- Table View
- List View
Orwell: The New Life
by D. J. TaylorA fascinating exploration of George Orwell—and his body of work—by an award-winning Orwellian biographer and scholar, presenting the author anew to twenty-first-century readers. We find ourselves in an era when the moment is ripe for a reevaluation of the life and the works of one of the twentieth century&’s greatest authors. This is the first twenty-first-century biography on George Orwell, with special recognition to D. J. Taylor's stature as an award-winning biographer and Orwellian. Using new sources that are now available for the first time, we are tantalizingly at the end of the lifespan of Orwell's last few contemporaries, whose final reflections are caught in this book. The way we look at a writer and his canon has changed even over the course of the last two decades; there is a post-millennial prism through which we must now look for such a biography to be fresh and relevant. This is what Orwell: The New Life achieves.
Orwell: The New Life
by D.J. TaylorOver seventy years since his premature death, George Orwell (1903-50) has become one of the most significant figures in western literature. His two dystopian masterpieces, Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) have together sold over 40 million copies. Even now, he continues to exert a decisive influence on our understanding of international power-politics. D.J. Taylor's new biography, the first full-length study for 20 years, draws on a wide range of previously unseen material - newly-discovered letters to old girlfriends and professional colleagues, the recollections of the dwindling band of people who remember him, new information about his life in the early 1930s - to produce a definitive portrait of this complex, driven and self-mythologising man.
Os Inícios de Stephen King: Esta é a mais completa biografia sobre Stephen King
by Claudio HernándezO escritor de Maine, como muitos o chamam, estava predestinado a ser o melhor escritor de terror da história. Assim o demonstra em sua carreira literária. Apesar de ter que suportar centenas de recusas de seus primeiros contos e livro, o destino estava escrito: a prego que suportava as cartas de rejeição cairam finalmente no chão. Stephen King começou a escrever bem jovem aos oito anos de idade, e publicaria no início seus primeiros contos. Liam os meninos da sua escola. Não foi nada fácil chegar até a publicação de "Carrie", livro com o qual inicia seu lançamento profissional. Anteriormente substituia com muitos e variados trabalhos, e os cheques que cobrava por seus contos. A morte e o medo sempre estiveram a seu lado desde que cavava fossas no cemitério local na sua adolescência, com seu primeiro trabalho pago. Sua tenacidade e constância o fizeram ser reconhecido como o "Rei", tributo a seu sobrenome "King" que o caía bem. Aqui descobrirás seu início: desde sus tataravôs, avós, seus pais, a pobreza, a caixa de manuscritos de seu pai, seus primeiros contos, a época que não quer lembrar do instituto, a universidade, seus primeiros livros, seu trabalho como professor de língua inglesa, seu alter ego, seus problemas... e finalmente seu sucesso entra as massas. Este é um estudo de sua primeira etapa, a mais pura de Stephen King, a que nos marcou e a todos por assim o chamarmos de o rei do terror. Um dia seu dedo caiu ao azar sobre um mapa dos Estados Unidos, no Colorado sobre o Hotel Stanley. e prosseguiu o destino que tinha marcado para seguir. Advinhe qual história é essa?
Os Maiores Generais da História
by Michael Rank Pedro ReisO autor do bestseller número 1 "The Crusades and the Soldiers of the Cross" chega com um incrível livro sobre a mentalidade dos maiores generais da história. Seja Aníbal de Cartago marchando com seus elefantes pelos Alpes e atacando o coração de Roma, Khalid ibn al-Walid com sua carreira militar invicta e destruição do Império Persa enquanto dominava os bizantinos, ou o general russo Alexander Suvorov e seu uso da baioneta capaz de vencer qualquer exército europeu, os grandes líderes militares exerceram uma grande influência na sociedade. Este livro trará uma visão sobre as vidas e a forma de combate usada pelos dez maiores comandantes militares da história. Alguns conquistaram a total expansão do mundo até então conhecido, como fez Alexandre, o Grande. Outros eram hábeis estadistas capazes de transformar vitórias militares em ganhos políticos de longo alcance, como Júlio César, cuja vitória sobre os gauleses e sobre seus inimigos políticos permitiu séculos da hegemonia do Império Romano. Também serão mostradas as táticas que foram utilizadas para que fosse possível a vitória sobre exércitos maiores; seja Napoleão, que quase conquistou a Europa com sua habilidade de inesperadamente marchar para longe da força principal do inimigo e se concentrar num ponto fraco porém vital; ou o movimento de pinça executado por Aníbal, invejado por outros estrategistas militares por 2.000 anos. Independente do contexto em que viviam, estes líderes mostram como que o comandante certo, no momento histórico certo, é capaz de destruir um império, mudar a civilização e alterar o curso da história para sempre.
