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The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House
by Seymour M. HershFrom the introduction: "This book is an account of the foreign policy of the United States, presided over by Henry Kissinger, during Richard Nixon's first term in the White House. It is also an account of the relationship between two men who collaborated on what seemed to be a remarkable series of diplomatic triumphs. These were the years when China was reclaimed by American diplomacy; when a much-praised agreement on strategic arms limitation (SALT) was negotiated with the soviet Union; when a complex dispute in West Berlin was settled; and when American participation in the war in Vietnam, the most crucial issue facing the American presidency, was brought to a dramatic end with the signing of the Paris peace accords in January 1973, three days after Nixon was inaugurated for a second term."
The Price of Principle: Why Integrity Is Worth the Consequences
by Alan DershowitzIn his fiftieth book, The Price of Principle: Why Integrity Is Worth the Consequences, Alan Dershowitz—#1 New York Times bestselling author and one of America&’s most influential legal scholars—explores the implications of the increasing tendency in politics, academia, media, and even the courts of law to punish principle and reward partisan hypocrisy. Alan Dershowitz has been called &“one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America&” by Politico, and &“the nation&’s most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights&” by Newsweek. Yet, he has come under intense criticism for living by his principles and applying his famed &“shoe on the other foot test.&” Price of Principle is about efforts to cancel Alan Dershowitz and his career because he has insisted on sticking to his principles instead of choosing sides in the current culture and political war dividing our country. He explains that principled people are actively punished for not being sufficiently partisan. Principle has become the vice and partisanship the virtue in an age when partisan ends justify unprincipled means, such as denial of due process and free speech in the interest of achieving partisan or ideological goals. Throughout his narrative, Dershowitz focuses on three sets of principles that have guided his life: 1) freedom of expression and conscience; 2) due process, fundamental fairness, and the adversary system of seeking justice; and 3) basic equality and meritocracy. He documents the attacks on him and others like him for being &“guilty&” of refusing to compromise important principles to promote partisanship. He names names and points fingers of accusation at those who have led us down this dangerous road. In the end, Price of Principle represents an icon in the defense of free speech and due process reckoning with the challenges of unprincipled attacks—a new brand of McCarthyism—and insisting that we ask hard questions about our own moral principles.
The Price of Public Intellectuals
by Raphael SassowerThis book provides a historically-informed survey critically outlining sociological, psychological, political, and economic approaches to the role of public intellectuals. Sassower suggests how the state might financially support the essential work of public intellectuals so as to critically engage the public and improve public policies.
The Price of Terror: How the Families of the Victims of Pan Am 103 Brought Libya to Justice
by Allan Gerson Jerry AdlerWhen Libyan agents planted a bomb aboard Pan Am Flight 103, killing 259 people in the air and on the ground, America did not strike back. Instead, the grieving relatives of the victims tried to force Libya to pay for its crime through the legal system. But lawyers told the families that they could never sue Libya -- this would require changing a bedrock principle of international law, a change that every government in the world feared and would fight. Working virtually alone at first, Allan Gerson, a former diplomat and prosecutor of Nazi war criminals, spent the next eight years on the families' quest for Justice. In this high-stakes game of international power politics and legal maneuvering, there were friendships, jobs, and reputations lost, but a precious principle -- that of accountability under the law -- was strengthened and preserved. Now Gerson and his co-author, "Newsweek writer Jerry Adler, follow the threads of this extraordinary tale back to that deadly night over Lockerbie, Scorland -- and forward into a new era of international Justice, when terrorists will learn to fear the righteous retribution of their own victims.
The Price of Valor: The Life of Audie Murphy, America's Most Decorated Hero of World War II
by David A. SmithWhen he was seventeen years old, Audie Murphy falsified his birth records so he could enlist in the Army and help defeat the Nazis. When he was nineteen, he single-handedly turned back the German Army at the Battle of Colmar Pocket by climbing on top of a tank with a machine gun, a moment immortalized in the classic film To Hell and Back, starring Audie himself. In the first biography covering his entire life--including his severe PTSD and his tragic death at age 45--the unusual story of Audie Murphy, the most decorated hero of WWII, is brought to life for a new generation.
