worker in the Rust Belt trying to survive the collapse of her city; Jeff Connaughton, a Washington insider oscillating between political idealism and the lure of organized money; and Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley billionaire who questions the Internet's significance and arrives at a radical vision of the future. Packer interweaves these intimate stories with biographical sketches of the era's leading public figures, from Newt Gingrich to Jay-Z, and collages made from newspaper headlines, advertising slogans, and song lyrics that capture the flow of events and their undercurrents.<P> The Unwinding portrays a superpower in danger of coming apart at the seams, its elites no longer elite, its institutions no longer working, its ordinary people left to improvise their own schemes for success and salvation. Packer's novelistic and kaleidoscopic history of the new America is his most ambitious work to date. <P>National Book Award 2013
Fingers in the Sparkle Jar: A Memoir
by Chris PackhamVoted the UK’s Favourite Nature BookThe memoir that inspired Chris Packham's BBC documentary, Asperger’s and MeEvery minute was magical, every single thing it did was fascinating and everything it didn't do was equally wondrous, and to be sat there, with a Kestrel, a real live Kestrel, my own real live Kestrel on my wrist! I felt like I'd climbed through a hole in heaven's fence.An introverted, unusual young boy, isolated by his obsessions and a loner at school, Chris Packham only felt at ease in the fields and woods around his suburban home. But when he stole a young Kestrel from its nest, he was about to embark on a friendship that would teach him what it meant to love, and that would change him forever. In his rich, lyrical and emotionally exposing memoir, Chris brings to life his childhood in the 70s, from his bedroom bursting with fox skulls, birds' eggs and sweaty jam jars, to his feral adventures. But pervading his story is the search for freedom, meaning and acceptance in a world that didn’t understand him.Beautifully wrought, this coming-of-age memoir will be unlike any you've ever read.
How to Make a Dress: Adventures in the art of style
by Jenny Packham‘From inspiration to sketch, pattern to fabric, the making of a dress has been the structure that has held me, and my passion to dress others is the momentum of my life.’ Jenny Packham is one of Britain’s leading designers and most in-demand couturiers, known for her exquisite dresses made for brides, celebrities and even royalty. In How to Make a Dress, she explores her creative journey in a brilliant meditation on life and style.Beginning with the search for creative inspiration and taking us into her studio then onto the red carpet and beyond, she asks the questions that have preoccupied us for centuries: What makes the perfect dress? What do our clothes mean to us? And why do we dress the way we do? Whether she is on the trail of Marilyn Monroe in LA, designing a bespoke piece for the red carpet or sketching for a new collection, Jenny documents her pursuit of the eternal truths of style. Decades in the making, How to Make a Dress is an unforgettable book for anyone who has ever loved a piece of clothing.
How Churchill Waged War: The Most Challenging Decisions of the Second World War
by Allen PackwoodAn analytical investigation into Prime Minister Winston Churchill&’s decision-making process during every stage of World War II. When Winston Churchill accepted the position of Prime Minister in May 1940, he insisted in also becoming Minister of Defence. This, though, meant that he alone would be responsible for the success or failure of Britain&’s war effort. It also meant that he would be faced with many monumental challenges and utterly crucial decisions upon which the fate of Britain and the free world rested. With the limited resources available to the UK, Churchill had to pinpoint where his country&’s priorities lay. He had to respond to the collapse of France, decide if Britain should adopt a defensive or offensive strategy, choose if Egypt and the war in North Africa should take precedence over Singapore and the UK&’s empire in the East, determine how much support to give the Soviet Union, and how much power to give the United States in controlling the direction of the war. In this insightful investigation into Churchill&’s conduct during the Second World War, Allen Packwood, BA, MPhil (Cantab), FRHistS, the Director of the Churchill Archives Centre, enables the reader to share the agonies and uncertainties faced by Churchill at each crucial stage of the war. How Churchill responded to each challenge is analyzed in great detail and the conclusions Packwood draws are as uncompromising as those made by Britain&’s wartime leader as he negotiated his country through its darkest days.
