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The Baker Who Pretended to Be King of Portugal
by Ruth MackayOn August 4, 1578, in an ill-conceived attempt to wrest Morocco back from the hands of the infidel Moors, King Sebastian of Portugal led his troops to slaughter and was himself slain. Sixteen years later, King Sebastian rose again. In one of the most famous of European impostures, Gabriel de Espinosa, an ex-soldier and baker by trade--and most likely under the guidance of a distinguished Portuguese friar--appeared in a Spanish convent town passing himself off as the lost monarch. The principals, along with a large cast of nuns, monks, and servants, were confined and questioned for nearly a year as a crew of judges tried to unravel the story, but the culprits went to their deaths with many questions left unanswered. Ruth MacKay recalls this conspiracy, marked both by scheming and absurdity, and the legal inquest that followed, to show how stories of this kind are conceived, told, circulated, and believed. She reveals how the story of Sebastian, supposedly in hiding and planning to return to claim his crown, was lodged among other familiar stories: prophecies of returned leaders, nuns kept against their will, kidnappings by Moors, miraculous escapes, and monarchs who die for their country. As MacKay demonstrates, the conspiracy could not have succeeded without the circulation of news, the retellings of the fatal battle in well-read chronicles, and the networks of rumors and correspondents, all sharing the hope or belief that Sebastian had survived and would one day return. With its royal intrigues, ambitious artisans, dissatisfied religious women, and corrupt clergy, The Baker Who Pretended to Be King of Portugal will undoubtedly captivate readers as it sheds new light on the intricate political and cultural relations between Spain and Portugal in the early modern period and the often elusive nature of historical truth.
The Baker's Son: My Life In Business
by Lowell HawthorneAn inspirational rags-to-riches memoir by one of the most successful Caribbean-born businessmen living in America. "At 21, Hawthorne's parents shipped him off to New York, where his older siblings had already relocated. He eventually found a job, started college, and began to build the multi-million dollar business Golden Krust, whose Jamaican patties are a New York staple. Hawthorne's story is compelling on many levels: it offers a peek into life in Jamaica, a classic immigrant narrative, and a testament to the strength of family. Hawthorne's is a Horatio Alger tale with a Caribbean flavor, which should find an appreciative audience among entrepreneurs and business aficionados." --Library Journal "The American question gets a great, real-life look in The Baker's Son ... Hawthorne's story is at once inspirational and revelatory." --Publishers Weekly "In his memoir, The Baker's Son, Hawthorne shares how an idea inspired by his father's bakery in Border, Jamaica, grew into the 120-branch Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill. After 23 years of selling patties, pastries, sandwiches and more through Golden Krust, Hawthorne hasn't lost sight of his values." --New York Daily News "The Baker's Son is a deeply moving account that tells the story of an immigrant family from rural Jamaica that relocated to the Bronx in 1980s... the Hawthorne family has scaled the heights of success to achieve the American Dream to an unprecedented degree." --The Philadelphia Tribune "In gripping narrative that is both inspirational and instructive, Lowell Hawthorne shares how an idea infused with tenacity, intellect, and passion can become a dream realized. The Baker’s Son offers a successful playbook for any entrepreneur who seeks to play on the rough-and-tumble field of business--and win.”--Earl “Butch” Graves, Jr., President and CEO, Black Enterprise "Lowell Hawthorne's chronicle of the development of a small Jamaican business into the highly successful Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill, an American business empire, is an invaluable guide to business success as well as an inspiring autobiographical work."—P.J. Patterson, former prime minister of Jamaica The Baker's Son is a memoir by the founder of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill, the hugely successful Jamaican owned and run enterprise that reaches from New York to Florida with over 120 franchise locations. Starting from humble beginnings, and after weathering several major crises along the way, the Hawthorne family has scaled the heights of success to achieve the American Dream to an unprecedented degree. Today the Golden Krust brand represents the most lucrative Caribbean business ever established in America and one of the most profitable black businesses operating in the United States. Lowell Hawthorne is the president and CEO of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill. He lives in Westchester, New York.
The Balkan Wars (1912-13): The War Correspondence Of Leon Trotsky
by Leon Trotsky George Lavan WeissmanOn-the-spot analysis of national and social conflicts in the Balkans, written 80 years ago, sheds light on the conflicts shaking these countries today. Photos, maps, chronology, glossary, index.
