- Table View
- List View
Lady Tigers in the Concrete Jungle: Sisterhood, Softball, And Saving Lives In The South Bronx
by Dibs BaerA rousing and empowering story of dedication and overcoming all odds, featuring the tough and unforgettable athletes of the champion Lady Tigers softball team. Violence was a way of life for the girls of Mott Middle School in the South Bronx. Some woke up to it at home, and others dodged it on the way to school. Vicious physical fights broke out in classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms. These girls filed their fingernails into sharp points because they had to be ready to go at any time. Then a new coach joined the ranks at Mott Middle, and a new program began: girl's softball. Coach Astacio offers the girls the time and attention they need to take their first steps to success. As they learned to throw, hit and field, they also dealt with the foul balls life threw at them: abuse, fractured homes, and violence wherever they looked. But the biggest challenge they faced was learning to think and act like a team, not just a bunch of fierce girls against each other—and the world. Lady Tigers in the Concrete Jungle is the incredible true story that captured the hearts of millions when they were invited to appear on Ellen earlier this year. The Lady Tigers were invited onto the field at Yankee Stadium where the Yankees honored Coach Astacio with “Coach of the Year” at their Hispanic Heritage Month Community Achievement Awards in September 2017. But beyond the headlines, this is a story of a self-selected community coming together with faith, courage, and new-found values to overcome fear, violence, and crippling doubt. These girls have ushered in a new confidence and pride not only in themselves, but in their school, the faculty, and their friends. And while not all of them have continued down this new path, many are now the first in their families to go to college and are beginning to see how being a Lady Tiger will always be a part of their lives.
Lady Trevelyan and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
by John BatchelorAn entertaining account of an extraordinary cultural and historical event: - the establishment by one highly intelligent woman of a salon of the arts in a beautiful country house in Northumberland. Wallington Hall was remote from the major centres of artistic activity, such as London and Edinburgh. Yet Pauline Trevelyan single handedly made it the focus of High Victorian cultural life. Among those she attracted into her orbit were Ruskin, Swinburne, the Brownings, the Rossettis (Dante Gabriel, Christina and William Michael), Carlyle, and Millais and other members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.The penniless but clever daughter of a clergyman, Pauline Jermyn married an older man whom she met through a shared passion for geology. Sir Walter Trevelyan was a philanthropist, teetotal, vegetarian, pacificist ... and very rich. With his encouragement, she collected works of art and decorated Wallington Hall with a cycle of vast paintings on the history of Northumberland. She was a patron of the arts who provided a fostering environment for many of the geniuses of her day. After her death, Swinburne wept every time her name was mentioned.
Lady Under Fire on the Western Front: The Great War Letters of Lady Dorothie Feilding MM
by Andrew Hallam Nicola HallamWhen Britain went to war in 1914 many people rallied to the cause, determined to join the colors or be useful in some other way. Lady Dorothie Mary Evelyn Feilding was one of the latter. ‘Lady D spent almost three years on the Western Front in Belgium driving ambulances for the Munro Motor Ambulance Corps, an all-volunteer unit. During her time in Flanders her bravery was such that she received the Belgian Order of Leopold, the French Croix de Guerre and was the first woman to be awarded the British Military Medal. She wrote home to Newnham Paddox, near Rugby, almost daily. Her letters reflect the mundane, tragedy and horror of war and also the tensions of being a woman at the front contending with shells, gossip, funding, lice, vehicle maintenance and inconvenient marriage proposals. Though Dorothie was the daughter of an Earl and from a privileged upbringing she had an easy attitude that transcended social boundaries and that endeared her to all that she came in to contact with whether royalty or the ordinary fighting man.
