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The Allure of Chanel
by Paul Morand Karl LagerfeldCoco Chanel invited Paul Morand to visit her in St Moritz at the end of the Second World War when he was given the opportunity to write her memoirs; his notes of their conversations were put away in a drawer and only came to light one year after Chanel's death. Through Morand's transcription of their conversations, Chanel tells us about her friendship with Misia Sert, the men in her life - Boy Capel, the Duke of Westminster, artists such as Diaghilev, her philosophy of fashion and the story behind the legendary Number 5 perfume...The memories of Chanel told in her own words provide vivid sketches and portray the strength of Coco's character, leaving us with an extraordinary insight into Chanel the woman and the woman who created Chanel.
The Allure of Chanel (Illustrated)
by Paul MorandPaul Morand's last book, one of the most appealing of his oeuvre, brings together around the figure of Chanel, portraits of Misia Sert, Erik Satie, Serge Lifar, Georges Auric, Raymond Radiguet, Jean Cocteau, Picasso and Churchill, among others. Based on a series of intimate conversations between Morand and Coco Chanel, written in the great storyteller's marvellous prose, this book artfully sketches the character of the elusive, mysterious and charming creature who inspired Malraux to say: "Chanel, De Gaulle and Picasso are the greatest figures of our times." Hailed on its publication in 1976 as "a great celebration of a book, a finely cut, sparkling gem," The Allure of Chanel attracted the attention of Karl Lagerfeld, who embellished it with seventy-three drawings, sketched for this special illustrated edition.** Deluxe flapped paperback edition **
The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade Prophet
by Lyn MillnerFor five days in December 1908 the body of Cyrus Teed lay in a bathtub at a beach house just south of Fort Myers, Florida. His followers, the Koreshans, waited for signs that he was coming back to life. They watched hieroglyphics emerge on his skin and observed what looked like the formation of a third arm. They saw his belly fall and rise with breath, even though his swollen tongue sealed his mouth. As his corpse turned black, they declared that their leader was transforming into the Egyptian god Horus.Teed was a charismatic and controversial guru who at the age of 30 had been "illuminated" by an angel in his electro-alchemical laboratory. At the turn of the twentieth century, surrounded by the marvels of the Second Industrial Revolution, he proclaimed himself a prophet and led 200 people out of Chicago and into a new age. Or so he promised.The Koreshans settled in a mosquito-infested scrubland and set to building a communal utopia inside what they believed was a hollow earth--with humans living on the inside crust and the entire universe contained within. According to Teed’s socialist and millennialist teachings, if his people practiced celibacy and focused their love on him, he would return after death and they would all become immortal.Was Teed a visionary or villain, savior or two-bit charlatan? Why did his promises and his theory of "cellular cosmogony" persuade so many? In The Allure of Immortality, Lyn Millner weaves the many bizarre strands of Teed's life and those of his followers into a riveting story of angels, conmen, angry husbands, yellow journalism, and ultimately, hope.
The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade Prophet
by Lyn MillnerWall Street Journal’s Five Best Books About CultsThe true story of cult leader Cyrus Teed and his hollow earth theoryFor five days in December 1908 the body of Cyrus Teed lay in a bathtub at a beach house just south of Fort Myers, Florida. His followers, the Koreshans, waited for signs that he was coming back to life. They watched hieroglyphics emerge on his skin and observed what looked like the formation of a third arm. They saw his belly fall and rise with breath, even though his swollen tongue sealed his mouth. As his corpse turned black, they declared that their leader was transforming into the Egyptian god Horus. Teed was a charismatic and controversial guru who at the age of 30 had been "illuminated" by an angel in his electro-alchemical laboratory. At the turn of the twentieth century, surrounded by the marvels of the Second Industrial Revolution, he proclaimed himself a prophet and led 200 people out of Chicago and into a new age. Or so he promised.The Koreshans settled in a mosquito-infested scrubland and set to building a communal utopia inside what they believed was a hollow earth--with humans living on the inside crust and the entire universe contained within. According to Teed’s socialist and millennialist teachings, if his people practiced celibacy and focused their love on him, he would return after death and they would all become immortal.Was Teed a visionary or villain, savior or two-bit charlatan? Why did his promises and his theory of "cellular cosmogony" persuade so many?Now comes the bombshell news that David Koresh, apocalyptic leader of the Waco Branch Davidians, plagiarized Teed, and did so unwittingly. Released on the 30th anniversary of the deadly events in Waco, this edition of The Allure of Immortality includes a preface about this astonishing discovery. In this book, Lyn Millner weaves the many bizarre strands of Teed's life and those of his followers into a riveting story of angels, conmen, angry husbands, yellow journalism, and ultimately, hope.
