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The Triumph & Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson
by Joseph A. Califano Jr.OC My effort here is to give firsthand testimony on the man and president I saw, OCywith bark off, OCO as he used to say when he wanted me to describe a difficult situation cold and true, with no punches pulled. OC The Lyndon Johnson I knew was brave and brutal, compassionate and cruel, incredibly intelligent and infuriatingly insensitive, with shrewd and uncanny instinct for the jugular of his allies and adversaries. He could be altruistic and petty, caring and crude, generous and petulant, bluntly honest and calculatingly deviousOCoall within the same few minutes. OCOOCoJoseph A. Califano, Jr. Joe CalifanoOCoLyndon JohnsonOCOs closest domestic adviser during the White House yearsOCohas created a remarkable presidential portrait, a frank, tough-minded memoir that reveals not only the singular personality of LBJ, but the rough grain of American politics. More than previous biographers, scholars, or reporters, CalifanoOCowho worked day and night in the trenches with LBJOCoshows us who Johnson really was and recreates life in the White House at the height of the turbulent sixties. aaLyndon Johnson was bigger than lifeOCoand no one who worked for him ever forgot it. Writing with perception and energy, Califano captures his mentorOCOs lively, irascible spirit as he puts us in the White House alongside LBJ during such momentous events as the assassination of Martin Luther King and the wrenching violence that followed, the assassination of Robert Kennedy, the 1968 Democratic Convention, and the national trauma surrounding the Vietnam War. We see Johnson manipulate the economy and the Supreme Court; confront race riots in Watts, Newark, and Detroit; and deal with the Arab-Israeli Six Day War. We witness his achievements in the areas of education, health care, consumer safety, civil rights, environmental protection, and the arts. And we watch him squander his credibility, as he doggedly wages both his warsOCothe one against poverty and the one in VietnamOCodetermined to prevent the blood-shed in Southeast Asia from spoiling his dream of a Great Society at home. a"The Triumph & Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson" is an intimate portrait of a president who towering ambition for his country and himself ultimately led to his decision to surrender the arena in which he fought so hard. Joe Califano has added uniquely to our understanding of LBJ, whose achievements and mistakes mirror his own complex and contradictory nature. a"
The Triumph & Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson: The White House Years
by Joseph A. Califano Jr.Joe Califano—Lyndon Johnson’s closest domestic adviser during the White House years—has created a remarkable presidential portrait, a frank, tough-minded memoir that reveals not only the singular personality of LBJ, but the rough grain of American politics. More than previous biographers, scholars, or reporters, Califano—who worked day and night in the trenches with LBJ—shows us who Johnson really was and recreates life in the White House at the height of the turbulent sixties. Lyndon Johnson was bigger than life—and no one who worked for him ever forgot it. Writing with perception and energy, Califano captures his mentor’s lively, irascible spirit as he puts us in the White House alongside LBJ during such momentous events as the assassination of Martin Luther King and the wrenching violence that followed, the assassination of Robert Kennedy, the 1968 Democratic Convention, and the national trauma surrounding the Vietnam War. We see Johnson manipulate the economy and the Supreme Court; confront race riots in Watts, Newark, and Detroit; and deal with the Arab-Israeli Six Day War. We witness his achievements in the areas of education, health care, consumer safety, civil rights, environmental protection, and the arts. And we watch him squander his credibility, as he doggedly wages both his wars—the one against poverty and the one in Vietnam—determined to prevent the blood-shed in Southeast Asia from spoiling his dream of a Great Society at home. The Triumph & Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson is an intimate portrait of a president who towering ambition for his country and himself ultimately led to his decision to surrender the arena in which he fought so hard. Joe Califano has added uniquely to our understanding of LBJ, whose achievements and mistakes mirror his own complex and contradictory nature.
