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The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas
by William J. BennettFormer secretary of education and New York Times bestselling author William Bennett blends his historical expertise with his gift for storytelling into a heartwarming book about the man who ultimately became known as Santa Claus.Beloved writer and speaker William Bennett brings the legendary Saint Nicholas to life in this fascinating and faith-affirming book that will change the way you think about Santa Claus and the meaning of Christmas. Bennett reflects on Saint Nicholas&’s storied life, which has spanned seventeen centuries across Europe, Asia, and Africa, and reveals an inspiring tale of devotion to God and an example of eternal goodness. The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas focuses on three aspects of Saint Nicholas—historical facts from his life, his legacy in the centuries following his death, and the legendary status that transformed his likeness into the present-day jolly, toy-bearing Santa Claus. The book vividly captures the heart and life of someone who lived long ago—and yet whose life remains an inspiration for everyone to aspire to a higher order of generosity, giving, and devotion to others. An instant classic by one of America&’s most respected thinkers, The True Saint Nicholas is a memorable keepsake to be shared with family and friends every year to evoke the true spirit of Christmas.
The True Story of J.Edgar Hoover and the FBI
by Barry DenenbergA biography of the former chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, focusing on the FBI's impact on the major law enforcement issues of the 1920s through the early 1970s.
The True Story of Noah's Ark
by Tom DooleyBased on the account of Noah's ark recorded in Genesis 6-9, tells the story of how God asked Noah to build an ark to save Noah's family and representative animals from the flood.
The True Story of Notorious Arizona Outlaw Augustine Chacón (True Crime)
by David GrasséBy the time he was hanged in 1903, Augustine Chacón had become the most notorious Mexican outlaw in the Arizona Territory. His alleged crimes had made him a virtual legend, but the facts show that Chacón wasn't the bloodthirsty fiend he was made out to be. Journalists of the era chased sensationalist stories, pandering to a readership that longed for excitement. Each retelling of Chacón's exploits added outlandish details, painting the escaped prisoner as a brutal gunman responsible for as many as fifty-two murders. In reality, Augustine Chacón may not even have killed the man he was hanged for shooting. Join author David Grassé as he uncovers the true story of Arizona's most enduring criminal legend.
The True Story of Vanilla: How Edmond Albius Made History (Orca Biography)
by Ann RichardsIn 1841, a 12-year-old enslaved boy, Edmond Albius, made history when he discovered how to hand-pollinate vanilla plants using a bamboo twig. Until that time, only bees in Mexico could pollinate the plant—botanists couldn’t figure out another way. With his master, Edmond travelled around Réunion Island to share his technique, le geste d’Edmonde (Edmond’s gesture), which is still in use today. Despite his important achievement, as an enslaved person Edmond didn’t receive payment or recognition for his contribution to science, eventually dying in poverty after being freed from slavery in 1848. Today it is recognized that Edmond’s method of pollination was key to bringing vanilla to the world, helped to create a billion-dollar industry and gave us the flavor we love to use in cooking, baking, medicine and, of course, ice cream. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
The True Story of the Great Escape: Stalag Luft III, March 1944
by Simon Pearson Jonathan F. VanceThe real history behind the classic war movie and the men who plotted the daring escape from a Nazi POW camp. Between dusk and dawn on the night of March 24th–25th 1944, a small army of Allied soldiers crawled through tunnels in Germany in a covert operation the likes of which the Third Reich had never seen. The prison break from Stalag Luft III in eastern Germany was the largest of its kind in the Second World War. Seventy-nine Allied soldiers and airmen made it outside the wire—but only three made it outside Nazi Germany. Fifty were executed by the Gestapo. In this book Jonathan Vance tells the incredible story that was made famous by the 1963 film The Great Escape. It is a classic tale of prisoners and their wardens in a battle of wits and wills. The brilliantly conceived escape plan is overshadowed only by the colorful, daring (and sometimes very funny) crew who executed it—literally under the noses of German guards. From the men&’s first days in Stalag Luft III and the forming of bonds among them, to the tunnel building, amazing escape, and eventual capture, Vance&’s history is a vivid, compelling look at one of the greatest &“exfiltration&” missions of all time. &“Shows the variety and depth of the men sent into harm&’s way during World War II, something emphasized by the population of Stalag Luft III. Most of the Allied POWs were flyers, with all the technical, tactical and planning skills that profession requires. Such men are independent thinkers, craving open air and wide-open spaces, which meant that an obsession with escape was almost inevitable.&” —John D. Gresham
The True Story of the Great Escape: Stalag Luft III, March 1944
