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One More River to Cross
by Bryan PrinceThis is the story of Isaac Brown, a slave who was accused of the attempted murder of a plantation owner in Maryland, escaped, and ultimately made his way to freedom in Canada. In the early to mid-nineteenth century, Isaac Brown, a slave, was accused of the attempted murder of a prominent plantation owner, despite there being no evidence of his guilt. Brown, after enduring two brutal floggings, was shipped to a New Orleans slave pen. From there the resourceful Brown was able to make a daring escape to Philadelphia in the free state of Pennsylvania. His biggest error was writing a note informing his free wife and eleven children in Maryland of his whereabouts. The note was intercepted and led to his arrest and attempted extradition back to Maryland.While engaged in researching an ancestor named Isaac Brown, Bryan Prince encountered the very high-profile case of what turned out to be a different Isaac Brown. The story of this slave, with its culmination in Brown’s dramatic escape and ultimate success in crossing the border into Canada, is the riveting subject of historian Bryan Prince’s latest book.
One More Step
by Neal Bascomb Bonner PaddockIn 2008, Bonner Paddock summited 19,341-foot-high mount kilimanjaro, the world's tallest freestanding mountain. Four years later, he earned the elite triathlete title kona Ironman. Thousands have done each individually. Bonner is the first person with cerebral palsy to do both.Bonner Paddock grew up just wanting to be ordinary. Despite his skinny legs and habit of tripping over nothing, he fought to keep up with his athletic older brothers, learned to battle riptides with his grandfather on close watch, and did everything he could to feel like a regular kid, even when it became clear he wasn't. After being diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age eleven, Bonner didn't let it limit him--instead he simply ignored its existence. For the next eighteen years, he guarded the truth about his health, building a normal life and keeping his secret from everyone--most of all himself.But the sudden death of a friend's young son named Jake, a boy who also suffered from cerebral palsy, forced Bonner to reevaluate who he was. No longer content striving for normal, he began to pursue one breathtaking experience after another in Jake's memory, never hiding from his physical limitations and, in the process, raising international awareness about cerebral palsy. T is appetite for challenges led him to the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro where, pushing his fragile body to the brink and barely surviving, he braved one mountain only to discover that he still had farther to climb.Embracing his weaknesses to understand his strengths, he then pursued the ultimate adventure: testing his mind, body, and will at the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii, a race regarded by many as the hardest on earth. Along the way he forged a renewed bond with his family and launched a foundation to help disabled children in Africa and at home.In the end, his remarkable journey took him across the globe and introduced him to a compelling cast of characters--from Tanzanian mountain guides to top-class surgeons, to disabled children, to champion athletes--all of whom inspired his quest. Infused with his irresistible charisma, courage, and heart, and illustrated with sixteen pages of color photos, One More Step is a gripping story of human perseverance that demonstrates how our lives are not defined by limits, but by the moments and lessons that push us past them.
One More Theory About Happiness: A Memoir
by Paul Guest“In these lyrical, searing pages, Guest manages to break our hearts and put them back together again.”—Ann HoodIn the tradition of Lucy Grealy’s Autobiography of a Face, One More Theory About Happiness is a bold and original memoir from the acclaimed, Whiting Award-winning poet Paul Guest, author of My Index of Horrifying Knowledge. A remarkable account of the accident that left him a quadriplegic, and his struggle to find independence, love, and a life on his own terms, One More Theory About Happiness has been praised by Charles Bock, author of Beautiful Children, as, “Smart and honest and clear eyed and above all, humane.”
One More Time: A Memoir
by Carol BurnettThe child of two alcoholic parents, Burnett presents a sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking coming-of-age: from her sadly hopeful mother, who was hooked on Tinseltown fantasy, to the first signs of her own comic gift; from happy weekends spent with her father, to their last tragic meeting in a public sanatorium. The book is an intimate, touching, and astonishing narrative of a financially desperate but emotionally rich childhood on the wrong side of Hollywood's tracks.