Lady at the O.K. Corral: The True Story of Josephine Marcus Earp
by Ann KirschnerThe definitive biography of the Jewish girl from New York who won the heart of frontier lawman Wyatt Earp: &“Splendid.&” —The Wall Street Journal For nearly fifty years, she was the common-law wife of Wyatt Earp: hero of the O.K. Corral and the most famous lawman of the Old West. Yet Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp has nearly been erased from Western lore. In this biography, the author of the acclaimed Sala&’s Gift brings Josephine out of the shadows of history to tell her colorful tale of ambition, adventure, self-invention, and devotion. Reflective of America itself, her story brings us from the post–Civil War years to World War II, and from New York to the Arizona Territory to old Hollywood. Lady at the O.K. Corral reveals how this aspiring actress and dancer—a flamboyant, curvaceous Jewish girl with a persistent New York accent—landed in Tombstone; sustained a lifelong partnership with the complex and charismatic Wyatt Earp; and was equally at home in Alaskan Gold Rush boomtowns, opulent San Francisco hotels, mining camps, casinos, racetracks, boxing arenas, and back lots where she visited Cecil B. DeMille and Samuel Goldwyn. &“Kirschner has cleverly identified a parallel story buried under the debris of history: that of Josephine Marcus, for nearly 50 years Earp&’s common-law wife and a valiant frontierswoman in her own right.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“Scrumptious . . . This quick-paced biography has it all.&” —USA Today &“Kirschner&’s fascinating profile captures the restless spirit of the frontier as deftly as it does Josephine&’s energy, affection, and limitless appetite for adventure.&” —Publishers Weekly
Lady from Savannah: The Life of Juliette Low
by Gladys Denny Shultz Daisy Gordon LawrenceBased on extensive research, this is a detailed biography of Juliette Low and a portrait of her family and background. Known throughout her life as "Daisy," Low was born in Savannah, GA, in 1860 and grew up amid privilege and comfort. She married into the British aristocracy. In midlife, after her husband's death due to alcoholism, she determined that she wanted to make a contribution to the world and hurled herself into the British Girl Guide movement. In 1912 she brought the movement to the U.S. as the Girl Scouts. The book draws upon Low's rich correspondence and the letters and diaries of her parents and siblings. /
Lady in Red: An Intimate Portrait of Nancy Reagan
by Sheila TateLady in Red is the long-awaited collection of behind-the-scenes stories and iconic images of one of the most influential First Lady in modern history -- Nancy Reagan. Lovingly compiled by long-time close confidante and aide, Sheila Tate, the book provides a rare and much-anticipated look into the personal life of the president's wife, from her daily routines and travels as First Lady to her friendships and deep influence in the Reagan White House.Lady in Red depicts a nuanced portrait of this graceful yet strong woman who felt it was her mission to restore a sense of grandeur, mystique, and excitement to the presidency, showcasing the various roles that Mrs. Reagan played during her years in the White House, that of Wife, Mother, Protector, Host, Diplomat, and Advisor, among others. The book also features twenty-four pages of gorgeous color photographs, including "Nancy's Album," a collection of Mrs. Reagan's favorite photographs, which she entrusted to Sheila to share with the world after she and her beloved Ronnie had passed.To complete the portrait, Lady in Red includes interviews with the friends and politicians who knew Mrs. Reagan best: President George H. W. Bush, Chris Wallace, James Baker, Ed Meese, Maureen Dowd, and Marlin Fitzwater share their most cherished memories of the First Lady.
Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown
by Anne Glenconner<P><P>An extraordinary memoir of drama, tragedy, and royal secrets by Anne Glenconner--a close member of the royal circle and lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret. As seen on Netflix's The Crown.Anne Glenconner has been at the center of the royal circle from childhood, when she met and befriended the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, the Princess Margaret. Though the firstborn child of the 5th Earl of Leicester, who controlled one of the largest estates in England, as a daughter she was deemed "the greatest disappointment" and unable to inherit. <P><P>Since then she has needed all her resilience to survive court life with her sense of humor intact. A unique witness to landmark moments in royal history, Maid of Honor at Queen Elizabeth's coronation, and a lady in waiting to Princess Margaret until her death in 2002, Anne's life has encompassed extraordinary drama and tragedy. <P><P>In Lady in Waiting, she will share many intimate royal stories from her time as Princess Margaret's closest confidante as well as her own battle for survival: her broken-off first engagement on the basis of her "mad blood"; her 54-year marriage to the volatile, unfaithful Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, who left his fortune to a former servant; the death in adulthood of two of her sons; a third son she nursed back from a six-month coma following a horrific motorcycle accident. <P><P>Through it all, Anne has carried on, traveling the world with the royal family, including visiting the White House, and developing the Caribbean island of Mustique as a safe harbor for the rich and famous-hosting Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Raquel Welch, and many other politicians, aristocrats, and celebrities. With unprecedented insight into the royal family, Lady in Waiting is a witty, candid, dramatic, at times heart-breaking personal story capturing life in a golden cage for a woman with no inheritance. <P><P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown
by Anne GlenconnerThe remarkable life of Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret who was also a Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation - and is a character in The Crown this autumn. Anne Glenconner reveals the real events behind The Crown as well as her own life of drama, tragedy and courage, with the wonderful wit and extraordinary resilience which define her.Anne Glenconner has been close to the Royal Family since childhood. Eldest child of the 5th Earl of Leicester, she was, as a daughter, described as 'the greatest disappointment' by her family as she was unable to inherit. Her childhood home Holkham Hall is one of the grandest estates in England. Bordering Sandringham the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were frequent playmates. From Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation to Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, Lady Glenconner is a unique witness to royal history, as well as an extraordinary survivor of a generation of aristocratic women trapped without inheritance and burdened with social expectations. She married the charismatic but highly volatile Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, who became the owner of Mustique. Together they turned the island into a paradise for the rich and famous, including Mick Jagger and David Bowie, and it became a favourite retreat for Princess Margaret. But beneath the glitz and glamour there has also lurked tragedy. On Lord Glenconner's death in 2010 he left his fortune to a former employee. And of their five children, two grown-up sons died, while a third son had to be nursed back from a coma by Anne, after having suffered a near fatal accident. Anne Glenconner writes with extraordinary wit, generosity and courage and she exposes what life was like in her gilded cage, revealing the role of her great friendship with Princess Margaret, and the freedom she can now finally enjoy in later life. She will appear as a character in the new series of The Crown this autumn.(P) 2019 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Lady in Waiting: The charming, word-of-mouth bestseller, with over 500,000 copies sold