The Triumph & Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson: The White House Years
by Joseph A. Califano Jr.From Lyndon Johnson's closest domestic adviser during the White House years comes a book in which "Johnson leaps out of the pages in all his raw and earthy glory" (The New York Times Book Review) that's been called "a joy to read" (Stephen Ambrose, The Washington Post Book World).Califano takes us into the Oval Office as the decisions that irrevocably changed the United States were being crafted to create Johnson's ambitious Great Society. He shows us LBJ's commitment to economic and social revolution, and his willingness to do whatever it took to achieve his goals. Califano uncorks LBJ's legislative genius and reveals the political guile it took to pass the laws in civil rights, poverty, immigration reform, health, education, environmental protection, consumer protection, the arts, and communications. President Lyndon Johnson was bigger than life--and no one who worked for him or was subjected to the "Johnson treatment" ever forgot it. As Johnson's "Deputy President of Domestic Affairs" (The New York Times), Joseph A. Califano's unique relationship with the president greatly enriches our understanding of our thirty-sixth president, whose historical significance continues to be felt throughout every corner of America to this day. A no-holds-barred account of Johnson's presidency, The Triumph and Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson is an intimate portrait of a President whose towering ambition for his country and himself reshaped America--and ultimately led to his decision to withdraw from the political arena in which he fought so hard.son's presidency, The Triumph and Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson is an intimate portrait of a President whose towering ambition for his country and himself reshaped America--and ultimately led to his decision to withdraw from the political arena in which he fought so hard.
The Triumph Of Improvisation
by James Graham WilsonIn The Triumph of Improvisation, James Graham Wilson takes a long view of the end of the Cold War, from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 to Operation Desert Storm in January 1991. Drawing on deep archival research and recently declassified papers, Wilson argues that adaptation, improvisation, and engagement by individuals in positions of power ended the specter of a nuclear holocaust. Amid ambivalence and uncertainty, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, George Shultz, George H. W. Bush, and a host of other actors engaged with adversaries and adapted to a rapidly changing international environment and information age in which global capitalism recovered as command economies failed. Eschewing the notion of a coherent grand strategy to end the Cold War, Wilson paints a vivid portrait of how leaders made choices; some made poor choices while others reacted prudently, imaginatively, and courageously to events they did not foresee. A book about the burdens of responsibility, the obstacles of domestic politics, and the human qualities of leadership, The Triumph of Improvisation concludes with a chapter describing how George H. W. Bush oversaw the construction of a new configuration of power after the fall of the Berlin Wall, one that resolved the fundamental components of the Cold War on Washington's terms.
The Triumph of Henry Cecil: The Authorised Biography
by Tony RushmerDr Tony Ryan Award finalist, 2019'A wonderfully insightful, detailed and emotional biography of the legendary trainer's later years' Racing Post'[Cecil's] is a remarkable story and it has now been told with compassion, love, honesty and wonderful insight by Tony Rushmer' David Walsh, Sunday TimesWith a foreword by John GosdenWhen Henry Cecil sent out just 12 winners in 2005 it seemed as if the 10-time champion racehorse trainer's career was in terminal decline. The masterly touch that he'd shown through the glory-days of the two previous decades appeared to have deserted him after a series of painful professional and personal blows, including the death of his twin brother David. When Cecil was diagnosed with cancer in June 2006, it would have been enough to break many a man. But behind the scenes, the master of Warren Place in Newmarket was determined not to be labelled - in his words - a 'has-been'. Showing an iron resolve to fight for his professional reputation as well as his life, Cecil staged one of the great sporting comebacks. It was a story that captured the imagination of the racing public and beyond, peaking with his supreme handling of the unbeaten champion Frankel. Cecil's astonishing revival was witnessed in close-up by Tony Rushmer. The sports journalist became a trusted stable insider after being engaged in spring 2006 to help with the trainer's website and PR. He would remain part of the team right up until Cecil died in June 2013. Rushmer's unique access over seven years - in which he saw Cecil at the best and worst of times - allows him to provide a fresh perspective on an incredible part of the trainer's career. He is helped by many of those who were closest to the story, having interviewed numerous people during his extensive research. Containing fascinating detail and a wealth of new material, The Triumph of Henry Cecil shows how Cecil emerged from his slump, displayed relentless strength in the face of a cruel disease and trained the magnificent Frankel - as brilliant a racehorse as the sport has ever known.