One More Warbler: A Life with Birds
by Victor Emanuel S Kirk WalshOne of America’s foremost birders recounts his birding adventures as well as his friendships with numerous luminaries.Victor Emanuel is widely considered one of America’s leading birders. He has observed more than six thousand species during travels that have taken him to every continent. He founded the largest company in the world specializing in birding tours and one of the most respected ones in ecotourism. Emanuel has received some of birding’s highest honors, including the Roger Tory Peterson Award from the American Birding Association and the Arthur A. Allen Award from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. He also started the first birding camps for young people, which he considers one of his greatest achievements.In One More Warbler, Emanuel recalls a lifetime of birding adventures—from his childhood sighting of a male Cardinal that ignited his passion for birds to a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Asia to observe all eight species of cranes of that continent. He tells fascinating stories of meeting his mentors who taught him about birds, nature, and conservation, and later, his close circle of friends—Ted Parker, Peter Matthiessen, George Plimpton, Roger Tory Peterson, and others—who he frequently birded and traveled with around the world. Emanuel writes about the sighting of an Eskimo Curlew, thought to be extinct, on Galveston Island; setting an all-time national record during the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count; attempting to see the Imperial Woodpecker in northwestern Mexico; and birding on the far-flung island of Attu on the Aleutian chain. Over the years, Emanuel became a dedicated mentor himself, teaching hundreds of young people the joys and enrichment of birding. “Birds changed my life,” says Emanuel, and his stories make clear how a deep connection to the natural world can change everyone’s life.“Whether he is recounting his experiences with raptors in Turkey, rose-ringed parakeets in India, or black-and-white owls in Panama, Emanuel’s love of the natural world is always on display. A charming narrative for avid birders and armchair nature lovers, sure to inspire at least a few flights of fancy.” —Kirkus Reviews“Victor Emanuel is a remarkable man who found his mentors in birding and went on to become a leader in that community for the past fifty years. In One More Warbler, Victor shares his wide-ranging adventures across the globe, including the story of his enormously influential ecotourism company, and the reasons why he become a mentor himself to whole generations of young ornithologists. It’s a fascinating read.” —Kenn Kaufman, author of Kingbird Highway“This book is classic Victor: a tapestry of anecdotes, adventures, philosophical musings, and tributes to people, all woven together by glowing words of admiration for the rich diversity of birds that grace our lives, and define his.” —John Fitzpatrick, Director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
One More Warbler: A Life with Birds
by Victor Emanuel S Kirk WalshOne of America’s foremost birders recounts his birding adventures as well as his friendships with numerous luminaries.Victor Emanuel is widely considered one of America’s leading birders. He has observed more than six thousand species during travels that have taken him to every continent. He founded the largest company in the world specializing in birding tours and one of the most respected ones in ecotourism. Emanuel has received some of birding’s highest honors, including the Roger Tory Peterson Award from the American Birding Association and the Arthur A. Allen Award from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. He also started the first birding camps for young people, which he considers one of his greatest achievements.In One More Warbler, Emanuel recalls a lifetime of birding adventures—from his childhood sighting of a male Cardinal that ignited his passion for birds to a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Asia to observe all eight species of cranes of that continent. He tells fascinating stories of meeting his mentors who taught him about birds, nature, and conservation, and later, his close circle of friends—Ted Parker, Peter Matthiessen, George Plimpton, Roger Tory Peterson, and others—who he frequently birded and traveled with around the world. Emanuel writes about the sighting of an Eskimo Curlew, thought to be extinct, on Galveston Island; setting an all-time national record during the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count; attempting to see the Imperial Woodpecker in northwestern Mexico; and birding on the far-flung island of Attu on the Aleutian chain. Over the years, Emanuel became a dedicated mentor himself, teaching hundreds of young people the joys and enrichment of birding. “Birds changed my life,” says Emanuel, and his stories make clear how a deep connection to the natural world can change everyone’s life.