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Dead Man's Chest: Phryne Fisher 18 (Phryne Fisher #18)
by Kerry GreenwoodPhryne Fisher needs a rest. It's summer. She packs up her family and moves to Queenscliff, a quiet watering place on the coast. Where she meets with smugglers, pirate treasure and some very interesting surrealists, including a parrot called Pussykins. What is the mysterious Madame Selavey hiding? Where are the Johnsons, who were supposed to be in the holiday house?
Dead Man's Folly: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition (Hercule Poirot Mysteries #31)
by Agatha ChristieWhen a mock murder game staged for charity threatens to turn into the real thing, the intrepid Hercule Poirot is called in to take part in this Dead Man’s Folly, a classic from the queen of suspense, Agatha Christie.Sir George and Lady Stubbs, the hosts of a village fete, hit upon the novel idea of staging a mock murder mystery. In good faith, Ariadne Oliver, the well-known crime writer, agrees to organize their murder hunt.Despite weeks of meticulous planning, at the last minute Ariadne calls her friend Hercule Poirot for his expert assistance. Instinctively, she senses that’s something sinister is about to happen….
Dead Man's Gold (Under Hill)
by Cameron JuddIn this action-packed Western adventure, a father and son defend families from vicious outlaws.In a remote mining camp in California's rugged Sierra Mountains, a small group of men, women, and children are weathering a slow winter—until a band of trigger-happy, whiskey-slugging thieves comes in search of stolen gold.But what these ruffians didn't count on is having to reckon with the Underhills. Sam and his father Bushrod engage the bandits in a fiery battle that will leave some six feet under . . . and others rich beyond their wildest dreams.
Dead Man's Gold: Dead Man's Gold (The Loner #3)
by J.A. JohnstoneThe son of legendary gunfighter Frank Morgan, The Loner is fast with his fists, faster with a gun, and haunted by the demons of his past. . .The Way Of The WestWith his wife's killers dead and buried, Conrad Morgan--known as The Loner--is on his way to Mexico for some peace and quiet. But on the way he's sidetracked by some intriguing travelers who are hunting down a valuable golden artifact. They're not the only ones who want to get a hold of the treasure. A running gun battle with some killers lands The Loner and his cohorts in the Jornada del Muerto--a hellish, waterless wasteland in New Mexico Territory. And now it's up to The Loner to get himself and his new friends out of this arid stretch of land before they perish from thirst. . .or lead poisoning.. . .
Dead Man's Guns
by Paul LedererRescued by settlers, an injured lawman fights to regain his memoryHis horse shot out from under him, the sheriff scrambles across ragged wasteland, desperate to outrun the four riders behind him. Bullets sing through the air as the chase comes to an abrupt halt at the lip of the Snake River Gorge. Far below him, the rapids roar through the canyon, and the lawman has no choice but to jump. He falls, slamming his head on a rock, and sinks into unconsciousness.He washes up on the riverbank near a small farm, where young Teresa Bright drags him to safety. His rescuer finds no clue to his identity but a piece of a badge nestled in his front pocket. She and her father wash and dress the stranger&’s wounds, but they can do nothing to bring back his shattered memory. Whoever this man is, there were killers on his tail, and they will not rest until he&’s found.
Dead Man's Hand (Jake Paynter #1)
by David NixAn action-packed historical western for fans of William Johnstone and Louis L'Amour.Condemned to die, he's about to find a reason to live.Jake Paynter is a doomed man. Haunted by an abusive childhood and his participation in atrocities of the Civil War, he seeks the isolation of the Plains Cavalry as a white officer for an all-Black buffalo soldier troop. Now, he is in irons and certain to be hanged for killing his captain after refusing an inhumane order. Despite his best efforts to maintain isolation, he starts to make friends on his journey to trial. The people of the wagon train begin looking to Paynter for leadership, and he reluctantly falls into the role.The opportunity to escape arises when the wagon train is attacked by bandits, but Paynter's growing ties to the travelers compel him to stay. As his trial approaches, Paynter must lean on his friends for salvation, but the laws of the west are swift and harsh, and a grueling confrontation with his past is on the horizon.
