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West With The Night (Virago Modern Classics #269)
by Beryl MarkhamWEST WITH THE NIGHT appeared on 13 bestseller lists on first publication in 1942. It tells the spellbinding story of Beryl Markham -- aviator, racehorse trainer, fascinating beauty -and her life in the Kenya of the 1920s and 30s.Markham was taken to Kenya at the age of four. As an adult she was befriended by Denys Finch-Hatton, the big-game hunter of OUT OF AFRICA fame, who took her flying in his airplane. Thrilled by the experience, Markham went on to become the first woman in Kenya to receive a commercial pilot's license.In 1936 she determined to fly solo across the Atlantic -- without stopping. When Charles Lindbergh did the same, he had the wind behind him. Markham, by contrast, had a strong headwind against her and a plane that only flew up to 163 mph. On 4 September, she took off ... Several days later, she crash-landed in Nova Scotia and became an instant celebrity.
West with the Night
by Beryl MarkhamThe classic memoir of Africa, aviation, and adventure—the inspiration for Paula McLain&’s Circling the Sun and &“a bloody wonderful book&” (Ernest Hemingway). Beryl Markham&’s life story is a true epic. Not only did she set records and break barriers as a pilot, she shattered societal expectations, threw herself into torrid love affairs, survived desperate crash landings—and chronicled everything. A contemporary of Karen Blixen (better known as Isak Dinesen, the author of Out of Africa), Markham left an enduring memoir that soars with astounding candor and shimmering insights. A rebel from a young age, the British-born Markham was raised in Kenya&’s unforgiving farmlands. She trained as a bush pilot at a time when most Africans had never seen a plane. In 1936, she accepted the ultimate challenge: to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west, a feat that fellow female aviator Amelia Earhart had completed in reverse just a few years before. Markham&’s successes and her failures—and her deep, lifelong love of the &“soul of Africa&”—are all told here with wrenching honesty and agile wit. Hailed as &“one of the greatest adventure books of all time&” by Newsweek and &“the sort of book that makes you think human beings can do anything&” by the New York Times, West with the Night remains a powerful testament to one of the iconic lives of the twentieth century.
The World At My Fingertips
by Karsten OhnstadKarsten Ohnstad shares his journey into blindness with warmth and humor.
Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography
by Alex FergusonSir Alex announced his retirement as manager of Manchester United after 27 years in the role. He has gone out in a blaze of glory, with United winning the Premier League for the 13th time, and he is widely considered to be the greatest manager in the history of British football. <P><P>Over the last quarter of a century there have been seismic changes at Manchester United. The only constant element has been the quality of the manager's league-winning squad and United's run of success, which included winning the Champions League for a second time in 2008. <P>Sir Alex created a purposeful, but welcoming, and much envied culture at the club which has lasted the test of time. Sir Alex saw Manchester United change from a conventional football club to what is now a major business enterprise, and he never failed to move with the times. It was directly due to his vision, energy and ability that he was able to build teams both on and off the pitch. He was a man-manager of phenomenal skill, and increasingly he had to deal with global stars. <P><P>His relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance, was excellent and David Beckham has described Sir Alex as a father figure. Over the past four years, Sir Alex has been reflecting on and jotting down the highlights of his extraordinary career and in his new book he will reveal his amazing story as it unfolded, from his very early days in the tough shipyard areas of Govan.
Amazing Scientists
by Charles MargerisonWhat would Charles Darwin say if he was interviewed about his life and work? How would Galileo reflect upon his contribution to scientific discovery? In their day, there were few newspapers or journalists to tell these stories, however in Amazing Scientists, the stories of amazing people including Isaac Newton, Linus Pauling, and Louis Pasteur come alive. The bounds of possibility in the many fields of science, including chemistry, physics, psychology, engineering and medicine, are always being stretched. This book helps us understand the ways in which this can happen, through the life stories of people who have made such achievements.This unique collection of short life stories reveals the lives some of the world's greatest and most influential scientists. Meet Einstein, Curie, Faraday, Newton, Tesla and Salk, and get a very personal sense of what they achieved in their lives. Understand the challenges and risks they all faced. Explore the social as well as the technical aspects of their lives. Be inspired as their stories come alive through BioViews® which offer new perspective on the lives of these amazing people.What is a BioView®? A BioView® is a short biographical story, similar to an interview, about an amazing person. The stories can be read in around ten minutes. They provide an easy way of learning about people who made major contributions to our world. The unique format and flow enables each person's story to come alive, as if it is being personally told to you and reflects their interests, emotions and passions. These are unique life stories that can provide you with inspiration in your own life.Visit www.amazingpeopleclub.com to explore this exciting range of books and audio resources.
