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Soldiers of the Plains
by P. E. ByrneThe Indian was the great soldier of the plains and, in many respects, the greatest fighter the world has ever known. But, unlike the white man, the Indian had no press agency through which to broadcast his story to the world.And so it comes about that for the most part such knowledge as we have respecting Indian war ventures, for example, comes not from the Indian but from sources having no interest in presenting the Indian point of view—from official government reports and from stories of men actively engaged with those opposed to the red man. The result: almost all reports of Indian warfare were unfavorable to the Indian,—his reasons for war misrepresented; his victories discounted; his acts of heroism, if mentioned at all, carefully flattened out to the level of the commonplace.In this account an attempt is made to say a word for the red man; to present his side fairly and with sympathetic understanding; to discuss frankly his experience in treaty negotiation; to draw attention to some of his remarkable military exploits; and to touch upon his high qualities as a factor in civilized life. To that extent it supplies a much needed contribution to the frontier history of our time, for we owe to the Indian a fair statement of his case and a just estimate of his qualities as a warrior and a man.The scope of the discussion is limited. It is concerned mainly with events leading up to and including the battle of the Little Big Horn, March 25-26, 1876. Incidentally something is contributed to a clearer understanding of General Custer’s part in that campaign.
Soldiers of the Queen: Victorian Colonial Conflict in the Words of Those Who Fought
by Stephen ManningIt may come as some surprise that in such a popular area of military history there is no book that focuses on the experience of the Victorian soldier - from recruitment to embarkation, fighting and perhaps returning, perhaps dying - in his own words. Dr Manning's meticulous research in primary sources gives the lie to the received image of the disciplined, redcoated campaigner of Victorian art and literature: for one thing, by the time he arrived at his destination, the coat would have been in rags. The distances covered on march were unbelievable, through desert and disease-ravaged swamp. Lavishly illustrated throughout, all the major Colonial campaigns and most of the minor ones are featured. To understand how what was in reality a tiny standing army controlled the largest empire the world has ever seen, this book is a must.
Soldiers' Tales: A Collection of True Stories from Aussie Soldiers (Big Sky Publishing Ser.)
by Denny NeaveIn their own words the Aussie diggers provide a fascinating glimpse of the many funny and touching moments that our Diggers often hold to their chest. The collection of stories in this book provides a taste of what a soldier's life is like both in war and peace.
Soldier’s Glory; Being “Rough Notes Of A Soldier” – Vol. I (Soldier’s Glory; Being “Rough Notes Of A Soldier” #1)
by Major-General George Bell C. B.This ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. George Bell was a young Irishman of only seventeen when he undertook his first campaign in the British Army. Recruits were sorely needed to fill the ranks after the sanguinary battle of Albuera in 1811. He joined his regiment, the 34th or Cumberland Gentlemen, forthwith and so his military career started in some of the hardest fighting of the Peninsular War. In the thick of it at the siege of Badajoz, Arroyo Molinos, and Vittoria, he was part of General Rowland Hill's division as the British troops battled northward toward the French frontier. He was heavily engaged in the battles of the Pyrenees, the Nive, the Nivelle, Bayonne and Toulouse. Of each he leaves a good sketch of the action that he and his comrades took part in, but is careful only to record what he saw. Between the deadly engagements with the French, or "Johnny Crappo", as Bell and his men know him, Bell leaves a rich account of the daily life of a young subaltern in the war: often ill-provided for, hungry, and frequently unable to find shelter, prey to petty thieves. Additionally, the misadventures of his men (or more often their wives, who accompanied the march) provided for much amusement and not a little trouble! After the successful conclusion of the Peninsular campaign, George returns to his native Ireland for a brief period of half-pay, champing at the bit to get back on full pay, and then sets off with his newly wed wife to India. His descriptions of the colonial life are vivid and varied, as he dodges sun-stroke, ill-intentioned servants, fever, disease and cobras. He travels far and wide leaving accounts of Seringaptam, Madras, Bangalore, Bombay, Burma, and Rangoon in particular. The local populace and their cultures are described in some detail, along with the buildings, religious practices, the political figures and royal families. Bell's books brim with interesting and witty asides and anecdotes, and it is clear that he took to the lighter side of life during his many travels. He is not a stuffed shirt of the old breed, and avoids much of the Victorian coldness in his writing, although supremely confident of his superiority in religious contexts. An animated and vibrant read. Text taken, whole and complete from the 1867 edition, Day and Son Ltd, London. Original -366 pages Author - Major-General George Bell - (1794 - 1877) Illustrations - 1 Portrait Linked TOC.