The Allure of the Archives
by Arlette FargeArlette Farge’s Le Goût de l’archive is widely regarded as a historiographical classic. While combing through two-hundred-year-old judicial records from the Archives of the Bastille, historian Farge was struck by the extraordinarily intimate portrayal they provided of the lives of the poor in pre-Revolutionary France, especially women. She was seduced by the sensuality of old manuscripts and by the revelatory power of voices otherwise lost. In The Allure of the Archives, she conveys the exhilaration of uncovering hidden secrets and the thrill of venturing into new dimensions of the past. Originally published in 1989, Farge’s classic work communicates the tactile, interpretive, and emotional experience of archival research while sharing astonishing details about life under the Old Regime in France. At once a practical guide to research methodology and an elegant literary reflection on the challenges of writing history, this uniquely rich volume demonstrates how surrendering to the archive’s allure can forever change how we understand the past.
The Almanac of American Politics 2014 (Almanac of American Politics)
by Michael Barone Chuck MccutcheonThe Almanac of American Politics is the gold standard--the book that everyone involved, invested, or interested in American politics must have on their reference shelf. Continuing the tradition of accurate and up-to-date information, the 2014 almanac includes new and updated profiles of every member of Congress and every state governor. These profiles cover everything from expenditures to voting records, interest-group ratings, and, of course, politics. In-depth overviews of each state and house district are included as well, along with demographic data, analysis of voting trends, and political histories. The new edition contains Michael Barone's sharp-eyed analysis of the 2012 election, both congressional and presidential, exploring how the votes fell and what they mean for future legislation. The almanac also provides comprehensive coverage of the changes brought about by the 2010 census and has been reorganized to align with the resulting new districts. Like every edition since the almanac first appeared in 1972, the 2014 edition is helmed by veteran political analyst Michael Barone. Together with Chuck McCutcheon, collaborator since 2012, and two new editors, Sean Trende, senior elections analyst for RealClearPolitics, and Josh Kraushaar, managing editor at National Journal, Barone offers an unparalleled perspective on contemporary politics. Full of maps, census data, and detailed information about the American political landscape, the 2014 Almanac of American Politics remains the most comprehensive resource for journalists, politicos, business people, and academics.