Catherine of Aragon
by Garrett MattinglyBiography about Henry VIII's first wife, the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon
Hitlers French Volunteers
by Christophe LeguérandaisFrom 1941 to 1945, a large number of foreign soldiers were incorporated into the ranks of the German army in order to compensate for the enormous losses suffered by the Wehrmacht, including thousands of French. Whether fighting against the Soviets on the Eastern Front, with the Afrika-Korps in Tunisia or fighting with the occupying army in France, these volunteers generally took the plunge to join the Germans with the authorization of their own government, even though there was never any 'formal link' to the Vichy regime.For the first time in the English language, this book provides details of the units' various insignias, along with rare and previously unpublished and personal photographs of the few surviving members interviewed by the author. As a result, a new vision of these collaborators emerges, allowing them to be regarded as adventurers or even nationalists. After all, despite being clothed in the enemy's uniform, the majority of these soldiers respected their oath of allegiance, often giving their lives in return.
The House Will Come to Order
by Patrick L. Cox Michael PhillipsIn a state assumed to have a constitutionally weak governor, the Speaker of the Texas House wields enormous power, with the ability to almost single-handedly dictate the legislative agenda. The House Will Come to Order charts the evolution of the Speaker’s role from a relatively obscure office to one of the most powerful in the state. This fascinating account, drawn from the Briscoe Center’s oral history project on the former Speakers, is the story of transition, modernization, and power struggles. Weaving a compelling story of scandal, service, and opportunity, Patrick Cox and Michael Phillips describe the divisions within the traditional Democratic Party, the ascendance of Republicans, and how Texas business, agriculture, and media shaped perceptions of officeholders. While the governor and lieutenant governor wielded their power, the authors show how the modern Texas House Speaker built an office of equal power as the state became more complex and diverse. The authors also explore how race, class, and gender affected this transition as they explain the importance of the office in Texas and the impact the state’s Speakers have had on national politics. At the apex of its power, the Texas House Speaker’s role at last receives the critical consideration it deserves.
Lanterns on the Levee
by William Alexander PercyMany of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
Leif The Lucky
by Ingri Daulaire Edgar P. DaulaireA biography of Leif Erickson, son of Eric the Red,a famous Viking and early visitor to North America.
Life of R Wagner Vol 3
by Ernest NewmanIn the vast literature on Richard Wagner, Ernest Newman's classic four-volume Life remains unsurpassed.Volume III covers the years 1859-66 including the Tannhäuser debacle in Paris, the crisis with Minna, the first production of Tristan und Isolde and the flight from Munich.
The Log from the Sea of Cortez: The Grapes Of Wrath / The Harvest Gypsies / The Long Valley / The Log From The Sea Of Cortez (Mandarin Classic Ser. #2)
by John Steinbeck Richard AstroIn the two years after the 1939 publication of Steinbeck's masterful The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck and his novel increasingly became the center of intense controversy and censorship. In search of a respite from the national stage, Steinbeck and his close friend, biologist Ed Ricketts, embarked on a month long marine specimen-collecting expedition in the Gulf of California, which resulted in their collaboration on the Sea of Cortez. In 1951, after Ricketts' death, Steinbeck reissued his narrative portion of the work in memory of his friend and the inspiration for Cannery Row's "Doc". This exciting day-by-day account of their journey together is a rare blend of science, philosophy, and high-spirited adventure. This edition features an introduction by Richard Astro.
