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A Brief History of the House of Windsor: The Making of a Modern Monarchy (Brief Histories)
by Michael PatersonThe British monarchy may be over a thousand years old, but the House of Windsor dates only from 1917, when, in the middle of the First World War that was to see the demise of the major thrones of continental Europe, it rebranded itself from the distinctly Germanic Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to the homely and familiar Windsor. By redefining its loyalties to identify with its people and country rather than the princes, kings and emperors of Europe to whom it was related by birth and marriage, it set the monarchy on the path of adaptation, making itself relevant and allowing it to survive. Since then, the fine line trodden by the House of Windsor between ancient and modern, grandeur and thrift, splendour and informality, remoteness and accessibility, and influence and neutrality has left it more secure and its appeal more universal today than ever.
A Brief History of the Private Life of Elizabeth II
by Michael PatersonElizabeth II is within a few years of becoming the longest-reigning British monarch. A personally quiet, modest and dutiful person, she is far better-informed about the lives of her subjects than they often realize. She has known every Prime Minister since Winston Churchill and every American President since Eisenhower.Yet what of the woman behind the crown?The book seeks to take a new look at this exhaustively-documented life and show how Queen Elizabeth became the person she is. Who, and what, have been the greatest influences upon her? What are her likes and dislikes? What are her hobbies? Who are her friends? What does she feel about the demands of duty and protocol? Is she really enjoying herself when she smiles during official events? How differently does she behave when out of the public eye? Examining the places in which she grew up or has lived, the training she received and her attitudes to significant events in national life, it presents a fresh view of one of recent history's most important figures.
A Brief History of the Private Life of Elizabeth II (Brief Histories)
by Michael PatersonElizabeth II is the longest-reigning British monarch. A personally quiet, modest and dutiful person, she is far better-informed about the lives of her subjects than they often realize. She has known every Prime Minister since Winston Churchill and every American President since Eisenhower. Yet what of the woman behind the crown?This book seeks to take a new look at this exhaustively-documented life and show how Queen Elizabeth became the person she is. Who, and what, have been the greatest influences upon her? What are her likes and dislikes? What are her hobbies? Who are her friends? What does she feel about the demands of duty and protocol? Is she really enjoying herself when she smiles during official events? How differently does she behave when out of the public eye? Examining the places in which she grew up or has lived, the training she received and her attitudes to significant events in national life, it presents a fresh view of one of recent history's most important figures.In recent years, Queen Elizabeth has become the longest-reigning monarch in our history and has cut back on commitments. Nevertheless she is still very active and has made some wise decisions about who takes over a number of her duties.
A Brief Introduction to John Calvin
by Christopher ElwoodHonoring the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Christopher Elwood offers an insightful and accessible overview of John Calvin's theological ideas within their historical context. A Brief Introduction to John Calvin discusses the trials and tribulations Calvin encountered as he ministered and taught in Geneva, paying special attention to the theological controversies associated with the Trinity and predestination. In this concise introduction, Elwood explores the development of Calvinism and its influence in today's world.
A Brief Introduction to Martin Luther
by Steven PaulsonIn the sixteenth century, Martin Luther started a reformation movement that revolutionized Europe and the history of the Christian faith. His far-reaching reforms of theological understanding and church practices dramatically changed both church and society in Europe and beyond. In honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Steven Paulson provides an engaging, concise introduction to Martin Luther's life and the major themes in his theology.
A Brief Stop On the Road From Auschwitz
by Sarah Death Goran RosenbergThis shattering memoir by a journalist about his father's attempt to survive the aftermath of Auschwitz in a small industrial town in Sweden won the prestigious August PrizeOn August 2, 1947 a young man gets off a train in a small Swedish town to begin his life anew. Having endured the ghetto of Lodz, the death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the slave camps and transports during the final months of Nazi Germany, his final challenge is to survive the survival. In this intelligent and deeply moving book, Göran Rosenberg returns to his own childhood to tell the story of his father: walking at his side, holding his hand, trying to get close to him. It is also the story of the chasm between the world of the child, permeated by the optimism, progress, and collective oblivion of postwar Sweden, and the world of the father, darkened by the long shadows of the past.