The Price of Water in Finistère
by Bodil Malmsten'In the same way as there's a partner for every person, there's a place. All you have to do is find the one that's yours among the billions that belong to someone else, you have to be awake, you have to choose.' With this conviction in mind, acclaimed Swedish writer Bodil Malmsten abandons her native country at the age of fifty-five and settles in Brittany. At the heart of this memoir is the conviction that the happiness to be found in Finistère will not allow itself to be, cannot be, expressed in writing. Embroidered around this seeming paradox are poignant, outraged and thought-provoking observations on the widest range of subjects: how not to buy plants, the elicit pleasures of bargain-hunting, the misery of writer's block, social democracy, racism, tulipomania, the stubbornness of bank managers, the controlling of moles and slugs, death, political hypocrisy, the delights of wild weather. Malmsten's passion and humour shine through every episode she describes, however minor, offering the reader a window onto a solitary life at once touching, thought-provoking and, occasionally, hilarious.
The Price: My Rise and Fall as Natalia, New York's #1 Escort
by Natalie McLennanIn the first part of the 21st century, Natalie McLennan was making thousands of dollars an hour—as one of the highest paid call girls in New York City. Working for New York Confidential escort service, the Montreal-born woman—working under the name “Natalia”—made headlines when she was profiled in a 2005 issue of New York magazine. In this darkly funny and surprisingly poignant memoir, McLennan tells her full story for the first time. A cautionary tale about a bright, confident young woman who sells her future for easy money and glamour, The Price takes readers inside the world of the twenty-five-year-old girl that one publication labeled "The $2,000-An-Hour Hooker."
The Price: What It Takes to Win in College Football's Era of Chaos
by Armen Keteyian John TaltyTwo of the nation’s most respected sports journalists team up for a vital, hard-hitting investigation into the tumultuous state of big-time college football. We are living in the Wild West of college sports. Name, Image and Likeness endorsements, the transfer portal, collectives, conference realignment, the powerful influence of media companies have all rendered the notion of amateur athletics a quaint relic of the past, replaced by a Brave New World where money and self-interest rule.The Price is a sweeping, in-depth, thought-provoking look at an inflection point in big-time college football. Six time New York Times bestselling author Armen Keteyian and award-winning national college football reporter John Talty conducted more than two hundred wide-ranging interviews with head coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners, administrators, politicians, power brokers, agents and media executives from one corner of the sport to the other. They reveal never-before-reported details on major players such as Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, Kirby Smart, Jimbo Fisher, and Lane Kiffin. Keteyian and Talty’s reporting also lays bare the machinations that destroyed the historic conference that was the Pac-12, purely in the name of greed.As the sport’s premier coaches race for the exits, Keteyian and Talty reveal deep, dark truths about a beloved game under siege—and the financial, physical, emotional and psychological toll taken on everyone whose dreams and fortunes often depend on the final score on a Saturday afternoon.
The Pride of a Lion: What the Animal Kingdom Can Teach Us About Survival, Fear and Family
by Greg Cote Ron MagillThe Indomitable Spirit of K’wasi the Lion Cub May Forever Change Your Perspective on Life“To millions of people in Miami and beyond, Ron Magill is the face and voice of all things’ wildlife.” ─Mireya Mayor, PhD and National Geographic ExplorerEditors' Pick#1 Best Seller in Biology of Cats, Lions & TigersDiscover the true and incredible survival story of K’wasi, the lion cub who overcame unimaginable odds Magnificently documented by wildlife expert Ron Magill. K’wasi’s story is told by world renowned wildlife photographer and Zoo Miami’s “Goodwill Ambassador”, Ron Magill who documented and photographed every stage of K’wasi’s remarkable roller coaster life. Join Ron and his half-a-century career as he helps us all understand the life lessons the animal kingdom has for us.A survival story of grit and resilience. The story of K’wasi the lion cub is one of heartbreak and triumph. He was born to Asha at Zoo Miami in late 2013 and captured the heart of the nation as an incredibly cute lion cub. K’wasi was orphaned in March 2014 when his mother tragically died. K’wasi’s remarkable journey takes him from the untimely death of his mother to magnificent star of Lion Country Safari.Animals have feelings too. Society has only recently accepted the incredible emotional intelligence of dogs, pigs, and chimpanzees. But through K’wasi’s remarkable story, Ron Magill details how evolved the animal kingdom truly is—lions in particular. Funny, engaging, touching, and thrilling, The Pride of a Lion teaches us about family, resilience, and the meaning of life.Inside find:Gripping accounts of K'wasi's triumphs against extreme adversityRon Magill's stunning wildlife photography capturing K'wasi's remarkable lifeProfound insights into the emotional intelligence and complex social dynamics of the lion kingdomA fan of The Lion King, or liked The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life, The Soul of an Octopus, or The Good Good Pig? Then you'll love The Pride of a Lion.