Soldier’s Glory; Being “Rough Notes Of A Soldier” – Vol. II (Soldier’s Glory; Being “Rough Notes Of A Soldier” #2)
by Major-General George Bell C. B.This ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Volume Two of General Bell's memoirs begins with his journey back to Britain from India, stopping on the way at St. Helena to pay his respects at the tomb of Napoleon. He is then posted to Canada, taking part in putting down a rebellion led by republican Canadians, and his further travels lead him back to Europe via the United States. His reminiscences form a travelogue with a military slant, capturing the environs and habits of the populations with a delicate piquancy. Frustrated by court intrigue and influence stunting his further advancement in the service, in peacetime circumstances he would have been stuck with dismal prospects for the future. Many years after his baptism of fire in the Napoleonic Wars, he is posted as part of the British expeditionary force under Lord Raglan to the Crimea. Despite horrific conditions, he leads his men in the battles of Alma and Inkerman. His commentary of the daily life in the trenches recalls the slough of despond of the First World War: the mud, blood, shelling and disease are recalled along with the scarcity of supplies. Infuriated by the blundering politicians, Bell writes a passionate letter to the Times, which (although truthful) does nothing to help his advancement. By a stroke of luck he is plucked from his pestilent surroundings by a staff posting offered by an old comrade. As he recovers his health, he travels once more to Canada and to the United States, just at the turn of the Civil War, meeting such luminaries as General McClellan and General Scott. He briefly meets with the great Lincoln who he describes as "thin and wiry...very kind and familiar in his manner to all, but a very commonplace-looking man". As with his first volume, Bell maintains his narrative with wit and verve, not without a few passing shots at his particular gripes, the Army hierarchy and Roman Catholicism. Text taken, whole and complete from the 1867 edition, Day and Son Ltd, London. Original -382 pages Author - Major-General George Bell C.B. - (1794 - 1877) Linked TOC.
Sole Survivor
by Norman Ollestad Brendan Kiely“Sole Survivor is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride right from page one. A real-life Hatchet for a new generation. You gotta read it to believe it!” —Alan Gratz, New York Times–bestselling author of Refugee and Heroes“Inspirational, propulsive, and unforgettable. This one leaves a mark.” —Lamar Giles, author of The Getaway and Ruin RoadThis riveting true story from two New York Times–bestselling authors chronicles how a California sixth grader survived a deadly mountainside plane crash during a snowstorm.Eleven-year-old Norman Ollestad is no stranger to extreme situations. Whether it’s surfing big swells off Topanga Beach or skiing in a blizzard, he has braved one adrenaline-rush adventure after another, pushed by his thrill-seeking father to realize that “anything’s possible.” And with Dad by his side, sometimes Norman believes him.That motto is put to the ultimate test when the small plane Norman and his dad are aboard is engulfed by a snowstorm and crashes in the San Gabriel Mountains—with deadly consequences. Struggling in and out of lucidity, haunted by the voices and memories from difficult moments in his past, Norman must decide what to do while trapped eight thousand feet above sea level, facing dangers unlike any he has encountered before. Inspired by the harrowing true childhood experience of author Norman Ollestad, this astonishing, action-packed story, co-written with Brendan Kiely, is about fear, survival, and the complicated forces—and people—that shape us. Fast-paced and unputdownable, Sole Survivor is the perfect read for fans of Dusti Bowling’s The Canyon’s Edge, Megan E. Freeman’s Alone, and the I Survived series.
Sole Survivor: The Inspiring True Story of Coming Face to Face with the Infamous Railroad Killer
by Holly K. Dunn Heather EbertA memoir of hope, healing, and survival, sure to resonate with fans of Jaycee Dugard’s A Stolen Life and Elizabeth Smart’s My Story. On August 28, 1997, just as she was starting her junior year at the University of Kentucky, Holly Dunn and her boyfriend, Chris Maier, were walking along railroad tracks on their way home from a party when they were attacked by notorious serial killer Angel Maturino Reséndiz, aka The Railroad Killer. After her boyfriend is beaten to death in front of her, Holly is stabbed, raped, and left for dead. In this memoir of survival and healing from a horrific true crime, Holly recounts how she lived through the vicious assault, helped bring her assailant to justice, and ultimately found meaning and purpose through service to victims of sexual assault and other violent crimes. She has worked as a motivational speaker and activist and founded Holly's House, a safe and nurturing space in her hometown of Evansville, Indiana.
Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson
by George JacksonWhen he was 18, Jackson was sentenced from 1 year to life for stealing $70 from a gas station. His letters are an outpouring of grief, passion, outrage and defiance.
Soledad O'Brien: Television Journalist
by David RobsonFor decades, television news remained dominated by white, male faces. But over the last 20 years, American broadcast journalism has increasingly reflected the diversity of the nation itself. Soledad O'Brien, biracial daughter of an Afro-Cuban mother and Australian father, first found fame as one beautiful TV reporter among many. But the Harvard graduate wanted to be taken seriously. From her early career at NBC to her star-making turn on CNN's American Morning, Soledad has exuded a sharp intelligence and a determination to ask the right questions and share the most intriguing stories of her generation. Yet for all her professionalism and promise, Soledad's career in the fickle world of TV news has sometimes met with tragedy and disappointment. The death of colleague David Bloom in Iraq and, later, her sudden firing from CNN's American Morning put her career in a temporary tailspin. Through it all, she has remained a vital media force by taking on special projects that make a difference, including Children of the Stormy Black in America, and Black in America 2. This new biography offers an in-depth portrait of one of today's most valued TV journalists.
Soledad y compañía
by Silvana PaternostroEste libro es un boleto de entrada para una fiesta en la que todos hablan, todos gritan, todos opinan, se contradicen y hasta dicen mentiras.Bienvenidos. Soledad & Compañía es un retrato humano, fresco e irreverente de Gabriel García Márquez donde se entretejen las voces de sus amigos, sus seres queridos y hasta sus detractores, quienes nunca antes habían compartido sus historias con el premio Nobel. Habla su mítica agente Carmen Balcells, su traductor al inglés, la española a quien dedicó Cien años de soledad, y hasta el escritor norteamericano William Styron, entre otros. Lo que se va desvelando es la biografía de Gabo desde los tiempos desordenados y esperanzadores en que un muchacho de provincia se propuso ser escritor hasta convertirse en uno de los autores más universalmente leídos y admirados."Entre conversación y conversación, Silvana Paternostro, humaniza al escritor colombiano... retrata una vida que fue "fascinante de principio a fin"".Agencia efe"Esta magnífica investigación aporta una perspectiva inédita, diferente y reveladora."El Huffington Post
Soles of a Survivor: A Memoir
by Nhi AronheimThe Unbelievable True Story of a Vietnamese Refugee Who Not Only Made the United States Her Home, But Learned the True Value of Hope, Love, and Religion Along the Way The soles of Nhi Aronheim's feet still bear the scars of her escape from Vietnam—trudging through the jungles of Cambodia as a twelve-year-old with a group of strangers seeking the land of opportunity: America. Her quest for survival through the Cambodian jungle eventually led her to a boat that took her to Thailand and an orphanage where Nhi lived for two years until she qualified for refugee status in the United States. Years later, she returned to Vietnam with a film producer to reunite with the family she never thought she&’d see again. A second trip to Vietnam brought her two mothers, birth and adopted, face to face. Yet Soles of a Survivor isn&’t just another inspirational survival story. It&’s about the lessons Nhi learned about humanity, diversity, and unconditional love since arriving in the United States. She now has a deeper appreciation for the parallels between the Jewish and Vietnamese cultures, and others. After she met her Jewish beau, they got married. She eventually converted to Judaism, though the process was challenging for an Asian woman adopted into a Christian household. Her story shows it matters less what religion we&’re part of, as long as we radiate goodness to those we meet. Now she relishes being a Vietnamese Jew. Having come full circle from prosperity to poverty and back, Nhi hopes to encourage others to believe that in spite of overwhelming odds, all things are possible if one has an intense desire, focused energy, and the audacity to grasp presented opportunities.