A Brigadier In France – 1917-1918
by Brigadier Hanway Robert Cumming"Great War memoirs of an officer who served on the Western front as a battalion commander (2 DLI) then as commander 91st Brigade, 7th Division. He was dismissed during the Battle of Bullecourt in May 1917 but came back in May 1918 as commander 110th Brigade. Murdered in Ireland in March 1921 while commanding the Kerry BrigadeHanway Robert Cumming was commissioned into the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) in 1889 and saw active service during the South African War. He was in a staff appointment in India in August 1914 and did not arrive in France till June 1915 where he again held staff appointments until August 1916 when he took command of 2nd DLI. In November 1916 he was appointed to command of the 91st Brigade, 7th Division, a post he held till May 1917 when, during the Battle of Bullecourt he was summarily dismissed by the divisional commander (Shoubridge) and went home on leave, under protest as he describes in the book (less than a month later he was awarded the DSO in the 1917 Birthday Honours!). From August 1917 to the following February he commanded the MG Corps Training Centre at Grantham and then, in March 1918 he went back to France to command the 110th Brigade, 21st Division where he stayed to the end of the war. After the war, while commanding the Kerry Brigade in Ireland he was murdered, on 6th March 1921...The greater part of the book deals with his command of the 110th Brigade which he took over less than a week before the German Spring offensive, which is dealt with in detail, as is the May offensive in Champagne in which 21st Division was one of the five British divisions fighting under French command, and then the final allied counter-offensive. In all this is an interesting picture of the life of a brigade commander on the Western front. He tells his story in the third person, referring to himself throughout as the brigadier."--N&M Press Ed.
A Bright Cold Day: The Wonder of George Orwell
by Nathan WaddellA pioneering biography of George Orwell told through moments of everyday life 'A clever, offbeat history of mid-century Britain through George Orwell&’s eyes.' Helen Lewis When we think about Orwell, we imagine an angular, moustachioed sceptic crouched over a typewriter, who – between puffs on his cigarette – composes effortless streams of prose, unadorned but explosive. We see a man with &‘Important Things to Say&’ about: the slow creep of authoritarianism; the consequences of all-seeing tech; the fragility of truth. Much less often do we see him as a person caught up in the business of everyday life. And yet Orwell&’s work thrums with the quotidian: the smell of boiled cabbage, the chill of an unheated flat in early spring, the rumbling of old pipes. A Bright Cold Day reveals how the principles that govern us begin in the mundane. From waking and showering to breakfast, work, lunch, the pub, sleep and dreaming, Orwell was never dulled to the routines of living. And in the details of the day, we can understand how power, money, freedom and choice play out, not just for Orwell&’s literary characters, but for us all. *** 'An astute and intimate portrait of George Orwell.' Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry of Truth 'Beautifully written... urgent and compelling.' Emma Smith, author of Portable Magic
A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann And America In Vietnam (Picador Bks.)
by Neil SheehanOutspoken and fearless, John Paul Vann arrived in Vietnam in 1962, full of confidence in America's might and right to prevail. A Bright Shining Lie reveals the truth about the war in Vietnam as it unfolded before Vann's eyes: the arrogance and professional corruption of the U.S. military system of the 1960s, the incompetence and venality of the South Vietnamese army, the nightmare of death and destruction that began with the arrival of the American forces. Witnessing the arrogance and self-deception firsthand, Vann put his life and career on the line in an attempt to convince his superiors that the war should be fought another way. But by the time he died in 1972, Vann had embraced the follies he once decried. He went to his grave believing that the war had been won.<P><P> A haunting and critically acclaimed masterpiece, A Bright Shining Lie is a timeless account of the American experience in Vietnam–a work that is epic in scope, piercing in detail, and told with the keen understanding of a journalist who was actually there. Neil Sheehan' s classic serves as a stunning revelation for all who thought they understood the war.<P> Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.<P> Winner of the National Book Award
A Bright and Blinding Sun: A World War II Story of Survival, Love, and Redemption
by Marcus BrothertonFrom a New York Times bestselling author comes the incredible true story of an underage soldier's first love and loss on the battlefields of Bataan and Corregidor—perfect for fans of The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz and Unbroken. Joe Johnson Jr. ran away from home at the age of 12, hopping a freight train at the height of the Great Depression. He managed to talk his way into the U.S. Army two years later. Seeking freedom and adventure, he was sent to the Philippines. Adrift in spirit, Joe visited a teenage prostitute, and they became unlikely, smitten allies. Yet when the Japanese attacked on December 8, 1941, their hopes of being together had to wait. Joe and his fellow soldiers fought for four brutal months in Bataan and Corregidor, until they were forced to surrender. The boy endured years of horror as a prisoner of war, only dreaming about seeing again the girl he&’d come to love. This lyrically written and deeply encouraging saga will remind you that every life can be lifted, forgiveness is the patron of restoration, and redemption is available to all.