The Prime Ministers: 55 Leaders, 55 Authors, 300 Years of History
by Iain DaleA Times Political Book of the Year''An entertaining, thorough and informative canter through the characters and stories of prime ministers past.'' - New Statesman ''A wealth of enjoyable insights into three centuries of Westminster politics... It is a most elegant hardback volume, with a gilded cover that looks a little like the famous front door of No. 10 itself; the ideal Christmas gift.'' - Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman''This is a timely study of UK Prime Ministers and Iain Dale has done the subject a great service with this measured and thoughtful labour of love which offers a fascinating set of insights into the history of Britain, politics, the role of Prime Minister, and elite and establishment power... a superb guide to the times we have lived through and are living in.'' - Gerry Hassan, Scottish Review***''Many of my predecessors were giants, some had feet of clay, all possessed human foibles.'' - From the foreword by Boris JohnsonIt has almost been 300 years since Sir Robert Walpole arguably became the first holder of the office of Prime Minister in 1721 - an office which today is under scrutiny like never before. The Prime Ministers, edited by leading political commentator Iain Dale, brings to life all 55 of Britain''s ''First Among Equals'' with an essay for each office holder, written by key figures in British politics. From the obscure 18th-century figures like the Earl of Shelburne to 20th-century titans like Churchill and Thatcher, this book provides a much-needed reminder about their motivations, failures and achievements.
The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership
by Yehuda AvnerYehuda Avner left England and arrived in Palestine in 1947, just weeks before the UN passed a resolution that led to the creation of the State of Israel. An active participant in the dramatic birth of the Jewish state, he went on to serve as Speechwriter and English-Language Secretary to Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir, and Personal Advisor to Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin. From these vantage points, Avner came to know like no one else-- the inner workings of the Prime Minister's Office and four of its key officeholders. The Prime Ministers describes the personal characters of Israel's political leaders in intimate detail, re-enacts their responses to acute situations of war and terror, and unfolds their relationships with world leaders, including US Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Carter, and Reagan, US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat. Based on personal notes, transcripts and correspondence some of which have never before been brought to light The Prime Ministers offers close-up portraits of four remarkable leaders who secured the future of the Jewish state. Includes an index and more than 100 historic photographs and reproduced documents.
The Prime Ministers: Winner of the PARLIAMENTARY BOOK AWARDS 2020
by Iain Dale55 profiles by 55 different writers, politicians, journalists and academics of every prime minister there's ever been, from Robert Walpole to Boris Johnson, compiled by Iain Dale.It has almost been 300 years since Sir Robert Walpole arguably became the first holder of the office of Prime Minister in 1721 - an office which today is under scrutiny like never before. The Prime Ministers, edited by leading political commentator Iain Dale, brings to life all 55 of Britain's 'First Among Equals' with an essay for each office holder, written by key figures in British politics. From the obscure 18th-century figures like the Earl of Shelburne to 20th-century titans like Churchill and Thatcher, this book provides a much-needed reminder about their motivations, failures and achievements.(P) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
The Prime Ministers: Winner of the PARLIAMENTARY BOOK AWARDS 2020
by Iain Dale**Winner of the 2020 PARLIAMENTARY BOOK AWARDS for Best Political Book by a Non-Parliamentarian**A Times Political Book of the Year'An entertaining, thorough and informative canter through the characters and stories of prime ministers past.' - New Statesman 'A wealth of enjoyable insights into three centuries of Westminster politics... It is a most elegant hardback volume, with a gilded cover that looks a little like the famous front door of No. 10 itself; the ideal Christmas gift.' - Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman'This is a timely study of UK Prime Ministers and Iain Dale has done the subject a great service with this measured and thoughtful labour of love which offers a fascinating set of insights into the history of Britain, politics, the role of Prime Minister, and elite and establishment power... a superb guide to the times we have lived through and are living in.' - Gerry Hassan, Scottish Review***'Many of my predecessors were giants, some had feet of clay, all possessed human foibles.' - From the foreword by Boris JohnsonIt has almost been 300 years since Sir Robert Walpole arguably became the first holder of the office of Prime Minister in 1721 - an office which today is under scrutiny like never before. The Prime Ministers, edited by leading political commentator Iain Dale, brings to life all 55 of Britain's 'First Among Equals' with an essay for each office holder, written by key figures in British politics. From the obscure 18th-century figures like the Earl of Shelburne to 20th-century titans like Churchill and Thatcher, this book provides a much-needed reminder about their motivations, failures and achievements.