Dead Man's Hand: The Saga of Doc Holliday
by Victoria WilcoxYou&’ve heard Doc Holliday&’s history, but do you know his story?Dead Man&’s Hand brings John Henry Holliday to Tombstone, Arizona, the richest silver boomtown in the country, where he&’s caught up in a secretive plot to stop a gang of cattle rustlers and stage robbers before they start a threatened war with Mexico. When suspicions rise and tempers ignite, the plot turns into a war between cowboys and lawmen, and he becomes a player in the most famous street fight in the Wild West. The aftermath brings retribution and a reckoning that sends John Henry and his friend Wyatt Earp fleeing for their lives, but a hoped-for sanctuary in Colorado is broken by legal battles that attract national newspaper coverage and hired guns hoping for a moment of fame against the infamous Doc Holliday. He can never return to the life he once knew, and as the mountain altitude and illness take their toll, he is forced to turn to the one person he thought he&’d never see again. And with luck, he&’ll have one last chance to prove himself as the Southern gentleman he was raised to be.Dead Man&’s Hand is the final book in the award-winning Saga of Doc Holliday, an epic American tale of heroes and villains, dreams lost and found, families broken and reconciled, of sin and recompense and the redeeming power of love.
Dead Man's Poker (A Wilson Young Western #2)
by Giles TippetteWhen it comes to Western fiction, acclaimed writer Giles Tippette hits the bull’s eye every time . . .Saloon owner Wilson Young doesn’t need the law to take care of business. But when he takes a train down to Galveston to look up a gambler who owes him a fat debt, he gets paid with a bullet in his chest. After getting out of the scrape alive—barely—Young heads back to San Antone to mend up. And plan his revenge. And draw on his outlaw past to settle a score—one bullet at a time. Praise for Giles Tippette “Tippette can plot away with the best of them.”—Dallas Morning News“Like True Grit . . . a small masterpiece . . . brilliantly written.” —Newark News“Spine-jarring, bullet-biting intensity.”—Houston Post“Tough, gutsy, and fascinating.”—NY Newsday“Impressive authenticity.”—Booklist“His fiction is taught and gripping.”—Houston Spectator“Tippette can write rough and tumble action superbly.”—Chattanooga Times
Dead Man's Ransom (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #9)
by Ellis PetersBrother Cadfael must intervene when a prisoner exchange is interrupted by love and murder, in the Silver Dagger Award–winning medieval mystery series. In February of 1141, men march home from war to Shrewsbury, but the captured sheriff Gilbert Prestcote is not among them. Elis, a young Welsh prisoner, is delivered to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul to begin a tale that will test Brother Cadfael&’s sense of justice—and his heart. By good fortune, it seems, the prisoner can be exchanged as Sheriff Prestcote&’s ransom. What no one expects is that good-natured Elis will be struck down by cupid&’s arrow. The sheriff&’s own daughter holds him in thrall, and she, too, is blind with passion. But regaining her father means losing her lover. The sheriff, ailing and frail, is brought to the abbey&’s infirmary—where he is murdered. Suspicion falls on the prisoner, who has only his Welsh honor to gain Brother Cadfael&’s help. And Cadfael gives it, not knowing the truth will be a trial for his own soul.
Dead Man's Ransom (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #9)
by Ellis PetersBrother Cadfael must intervene when a prisoner exchange is interrupted by love and murder, in the Silver Dagger Award–winning medieval mystery series. In February of 1141, men march home from war to Shrewsbury, but the captured sheriff Gilbert Prestcote is not among them. Elis, a young Welsh prisoner, is delivered to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul to begin a tale that will test Brother Cadfael&’s sense of justice—and his heart. By good fortune, it seems, the prisoner can be exchanged as Sheriff Prestcote&’s ransom. What no one expects is that good-natured Elis will be struck down by cupid&’s arrow. The sheriff&’s own daughter holds him in thrall, and she, too, is blind with passion. But regaining her father means losing her lover. The sheriff, ailing and frail, is brought to the abbey&’s infirmary—where he is murdered. Suspicion falls on the prisoner, who has only his Welsh honor to gain Brother Cadfael&’s help. And Cadfael gives it, not knowing the truth will be a trial for his own soul.
Dead Man's Rapids
by William Durbin Barbara DurbinWhen 13-year-old Ben Ward left school to work with his Pa in a logging camp, a winter of peeling potatoes and setting tables wasn&’t the adventure he had in mind. Still, come spring, he signs up for the log drive with his friend Nevers, wishing the head cook on the wanigan (the floating cook shack) could be someone other than his crabby Pa. Fate, with a wink, complies, and Pa quits—only to be replaced by someone far worse: Pete Sardman, aka Old Sard, a cantankerous character complete with a greasy apron, an eye patch, one deaf ear, and plenty to say.Luckily, there&’s also the rest of the crew—a colorful, sometimes outrageous company of men. Together Ben and Nevers endure freezing weather, dangerous rapids, logjams, storms and floods, and a number of gripping tall tales, along the way learning about logging on the river and a whole lot more about life. Taking up where Blackwater Ben left off, Dead Man&’s Rapids returns to the north woods of Minnesota in the late nineteenth century, and with warmth, humor, and attention to historical detail engages readers both young and old.