The Triumph of John and Betty Stam
by Mrs Howard TaylorJohn Stam was daring, courageous, unafraid of danger. Betty, his wife, was kind, gracious, a sensitive poetess. Together they made a lasting contribution to missionary endeavor in China. Bandits, illness, the threatening Chinese Communist force, problems of child-raising on a primitive mission field--all these threatened to choke John and Betty's confidence in the Lord. But the Stams' faith grew stronger under pressure. Even when martyred by Chinese Reds, they displayed an unshakeable trust in God. The Triumph of John and Betty Stam offers an inspiring story of dedication and sacrifice-even martyrdom. This book will give spiritual strength to all who take time to read its contents.
The Triumph of Nancy Reagan
by Karen TumultyThe definitive biography of the fiercely vigilant and politically astute First Lady who shaped one of the most consequential presidencies of the 20th century: Nancy Reagan.The made-in-Hollywood marriage of Ronald and Nancy Reagan is more than a love story—it&’s the partnership that made him president. Of the pair, Nancy was the one with the sharper instincts about people, the superior radar for trouble, and the keen sense of how to secure his place in history. The only person in the world to whom Ronald Reagan felt truly close, Nancy understood how to foster his strengths and compensate for his weaknesses. Neither timid nor apologetic about wielding her power, Nancy Reagan made herself a place in history. But that confidence took years to develop. Nancy&’s traumatic early childhood instilled in her a lifelong anxiety and a craving for security. Born into a broken marriage, she spent seven years yearning for the absent mother who abandoned her to pursue an acting career. When she met Ronnie, who had a difficult upbringing of his own, the two fractured halves became whole. And as Ronnie turned from acting to politics, she did too, helping build the scaffolding of his rise and cultivating the wealthy and powerful figures who would help pave his way. Not only was Nancy crucial in shaping Ronald&’s White House team and in softening her husband&’s rhetoric, she became an unseen force pushing her husband toward what she saw as his grandest purpose—to shake his image as a warmonger and leave behind a more peaceful world. This book explores the multifaceted character of Nancy Reagan and reveals new details surrounding the tumultuous presidency. The Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty spent four years interviewing the people who knew this couple best and draws on overlooked archives, letters, memoirs, and White House records, compiling the most extensive biography of Nancy Reagan yet. From the AIDS epidemic to tensions with the Soviets and the war on drugs, this book shows how Nancy Reagan became one of the most influential First Ladies of the century.
The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters
by Karl RoveFrom New York Times bestselling author and political mastermind Karl Rove comes a fresh look at President William McKinley, whose 1896 campaign ended a bitter period of political gridlock and reformed and modernized his party, thereby creating a governing majority that dominated American politics for the next thirty-six years.<P><P> The 1896 political environment resembles that of today: A rapidly changing electorate affected by a growing immigrant population, an uncertain economy disrupted by new technologies, growing income inequality, and contentious issues the two parties could not resolve. McKinley found ways to address these challenges and win, which is why his campaign is so relevant to our politics now.<P> McKinley, a Civil War hero who preferred “The Major” above any other title he was given, changed the arc of American history by running the first truly modern presidential campaign. Knowing his party could only win if it grew beyond its base, he reached out to diverse ethnic groups, including openly seeking the endorsement of Catholic leaders and advocating for black voting rights. Running on the slogan “The People Against the Bosses,” McKinley also took on the machine men who dominated his own party. He deployed campaign tactics still used today, including targeting voters with the best available technology. Above all, he offered bold, controversial answers to the nation’s most pressing challenge—how to make a new, more global economy work for every American—and although this split his own party, he won the White House by sticking to his principles, defeating a charismatic champion of economic populism, William Jennings Bryan. <P> The 1896 election is a compelling drama in its own right, but McKinley’s strategies offer important lessons for both political parties today.