The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist
by Deirdre O'Connell<P>The true story of a black musical savant in the era of slavery. <P>Born into slavery in Georgia, Tom Wiggins died an international celebrity in New York in 1908. His life was one of the most bizarre and moving episodes in American history. Born blind and autistic-and so unable to work with other slaves-Tom was left to his own devices. He was mesmerized by the music of the family's young daughters, and by the time he was four Tom was playing tunes on the piano. <P>Eventually freed from slavery, Wiggins, or "Blind Tom" as he was called, toured the country and the world playing for celebrities like Mark Twain and the Queen of England and dazzling audiences everywhere. One part genius and one part novelty act, Blind Tom embodied contradictions-a star and a freak, freed from slavery but still the property of his white guardian. His life offers a window into the culture of celebrity and racism at the turn of the twentieth century. <P>In this rollicking and heartrending book, O'Connell takes us through the life (and three separate deaths) of Blind Tom Wiggins, restoring to the modern reader this unusual yet quintessentially American life.
The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist: America's Lost Musical Genius
by Deirdre O'ConnellThis biography of a musical genius who went from slavery to international stardom is a “vivid, carefully researched narrative reflects the tenor of the” (Publishers Weekly). Born into slavery in Georgia, Tom Wiggins died an international celebrity in New York in 1908. His life was one of the most bizarre and moving episodes in American history. Born blind and autistic—and therefore unable to work with other slaves—Tom was left to his own devices. He was mesmerized by the music of the family’s young daughters, and by the time he was four, Tom was playing tunes on the piano. Eventually freed from slavery, “Blind Tom” toured the country and the world, dazzling audiences that included celebrities like Mark Twain and the Queen of England. Considered both a genius and a novelty act, Blind Tom embodied contradictions—a star and a freak, freed from slavery yet still under the control of his white guardian. His life offers a window into the culture of celebrity and racism at the turn of the twentieth century. In this rollicking and heartrending book, O’Connell takes us through the life (and three separate deaths) of Blind Tom Wiggins, restoring to the modern reader this unusual yet quintessentially American life.
The Ballad of Bob Dylan: A Portrait
by Daniel Mark EpsteinThrough the lens of four seminal concerts,acclaimed poet and biographer DanielMark Epstein offers an intimate, nuancedlook at Bob Dylan: a vivid, full-bodiedportrait of one of the most influential artistsof the twentieth century, from his birth tothe Never Ending Tour.Beginning with 1963’s Lisner Auditoriumconcert in Washington, D.C., Epstein revisitsDylan’s astonishing rise as the darling ofthe folk revival, focusing on the people andbooks that shaped him, and his struggle tofind artistic direction on the road in the1960s. Madison Square Garden, 1974, shedslight on Dylan’s transition from folk iconto rock star, his family life in seclusion,his subsequent divorce, and his highly anticipatedreturn to touring. Tanglewood,1997, reveals how Dylan revived his flaggingcareer in the late 1990s—largelyunder the influence of Jerry Garcia—discoveringnew ways of singing and connectingwith his audience, and assembling the greatbands for his Never Ending Tour. In abreathtaking account of the Time Out of Mindsessions, Epstein provides the most completepicture yet of Dylan’s contemporary workin the studio, his acceptance of his laurels,and his role as the éminence grise ofrock and roll today. Aberdeen, 2009, bringsus full circle, detailing the making of Dylan’striumphant albums of the 2000s, as well ashis long-running radio show.Drawing on anecdotes and insights fromnew interviews with those closest to theman—including Maria Muldaur, Happy Traum,D. A. Pennebaker, Nora Guthrie, Ramblin’ JackElliott, and Dylan’s sidemen throughout the years—The Ballad of Bob Dylan is a singulartake on an artist who has transformed generationsand, as he enters his eighth decade,continues to inspire and surprise today.
