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Hamish Henderson, Volume 1: A Biography: The Making of the Poet (1919–1953) (1 Ser. #1)
by Timothy NeatA &“detailed, vivid and fascinating&” biography of one of Scotland&’s most fascinating literary figures (Sunday Herald). Hamish Henderson lived one of the great lives of twentieth-century Scotland, a dramatic life of epic European scale, a life of major artistic, political, and spiritual achievement. Well-known as a songwriter, a poet, and a pioneer in the field of Scottish folksong, Henderson was also a highly original translator of poetry—from Gaelic, French, German, Latin, and Greek—much of it into Scots. He also translated the work of the Italian socialist Antonio Gramsci, whose &“Prison Letters&” he published in English in 1974. Born in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, in 1919, Hamish Henderson spent his early years in Glenshee before moving to Ireland and then Devon. He won a scholarship to Dulwich College and went on to study Modern Languages at Cambridge. During the Second World War he served in North Africa and Italy with the 51st Highland Division. He died in March 2002. This book, a major study of this charismatic and fascinating man, presents both a detailed biography and an assessment of his place in the context of the twentieth century. It is based on firsthand interviews with those who knew Henderson both personally and professionally, as well as detailed research of published and unpublished sources.
Hamilton's Campaigns with Moore and Wellington during the Peninsular War: Original And Compiled (classic Reprint)
by Anthony HamiltonThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. The memoir of another of the hardy and eloquent Irish soldiers that fought in the British army during the Peninsular Wars. Hamilton's memoirs were not intended for a large publication and do not contain the details of camp and campaign life that you might find in such works by Costello, Tomkinson or Kincaid. They are, however, a collection of first rate eye-witness accounts of the battles that Hamilton and his comrades of the 43rd regiment of Foot took part in, or was in a position to offer a close second-hand account of. The list of battles covered encompasses almost all of the major engagements that the British army took part in the Peninsular and 1815 campaign; Rolica, Vimiero, Coruña, Talavera, Busaco, Albuera, Fuentes d'Oñoro, the sieges of Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria and finally Waterloo. A pithy eye-witness account. Author - Anthony Hamilton - (1779 - 1844) Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in 1847, New York, by Prescott and Wilson Original - 163 pages. TOC included
Hamilton versus Jefferson in the Washington Administration
by Carson HollowayBy the middle of 1792, just a little more than three years after America's new government under the Constitution had been set in motion, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson - President George Washington's two most important cabinet secretaries and two of the most eminent men among the American founders - had become open and bitter political enemies. Their dispute was not personal but political in the highest sense. Each believed that the debate between them was over regime principles. Each believed that he was protecting the newly established republic, and that the other was laboring to destroy it. Carson Holloway's Hamilton versus Jefferson in the Washington Administration examines Hamilton and Jefferson's differences, seeking to explain why these great founders came to disagree so profoundly and vehemently about the political project to which both were committed and had dedicated so much thought and effort.
The Hamilton Scheme: An Epic Tale of Money and Power in the American Founding
by William Hogeland"William Hogeland is the best guide I have found to understanding how we today are, for good and evil, children of Alexander.” —J. Bradford DeLong, professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of Slouching Towards UtopiaHow Alexander Hamilton embraced American oligarchy to jumpstart American prosperity. “Forgotten founder” no more, Alexander Hamilton has become a global celebrity. Millions know his name. Millions imagine knowing the man. But what did he really want for the country? What risks did he run in pursuing those vaulting ambitions? Who tried to stop him? How did they fight? It’s ironic that the Hamilton revival has obscured the man’s most dramatic battles and hardest-won achievements—as well as downplaying unsettling aspects of his legacy. Thrilling to the romance of becoming the one-man inventor of a modern nation, our first Treasury secretary fostered growth by engineering an ingenious dynamo—banking, public debt, manufacturing—for concentrating national wealth in the hands of a government-connected elite. Seeking American prosperity, he built American oligarchy. Hence his animus and mutual sense of betrayal with Jefferson and Madison—and his career-long fight to suppress a rowdy egalitarian movement little remembered today: the eighteenth-century white working class. Marshaling an idiosyncratic cast of insiders and outsiders, vividly dramatizing backroom intrigues and literal street fights—and sharply dissenting from recent biographies—William Hogeland’s The Hamilton Scheme brings to life Hamilton’s vision and the hard-knock struggles over democracy, wealth, and the meaning of America that drove the nation’s creation and hold enduring significance today.