by Anne Glenconner**OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD****A TIMES MEMOIR OF THE YEAR **'The best royal book by miles . . . funny, gossipy and riveting'JANE RIDLEY, SPECTATOR'If your jaw doesn't drop at least three times every chapter, you've not been paying proper attention'SUNDAY TIMESA Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation and former Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, Anne Glenconner has spent her life as a friend of the royal family. In this bestselling memoir, she looks back on an extraordinary life full of glamour, drama and tragedy.The eldest child of the 5th Earl of Leicester, Anne knew as a daughter she would not inherit the family fortune and was instead brought up to secure an eligible husband. Her marriage to the charismatic Colin Tennant - later Lord Glenconner - would prove a test of every strength she possessed, while her friendship with Princess Margaret, which began in childhood, grew ever closer.From the tragic loss of two of her grown-up sons to the cruel surprise of her late husband's final will, Lady in Waiting is Anne Glenconner's remarkable testament to the resilience and humour that define her as she emerges from the shadow of her husband and the crown, reminding us that all that glitters is not gold.'A captivating account of a life lived with resilience and grace'DAILY MAIL'The stoical Lady G writes with infectious joy and optimism'DAILY EXPRESS'The gossip is stupendous but it's also tremendously touching. It's one of those books that makes you long for bed so you can read more!'JILLY COOPER'I can't recommend it highly enough'LORRAINE KELLY'Gentle, wise, unpretentious, but above all inspiring'THE TIMES'A candid, witty and stylish memoir'MIRANDA SEYMOUR, FINANCIAL TIMES'Stalwart and disarmingly honest . . . emotion resonates through this delightful memoir'THE WALL STREET JOURNAL'Discretion and honour emerge as the hallmarks of Glenconner's career as a royal servant, culminating in this book which manages to be both candid and kind'GUARDIAN'I couldn't put it down. Funny and touching - like looking through a keyhole at a lost world.'RUPERT EVERETT
Lady in the Dark: Iris Barry and the Art of Film
by Robert SittonIris Barry (1895–1969) was a pivotal modern figure and one of the first intellectuals to treat film as an art form, appreciating its far-reaching, transformative power. Although she had the bearing of an aristocrat, she was the self-educated daughter of a brass founder and a palm-reader from the Isle of Man. An aspiring poet, Barry attracted the attention of Ezra Pound and joined a demimonde of Bloomsbury figures, including Ford Maddox Ford, T. S. Eliot, Arthur Waley, Edith Sitwell, and William Butler Yeats. She fell in love with Pound's eccentric fellow Vorticist, Wyndham Lewis, and had two children by him.In London, Barry pursued a career as a novelist, biographer, and critic of motion pictures. In America, she joined the modernist Askew Salon, where she met Alfred Barr, director of the new Museum of Modern Art. There she founded the museum's film department and became its first curator, assuring film's critical legitimacy. She convinced powerful Hollywood figures to submit their work for exhibition, creating a new respect for film and prompting the founding of the International Federation of Film Archives. Barry continued to augment MoMA's film library until World War II, when she joined the Office of Strategic Services to develop pro-American films with Orson Welles, Walt Disney, John Huston, and Frank Capra. Yet despite her patriotic efforts, Barry's "foreignness" and association with such filmmakers as Luis Buñuel made her the target of an anticommunist witch hunt. She eventually left for France and died in obscurity. Drawing on letters, memorabilia, and other documentary sources, Robert Sitton reconstructs Barry's phenomenal life and work while recasting the political involvement of artistic institutions in the twentieth century.
Lady of Passion
by Freda LightfootExperience a &“surprisingly moving&” tale of love, ambition, and heartbreak in this historical romance based on the life of Mary Robinson (Historical Novel Society). Bright, talented, and well-educated, young Mary Robinson aspires to be an actress, but her mother has other plans. Married off to a man that gambles away their money and is constantly unfaithful, Mary turns to the stage to support herself. It is there that she draws the attention of one of Britain&’s most powerful men, the Prince of Wales. When the Prince professes his love, Mary soon finds herself giving up everything: her career, her husband, and her independence. But the royal&’s affections are fickle, and soon Mary&’s sacrifices are all for naught . . . A moving and tragic story based on Mary Robinson&’s own memoirs, Lady of Passion reveals the intimate details of the life of one of the most famous women of her time.