Os Piores Ditadores Da História: Um Pequeno Guia Sobre Os Mais Brutais Governantes
by Michael Rank Makoto YamamotoSórdidos, brutais e breves.Essa é a maneira como o filósofo inglês Thomas Hobbes descreveu o estado natural da humanidade e do estado em que os seres humanos inexoravelmente ficariam sem uma autoridade forte e central. No entanto, Hobbes provavelmente concordaria que viver sob a tutela de um mau governante também pode levar à morte violenta. Afinal, ele viveu apenas um século após o sangrento reinado de Henrique VIII; cento e cinquenta anos após os conquistadores espanhóis testemunharem Montezuma II oferecer milhares de sacrifícios humanos; e pouco mais de quatro séculos depois que Genghis Khan cavalgou toda a Eurásia, deixando para trás morte e destruição suficiente para despovoar grandes partes do globo.Este novo e emocionante livro do historiador Michael Rank analisa a vida e a época dos piores ditadores da história. Você aprenderá sobre os reinados e as ações mais violentas deles, como... - O imperador Nero e os assassinatos dos membros de sua família, a suspeita pelo incêndio de Roma e a execução generalizada de minorias religiosas, o que fez muitos dos primeiros cristãos acreditarem que ele era o anticristo. - Herodes, o Grande, e seu gosto pelo massacre, os assassinatos de familiares e até mesmo infanticídios para manter seu governo. - As conquistas militares de Genghis Khan, que matou dezenas de milhões de pessoas e afugentou mais outros milhões; por sua causa, florestas voltaram a crescer em campos agrícolas abandonados, e os níveis de carbono na atmosfera caíram, resultando no primeiro caso de resfriamento global causado pelo homem. - Vlad, o Empalador (também conhecido como Vlad Dracul, homônimo do vampiro) e seu hábito de empalar que afligiu mais de 20 mil vítimas, fazendo até mesmo um exército mais forte recuar ao testemunhar tal carnificina. Esses quatro líderes, além de outros seis ditadores da história antiga, medieval e moderna, são apresentados neste livro. Saiba mais
Os Segredos do Grande Maestro: Entre A Música e A Maçonaria
by Paolo NutiGiacomo Puccini e a maçonaria: que ligação há entre um dos maiores compositores italianos de todos os tempos e essa controversa associação? Em uma erudita mescla entre romance e autobriografia, o autor junta anedotas pessoais a registros históricos, levantando dúvidas, colocando interrogações, e acompanhando o leitor em uma fascinante viagem para descobrir os segredos do Grande Maestro.
Os Seguidores de Megan: Um guia espiritual, uma tigresa fantasma e uma mãe assustadora! (A série Megan #5)
by Owen JonesUm guia espiritual, uma tigresa fantasma e uma mãe assustadora! Megan recebe permissão para realizar uma das suas ambições: entrar no Facebook e no Twitter! Megan é uma garota de treze anos com poderes sorenaturais. Alguns ainda estão apenas parcialmente desenvolvidos e outros já são mais fortes, mas ela ainda não sabe como usá-los. Seu maior problema nesse momento é encontrar um Professor capaz de lhe mostrar como lidar com eles apropriadamente. Outra dificuldade é o fato de não conhecer ninguém que saiba algo sobre poderes sobrenaturais. Na verdade, sua mãe é violentamente contra qualquer coisa que seja sobrenatural, assim como sua mãe antes dela. As únicas pessoas que parecem estar dispostas a ajudá-la estão mortas; não que isso faça alguma diferença para Megan. Ela aceita essa ajuda de braços abertos. Os Seguidores de Megan se refere aos seus seguidores na Internet. Como acabou de completar treze anos, seus pais e os grandes sites agora permitem que ela os use, então Megan faz contas no Twitter, Facebook e LinkedIn. Wacinhinsha lhe dá uma lição sobre comunicação e como percebê-la em um nível espiritual.