The Hamilton Collection: The Wisdom and Writings of the Founding Father
by Dan TuckerThe subject of a New York Times best-selling biography and a Pulitzer-Prize winning musical, interest in Alexander Hamilton is at an all-time high. This carefully curated collection of Hamilton's writings gives the reader an intimate glimpse into the mind of our most misunderstood founding father.The smash-hit musical Hamilton presents its central character as a truth-telling immigrant boot-strapper who used his extraordinary intelligence to make good--but what was he really like? Let the man himself, a prolific and extremely effective writer, tell his story in his own words. Organized chronologically, this collection of Alexander Hamilton's personal letters, business and governmental correspondence, and excerpts from his most important published writings (including the Federalist Papers) gives readers first-hand insight into this highly influential founding father who engineered the ratification of the US Constitution, created the UnitedStates' financial system, and established friendly trade relations with Britain. The book includes love letters to Elizabeth Schuyler, who became his wife, and correspondence with his friend-turned-nemesis, Aaron Burr, which led to the duel in Weehawken that ended Hamilton's life at the age of 47. Also included are responses from some of his correspondents that give a 360-degree view of the man so esteemed by his protector and friend, George Washington, but reviled by others, including Washington's successor as president, John Adams.Illustrated with 50 illustrations, drawings, document facsimiles and more, the text is accompanied throughout by explanatory annotations from editor Dan Tucker who also provides introductions to each chapter and a preface.Dan Tucker is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn. He is the founder of Sideshow Media, a New York-based independent producer of books and digital content focused on history,the arts, pop culture, and travel.
The Hamilton Affair: The Epic Love Story of Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler
by Elizabeth CobbsLove Hamilton: An American Musical? You'll adore The Hamilton Affair.THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWar will bring them together. Peace will tear them apart. History will make them immortal . . .Born a bastard and raised an orphan in the stifling heat of the Caribbean, Alexander Hamilton must prove his worth on the bloody battlefields of the American Revolution. A wealthy child of privilege, Elizabeth Schuyler has never wanted for anything, yet she longs for a life of so much more. When fate brings them together, a passionate, life-long love affair begins. But to Alexander, burdened by his tragic origins, matters of honour can never be forgotten. As he risks everything for the future of his bold new country, this extraordinary marriage will be tested like no other - and become forever immortalised in hearts and minds.Praise for THE HAMILTON AFFAIR:'The Hamilton novel that immediately leaps to the top of the list' Joseph J. Ellis 'A portrait of a love so deep it was able to survive betrayal and a devastatingly public scandal' Booklist'Cobbs' depiction of Hamilton will endear him in the hearts of readers' Publishers Weekly
The Hamilton Affair: A Novel
by Elizabeth CobbsA New York Times Bestseller and one of the best historical fiction books of 2016 and 2017!“A juicy answer to Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton…” --CosmopolitanSet against the dramatic backdrop of the American Revolution, and featuring a cast of legendary characters, The Hamilton Affair tells the sweeping, tumultuous, true story of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler, from passionate and tender beginnings of their romance to his fateful duel on the banks of the Hudson River.Hamilton was a bastard and orphan, raised in the Caribbean and desperate for legitimacy, who became one of the American Revolution's most dashing--and improbable--heroes. Admired by George Washington, scorned by Thomas Jefferson, Hamilton was a lightning rod: the most controversial leader of the new nation. Elizabeth was the wealthy, beautiful, adventurous daughter of the respectable Schuyler clan--and a pioneering advocate for women. Together, the unlikely couple braved the dangers of war, the perils of seduction, the anguish of infidelity, and the scourge of partisanship that menaced their family and the country itself.With flawless writing, brilliantly drawn characters, and epic scope, The Hamilton Affair tells a story of love forged in revolution and tested by the bitter strife of young America, and will take its place among the greatest novels of American history ever written.
Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson: The Politics of Enlightenment and the American Founding
by Darren StaloffWhere The Ideas for which We Stand came from.In this incisively drawn book, Darren Staloff forcefully reminds us that America owes its guiding political traditions to three Founding Fathers whose lives embodied the collision of Europe's grand Enlightenment project with the birth of the nation.Alexander Hamilton, the worldly New Yorker; John Adams, the curmudgeonly Yankee; Thomas Jefferson, the visionary Virginia squire—each governed their public lives by Enlightenment principles, and for each their relationship to the politics of Enlightenment was transformed by the struggle for American independence. Repeated humiliation on America's battlefields banished Hamilton's youthful idealism, leaving him a disciple of Enlightened realpolitik and the nation's leading exponent of modern statecraft. After ten years in Europe's diplomatic trenches, Adams's embrace of the politics of Enlightenment became increasingly skeptical in spirit, and his public posture became increasingly that of the gadfly of his country. And Jefferson's frustrations as a Revolutionary governor in Virginia led him to go beyond his Enlightened worldview, and articulate a new and radical Romantic politics of principle. As a consequence, Americans demand a government that is both modern, constrained by checks and balances, and capable of appealing to our loftiest aspirations while adhering to decidedly pragmatic policies.
Hamilton: Founding Father (Illustrated Lives)
by Marie Raphael Ray RaphaelAn illustrated biography of the Founding Father and first Secretary of the Treasury by the acclaimed authors of The Spirit of ’74.An illegitimate child born in the Caribbean, who arrived in America as a near-penniless teenager, Alexander Hamilton did not seem to have much in common with the rest of the Founding Fathers. But the audacious young immigrant quickly proved himself in the cauldron of revolutionary fervor gripping the colonies in the 1770s. After proving himself in the Revolution as an artillery officer and aide to George Washington, Hamilton became one of the foremost architects of the new United States of America. He wrote many of the Federalist Papers, established the first national bank, and became first Secretary of the Treasury before losing his life in a duel. In Hamilton, veteran historians Marie Raphael and Ray Raphael explain how Hamilton’s strong personality, quicksilver intellect, and taste for combat played into the contentious arguments over what kind of country the young republic would become. The debate between Thomas Jefferson’s decentralized approach to democracy and Hamilton’s belief in a strong federal government is still being argued today. Vividly written and fully illustrated, including many colorful and rarely seen pieces of art, Hamilton is a powerful testament to one of the most illustrious figures of American history.Praise for The Spirit of ’74: How the American Revolution Began“[A] concise, lively narrative . . . the authors expertly build tension.” —Publishers Weekly“The Raphaels tell this dramatic story in a fascinating and very readable manner.” —Journal of the American Revolution
Hamid Karzai (Modern World Leaders)
by Dennis AbramsHamid Karzai made history on December 7, 2004, when he was officially sworn in as Afghanistan's first democratically elected president. The world applauded as he vowed to heal his wounded country. A nation with a long and tumultuous history, Afghanistan had endured much over the previous two decades. Invading Soviet troops, resistance by the Mujahideen, anarchy, the oppressive rule of the Taliban, and finally U. S. military action after 9/11 had left the country in ruins. Intelligent, calm, and diplomatic, Hamid Karzai still has a formidable task ahead of him. Will it be possible to restore hope to the Afghan people? Can he bring order and stability to his war-weary nation? This book tackles such tough questions head-on, while giving clear insights into the background and tactics of one of the world's most crucial decision-makers. Hamid Karzai is an excellent resource for students seeking to enhance their knowledge of contemporary world issues and the important figures behind them.