Lady of the House: Elite 19th Century Women and their Role in the English Country House
by Charlotte FurnessThree accounts of remarkable women who oversaw their own households, stamped their authority on the estates they managed, and overcame misfortune. This book tells the true stories of three gentile women who were born, raised, lived and died within the world of England&’s Country Houses. This is not the story of &‘seen and not heard&’ women, these are incredible women who endured tremendous tragedy and worked alongside their husbands to create a legacy that we are still benefitting from today. Harriet Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville—second-born child of the infamous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire—married her aunt&’s lover, raised his illegitimate children and reigned supreme as Ambassadress over the Parisian elite. Lady Mary Isham lived at Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire with her family where, despite great tragedy, she was responsible for developing a house and estate while her husband remained &‘the silent Baronet.&’ Elizabeth Manners, Duchess of Rutland, hailed from Castle Howard and used her upbringing to design and build a Castle and gardens at Belvoir suitable for a Duke and Duchess that inspired a generation of country house interiors. These women were expected simply to produce children, to be active members of society, to give handsomely to charity and to look the part. What these three remarkable women did instead is develop vast estates, oversee architectural changes, succeed in business, take a keen role in politics as well as successfully managing all the expectations of an aristocratic lady. &“The book looks at both the lives of the women and the buildings that they transformed.&” —The Creative Historian
Lady of the House: Elite 19th Century Women and their Role in the English Country House
by Charlotte FurnessThree accounts of remarkable women who oversaw their own households, stamped their authority on the estates they managed, and overcame misfortune. This book tells the true stories of three gentile women who were born, raised, lived and died within the world of England&’s Country Houses. This is not the story of &‘seen and not heard&’ women, these are incredible women who endured tremendous tragedy and worked alongside their husbands to create a legacy that we are still benefitting from today. Harriet Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville—second-born child of the infamous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire—married her aunt&’s lover, raised his illegitimate children and reigned supreme as Ambassadress over the Parisian elite. Lady Mary Isham lived at Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire with her family where, despite great tragedy, she was responsible for developing a house and estate while her husband remained &‘the silent Baronet.&’ Elizabeth Manners, Duchess of Rutland, hailed from Castle Howard and used her upbringing to design and build a Castle and gardens at Belvoir suitable for a Duke and Duchess that inspired a generation of country house interiors. These women were expected simply to produce children, to be active members of society, to give handsomely to charity and to look the part. What these three remarkable women did instead is develop vast estates, oversee architectural changes, succeed in business, take a keen role in politics as well as successfully managing all the expectations of an aristocratic lady. &“The book looks at both the lives of the women and the buildings that they transformed.&” —The Creative Historian
Lady of the Lines: How Maria Reiche Saved the Nazca Lines by Sweeping the Desert
by Michaela MaccollWhen scientist and explorer Maria Reiche visited Peru&’s Nazca Lines in 1941, she was immediately captivated by the larger-than-life animal carvings. But what were they, and why were they there? This STEAM nonfiction picture book for young readers reveals the story behind one of the greatest indigenous artworks in the Americas, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Maria Reiche wanted to put her curious mind to the test. When visiting Peru in 1941, she trekked across the land and discovered hidden lines covered in centuries of clay and sand. Fasciated, she picked up a broom from her tools and began sweeping for miles and miles to uncover more details, taking time to track her movement and sketch out the precise shapes she followed. Her first discovery was a spider-shaped carving spanning hundreds of feet of desert! Sweeping her way across the land, other shapes followed—a monkey, a condor, and a whale. But in the midst of these discoveries, she found out the land was going to be used for farming. She got to work again, this time demanding a press conference to announce her discoveries and stop the destruction of these ancient works of art—and it worked! Her efforts protected the land, which was later named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 thanks to Maria&’s tireless efforts.Author Michaela MacColl&’s lyrical writing and extensive research showcase Maria&’s triumphant tale, accompanied by art from Peruvian illustrator Elisa Chavarri, a past recipient of the Pura Belpré Honor.
Lady of the Lotus
by William E. BarrettFictionalized account of the life of Yasodhara, the wife of the Buddha, and their son Rahula. One of the great romances of world history, a story unlike any other.
Lady's Maid
by Margaret Forster"Absorbing...Heartbreaking...Forster paints a vivid picture of class, station, hypocrisy and survival in Victorian society....Grips the reader's imagination on every page."-- SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLEShe was Elizabeth Barrett's lady's maid. But "Wilson" was more than that. She was a confidante, friend and conspirator in Elizabeth's forbidden romance with Robert Browning. Wilson stayed with Elizabeth for sixteen years, through every trial and crisis, and when Wilson's affairs took a dramatic turn she expected the same loyalty from Elizabeth....