Solid Foundation: An oral history of reggae (Deep Cuts)
by David KatzFOREWORD BY JACQUELINE CROOKSSolid Foundation is the definitive history of Jamaica's holy music: reggae in all its forms, from the earliest ska and rock steady pioneers to the dancehall and reggae revival stars of the twenty-first century. Woven together into an engrossing narrative, this is an extensive history charting the progression and development of the music, with all the glorious highlights and the controversies and feuds in between. First published in 2003 and including interviews with over 200 of the genre's key artists, Solid Foundation has been revised and updated with abundant new material and an introduction by award-nominated novelist, Jacqueline Crooks, reissued as part of White Rabbit's Deep Cuts series.'The definitive history of reggae told through exclusive interviews with the genre's greatest innovators.' - Sunday Herald'Solid Foundation goes the extra yard to become a defining text, with Katz interviewing virtually every survivor from the island's 60s and 70s music scenes...it is a necessary work.' - The Wire'Solid Foundation is a welcome addition to the narrow shelf of books that move beyond simplistic views of reggae.' - Record Collector
Solid Ivory
by James IvoryIn Solid Ivory, a carefully crafted mosaic of memories, portraits, and reflections, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Ivory, a partner in the legendary Merchant Ivory Productions and the director of A Room with a View, Howards End, Maurice, and The Remains of the Day, tells stories from his remarkable life and career as one of the most influential directors of his time. At times, he touches on his love affairs, looking back coolly and with unexpected frankness.From first meeting his collaborator and life partner, Ismail Merchant, at the Indian Consulate in New York to winning an Academy Award at age eighty-nine for Call Me by Your Name; from seeing his first film at age five in Klamath Falls, Oregon, to memories of Satyajit Ray, Jean Renoir, The New Yorker magazine's film critic Pauline Kael (his longtime enemy), Vanessa Redgrave, J.D. Salinger, George Cukor, Kenneth Clark, Bruce Chatwin, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and Merchant, Ivory writes with invariable fluency, wit, and perception about what made him who he is and how he made the movies for which he is known and loved.Solid Ivory, edited by Peter Cameron, is an utterly winning portrait of an extraordinary life told by an unmatched storyteller.
Solid Ivory: Memoirs
by James IvoryThe irreverent, brilliant memoirs of the legendary filmmaker James IvoryIn Solid Ivory, a carefully crafted mosaic of memories, portraits, and reflections, the Academy Award–winning filmmaker James Ivory, a partner in the legendary Merchant Ivory Productions and the director of A Room with a View, Howards End, Maurice, and The Remains of the Day, tells stories from his remarkable life and career as one of the most influential directors of his time. At times, he touches on his love affairs, looking back coolly and with unexpected frankness.From first meeting his collaborator and life partner, Ismail Merchant, at the Indian Consulate in New York to winning an Academy Award at age eighty-nine for Call Me by Your Name; from seeing his first film at age five in Klamath Falls, Oregon, to memories of Satyajit Ray, Jean Renoir, The New Yorker magazine’s film critic Pauline Kael (his longtime enemy), Vanessa Redgrave, J. D. Salinger, George Cukor, Kenneth Clark, Bruce Chatwin, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and Merchant—Ivory writes with invariable fluency, wit, and perception about what made him who he is and how he made the movies for which he is known and loved.Solid Ivory, edited by Peter Cameron, is an utterly winning portrait of an extraordinary life told by an unmatched storyteller.
Solitaire
by Aimee LiuThe ground-breaking memoir of a young woman growing up in the 1970s and her triumph over anorexia nervosa. Aimee Liu writes honestly and forcefully about an ever-increasing problem. --American Library Association She describes in gripping detail the growing obsession with diet, calories and exercise combined with increasing alienation from family and friends. --The New York Times A harrowing tour of adolescent anxieties and loneliness...the narrative ends on a note of hope. --Publishers Weekly Brilliant and very moving...the book's insight, intelligence, and vivid prose make it highly recommended reading. --Library Journal
Solitaire
by Aimee LiuSolitaire is the groundbreaking memoir of a young woman growing up in the 1970s and her triumph over anorexia nervosa.