A Brightness Long Ago
by Guy Gavriel KayInternationally bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay's latest work is set in a world evoking early Renaissance Italy, with an extraordinary cast of characters.In a chamber overlooking the nighttime waterways of a maritime city, a man looks back on his youth and the people who shaped his life. Danio Cerra's intelligence won him entry to a renowned school, though he was only the son of a tailor. He took service at the court of a ruling count - and soon learned why that man was known as The Beast.Danio's fate changed the moment he recognized Adria Ripoli as she entered the count's chambers one night - intending to kill. Born to power, Adria had chosen a life of danger - and freedom - instead.Other vivid figures share the story: a healer determined to defy her expected lot; a charming, frivolous son of immense wealth; a religious leader more decadent than devout; and, affecting these lives and many more, two mercenary commanders, whose rivalry puts a world in the balance. A Brightness Long Ago offers both compelling drama and deeply moving reflections on the nature of memory, the choices we make in life, and the role played by the turning of Fortune's wheel.(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedPraise for Guy Gavriel KayPraise for Guy Gavriel Kay 'The greatest living author of epic fantasy' Brandon Sanderson 'Contemporary fiction's finest fantasist' Tor.com 'History and fantasy rarely come together as gracefully or readably as they do in the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay' Washington Post 'One of the (if not the) premiere fantasists of our time' The Financial Times 'Compulsively readable . . . Kay is a global phenomenon . . . a storyteller on the grandest scale' Time Magazine (Canada)(P) 2019 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
A Brilliant Darkness: The Extraordinary Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Ettore Majorana, the Troubled Genius of the N
by João MagueijoOn the night of March 26, 1938, nuclear physicist Ettore Majorana boarded a ship, cash and passport in hand. He was never seen again. <P><P> In A Brilliant Darkness, theoretical physicist João Magueijo tells the story of Majorana and his research group, "the Via Panisperna Boys," who discovered atomic fission in 1934. As Majorana, the most brilliant of the group, began to realize the implications of what they had found, he became increasingly unstable. Did he commit suicide that night in Palermo? Was he kidnapped? Did he stage his own death? A Brilliant Darkness chronicles Majorana's invaluable contributions to science--including his major discovery, the Majorana neutrino--while revealing the truth behind his fascinating and tragic life.
A Brilliant Life: My Mother's Inspiring True Story of Surviving the Holocaust
by Rachelle UnreichThe powerful, true story of a Holocaust survivor told by her daughter—a tale that reminds us of the resilience of the soul and the ability of the heart to heal.As Mira is nearing the end of her life, her daughter Rachelle wants to find out how her mother had lived through four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and a Death March. There was a mystery to her survival, it seemed—which perhaps had something to do with the strange things that always happened around her. And, incredibly, when giving testimony later in life, she says that it was during this time—despite witnessing the depths of man’s cruelty—that she learned about “the goodness of people.”Born in Czechoslovakia, Mira was only 12 years old when World War II broke out. At 88, living in Australia, she is diagnosed with cancer, and her journalist daughter decides to interview her to distract her from her illness. What Rachelle discovers about her mother helps her fit together the jigsaw pieces of her own life. A Brilliant Life portrays not only how remote a prospect it was to live through the Holocaust, but what it is like to be the child of a survivor. A story of love, loss, wonder and the deepest kind of faith, A Brilliant Life questions the role that fate, chance and destiny play in one's life. It is a tribute to family, a story of incredible resilience and a chronicle of the deep connection between mother and child that not even death can destroy.
A Brilliant Streak: The Making Of Mark Twain
by Kathryn Lasky Barry MoserIn this beautifully illustrated biography, Mark Twain's adventures as a young boy come to life. Before Samuel Clemens became a famous author, he enjoyed one of the longest childhoods in history. From playing hooky in Hannibal, Missouri, to piloting steamboats on the Mississippi River, Mark Twain's adventures as a youth influenced his entire life and figured prominently in his writing. Focusing on the first half of Clemens's life, this book will be enjoyed by longtime Twain devotees--and by those who seek a colorful introduction to the ever-popular author and his works.