Hambre de Lobo. Mi biografía: Gustavo Fernández por Sebastián Torok
by Sebastian TorokCuando tenía un año y medio, Gusti Fernández sufrió un infarto medular que lo dejó parapléjico. Creció en una familia de deportistas y practicó desde chico en su silla básquet y tenis. Demostró rápidamente su enorme talento y llegó a ser el número 1 del tenis adaptado mundial. En este libro, su historia conmovedora y épica. Con prólogo de Rafael Nadal. "No cambio volver a caminar por todo lo que me pasó en mi vida deportiva y familiar". La sentencia, por cruda que suene, ilustra a la perfección a Gustavo Fernández, el Lobito. Con sólo un año y medio, sufrió un infarto medular, lesión que padece una persona de cada seis millones en todo el mundo. Aquello fue un golpe durísimo para una familia que respira deporte y que hasta recurrió a brujos para intentar que Gusti caminara. Sin embargo, en vez de crecer entre angustias y frustraciones, el cordobés potenció sus sentidos, blindó su valor, luchó contra los prejuicios, naturalizó la discapacidad, se formó como atleta de elite, llegó a la cima mundial del tenis adaptado y hasta asombró a Novak Djokovic durante una tarde en París. "La mayoría de los tenistas sobre silla de ruedas no quieren ni compasión, ni privilegios. Disfrutan y quieren competir con todas las de la ley y que los traten igual que a cualquier otro tenista, que, en definitiva, es lo que son: tenistas [...] En cuanto a Gustavo, solamente me queda felicitarlo y animarlo para que siga con ese espíritu arrollador", así describió Rafael Nadal a un deportista que no deja de asombrar y de ofrecer enseñanzas.
Hambre: Mi historia frente al espejo
by Toni MejíasHambre es la historia personal en la lucha contra la anorexia de Toni Mejías, reconocido rapero y componente de Los Chikos del Maíz. Un testimonio valiente que enfrenta un tema necesario. Un libro optimista sobre la capacidad de aprendizaje y superación y una crítica a la sociedad de la imagen en la que vivimos. Uno de los síntomas más evidentes de la anorexia es el frío que, como un abrazo de hielo, te atrapa y no te suelta. Hambre es mi historia frente al espejo, una historia escrita desde la derrota, pero llena de pequeñas victorias. Una historia escrita desde la depresión, pero que defiende la alegría como un derecho innegociable. Es mi testimonio acerca de un tema tabú, más aún en el caso de los hombres, y nace con la intención de buscar salidas conjuntas donde otros solo ofrecen muros y derrotas individuales. Toni Mejías, miembro del conocido grupo de rap Los Chikos del Maíz, cuenta la historia de cómo ha sufrido y ha luchado por controlar un trastorno alimenticio como es la anorexia. En él, desgrana su percepción sobre cómo la sociedad, el ritmo de vida, las nuevas tecnologías, la propia autoestima e inseguridad y muchos otros factores pueden tener un papel determinante para que un joven y reconocido artista llegue a sumergirse en el infierno de esta enfermedad. "Es muy valiente lo que has hecho con este libro. Valiente, liberador, terapéutico y generoso". María Rozalén "Digo en una canción que la vida es un regalo y es verdad. Pero también duele, también hay días que son una mierda, también hay épocas que son muy complicadas y que forman parte del proceso". "Necesitaba encontrarme. No en una fotografía donde todos sonreímos, no en un espejo en el que yo construía mis propios monstruos. Necesitaba encontrarme en el reflejo de los demás para saber que seguía existiendo. Para saber que podía volver. Para saber que todavía mucha gente me esperaba. Para saber que, sobre todo, llevaba demasiadas horas esperando regresar. Me lo merecía; se lo merecían. Se lo debía. A ella. A ellos".
