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Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge
by Rachel DoughertyOn a warm spring day in 1883, a woman rode across the Brooklyn Bridge with a rooster on her lap. It was the first trip across an engineering marvel that had taken nearly fourteen years to construct. The woman's husband was the chief engineer, and he knew all about the dangerous new technique involved. The woman insisted she learn as well. When he fell ill mid-construction, her knowledge came in handy. She supervised every aspect of the project while he was bedridden, and she continued to learn about things only men were supposed to know:math,science,engineering.Women weren't supposed to be engineers. But this woman insisted she could do it all, and her hard work helped to create one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. This is the story of Emily Roebling, the secret engineer behind the Brooklyn Bridge, from author-illustrator Rachel Dougherty.
Secret Evil
by Zara Gill'If you say anything to your mother, I'll tell her it was your brother. And then he'll be locked away in prison forever because of you.' Zara's stepfather, Hassan, mercilessly bullied her brother and sister. But at just seven years old Zara knew she could never tell anyone about what Hassan was doing to her.For the next nine years, she kept the terrible secret, until eventually she found the courage to fight back. But was she too late to save the people she loved?Secret Evil is the moving and inspirational true story of a little girl who tried to protect her family against the evil that pervaded their lives.
Secret Girl
by Molly Bruce JacobsAt age thirty-eight, newly sober Molly Bruce Jacobs meets Anne for the first time ever. Because of her mental impairments, Anne was institutionalized as a young child. As time goes by, and the sisters grow closer, Molly comes to understand, not only the reasons behind her alcoholism, but, also what led her parents to make the decision that would have such a profound effect on the lives of these two, very different sisters.
Secret Girl: A Memoir
by Molly Bruce JacobsFor decades, a well-to-do Baltimore family guarded a secret too painful to reveal, much less speak of among themselves. For one daughter, that secret would haunt her for years but ultimately compel her to take surprising risks and reap unbelievable rewards--the story of which forms the stunning narrative of this remarkable memoir.When Molly Bruce Jacobs, the family's eldest daughter, finds herself newly sober at the age of thirty-eight, she finally seeks out and comes face-to-face with this secret: Anne, a younger sister who was diagnosed at birth with hydrocephalus ("water on the brain") and mental retardation, then institutionalized. Anne has never been home to visit, and Jacobs has never seen her. Full of trepidation, Jacobs goes to meet her sister for the first time. As the book unfilds and the sisters grow close, Jacobs learns of the decades of life not shared, and gains surprising insights about herself, including why she drank for most of her adult life. In addition, she gradually comes to understand that her parents' reasons for placing Anne in an institution were far more complex than she'd ever imagined.
Secret Heroes: Everyday Americans Who Shaped Our World
by Paul MartinA compendium illuminating the lives of thirty forgotten heroes, unknown champions, explorers, inventors, and innovators who shaped American history.“Martin's life-and-work portraits, with their subjects’ pluck and pioneering spirit, will surprise and, perhaps, inspire readers.” —BooklistNot all American heroes appear in the standard history texts. Their achievements aren’t celebrated like the monumental exploits of presidents, generals, and founding fathers. But for as long as this great nation has existed, ordinary citizens have done extraordinary things. In Secret Heroes, author Paul Martin spotlights thirty overlooked Americans, all of whom had an impact on their world and ours, including:· Hercules Mulligan, the New York tailor and spy who saved George Washington’s life . . .twice!· Jimmie Angel, the gold-seeking bush pilot who, in 1933, discovered the world's highest waterfall in Venezuela· Carl Akeley, a pioneering taxidermist who killed a leopard with his bare hands and inspired Africa's first national park· Eliza Scidmore, who convinced the government to plant cherry trees in Washington, D.C. . . .after twenty-four years of lobbying!“Endlessly entertaining… . . . A book that makes history joyous.” —Thomas C. Foster, author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor“This enthralling, episodic ramble's perfect for anyone interested in how America managed to get from there to here.” —James Conaway, author of Napa: The Story of an American Eden“A colorful cast of forgotten characters definitely worth getting to know! . . . An enjoyable and eye-opening read.” —Rick Beyer, author of The Greatest Stories Never Told
Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade
by Justin SpringDrawn from the secret, never-before-seen diaries, journals, and sexual records of the novelist, poet, and university professor Samuel M. Steward, Secret Historian is a sensational reconstruction of one of the more extraordinary hidden lives of the twentieth century. An intimate friend of Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, and Thornton Wilder, Steward maintained a secret sex life from childhood on, and documented these experiences in brilliantly vivid (and often very funny) detail. After leaving the world of academe to become Phil Sparrow, a tattoo artist on Chicago's notorious South State Street, Steward worked closely with Alfred Kinsey on his landmark sex research. During the early 1960s, Steward changed his name and identity once again, this time to write exceptionally literate, upbeat pro-homosexual pornography under the name of Phil Andros. Until today he has been known only as Phil Sparrow--but an extraordinary archive of his papers, lost since his death in 1993, has provided Justin Spring with the material for an exceptionally compassionate and brilliantly illuminating life-and-times biography. More than merely the story of one remarkable man,Secret Historian is a moving portrait of homosexual life long before Stonewall and gay liberation. Secret Historian is a 2010 National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction.
Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade
by Justin Spring2010 National Book Award Finalist for NonfictionDrawn from the secret, never-before-seen diaries, journals, and sexual records of the novelist, poet, and university professor Samuel M. Steward, Secret Historian is a sensational reconstruction of one of the more extraordinary hidden lives of the twentieth century. An intimate friend of Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, and Thornton Wilder, Steward maintained a secret sex life from childhood on, and documented these experiences in brilliantly vivid (and often very funny) detail.After leaving the world of academe to become Phil Sparrow, a tattoo artist on Chicago's notorious South State Street, Steward worked closely with Alfred Kinsey on his landmark sex research. During the early 1960s, Steward changed his name and identity once again, this time to write exceptionally literate, upbeat pro-homosexual pornography under the name of Phil Andros.Until today he has been known only as Phil Sparrow—but an extraordinary archive of his papers, lost since his death in 1993, has provided Justin Spring with the material for an exceptionally compassionate and brilliantly illuminating life-and-times biography. More than merely the story of one remarkable man, Justin Spring's Secret Historian is a moving portrait of homosexual life long before Stonewall and gay liberation.
Secret Letters from the Railway: The Remarkable Record of a Japanese POW
by Brian BondCharles Steel took part in two military disasters - the Fall of France and the Dunkirk evacuation, and the Fall of Singapore. Shortly before the latter, he married Louise. Within days of being captured by the Japanese, he began writing a weekly letter to his new bride as means of keeping in touch with her in his mind, for the Japanese forbade all writing of letters and diaries. By the time he was liberated 3 1/2 years later, he had written and hidden some 180 letters, to which were added a further 20 post-liberation letters. Part love-letter, part diary these unique letters intended for Louise's eyes only describe the horror of working as a slave on the Burma - Siam Railway and, in particular, the construction of the famous Bridge over the River Kwai. It is also an uplifting account of how man can rise above adversity and even secretly get back at his captors by means of 'creative accounting'!. Now, for the first time, we can share the appalling and inspiring experiences of this remarkable man.
Secret Lives of Great Artists
by Mario Zucca Elizabeth LundayWith outraeous anecdotes about everyone from Leonardo (alleged sodomist) to Caraviaggio (convicted murderer) to Edward Hopper (alleged wife beater), Secret Lives of Great Artists recounts the seamy, steamy, and gritty history behind the great masters of international art. You'll learn that Michelangelo's body odor was so bad, his assistants couldn't stand working for him; that Vincent van Gogh sometimes ate paint directly from the tube; and Georgia O'Keeffe loved to paint in the nude. This is one art history lesson you'll never forget!
Secret Lives of Great Authors
by Robert Schnakenberg Mario ZuccaStrange-but-true tales of murderers, adulterers, drug addicts, and other literary legends. With outrageous and uncensored profiles of everyone from William Shakespeare to Thomas Pynchon, Secret Lives of Great Authors tackles all the tough questions your high school teachers were afraid to ask: What's the deal with Lewis Carroll and little girls? Is it true that J. D. Salinger drank his own urine? How many women--and men--did Lord Byron actually sleep with? And why was Ayn Rand such a big fan of Charlie's Angels? Classic literature was never this much fun in school!
Secret Lives of Great Composers
by Mario Zucca Elizabeth LundayTrue tales of murder, riots, heartbreak, and great music. With outrageous anecdotes about everyone from Gioachino Rossini (draft-dodging womanizer) to Johann Sebastian Bach (jailbird) to Richard Wagner (alleged cross-dresser), Secret Lives of Great Composers recounts the seamy, steamy, and gritty history behind the great masters of international music. You'll learn that Edward Elgar dabbled with explosives; that John Cage was obsessed with fungus; that Berlioz plotted murder; and that Giacomo Puccini stole his church's organ pipes and sold them as scrap metal so he could buy cigarettes. This is one music history lesson you'll never forget!