Os governantes mais insanos: lunáticos, excêntricos e megalomaníacos. Desde Calígula até Kim Jong II
by Michael Rank Rodrigo AndreaPoucos misturas são tão tóxicas quanto o poder absoluto e insanidade. Quando não há obstáculos para os caprichos delirantes de um líder serem postos em prática, todos os tipos de resultados bizarros são possíveis. Seja o sultão otomano Ibrahim I praticando arco e flecha nos servos do palácio ou enviando seus conselheiros para encontrar a mulher mais gorda do império para ser sua esposa, ou então o presidente do Turcomenistão Turkmenbashi dando seu próprio nome aos dias da semana, e construindo uma estátua dourada de 24 metros voltada para o sol. Os líderes insanos têm atormentado a sociedade por milênios Esse livro irá analisar as vidas das dez diguras mais desequilibradas da história. Alguns sofriam com desordens genéticas que levaram à esquizofrenia, como por exemplo o rei francês Charles VI, que pensou que era feito de vidro. Outros acreditavam ser eles mesmos os representantes de Deus na terra e escreveram escritos religiosos que garantiam que o leitor iria para o céu, mesmo que o mesmo fosse pouco alfabetizado. Qualquer que fosse o seu background, esses ditadores mostram que a dinastia política se certificava que um herdeiro leg'timo sempre chegasse ao trono - não obstante sua condição mental - e que o poder pode destruir uma menta pior do que qualquer doença mental.
Os últimos dias de Estaline
by Joshua RubensteinJoshua Rubenstein lança uma nova luz sobre a acção de Beria, Malenkov, Khrushchev, e outros "camaradas de armas", que bem entenderam o significado da morte iminente do ditador; relata os eventos documentados de testemunhas da sua morte, em comparação com as versões oficiais; os rumores sobre os planos de Estaline para forçar o exílio de judeus soviéticos; as respostas de Eisenhower e o secretário de Estado Dulles aos gestos conciliatórios do Kremlin após a morte de Estaline; e as repercussões da quebra do regime de terror de Estaline. Um relato impressionante dos meses antes e depoisda morte de Estaline e de como o seu desaparecimento modificaria o curso da História do século xx.Joshua Rubenstein leva-nos de volta à segunda metadede 1952, quando ninguém poderia prever um fim ao regime assassino de Estaline. Estava prestes a desafiar o recém-eleito presidente dos Estados Unidos, Dwight Eisenhower, com as forças armadas, enquanto ampliava uma campanha odiosa contra os judeus soviéticos. O colapso repentino de Estaline, que o leva à morte, em Março de 1953, foi tão dramático e misterioso como a sua vida. Não é exagero dizer que a sua morte marcou um ponto de viragem importante no século xx. Os Últimos Dias de Estaline é um envolvente relato dos últimos meses de vida activa do ditador, da vigília no seu leito de morte e da sucessão de acontecimentos internacionais que se seguiram ao seu desaparecimento. Joshua Rubenstein lança uma nova luz sobre a acção de Beria, Malenkov, Khrushchev e outros «camaradas de armas», que bem entenderam o significado da morte iminente do ditador. Relata os eventos documentados por testemunhas da sua morte em comparação com as versões oficiais, os rumores sobre os planos de Estaline para forçar o exílio de judeus soviéticos, as respostas de Eisenhower e do secretário de Estado Dulles aos gestos conciliatórios do Kremlin após a morte de Estaline e as repercussões da quebra do regime de terror do ditador. «Joshua Rubenstein, num relato vívido e vivo, descreve os derradeiros meses de vida de Estaline e o contexto do seu leito de morte, dando conta do verdadeiro significado desse ponto de viragem.» Robbie Millen, The Times «O relato de Joshua Rubenstein sobre a morte de Estaline e as suas consequências imediatas está muito bem feito [...] um livro acessível e fascinante.» Geoffrey Roberts, Irish Times «Intrigante.» David Mikics, Tablet «Um trabalho fascinante.» Amy Lewonstin, Library Journal «O relato extremamente interessante de Joshua Rubenstein sobre os últimos dias de Estaline recorre a memórias pessoais e a novas pesquisas - e transmite o profundo medo inculcado durante os "Anos Negros dos Judeus Soviéticos".» Colin Shindler, Jewish Chronicle «Convincente [...]. Fascinante.» Rosemary Sullivan, The Wall Street Journal «Os últimos dias de Estaline são dramáticos, e Rubenstein faz um relato excelente.» Sheila Fitzpatrick, The Guardian «Um relato denso, arrepiante.» Harvey Blume, The Arts Fuse «Cativante. [...]. Altamente recomendado.» D. J. Dunn, Choice Sobre Os últimos dias de Estaline: «Joshua Rubenstein, num relato vívido e vivo, descreve os derradeiros meses de vida de Estaline e o contexto do seu leito de morte, dando conta do verdadeiro significado desse ponto de viragem.»Robbie Millen, The Times «O relato de Joshua Rubenstein sobre a morte de Estaline e as suas consequências imediatas está muito bem feito [...] um livro acessível e fascinante.»Geoffrey Roberts, Irish Times «Intrigante.»David Mikics, Tablet «Um trabalho fascinante.»Amy Lewonstin, Library Journal «O relato extremamente interessante de Joshua Rubenstein sobre os últimos dias de Estaline recorre a memórias pessoais e a novas pesquisas - e transmiteo
Osama