Ham: Essays and Stories
by Sam Harrisham (noun) [hæm]<P> 1. the hind leg of a hog, salted, smoked, and cured<P> 2. second son of Noah <P> 3. somebody who performs in an exaggerated showy style -always hamming it up <P> Just when you thought you knew everything about ham, you discover that ham is also: <P> 4. a reason to laugh about everyday life, and <P> 5. an irresistible collection of humorous essays from a man who was born to entertain us. <P> In sixteen brilliantly observed true stories, Sam Harris emerges as a natural humorist in league with David Sedaris, Chelsea Handler, Carrie Fisher, and Steve Martin, but with a voice uniquely his own. Praised by the Chicago Sun-Times for his "manic, witty commentary," and with a storytelling talent the New York Times calls "New Yorker- worthy," he puts a comedic spin on full-disclosure episodes from his own colorful life. What better place to find painfully funny material than in growing up gay, gifted, and ambitious in the heart of the Bible belt? And that's just the first cut: From partying to parenting, from Sunday school to getting sober, these slices of Ham will have you laughing and wiping away salty tears in equal measure with their universal and down-to-earth appeal. After all, there's a little ham in all of us.
Halton Boys: True Tales from Pilots and Ground Crew Proud to be Called 'Trenchard Brats'
by Sean FeastA history of the twentieth-century Royal Air Force training programme as told by the men who lived it.The RAF Halton Apprenticeship Scheme has a deserved reputation for excellence. The brainchild of MRAF Hugh Trenchard, the founder of the Royal Air Force, it took the “traditional” idea of an apprenticeship and interpreted it in a novel way. It allowed teenage boys from any social background or geography to learn a technical trade that would equip them for their future lives, within and beyond the RAF. It also gave the best an opportunity to become pilots and break into the once public-school-dominated officer class. Of the 50,000 boys trained as apprentices, seventeen won the Sword of Honour at Cranwell, and more than 1,200 were commissioned with 110 achieving Air Rank. Eighteen have been knighted, with well over 1,000 others being honoured at various levels of state.More than a hundred Halton Boys served as pilots in the Battle of Britain (and many more as airframe/engine fitters and armourers), including former Olympic hurdler Don Finlay. Others like Gerry Blacklock and Pat Connolly flew bombers on perilous missions over Western Europe or took part in the famous “Dams” Raid. Then there were the three men murdered for their part in the Great Escape, and those who battled and survived years as prisoners of the Japanese in the Far East.In the jet era, ex-apprentice Graham Hulse became an “ace” in Korea, serving with an American fighter squadron, and Mike Hines went on to become OC 617 Squadron after having first flown operations during the Suez crisis. Others like Charles Owen became a pioneer commercial jet pilot, and Peter Goodwin had the misfortune of being captured in the first Gulf War and used as a human shield.Some forged successful careers beyond the RAF, like Lawrie Haynes, who was on the main board at Rolls-Royce and is now chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, and Eugene Borysuik—one of the many Polish apprentices trained at Halton, who enjoyed a successful career at GEC. And there were many others beyond air and ground crew including policemen, government officials and even bishops whose careers started with the Halton family.This is the story of Halton told through and by the boys who were there and who are still proud to be called “Trenchard Brats.”
Halsey's Typhoon: The True Story of a Fighting Admiral, an Epic Storm, and an Untold Rescue
by Tom Clavin Bob DruryIn the tradition of The Perfect Storm and Flags of Our Fathers , Halsey’s Typhoon chronicles the epic tale of men clashing against the ruthless forces of war and nature. In December 1944, America’s most popular and colorful naval hero, Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, unwittingly sailed his undefeated Pacific Fleet into the teeth of the most powerful storm on earth. Three destroyers were capsized sending hundreds of sailors and officers into the raging, shark infested waters. Over the next sixty hours, small bands of survivors fought seventy-foot waves, exhaustion, and dehydration to await rescue at the hands of the courageous Lt. Com. Henry Lee Plage, who, defying orders, sailed his tiny destroyer escort USS Tabberer through 150 mph winds to reach the lost men. Thanks to documents that have been declassified after sixty years and dozens of first-hand accounts from survivors—including former President Gerald Ford—one of the greatest World War II stories, and a riveting tale of survival at sea, can finally be told. Image descriptions added.