Looking for Trouble: The Classic Memoir of a Trailblazing War Correspondent
by Virginia CowlesThe rediscovered memoir of an American gossip columnist turned &“amazingly brilliant reporter&” (The New York Times Book Review) as she reports from the frontlines of the Spanish Civil War and World War II&“A long-overlooked classic that could not be timelier or more engrossing.&”—Paula McLain, author of The Paris WifeForeword by Christina Lamb, Sunday Times chief foreign correspondent and co-author of I Am Malala Virginia Cowles was just twenty-seven years old when she decided to transform herself from a society columnist into a foreign press correspondent. Looking for Trouble is the story of this evolution, as Cowles reports from both sides of the Spanish Civil War, London on the first day of the Blitz, Nazi-run Munich, and Finland&’s bitter, bloody resistance to the Russian invasion. Along the way, Cowles also meets Adolf Hitler (&“an inconspicuous little man&”), Benito Mussolini, Winston Churchill, Martha Gellhorn, and Ernest Hemingway. Her reportage blends sharp political analysis with a gossip columnist&’s chatty approachability and a novelist&’s empathy. Cowles understood in 1937—long before even the average politician—that Fascism in Europe was a threat to democracy everywhere. Her insights on extremism are as piercing and relevant today as they were eighty years ago.
Mr. McCloskey's Marvelous Mallards: The Making of Make Way for Ducklings
by Emma Bland SmithThis behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the classic and beloved picture book Make Way for Ducklings will captivate young artists, writers, readers, and animal lovers alike.While writing and illustrating the beloved picture book Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McCloskey brings a flock of ducklings into his tiny New York City apartment. But an artist + a bunch of ducklings in his apartment = chaos! There are ducklings in the bathtub and ducklings in the kitchen, quacking at dawn and sitting on his desk. Can he learn to draw them just right before they grow too big? This glimpse into the creation of a much-loved story for kids is a must-read for fans of children&’s books, or for anyone who is interested in the creative process and the importance of persistence. &“Emma Smith has done a bang-up job imagining how my father wrote Make Way for Ducklings. I enjoyed reading her book.&” —Jane McCloskey, daughter of Robert McCloskey and author ofRobert McCloskey: A Private Life in Words and Pictures&“A wonderfully rollicking rendition of the story behind the story.&” —Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor-winning author of books for children and author of Robert McCloskey
Newspaper Days: 1899-1906 (H.L. Mencken's Autobiography)
by H. L. MenckenOriginally published: New York: Knopf, 1941.
A Ship Without A Sail: The Life of Lorenz Hart
by Gary MarmorsteinAn unforgettable portrait of an exuberant yet troubled artist who so enriched the American songbook "Blue Moon, " "Where or When, " "The Lady Is a Tramp," "My Funny Valentine," "Isn't It Romantic?," "My Romance," "There's a Small Hotel," "Falling in Love with Love," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"--lyricist Lorenz Hart, together with composer Richard Rodgers, wrote some of the most memorable songs ever created. More than half a century after their collaboration ended, Rodgers & Hart songs are indispensable to the repertoire of nightclub singers everywhere. A Ship Without a Sail is the story of the complicated man who was Lorenz Hart. His lyrics spin with brilliance and sophistication, yet at their core is an unmistakable wistfulness. The sweetness of "My Romance" and "Isn't It Romantic?" is unsurpassed in American song, but Hart's lyrics could also be cynical, funny, ironic. He brought a unique wit and elegance to popular music. Larry Hart and Richard Rodgers wrote approximately thirty Broadway musicals and dozens of songs for Hollywood films. At least four of their musicals--On Your Toes, Babes in Arms, The Boys from Syracuse, and Pal Joey-- have become classics. But despite their prodigious collaboration, Rodgers and Hart were an odd couple. Rodgers was precise, punctual, heterosexual, handsome, and eager to be accepted by Society. Hart was barely five feet tall, alcoholic, homosexual, and more comfortable in a bar or restaurant than anywhere else. Terrified of solitude, he invariably threw the party and picked up the check. His lyrics are all the more remarkable considering that he never sustained a romantic relationship, living his entire life with his mother, who died only months before he died at age forty-eight. Gary Marmorstein's revelatory biography includes many of the lyrics that define Hart's legacy--those clever, touching stanzas that still move us or make us laugh.