by Jonathan RandalHow is it possible for one middle-aged Saudi millionaire to threaten the world’s only superpower? This is the question at the center of Jonathan Randal’s riveting, timely account of Osama bin Laden’s role in the rise of terrorism in the Middle East. Randal–a journalist whose experience of the Middle East spans the past forty years–makes clear how Osama’s life epitomizes the fatal collision between twenty-first-century Islam and the West, and he describes the course of Osama’s estrangement from both the West and the Saudi petro-monarchy of which his family is a part. He examines Osama’s terrorist activities before September 11, 2001, and shows us how, after the attack on the World Trade Center, Osama presented the West with something new in the annals of contemporary terrorism: an independently wealthy entrepreneur with a seemingly worldwide following ready to do his bidding. Randal explores the possibility that Osama offered the Saudis his Al-Qaeda forces to drive Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait in 1991; he traces the current sources of Osama’s money; and he tells us why the Iraq war has played into the hands of the terrorists. With his long-maintained sources in the Middle East and his intimate understanding of the region, Randal gives us a clearer explanation than any we have had of the whys and wherefores of the world’s most prominent and feared terrorist.
Osama Bin Laden: A War Against the West
by Elaine LandauPresents biographical information about militant Islamic leader Osama bin Laden, including his role in international terrorism and the beliefs that fuel his actions.
Osama bin Laden: The Life and Death of the 9/11 al-Qaeda Mastermind (Exceptional Biographies For Upper Grades Ser.)
by Elaine LandauNearly ten years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, an elite team of U.S. special forces stunned the world with a dramatic and daring feat. Shortly after midnight on May 1, 2011, a U.S. Navy SEALs team stormed a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed its most-wanted inhabitant—Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind al-Qaeda. This militant group planned the September 11, 2001, plane hijackings that killed thousands of people when the planes flew into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C. The group is also responsible for other terrorist attacks around the world. As the network's leader, Osama bin Laden became the top target in the United States's War on Terror. In this fascinating account, learn more about the leader of the al-Qaeda network and the U.S. efforts that finally brought the world’s most feared terrorist to justice.
Oscar (Sesame Street Friends)
by Andrea Posner-SanchezMeet your favorite Sesame Street friends in this adorable photographic book!Learn all about Oscar the Grouch in a new Sesame Street board book illustrated with bold, bright photographs. Babies and toddlers will love turning each sturdy page to see what Oscar likes: stinky trash; annoying noises; his pet worm, Slimey; and much more! Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, aims to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder through its many unique domestic and international initiatives. These projects cover a wide array of topics for families around the world. Sesame Street is the most trusted name in early learning.
Oscar Charleston: The Life and Legend of Baseball's Greatest Forgotten Player
by Jeremy BeerBuck O&’Neil once described him as &“Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Tris Speaker rolled into one.&” Among experts he is regarded as the best player in Negro Leagues history. During his prime he became a legend in Cuba and one of black America&’s most popular figures. Yet even among serious sports fans, Oscar Charleston is virtually unknown today. In a long career spanning from 1915 to 1954, Charleston played against, managed, befriended, and occasionally fought men such as Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Jesse Owens, Roy Campanella, and Branch Rickey. He displayed tremendous power, speed, and defensive instincts along with a fierce intelligence and commitment to his craft. Charleston&’s competitive fire sometimes brought him trouble, but more often it led to victories, championships, and profound respect. While Charleston never played in the Major Leagues, he was a trailblazer who became the first black man to work as a scout for a Major League team when Branch Rickey hired him to evaluate players for the Dodgers in the 1940s. From the mid‑1920s on, he was a player‑manager for several clubs. In 1932 he joined the Pittsburgh Crawfords and would manage the club many consider the finest Negro League team of all time, featuring five future Hall of Famers, including himself, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Judy Johnson, and Satchel Paige. Charleston&’s combined record as a player, manager, and scout makes him the most accomplished figure in black baseball history. His mastery of the quintessentially American sport under the conditions of segregation revealed what was possible for black achievement, bringing hope to millions. Oscar Charleston introduces readers to one of America&’s greatest and most fascinating athletes.
Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical
by Laurie WinerA new look at artist Oscar Hammerstein II as a pivotal and underestimated force in the creation of modern American culture You know his work—Show Boat, Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I. But you don’t really know Oscar Hammerstein II, the man who, more than anyone else, invented the American musical. Among the most commercially successful artists of his time, he was a fighter for social justice who constantly prodded his audiences to be better than they were. Diving deep into Hammerstein’s life, examining his papers and his lyrics, critic Laurie Winer shows how he orchestrated a collective reimagining of America, urging it forward with a subtly progressive vision of the relationship between country and city, rich and poor, America and the rest of the world. His rejection of bitterness, his openness to strangers, and his optimistic humor shaped not only the musical but the American dream itself. His vision can continue to be a touchstone to this day.
Oscar López Rivera: Between Torture and Resistance
by Desmond Tutu Matt Meyer Osacar Lopez Rivera Luis Nieves Falcón Nozomi Ikuta<p>The life story of Puerto Rican freedom fighter and leader Oscar López Rivera, outlined in this book, is one of courage, valor, and sacrifice. In 1981, Oscar was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes for which he is still imprisoned, making him the longest-held political prisoner in the world. This is the story of his fight for the political independence of Puerto Rico based on letters between him and the renowned lawyer, sociologist, educator, and activist Luis Nieves Falcón. <p>Also included is Oscar’s art, including photography and paintings created in his many years behind bars. Readers will explore his early life as a Latino child growing up in the small towns of Puerto Rico, following him as an adolescent as he and his family move to the big cities of the United States. After serving in Vietnam and earning a Bronze Star, Oscar returned home and worked to improve the quality of life for his people by becoming a community activist, which led to his underground life as a Puerto Rican Nationalist and his subsequent arrest. <p>With a vivid assessment of the ongoing colonial relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico, the book helps to illustrate the sad tale of largely unreported human rights abuses for political prisoners in the United States, but it is also a story of hope and his ongoing struggle for freedom for his people and himself—a hope that there is beauty and strength in resistance.</p>
Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only
by Patrick McgilliganOscar Micheaux was the Jackie Robinson of film, the black D. W. Griffith: a bigger-than-life American folk hero whose important life story is nearly forgotten today. Now, in a feat of historical investigation and vivid storytelling, one of our greatest film biographers takes on one of the most talented and complex figures in the history of American entertainment. The son of freed slaves, Micheaux grew up in Metropolis, Illinois, then roamed America as a Pullman porter before making his first mark as a homesteader in South Dakota. Disaster and defeat there led him to forge a career publishing a successful series of autobiographical novels. Ever the entrepreneur, when Hollywood failed to bid high enough for film rights to his stories, he answered by forming his own film production company. Going on to produce or direct twenty-two silent and fifteen sound films in his lifetime, Micheaux became the king of the "race cinema" industry at a time when black-produced films had to scrounge for venues in a segregated society. In this groundbreaking new biography, award-winning film historian Patrick McGilligan offers a vivid and fascinating portrait of this little-known pioneer. Part visionary, part raffish Barnum-like showman, Micheaux was both a maverick filmmaker and an inveterate hustler who used every weapon at his disposal to break the color barrier and thrive in a profession he helped to invent. He made a fortune and lost it again, and launched repeated con games that were followed by public arrests and bankruptcies. He eagerly took credit for the work of others-including his unsung-heroine wife. In his desperate later years, he even sunk to plagiarizing his final novel-a discovery McGilligan reveals here for the first time. In this searching exploration, McGilligan tracks down long-lost financial records, unpublished letters, and unmarked pauper's graves, pinpointing Micheaux's birthplace, his tangled personal life, and the circumstances of his tragic death. The result is an epic that bridges a fascinating period in American history, and offers lessons for anyone who would understand the role of black America in forming the culture of our time.
Oscar Peterson: The Man and His Jazz
by Jack BattenCalled the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, received the Order of Canada and is considered to have been one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. This new biography from award-winning author Jack Batten, promises to tell Oscar Peterson's story in acomplete, compelling and sympathetic way. This is first biography of Oscar Peterson for young people. This book is the story of a black kid from a Montreal ghetto who reached accliam in the great music halls of the world.
Oscar Romero: Reflections on His Life and Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters Series)
by Renny Golden Scott Wright Marie DennisOriginally published on the twentieth anniversary of his death, this volume celebrates the life, spirit and legacy of Oscar Romero, the martyred archbishop of San Salvador.