Dead Man's Road
by Randy DenmonA veteran on the frontier has his eyes on the prize but needs to watch his back in this thrilling Western novel from the author of The Lawless Frontier. A nation is staggering to its feet after the long, devastating Civil War. The West is full of dreamers, wanderers, fighters and builders. One man has a plan to build a railroad—that plunges him into a brutal battle for survival. IN A LAND OF BEAUTY AND DEATH… In the high Rocky Mountains, Civil War veteran Marshall Brewster has a vision of wealth and fame. Under the tutelage of a hardened railroad tycoon, Brewster will build a railroad connecting Colorado&’s booming silver mines to a country starved for wealth—and maybe win himself the hand of a beautiful woman in the process. But as in war, Brewster&’s plan is soon shattered by the enemy: an angry, proud and desperate tribe of Cheyene warriors, a competing railroad baron and the ruthless, murderous hired guns at his beck and call… On a landscape of towering mountains, driving snow and clear rushing streams, the blood of fighters and innocents is being shed. And for a man who thought he already had his fill of war, another is just beginning—with no retreat, no surrender, and even bloodier than the battle he left behind…
Dead Man's Trail (Yakima Henry Series #10)
by Frank LeslieChristmas for Yakima Henry isn't all that merry... Yakima Henry is hunting wild horses with his partner, Lewis Shackleford, when they're attacked by desperadoes. A mysterious gunman with a Sharps rifle sends the thieves running. But when they go to thank their savior, they find him dead--with a large poke of gold amongst his gear. Haunted by the man's death, Yakima takes it upon himself to take the gold to the shooter's family. But even around Christmas, nothing is easy. On the trip through the snowy Wyoming mountains, Yakima will have to fight hard to save himself and his traveling companions--including a beautiful woman on the run--from predators both animal and human.
Dead Man's Trail: A Delicious Culinary Cozy Mystery With Recipes (A Carson Stone Western #1)
by Nate MorganReformed outlaw Carson Stone, in this razor-sharp Western, stakes his claim in the untamed, bloody Idaho Territory, only to find himself trapped in a bullet-riddled nightmare he may not walk away from . . . Former thief and wanted man Carson Stone dreams of a peaceful life on a ranch built by his own hands, but dreams don&’t always come without a steep price. To earn a stake, Carson rides west to collect the reward on a claim-jumper. The land is beautiful, but times are hard as the territory is ravaged by the latest Indian war and a mining boom gone bust. When Stone steps in to defend a family ambushed by murdering marauders, he makes a terrifying discovery: one of the hired killers carries a death list full of names and dollar amounts. But the names on this list belong to upstanding citizens, not criminals. When the local sheriff is gunned down in broad daylight, Carson takes on the one job he never wanted—pinning on a lawman&’s tin star to protect the innocent. A gang of ruthless killers are storming back to finish their work—and Carson Stone has just moved to the top of the death list.
Dead Man's Tunnel (The Hook Runyon Mysteries #3)
by Sheldon RussellDead Man's Tunnel is the third installment in Sheldon Russell's 1940s series featuring yard dog Hook Runyon.Near the end of WWII, Hook Runyon, railroad bull, and his dog, Mixer, are sent to the West Salvage Yard in the high desert of Arizona. Not far away is the Johnson Canyon Tunnel. Though remote and ordinary as tunnels go, it is the gateway to the steepest railroad grade in North America and a potential bottleneck for the delivery of war supplies. So vital is this tunnel to the war effort that a twenty-four hour military guard has been assigned for the duration. Hook's orders are to catch copper thieves and to stay out of sight and out of trouble. But things go awry when Hook receives a call that one of the guards has been killed mid-tunnel by an oncoming train. Lieutenant Allison Capron from the Army Transportation Department is called in to help with the investigation. At first, suicide by train is suspected, but the evidence soon suggests homicide resulting from a love triangle. Unable to fit his own findings into either of these theories, Hook suspects something more sinister.