The Soong Sisters
by Emily Hahn&“If the story of the Soong family were told as fiction, people would say it was fascinating but too improbable. . . . A dramatic human chronicle . . . engrossing.&” —The New York Times Book Review In the early twentieth century, few women in China were to prove so important to the rise of Chinese nationalism and liberation from tradition as the three extraordinary Soong sisters—Eling, Chingling and Mayling—who would each marry historic figures. Told with wit and verve by New Yorker correspondent Emily Hahn, a remarkable woman in her own right, the biography of the Soong sisters reveals the story of China through both World Wars. It also chronicles the changes to Shanghai as they relate to a very eccentric family that had the courage to speak out against the ruling regime. Greatly influencing the history of modern China, they interacted with their government and military to protect the lives of those who could not be heard, and appealed to the West to support China during the Japanese invasion. &“[A] first-rate reportorial job on three distinguished women.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“A spirited, well-informed book . . . a fascinating saga . . . Hahn skillfully interweaves the personal material which she has collected in abundance with some indispensable background knowledge of Chinese history.&” —The Atlantic
Voices of the Second World War: A Child's Perspective
by Sheila A. RenshawVoices of the Second World War: A Childs Perspective is a collection of firsthand accounts from people who experienced the Second World War from all over Europe: stretching from Russia to the Channel Islands, and Norway to Malta.While some children appear to have been hardly aware of the war, for those who lived through bombing, occupation, deprivation, starvation and fear, the memories remain with them even today.The accounts have been relayed according to their perspective at the time and the contributors were happy to share their experiences and memories, keen in the knowledge that they were being documented as personal chroniclers of one of the twentieth century's most catastrophic events.
The Wisdom of the Heart
by Henry MillerAn essential collection of writings, bursting with Henry Miller’s exhilarating candor and wisdom In this selection of stories and essays, Henry Miller elucidates, revels, and soars, showing his command over a wide range of moods, styles, and subject matters. Writing “from the heart,” always with a refreshing lack of reticence, Miller involves the reader directly in his thoughts and feelings. “His real aim,” Karl Shapiro has written, “is to find the living core of our world whenever it survives and in whatever manifestation, in art, in literature, in human behavior itself. It is then that he sings, praises, and shouts at the top of his lungs with the uncontainable hilarity he is famous for.” Here are some of Henry Miller’s best-known writings: an essay on the photographer Brassai; “Reflections on Writing,” in which Miller examines his own position as a writer; “Seraphita” and “Balzac and His Double,” on the works of other writers; and “The Alcoholic Veteran,” “Creative Death,” “The Enormous Womb,” and “The Philosopher Who Philosophizes.”
The Big Sea: An Autobiography (American Century)
by Langston HughesIntroduction by Arnold Rampersad.Langston Hughes, born in 1902, came of age early in the 1920s. In The Big Sea he recounts those memorable years in the two great playgrounds of the decade--Harlem and Paris. In Paris he was a cook and waiter in nightclubs. He knew the musicians and dancers, the drunks and dope fiends. In Harlem he was a rising young poet--at the center of the "Harlem Renaissance."Arnold Rampersad writes in his incisive new introduction to The Big Sea, an American classic: "This is American writing at its best--simpler than Hemingway; as simple and direct as that of another Missouri-born writer...Mark Twain."
Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives
by Mary Laura PhilpottFrom the bestselling author of I Miss You When I Blink and &“writer of singular spark and delight&” (Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 New York Times bestselling author) comes a poignant and powerful new memoir that tackles the big questions of life, death, and existential fear with humor and hope.A lifelong worrier, Philpott always kept an eye out for danger, a habit that only intensified when she became a parent. But she looked on the bright side, too, believing that as long as she cared enough, she could keep her loved ones safe. Then, in the dark of one quiet, pre-dawn morning, she woke abruptly to a terrible sound—and found her teenage son unconscious on the floor. In the aftermath of a crisis that darkened her signature sunny spirit, she wondered: If this happened, what else could happen? And how do any of us keep going when we can&’t know for sure what&’s coming next? Leave it to the writer whose critically acclaimed debut had us &“laughing and crying on the same page&” (NPR) to illuminate what it means to move through life with a soul made of equal parts anxiety and optimism (and while she&’s at it, to ponder the mysteries of backyard turtles and the challenges of spatchcocking a turkey). Hailed by The Washington Post as &“Nora Ephron, Erma Bombeck, Jean Kerr, and Laurie Colwin all rolled into one,&” Philpott returns in her distinctive voice to explore our protective instincts, the ways we continue to grow up long after we&’re grown, and the limits—both tragic and hilarious—of the human body and mind.