A British Achilles: The Story of George, 2nd Earl Jellicoe KBE DSO MC FRS
by Lorna Almonds Windmill&“Intriguing . . . describes a modest but exceptional man from whom the contemporary soldier, politician, and citizen can learn how to enjoy life (and how not to).&” —The Spectator Son of the victor of Jutland, George Jellicoe has enjoyed power and privilege but never shirked his duty. His war exploits are legendary and, as a founder member of Stirling&’s SAS and first commander of the Special Boat Service, he saw action a-plenty. A brigadier at twenty-six with a DSO and MC, he liberated Athens as the Germans withdrew and saved Greece from a Communist revolution. After the war, Jellicoe joined the Foreign Office and worked with spies Guy Burgess, Kim Philby, and Donald Maclean in Washington and on the Soviet Desk. His political life saw him in the Cabinet of the Heath Government and he is frank with his biographer over the issues and characters of his fellow ministers. Jellicoe&’s Achilles heel is his weakness for, and attraction to, women. His resignation over an involvement with a prostitute was a national scandal, but he is refreshingly honest and devoid of self-justification. He remained an active member of the Lords pursuing a top-level business career. A British Achilles is a superb biography of a major public figure and exemplary wartime soldier.
A British Home Child in Canada 2-Book Bundle: Marjorie Her War Years / Marjorie Too Afraid to Cry
by Patricia SkidmoreThe biography of a British girl, split from her family by the British child migration program, learning to cope with her hard new life in Canada. Marjorie Too Afraid to Cry — Book #1 In 1937, 10-year-old Marjorie Arnison was shipped from Britain to Prince of Wales Fairbridge Farm School near Victoria, British Columbia. For years she wouldn't talk about her past. It wasn't until daughter Patricia explored archival records and shared them with her mother that a home-child saga emerged. Marjorie Her War Years — Book #2 Sent away from her family and England to an isolated farm where she was at the mercy of a tyrannical “cottage mother,” Marjorie Arnison had to learn to forget her identity in order to survive in her unfamiliar and hostile new home. It was only much later in her life that the memories of where she came from began to resurface.
A Broken Hallelujah: The Making of a Christian Brother
by Lorcan LeavyA Broken Hallelujah traces a young man’s path through the Christian Brothers’ regime from Juniorate through the Leaving Certificate year to Teacher Training, and from there to work ‘on the mission’. The author describes in intimate detail the experiences and challenges he faces on the way, culminating in the final and most difficult decision of all, whether or not to remain in the fold of the Brothers’ Congregation. This unique story recalls a type of education which has long since passed out of use, and has become, for many, a piece of history in itself. In detailing his experiences, the author describes the dilemmas faced by a great number of people, dilemmas which reflect many of the choices and difficulties that have shaped the Ireland of today.
A Broken World: Letters, Diaries and Memories of the Great War
by Sebastian Faulks with Hope WolfA lieutenant writes of digging through bodies that have the consistency of Camembert cheese; a mother sends flower seeds to her son at the Front, hoping that one day someone may see them grow; a nurse tends a man back to health knowing he will be court-martialled and shot as soon as he is fit. Edited by the bestselling author of Birdsong and Dr Hope Wolf, this is an original and illuminating non-fiction anthology of writing on the First World War.Diaries, letters and memories, testaments from ordinary people whose lives were transformed, are set alongside extracts from names that have become synonymous with the war, such as Siegfried Sassoon and T.E. Lawrence. A Broken World is an original collection of personal and defining moments that offer an unprecedented insight into the Great War as it was experienced and as it was remembered.
A Broom of One's Own: Words on Writing, Housecleaning & Life (P. S. Series)
by Nancy PeacockFor the twice-published novelist, reading an article about herself in the National Enquirer—under the headline "Here's One for the Books: Cleaning Lady Is an Acclaimed Author"—was more than a shock. It was an inspiration.In A Broom of One's Own, Nancy Peacock, whose first novel was selected by the New York Times as a Notable Book of the Year, explores with warmth, wit, and candor what it means to be a writer. An encouragement to all hard-working artists, no matter how they make a living, Peacock's book provides valuable insights and advice on motivation, craft, and criticism while offering hilarious anecdotes about the houses she cleans.
A Brother's Journey: Surviving a Childhood of Abuse
by Richard PelzerThe story of Dave Pelzer is a legend of our times: the shattering tale of the child called 'It' who was forced to live in the basement. His mother was the perpetrator of the horror, but she had a willing accomplice. It was Dave's little brother Richard - the author of this book. When Dave was twelve the police removed him from the household, but the cycle of abuse continued. At the age of nine, Richard became the new 'It'.Ultimately, the only way to survive was to escape. As well as evoking the tortuous environment in which he lived, Richard B. Pelzer recounts how he managed to leave it, and how he arrived at his ultimate destination. For A Brother's Journey is a voyage of both body and spirit, one that led Richard to a place of safety, to redemption, and to reconciliation with the whipping boy who, once and again, is his brother.