Ladyparts: A Memoir
by Deborah CopakenA frank, witty, and dazzlingly written memoir of one woman trying to keep it together while her body falls apart—from the &“brilliant mind&” (Michaela Coel, creator of I May Destroy You) behind Shutterbabe &“The most laugh-out-loud story of resilience you&’ll ever read and an essential road map for the importance of narrative as a tool of healing.&”—Lori Gottlieb, bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to SomeoneNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY REAL SIMPLEI&’m crawling around on the bathroom floor, picking up pieces of myself. These pieces are not a metaphor. They are actual pieces. Twenty years after her iconic memoir Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken is at her darkly comedic nadir: battered, broke, divorcing, dissected, and dying—literally—on sexism&’s battlefield as she scoops up what she believes to be her internal organs into a glass container before heading off to the hospital . . . in an UberPool.Ladyparts is Copaken&’s irreverent inventory of both the female body and the body politic of womanhood in America, the story of one woman brought to her knees by the one-two-twelve punch of divorce, solo motherhood, healthcare Frogger, unaffordable childcare, shady landlords, her father&’s death, college tuitions, sexual harassment, corporate indifference, ageism, sexism, and plain old bad luck. Plus seven serious illnesses, one atop the other, which provide the book&’s narrative skeleton: vagina, uterus, breast, heart, cervix, brain, and lungs. Copaken bounces back from each bum body part, finds workarounds for every setback—she transforms her home into a commune to pay rent, sells her soul for health insurance, turns FBI informant when her sexual harasser gets a presidential appointment—but in her slippery struggle to survive a steep plunge off the middle-class ladder, she is suddenly awoken to what it means to have no safety net.Side-splittingly funny one minute, a freak horror show the next, quintessentially American throughout, Ladyparts is an era-defining memoir.
Ladysitting: My Year With Nana At The End Of Her Century
by Lorene CaryLorene Cary’s grandmother moves in, and everything changes: day-to-day life, family relationships, the Nana she knew—even their shared past. From cherished memories of weekends she spent as a child with her indulgent Nana to the reality of the year she spent “ladysitting” her now frail grandmother, Lorene Cary journeys through stories of their time together and five generations of their African American family. Brilliantly weaving a narrative of her complicated yet transformative relationship with Nana—a fierce, stubborn, and independent woman, who managed a business until she was 100—Cary looks at Nana’s impulse to control people and fate, from the early death of her mother and oppression in the Jim Crow South to living on her own in her New Jersey home. Cary knew there might be some reckonings to come. Nana was a force: Her obstinacy could come out in unanticipated ways—secretly getting a driver’s license to show up her husband, carrying on a longtime feud with Cary’s father. But Nana could also be devoted: to Nana’s father, to black causes, and—Cary had thought—to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Facing the inevitable end raises tensions, with Cary drawing on her spirituality and Nana consoling herself with late-night sweets and the loyalty of caregivers. When Nana doubts Cary’s dedication, Cary must go deeper into understanding this complicated woman. In Ladysitting, Cary captures the ruptures, love, and, perhaps, forgiveness that can occur in a family as she bears witness to her grandmother’s 101 vibrant years of life.