Secret Lives of Great Filmmakers
by Robert Schnakenberg Mario ZuccaStrange-But-True Tales of Cross-Dressers, Drug Addicts, Foot Fetishists, and Other Legendary Filmmakers. With outrageous and uncensored profiles of everyone from D. W. Griffith to Quentin Tarantino, Secret Lives of Great Filmmakers reveals the little-known secrets of all your favorite directors. Why did Charlie Chaplin refuse to bathe for weeks at a time? Was Alfred Hitchcock really missing a belly button? Is Walt Disney's corpse preserved in a state of suspended animation? And why on earth did Francis Ford Coppola direct a 3-D pornographic movie? The legends of the silver screen will never be the same!
Secret Lives of the Civil War
by Cormac O'Brien Monika SuteskiLegendary Heroes of U.S. History--As You've Never Seen Them Before! Secret Lives of the Civil War features irreverent and uncensored profiles of men and women from the Union and the Confederacy--complete with hundreds of little-known and downright bizarre facts. You'll discover that: * Mary Todd Lincoln claimed to receive valuable military strategies from ghosts in the spirit world. * Jefferson Davis once imported camels for soldiers stationed in the American southwest. * Ulysses S. Grant spent much of the Vicksburg campaign on a horse named "Kangaroo." * James Longstreet fought the Battle of Antietam wearing carpet slippers. * William T. Sherman was the victim of two shipwrecks on the same day. * Harriet Tubman experienced frequent and bizarre hallucinations. * Stonewall Jackson was a notorious hypochondriac (he always sat up straight, fearing that slouching would compress his vital organs). With chapters on everyone from William Quantrill (a guerilla leader whose skull later ended up in the basement of a fraternity house) to Rose O'Neal Greenhow (perhaps the South's most glamorous spy), Secret Lives of the Civil War features a mix of famous faces and unsung heroes. American history was never this much fun in school!
Secret Lives of the First Ladies
by Cormac O'Brien Monika SuteskiScandals, Seduction, Addiction, Adultery, Horrific Fashions--And the White House?!? Your high school history teachers never gave you a book like this one! Secret Lives of the First Ladies features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the women of the White House--complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts. You'll discover that: * Dolley Madison loved to chew tobacco * Mary Todd Lincoln conducted séances on a regular basis * Eleanor Roosevelt and Ellen Wilson both carried guns * Jacqueline Kennedy spent $121,000 on her wardrobe in a single year * Betty Ford liked to chat on CB radios--her handle was "First Mama" * Hillary Clinton dreamed of being an astronaut * And much, much more With chapters on every woman who's ever made it to the White House, Secret Lives of the First Ladies tackles all of the tough questions that other history books are afraid to ask: How many of these women owned slaves? Which ones were cheating on their husbands? And why was Eleanor Roosevelt serving hot dogs to the King and Queen of England? American history was never this much fun in school!From the Trade Paperback edition.
Secret Lives of the First Ladies: What Your Teachers Never Told You About the Women of the White House
by Cormac O'BrienFrom the author of our popular Secret Lives of the U. S. Presidents comes another rambunctious look at White House history and this time, women are in the spotlight. Secrets Lives of the First Ladies features outrageous and uncensored profiles of all the presidents' wives. You'll discover that Dolley Madison loved to chew tobacco. Mary Todd Lincoln was committed to an asylum, and Mamie Eisenhower never missed an episode of As the World Turns. You'll also learn why Hillary Clinton went to work for Wal-Mart (long before she started campaigning for a higher minimum wage). Complete with biographies of every first lady, Secret Lives of the First Ladies tackles rough questions that other history books are afraid to ask: How many of these women owned slaves? Which ones were cheating on their husbands? And why did Eleanor Roosevelt serve hot dogs to the Kings and Queens of England? American history was never this much fun!