Inside Deaf Culture
by Carol Padden Tom Humphries<P>In this [account] of the changing life of a community, the authors of Deaf in America reveal historical events and forces that have shaped the ways that Deaf people define themselves today. Inside Deaf Culture relates Deaf people's search for a voice of their own, and their proud self-discovery and self description as a flourishing culture. <P>Padden and Humphries show how the nineteenth-century schools for the deaf, with their denigration of sign language and their insistence on oralist teaching, shaped the lives of Deaf people for generations to come. They describe how Deaf culture and art thrived in mid-twentieth-century Deaf clubs and Deaf theater, and they profile controversial contemporary technologies. <P> Most triumphant is the story of the survival of the rich and complex American Sign Language long misunderstood but finally recognized by a hearing world that could not conceive of language in a form other than speech. In a moving conclusion, the authors describe their own very different pathways into the Deaf culture, and reveal the confidence and the anxiety of the people of this tenuous community as it faces the future.
The Elizabeth II Pocket Bible
by Teresa PaddingtonDid you know the Queen loves pigeon racing?Did you know Elizabeth served with the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) as a mechanic during World War Two? And that she is the first monarch to circumnavigate the globe?If you're a fan of Queen Elizabeth II or just fascinated by the British monarchy then The Queen Elizabeth II Pocket Bible contains everything you need to know and more! Discover what the Queen enjoys doing on her `days off', what her royal duties include and the role the Queen plays in society today. Plus, inside you'll find:* The Queen's biography; from childhood through to the coronation and her reign* The latest up-to-date information about the Diamond Jubilee and Royal Wedding* Windsor family tree and profiles of each family member* Fact files of the royal palaces, including Buckingham Palace and St JamesPacked with quirky tips, historical trivia and funny facts, the Queen Elizabeth II Pocket Bible is the essential guide for tourists and British fans alike.This beautiful hardback edition has both dust-cover and gold embossing on the spine making it the perfect gift. Every Pocket Bible is lovingly crafted to give you a unique mix of useful references, handy tips and fascinating trivia that will enlighten you at every page. There is a Pocket Bible for everyone...Other titles in the series: The Baking Pocket Bible, The Mum's Pocket Bible, The London Pocket Bible, The Rugby Pocket Bible and The Wine Pocket Bible.
The Elizabeth II Pocket Bible
by Teresa PaddingtonDid you know the Queen loves pigeon racing?Did you know Elizabeth served with the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) as a mechanic during World War Two? And that she is the first monarch to circumnavigate the globe?If you're a fan of Queen Elizabeth II or just fascinated by the British monarchy then The Queen Elizabeth II Pocket Bible contains everything you need to know and more! Discover what the Queen enjoys doing on her `days off', what her royal duties include and the role the Queen plays in society today. Plus, inside you'll find:* The Queen's biography; from childhood through to the coronation and her reign* The latest up-to-date information about the Diamond Jubilee and Royal Wedding* Windsor family tree and profiles of each family member* Fact files of the royal palaces, including Buckingham Palace and St JamesPacked with quirky tips, historical trivia and funny facts, the Queen Elizabeth II Pocket Bible is the essential guide for tourists and British fans alike.This beautiful hardback edition has both dust-cover and gold embossing on the spine making it the perfect gift. Every Pocket Bible is lovingly crafted to give you a unique mix of useful references, handy tips and fascinating trivia that will enlighten you at every page. There is a Pocket Bible for everyone...Other titles in the series: The Baking Pocket Bible, The Mum's Pocket Bible, The London Pocket Bible, The Rugby Pocket Bible and The Wine Pocket Bible.
Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life
by Ruth PadelA fascinating poetic journey into the mind and heart of a musical genius, from the author of the celebrated Darwin: A Life in PoemsRuth Padel's new sequence of poems, in four movements, is a personal voyage through the life and legend of one of the world's greatest composers. She uncovers the man behind the music, charting his private thoughts and feelings through letters, diaries, sketchbooks, and the conversation books he used as his hearing declined. She gives us Beethoven as a battered four-year-old, weeping at the clavier; the young virtuoso pianist agonized by his encroaching deafness; the passionate, heartbroken lover; the clumsy eccentric making coffee with exactly sixty beans. Padel's quest takes her into the heart of Europe and back to her own musical childhood: Her great-grandfather, who studied in Leipzig with a pupil of Beethoven's, became a concert pianist before migrating to Britain; her parents met making music; and Padel grew up playing the viola, Beethoven's instrument as a child. Her book is a poet and string player's intimate connection across the centuries with an artist who, though increasingly isolated, ended even his most harrowing works on a note of hope.