Lafayette and the American Revolution
by Russell FreedmanWhen the Marquis de Lafayette ran off to join the American Revolution, he was a strong-willed nineteen-year-old who had never set foot on a battlefield. He was also one of the richest men in France. Determined to prove his mettle, he defied his family and even the king of France with his actions. Although at first Lafayette was granted an honorary commission out of deference for his title and wealth, he quickly earned the respect of his fellow officers with his courage, devotion to liberty, and unstoppable drive. He joined Washington during the difficult winter at Valley Forge and won the first president's lifelong friendship. Playing a pivotal role in the conflict, Lafayette persuaded the French government to send troops and ships as reinforcements for the Americans, negotiated crucial pacts with the Iroquois Six Nations, and helped lead troops to victory at Yorktown. Russell Freedman's thrilling account tells the story of an adventurer who made history before he was even out of his teens.<P><P> Winner of the Sibert Honor
Lafayette in Two Worlds
by Lloyd S. KramerLloyd Kramer offers a new interpretation of the cultural and political significance of the career of the Marquis de Lafayette, which spanned the American Revolution, the French Revolutions of 1789 and 1830, and the Polish Uprising of 1830-31. Moving beyond traditional biography, Kramer traces the wide-ranging influence of Lafayette's public and personal life, including his contributions to the emergence of nationalist ideologies in Europe and America, his extensive connections with liberal political theorists, and his close friendships with prominent writers, many of them women. Kramer places Lafayette on the cusp of the two worlds of America and France, politics and literature, the Enlightenment and the Romantic movement, public affairs and private life, revolution and nationalism, and men and women. He argues that Lafayette's experiences reveal how public figures can symbolize the aspirations of a society as a whole, and he stresses Lafayette's important role in a cultural network of contemporaries that included Germaine de Stael, Benjamin Constant, Frances Wright, James Fenimore Cooper, and Alexis de Tocqueville. History/Biography
Lafayette in the Somewhat United States
by Sarah VowellFrom the bestselling author of Assassination Vacation and The Partly Cloudy Patriot, an insightful and unconventional account of George Washington's trusted officer and friend, that swashbuckling teenage French aristocrat the Marquis de Lafayette. Chronicling General Lafayette's years in Washington's army, Vowell reflects on the ideals of the American Revolution versus the reality of the Revolutionary War. Riding shotgun with Lafayette, Vowell swerves from the high-minded debates of Independence Hall to the frozen wasteland of Valley Forge, from bloody battlefields to the Palace of Versailles, bumping into John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Lord Cornwallis, Benjamin Franklin, Marie Antoinette and various kings, Quakers and redcoats along the way. Drawn to the patriots' war out of a lust for glory, Enlightenment ideas and the traditional French hatred for the British, young Lafayette crossed the Atlantic expecting to join forces with an undivided people, encountering instead fault lines between the Continental Congress and the Continental Army, rebel and loyalist inhabitants, and a conspiracy to fire George Washington, the one man holding together the rickety, seemingly doomed patriot cause. While Vowell's yarn is full of the bickering and infighting that marks the American past--and present--her telling of the Revolution is just as much a story of friendship: between Washington and Lafayette, between the Americans and their French allies and, most of all between Lafayette and the American people. Coinciding with one of the most contentious presidential elections in American history, Vowell lingers over the elderly Lafayette's sentimental return tour of America in 1824, when three fourths of the population of New York City turned out to welcome him ashore. As a Frenchman and the last surviving general of the Continental Army, Lafayette belonged to neither North nor South, to no political party or faction. He was a walking, talking reminder of the sacrifices and bravery of the revolutionary generation and what the founders hoped this country could be. His return was not just a reunion with his beloved Americans it was a reunion for Americans with their own astonishing, singular past. Vowell's narrative look at our somewhat united states is humorous, irreverent and wholly original.From the Hardcover edition.
Lafayette: Lessons in Leadership from the Idealist General
by Marc LeepsonAssessing the legendary Frenchman and his remarkable military career on both sides of the Atlantic The Marquis de Lafayette is an icon of both American and French history. In Marc Leepson&’s concise and engaging biography of this captivating figure, we learn how Lafayette, born into an aristocratic French family of warriors, traveled to the colonies at the age of nineteen to fight as a volunteer in the American Revolutionary War. Continental Army Major General Lafayette was soon embraced by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who became his lifelong friends. A fearless, accomplished battlefield commander, he also helped to convince the French court to provide crucial financial and military support to the Americans, which aided their defeat of the British. On his return to France, Lafayette played a leading role in the movement to make France a constitutional monarchy, served as commander of the National Guard during the French Revolution, and as a member of the Chamber of Deputies, opposed Napoleon&’s rule and was instrumental in ending the short-lived French July Revolution of 1830 that brought the &“citizen king,&” Louis-Philippe, to the throne. This focused biography of the legendary French statesman and military man offers a unique examination of his remarkable military career on both sides of the Atlantic.