Secret Lives of the Tsars
by Michael Farquhar"Michael Farquhar doesn't write about history the way, say, Doris Kearns Goodwin does. He writes about history the way Doris Kearns Goodwin's smart-ass, reprobate kid brother might. I, for one, prefer it."--Gene Weingarten, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post columnist Scandal! Intrigue! Cossacks! Here the world's most engaging royal historian chronicles the world's most fascinating imperial dynasty: the Romanovs, whose three-hundred-year reign was remarkable for its shocking violence, spectacular excess, and unimaginable venality. In this incredibly entertaining history, Michael Farquhar collects the best, most captivating true tales of Romanov iniquity. We meet Catherine the Great, with her endless parade of virile young lovers (none of them of the equine variety); her unhinged son, Paul I, who ordered the bones of one of his mother's paramours dug out of its grave and tossed into a gorge; and Grigori Rasputin, the "Mad Monk," whose mesmeric domination of the last of the Romanov tsars helped lead to the monarchy's undoing. From Peter the Great's penchant for personally beheading his recalcitrant subjects (he kept the severed head of one of his mistresses pickled in alcohol) to Nicholas and Alexandra's brutal demise at the hands of the Bolsheviks, Secret Lives of the Tsars captures all the splendor and infamy that was Imperial Russia. Praise for Michael Farquhar's Behind the Palace Doors "[A] rollicking account of kings and queens gone wild."--People "Farquhar's style is a breezy pleasure throughout."--Publishers Weekly "A terrifically accessible history."--Kirkus Reviews
Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents: Strange Stories and Shocking Trivia from Inside the White House (Secret Lives #1)
by Cormac O'BrienIncludes all-new chapter for the 45th POTUS.This updated and redesigned edition of Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents features outrageous and uncensored profiles of our commanders in chief—complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts. You’ll discover that: • Teddy Roosevelt was blinded in a White House boxing match • John Quincy Adams loved to skinny-dip in the Potomac River • Gerald Ford once worked as a Cosmopolitan magazine cover model • Warren G. Harding gambled with White House china when he ran low on cash • Jimmy Carter reported a UFO sighting in Georgia With chapters on everyone from George Washington to President #45, whoever he (or she!) may be, Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents tackles all the tough questions that other history books are afraid to ask: Which president claimed that God struck down Abraham Lincoln on purpose? How many of these folks were cheating on their spouses? And are there really secret tunnels underneath the White House? American history was never this much fun in school!
Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents: What Your Teachers Never Told You About the Men of the White House
by Cormac O'BrienYour high school history teachers never gave you a book like this one! Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the men in the White House - complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts. You'll discover that: - George Washington spent a whopping 7% of his salary on booze - John Quincy Adams loved to skinny-dip in the Potomac River - Warren G. Harding gambled with White House china when he ran low on cash - Jimmy Carter reported a UFO sighting in Georgia - And Richard Nixon ... sheesh, don't get us started on Nixon! With chapters on everyone from George Washington to G. W. Bush, Secret Lives of the U. S. Presidents tackles all the tough questions that other history books are afraid to answer: Are there really secret tunnels underneath the White House? How many presidential daughters have bared their all for Playboy? And what was Nancy Reagan thinking when she appeared on Diff'rent Strokes? American history was never this much fun in school!
Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822
by Isaac TitsinghIsaac Titsingh was intermittently head of the Japan factory (trading station) of the Dutch East India Company 1780-94. He was a career merchant, but unusual in having a classical education and training as a physician. His impact in Japan was enormous, but he left disappointed in the ability of the country to embrace change. After many years in Java, India and China, he came to London, and then settled in Paris where he devoted himself to compiling translations of prime Japanese texts. It is one of the most exciting anthologies of the period and reveals the almost unknown world of eighteenth-century Japan, discussing politics, history, poetry and rituals. The Illustrations of Japan appeared posthumously in 1821-1822 in English, French and Dutch. This fully annotated edition makes the original English version available for the first time in nearly two centuries
Secret Naval Investigator: The Battle Against Hitler's Secret Underwater Weapons
by Commander F. Ashe Lincoln&“[An] enthralling account of one of the least told important stories of WWII&”: the role of the Department of Torpedoes and Mines Investigation Section (Firetrench). In the lead-up to the Second World War, Ashe Lincoln, a junior barrister, had enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a Sub-Lieutenant. On the outbreak of war, he became determined to serve at sea and was posted to minelayers. But a mysterious midnight summons sent him hurrying from his ship to the Admiralty in London and a top-secret conference presided over by Winston Churchill. Ashe Lincoln soon found himself pitting his wits against brilliantly skillful German scientists and technicians. These were the men Hitler had entrusted to devise secret underwater weapons sea mines and torpedoes of new and often unsuspected types to destroy Britain&’s seapower and starve its population into surrender. The part that Ashe Lincoln played in this battle had been decided upon because he was a naval officer who combined legal training with a specialist knowledge in this particular aspect of naval warfare. In time, Lincoln became a key figure in a small group in the Admiralty whose exploits have been almost forgotten. He found himself in extraordinary situations, including crouching on a bleak Scottish hillside dealing with the first parachute mine knowing that Goering had boasted that no-one would live to do this. His story is a remarkable blend of deductive enterprise and courage. &“Wonderful . . . This book was fascinating from start to finish. I can&’t recommend it highly enough. Anyone with an interest in this field of warfare will find this book invaluable.&” —Stand Easy