“Whether he is recounting his experiences with raptors in Turkey, rose-ringed parakeets in India, or black-and-white owls in Panama, Emanuel’s love of the natural world is always on display. A charming narrative for avid birders and armchair nature lovers, sure to inspire at least a few flights of fancy.” —Kirkus Reviews“Victor Emanuel is a remarkable man who found his mentors in birding and went on to become a leader in that community for the past fifty years. In One More Warbler, Victor shares his wide-ranging adventures across the globe, including the story of his enormously influential ecotourism company, and the reasons why he become a mentor himself to whole generations of young ornithologists. It’s a fascinating read.” —Kenn Kaufman, author of Kingbird Highway“This book is classic Victor: a tapestry of anecdotes, adventures, philosophical musings, and tributes to people, all woven together by glowing words of admiration for the rich diversity of birds that grace our lives, and define his.” —John Fitzpatrick, Director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
One Mountain Thousand Summits: The Untold Story of Tragedy and True Heroism on K2
by Freddie WilkinsonAn insider's account of one of the deadliest and most controversial tragedies in mountaineering history-the 2008 K2 disaster. When eleven men perished on the slopes of K2 in August 2008, it was one of the deadliest single events in Himalayan climbing and made headlines around the world. Yet non of the surviving western climbers could explain precisely what happened. Their memories were self-admittedly fogged by exhaustion, hypoxia, and hallucinations. The truth of what happened lies with four Sherpa guides who were largely ignored by the mainstream media in the aftermath of the tragedy, who lost two of their own during the incident, and whose heroic efforts saved the lives of at least four climbers. Based on his numerous trips to Nepal and in-depth interviews he conducted with these unacknowledged heroes, the other survivors, and the families of the lost climbers, alpinist and veteran climbing writer Freddie Wilkinson presents the true story of what actually occurred on the "savage" mountain. This work combines a criticism of the mainstream press's less-than-complete coverage of the tragedy and an insightful portrait of the lives of 21st-century Sherpas into an intelligent, white-knuckled adventure narrative. .
One Nation Under Sex: How the Private Lives of Presidents, First Ladies and Their Lovers Changed the Course of American History
by David Eisenbach Larry Flynt“Americans often like to think that extramarital sex—or even a strong libido—is somehow a sign of poor character in our presidents. One Nation Under Sex explodes that myth...You don’t have to agree with all of Larry Flynt’s and David Eisenbach’s readings of history to enjoy this sex-filled tour through more than 200 years of scandal.”—David Greenberg, author of Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American PresidencyBen Franklin saved the American Revolution by seducing French Women. A gay love affair between President James Buchanan and Senator William King aided the secession movement. Woodrow Wilson’s girlfriend dictated his letters to the German Kaiser. And lesbian relationships inspired Eleanor Roosevelt to become a revolutionary crusader for equal rights. The colorful sex lives of America’s most powerful leaders have influenced social movements, government policies, elections and even wars, yet they are so whitewashed by historians that people think Thomas Jefferson and Abe Lincoln were made of marble, not flesh and blood.But the truth is about to come out. In One Nation Under Sex, free speech activist and notorious Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt teams up with Columbia University history professor David Eisenbach to peek behind the White House bedroom curtains and document how hidden passions have shaped public life. They unpack salacious rumors and outright scandals, showing how private affairs have driven pivotal decisions—often with horrific consequences. Along the way, they explore the origins of America’s fascination with sex scandals and explain how we can put aside out political moralism and begin focusing on the real problems that threaten our nation.
One Native Life
by Richard WagameseOne Native Life is a look back down the road Richard Wagamese has traveled - from childhood abuse to adult alcoholism - in reclaiming his identity. It's about what he has learned as a human being, a man, and an Ojibway in his 52 years on Earth. Whether he's writing about playing baseball, running away with the circus, making bannock, or attending a sacred bundle ceremony, these are stories told in a healing spirit. Through them, Wagamese shows readers how to appreciate life for the journey it is.
