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The Secret Public: How Music Moved Queer Culture From the Margins to the Mainstream
by Jon SavageRolling Stone [UK] — Best Music Books of the Year A monumental history of the gay influence on popular culture, from the rise of Little Richard to the collapse of disco in 1979: award-winning author Jon Savage takes us on a fast and captivating journey through the history of pop music as seen through the eyes of queer artists. Jon Savage, the author of the canonical England’s Dreaming, explodes new ground in this electrifying history of pop music from 1955 through 1979. In demonstrating that gay and lesbian artists were responsible for many of the greatest cultural breakthroughs in the last half of the twentieth century, he shows that it was their secretly encoded music—appealing to a closeted but greatly oppressed public—which led to the historic dismantling of discriminatory gay laws and the fusion of queer and straight culture. Fittingly, Savage’s kaleidoscopic work begins with the pomp-and-pompadour appearance of Little Richard, whose relentlessly driving sound, replete with gospel shrieks and sexual contortions, enthralled a generation of 1950s stultified white teenagers. Things soon went mainstream, as Elvis enthralled a nation with his seductive low moans and bump-and-grind twists, heavily derivative of Black music, while James Dean and Rock Hudson became the face of 1950s Hollywood; yet this explosion of queer expression remained covert and could not be accepted for what it was. While music, with supporting roles from cinema and fashion, became the key medium through which homosexuality could be clandestinely enacted, overt expressions of gay behavior were met with arrests and crackdowns. While hippies reveled in 1967’s “Summer of Love,” gays remained “harassed by police, demonized by the media and politicians, imprisoned simply for being who they were.” J. Edgar Hoover, himself a closeted homosexual, continued to spy on homosexual deviants; CBS’s Mike Wallace aired an invidious show about homosexuality; and the New York police continued to raid gay bars. Yet the music itself produced a cultural eruption that simply could not be stanched. While Bette Midler sang “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys” to a Continental Baths audience of 600 gay men, all naked except for towels, David Bowie “blew the whole topic wide open” and “became the most totemic pop star of his generation.” Even though roadblocks remained, the gear-grinding crunch of the music signaled that the gay civil rights movement could no longer be suppressed. Ending the narrative with the sudden collapse of disco, The Secret Public asserts then that the genie was out of the bottle, that queer culture had finally entered the mainstream, producing a transcendent vision of pop culture that could never be marginalized again.
The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France
by Daniel Coyle Tyler Hamilton"The holy grail for disillusioned cycling fans . . . The book's power is in the collective details, all strung together in a story that is told with such clear-eyed conviction that you never doubt its veracity. . . . The Secret Race isn't just a game changer for the Lance Armstrong myth. It's the game ender."--Outside NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDThe Secret Race is the book that rocked the world of professional cycling--and exposed, at long last, the doping culture surrounding the sport and its most iconic rider, Lance Armstrong. Former Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton was once one of the world's top-ranked cyclists--and a member of Lance Armstrong's inner circle. Over the course of two years, New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle conducted more than two hundred hours of interviews with Hamilton and spoke with numerous teammates, rivals, and friends. The result is an explosive page-turner of a book that takes us deep inside a shadowy, fascinating, and surreal world of unscrupulous doctors, anything-goes team directors, and athletes so relentlessly driven to win that they would do almost anything to gain an edge. For the first time, Hamilton recounts his own battle with depression and tells the story of his complicated relationship with Lance Armstrong. This edition features a new Afterword, in which the authors reflect on the developments within the sport, and involving Armstrong, over the past year. The Secret Race is a courageous, groundbreaking act of witness from a man who is as determined to reveal the hard truth about his sport as he once was to win the Tour de France. With a new Afterword by the authors. "Loaded with bombshells and revelations."--VeloNews"[An] often harrowing story . . . the broadest, most accessible look at cycling's drug problems to date."--The New York Times " 'If I cheated, how did I get away with it?' That question, posed to SI by Lance Armstrong five years ago, has never been answered more definitively than it is in Tyler Hamilton's new book."--Sports Illustrated "Explosive."--The Daily Telegraph (London)
The Secret Scripture
by Sebastian BarryRoseanne McNulty, once one of the most beautiful and beguiling girls in County Sligo, Ireland, is now an elderly patient at Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital. As her hundredth year draws near, she decides to record the events of her life, hiding the manuscript beneath the floorboards. Meanwhile, the hospital is preparing to close and is evaluating its patients to determine whether they can return to society. Dr. Grene, Roseanne s caretaker, takes a special interest in her case. In his research, he discovers a document written by a local priest that tells a very different story of Roseanne s life than what she recalls. As doctor and patient attempt to understand each other, they begin to uncover long-buried secrets about themselves. Set against an Ireland besieged by conflict, The Secret Scripture is an epic story of love, betrayal, and unavoidable tragedy.