by Simon Pearson Jonathan F. VanceThe real history behind the classic war movie and the men who plotted the daring escape from a Nazi POW camp. Between dusk and dawn on the night of March 24th–25th 1944, a small army of Allied soldiers crawled through tunnels in Germany in a covert operation the likes of which the Third Reich had never seen. The prison break from Stalag Luft III in eastern Germany was the largest of its kind in the Second World War. Seventy-nine Allied soldiers and airmen made it outside the wire—but only three made it outside Nazi Germany. Fifty were executed by the Gestapo. In this book Jonathan Vance tells the incredible story that was made famous by the 1963 film The Great Escape. It is a classic tale of prisoners and their wardens in a battle of wits and wills. The brilliantly conceived escape plan is overshadowed only by the colorful, daring (and sometimes very funny) crew who executed it—literally under the noses of German guards. From the men&’s first days in Stalag Luft III and the forming of bonds among them, to the tunnel building, amazing escape, and eventual capture, Vance&’s history is a vivid, compelling look at one of the greatest &“exfiltration&” missions of all time. &“Shows the variety and depth of the men sent into harm&’s way during World War II, something emphasized by the population of Stalag Luft III. Most of the Allied POWs were flyers, with all the technical, tactical and planning skills that profession requires. Such men are independent thinkers, craving open air and wide-open spaces, which meant that an obsession with escape was almost inevitable.&” —John D. Gresham
The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward's Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump
by Bob Woodward&“An uncharacteristic warning from one of the most respected, non-partisan journalists in the world&” —Jake Tapper, CNN &“It was riveting. I couldn&’t get enough of it.&” —Gayle King, CBS MorningsThe Trump Tapes explodes with the exclusive, inside story of Trump&’s performance as president—in his own words as he is questioned, even interrogated by Woodward, on the president&’s key responsibilities from managing foreign relations to crisis management of the coronavirus pandemic. This is the job Trump seeks again. How did he do the first time? This is the authentic answer, laying bare his repeated failures, obsessions, and grievances. The Woodward interviews take a reader to a reporter&’s laboratory meticulously examining the Trump presidency like never before—spellbinding and devastating. *Including all 27 letters between President Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un
The Trump White House: Changing the Rules of the Game
by Ronald KesslerThe unvarnished and unbiased inside story of President Donald Trump and his White House by New York Times bestselling author Ronald Kessler Based on exclusive interviews with the president and his staff, The Trump White House: Changing the Rules of the Game tells the real story of what Donald Trump is like, who influences him, how he makes decisions, what he says about the people around him, and how he operates when the television lights go off, while portraying the inside story of the successes that have already brought solid results as well as the stumbles that have turned off even longtime supporters and undercut his agenda.The Trump White House reveals: • Trump aides Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have been responsible for Trump’s most disastrous decisions. Trump is aware that his daughter and son-in-law are problems and has hinted to them that they should go back to New York. Seeing Jared on TV, Trump said, “Look at Jared, he looks like a little boy, like a child.” • First Lady Melania Trump has a tremendous impact on policy and strategy. She sits in on meetings and is widely admired by aides for her judgment. • Kellyanne Conway is the No. 1 White House leaker. • Trump’s Secret Service Director Randolph “Tex” Alles proposed withdrawing protection from some Trump family members and aides to save money. Horrified White House staffers shot down the idea. • Trump has told friends that billionaires are constantly asking him to fix them up with longtime Communications Director Hope Hicks, a former model, but he says he refuses. • Trump calls certain reporters directly, feeding them stories attributed to “a senior White House official,” creating the impression that the White House leaks even more than it already does. Never before has an American president had so much impact on the country and the world in so short a time as Donald Trump. Yet no president has stirred so much controversy, dominating media coverage and conversation both pro and con. Months after Trump took office, consumer confidence hit a seventeen-year high, unemployment plummeted to the lowest level in seventeen years, and the stock market zoomed to repeated record highs. At the same time, ISIS was nearly defeated, Arab countries banded together to stop financing terrorists and promoting radical Islamic ideology, and Trump’s decision to send missiles into Syria because of its use of chemical weapons and his strident warnings to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made it clear to adversaries that they take on the United States at their peril. Yet for all the media coverage, Trump remains a cipher. Ronald Kessler has known Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for two decades and understands him better than any other journalist. The book includes an exclusive interview with Trump, the only interview he says he has given or will give for a book as president. Crammed with media-grabbing revelations. The Trump White House is the unvarnished and unbiased inside story that answers the question: Who is Donald Trump?