Solitary Courage: Mona Winberg and the Triumph over Disability
by J. Patrick Boyer Mona WinbergSolitary Courage is the story of a mother’s tough-love determination, her severely disabled daughter’s astonishing triumphs, and a documentary record of the political battles, organizational conflicts, and human struggles that citizens with disabilities face and fight every day of their lives. Mona Winberg became a pioneer of independent living, and emerged a leading advocate for citizens with mental and physical disabilities. Her courageous causes erupted from her deep reservoir of compassion and concern. Her unflinching challenges to the status quo expressed both optimism and realism about life and society. Her life is testament to the power of Solitary Courage. Between 1986 and 1999 she was the only newspaper columnist in North America regularly writing about disability issues. Through her award-winning column "Disabled Today" in Toronto’s Sunday Sun, Mona Winberg painstakingly built up a body of work of more than 600 articles chronicling front-line battles for equality. She was a realist, a wise person with a no-nonsense approach, kindly, but clear-eyed. Solitary Courage begins with the story of Mona Winberg’s life, followed by a representative selection of 156 of her columns organized into 20 thematic chapters, the best of Mona in her own words. The last part of the book reflects upon Mona Winberg’s legacy of lessons that still connect to programs and policies touching the lives of Canadians with disabilities today. The subjects are wide-ranging and engaging because Mona used personal examples of individuals with disabilities and news-making issues raised by their plight. She also reported on the street-level outcomes of government policies. This variety and approach to disability issues provides real education and genuine human interest, whatever a reader’s background or experience.
Solitary: The Crash, Captivity and Comeback of an Ace Fighter Pilot
by Giora Romm"Fighter pilots tell the greatest stories and the great ones tell the best stories of all. . . " --PAT CONROY, bestselling author of The Great Santini Giora Romm was the Israeli Air Force's first fighter ace. As a twenty-two-year-old lieutenant he shot down five MiGs during the Six Day War of 1967. Fourteen months later over the Nile Delta, an Egyptian missile exploded beneath the tail of his Mirage IIIC. Within moments Romm found himself hanging by the straps of his parachute, with a broken arm and a leg shattered in a dozen places, looking down from 10,000 feet. Streams of farmers and field workers converged below onto the spot toward which his chute was descending, with the intention, he was certain, of hacking him to death as soon as his feet touched the earth. No other Israeli pilot had survived capture in Egypt or in any other Arab state. Solitary is Romm's story of his imprisonment, torture, interrogation, release, and return to service. Solitary is not a "war book. " It's not a tale of heroism, though if anyone ever qualified for that distinction, it is this story's author. Solitary is not even, in its deepest parts, about captivity or imprisonment. Solitary is about Romm's inner war. It's the story, in his phrase, "of a fall from a great height," not only literally but metaphorically. Romm could not tell his captors the truth about who he was or what he had done. He had to invent an entire fictional biography and keep it straight in his head through months of beatings and interrogations, all the while being held in solitary confinement with his body sheathed from chest to toe in a plaster cast. Solitary is not a grim book. It's full of wry humor, keen self-observations and revelations. An ordeal such as Romm endured is a sojourn in hell, but it is also a passage. Romm fell, and he came back. Solitary is his indelible account of confronting his own fears and limitations, and discovering, ultimately, his capacity to survive and to prevail. --From the Introduction by Steven Pressfield
Solitary: Unbroken By Four Decades In Solitary Confinement. My Story Of Transformation And Hope
by Albert WoodfoxSolitary is the unforgettable life story of a man who served more than four decades in solitary confinement―in a 6-foot by 9-foot cell, 23 hours a day, in notorious Angola prison in Louisiana―all for a crime he did not commit. <P><P>That Albert Woodfox survived was, in itself, a feat of extraordinary endurance against the violence and deprivation he faced daily. That he was able to emerge whole from his odyssey within America’s prison and judicial systems is a triumph of the human spirit, and makes his book a clarion call to reform the inhumanity of solitary confinement in the U.S. and around the world. <P><P>Arrested often as a teenager in New Orleans, inspired behind bars in his early twenties to join the Black Panther Party because of its social commitment and code of living, Albert was serving a 50-year sentence in Angola for armed robbery when on April 17, 1972, a white guard was killed. Albert and another member of the Panthers were accused of the crime and immediately put in solitary confinement by the warden. <P><P>Without a shred of actual evidence against them, their trial was a sham of justice that gave them life sentences in solitary. Decades passed before Albert gained a lawyer of consequence; even so, sixteen more years and multiple appeals were needed before he was finally released in February 2016. <P><P>Remarkably self-aware that anger or bitterness would have destroyed him in solitary confinement, sustained by the shared solidarity of two fellow Panthers, Albert turned his anger into activism and resistance. <P><P>The Angola 3, as they became known, resolved never to be broken by the grinding inhumanity and corruption that effectively held them for decades as political prisoners. He survived to give us Solitary, a chronicle of rare power and humanity that proves the better spirits of our nature can thrive against any odds.