The Secret Sex Life of a Single Mom
by Delaine Moore"The Secret Life of a Newly Single Mother" is the funny and empowering story of the physical and spiritual self-discovery that results from Moore's sexual awakening--a humorous, thoughtful exploration of what it means to be a mother and a sexual being.
The Secret Six: The True Tale of the Men Who Conspired with John Brown
by Edward J. Renehan Jr.The story of Lincoln's murder.
The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson
by Ann McgovernIn 1778, when Deborah Sampson was 18 years old, most girls her age were settling down and getting married. She wanted to travel and have adventures--even if it meant joining the army and dressing like a man! In 1782 the Revolutionary War was still going on. And no one suspected that the man in the uniform was really a woman.--From back cover
The Secret Subway: The Fascinating Tale of an Amazing Feat of Engineering
by Martin W. SandlerThe Secret Subway is the gripping tale of a man whose vision was years ahead of his time; a man whose dream was crushed by the greed and political jockeying for power that characterized the city in the days of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall.
The Secret War of Julia Child: A Novel
by Diana R. ChambersA People magazine Best Book of Fall!Before she mastered the art of French cooking in midlife, Julia Child found herself working in the secrets trade in Asia during World War II, a journey that will delight both historical fiction fans and lovers of America's most beloved chef, revealing how the war made her into the icon we know now.Single, 6 foot 2, and thirty years old, Julia McWilliams took a job working for America's first espionage agency, years before cooking or Paris entered the picture. The Secret War of Julia Child traces Julia's transformation from ambitious Pasadena blue blood to Washington, DC file clerk, to head of General "Wild Bill" Donovan's secret File Registry as part of the Office of Strategic Services. The wartime journey takes her to South Asia's remote front lines of then-Ceylon, India, and China, where she finds purpose, adventure, self-knowledge – and love with mapmaker Paul Child. The spotlight has rarely shone on this fascinating period of time in the life of ("I'm not a spy") Julia Child, and this lyrical story allows us to explore the unlikely world of a woman in a World War II spy station who has no idea of the impact she'll eventually impart.