The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society
by Chris StewartThe good life abroad just keeps getting better as Christ Stewart, one-time Genesis drummer, turned sheepshearer, trned bestselling writer, returns with a new book on his life in the decidedly oddball region of Las Alpujarras, south of Granada.THE ALOMOND BLOSSOM APPRECIATION SOCIETY finds Chris and his family still living on their farm, El Varo - but life there never stands still. You will find yourself laughing out loud as Chris is instructed by his daughter on the way to treat dung beetles; bluffs his way as an art history guide to millionaire Bostonians; collects seeds in North Africa; and joins an Almond Blossom Appreciation Society. And you'll cringe as he tries his hand at office work in an immigrants' advice centre in Granada...In this sequel to DRIVING OVER LEMONS and A PARROT IN A PEPPER TREE, Chris Stewart's optimism and zest for life is as infectious as ever.Read by Chris Stewart(p) 2006 Orion Publishing Group
The Almost Legendary Morris Sisters: A True Story of Family Fiction
by Julie KlamNew York Times–bestselling author Julie Klam&’s funny and moving story of the Morris sisters, distant relations with mysterious pasts. Ever since she was young, Julie Klam has been fascinated by the Morris sisters, cousins of her grandmother. According to family lore, early in the twentieth century the sisters&’ parents decided to move the family from Eastern Europe to Los Angeles so their father could become a movie director. On the way, their pregnant mother went into labor in St. Louis, where the baby was born and where their mother died. The father left the children in an orphanage and promised to send for them when he settled in California—a promise he never kept. One of the Morris sisters later became a successful Wall Street trader and advised Franklin Roosevelt. The sisters lived together in New York City, none of them married or had children, and one even had an affair with J. P. Morgan. The stories of these independent women intrigued Klam, but as she delved into them to learn more, she realized that the tales were almost completely untrue. The Almost Legendary Morris Sisters is the revealing account of what Klam discovered about her family—and herself—as she dug into the past. The deeper she went into the lives of the Morris sisters, the slipperier their stories became. And the more questions she had about what actually happened to them, the more her opinion of them evolved. Part memoir and part confessional, and told with the wit and honesty that are hallmarks of Klam&’s books, The Almost Legendary Morris Sisters is the fascinating and funny true story of one writer&’s journey into her family&’s past, the truths she brings to light, and what she learns about herself along the way.
The Alpine Path: The Story of My Career
by Lucy Maud MontgomeryLucy Maud Montgomery was born at Clifton (now New London), Prince Edward Island, Canada, on November 30, 1874. She achieved international fame in her lifetime, putting Prince Edward Island and Canada on the world literary map. Best known for her Anne of Green Gables books, she was also a prolific writer of short stories and poetry. She published some 500 short stories and poems and twenty novels before her death in 1942.
The Altar of My Soul: The Living Traditions of Santería
by Marta Moreno VegaLong cloaked in protective secrecy, demonized by Western society, and distorted by Hollywood, Santería is at last emerging from the shadows with an estimated 75 million followers worldwide. In The Altar of My Soul, Marta Moreno Vega recounts the compelling true story of her journey from ignorance and skepticism to initiation as a Yoruba priestess in the Santería religion. This unforgettable spiritual memoir reveals the long-hidden roots and traditions of a centuries-old faith that originated on the shores of West Africa. As an Afro-Puerto Rican child in the New York barrio, Marta paid little heed to the storefront botanicas full of spiritual paraphernalia or to the Catholic saints with foreign names: Yemayá, Ellegua, Shangó. As an adult, in search of a religion that would reflect her racial and cultural heritage, Marta was led to the Way of the Saints. She came to know Santería intimately through its prayers and rituals, drumming and dancing, trances and divination that spark sacred healing energy for family, spiritual growth, and service to others. Written by one who is a professor and a Santería priestess, The Altar of My Soul lays before us an electrifying and inspiring faith--one passed down from generation to generation that vitalizes the sacred energy necessary to build a family, a community, and a strong, loving society.
The Amateur: An Independent Life of Letters
by Wendy LesserThe Amateur is an inquiry into how we discover our passions and how they discover us. "I am very conscious," writes Wendy Lesser, one of our shrewdest cultural observers, "of having made choices in my life. You can't plan how the choices will turn out. But you can certainly make them. " In The Amateur Lesser explores some of the choices she has made in pursuit of an old-fashioned but indispensable vocation: an independent life of letters. She discusses the place--California--in which she grew up; the institutions-- Harvard, Cambridge, Berkeley--where she received her formal education; the writers, artists, and performers who deepened her critical understanding; and, finally, the literary journal she founded, The Threepenny Review, which she still edits and publishes out of the Berkeley apartment in which it began nearly twenty years ago. Lesser describes both the events in her own life and those she has witnessed on stage, screen, canvas, and paper, noting noting how both experience and art teach us to observe, to discriminate, and to make sense of one another. Written with her trademark intelligence, quiet wit, and elegance, The Amateur is a beguiling work of autobiography.