Solitary: Unbroken By Four Decades In Solitary Confinement. My Story Of Transformation And Hope
by Albert WoodfoxFINALIST FOR THE PULITZER PRIZE IN GENERAL NONFICTIONFINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN NONFICTIONNamed One of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2019Named the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Book of the YearNamed a Best Book of the Year by the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, Publishers Weekly, BookBrowse, and Literary HubWinner of the BookBrowse Award for Best Debut of 2019A New York Times Book Review Editors’ ChoiceSolitary is the unforgettable life story of a man who served more than four decades in solitary confinement?in a 6-foot by 9-foot cell, 23 hours a day, in notorious Angola prison in Louisiana?all for a crime he did not commit. That Albert Woodfox survived was, in itself, a feat of extraordinary endurance against the violence and deprivation he faced daily. That he was able to emerge whole from his odyssey within America’s prison and judicial systems is a triumph of the human spirit, and makes his book a clarion call to reform the inhumanity of solitary confinement in the U.S. and around the world.Arrested often as a teenager in New Orleans, inspired behind bars in his early twenties to join the Black Panther Party because of its social commitment and code of living, Albert was serving a 50-year sentence in Angola for armed robbery when on April 17, 1972, a white guard was killed. Albert and another member of the Panthers were accused of the crime and immediately put in solitary confinement by the warden. Without a shred of actual evidence against them, their trial was a sham of justice that gave them life sentences in solitary. Decades passed before Albert gained a lawyer of consequence; even so, sixteen more years and multiple appeals were needed before he was finally released in February 2016.Remarkably self-aware that anger or bitterness would have destroyed him in solitary confinement, sustained by the shared solidarity of two fellow Panthers, Albert turned his anger into activism and resistance. The Angola 3, as they became known, resolved never to be broken by the grinding inhumanity and corruption that effectively held them for decades as political prisoners. He survived to give us Solitary, a chronicle of rare power and humanity that proves the better spirits of our nature can thrive against any odds.
Solitary: Unbroken By Four Decades In Solitary Confinement. My Story Of Transformation And Hope
by Albert Woodfox“An uncommonly powerful memoir about four decades in confinement . . . A profound book about friendship [and] solitary confinement in the United States.” —New York TimesFinalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book AwardSolitary is the unforgettable life story of a man who served more than four decades in solitary confinement—in a 6-foot by 9-foot cell, twenty-three hours a day, in Louisiana’s notorious Angola prison—all for a crime he did not commit. That Albert Woodfox survived at all was a feat of extraordinary endurance. That he emerged whole from his odyssey within America’s prison and judicial systems is a triumph of the human spirit.While behind bars in his early twenties, Albert was inspired to join the Black Panther Party because of its social commitment and code of living. He was serving a fifty-year sentence in Angola for armed robbery when, on April 17, 1972, a white guard was killed. Albert and another member of the Panthers were accused of the crime and immediately put in solitary confinement. Without a shred of evidence against them, their trial was a sham of justice. Decades passed before Albert was finally released in February 2016.Sustained by the solidarity of two fellow Panthers, Albert turned his anger into activism and resistance. The Angola 3, as they became known, resolved never to be broken by the corruption that effectively held them for decades as political prisoners. Solitary is a clarion call to reform the inhumanity of solitary confinement in the United States and around the world.