A Brotherhood Betrayed: The Man Behind the Rise and Fall of Murder, Inc.
by Michael CannellThe riveting true story of the rise and fall of Murder, Inc. and the executioner-turned-informant whose mysterious death became a turning point in Mob history.In the fall of 1941, a momentous trial was underway that threatened to end the careers and lives of New York’s most brutal mob kingpins. The lead witness, Abe Reles, had been a trusted executioner for Murder, Inc., the enforcement arm of a coast-to-coast mob network known as the Commission. But the man responsible for coolly silencing hundreds of informants was about to become the most talkative snitch of all. In exchange for police protection, Reles was prepared to rat out his murderous friends, from Albert Anastasia to Bugsy Siegel—but before he could testify, his shattered body was discovered on a rooftop outside his heavily-guarded hotel room. Was it a botched escape, or punishment for betraying the loyalty of the country’s most powerful mobsters?Michael Cannell's A Brotherhood Betrayed traces the history of Murder, Inc. through Reles’ rise from street punk to murder chieftain to stool pigeon, ending with his fateful death on a Coney Island rooftop. It resurrects a time when crime became organized crime: a world of money and power, depravity and corruption, street corner ambushes and elaborately choreographed hits by wise-cracking foot soldiers with names like Buggsy Goldstein and Tick Tock Tannenbaum. For a brief moment before World War II erupted, America fixated on the delicate balance of trust and betrayal on the Brooklyn streets. This is the story of the one man who tipped the balance.
A Brush With Darkness: Learning to Paint After Losing My Sight
by Lisa FittipaldiWhen Lisa Fittipaldi went blind at the age of forty-seven, she descended into a freefall of anger and denial that lasted for two years. In this moving memoir, she paints a vivid picture of the perceptual and emotional darkness that accompanied her vision loss, and her arduous journey back into the sighted world through mastery of the principles of art and color.
A Buddhist Grief Observed
by Guy NewlandAmid the world-shattering pain of loss, what helps?"After the death of his beloved partner from cancer, Newland finds himself asking how effective his long years of Buddhist practice have been in helping him come to terms with overwhelming grief. This finely written book offers a lucid meditation on what it means to practice the Dharma when everything falls apart." --Stephen Batchelor, author of Buddhism without Beliefs and After Buddhism In the tradition of C. S. Lewis's A Grief Observed, Guy Newland offers this brave record of falling to pieces and then learning to make sense of his pain and grief within his spiritual tradition. Drawing inspiration from all corners of the Buddhist world--from Dogen and the Dalai Lama, to Pema Chödrön and ancient Pali texts--this book reverberates with honesty, kindness, and deep humanity. Newland shows us the power of responding fully and authentically to the death of a loved one. "A sad, beautiful, and necessary book--and a map waiting for many who will need it." --James Ishmael Ford, author of If You're Lucky Your Heart Will Break "Guy Newland faces squarely the pain of death and the pain of grief and offers a work of uncommon power, insight, and honesty--and extraordinary compassion." --Jay L. Garfield, author of Engaging Buddhism
A Buffalo in the House: The True Story of a Man, an Animal, and the American West
by R. D. RosenFrom a #1 New York Times–bestselling author, &“a heartwarming tale of bonding between people and animals&” (Booklist). A sprawling suburban house in Santa Fe is not the kind of home where a buffalo normally roams, but Veryl Goodnight and Roger Brooks are not your ordinary animal lovers. Over a hundred years after Veryl&’s ancestors, Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight, hand-raised two baby buffalo to help save the species from extinction, the sculptor and her husband adopt an orphaned buffalo calf of their own. Against a backdrop of the American West, A Buffalo in the House tells the story of a household situation beyond any sitcom writer&’s wildest dreams. Charlie has no idea he&’s a buffalo and Roger has no idea just how strong the bond between man and buffalo can be. In the historical shadow of the near-extermination of a majestic and misunderstood animal, Roger sets out to save just one buffalo—in a true story featuring &“one of the most memorable characters in recent nature writing&” (Publishers Weekly). &“More than a touching man-beast buddy tale . . . lovingly chronicles the history of an embattled species and its importance in the American West.&” —Entertainment Weekly &“Moving proof of the restorative powers of man&’s relationship with nature.&” —People