One Night in Miami… (Modern Classics Series)
by Kemp PowersBefore they were icons they were friends. <p><p> The world would come to know him as Muhammad Ali, but on 25 February 1964, a twenty-two-year-old Cassius Clay celebrated his world heavyweight title not by hitting the town, but in a hotel room with his three closest friends: activist Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke and American football star Jim Brown. To the outside world, they were American icons. But in that hotel room, here were four men who understood each other and their moment in history in a way that no one else could. With the Civil Rights movement stirring outside, and the melody of A Change is Gonna Come hanging in the air, these men would emerge from that room ready to define a new world. <p><p> Kemp Powers's tough talking, in-your-face debut play premiered in LA in 2013 where it won the Ted Schmitt Award for outstanding world premiere of a new play along with three LA Drama Critics Circle Awards, four NAACP Theatre Awards and LA Weekly Theater Awards for playwriting. <p><p> This edition was originally published to coincide with the European premiere at London's Donmar Warehouse in 2016 where it received critical acclaim. It was later adapted into a feature film, released in January 2021.
One Pair of Feet: The Entertaining Memoirs of a Young Nurse During World War II: A Virago Modern Classic (Virago Modern Classics #104)
by Monica DickensOne Pair of Feet is not just a spirited and entertaining account of the training of a hospital nurse in wartime but a fascinating glimpse into a time and a culture so recent and yet so utterly changed' Marina LewyckaAs the effects of the war raging in Europe begin to be felt at home in London, Monica Dickens decides to do her bit and to pursue a new career, and so enrols as a student nurse at a hospital in rural Hertfordshire. By nature clever and spirited, she struggles to submit to the iron rule of the Matron and Sisters, and is alternately infuriated and charmed by her patients. That's not to mention the mountains of menial work that are a trainee's lot. But there are friends among the staff and patients, night-time escapades to dances with dashing army men, and her secret writing project to keep her going.'A brilliantly funny account' Elizabeth Bowen
One Pair of Feet: The Entertaining Memoirs of a Young Nurse During World War II: A Virago Modern Classic (Vmc Ser. #108)
by Monica DickensOne Pair of Feet is not just a spirited and entertaining account of the training of a hospital nurse in wartime but a fascinating glimpse into a time and a culture so recent and yet so utterly changed' Marina LewyckaAs the effects of the war raging in Europe begin to be felt at home in London, Monica Dickens decides to do her bit and to pursue a new career, and so enrols as a student nurse at a hospital in rural Hertfordshire. By nature clever and spirited, she struggles to submit to the iron rule of the Matron and Sisters, and is alternately infuriated and charmed by her patients. That's not to mention the mountains of menial work that are a trainee's lot. But there are friends among the staff and patients, night-time escapades to dances with dashing army men, and her secret writing project to keep her going.'A brilliantly funny account' Elizabeth Bowen
One Party After Another: The Disruptive Life of Nigel Farage
by Michael CrickNigel Farage is arguably one of the most influential British politicians of the 21st century. His campaign to take the UK out of the EU began as a minority and extreme point of view, but in June 2016 it became the official policy of the nation after a divisive referendum. In Michael Crick's brilliant new biography, One Party After Another, we find out how he did it, despite never once managing to get elected to Parliament. Farage left public school at the age of 16 to go and work in the City, but in the 1990s he was drawn into politics, joining UKIP. Ironically, it was the electoral system for the European Parliament that gave him access to a platform, and he was elected an MEP in 1999. His everyman persona, combined with a natural ability as a maverick and outspoken performer on TV, ensured that he garnered plenty of media attention. His message resonated in ways that rattled the major parties - especially the Conservatives - and suddenly the UK's membership of the EU was up for debate. Controversy was never far away, with accusations of racism against the party and various scandals. But, having helped secure the referendum, Farage was largely sidelined by the successful official Brexit campaign. When Parliament struggled to find a way to leave, Farage created the Brexit Party to ensure Britain did eventually leave the EU early in 2020. Crick's compelling new study takes the reader into the heart of Farage's story, assessing his methods, uncovering remarkable hidden details and builds to an unmissable portrait of one of the most controversial characters in modern British politics.