Hallow This Ground
by Colin RaffertyBeginning outside the boarded-up windows of Columbine High School and ending almost twelve years later on the fields of Shiloh National Military Park, Hallow This Ground revolves around monuments and memorials--physical structures that mark the intersection of time and place. In the ways they invite us to interact with them, these sites teach us to recognize our ties to the past. Colin Rafferty explores places as familiar as his hometown of Kansas City and as alien as the concentration camps of Poland in an attempt to understand not only our common histories, but also his own past, present, and future. Rafferty blends the travel essay with the lyric, the memoir with the analytic, in this meditation on the ways personal histories intersect with History, and how those intersections affect the way we understand and interact with Place.
Hallo Spaceboy: The Rebirth of David Bowie
by Dave ThompsonBy 1987, David Bowie was at a creative, critical, and commercial low. His most recent album was dismissed by the music press, his latest tour written off as a disaster. Fifteen years after becoming the most colourfully controversial superstar in recent rock history, Bowie was seen as a spent force.Almost twenty years later, Bowie has re-established himself at the very peak of his profession in one of the most extraordinary comebacks in rock history. His 1995 release of the critically-astonishing 1:Outside album has been followed by equally groundbreaking efforts. He is a content family man, married to super-model Iman, and one of the richest musicians in the world.While most biographies on Bowie still focus on his early years, Hallo Spaceboy: The Rebirth of David Bowie is the first to chronicle the comeback in detail. Drawing upon exclusive interviews with fans, colleagues and associates, it is also the long-gestating follow-up to Dave Thompson’s Moonage Daydream (1987), widely hailed among the best David Bowie biographies.
Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories with Recipes
by Maya AngelouThroughout Maya Angelou&’s life, from her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, to her world travels as a bestselling writer, good food has played a central role. Preparing and enjoying homemade meals provides a sense of purpose and calm, accomplishment and connection. Now in Hallelujah! The Welcome Table, Angelou shares memories pithy and poignant—and the recipes that helped to make them both indelible and irreplaceable. Angelou tells us about the time she was expelled from school for being afraid to speak—and her mother baked a delicious maple cake to brighten her spirits. She gives us her recipe for short ribs along with a story about a job she had as a cook at a Creole restaurant (never mind that she didn&’t know how to cook and had no idea what Creole food might entail). There was the time in London when she attended a wretched dinner party full of wretched people; but all wasn&’t lost—she did experience her initial taste of a savory onion tart. She recounts her very first night in her new home in Sonoma, California, when she invited M. F. K. Fisher over for cassoulet, and the evening Deca Mitford roasted a chicken when she was beyond tipsy—and created Chicken Drunkard Style. And then there was the hearty brunch Angelou made for a homesick Southerner, a meal that earned her both a job offer and a prophetic compliment: &“If you can write half as good as you can cook, you are going to be famous.&” Maya Angelou is renowned in her wide and generous circle of friends as a marvelous chef. Her kitchen is a social center. From fried meat pies, chicken livers, and beef Wellington to caramel cake, bread pudding, and chocolate éclairs, the one hundred-plus recipes included here are all tried and true, and come from Angelou&’s heart and her home. Hallelujah! The Welcome Table is a stunning collaboration between the two things Angelou loves best: writing and cooking.
The Hallelujah Lass: A Story Based on the Life of the Young Salvation Army Pioneer Eliza Shirley (Daughters of the Faith Series)
by Wendy LawtonThe fifth book in the Daughters of the Faith Series, The Hallelujah Lass tells the story of Eliza Shirley, a 16-year-old girl who traveled from England to pioneer the work of the Salvation Army in the United States. The Daughters of the Faith Series gives teens fascinating character-building stories of real girls from history who did extraordinary things for God.