The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr: A Riveting Untold Story of the American Revolution
by Susan Holloway ScottInspired by a woman and events forgotten by history, bestselling author Susan Holloway Scott weaves together carefully researched fact and fiction to tell the story of Mary Emmons, and the place she held in the life—and the heart—of the notorious Aaron Burr. He was a hero of the Revolution, a brilliant politician, lawyer, and very nearly president; a skillful survivor in a raw new country filled with constantly shifting loyalties. Today Aaron Burr is remembered more for the fatal duel that killed rival Alexander Hamilton. But long before that single shot destroyed Burr&’s political career, there were other dark whispers about him: that he was untrustworthy, a libertine, a man unafraid of claiming whatever he believed should be his. Sold into slavery as a child in India, Mary Emmons was brought to an America torn by war. Toughened by the experiences of her young life, Mary is intelligent, resourceful, and strong. She quickly gains the trust of her new mistress, Theodosia Prevost, and becomes indispensable in a complicated household filled with intrigue—especially when the now-widowed Theodosia marries Colonel Aaron Burr. As Theodosia sickens with the fatal disease that will finally kill her, Mary and Burr are drawn together into a private world of power and passion, and a secret, tangled union that would have shocked the nation . . . Praise for I, Eliza Hamilton &“Scott&’s devotion to research is evident . . . a rewarding take on a fascinating historical couple.&” —Library Journal &“Readers will be captivated.&” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) &“Packed with political and historical as well as domestic details.&” —Booklist
The Secret Wife of King George IV
by Diane HaegerAlthough it was illegal, secret, and against the express commands of his famously mad father, King George IV of England married twice--once for duty and once for love. While Caroline of Brunswick eventually became his lawful queen, it was the beautiful Maria Fitzherbert, recognized as his wife by the Catholic Church but not by the laws of England, who claimed his heart. In the hands of author Diane Haeger, their relationship becomes a mesmerizing love story, filled with intrigue and passion. The characters and drawing rooms of 18th Century England come alive to create a portrait of the age that is colorful and resonant with historical detail.
The Secret Wife of Louis XIV: Françoise d'Aubigné, Madame de Maintenon
by Veronica BuckleyFrançoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon and secret wife of the Sun King, Louis XIV, was born in a bleak French prison in 1635, her father a condemned traitor and murderer, her mother the warden's seduced daughter. A timely pardon and a hopeful Caribbean colonial venture failed to mend the family's fortunes, and Françoise was reduced to begging in the streets. Yet, armed with beauty, intellect, and shrewd judgment, she was to make her way to the center of power at Versailles, the most opulent and ambitious court in all Europe.At fifteen, she was married off to the forty-two-year-old satirical poet Paul Scarron, a former roué now grievously deformed by rheumatism—"a sort of human Z," as he described himself. Despite his ailments, Scarron presided over the liveliest and most scandalous literary salon in Paris, and Françoise quickly became its most prized ornament.After Scarron's death, she enjoyed a merry widowhood in the fashionable Marais district, in the company of the courtesan Ninon de Lenclos and the King's splendid mistress, Athénaïs de Montespan, who made the young widow governess to her brood of illegitimate children. The appointment transformed Françoise's life, but was fatal to the temperamental Athénaïs herself, with the King soon turning his attentions to the graceful governess. Françoise was raised to the nobility as Madame de Maintenon—and, unofficially, "Madame de Maintenant," the lady of the moment.The acclaimed biographer Veronica Buckley traces the extraordinary story of Françoise's progress from pauper child to salonnière to the compromised position of Louis's secret wife and uncrowned Queen. An absolute ruler, Louis turned away his many other mistresses to live with Françoise only, trusting her as his closest confidante and remaining in love with her for forty years.Sparkling with the irresistible wit of contemporary chroniclers such as Madame de Sévigné, this exactingly researched biography is a pinnacle of the form. In vibrant colors, The Secret Wife of Louis XIV paints a portrait of Europe in an age of violent change, and the Sun King's France in the process of becoming its modern self.
The Secret World of Walter Anderson
by Hester BassTHERE ONCE WAS AN ARTIST who braved storms, mosquitoes, alligators, and more to speak the language of nature in pencil and paint. His name was Walter Anderson. Residents along the Mississippi Gulf Coast thought he was odd, pedaling his rickety bicycle in his rumpled clothes and his ragged hat. They thought it strange that he rowed across twelve miles of open water in a leaky skiff to reach Horn, an uninhabited island swarming with gnats and flies and with no running water or electricity. But Walter didn't care what anybody thought. He spent weeks at a time on Horn Island, his personal paradise, sleeping under his boat, sometimes eating whatever washed ashore. Here was the place he most wanted to be in the world, sketching and painting the natural surroundings and the animals that became his friends. Here Walter Anderson could fully breathe, and here he created some of his most brilliant watercolors, work that he kept hidden during his lifetime. In this beautifully crafted biography, writer Hester Bass and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator E. B. Lewis pay homage to this uncompromising American artist and offer readers a powerful glimpse into the secret world of Walter Anderson.