One Perfect Day: A Mother and Son's Story of Adoption and Reunion
by Diane Burke Steve OrlandiThe moment Diane Burke, an author and mother of two grown sons, received an unexpected certified letter in the mail, she had no idea her life would be shaken to its core. Memories of a past she had buried more than forty years ago suddenly resurfaced and she wasn't prepared to deal with them.Steve Orlandi, happily married, father of two and step-father of three, was living the typical middle class American life. But since the age of eight, when he discovered he was adopted, he had led that life dealing with inner questions about his self-identity and genetic history. Always on his mind was one simple, yet complicated and loaded question: Who am I?In One Perfect Day, Diane shares with readers how she came to the heartbreaking conclusion to give her baby up for adoption and how this decision has affected her life sense. Through Steve's invaluable perspective, readers will also experience the lengths he traveled to discover his mother's identity and reach out to her, not knowing whether she'd want to meet with him after nearly four decades of separation. It all comes together on one perfect day.This book asks and answers the questions: What defines family? What does it mean to forgive? And is it worth the time, energy, and emotional cost to love a stranger?
One Perfect Life: The Complete Story of the Lord Jesus
by John MacarthurRead the best news the world has ever been given about the most significant life in all history--Jesus Christ. In One Perfect Life, Dr. John MacArthur shares with us the complete story of the Eternal Christ from Genesis to Revelation. Using Matthew as the base text, Dr. MacArthur blends the gospels and other biblical material about Jesus into one continuous story that will help you better understand Scripture and grow stronger in your faith. No other harmony of the Gospels includes such extensive study notes to help you unpack the meaning of each verse. Features include:Verse-by-verse explanations from one of the most important pastor-teachers of our timeEvery verse connected to Christ from Genesis to RevelationA harmony of the Gospels that demonstrates the inerrancy of ScriptureNew King James translation
One Place de l’Eglise: A Year in Provence for the 21st century
by Trevor DolbyEscape to Languedoc in this poignant and transportative true account of life in a beautifully restored house in the south of France'Wonderful, exquisitely written, laugh-out-loud funny, profoundly moving. An utter joy and a treat to read from first to last' JAMES HOLLAND'Dolby writes with genuine emotion. He writes beautifully about life in a French village' DAILY MAIL___________An Englishman's home is his castle. But what if it's French?One Place de L'Eglise is a thousand-year-old Languedoc ruin. Leaky, crumbling, lacking basic amenities, it is ignored by the local villagers. But for Londoners Trevor and Kaz it is love at first sight. Over the years they turn the house into a home, navigating floods and freezing winters. Here, these two English find their place - their bar, their baker, their builder (ignore him at your peril).And gradually they learn slower joys - scents of thyme and lavender, warm sun on stone, nights hung with stars, silence in the hills, the secrets of fig jam.One Place de L'Eglise is a love letter - to a house, a village, a country - from an outsider who discovers you can never be a stranger when you're made to feel so at home.___________'Irresistible, a timeless story' MICHAEL PALIN 'Elegant, captivating, and sprinkled with self-deprecating humour. Dolby is a writer of abundant talent' PETER KERR, author of Snowball Oranges
One Pound, Twelve Ounces: A Preemie Mother's Story of Loss, Hope, and Triumph
by Melissa HarrisMelissa Harris’s dream of being a mother again shatters when a fertility doctor tells her she may never have another child due to a physical anomaly in her uterus. Determined to persevere, she undergoes nine surgeries and a year of fertility treatments until she finally gets a positive pregnancy test—only to miscarry both twins within the first fifteen weeks. When what she’s decided will be her last attempt results in her finally becoming pregnant, she’s told that this baby, Sam, is also at risk. While lying in a hospital bed for six days, trying to get to the golden standard twenty-four-week gestation mark, Melissa makes a decision—she will give this baby every chance to live, no matter what it takes.One Pound, Twelve Ounces is the journey of one mother’s determination to give her micro-preemie a fighting chance, and the story of that baby’s remarkable battle to survive.