Oscar Wilde
by Richard EllmannThe biography sensitive to the tragic pattern of the story of a great subject: Oscar Wilde - psychologically and sexually complicated, enormously quotable, central to a alluring cultural world and someone whose life assumed an unbearably dramatic shape.
Oscar Wilde in America: The Interviews
by Oscar Wilde Gary Scharnhorst Matthew HoferBetter known in 1882 as a cultural icon than a serious writer, Oscar Wilde was brought to North America for a major lecture tour on Aestheticism and the decorative arts. With characteristic aplomb, he adopted the role as the ambassador of Aestheticism, and he tried out a number of phrases, ideas, and strategies that ultimately made him famous as a novelist and playwright. This exceptional volume cites all ninety-one of Wilde's interviews and contains transcripts of forty-eight of them, and it also includes his lecture on his travels in America.
Oscar Wilde on Trial: The Criminal Proceedings, from Arrest to Imprisonment (Yale Law Library Series in Legal History and Reference)
by Joseph BristowThe most authoritative account of a pivotal event in legal and cultural history: the trials of Oscar Wilde on charges of &“gross indecency&” Among the most infamous prosecutions of a literary figure in history, the two trials of Oscar Wilde for committing acts of &“gross indecency&” occurred at the height of his fame. After being found guilty, Wilde spent two years in prison, emerged bankrupt, and died in a cheap hotel room in Paris a few years after his release. The trials prompted a new intolerance toward homosexuality: habits of male bonding that were previously seen as innocent were now viewed as a threat, and an association grew in the public mind between gay men and the arts.Oscar Wilde on Trial assembles accounts from a variety of sources, including official and private letters, newspaper accounts, and previously published (but very incomplete) transcripts, to provide the most accurate and authoritative account to date of events that were pivotal in both legal and cultural history.
Oscar Wilde's Last Stand: Decadence, Conspiracy, and the Most Outrageous Trial of the Century
by Philip HoareA New York Times Notable Book of the Year that Sir Ian McKellen called "a shocking tale of heroes and villains-illuminating and upsetting in equal measure.”The first production of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé in 1918, with American exotic dancer Maud Allan dancing lead, ignited a firestorm in London spearheaded by Noel Pemberton Billing, a member of Parliament and self-appointed guardian of family values. Billing attacked Allan in the right-wing newspaper Vigilante as a member of the "Cult of the Clitoris,” a feminine version of the "Cult of the Wilde,” a catchall for the degeneracy and perversion he was convinced had infected the land. He claimed that a black book was in the hands of their enemies the Germans, a book that contained the names of thousands of the British establishment who without doubt were members of the cult. Threat of exposure was costing England the war.Allan sued Billing for libel, and the ensuing trial, brought to life in this authoritative, spellbinding book, held the world in thrall. Was there or was there not a black book? What names did it contain? The trial was both hugely entertaining and deadly serious and raised specters of hysteria, homophobia, and paranoia that, like Oscar Wilde himself, continue to haunt us. As in Wilde’s own trial in 1895, libel was hardly the issue; the fight was for control over the country’s moral compass. In Oscar Wilde’s Last Stand, biographer and historian Philip Hoare gives us the full drama of the Billing trial, gavel to gavel, and brings to life this unique, bizarre, and fascinating event.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant
by Oscar Wilde Mary Hollingsworth Bill BellAfter seven years, the Giant has nothing left to say to his friend the Cornish ogre, and so he returns home to his castle—only to find that in his absence, the children have been playing in his beautiful garden. At once the selfish Giant builds a high wall to keep the children out of the garden. Winter turns into Spring all over the country—but not in the selfish Giant's garden. Across the country Spring turns into Summer and then to Autumn—but in the selfish Giant's garden, the trees refuse to bloom and the birds refuse to sing; they miss the children. The selfish Giant lies shivering in his large bed while Hail, Snow, North Wind, and Frost dance across the garden. But one morning the Giant hears a beautiful noise—what could it be?An unexpected ending gives the story a poignant, wistful quality, and Bill Bell's dazzling illustrations breathe new life into this classic tale. And adults familiar with Oscar Wilde's work will enjoy seeing this gentler, softer side of Wilde. The Selfish Giant is a beautiful book for parents and children to read together during any season.
Oscar Wilde, His Life and Confessions, Volume 1
by Frank HarrisBiography of Oscar Wilde, the British playwrite.