The Amateur: Barack Obama In The White House
by Edward KleinIt's amateur hour at the White House. So says New York Times bestselling author Edward Klein in his new political exposé The Amateur. Tapping into the public's growing sentiment that President Obama is in over his head, The Amateur argues that Obama's toxic combination of incompetence and arrogance have run our nation and his presidency off the rails. "Obama was both completely inexperienced and ideologically far to the left of Americans when he entered the White House," says Klein. "And he was so arrogant that he didn't even know what he didn't know." Klein, who is known for getting the inside scoop on everyone from the Kennedys to the Clintons, reveals never-before-published details about the Obama administration's political inner workings and about Barack and Michelle's personal lives, including:The inordinate influence Michelle wields over Barack and her feud with a high-profile celebrityThe real reason Rahm Emmanuel left the White House (it wasn't for family reasons)Why Valerie Jarrett's role is closer to that of Rasputin than impartial senior advisorObama's problems with American JewsHow Obama has purposefully forgotten and ignored those that put him in power, including the Kennedys, and the Jewish and African American communities in ChicagoFrom Obama's conceited and detached demeanor, to his detrimental reliance on Michelle Obama and Valerie Jarrett's advice, to the Obamas' extravagant and out-of-touch lifestyle, The Amateur reveals a president whose blatant ignorance and incompetence is sabotaging himself, his presidency, and America.
The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House
by Edward KleinThink you know the real Barack Obama? You don't---not until you've read The Amateur. In this stunning expose, bestselling author Edward Klein (a contributing editor to Vanity Fair) former foreign editor of Newsweek, and former editor-in-chief of the New York Times Magazine pulls back the curtain on one of the most secretive White Houses in history. He reveals a callow, thin-skinned, arrogant president with messianic dreams of grandeur supported by a cast of true-believers, all of them united by leftist politics and an amateurish understanding of executive leadership. In The Amateur you'll discover: Why the so-called centrist Obama is actually in revolt against the values of the society he was elected to lead. Why Bill Clinton loathes Barack Obama and tried to get Hillary to run against him in 2012. The spiteful rivalry between Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey. How Obama split the Kennedy family. How Obama has taken more of a personal role in making foreign policy than any president since Richard Nixon---with disastrous results. How Michelle Obama and Valerie Jarrett are the real powers behind the White House throne. The Amateur is a reporter's book, buttressed by nearly 200 interviews, many of them with the insiders who know Obama best. The result is the most important political book of the year. You will never look at Barack Obama the same way again.
The Amazing Adventures of Bob Brown: A Real-Life Zelig Who Wrote His Way Through the 20th Century
by Craig SaperContemporary publishing, e-media, and writing owe much to an unsung hero who worked in the trenches of the culture industry (for pulp magazines, Hollywood films, and advertising) and caroused and collaborated with the avant-garde throughout the first half of the twentieth century. Robert Carlton Brown (1886–1959) turned upin the midst of virtually every significant American literary, artistic, political, and popular or countercultural movement of his time—from Chicago’s Cliff Dweller’s Club to Greenwich Village’s bohemians and the Imagist poets; from the American vanguard expatriate groups in Europe to the Beats. Bob Brown churned out pulp fiction and populist cookbooks, created the first movie tie-ins, and invented a surreal reading machine more than seventy-five years ahead of e-books. He was a real-life Zelig of modern culture.With The Amazing Adventures of Bob Brown, Craig Saper disentangles, for the first time, the many lives and careers of the intriguing figure behind so much of twentieth-century culture. Saper’s lively and engaging yet erudite and subtly experimental style offers a bold new approach to biography that perfectly complements his multidimensional subject. Readers are brought along on a spirited journey with Bob and the Brown clan—Cora (his mother), Rose (his wife), and Bob, a creative team who sometimes went by the name of CoRoBo—through globetrotting, fortune-making and fortune-spending, culture-creating and culture-exploring adventures. Along the way, readers meet many of the most important cultural figures and movements of the era and are witness to the astonishingly prescient vision Brown held of the future of American cultural life in the digital age.Although Brown traveled and lived all around the world, he took Manhattan with him, and his New York City had boroughs around the world.