One Punch from the Promised Land: Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, and the Myth of the Heavyweight Title
by Ouisie Shapiro John FlorioIt was 1976 when Leon and Michael Spinks first punched their way into America’s living rooms. That year, they became the first brothers to win Olympic gold in the same Games. Shortly thereafter, they became the first brothers to win the heavyweight title: Leon toppled The Greatest, Muhammad Ali; Michael beat the unbeatable Larry Holmes. With a cast of characters that includes Ali, Holmes, Mike Tyson, Gerry Cooney, Dwight Qawi, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad and dozens of friends, relatives, and boxing figures, ONE PUNCH FROM THE PROMISED LAND tells the unlikely story of the Spinks brothers. Their rise from the Pruitt-Igoe housing disaster. Their divergent paths of success. And their relationship with America. The book also uncovers stories never before made public: the big paydays, the high living, the backroom deals. It’s not afraid to tackle an issue rarely discussed: Does the heavyweight title deliver on its promise to young men in the inner city? This is the definitive story of Leon and Michael Spinks. And a cross-examination of heavyweight boxing in 20th century America.
One Question
by Ken ColemanThe motivating host of one of the nation's largest leadership conferences offers a collection of inspirational and applicable life lessons through conversations with various high profile people.If you had an opportunity to sit down with a favorite celebrity, a sports idol, or a hero in your field of business, what would you ask? How do hall of fame basketball coaches learn from failure? What do former U.S. presidents say is the key to connecting with people? How do Emmy Award-winning comedians deal with rejection when no one is looking? Interviewer and commentator Ken Coleman decided to find out for himself. Coleman invites readers to peer over his shoulder as he delivers carefully crafted questions to today's best and brightest and collects their answers in ways guaranteed to surprise, challenge, and inspire. Topics range from parenting to money, learning from failure to taking risks, and each is designed for readers who are on-the-go and on-their-way. One Question is based on the popular blog, "One Question with Ken Coleman," where well-known figures are asked one, solitary question. Drawing readers in with never-before-published interviews, this book delivers inspirational and applicable life lessons that can be digested in a matter of minutes.
One Ranger Returns (Bridwell Texas History Series)
by James L. Haley H. Joaquin JacksonA retired Texas lawman shares stories of serial killers, labor strikes, and more, in this sequel to the runaway bestselling memoir One Ranger.No Texas Ranger memoir has captured the public&’s imagination like Joaquin Jackson&’s One Ranger. Readers thrilled to Jackson&’s stories of catching criminals and keeping the peace across a wide swath of the Texas-Mexico border and clamored for more. Now in One Ranger Returns, Jackson reopens his case files to tell more unforgettable stories, while also giving readers a deeply personal view of what being a Texas Ranger has meant to him and his family.Jackson recalls his five-year pursuit of two of America&’s most notorious serial killers: Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole. He sets the record straight about the role of the Texas Rangers during the United Farm Workers strike in the Rio Grande Valley in 1966–1967. Jackson also describes the frustration of trying to solve a cold case from 1938, the brutal murder of a mother and daughter in the lonely desert east of Van Horn. He presents a rogue&’s gallery of cattle rustlers, drug smugglers, and a teetotaling bootlegger named Tom Bybee, a modest, likeable man who became an ax murderer. And in an eloquent concluding chapter, Jackson pays tribute to the Rangers who have gone before him, as well as those who keep the peace today.&“To the good fortune of us all, Jackson is back again, this time with One Ranger Returns. Packed full of compelling accounts of his dealings with smugglers, thieves, murderers, and other lawmen, this long-anticipated sequel promises to rival the original. This man is a true American hero. Don&’t miss reading about his adventures.&” —Cowboy Magazine
One Ranger Returns (Bridwell Texas History Series)
by James L. Haley H. Joaquin JacksonNo Texas Ranger memoir has captured the public's imagination like Joaquin Jackson's One Ranger. Readers thrilled to Jackson's stories of catching criminals and keeping the peace across a wide swath of the Texas-Mexico border—and clamored for more. Now in One Ranger Returns, Jackson reopens his case files to tell more unforgettable stories, while also giving readers a deeply personal view of what being a Texas Ranger has meant to him and his family. Jackson recalls his five-year pursuit of two of America's most notorious serial killers, Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole. He sets the record straight about the role of the Texas Rangers during the United Farm Workers strike in the Rio Grande Valley in 1966-1967. Jackson also describes the frustration of trying to solve a cold case from 1938—the brutal murder of a mother and daughter in the lonely desert east of Van Horn. He presents a rogue's gallery of cattle rustlers, drug smugglers, and a teetotaling bootlegger named Tom Bybee, a modest, likeable man who became an ax murderer. And in an eloquent concluding chapter, Jackson pays tribute to the Rangers who have gone before him, as well as those who keep the peace today.