The Secret Worlds of Stephen Ward: Sex, Scandal and Deadly Secrets in the Profumo Affair
by Anthony Summers Stephen DorrilThe Profumo Affair was the political scandal of the twentieth century. The Tory War Minister, John Profumo, had been sleeping with the teenage Christine Keeler, while at the same time she had been sleeping with a Russian spy. The ensuing investigation revealed a secret world where titled men and prostitutes mixed, of orgies and S&M parties. The revelations rocked the British establishment to its core and lead to the resignation of the Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. And seemingly at the centre of it all was one man, Dr Stephen Ward.Stephen Ward was many things to many people. He was a successful osteopath to an establishment list of clients. He was a part-time artist who had drawn portraits of members of the Royal Family. To some he was a 'provider of popsies to rich people'; a man who knews lots of pretty girls of flexible morals. And finally, when the scandal came crashing down on the government, he was a scapegoat, put on trial and, ultimately, hounded to his death.The Secret Worlds of Stephen Ward is the definitive investigation into the Profumo scandal and the life and mysterious death of the man at its heart.
The Secret Worlds of Stephen Ward: Sex, Scandal, and Deadly Secrets in the Profumo Affair
by Anthony Summers Stephen DorrilA tour de force account of seduction, power, and betrayal in the biggest political sex scandal of its ageThe Profumo Affair rocked the British establishment like no scandal before or since. The Tory war minister, John Profumo, had taken up with a teenager named Christine Keeler, who was also sleeping with a Soviet intelligence agent. The ensuing inquiry revealed a hidden underworld in which men of the ruling classes and politicians cavorted with prostitutes at orgies. The revelations shook the British government and sent shock waves all the way to the Kennedy White House. The man at the center of the storm was Dr. Stephen Ward.Ward was a successful doctor to the rich and powerful, a talented artist who drew portraits of many of his famous patients and fixed up prominent men with young women. He was also a pawn, ruthlessly exploited by the intelligence agencies. When the Profumo Affair threatened the government, Ward became a scapegoat, hounded to death—and perhaps murdered.For the first time, The Secret Worlds of Stephen Ward reveals the names that could not be exposed and the truths that could not be told until now.
The Secret Year of Zara Holt: A richly imagined story of fashion, scandal, betrayal and undying love
by Kimberley FreemanA richly imagined novel of love, fashion, scandal and one captivating woman's passionate life.We wove magic between us with our words, soul to soul, and when the sun cracked the horizon he kissed me goodnight and promised me he'd write as soon as he arrived in London. 'You won't,' I said, feeling the morning cold. 'You'll forget me.' He stood up. 'You'll see,' he said. 'We belong to each other now. Always will.' Melbourne, 1927. The summer flowers smell like Christmas the night Zara Dickins meets Harry Holt. Zara is wearing a dress she has designed and made herself: white organdie over a short black slip, with black embroidery and a crimson taffeta sash. It's party season and the university crowd are celebrating end-of-year exams. Zara loves dancing with the boys and flirting with them, but it's a game to her. Nothing serious. Until Harry.He plans to be a politician once he finishes law. She, a fashion designer, if she can find a way to break out of the secretarial pool. When he takes her hand, she doesn't want to let him go. The spark they ignite that night will last forty years.Portsea, 1967. When Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappears while swimming, his wife Zara loses herself in the memories of their volatile relationship. She always believed Harry when he said no matter what happened, he'd never leave. Their bond has stretched to London, Europe, India, America. It has survived anger, loss and heartbreak, media scrutiny, secrets and lies. But now all Zara wants is for Harry to come home. A vibrant and compelling story inspired by the fascinating life of fashion designer and businesswoman Dame Zara Bate.'Utterly captivating' KATE FORSYTH'Compelling . . . An intimate and immersive memoir-like narrative . . . The Secret Year of Zara Holt will resonate with fans of Bonnie Garmus's Lessons in Chemistry, Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Freeman's previous historical fiction novels' BOOKS+PUBLISHING