Secret Selves: Confession and Same-Sex Desire in Victorian Autobiography
by Oliver S. BucktonFocusing on the representation of same-sex desire in Victorian autobiographical writing, Oliver Buckton offers significant new readings of works by some of the most influential figures in late-nineteenth-century literature and culture. Combining original research, careful historical analysis, and contemporary theories of autobiography, gender, and sexual identity, he provides nuanced studies of confessional narratives by Edward Carpenter, John Henry Newman, John Addington Symonds, Oscar Wilde, and, in an epilogue, E. M. Forster. By examining the "confessional" elements of these writings, Buckton brings "secrecy" into focus as a central and productive component of autobiographical discourse. He challenges the conventional view of secrecy as the suppression of information, instead using the term to suggest an oscillation between authorial self-disclosure and silence or reserve--a strategy for arousing the reader's interest and establishing a relation based on shared knowledge while deferring or displacing the revelation of potentially incriminating and scandalous desires. Though theirdisclosures of same-sex desire jeopardized the cultural privilege granted these writers by Victorian codes of authorship and masculinity, their use of secrecy, Buckton shows, allowed them to protect themselves from Victorian stigma and to challenge prevailing constructions of sexual identity.Originally published in 1998.A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
Secret Sex Lives
by Suzy SpencerNew York Times bestselling author Suzy Spencer posted a simple online request: "Need to talk about sex..." Suzy Spencer set out to investigate sex in America--to go beyond the talk and find out what people are really doing in their private (or not so private) lives. What she discovered online, at sex clubs, and elsewhere was truly eye-opening. She started talking to men and women--from across America of all ages and sexual orientations--who make no apology for how they fire their imaginations and satisfy their desires. Soon she found herself invited to be a voyeur--listening in on phone sex, reading e-mails describing sexual encounters in graphic detail, and attending BDSM mixers and workshops. It was all astonishing... and enticing. At every turn she felt herself pulled deeper into people's secret lives and began questioning her own choices about relationships and sex. Secret Sex Lives is an intimate account of a journalist who is seduced by her subject; a woman who sets out to look behind closed doors but ends up on a personal, revealing journey to find herself...
Secret Soldier: The True Life Story of Israel's Greatest Commando
by Robert Rosenberg Muki BetserMuki Betser was born in Israel's Jezreel Valley and grew up to become one of the leaders of his country's most elite commando unit, Sayeret Matkal. Newspapers refer to the sayeret, or special reconnaissance forces, as the "tip of the spear" of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). But Sayeret Matkal-or simply, the Unit-was the cream of that crop, carrying out some of the best-known antiterrorist raids of the last twenty-five years.
Secret Storms: A Mother And Daughter, Lost Then Found (Secret Storms Ser.)
by Julie Mannix von Zerneck Kathy HatfieldAn Indie Reader Discovery Award and National Indie Excellence Book Award Winner. <P><P>A pregnant, upper class nineteen-year-old Philadelphia Main Line debutante is confined, against her will, to a state mental hospital. She spends her pregnancy surrounded by the mentally challenged and the criminally insane. On April 19, 1964, she gives birth to a child, whom she is forced to give up for adoption. <P><P>A loving middle-class couple adopts a month-old little girl from Catholic Charities. She is adored and cherished from the very beginning. It is as though she is dropped into the first chapter of a fairy tale-- but we all know how fairy tales go. This is the story of a mother and daughter. Of what it is to give up a child and what it is to be given up. Of what it is to be a family, and to never lose hope-- because anything is possible. In this award-winning memoir, Julie Mannix von Zerneck and Kathy Hatfield recount the stories of their lives. Written in two distinct and deeply expressive voices, their stories seamlessly meld together in a breathtaking ending.
Secret Storms: A Mother and Daughter, Lost then Found
by Kathy Hatfield Julie Mannix Von Zerneck<p>A pregnant, nineteen-year-old Philadelphia Main Line debutante is confined, against her will, to a state mental hospital. She spends her pregnancy surrounded by the mentally challenged and the criminally insane. On April 19, 1964, she gives birth to a child, whom she is forced to give up for adoption. <p>A loving middle-class couple adopts a month-old little girl from Catholic Charities. She is adored and cherished from the very beginning. It is as though she is dropped into the first chapter of a fairy tale-- but we all know how fairy tales go. <p>This is the story of a mother and daughter. Of what it is to give up a child and what it is to be given up. Of what it is to be a family, and to never lose hope-- because anything is possible. In this award-winning memoir, Julie Mannix von Zerneck and Kathy Hatfield recount the stories of their lives. Written in two distinct and deeply expressive voices, their stories seamlessly meld together toward a breathtaking ending.</p>