One Ranger: A Memoir (Bridwell Texas History Series)
by H. Joaquin Jackson David Marion WilkinsonA retired Texas Ranger recalls a career that took him from shootouts in South Texas to film sets in Hollywood.When his picture appeared on the cover of Texas Monthly, Joaquin Jackson became the icon of the modern Texas Rangers. Nick Nolte modeled his character in the movie Extreme Prejudice on him. Jackson even had a speaking part of his own in The Good Old Boys with Tommy Lee Jones. But the role that Jackson has always played the best is that of the man who wears the silver badge cut from a Mexican cinco peso coin, a working Texas Ranger. Legend says that one Ranger is all it takes to put down lawlessness and restore the peace: one riot, one Ranger. In this adventure-filled memoir, Joaquin Jackson recalls what it was like to be the Ranger who responded when riots threatened, violence erupted, and criminals needed to be brought to justice across a wide swath of the Texas-Mexico border from 1966 to 1993.Jackson has dramatic stories to tell. Defying all stereotypes, he was the one Ranger who ensured a fair election—and an overwhelming win for La Raza Unida party candidates—in Zavala County in 1972. He followed legendary Ranger Captain Alfred Y. Allee Sr. into a shootout at the Carrizo Springs jail that ended a prison revolt and left him with nightmares. He captured &“The See More Kid,&” an elusive horse thief and burglar who left clean dishes and swept floors in the houses he robbed. He investigated the 1988 shootings in Big Bend&’s Colorado Canyon and tried to understand the motives of the Mexican teenagers who terrorized three river rafters and killed one. He even helped train Afghan mujahedin warriors to fight the Soviet Union.Jackson&’s tenure in the Texas Rangers began when older Rangers still believed that law need not get in the way of maintaining order, and concluded as younger Rangers were turning to computer technology to help solve crimes. Though he insists, &“I am only one Ranger. There was only one story that belonged to me,&” his story is part of the larger story of the Texas Rangers becoming a modern law enforcement agency that serves all the people of the state. It&’s a story that&’s as interesting as any of the legends. And yet, Jackson&’s story confirms the legends, too. With just over a hundred Texas Rangers to cover a state with 267,399 square miles, any one may become the one Ranger who, like Joaquin Jackson in Zavala County in 1972, stops one riot.&“A powerful, moving read . . . One Ranger is as fascinating as the memoirs of nineteenth-century Rangers James Gillett and George Durham, and the histories by Frederick Wilkins and Walter Prescott Webb—and equally as important.&” —True West&“A straight-shooting book that blow[s] a few holes in the Ranger myth while providing more ammunition for the myth&’s continuation. . . . Reads more like a novel than [an] autobiography.&” —Austin American-Statesman
One Real American: The Life of Ely S. Parker, Seneca Sachem and Civil War General
by Joseph BruchacChildren&’s book icon Joseph Bruchac tells the fascinating story of a Seneca (Iroquois) Civil War officer in One Real American: The Life of Ely S. Parker, Seneca Sachem and Civil War General. Ely S. Parker (1828–1895) is one of the most unique but little-known figures in US history. A member of the Seneca (Iroquois) Nation, Parker was an attorney, engineer, and tribal diplomat. Raised on a reservation but schooled at a Catholic institution, he learned English at a young age and became an interpreter for his people. During the American Civil War, he was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel and was the primary draftsman of the terms of the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. He eventually became President Grant&’s Commissioner of Indian Affairs, the first Native American to hold that post. Award-winning children&’s book author and Native American scholar Joseph Bruchac provides an expertly researched, intimate look at a man who achieved great success in two worlds yet was caught between them. Includes archival photos, maps, endnotes, bibliography, and timeline. &“Acclaimed Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac relies on Ely Parker&’s own writings, a biography by Parker&’s grand-nephew, and the historical knowledge of Native elders to create this complex account of power and people that should be essential reading in middle- and high-school classrooms.&” —Booklist (Starred Review) Includes black-and-white images