The Triumvirate: Captain Edward J. Smith, Bruce Ismay, Thomas Andrews and the Sinking of Titanic
by George BehePresenting the true stories of three core individuals in Titanic’s history - Captain Edward J. Smith, shipbuilder Thomas Andrews, and White Star Line chairman Joseph Bruce Ismay
The Trouble Begins At 8: A Life Of Mark Twain In The Wild, Wild West
by Sid Fleischman"Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth." So begins Sid Fleischman's ramble-scramble biography of the great American author and wit, who started life in a Missouri village as a barefoot boy named Samuel Clemens. Abandoning a career as a young steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, Sam took a bumpy stagecoach to the Far West. In the gold and silver fields, he expected to get rich quick. Instead, he got poor fast, digging in the wrong places. His stint as a sagebrush newspaperman led to a duel with pistols. Had he not survived, the world would never have heard of Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn-or red-headed Mark Twain. Samuel Clemens adopted his pen name in a hotel room in San Francisco and promptly made a jumping frog (and himself) famous. His celebrated novels followed at a leisurely pace; his quips at jet speed. "Don't let schooling interfere with your education," he wrote. Here, in high style, is the story of a wisecracking adventurer who came of age in the untamed West; an ink-stained rebel who surprised himself by becoming the most famous American of his time.
The Trouble With Tigers: Take a trip to 20th Century India in this gripping historical read full of romance and adventure
by Roxane DhandFrom the best-selling author of The Pearler's Wife, a gripping and immersive story of family secrets, sacrifice and romance set against the backdrop of a spell-binding circus in 20th Century India. Perfect for fans of books by Lucinda Riley and Dinah Jeffries.After her father died under mysterious circumstances, Lilly Myerson grew up in England raised by her grandparents. Married off at eighteen to a well-to-do but controlling Indian merchant, Lilly has never experienced adventure or romance.But in 1902 as a new king is about to be crowned, Lilly's life is destined to change.When her estranged mother invites her to spend the hot season in Nainital, Lilly's husband forces her to leave her beloved, five-year-old son Teddy behind. As Lilly discovers what lies outside her sheltered existence, she realises two things: she can't return to her carefully manicured life and she must rescue Teddy before his father turns him against her.Fleeing to the circus, Lilly enters a breath-taking world of wonder, romance and peril. Tiffert's Circus is renowned for bareback riding, the iron jaw act, trained tigers and elephants. The more dangerous the acts, the more the audience adore them. But the greater danger to Lilly Myerson is her husband Royce...
The Trouble With Tigers: Take a trip to 20th Century India in this gripping historical read full of romance and adventure
by Roxane DhandFrom the best-selling author of The Pearler's Wife, a gripping and immersive story of family secrets, sacrifice and romance set against the backdrop of a spell-binding circus in 20th Century India. Perfect for fans of books by Lucinda Riley and Dinah Jeffries.After her father died under mysterious circumstances, Lilly Myerson grew up in England raised by her grandparents. Married off at eighteen to a well-to-do but controlling Indian merchant, Lilly has never experienced adventure or romance.But in 1902 as a new king is about to be crowned, Lilly's life is destined to change.When her estranged mother invites her to spend the hot season in Nainital, Lilly's husband forces her to leave her beloved, five-year-old son Teddy behind. As Lilly discovers what lies outside her sheltered existence, she realises two things: she can't return to her carefully manicured life and she must rescue Teddy before his father turns him against her.Fleeing to the circus, Lilly enters a breath-taking world of wonder, romance and peril. Tiffert's Circus is renowned for bareback riding, the iron jaw act, trained tigers and elephants. The more dangerous the acts, the more the audience adore them. But the greater danger to Lilly Myerson is her husband Royce...