Solitary: Unbroken by Four Decades in Solitary Confinement. My Story of Transformation and Hope
by Albert WoodfoxSolitary is the unforgettable life story of a man who served more than four decades in solitary confinement in a 6-foot by 9-foot cell, 23 hours a day, in notorious Angola prison in Louisiana, all for a crime he did not commit. That Albert Woodfox survived was, in itself, a feat of extraordinary endurance against the violence and deprivation he faced daily. That he was able to emerge whole from his odyssey within America’s prison and judicial systems is a triumph of the human spirit, and makes his book a clarion call to reform the inhumanity of solitary confinement in the U.S. and around the world. Arrested often as a teenager in New Orleans, inspired behind bars in his early twenties to join the Black Panther Party because of its social commitment and code of living, Albert was serving a 50-year sentence in Angola for armed robbery when on April 17, 1972, a white guard was killed. Albert and another member of the Panthers were accused of the crime and immediately put in solitary confinement by the warden. Without a shred of actual evidence against them, their trial was a sham of justice that gave them life sentences in solitary. Decades passed before Albert gained a lawyer of consequence; even so, sixteen more years and multiple appeals were needed before he was finally released in February 2016. Remarkably self-aware that anger or bitterness would have destroyed him in solitary confinement, sustained by the shared solidarity of two fellow Panthers, Albert turned his anger into activism and resistance. The Angola 3, as they became known, resolved never to be broken by the grinding inhumanity and corruption that effectively held them for decades as political prisoners. He survived to give us Solitary, a chronicle of rare power and humanity that proves the better spirits of our nature can thrive against any odds.
Solito
by Javier Zamora«En esta conmovedora autobiografía que no podrás soltar, un joven poeta relata la inolvidable historia de su desgarradora migración hacia Estados Unidos desde El Salvador a los nueve años, considerada 'el viaje mítico de nuestra era'.» —Sandra Cisneros La aventura de Javier es una travesía de tres mil millas desde su pequeño pueblo en El Salvador, a través de Guatemala y México, hacia la frontera de Estados Unidos. Dejará atrás a sus queridos abuelos y su tía para reunirse con una madre que se fue cuatro años atrás y con un padre al que prácticamente no recuerda. Al viajar solo, a excepción de un grupo de extraños y un coyote contratado para guiarlos a salvo, Javier debía tardar solo dos semanas en llegar. A los nueve años, todo lo que Javier puede imaginar es correr a los brazos de sus padres, acurrucarse en la cama entre ellos y vivir bajo el mismo techo otra vez. No puede prever los peligrosos trayectos en bote, las interminables caminatas por el desierto, las armas apuntándole, los arrestos y los engaños que le esperan. Tampoco sabe que esas dos semanas se alargarán hasta dos meses y le cambiarán la vida, junto a un grupo de extraños que acabará por cobijarlo como una familia improvisada. Una autobiografía tan apasionante como emotiva, Solito no solo nos ofrece un recuento íntimo e inmediato de un viaje sinuoso y casi imposible, sino la milagrosa bondad y el amor que se entrega en los momentos más inesperados. Solito es la historia de Javier, pero es también la historia de millones más que no tuvieron otra opción más que irse de casa.
Solito: A Memoir
by Javier Zamora'Heartbreaking… A rare, eye-opening rendition of the brutal reality of border-crossing.' Lea Ypi &‘If there&’s any justice, Solito will someday be considered a classic.&’ Rumaan Alam Young Javier dreams of eating orange sherbet ice cream with his parents in the United States. For this to happen, he must embark on a three-thousand-mile journey alone. It should last only two weeks. But it takes seven. In limbo, Javier learns what people will do to survive – and what they will forfeit to save someone else. This is a memoir of perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, and pointed guns. But it is also a story of tasting tacos for the first time, of who passes you their water jug in the crippling heat, and of longing to be in your mother&’s arms.
Solito: A Memoir
by Javier ZamoraNew York Times Bestseller • Read With Jenna Book Club Pick as seen on Today • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiography • Winner of the American Library Association Alex Award • A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the CenturyA young poet tells the inspiring story of his migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine in this &“gripping memoir&” (NPR) of bravery, hope, and finding family. Finalist for the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction • One of the New York Public Library&’s Ten Best Books of the Year Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence and the PEN/Open Book Award&“I read Solito with my heart in my throat and did not burst into tears until the last sentence. What a person, what a writer, what a book.&”—Emma Straub &“A riveting tale of perseverance and the lengths humans will go to help each other in times of struggle.&”—Dave EggersONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Vulture, She Reads, Kirkus ReviewsTrip. My parents started using that word about a year ago—&“one day, you&’ll take a trip to be with us. Like an adventure.&” Javier Zamora&’s adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a &“coyote&” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks.At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents&’ arms, snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family.A memoir as gripping as it is moving, Solito provides an immediate and intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey, but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most unexpected moments. Solito is Javier Zamora&’s story, but it&’s also the story of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home.