The Trumps: Three Generations of Builders and a Presidential Candidate
by Gwenda BlairThe story of three generations of Trumps in a "copiously researched" (The New York Times) narrative and an account of the presidential candidate's extraordinary path to success. "Rich, detailed, and informative, and not just for Trump loyalists or detractors" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).This richly detailed account of the Trump family reflects America's transformation from a land of striving immigrants to a world in which the aura of wealth alone can guarantee a fortune. The Trumps begins with a portrait of Donald's immigrant grandfather Frederick Trump, a restaurant owner who amassed the first Trump fortune by providing miners with food, liquor, and easy access to women during the Klondike gold rush. His son, Fred, took advantage of New Deal policy, using government subsidies and loopholes to construct hugely successful housing developments in the 1940s and 1950s. The profits from those enterprises paved the way for Donald's roller-coaster ride into the new century. With his talent for what he calls "truthful hyperbole," Donald Trump turned the deal-making know-how of his forebears into an art form. By describing Donald's much-publicized life in the context of his family, Gwenda Blair adds an important dimension to a glitzy, larger-than-life contradictory figure known around the world as The Donald.
The Trunk Murderess: Winnie Ruth Judd
by Jana BommersbachIf history is right, a 26 year-old beauty named Winnie Ruth Judd murdered her two best girlfriends one hot Phoenix night in 1931. Then she hacked up their bodies, stuffed the pieces into a trunk, and took them by train to Los Angeles as her baggage.If history is right, she was sentenced to die but "cheated the gallows" by acting insane. She spent nearly 40 years in Arizona's insane asylum-flummoxing officials by escaping six times.If history is right, she only got her freedom at age 66-after serving more time than any other convicted murderer in the history of the nation—because Arizona was finally tired of punishing her.But if history is wrong, Winnie Ruth Judd's life was squandered in a horrible miscarriage of justice.Award-winning journalist Jana Bommersbach reinvestigates the twisted, bizarre murder case that has captivated the nation for decades. She not only uncovers evidence long hidden, but gets Winnie Ruth Judd to break her life-long silence and finally speak.In telling the story of this American crime legend, Bommersbach also tells the story of Phoenix, Arizona—a backwater town that would become a major American city—and the story of a unique moment in American history filled with social taboos.But most of all, she tells the story of a woman with the courage to survive.
The Trust Manifesto: What you Need to do to Create a Better Internet
by Damian BradfieldFrom the moment we wake up and unlock our phones, we're producing data. We offer up our unique fingerprint to the online world, scan our route to work, listen to a guided meditation or favourite playlist, slide money around, share documents and update our social media accounts. We reach for our phones up to 200 times a day, not knowing which companies are storing, using, selling and manipulating our data. But do we care? We're busy. We've got lives. We're pressed for time! There aren't enough hours in the day to read the terms and conditions. Or, maybe we're happy to trade our personal data for convenient services and to make our lives easier?Big data is the phenomenon of our age, but should we trust it without question? This is the trust dilemma.In 2009, Damian Bradfield founded WeTransfer, the largest file-sharing platform in the world with 50 million global users shipping more than one billion files of data a month. His unique experience of the big data economy has led him to question if there is another way to build the internet, one that is fairer and safer for everyone and, in The Trust Manifesto, he lays out this vision.