The Trouble in Room 519: Money, Matricide, and Marginal Fiction in the Early Twentieth Century
by Thomas AielloAt approximately seven o’clock in the evening on May 7, 1950, Gordon Malherbe Hillman filled an empty bottle with water, capped it, and walked into his mother’s room in the pair’s fifth-floor suite at Boston’s luxurious Copley Plaza Hotel. He then edged up behind the semi-invalid woman and bludgeoned her to death. Hotel staff had planned to evict the two the following day after several weeks of unpaid rent. Mounting debts had finally broken the fifty-year-old Hillman, a now-struggling author of mixed success, but it had not always been that way, as Thomas Aiello shows in his study of the life and work of this forgotten midcentury figure.As a youth, Hillman attended the prestigious Noble and Greenough School near Boston. Pursuing a career as a writer, he published several dozen pieces of short fiction and a critically acclaimed novel, Fortune’s Cup (1941). Hollywood studios purchased the rights to two of his stories and made them into films, The Great Man Votes (1939) and Here I Am a Stranger (1940). But Hillman remained, for the most part, a middling magazine writer like the majority of fiction authors working during the Depression. Although most did not resort to acts of manic violence, Hillman’s tenuous position in literary circles, along with his gradual descent into financial ruin, proved a far more common tale than the stories of literary success often pored over by critics and historians of this period.In The Trouble in Room 519: Money, Matricide, and Marginal Fiction in the Early Twentieth Century, Aiello weaves a compelling true crime narrative into his exploration of the economics of magazine fiction and the strains placed on authors by the publishing industry prior to World War II. Examining Hillman’s writing as exemplary of Depression-era popular fiction, Aiello includes eight stories written by Hillman and originally published in prominent midcentury American magazines, including Collier’s, Liberty, and McCall’s, to provide additional context and insight into this trying time and tragic life.
The Trouble of Color: An American Family Memoir
by Martha S. JonesAn &“intimate and searching&” (Natasha Trethewey, New York Times–bestselling author of Memorial Drive) memoir of family, color, and being Black, white, and other in America, from &“one of our country&’s greatest historians&” (Clint Smith, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of How the Word is Passed) Martha S. Jones grew up feeling her Black identity was obvious to all who saw her. But weeks into college, a Black Studies classmate challenged Jones&’s right to speak. Suspicious of the color of her skin and the texture of her hair, he confronted her with a question that inspired a lifetime of introspection: &“Who do you think you are?&” Now a prizewinning scholar of Black history, Jones delves into her family&’s past for answers. In every generation since her great-great-great-grandmother survived enslavement to raise a free family, color determined her ancestors&’ lives. But the color line was shifting and jagged, not fixed and straight. Some backed away from it, others skipped along it, and others still were cut deep by its sharp teeth. Journeying across centuries, from rural Kentucky and small-town North Carolina to New York City and its suburbs, The Trouble of Color is a lyrical, deeply felt meditation on the most fundamental matters of identity, belonging, and family.
The Trouble with Fairy Tales: A Memoir
by Plum JohnsonThe long-awaited second memoir from Plum Johnson, bestselling author of They Left Us Everything.The Trouble with Fairy Tales is a wise and insightful reflection on the relationships that sprawl across a lifetime. In it, Plum explores how we often sacrifice our independence and identity in our love lives, falling for the fairytale notion of &“happily ever after&”, and how it can take years, and many detours, to fulfil the most important relationship—the one with ourselves.Ripe with the humorous anecdotes, charming insights, and aching revelations so characteristic of Plum&’s style, the book is our window onto her reinvention of self as she moves through the various roles that many women inhabit: from compliant child to loving mother, rebel wife, artist, and successful writer. Plum&’s writing urges her readers to turn inward to reach a deeper understanding of their own tangled relationships. Funny and resonant, The Trouble with Fairy Tales is the kind of striking personal narrative that will stir and inspire women of all ages.
The Trouble with Harry Hay: Founder of the Modern Gay Movement
by Stuart TimmonsIn 1950, Harry Hay founded the Mattachine Society, and thus gave rise to the modern gay movement. Today, lesbian and gay activism is taken for granted. But four decades ago, it required a visionary and courageous spirit to organize gay people. Now, Stuart Timmons has chronicled those tumultuous early years of the homophile movement, and the colorful life of its founder. Here is the story of the man who started it all. Also, Hay helped found the Radical Faeries, a gay spiritual movement that seeks to "reject hetero imitation" and redefine gay identity.