The Prince
by Regina Barreca Niccolò Machiavelli Christian GaussThe Classic Analysis of Statesmanship and Power: After a lifetime of winning and losing at the game of politics, Florentine nobleman Machiavelli set down its ageless rules and moves in this highly readable treatise. Witty, informative, and devilishly shrewd, it has long been required reading for everyone interested in politics and power.
The Prince
by Stephen MaherThe first comprehensive biography of Justin Trudeau as prime minister—an honest, compelling story of his government&’s triumphs and failures, based on interviews with over 200 insiders and Trudeau himself.As one of the longest-surviving prime ministers and son of the legendary Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Justin Trudeau is near royalty in Canada. But how did this former high school teacher with no noteworthy accomplishments put together a team that managed to take over the Liberal Party and bring it from third place to a majority government in 2015? The Prince shows just that. In this first comprehensive history of the Justin Trudeau government, veteran journalist Stephen Maher takes readers behind the scenes of a tumultuous decade of Canadian politics. Through hundreds of interviews with political insiders, he describes how Trudeau—a Canadian prince—had the famous name, the political instincts, the work ethic, and the confidence to overcome errors in judgment and build a global brand, winning in the boxing ring and on the debate stage. And then things changed as key people left the Trudeau team and the government lost direction. Trudeau is an enigmatic figure—a politician who has been in the public eye since childhood and seeks attention but has always concealed his actual feelings from those around him. He has shown admirable strength and skill, deftly handling Donald Trump in trade deals and international meetings and in leading Canada through the COVID-19 pandemic. He has delivered substantial results for people within his political coalition—the most successful attack on poverty in a generation, real progress on climate change, and a sustained application of money and political capital to Indigenous reconciliation. Even as the government overcame major challenges, however, errors in judgment and personality conflicts wasted political capital. Trudeau has struggled to manage his own office, with devastating consequences, and alienated people outside his coalition, to the point where he can&’t hold a public event without protesters screaming curses at him. The Prince takes readers behind the curtain as the government goes from triumph to embarrassment and back again, revealing the people, the conflicts, and the struggles both in the government and on the opposition benches. Above all, it traces why this ambitious government led by a global media darling is now so unpopular it is in danger of imminent collapse.
The Prince in the Heather
by Eric LinklaterThis is an account, by a world-famous Scottish author, of the greatest manhunt in history. The time is August, 1746: the quarry none other than Bonnie Prince Charlie, fleeing for his life after the disastrous battle of Culloden, the last pitched battle to be fought on British soil. The story, told almost day by day and using journals and other contemporary sources, is one of superb bravery, cold treachery, desperate moonlight escapes, hiding out in caves and pig-styes with the most meagre of supplies, and of the love and devotion of a few faithful Highlanders who gladly offered up their lives for the Prince from over the water. Here is the most spell-binding book about Scotland ever published. It is fact filled and suspenseful but always interesting. Here is Bonnie Prince Charlie at his best, braving deprivation, foul weather, and long marches in bare feet. He relies on help from the poorest to the most aristocratic Scotsmen. Dressed in sodden rags or disguised as a serving man, even a servant woman, his wit, highest nobility, Christian faith, innate kindness and ability to inspire and charm, remain in tact. This is Scotland at its wild, proud, best.