The Truth About Aaron: My Journey to Understand My Brother
by Lars Anderson Jonathan HernandezAaron Hernandez’s brother recounts the NFL star’s troubled life and murder conviction: “Gripping . . . a sobering, inside look at a modern American tragedy.” —Library JournalTo football fans, Aaron Hernandez was a superstar in the making. A standout at the University of Florida, he helped the Gators win the national title in 2008. In his second full season wih the New England Patriots, he and Rob Gronkowski set records for touchdowns and yardage, and with Tom Brady, led New England to Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. But Aaron’s NFL career ended as quickly as it began. On June 26, 2013, he was arrested at his North Attleboro home, charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, and released by the Patriots. Convicted of first-degree murder, Aaron was sentenced to life without parole. On May 15, 2014, while on trial for Lloyd’s murder, Aaron was indicted for two more murders. Five days after being acquitted for those murders, he committed suicide in his jail cell. Aaron Hernandez was twenty-seven years old.In this clear-eyed, emotionally devastating biography—a family memoir combining football and true crime—Jonathan (formerly known by his nickname DJ) Hernandez speaks out fully for the first time about the brother he knew. Jonathan draws on his own recollections as well as thousands of pages of prison letters and other sources to give us a full portrait of a star athlete and troubled young man who would become a murderer, and the darkness that consumed him. Jonathan does not portray Aaron as a victim; he does not lay the blame for his crimes on his illness. He speaks openly about Aaron’s talent, his sexuality, his crimes and incarceration, and the CTE that ravaged him—scientists found that upon his death, Aaron had the brain of a sixty-seven-year old suffering from the same condition. The Truth About Aaron is a shocking and moving account of promise, tragedy, and loss—of one man’s descent into rage and violence, as told by the person who was closer to him than anyone else.“The most powerful book I have read in a long time.” —Tyler Perry“The impact of Aaron’s life and death on Jonathan is described with both unblinking honesty and profound compassion. Sports fans and cultural historians will find this a gripping cautionary tale about fame, fortune, and football.” —Library Journal
The Truth About Hillary
by Edward KleinHillary Rodham Clinton is the most polarizing figure in American politics. Love her or hate her, everyone has a strong opinion about the former first lady turned senator who is almost certainly going to run for president in 2008. Despite more than a dozen years in the national spotlight and more than a dozen unauthorized books about her, she has managed to keep many secrets from the public especially about her turbulent marriage and its impact on her career. There have been plenty of rumors about what Hillary and Bill Clinton did behind closed doors, but never a definitive book that exposes the truth. Bestselling author Edward Klein draws on rare access to inside sources to reveal what Hillary knew and when she knew it during her years as first lady, especially during her husband’s impeachment. Klein’s book, embargoed until publication, will break news about the choices and calculations she has made over the years. It will also prove that she lied to America in her bestselling autobiography Living History. When she was just a little girl, Hillary Rodham dreamed of becoming the first female president, and her lifelong dream is almost within reach. But just as the swift boat veterans convinced millions of voters that John Kerry lacked the character to be president, Klein’s book will influence everyone who is sizing up the character of Hillary Clinton. .
The Truth About Life as a Princess (The Real Scoop)
by Martha LondonHow does someone become a princess? What do princesses do? Learn about how princesses work for their countries, give back to charity, and more!
The Truth About Life as a U.S. Army Soldier (The Real Scoop)
by M. KirkmanHow does someone become a U.S. army soldier? What do soldiers do? Learn about how U.S. army soldiers work, train, and more!
The Truth About Lou: A Novel After Salomé
by Angela Von der LippeFrom the shadows of the correspondences and the contradictions of biography, the elusive Salomé emerges in this boldly revealing fiction to tell her own story through the three major relationships of her life: at twenty-one she meets the smitten philosopher Nietzsche; at thirty-six she takes the fledgling poet Rilke as her first lover; and at fifty she wins the deep affection of Freud.Who was she really, Lou Salomé? Willful, conniving girl, controlling femme fatale, or nurturing literary muse? Drawing on neglected historical sources and deftly weaving in the presentday character Anna Kane in pursuit of Lou, von der Lippe layers what is known about Salomé with what can only be imagined. This is a story of love's epiphanies and pain, a lost child, and the redemptive power of words.