The Hallelujah Lass: A Story Based on the Life of the Young Salvation Army Pioneer Eliza Shirley (Daughters of the Faith Series)
by Wendy LawtonThe fifth book in the Daughters of the Faith Series, The Hallelujah Lass tells the story of Eliza Shirley, a 16-year-old girl who traveled from England to pioneer the work of the Salvation Army in the United States. The Daughters of the Faith Series gives teens fascinating character-building stories of real girls from history who did extraordinary things for God.
Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life
by John AdamsA book unlike anything ever written by a composer-- part memoir, part description and explication of the creative process-- Hallelujah Junction is an absorbing journey across the musical landscape of America and through the life and times of John Adams, one of today's most admired and performed composers. Adams traces his musical lineage back to the era of swing bands and to his grandfather's New Hampshire dance hall, where his clarinetist father met his jazz singer mother. He evokes in vivid detail his own musical childhood in New England, with its marching bands and small-town orchestras, and describes his start as a serious composer in college, his cross-country journey to California, and his gradual rise as one of the most important figures in American music. Hallelujah Junction is not only a deeply personal recollection but also a firsthand encounter with many of the emblematic themes and personalities of contemporary culture.
Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life
by John AdamsJohn Adams is one of the most respected and loved of contemporary composers, and "he has won his eminence fair and square: he has aimed high, he has addressed life as it is lived now, and he has found a language that makes sense to a wide audience" (Alex Ross, The New Yorker). Now, in Hallelujah Junction, he incisively relates his life story, from his childhood to his early studies in classical composition amid the musical and social ferment of the 1960s, from his landmark minimalist innovations to his controversial "docu-operas." Adams offers a no-holds-barred portrait of the rich musical scene of 1970s California, and of his contemporaries and colleagues, including John Cage, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. He describes the process of writing, rehearsing, and performing his renowned works, as well as both the pleasures and the challenges of writing serious music in a country and a time largely preoccupied with pop culture.Hallelujah Junction is a thoughtful and original memoir that will appeal to both longtime Adams fans and newcomers to contemporary music. Not since Leonard Bernstein's Findings has an eminent composer so candidly and accessibly explored his life and work. This searching self-portrait offers not only a glimpse into the work and world of one of our leading artists, but also an intimate look at one of the most exciting chapters in contemporary culture.
Halle Berry: Transcending Race in America (Biographies of Biracial Achievers)
by Kerrily SapetOn March 24, 2002, Halle Berry made history. She became the first African American to win an Academy Award for Best Actress in a leading role. Halle's Oscar came for her work in Monster's Ball, in which she portrayed Leticia Musgrove, a tough yet vulnerable waitress who becomes involved in an interracial affair. Initially, the film's producer had balked at casting Halle in the role of Leticia. He believed she was too beautiful for the part.
Halifax Down!: On the Run from the Gestapo, 1944
by Tom WinghamA World War II aviator tells his story of evading the enemy in occupied territory after being shot down, and what happened to the rest of his crew. On the night of April 22, 1944, Tom Wingham was the bomb aimer in the crew of a 76 Squadron Halifax shot down while on the way to bomb Düsseldorf. Coming to in a tangle of parachute and harness straps, he realized the precariousness of his situation and so, dazed and aching with a painful concussion and navigating by the stars alone, he quickly set off on his long and difficult journey home through occupied territory, constantly depending on the kindness of others who risked their lives to help keep him hidden. He made his way from Holland, at the hands of &“The Escape&” and was then passed via &“L&’Armée Secrète,&” a London-run organization operating in the east of Belgium, but fell right into the path of the Gestapo. In a deadly game of hide and seek, he evaded his captors long enough to witness the retreat of German soldiers as he stayed at the house of Madame Schoofs, which became a temporary German HQ. In the 1980s, Tom Wingham assisted a Dutch air historian with some research and this prompted him to look into the details of his own crash. What he uncovered not only shed more light on his own story but also those of his fellow crew members. He plotted approximately where each person landed that fateful night—and slowly their incredible stories emerged.