The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington
by Robert D. NovakLong before Robert Novak became the center of a political firestorm in the Valerie Plame CIA leak scandal, he had established himself as one of the finest--and most controversial--political reporters in America. Now, in this sweeping, monumental memoir, Novak offers the first full account of his involvement in that affair, while also revealing the fascinating story of his remarkable life and career. This is a singular journey through a half century of stories, scandals, and personal encounters with Washington's most powerful and colorful people. Novak has been a Washington insider since the days when the place was a sleepy southern town and journalism was built on shoe leather and the ability to cultivate and keep sources (not to mention the ability to hold one's liquor). He has covered every president since Truman, known (personally and professionally) virtually all the big movers and shakers in D. C. , and broken a number of the biggest stories--the Plame story, we see here, being far from the most important. In this book, he puts it all into perspective. He also reveals the extraordinary transformations that have fundamentally remade Washington, politics, and journalism--and his own role in those transformations. Moving beyond the "first draft of history" that is daily journalism, Novak can at last tell the stories behind the stories. He vividly recalls encounters with the Kennedys (angry meetings with Bobby, a scary ride home in Jack's convertible), his unusual relationship with Lyndon Johnson (who hosted Novak's wedding reception and who, "drunk as a loon," had to be carried out of a bar by the young newsman), a decidedly odd off-the-record lunch with Ronald Reagan, and his first meetings with George W. Bush--at which the veteran journalist seriously underestimated the future president. We meet other fascinating characters as well, from Deng Xiaoping to Ted Turner to Ezra Pound. Writing with bracing candor, Novak tells us how politics and journalism truly operate at the highest levels, both publicly and behind closed doors. He is equally open about his private experience. He writes frankly about the days when his drinking reflected too closely the boozy ways of the town. He acknowledges times when his job took precedence over his family. He is reflective about his political journey to the right. And he writes more personally than ever before about his spiritual journey, from his early life as a secular Jew to his conversion to Catholicism at the age of sixty-seven. Packed with riveting, never-before-told stories, The Prince of Darkness is a hugely entertaining and equally perceptive view of fifty years in the life of Washington and the people who cover it. From the Hardcover edition.
The Prince of Frogtown
by Rick BraggIn this final volume of the beloved American saga that began withAll Over but the Shoutin’and continued withAva’s Man,Rick Bragg closes his circle of family stories with an unforgettable tale about fathers and sons inspired by his own relationship with his ten-year-old stepson. He learns, right from the start, that a man who chases a woman with a child is like a dog who chases a car and wins. He discovers that he is unsuited to fatherhood, unsuited to fathering this boy in particular, a boy who does not know how to throw a punch and doesn’t need to; a boy accustomed to love and affection rather than violence and neglect; in short, a boy wholly unlike the child Rick once was, and who longs for a relationship with Rick that Rick hasn’t the first inkling of how to embark on. With the weight of this new boy tugging at his clothes, Rick sets out to understand his father, his son, and himself. The Prince of Frogtowndocuments a mesmerizing journey back in time to the lush Alabama landscape of Rick’s youth, to Jacksonville’s one-hundred-year-old mill, the town’s blight and salvation; and to a troubled, charismatic hustler coming of age in its shadow, Rick’s father, a man bound to bring harm even to those he truly loves. And the book documents the unexpected corollary to it, the marvelous journey of Rick’s later life: a journey into fatherhood, and toward a child for whom he comes to feel a devotion that staggers him. With candor, insight, tremendous humor, and the remarkable gift for descriptive storytelling on which he made his name, Rick Bragg delivers a brilliant and moving rumination on the lives of boys and men, a poignant reflection on what it means to be a father and a son. From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood
by Richard BlancoIn this coming-of-age memoir, the poet recounts his youth in a family of Cuban exiles, searching for his poetic voice and the courage to accept himself.A poignant, hilarious, and inspiring memoir from the first Latino and openly gay presidential inaugural poet in US history, which explores his coming-of-age as the child of Cuban immigrants and his attempts to understand his place in America while grappling with his burgeoning artistic and sexual identities.Richard Blanco’s childhood and adolescence were experienced between two imaginary worlds: his parents’ nostalgic world of 1950s Cuba and his imagined America, the country he saw on reruns of The Brady Bunch and Leave it to Beaver—an “exotic” life he yearned for as much as he yearned to see “la patria.”A prismatic and lyrical narrative rich with the colors, sounds, smells, and textures of Miami, Richard Blanco’s personal narrative is a resonant account of how he discovered his authentic self and ultimately, a deeper understanding of what it means to be American. His is a singular yet universal story that beautifully illuminates the experience of “becoming;” how we are shaped by experiences, memories, and our complex stories: the humor, love, yearning, and tenderness that define a life. “Forged from truth and grace, Blanco has crafted a deeply compelling and moving memoir about place, self, and family.” —Augusten Burroughs, author of This Is How and Running with Scissors“Thank you, Richard, for this. The Prince of los Cocuyos is revelation and homecoming.” —Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street“Blanco has a natural, unforced style that allows his characters’ vibrancy and humor to shine through.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The Prince of Preachers: Charles Spurgeon
by Christian Timothy GeorgeCharles Spurgeon was a simple country lad who went on to become one of the best known preachers in London, Europe and the world. Caught in a snowstorm one day when he was a teenager, he crept into the back of a church and the words "Look unto Jesus and be saved!" changed his whole life. Charles spoke words that touched the hearts of rich and poor alike. His fame became so widespread that it is reputed that even Queen Victoria went to hear one of his sermons. Charles was more concerned about the King of Kings - Jesus Christ.