The Trouble with Tom: The Strange Afterlife and Times of Thomas Paine
by Paul CollinsThe author of "Sixpence House" travels the globe piecing together the missing body and soul of one of America's most enigmatic founding fathers: Thomas Paine.
The Trouble with Whiskers
by Teresa BatemanToday, there are lots of different facial hair styles that people can have, but a long time ago, beards were illegal! Thanks to a beard-sporting man named Joseph Palmer, we can all wear proudly wear beards. Palmer faced years of prejudice and persecution for his beard until he was able to change laws—and eventually, history!
The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong's Greatest Dissident, and China's Most Feared Critic
by Mark L. CliffordThe astonishing story of the billionaire businessman Jimmy Lai who became one of Hong Kong&’s leading activists for democracy and is today China&’s most famous political prisoner.Jimmy Lai escaped mainland China when he was twelve years old, at the height of a famine that killed tens of millions. In Hong Kong, he hustled; no work was beneath him, and he often slept on a table in a clothing factory where he did odd jobs. At twenty-one, he was running a factory. By his mid-twenties, he owned one and was supplying sweaters and shirts to some of the biggest brands in the United States, from Polo to The Limited. His ideas about retail led him to create Giordano in 1981, and with it &“fast fashion.&” A restless entrepreneur, as Giordano prepared to go public, he was thinking about a dining concept that would disrupt Hong Kong&’s fast-food industry. But then came the Tiananmen Square democracy protest and the massacre of 1989. His reaction to the violence was to enter the media business to push China toward more freedoms. He started a magazine, Next, to advocate for democracy in Hong Kong. Then, just two years before the city was to return to Chinese control, he founded the Apple Daily newspaper. Its mix of bold graphics, gossip, local news, and opposition to the Chinese Communist Party was an immediate hit. For more than two decades, Lai used Apple and Next as part of a personal push for democracy—in weekly columns, at rallies and marches, and, memorably, sitting in front of a tent during the 2014 Occupy Central movement. Lai took his activism abroad, traveling frequently to Washington, where he was well known in Congress and in political circles. China reacted with fury in 2019 when he met with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. A draconian new security law came into effect in Hong Kong in mid-2020, effectively making free speech a crime and censorship a fact. Lai was its most important target. Apple Daily was raided on August 10, 2020. He was arrested and held without bail before being convicted of trumped-up charges ranging from lighting a candle (&“incitement to riot&”) to violating a clause in his company&’s lease (&“fraud&”). At the end of 2023, a lengthy trial began alleging &“collusion with foreign forces&” and printing seditious materials. China&’s most famous political prisoner has been in jail for more than 1,100 days and could spend the rest of his life there. The Troublemaker is his story.
The True Adventures of Rolling Stones
by Greil Marcus Stanley BoothStanley Booth, a member of the Rolling Stones' inner circle, met the band just a few months before Brian Jones drowned in a swimming pool in 1968. He lived with them throughout their 1969 tour across the United States, staying up all night together listening to blues, talking about music, ingesting drugs, and consorting with groupies. His thrilling account culminates with their final concert at Altamont Speedway--a nightmare of beating, stabbing, and killing that would signal the end of a generation's dreams of peace and freedom. But while this book renders in fine detail the entire history of the Stones, paying special attention to the tragedy of Brian Jones, it is about much more than a writer and a rock band. It has been called--by Harold Brodkey and Robert Stone, among others--the best book ever written about the 1960s. In Booth's afterword, he finally explains why it took him 15 years to write the book, relating an astonishing story of drugs, jails, and disasters. Updated to include a foreword by Greil Marcus, this 30th anniversary edition is for Rolling Stones fans everywhere.