The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones
by Jon RonsonBestselling author Jon Ronson walks the mean streets of America where he finds real life, modern day superheroes. Fighting crime, saving old ladies, and chasing away drug dealers - all while wearing a mask and a cape. Phoenix Jones patrols Seattle, masked, muscles rippling, while corner boys scatter and teenage runaways are helped, whether they want it or not. He might still see his pediatrician when superhero-ing gets a little too intense, but he'll be back out there with his ass-kicking comrades as soon as he's bandaged up. These do-gooding citizens talk the talk, and walk the walk of mythical superheroes - the only thing they're missing is actual supernatural powers. The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones is an inside, intimate look at the world of amateur superheroes and a front row seat to their adventures.
The Amazing Age Of John Roy Lynch
by Chris Barton<P>John Roy Lynch spent most of his childhood as a slave in Mississippi, but all of that changed with the Emancipation Proclamation. Suddenly people like John Roy could have paying jobs and attend school. <P>While many people in the South were unhappy with the social change, John Roy thrived in the new era. He was appointed to serve as justice of the peace and was eventually elected into the United States Congress. <P>This biography, with its informative backmatter and splendid illustrations, gives readers an in-depth look at the Reconstruction period through the life of one of the first African-American congressmen.
The Amazing Benjamin Franklin (Reading Wonders #Approaching Level, Grade 3)
by Victoria St. JohnNIMAC-sourced textbook
The Amazing Book Is Not on Fire: The World of Dan and Phil
by Dan Howell Phil LesterTHE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom YouTube sensations Dan Howell (danisnotonfire) and Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) comes a laugh-out-loud look into the world created by two awkward guys who share their lives on the Internet. More than 11 million YouTube subscribers can't wait for this book! Since uploading their first ever videos as teenagers, Dan and Phil have become two of the world's biggest YouTube stars. Now they invite you on a behind-the-scenes journey, filled with absolutely essential advice, tons of humor, lots of awkwardness, and TMI honesty that they will probably regret. Here's just a small sample of the fun surprises readers can look forward to: • The inside story of that time they met One Direction.• Excerpts from Phil's teenage diary.• Reasons why Dan's a fail (so far).• How to draw the perfect cat whiskers.• Reasons why Phil was such a weird kid (back then).• Quizzes! Which of their dining room chairs represents you emotionally?• What really happened in Vegas. . . . In The Amazing Book Is Not on Fire, Dan and Phil are candid, heartfelt, and hilarious. Their struggles and success haven't changed their strong friendship or their core belief that it's okay to be weird. The cat whiskers come from within! This full-color book is bursting with unseen photographs and drawings, making it an ideal gift for that hard-to-shop-for teen.
The Amazing Collection of Joey Cornell: Based on the Childhood of a Great American Artist
by Candace FlemingAward-winning and bestselling author Candace Fleming delivers a stunning picture-book based on the childhood of artist and sculptor Joseph Cornell, sure to beguile aspiring artists and collectors of all ages.Joey Cornell collected everything -- anything that sparked his imagination or delighted his eye. His collection grew and grew until he realized that certain pieces just looked right together. He assembled his doodads to create wonderful, magical creations out of once ordinary objects. Perfect for introducing art to kids, here's an imaginative and engaging book based on the childhood of great American artist Joseph Cornell, told by master picture book author Candace Fleming and lauded illustrator Gérard DuBois.