The Prince of Providence
by Mike StantonCOP: "Buddy, I think this is a whorehouse."BUDDY CIANCI: "Now I know why they made you a detective."Welcome to Providence, Rhode Island, where corruption is entertainment and Mayor Buddy Cianci presided over the longest-running lounge act in American politics. In The Prince of Providence, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mike Stanton tells a classic story of wiseguys, feds, and politicians on a carousel of crime and redemption.Buddy Cianci was part urban visionary, part Tony Soprano--a flawed political genius in the mold of Huey Long and James Michael Curley. His lust for power cost him his marriage, his family, and close friendships. Yet he also revitalized the city of Providence, where ethnic factions jostle with old-moneyed New Englanders and black-clad artists from the Rhode Island School of Design rub shoulders with scam artists from City Hall. For nearly a quarter of a century, Cianci dominated this uneasy melting pot. During his first administration, twenty-two political insiders were convicted of corruption. In 1984, Cianci resigned after pleading guilty to felony assault, for torturing a man he suspected of sleeping with his estranged wife. In 1990, in a remarkable comeback, Cianci was elected mayor once again; he went on to win national acclaim for transforming a dying industrial city into a trendy arts and tourism mecca.But in 2001, a federal corruption probe dubbed Operation Plunder Dome threatened to bring the curtain down on Cianci once and for all. Mike Stanton takes readers on a remarkable journey through the underside of city life, into the bizarre world of the mayor and his supporting cast, including:* "Buckles" Melise, the city official in charge of vermin control, who bought Providence twice as much rat poison as the city of Cleveland, which was at the time four times as large, and wound up increasing Providence's rat population. During a garbage strike, Buckles sledgehammered one city employee and stuck his thumb in another's eye. Cianci would later describe this as "great public policy."* Anthony "the Saint" St. Laurent, a major Rhode Island bookmaker and loan shark, who tried to avoid prison by citing his medical need for forty bowel irrigations a day, thus earning himself the nickname "Public Enema Number One."* Dennis Aiken, a celebrated FBI agent and public corruption expert, who asked to be sent to "the Louisiana of the North," where he enlisted an undercover businessman to expose the corrupt secrets of Cianci's City Hall.The Prince of Providence is a colorful and engrossing account of one of the most tragicomic figures in modern American life--and the city he transformed.From the Hardcover edition.
The Prince of Providence
by Mike Stanton<P>COP: "Buddy, I think this is a whorehouse." <P>BUDDY CIANCI: "Now I know why they made you a detective." <P>Welcome to Providence, Rhode Island, where corruption is entertainment and Mayor Buddy Cianci presided over the longest-running lounge act in American politics. <P>In The Prince of Providence, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mike Stanton tells a classic story of wiseguys, feds, and politicians on a carousel of crime and redemption. <P>Buddy Cianci was part urban visionary, part Tony Soprano--a flawed political genius in the mold of Huey Long and James Michael Curley. His lust for power cost him his marriage, his family, and close friendships. <P>Yet he also revitalized the city of Providence, where ethnic factions jostle with old-moneyed New Englanders and black-clad artists from the Rhode Island School of Design rub shoulders with scam artists from City Hall. <P>For nearly a quarter of a century, Cianci dominated this uneasy melting pot. During his first administration, twenty-two political insiders were convicted of corruption. <P> In 1984, Cianci resigned after pleading guilty to felony assault, for torturing a man he suspected of sleeping with his estranged wife. <P>In 1990, in a remarkable comeback, Cianci was elected mayor once again; he went on to win national acclaim for transforming a dying industrial city into a trendy arts and tourism mecca. <P>But in 2001, a federal corruption probe dubbed Operation Plunder Dome threatened to bring the curtain down on Cianci once and for all. Mike Stanton takes readers on a remarkable journey through the underside of city life, into the bizarre world of the mayor and his supporting cast, including: <P>* "Buckles" Melise, the city official in charge of vermin control, who bought Providence twice as much rat poison as the city of Cleveland, which was at the time four times as large, and wound up increasing Providence's rat population. During a garbage strike, Buckles sledgehammered one city employee and stuck his thumb in another's eye. Cianci would later describe this as "great public policy." <P>* Anthony "the Saint" St. Laurent, a major Rhode Island bookmaker and loan shark, who tried to avoid prison by citing his medical need for forty bowel irrigations a day, thus earning himself the nickname "Public Enema Number One." <P>* Dennis Aiken, a celebrated FBI agent and public corruption expert, who asked to be sent to "the Louisiana of the North," where he enlisted an undercover businessman to expose the corrupt secrets of Cianci's City Hall. <P>The Prince of Providence is a colorful and engrossing account of one of the most tragicomic figures in modern American life--and the city he transformed.