The Ballad of Dorothy Wordsworth: A Life
by Frances WilsonDescribed by the writer and opium addict Thomas De Quincey as "the very wildest . . . person I have ever known," DorothyWordsworth was neither the self-effacing spinster nor the sacrificial saint of common telling. A brilliant stylist in her own right, Dorothy was at the center of the Romantic movement of the early nineteenth century. She was her brother William Wordsworth's inspiration, aide, and most valued reader, and a friend to Coleridge; both borrowed from her observations of the world for their own poems.William wrote of her, "She gave me eyes, she gave me ears."In order to remain at her brother's side, Dorothy sacrificed both marriage and comfort, jealously guarding their close-knit domesticity—one marked by a startling freedom from social convention. In the famed Grasmere Journals, Dorothy kept a record of this idyllic life together. The tale that unfolds through her brief, electric entries reveals an intense bond between brother and sister, culminating in Dorothy's dramatic collapse on the day of William's wedding to their childhood friend Mary Hutchinson. Dorothy lived out the rest of her years with her brother and Mary. The woman who strode the hills in all hours and all weathers would eventually retreat into the house for the last three decades of her life.In this succinct, arresting biography, Frances Wilson reveals Dorothy in all her complexity. From the coiled tension of Dorothy's journals, she unleashes the rich emotional life of a woman determined to live on her own terms, and honors her impact on the key figures of Romanticism.
The Ballad of Karla Faye Tucker
by Mark BeaverOn a June night in 1983, twenty-three-year-old Karla Faye Tucker and her boyfriend, fueled by a sinister cocktail of illicit drugs, broke into a Houston apartment. “We were very wired,” Tucker later testified, “and we was looking for something to do.” Though they later claimed they entered the premises with no murderous intent, they ended up slaughtering two people—one a sworn enemy, the other an utter stranger. The weapon: a pickax they found in the apartment. Fourteen years later, in early 1998, Tucker was facing lethal injection. But after her religious conversion in prison, Texas would be executing a different woman than the one who’d committed the murders. Her change was so dramatic that the most powerful and influential voices in American televangelism—Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell among them—were urging viewers to contact Texas's governor, George W. Bush, and plead for clemency. One follower was author Mark Beaver’s father, a devout Southern Baptist deacon who asked Beaver to put his fledgling literary ambitions to work by composing a letter on his behalf to Governor Bush.Through a merger of true crime, social history, and memoir, The Ballad of Karla Faye Tucker illustrates how a seemingly distant news story triggers a national reckoning and exposes a growing divide in America’s evangelical community. It’s a tale of how one woman defies all conventions of death row inmates, and her saga serves as an unlikely but fascinating prism for exploring American culture and the limits of forgiveness and transformation. It’s also a deeply personal reflection on how a father’s request leads his son to struggle with who he was raised to be and who he imagines becoming.
The Ballad of Robert Charles: Searching for the New Orleans Riot of 1900
by K. Stephen PrinceFor a brief moment in the summer of 1900, Robert Charles was arguably the most infamous black man in the United States. After an altercation with police on a New Orleans street, Charles killed two police officers and fled. During a manhunt that extended for days, violent white mobs roamed the city, assaulting African Americans and killing at least half a dozen. When authorities located Charles, he held off a crowd of thousands for hours before being shot to death. The notorious episode was reported nationwide; years later, fabled jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton recalled memorializing Charles in song. Yet today, Charles is almost entirely invisible in the traditional historical record. So who was Robert Charles, really? An outlaw? A black freedom fighter? And how can we reconstruct his story? In this fascinating work, K. Stephen Prince sheds fresh light on both the history of the Robert Charles riots and the practice of history-writing itself. He reveals evidence of intentional erasures, both in the ways the riot and its aftermath were chronicled and in the ways stories were silenced or purposefully obscured. But Prince also excavates long-hidden facts from the narratives passed down by white and black New Orleanians over more than a century. In so doing, he probes the possibilities and limitations of the historical imagination.
The Ballad of Roy Benavidez: The Life and Times of America's Most Famous Hispanic War Hero
by William SturkeyThe dramatic life of Vietnam War hero Roy Benavidez, revealing how Hispanic Americans have long shaped US history, from "a major new voice [with] lyrical powers as a biographer&” (David W. Blight, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Frederick Douglass) In May 1968, while serving in Vietnam, Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez led the rescue of a reconnaissance team surrounded by hundreds of enemy soldiers. He saved the lives of at least eight of his comrades that day in a remarkable act of valor that left him permanently disabled. Awarded the Medal of Honor after a yearslong campaign, Benavidez became a highly sought-after public speaker, a living symbol of military heroism, and one of the country&’s most prominent Latinos. Now, historian William Sturkey tells Benavidez&’s life story in full for the first time. Growing up in Jim Crow–era Texas, Benavidez was scorned as &“Mexican&” despite his family&’s deep roots in the state. He escaped poverty by enlisting in a desegregating military and was first deployed amid the global upheavals of the 1950s. Even after receiving the Medal of Honor, Benavidez was forced to fight for disability benefits amid Reagan-era cutbacks. An unwavering patriot alternately celebrated and snubbed by the country he loved, Benavidez embodied many of the contradictions inherent in twentieth-century Latino life. The Ballad of Roy Benavidez places that experience firmly at the heart of the American story.