The Secret of Golf: The Story of Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus
by Joe PosnanskiFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Joe Posnanski: an intimate, "moving" (Booklist) account of the most remarkable rivalry and friendship in modern golf. "Posnanski demonstrates the ups and down of life and sport to create a work that will resonate with avid golfers and sports fans alike." --Publishers Weekly "Joe Posnanski is a hall of fame writer and this is a must for anyone who cares about either one of these guys or just golf." --Gary Williams of Golf ChannelThe first time they met, at an exhibition match in 1967, Tom Watson was a seventeen-year-old high school student and Jack Nicklaus, at twenty-seven, was already the greatest golfer in the world. Though they shared some similarities--they were both Midwestern boys who had learned how to play golf at their fathers' country clubs--they differed in many ways. Nicklaus played a game of consummate control and precision. Watson hit the ball all over the place. Nicklaus lacked charm and theatrics, and he was thoroughly despised by most golf fans because he had displaced Arnold Palmer as king of the golf world. Watson was one of those Arnold Palmer fans. Yet over the next twenty years their seemingly divergent paths collided as they battled against each other again and again for a place at the top of the sport and drove each other to ever-soaring heights of accomplishment. Spanning from that first match through the "Duel in the Sun" at Turnberry in 1977 to Watson's miraculous near-victory at Turnberry as he approached sixty, and informed by interviews with both players over many years, The Secret of Golf is Joe Posnanski's intimate account of the most remarkable rivalry and (eventual) friendship in modern golf.
The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, And The Discovery Of Dna's Double Helix
by Howard MarkelAn authoritative history of the race to unravel DNA’s structure, by one of our most prominent medical historians. James Watson and Francis Crick’s 1953 discovery of the double helix structure of DNA is the foundation of virtually every advance in our modern understanding of genetics and molecular biology. But how did Watson and Crick do it—and why were they the ones who succeeded? In truth, the discovery of DNA’s structure is the story of five towering minds in pursuit of the advancement of science, and for almost all of them, the prospect of fame and immortality: Watson, Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, and Linus Pauling. Each was fascinating and brilliant, with strong personalities that often clashed. Howard Markel skillfully re-creates the intense intellectual journey, and fraught personal relationships, that ultimately led to a spectacular breakthrough. But it is Rosalind Franklin—fiercely determined, relentless, and an outsider at Cambridge and the University of London in the 1950s, as the lone Jewish woman among young male scientists—who becomes a focal point for Markel. The Secret of Life is a story of genius and perseverance, but also a saga of cronyism, misogyny, anti-Semitism, and misconduct. Drawing on voluminous archival research, including interviews with James Watson and with Franklin’s sister, Jenifer Glynn, Markel provides a fascinating look at how science is done, how reputations are undone, and how history is written, and revised. A vibrant evocation of Cambridge in the 1950s, Markel also provides colorful depictions of Watson and Crick—their competitiveness, idiosyncrasies, and youthful immaturity—and compelling portraits of Wilkins, Pauling, and most cogently, Rosalind Franklin. The Secret of Life is a lively and sweeping narrative of this landmark discovery, one that finally gives the woman at the center of this drama her due.
The Secret of Success Is Not a Secret
by Darcy AndriesThis inspiring collection features the stories of more than 300 people who faced failure or setbacks in their fields before going on to phenomenal success. The persevering individuals profiled include those from a wide range of disciplines, backgrounds, and time periods. From Katherine Hepburn to J.K. Rowling, from Elvis Presley to Michael Jordan, readers will find all the motivation they need to create their own secret to success.