One Righteous Man
by Arthur BrowneA history of African Americans in New York City from the 1910s to 1960, told through the life of Samuel Battle, the New York Police Department's first black officer. When Samuel Battle broke the color line as New York City's first African American cop in the second decade of the twentieth century, he had to fear his racist colleagues as much as criminals. He had to be three times better than his white peers, and many times more resilient. His life was threatened. He was displayed like a circus animal. Yet, fearlessly claiming his rights, he prevailed in a four-decade odyssey that is both the story of one man's courageous dedication to racial progress and a harbinger of the divisions between police and the people they serve that plague twenty-first-century America. By dint of brains, brawn, and an outsized personality, Battle rode the forward wave of African American history in New York. He circulated among renowned turn-of-the-century entertainers and writers. He weathered threatening hostility as a founding citizen of black Harlem. He served as "godfather" to the regiment of black soldiers that won glory in World War I as the "Hellfighters of Harlem." He befriended sports stars like Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, and Sugar Ray Robinson, and he bonded with legendary tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Along the way, he mentored an equally smart, equally tough young man in a still more brutal fight to integrate the New York Fire Department. At the close of his career, Battle looked back proudly on the against-all-odd journey taken by a man who came of age as the son of former slaves in the South. He had navigated the corruption of Tammany Hall, the treachery of gangsters like Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz, the anything-goes era of Prohibition, the devastation of the Depression, and the race riots that erupted in Harlem in the 1930s and 1940s. By then he was a trusted aide to Mayor Fiorello La Guardia and a friend to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Realizing that his story was the story of race in New York across the first half of the century, Battle commissioned a biography to be written by none other than Langston Hughes, the preeminent voice of the Harlem Renaissance. But their eighty-thousand-word collaboration failed to find a publisher, and has remained unpublished since. Using Hughes's manuscript, which is quoted liberally throughout this book, as well as his own archival research and interviews with survivors, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Arthur Browne has created an important and compelling social history of New York, revealed a fascinating episode in the life of Langston Hughes, and delivered the riveting life and times of a remarkable and unjustly forgotten man, setting Samuel Battle where he belongs in the pantheon of American civil rights pioneers.
One Ripple at a Time: A Mother's Story of Life after Loss
by Janice JensenA woman’s inspirational memoir of the tragic death of her young child and her own courageous journey of transformation, this unforgettable story will resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced loss, with honest insights on working through grief, resilience, and reclaiming joy in life.Without warning, disaster strikes. How does a grief-stricken young mother rebuild her life and rediscover joy? On a family vacation in Austria, Janice Jensen’s children played near a sleepy stream. Suddenly the water rose catastrophically. Miles upstream, a power company had released a raging torrent that rushed down and swept away her young son as she watched helplessly. Heartbroken, Janice gave all her love and support to her surviving daughter and devastated husband as the three struggled to rebuild their lives together. This life-affirming memoir follows Janice’s decades-long journey from deepest anguish to helping others and discovering more of the world as she teaches, dances, and lives abroad in Colombia, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. In a plainspoken, warm, and honest voice, Janice shares how she survives waves of pain and finds gifts of love. Over time, she confronts her fear of water and builds a life that fully embraces joy. And ultimately, her passion for ballroom dance leads her to reconnect with her son’s spirit.