The Ballast Seed
by Rosie KinchenThe surprise of a second pregnancy, so soon after the birth of her first son, plunged Rosie into a despair that spiralled into deep depression. Terrified at the prospect of adding another child into her already precariously balanced life, Rosie was compelled to find a new way of living. She found herself instinctively drawn to the local parks and scraps of communal green spaces in her local south east London neighbourhood, and to therapy via tending a hidden garden deep within the city. Interlaced with her responses to the travel journals of an eccentric 19th century female botanist and adventurer, Rosie elegantly describes how these pockets of nature amidst the urban sprawl provided just enough to mend her broken spirit.
The Ballast Seed: A story of motherhood, of growing up and growing plants
by Rosie Kinchen'I loved The Ballast Seed. I couldn't put it down. Beautiful and sad and hopeful all at once - luminous and lush, full of dirt, darkness, sun light and soft new growth. It's a story of vulnerability, persistence and the will to live. This is a memoir that will make you weep, then roll up your sleeves and plant the seeds of a new life.' Cal Flyn author of Islands of AbandonmentThe surprise of a second pregnancy, so soon after the birth of her first son, plunged Rosie into a despair that spiralled into deep depression. Terrified at the prospect of adding another child into her already precariously balanced life, Rosie was compelled to find a new way of living. She found herself instinctively drawn to the local parks and scraps of communal green spaces in her local south east London neighbourhood, and to therapy via tending a hidden garden deep within the city. Interlaced with her responses to the travel journals of an eccentric 19th century female botanist and adventurer, Rosie elegantly describes how these pockets of nature amidst the urban sprawl provided just enough to mend her broken spirit.
The Ballerina of Auschwitz: Young Adult Edition of The Choice
by Dr. Edith Eva EgerIn this young adult edition of the bestselling, award-winning memoir The Choice, Holocaust survivor and renowned psychologist Dr. Edith Eger shares her harrowing experiences and gives readers the gift of hope and strength.Edie is a talented dancer and a skilled gymnast with hopes of making the Olympic team. Between her rigorous training and her struggle to find her place in a family where she&’s the daughter &“with brains but no looks,&” Edie&’s too busy to dwell on the state of the world. But life in Hungary in 1943 is dangerous for a Jewish girl. Just as Edie falls in love for the first time, Europe collapses into war, and Edie&’s family is forced onto a train bound for the Auschwitz concentration camp. Even in those darkest of moments, Edie&’s beloved, Eric, kindles hope. &“I&’ll never forget your eyes,&” he tells her through the slats of the cattle car. Auschwitz is horrifying beyond belief, yet through starvation and unthinkable terrors, dreams of Eric sustain Edie. Against all odds, Edie and her sister Magda survive, thanks to their sisterhood and sheer grit. Edie returns home filled with grief and guilt. Survival feels more like a burden than a gift—until Edie recognizes that she has a choice. She can&’t change the past, but she can choose how to live and even to love again.
The Baltimore Book of the Dead
by Marion Winik“This book is both brief and miraculous, and it will be finished before you’re ready to let it go. Like life.” —Ann Patchett, author of CommonwealthWhen Cheryl Strayed was asked by The Boston Globe to name a book she finds herself recommending time and again, she chose The Glen Rock Book of the Dead. Now, a decade later, that beloved book has a moving companion volume. The Baltimore Book of the Dead is a new collection of portraits of the dead, weaving an unusual, richly populated memoir of compressed narratives.Approaching mourning and memory with intimacy, humor, and an eye for the idiosyncratic, the story starts in the 1960s in Marion Winik’s native New Jersey, winds through Austin, Texas, and rural Pennsylvania, and finally settles in her current home of Baltimore.Winik begins with a portrait of her mother, the Alpha, introducing locales and language around which other stories will orbit: the power of family, home, and love; the pain of loss and the tenderness of nostalgia; the backdrop of nature and public events. From there, she goes on to create a highly personal panorama of the last half century of American life.