The Secret of the Blue Trunk
by Lise Dion Liedewij Hawke2014 Forest of Reading, White Pine Award — Winner, Nonfiction The true story of how a young Québécois nun ended up a prisoner of war in Buchenwald and how her daughter discovered her secrets. In this true story, Armande Martel, a young nun from Quebec, is arrested by the Germans in 1940 during a stay at her religious order’s mother house in Brittany. She spends the war years in a German concentration camp. After her return to Canada, she leaves the Church, finds the love of her life in Montreal, and adopts Lise Dion. Growing up, Lise is familiar with only a few facts of her mother’s past. It’s when she clears her mother’s small apartment after her death that Lise Dion discovers the key to the blue trunk, which was always locked. This key unlocks the mystery of Armande’s early life, and Lise decides to write The Secret of the Blue Trunk.
The Secret to Happy: How to build resilience, banish self-doubt and live the life you deserve
by Vicky PattisonThe debut self-help book from Vicky Pattison, on how to quash your inner doubts, overcome fear and live a happier life."If there's any woman out there who is feeling like they're going through things on their own, or they're worried that they're not achieving what they should be, or feeling or looking how they should, I want this book to let you know you're not alone."In over a decade on television, Vicky Pattison has had her fair share of ups and downs, from her rise to fame on Geordie Shore to her public break-up with her fiancé, her body confidence issues and debilitating anxiety. In The Secret to Happy, Vicky opens up about her darkest moments and shares the pearls of wisdom and hard-won lessons she's picked up along the way - to overcoming heartbreak, ending toxic relationships and managing her mental health - to help you find inner strength, accept imperfections and be true to yourself.Brave, honest and insightful, with Vicky's trademark Geordie humour, The Secret to Happy is an empowering and uplifting guide to help you find your own kind of happiness, whatever that looks like.
The Secret to Happy: How to build resilience, banish self-doubt and live the life you deserve
by Vicky PattisonThe debut self-help book from Vicky Pattison, on how to quash your inner doubts, overcome fear and live a happier life."If there's any woman out there who is feeling like they're going through things on their own, or they're worried that they're not achieving what they should be, or feeling or looking how they should, I want this book to let you know you're not alone."In over a decade on television, Vicky Pattison has had her fair share of ups and downs, from her rise to fame on Geordie Shore to her public break-up with her fiancé, her body confidence issues and debilitating anxiety. In The Secret to Happy, Vicky opens up about her darkest moments and shares the pearls of wisdom and hard-won lessons she's picked up along the way - to overcoming heartbreak, ending toxic relationships and managing her mental health - to help you find inner strength, accept imperfections and be true to yourself.Brave, honest and insightful, with Vicky's trademark Geordie humour, The Secret to Happy is an empowering and uplifting guide to help you find your own kind of happiness, whatever that looks like.
The Secret to Happy: How to build resilience, banish self-doubt and live the life you deserve
by Vicky PattisonTHE IMMEDIATE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe debut self-help book from Vicky Pattison, on how to quash your inner doubts, overcome fear and live a happier life."If there's any woman out there who is feeling like they're going through things on their own, or they're worried that they're not achieving what they should be, or feeling or looking how they should, I want this book to let you know you're not alone."In over a decade on television, Vicky Pattison has had her fair share of ups and downs, from her rise to fame on Geordie Shore to her public break-up with her fiancé, her body confidence issues and debilitating anxiety. In The Secret to Happy, Vicky opens up about her darkest moments and shares the pearls of wisdom and hard-won lessons she's picked up along the way - to overcoming heartbreak, ending toxic relationships and managing her mental health - to help you find inner strength, accept imperfections and be true to yourself.Brave, honest and insightful, with Vicky's trademark Geordie humour, The Secret to Happy is an empowering and uplifting guide to help you find your own kind of happiness, whatever that looks like.