A Boy's Own Story: A Novel (Modern Library #47)
by Edmund White&“An extraordinary novel&” about growing up gay in the 1950s American Midwest (The New York Times Book Review). Critically lauded upon its initial publication in 1982 for its pioneering depiction of homosexuality, A Boy&’s Own Story is a moving tale about coming-of-age in midcentury America. With searing clarity and unabashed wit, Edmund White&’s unnamed protagonist yearns for what he knows to be shameful. He navigates an uneasy relationship with his father, confounds first loves, and faces disdain from his peers at school. In the embrace of another, he discovers the sincere and clumsy pleasures of adolescent sexuality. But for boys in the 1950s, these desires were unthinkable. Looking back on his experiences, the narrator notes, &“I see now that what I wanted was to be loved by men and to love them back but not to be a homosexual.&” From a winner of the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature, this trailblazing autobiographical story of one boy&’s youth is a moving, tender, and heartbreaking portrait of what it means to grow up.
Dashing for the Post: The Letters of Patrick Leigh Fermor
by Patrick Leigh FermorA revelatory collection of letters written by the author of The Broken Road.Handsome, spirited and erudite, Patrick Leigh Fermor was a war hero and one of the greatest travel writers of his generation. He was also a spectacularly gifted friend. The letters in this collection span almost seventy years, the first written ten days before Paddy's twenty-fifth birthday, the last when he was ninety-four. His correspondents include Deborah Devonshire, Ann Fleming, Nancy Mitford, Lawrence Durrell, Diana Cooper and his lifelong companion, Joan Rayner; he wrote his first letter to her in his cell at the monastery Saint Wandrille, the setting for his reflections on monastic life in A Time to Keep Silence. His letters exhibit many of his most engaging characteristics: his zest for life, his unending curiosity, his lyrical descriptive powers, his love of language, his exuberance and his tendency to get into scrapes - particularly when drinking and, quite separately, driving. Here are plenty of extraordinary stories: the hunt for Byron's slippers in one of the remotest regions of Greece; an ignominious dismissal from Somerset Maugham's Villa Mauresque; hiding behind a bush to dub Dirk Bogarde into Greek during the shooting of Ill Met by Moonlight, the film based on the story of General Kreipe's abduction; his extensive travels. Some letters contain glimpses of the great and the good, while others are included purely for the joy of the jokes.
Dashing for the Post: The Letters of Patrick Leigh Fermor
by Patrick Leigh FermorA revelatory collection of letters written by the author of The Broken Road.Handsome, spirited and erudite, Patrick Leigh Fermor was a war hero and one of the greatest travel writers of his generation. He was also a spectacularly gifted friend. The letters in this collection span almost seventy years, the first written ten days before Paddy's twenty-fifth birthday, the last when he was ninety-four. His correspondents include Deborah Devonshire, Ann Fleming, Nancy Mitford, Lawrence Durrell, Diana Cooper and his lifelong companion, Joan Rayner; he wrote his first letter to her in his cell at the monastery Saint Wandrille, the setting for his reflections on monastic life in A Time to Keep Silence. His letters exhibit many of his most engaging characteristics: his zest for life, his unending curiosity, his lyrical descriptive powers, his love of language, his exuberance and his tendency to get into scrapes - particularly when drinking and, quite separately, driving. Here are plenty of extraordinary stories: the hunt for Byron's slippers in one of the remotest regions of Greece; an ignominious dismissal from Somerset Maugham's Villa Mauresque; hiding behind a bush to dub Dirk Bogarde into Greek during the shooting of Ill Met by Moonlight, the film based on the story of General Kreipe's abduction; his extensive travels. Some letters contain glimpses of the great and the good, while others are included purely for the joy of the jokes.
The Earth Is the Lord's: A Novel
by Taylor CaldwellFrom a #1 New York Times–bestselling author: A “magnificent” epic based on the early life of Genghis Khan (New York Herald Tribune). This sweeping saga captures life in the Far East during the Middle Ages and dramatizes the events that transformed a Mongol tribesman named Temujin into the man who would conquer Asia and be known to the world for centuries to come as Genghis Khan. Raised by an indomitable woman and educated by his outcast uncle, Temujin becomes a fearsome warrior who inspires loyalty in his friends and hatred in his enemies. But he is also blessed with a keen intelligence and the charisma of a natural born leader. In an era marked by treachery and savage violence, these gifts lead Temujin to a relentless pursuit of power. From the Gobi Desert to Samarkand, Taylor Caldwell transports readers to a distant world and shines a brilliant light on one of history’s most enigmatic figures. On her “huge historical canvas . . . blood spurts from the knife; beads of sweat stand out on straining flesh; lusts are consummated and revenges achieved” (New York Herald Tribune).