The Baltimore Plot: The First Conspiracy to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln
by Michael J. KlineIn January 1861, Abraham Lincoln¿s private train steamed from Illinois to Washington, D.C., where he would be inaugurated as the sixteenth President. However, in Baltimore, a group of Confederate conspirators had formed a plot to assassinate the President-in-waiting when his train made its final stop before Washington. When legendary detective Allan Pinkerton got wind of the plot, he advised Lincoln to remain hidden for the remainder of the journey while he conducted an investigation. However, the case was never brought to trial, leading Lincoln to be ridiculed in the press for cowardice because of which, he vowed never to hide in public again. A promise which, four years later when he sat in full view in the balcony of Ford's Theatre, would cost him his life.
The Bambino and Me
by Zachary HymanA picture book that perfectly conjures 1920s New York for fans of baseball and Babe Ruth. This is baseball's The Hockey Sweater (by Roch Carrier) for the US market. George Henry Alexander is a huge fan of baseball. His favorite team is the New York Yankees and his favorite player is Babe Ruth. George plays baseball during his free time and he listens to the games on the radio with his dad. Everywhere he goes, he carries his Babe Ruth baseball card. On his birthday, George's parents surprise him with two tickets to watch the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees--his first real game! But his presents don't stop there. Uncle Alvin has sent him a baseball jersey and cap, but it's for the Boston Red Sox! Filled with horror, George tosses them aside, but his mother will not have any of that. He will wear them to the baseball game with his dad! What will happen at the game? Will George get to meet Babe Ruth while wearing the opposing team's jersey?
The Bamboo Cradle
by Avraham SchwartzbaumAn American professor on a Fulbright Fellowship to Taiwan finds a newborn baby girl abandoned in a railroad station. In China, with overpopulation and where, traditionally, little value is placed on female offspring, this almost commonplace occurrence could hardly be considered noteworthy. But for Allan Schwartzbaum, it was an event that would alter his life irrevocably. <p><p> The Schwartzbaums, married for nine years and unable to have children of their own, adopt the foundling and bring her back to America with them. Because they are Jewish, although not observant, they want to provide their new daughter with a basic Jewish education, but this turns out to be far from simple. In order to qualify for enrollment in the local Jewish Day School, the child has to first be converted to Judaism. And in order to qualify for a legitimate conversion, she has to first be guaranteed an Orthodox upbringing. <p> This heartwarming, true story, filled with humor and pathos, joy, frustration, and ultimately, fulfillment, describes the providential chain of events that lead the Schwartzbaums from the discovery of a Chinese infant to the discovery of their Jewish heritage. Along the way, they also discover that the burdens and obligations of authentic Judaism are outweighed by its myriad benefits.
The Band That Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic
by Steve TurnerThe movies, the documentaries, the museum exhibits. They often tell the same story about the "unsinkable" Titanic, her wealthy passengers, the families torn apart, and the unthinkable end. But never before has "that glorious band," the group of eight musicians who played on as the Titanic slipped deeper and deeper into the Atlantic Ocean, been explored in such depth--until now.Join renowned biographer Steve Turner as he shares an extraordinary portrait of eight men who were thrown together on a maiden voyage, never having played together as a band, and whose names will be forever linked because of an extraordinary act of courage in the face of death.In The Band that Played On, Turner asks and answers key questions, including:How did the faith of the band members allow them to react with grace under pressure?Why does the story of the Titanic continue to fascinate?How does the legacy of that glorious band live on today?Praise for The Band that Played On:"The Band that Played On is, surprisingly, the first book since the great ship went down to examine the lives of the eight musicians who were employed by the Titanic. What these men did--standing calmly on deck playing throughout the disaster--achieved global recognition. But their individual stories, until now, have been largely unknown. What Turner has uncovered is a narrow but unique slice of history--one more chapter of compelling Titanic lore."--Marjorie Kehe, Book Editor, Christian Science Monitor
The Band: Pioneers of Americana Music