The Secret to Superhuman Strength
by Alison BechdelThe Best Graphic Book of 2021 by Publishers Weekly | A New York Times Best Graphic Novel of 2021 | A New York Times Notable Book | An Autostraddle Best Queer Book of the Year | A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year | A St. Louis Post Dispatch Best Book of the Year | NPR, 12 Books NPR Staffers Loved | Shelf Awareness Best Books of 2021 From the author of Fun Home, a profoundly affecting graphic memoir of Bechdel's lifelong love affair with exercise, set against a hilarious chronicle of fitness fads in our times Comics and cultural superstar Alison Bechdel delivers a deeply layered story of her fascination, from childhood to adulthood, with every fitness craze to come down the pike: from Jack LaLanne in the 60s ("Outlandish jumpsuit! Cantaloupe-sized guns!") to the existential oddness of present-day spin class. Readers will see their athletic or semi-active pasts flash before their eyes through an ever-evolving panoply of running shoes, bicycles, skis, and sundry other gear. But the more Bechdel tries to improve herself, the more her self appears to be the thing in her way. She turns for enlightenment to Eastern philosophers and literary figures, including Beat writer Jack Kerouac, whose search for self-transcendence in the great outdoors appears in moving conversation with the author&’s own. This gifted artist and not-getting-any-younger exerciser comes to a soulful conclusion. The secret to superhuman strength lies not in six-pack abs, but in something much less clearly defined: facing her own non-transcendent but all-important interdependence with others. A heartrendingly comic chronicle for our times.
The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power
by Kim GhattasThe first inside account to be published about Hillary Clinton's time as secretary of state, anchored by Ghattas's own perspective and her quest to understand America's place in the worldIn November 2008, Hillary Clinton agreed to work for her former rival. As President Barack Obama's secretary of state, she set out to repair America's image around the world—and her own. For the following four years, BBC foreign correspondent Kim Ghattas had unparalleled access to Clinton and her entourage, and she weaves a fast-paced, gripping account of life on the road with Clinton in The Secretary.With the perspective of one who is both an insider and an outsider, Ghattas draws on extensive interviews with Clinton, administration officials, and players in Washington as well as overseas, to paint an intimate and candid portrait of one of the most powerful global politicians. Filled with fresh insights, The Secretary provides a captivating analysis of Clinton's brand of diplomacy and the Obama administration's efforts to redefine American power in the twenty-first century.Populated with a cast of real-life characters, The Secretary tells the story of Clinton's transformation from popular but polarizing politician to America's envoy to the world in compelling detail and with all the tension of high stakes diplomacy. From her evolving relationship with President Obama to the drama of WikiLeaks and the turmoil of the Arab Spring, we see Clinton cheerfully boarding her plane at 3 a.m. after no sleep, reading the riot act to the Chinese, and going through her diplomatic checklist before signing on to war in Libya—all the while trying to restore American leadership in a rapidly changing world.Viewed through Ghattas's vantage point as a half-Dutch, half-Lebanese citizen who grew up in the crossfire of the Lebanese civil war, The Secretary is also the author's own journey as she seeks to answer the questions that haunted her childhood. How powerful is America really? And, if it is in decline, who or what will replace it and what will it mean for America and the world?
The Secrets of Grown-Ups: An Autobiography
by Vera CasparyVera Caspary, the celebrated author of Laura, tells her own story in this captivating autobiography. With a career that spanned from the 1920s through 1970s, one that produced over twenty novels, in addition to her many credits for film and theater, Caspary centered her life around a passion for writing. From her early experiences at an advertisement agency--where she developed a correspondence school and invented its "famed" instructor--to the struggles of being gray-listed in the McCarthy Era, Caspary constantly found a way to turn her creative needs into viable work. Caspary recalls the rest of a full life, too, including her flirtation with communism, travels across Europe, and a marriage. Caspary's skillful writing makes her incredible depictions of people, and the times in which they lived, jump off the page.