The Truth About Luck: What I Learned on My Road Trip with Grandma
by Iain ReidSelected for The Globe 100 Books in 2013. In The Truth about Luck, Iain Reid, author of the highly popular coming-of-age memoir One Bird's Choice, accompanies his grandmother on a five-day vacation — which turns out to be a "staycation" at his apartment in Kingston. While the twenty-eight-year-old writer is at the beginning of his adult life, his ninety-two-year-old grandmother is nearing the end of hers. Between escorting his grandma to local attractions and restaurants, the two exchange memories and she begins to reveal details of her inspiring life story. Told with subtlety, humour, and heart, this delightful comic memoir reflects on family connections; how we experience adversity, the passage of time, and aging; and most importantly what it truly means to feel lucky.
The Truth About Muhammad: Founder Of The World's Most Intolerant Religion
by Robert SpencerMuhammad: a frank look at his influential (and violent) life and teachingsIn The Truth about Muhammad, New York Times bestselling author and Islam expert Robert Spencer offers an honest and telling portrait of the founder of Islam-perhaps the first such portrait in half a century-unbounded by fear and political correctness, unflinching, and willing to face the hard facts about Muhammad's life that continue to affect our world today.From Muhammad's first "revelation" from Allah (which filled him with terror that he was demonpossessed) to his deathbed (from which he called down curses upon Jews and Christians), it's all here-told with extensive documentation from the sources that Muslims themselves consider most reliable about Muhammad.Spencer details Muhammad's development from a preacher of hellfire and damnation into a political and military leader who expanded his rule by force of arms, promising his warriors luridly physical delights in Paradise if they were killed in his cause. He explains how the Qur'an's teaching on warfare against unbelievers developed-with constant war to establish the hegemony of Islamic law as the last stage.Spencer also gives the truth about Muhammad's convenient "revelations" justifying his own licentiousness; his joy in the brutal murders of his enemies; and above all, his clear marching orders to his followers to convert non-Muslims to Islam-or force them to live as inferiors under Islamic rule.In The Truth about Muhammad, you'll learn- The truth about Muhammad's multiple marriages (including one to a nine-year-old) - How Muhammad set legal standards that make it virtually impossible to prove rape in Islamic countries - How Muhammad's example justifies jihad and terrorism - The real "Satanic verses" incident (not the Salman Rushdie version) that remains a scandal to Muslims - How Muhammad's faulty knowledge of Judaism and Christianity has influenced Islamic theology--and colored Muslim relations with Jews and Christians to this day.Recognizing the true nature of Islam, Spencer argues, is essential for judging the prospects for largescale Islamic reform, the effective prosecution of the War on Terror, the democracy project in Afghanistan and Iraq, and immigration and border control to protect the United States from terrorism.All of which makes it crucial for every citizen (and policymaker) who loves freedom to read and ponder The Truth about Muhammad
The Truth About Rudolf Hess
by James Douglas-HamiltonRudolf Hess' flight to Britain in May 1941 stands out as one of the most intriguing and bizarre episodes of the Second World War.In The Truth About Rudolf Hess, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton explores many of the myths which still surround the affair. He traces the developments which persuaded Hess to undertake the flight without Hitlers knowledge and shows why he chose to approach the Duke of Hamilton. In the process he throws light on the importance of Albrect Haushofer, one-time envoy to Hitler and Ribbentrop and personal advisor to Hess, who was eventually executed by the SS for his involvement in the German Resistance movement.Drawing on British War Cabinet papers and the authors unparalleled access to both the Hamilton papers and the Haushofer letters, this new and expanded edition of The Truth About Rudolf Hess takes the reader into the heart of the Third Reich, combining adventure and intrigue with a scholarly historical approach.