by Craig HarrisIncludes previously unpublished interviews and photos: &“His research is extensive, but the overall pace through these two hundred pages is breezy and entertaining.&” —Vintage Rock At a time when acid rock and heavy metal dominated popular music, The Band rebelled against the rebellion with tight ensemble arrangements, masterful musicianship, highly literate lyrics, and a respect for the musical traditions of the American South. Comprised of Canadians Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson, and Arkansas-born Levon Helm, The Band sparked a new appreciation for America&’s musical roots, fusing R&B, jump blues, country, folk, boogie-woogie, swing, Cajun, New Orleans-style jazz, and rock, and setting the foundations for the Americana that would take hold thirty years later. The Band: Pioneers of Americana Music explores the diverse influences on the quintet&’s music, and the impact that their music had in turn on contemporary music and American society. Through previously unpublished interviews with Robbie Robertson, Eric Andersen, Pete Seeger, and the late Rick Danko, as well as numerous other sources, Craig Harris surveys The Band&’s musical journey from sidemen for, among others, Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan to rock legends in their own right. Touching on the evolution of rock and roll, the electrifying of folk music, unionism, the Civil Rights Movement, changes in radio formatting, shifting perceptions of the American South, and the commercializing of the counterculture, as well as drug dependency, alcoholism, suicide, greed, and the struggle against cancer, Harris takes readers from The Band&’s groundbreaking albums, Music from Big Pink and The Band, through their final releases and solo recordings, as well as their historic appearances at Woodstock, the Isle of Wight Festival (with Dylan), Watkins Glen (with the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead), and the filmed final concert known as the Last Waltz (with an all-star cast). Sixteen previously unpublished photographs, by the author, are included.
The Bandit of the Black Hills
by Max BrandMax Brand’s The Bandit of the Black Hills is a thrilling Western adventure filled with danger, intrigue, and the enduring fight for justice. Set against the rugged and wild backdrop of the Black Hills, this classic tale captures the essence of the frontier, where law and order are fragile and courage is the ultimate currency.The story follows a mysterious outlaw whose reputation as a bandit strikes fear into the hearts of settlers and lawmen alike. But as whispers of his exploits spread, it becomes clear that there’s more to this enigmatic figure than meets the eye. When a determined young hero crosses paths with the infamous bandit, their fates become intertwined in a high-stakes battle against corruption, greed, and betrayal.Brand’s masterful storytelling brings the Black Hills to life, with vivid landscapes and dynamic characters that leap off the page. As the plot unfolds, readers are drawn into a world of secret identities, daring escapes, and unexpected alliances. The novel’s fast-paced action and moments of heartfelt emotion make it a standout in the Western genre.The Bandit of the Black Hills is a testament to Max Brand’s legendary skill as a writer, blending compelling narrative with themes of redemption, loyalty, and the pursuit of justice. Perfect for fans of classic Westerns and timeless tales of heroism, this novel delivers an unforgettable journey into the heart of the American frontier.
The Banished Immortal: A Life of Li Bai (Li Po)
by Ha JinFrom the National Book Award-winning author of Waiting: a narratively driven, deeply human biography of the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai—also known as Li PoIn his own time (701–762), Li Bai's poems—shaped by Daoist thought and characterized by their passion, romance, and lust for life—were never given their proper due by the official literary gatekeepers. Nonetheless, his lines rang out on the lips of court entertainers, tavern singers, soldiers, and writers throughout the Tang dynasty, and his deep desire for a higher, more perfect world gave rise to his nickname, the Banished Immortal. Today, Bai's verses are still taught to China's schoolchildren and recited at parties and toasts; they remain an inextricable part of the Chinese language.With the instincts of a master novelist, Ha Jin draws on a wide range of historical and literary sources to weave the great poet's life story. He follows Bai from his origins on the western frontier to his ramblings travels as a young man, which were filled with filled with striving but also with merry abandon, as he raised cups of wine with friends and fellow poets. Ha Jin also takes us through the poet's later years—in which he became swept up in a military rebellion that altered the course of China's history—and the mysterious circumstances of his death, which are surrounded by legend.The Banished Immortal is an extraordinary portrait of a poet who both transcended his time and was shaped by it, and whose ability to live, love, and mourn without reservation produced some of the most enduring verses.