The Amazing Emperor Heliogabalus
by John HayThe life of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, generally known to the world as Heliogabalus, is as yet shrouded in impenetrable mystery. The picture we have of the reign is that of an imperial orgy—sacrilegious, necromantic, and obscene. The boy Emperor, who reigned from his fourteenth to his eighteenth year, is depicted amongst that crowd of tyrants who held the throne of Imperial Rome, by the help of the praetorian army, as one of the most tyrannical, certainly as the most debased...
The Amazing Harry Kellar: Great American Magician
by Gail JarrowPresenting the amazing Harry Kellar! The first magician to receive international fame! The most well-known illusionist at the turn of the twentieth century! The model for the Wizard of Oz! Author Gail Jarrow follows Kellar from a magician's assistant traveling and performing across the United States during the Civil War to an international superstar with a show of his own, entertaining emperors, kings, and presidents. Jarrow uses Kellar's own words and images--his amazing four-color promotional posters--to tell his riveting story in this first Kellar biography for young readers. And she reveals the science behind Kellar's illusions and explores nineteenth-century entertainment and transportation as well as the history of magic, spiritualism, and séances.
The Amazing Jimmi Mayes: Sideman to the Stars (American Made Music Series)
by Jimmi MayesAssociation of Recorded Sound Collections Awards for ExcellenceBest Research in Recorded Blues, Hip-Hop, Rhythm & Blues – Certificate of Merit (2014)For more than fifty years, Chicago drummer Jimmi Mayes served as a sideman behind some of the greatest musicians and musical groups in history. He began his career playing the blues in the juke joints of Mississippi, sharpened his trade under the mentorship of drum legends Sam Lay and Fred Below in the steamy nightclubs of south Chicago, and hit it big in New York City behind such music legends as Tommy Hunt from the Flamingos, Marvin Gaye, and James Brown.Mayes played his drums behind blues giants Little Walter Jacobs, Jimmy Reed, Robert Junior Lockwood, Earl Hooker, Junior Wells, Pinetop Perkins, and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. He lived for a while with Motown sensation Martha Reeves and her family and traveled with the Shirelles and the Motown Review. Jimi Hendrix was one of Mayes's best friends, and they traveled together with Joey Dee and the Starliters in the mid-1960s.Mayes lived through racial segregation, the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the integration of rock bands, and the emergence of Motown. He personally experienced the sexual and moral revolutions of the sixties, was robbed of his musical royalties, and survived a musical drought. He's been a pimp and a drug pusher--and lived to tell the tale when so many musicians have not. This sideman to the stars witnessed music history from the best seat in the house--behind the drum set.
The Amazing John Wesley: An Unusual Look at an Uncommon Life
by H. Newton Malony Jr.Much has been written about John Wesley's heartwarming experience that propelled him to preach salvation all over the UK, but little is known about the other facets of his life that made the movement he started have the effect of saving England from the ravages of the French Revolution. You will be surprised to discover much about Wesley that you never knew, his skills in organizing prayer groups, his writing of over 200 books, how he established free health clinics for the poor, supported the abolition of slavery, and even his painful failure at marriage. His preaching among average citizens assured that the Wesleyan movement would grow into one of the largest evangelical movements in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin
by James Cross GiblinA biography of the eighteenth-century printer, inventor, and statesman who played an influential role in the early history of the United States.
The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin
by James Cross Giblin Michael DoolingNow available in paperback for the first time, James Cross Giblin and Michael Dooling tell the story of the man known as the "wisest American. " Benjamin Franklin was one of seventeen children, and the youngest of 10 sons. To help out with the family, he was put to work when he was 10 years old in his father's candle and soap-making shop. Ben hated making soap and candles. Since he was smart and a good speller and he loved to read, he later went to work in his brother's print shop as an apprentice. He read book after book, and soon began to write himself. By 18, he moved to Philadelphia where he eventually openend his own print shop. By age 28 he published "Poor Richard's Almanac," a best seller in Colonial America.