The True Adventures of Rolling Stones
by Stanley BoothStanley Booth, a member of the Rolling Stones' inner circle, met the band just a few months before Brian Jones drowned in a swimming pool in 1968. He lived with them throughout their 1969 American tour, staying up all night together listening to blues, talking about music, ingesting drugs, and consorting with groupies. His thrilling account culminates with their final concert at Altamont Speedway--a nightmare of beating, stabbing, and killing that would signal the end of a generation's dreams of peace and freedom. But while this book renders in fine detail the entire history of the Stones, paying special attention to the tragedy of Brian Jones, it is about much more than a writer and a rock band. It has been called--by Harold Brodkey and Robert Stone, among others--the best book ever written about the sixties. In Booth's new afterword, he finally explains why it took him 15 years to write the book, relating an astonishing story of drugs, jails, and disasters.
The True Adventures of Charley Darwin
by Carolyn MeyerThe fascinating journey of a famous naturalist Young Charley Darwin hated school--he much preferred to be outside studying birds' eggs, feathers, and insects. And so, at the age of twenty-one, he boarded a ship called HMS Beagle and spent five thrilling but dangerous years sailing around the world, studying plant and animal life that was beyond anything he could have imagined. Here, just in time for Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his groundbreaking On the Origin of Species, historical novelist Carolyn Meyer tells the story of his unconventional adventures. It's the story of a restless childhood, unrequited teenage love, and a passion for studying nature that was so great, Darwin would sacrifice everything to pursue it.
The True Adventures of the World's Greatest Stuntman: My Life as Indiana Jones, James Bond, Superman and Other Movie Heroes
by Vic ArmstrongThink you don't know Vic Armstrong? Wrong! You've seen his work in countless films... He's been a stunt double for James Bond, Indiana Jones and Superman, and he's directed action scenes for three Bond movies, Mission Impossible 3, Thor, and the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man to name but a few. Counting Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger among his friends, and officially credited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Most Prolific Stuntman, Vic's got a lot of amazing stories to tell, and they're all here in this - the movie memoir of the year!
The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas
by Anand GiridharadasThe True American tells the story of Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a Bangladesh Air Force officer who dreams of immigrating to America and working in technology. But days after 9/11, an avowed "American terrorist" named Mark Stroman, seeking revenge, walks into the Dallas minimart where Bhuiyan has found temporary work and shoots him, maiming and nearly killing him. Two other victims, at other gas stations, aren't so lucky, dying at once. The True American traces the making of these two men, Stroman and Bhuiyan, and of their fateful encounter. It follows them as they rebuild shattered lives--one striving on Death Row to become a better man, the other to heal and pull himself up from the lowest rung on the ladder of an unfamiliar country. Ten years after the shooting, an Islamic pilgrimage seeds in Bhuiyan a strange idea: if he is ever to be whole, he must reenter Stroman's life. He longs to confront Stroman and speak to him face to face about the attack that changed their lives. Bhuiyan publicly forgives Stroman, in the name of his religion and its notion of mercy. Then he wages a legal and public-relations campaign, against the State of Texas and Governor Rick Perry, to have his attacker spared from the death penalty. The True American is a rich, colorful, profoundly moving exploration of the American dream in its many dimensions. Ultimately it tells a story about our love-hate relationship with immigrants, about the encounter of Islam and the West, about how--or whether--we choose what we become.
The True Benjamin Franklin: An Illuminating Look into the Life of One of Our Greatest Founding Fathers
by Sydney George FisherIn spite of being dead for over two hundred years, Benjamin Franklin remains an object of fascination for many history buffs. He was a diplomat, postmaster, political theorist, politician, scientist, satirist, musician, civic activist, and so much more. With his manifold accomplishments, it is nearly impossible to believe that still so little could be known about him.In The True Benjamin Franklin, Sydney George Fisher showcases a Benjamin Franklin not seen in other stories of the man's life. Following him from his time as a boy who wrote articles in Boston for his brother's paper to his years as a statesman, inventor and diplomat, The True Benjamin Franklin tells the story in a wider scope than Franklin's own autobiography. From political intrigue with the British and French to his children out of wedlock, this is a comprehensive biography of one of the most fascinating politicians in American history.