The Bank Robber's Boy: Born into crime, scarred by violence—one boy's heartbreaking journey.
by Peter NorrisThis is the against-all-odds story of Peter Norris, the son of one of Australia&’s most wanted criminals, and his struggle to escape his father&’s shadow. Born into a life of crime, Peter&’s earliest memories are shaped by the chaos of his father&’s criminal exploits. Torn from home to home and running from heist to heist, his childhood was marked by violence, betrayal, and upheaval. In this compelling memoir, Peter exposes the truth of his turbulent upbringing. As the youngest son of Clarence &“Clarry&” Norris, a notorious bank robber, Peter recounts the powerful love and loyalty that bound him to his father, creating a profound inner struggle between the allure of the underworld and the desire for normalcy. Faced with a heart-wrenching decision at just 12 years old, Peter had to choose between following his father's criminal path or seizing a lifeline. The memoir moves from the underbelly of 1970s Sydney to the outskirts of Melbourne, highlighting a troubling chapter in Australian history when Peter and other innocent children were sent to abusive institutions. Ultimately, Peter rises from the ruins of his troubled past, embarking on a remarkable journey of self-discovery and growth. He defies the odds to become a successful CEO, world-class athlete, and motivational speaker.The Bank Robber&’s Boy is the unfiltered account of innocence on the edge of law and a young boy&’s unyielding determination to overcome his past. &‘Extraordinary, shows how one man can defy his destiny – not despite the odds, but because of them.' &‘A powerful testament to resilience, hope, and one man&’s determination to break free from the shadows of his past.&’
The Banker and the Blackfoot: A Memoir of My Grandfather in Chinook Country
by J. Edward ChamberlinIn his remarkable and entertaining memoir of his beloved grandfather, Ted Chamberlin conjures up vividly the never-before-told story of a particular time and place not long after Canada was founded. And shows us not only what Canada once--briefly--was, but what it still could be.This is the story of when "Sorreltop Jack" was friends with Crop Eared Wolf; of two decades, 1885 to 1905, when the people in the foothills of modern-day Alberta--First Nation and Métis, rancher and settler--respectfully set out to accommodate Blackfoot sovereignty and new settlement, before Canada broke its Treaty promises to the first peoples.It was a colourful, unpredictable time. Fort Macleod was a small ramshackle town nestled in the heart of Blackfoot territory when young Jack Cowdry arrived and met Crop Eared Wolf--the legendary Káínai (Blood) warrior, brilliant horseman and sophisticated strategist, who would soon succeed his father, the great statesman Red Crow, as head chief of the Bloods. Friendship and trust became a bond. Here Jack opened his first bank and fell in love with the author's grandmother, Gussie Thompson, who travelled across the country to work as a teacher, her heart open to whatever adventures life could offer her. The new town embraced it all--Sun Dances and social dances, bibles and medicine bundles, horse races and polo matches, and a wild variety of great characters. Here we meet Madame Kanouse (Natawista), admired for both her influential intelligence and her stunning fashion sense; Kamoose Taylor, hospitable patron of the Macleod Hotel--where Francis Dickens, son of the great novelist Charles, or the Sundance Kid himself might be found at the bar; the taciturn Jerry Potts, unequaled Métis guide and interpreter; John Ware, successful Black rancher;and Peigan chief Big Swan, irreverent co-conspirator with Jack Cowdry on the satirical newspaper The Outlaw.Resonant with the power of storytelling, this compelling memoir illuminates the challenges we face now, and the opportunity we still have to uphold the promise made when Canada was founded.From the Hardcover edition.
The Bar-20 Three
by Clarence E. MulfordA HARD-RIDING, QUICK-SHOOTING ADVENTURE, FEATURING HOPALONG CASSIDYHopalong Cassidy, Red Connors and Johnny nelson rode across the searing inferno of the Staked Plains and challenged Kane—who dominated the country like a colossus.They rode with vengeance in their hearts and with an implacable resolve to wipe Kane and his cohorts out.“Kane,” Johnny said, “you’ve been too big for too long. We’re cutting you down to size—with guns.”Johnny Nelson, Hopalong Cassidy’s young protégé, has finally got hitched, bought into a ranch, and run into rustlers, bank robbers, and thieves with murder on their mind. It is possible Johnny, Hoppy, and Red Conners, three men from the Bar-20, can bring an end to this reign of terror?
The Barack Obama Presidency
by John DavisExploring the 'promise' and 'peril' associated with the opening two years of the presidency of Barack Obama, this book is a comparative look at the various aspects of his presidential strategy including the impact of his legislative agenda, his use of executive power, and the burgeoning disillusionment within the African American community.