The Prince of Providence: The Life and Times of Buddy Cianci
by Mike StantonA classic story of wiseguys, feds, and politicians on a carousel of crime and redemption. Buddy Cianci was part urban visionary, part Tony Soprano -- a flawed political genius in the mold of Huey Long and James Michael Curley. His lust for power cost him his marriage, his family, and close friendships. Yet he also revitalized the city of Providence, where ethnic factions jostle with old-moneyed New Englanders, and black-clad artists from the Rhode Island School of Design rub shoulders with scam artists from City Hall.
The Prince of Tennessee: The Rise of Al Gore
by David Maraniss Ellen Y. NakashimaIn The Prince of Tennessee, David Maraniss and Ellen Nakashima explore in rich detail the forces that have shaped Al Gore's life, and the ways that his past offers clues to what kind of president he would be. The Gore who comes to life in these pages is an intelligent and competent man, struggling with self-doubt and insecurity that explain his bureaucratic obsession with fact and his tendency to exaggerate his accomplishments. Gore's path to power, at first glance, seems straight and narrow. While Bill Clinton's rise is a story of obstacles overcome, Gore's ascendance seems the opposite: the son of political aristocracy reared by loving and demanding parents who groomed him as a princeling to reach the top. But his life was shaped by as much duality as Clinton's. As a child Gore was shuffled back and forth from political Washington to rural Tennessee, his ancestral homeland. The contrast reflects a larger tension between what others expected of Gore and what he wanted to do. Here was the quintessential good son whom his classmates teased as the wooden Apollo. He would occasionally try to rebel but inevitably be yanked back by the burden of expectations and his own insecurity. His first ambition was to be a novelist, but his friends at Harvard saw him as a royal figure for whom a political career was unavoidable. He opposed the war in Vietnam, yet enlisted in the army anyway, out of an obligation to shield his father, the antiwar senator. When he eventually turned to politics Gore brought with him competing impulses: the cautious political moderate with an occasional tendency toward uncommon boldness, the awkward public figure who in private can be a raucous storyteller, the loyal son and vice president who wants to be considered on his own terms, the reluctant politician who burns with a desire to fulfill his parents' dream and become president.
The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq
by Rory StewartAn adventurous diplomat&’s &“engrossing and often darkly humorous&” memoir of working with Iraqis after the fall of Saddam Hussein(Publishers Weekly). In August 2003, at the age of thirty, Rory Stewart took a taxi from Jordan to Baghdad. A Farsi-speaking British diplomat who had recently completed an epic walk from Turkey to Bangladesh, he was soon appointed deputy governor of Amarah and then Nasiriyah, provinces in the remote, impoverished marsh regions of southern Iraq. He spent the next eleven months negotiating hostage releases, holding elections, and splicing together some semblance of an infrastructure for a population of millions teetering on the brink of civil war. The Prince of the Marshes tells the story of Stewart&’s year. As a participant he takes us inside the occupation and beyond the Green Zone, introducing us to a colorful cast of Iraqis and revealing the complexity and fragility of a society we struggle to understand. By turns funny and harrowing, moving and incisive, it amounts to a unique portrait of heroism and the tragedy that intervention inevitably courts in the modern age.