Lafleur: The Legend
by Pierre Gince Steven FinnA celebration of one of the most electric and magnetic hockey players of all time—the incomparable Guy Lafleur—in the words of his peers and admirers, from Joe Sakic to Chris Nilan.Foreword by Wayne Gretzky. Guy Lafleur. The name alone sizzles on the tongue, eliciting memories of Lafleur&’s tremendous flow (in Quebec he is nicknamed &“The Demon Blond&”), his on-ice flair, his fiery play, and his incredible touch. He was fast and furious, the modern-day version of the legendary Maurice &“Rocket&” Richard. Lafleur played for the Canadiens during the Habs&’s fabulous seventies era when they won multiple Stanley Cups. Lafleur was the &’70s, from his wardrobe to his hairstyle to his sideburns. He not only fought for the league lead in scoring—he was known to go to discos and even put out his own disco album. He absolutely mesmerized a generation of fans, changed the culture, and has influenced future draft classes ever for a generation. For the first time, authors Steven Finn (who played with Lafleur) and Pierre Gince reveal an intimate portrait of Lafleur, the player and the man, in the words of those who enjoyed him, or who spent all their ice time pointlessly chasing him down the wing. Every chapter evokes different memories of the man nicknamed in English Canada as The Flower. Gilbert Perreault, who battled Lafleur at centre for almost two decades, is here. As is Scotty Bowman, who coached Lafleur, and Larry Robinson and Serge Savard, the Hall of Fame defencemen who skated behind him. Joe Sakic and Steven Finn recount their days playing with Lafleur when he was a Quebec Nordique. Lanny McDonald and Darryl Sittler share their thoughts on Lafleur&’s rivalry with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In all, there are forty profiles by forty prominent players, coaches, family, and media, all of whom admired le Demon Blond.
Laguna
by Barbara KingsolverHarrison Shepherd había nacido en Estados Unidos, pero cuando aún era un niño tuvo que irse a México tras los pasos de una madre siempre en busca del hombre ideal. Luego, un día, casi por casualidad, acabó trabajando en la cocina de la casa de Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo, y de los fogones pasó al despacho de Rivera y a los rincones oscuros de la mansión, donde nació una intimidad muy peculiar con Frida.Fue allí, en esa casa, donde Harrison conoció a León Trotsky, un gran líder político que en aquel momento era un hombre que malvivía en el exilio y temía por su propia vida.De vuelta a Norte América, este hombre que había sido cocinero, secretario y confidente de personajes tan ilustres, se dedicó a la escritura y dejó un diario que llenaba su laguna -ese espacio ambiguo entre lo que somos y lo que mostramos a los demás- con unas palabras reveladoras, testimonio de la vida de Harrison y de los hechos que marcaron el siglo XX.Tras el éxito de La biblia envenenada, Barbara Kinsolver vuelve con una novela poderosa que muestra el poder de la Historia en el destino de cada cual, más allá de nuestras mejores y peores intenciones.Esta espléndida obra de Barbara Kingsolver se parece a las buenas novelas del siglo XIX, esas que nos hablan del pecado, de la redención y de los "oscuros deberes" de la Historia.Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
Laibon: An Anthropologist's Journey with Samburu Diviners in Kenya
by Elliot FratkinElliot Fratkin shares the story of his early anthropological fieldwork in Kenya in the 1970s. Fratkin invites the reader to experience his cross-cultural friendships with the enigmatic laibon (a diviner and healer of the Samburu and Maasai peoples) Lonyoki, his family, and the people of the nomadic community of Lukumai. Laibon is more than a memoir; it delves into nitty-gritty details of fieldwork, speaks to larger questions about ethnographic research, and provides unparalleled insight into the world of the laibon.