The Truth About Rudolf Hess
by Lord James Douglas-HamiltonRudolf Hess's flight to Britain in May 1941 stands out as one of the most intriguing and bizarre episodes of the Second World War. In The Truth About Rudolf Hess, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton explodes many of the myths which still surround the affair. He traces the developments which persuaded Hess to undertake his flight without Hitler's knowledge and show why he chose to approach the Duke of Hamilton. In the process he throws new light on the importance of Albrecht Haushofer, one-time envoy to Hitler and Ribbentrop and personal advisor to Hess, who was eventually executed by the S.S. for his involvement in the German Resistance movement. Drawing on British War Cabinet papers and the author's unparalleled access to the Hamilton archives and the Haushofer letters, The Truth About Rudolf Hess takes the reader to the heart of the Third Reich, combining adventure and intrigue with a scholarly historical approach. This remarkable book is illustrated throughout with superb photographs, placing the fascinating story in true historical perspective.
The Truth About Sorority Girls
by Claudia WelchAcclaimed author of Sorority Sisters Claudia Welch reveals the truth about her own life as a sorority girl--and it's nothing like you'd expect. Who doesn't have a ready-made image of a sorority girl? They're rich, stuck-up, brainless, and mean--right? Wrong. I don't live in a sorority house anymore, but the experiences I had there are still with me. I'm still friends with my sorority sisters, and I consider the days I spent with them in college to be some of the best of my life. In the most basic, positive and profound ways, being in a sorority has helped me to become the person I am today. So, to separate fact from fantasy, I am prepared to tell you the whole truth about my sorority life, and share some of the lessons I learned along the way. Also included: an excerpt of Claudia Welch's novel Sorority Sisters!
The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative (The CBC Massey Lectures)
by Thomas KingWinner of the 2003 Trillium Book Award "Stories are wondrous things," award-winning author and scholar Thomas King declares in his 2003 CBC Massey Lectures. "And they are dangerous." Beginning with a traditional Native oral story, King weaves his way through literature and history, religion and politics, popular culture and social protest, gracefully elucidating North America's relationship with its Native peoples. Native culture has deep ties to storytelling, and yet no other North American culture has been the subject of more erroneous stories. The Indian of fact, as King says, bears little resemblance to the literary Indian, the dying Indian, the construct so powerfully and often destructively projected by White North America. With keen perception and wit, King illustrates that stories are the key to, and only hope for, human understanding. He compels us to listen well.
The Truth About Style
by Stacy LondonThe New York Times bestselling style guide from the cohost of What Not to Wear It&’s clear why Women&’s Wear Daily hails Stacy London as &“the Dr. Phil of fashion.&” Since 2002, she&’s transformed hundreds of guests on TLC&’s hit show What Not to Wear. But London has more than just impeccable taste. She has a gift for seeing the core emotional issues behind a disastrous wardrobe. By sharing her own struggle with self-esteem, London illustrates how style develops confidence. Including invaluable fashion tips, advice, and a revelatory makeover section, The Truth About Style is for London&’s legion of fans—and everyone who longs to enhance and celebrate the body she has.
The Truth About Tesla: The Myth of the Lone Genius in the History of Innovation
by Christopher CooperA myth-busting biography of Nikola Tesla, the “enigmatic figure whose life and achievements appeal to historians, engineers, scientists, and many others” (Library Journal).Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest electrical inventors who ever lived, was rescued from obscurity in recent years, restored to his rightful place among historical luminaries. We’ve been told that his contributions to humanity were obscured by a number of nineteenth-century inventors and industrialists who took credit for his work or stole his patents outright. Most biographies repeat this familiar account of Tesla’s life, including his invention of alternating current, his falling out with Thomas Edison, how he lost billions in patent royalties to George Westinghouse, and his fight to prove that Guglielmo Marconi stole thirteen of his patents to “invent” radio. But what really happened?Newly uncovered information, however, proves that the popular account of Tesla’s life is itself very flawed. In The Truth About Tesla, Christopher Cooper sets out to prove that the conventional story not only oversimplifies history, it denies credit to some of the true inventors behind many of the groundbreaking technologies now attributed to Tesla, and perpetuates a misunderstanding about the process of innovation itself.Are you positive that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone? Are you sure the Wright Brothers were the first in flight? Think again! With a provocative foreword by Tesla biographer Marc J. Seifer, The Truth About Tesla is one of the first books to set the record straight, tracing the origin of some of the greatest electrical inventions to a coterie of colorful characters that conventional history has all but forgotten.Includes photographs