Dead Men Don't Lie (An Outlaw Torn Slater Western #1)
by Jackson Cain&“NEVER HAS THE WEST BEEN WILDER.&” —Ward Larsen, USA Today bestselling author Wanted in thirteen states. Locked up for two years in a Mexican prison. Released into the wilds of the American West with a twenty-thousand-dollar bounty on his head. The outlaw Torn Slater doesn&’t just live outside the law, he takes it into his own hands—and makes it cry for mercy . . . After robbing some banks, Slater knows he should lay low. But when a beautiful widow asks for his help, he can&’t say no. Her reckless son has gone looking for trouble in Mexico—and found it in a woman called &“La Senorita.&” This power-mad femme fatale combines the torture methods of the Spanish Inquisition with the heart-ripping rituals of the Aztecs to get whatever she wants. And she wants the widow&’s son. Slater would be lying if he said taking down &“La Senorita&” would be easy. But dead men don&’t lie . . . &“GRITTIER THAN LOUIS L&’AMOUR, Jackson Cain writes . . . some of the wildest, juiciest, fast-galloping western adventures you&’ll ever read.&” —William Martin, New York Times bestselling author &“NON-STOP ACTION . . . These novels are tough as nails, written by a pro who knows what he&’s doing.&” —Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author
Dead Men Kill
by L. Ron HubbardBloodcurdling suspense... When several of the city's most respected citizens are inexplicably killed by what appear to be zombies, all Detective Terry Lane has to go on is a blue grey glove, a Haitian pharmacy bill for some very unusual drugs and a death threat from a mysterious stranger. Matters are soon complicated when a beautiful nightclub singer shows up who claims to have information that could solve the case, but whose motives are plainly suspect. Against his better judgment, Terry investigates her lead only to find himself sealed in a coffin en route to the next zombie murder--his own."DEAD MEN KILL is frightful fun from yesteryear."-- Fangoria* An International Book Awards Winner
Dead Men Risen: An Epic Story of War and Heroism in Afghanistan
by Toby HarndenDead Men Risen, winner of the prestigious Orwell Prize for Books, is the epic story of a beleaguered British battle group fighting desperately to prevent the Taliban from seizing Afghanistan's Helmand province just as the U.S. Marines arrive to take over. <P><P>Bestselling author Toby Harnden describes how men from the coal mining valleys and slate quarry villages of Wales found themselves in the most intense combat faced by British troops for a generation. Underequipped and overstretched, the fighting prowess of the Welsh Guards in the killing fields of Sangin and Nawa awed the U.S. Marines. NATO commander General Stanley McChrystal, who was awaiting a response to his urgent request to President Barack Obama for more troops, hailed their "burn-in-your-gut passion." <P><P>Harnden was on the ground with the Welsh Guards in Helmand in 2009. He gained access to a trove of secret military documents and conducted nearly three hundred interviews in Afghanistan, England, Wales, and the United States to produce this timeless and profound account of men at war.Commanding the Welsh Guards was Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, a passionate believer in the justness of the war who was dismayed by the military and political incompetence surrounding it. In chilling detail, Harnden reveals how and why Thorneloe-the first British battalion commander to die in action since the 1982 Falklands War-was killed by an IED during Operation Panther's Claw. By the time the fighting was over, almost no rank had been spared. <P><P>From the searing heat of the poppy fields and the mud compounds of Helmand to the dreaded knock on the door back home, the reader is transported there. Harnden weaves the experiences of the soldiers, their historical forbears and the flawed NATO strategy into a masterly narrative. No other book about modern conflict succeeds on so many levels. <P><P>Dead Men Risen is essential for anyone who wants to understand the reality of the Afghan war for the U.S and its allies. reveals how and why Thorneloe - the first British battalion commander to die in action for 27 years -- was killed by an IED during Operation Panther's Claw.Harnden, who had known Thorneloe since they met in Northern Ireland in 1996, was on the ground in Helmand with the Welsh Guards. He draws on a trove of military documents, including many by Thorneloe. Major Sean Birchall left behind an unvarnished account of the shortcomings of the Afghan forces that represent Nato's exit strategy. <P><P>Lieutenant Mark Evison wrote a diary that raises questions from beyond the grave.It was more than half a century since a British battalion had lost officers at these three key levels of leadership. By the time the fighting was over, almost no rank had been spared. A timeless account of men at war, Dead Men Risen conveys what it is like to be a soldier who has to kill, face paralysing fear and watch comrades perish in agony. <P><P>Given unprecedented access to the British troops, Harnden conducted more than 300 interviews in Afghanistan, England and Wales.The searing heat of the poppy fields and mud compounds of Helmand to the dreaded knock on the door back home, the reader is transported there. <P><P>Harnden weaves the experiences of the guardsmen and their loved ones into an unsparing narrative that sits alongside a piercing analysis of military strategy. No other book about modern conflict succeeds on so many levels. Dead Men Risen is essential for anyone who wants to learn the reality of the war in Afghanistan.
Dead Men Risen: The Welsh Guards and the Real Story of Britain's War in Afghanistan
by Toby HarndenWINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE 2012. This is the gripping story of the men of the Welsh Guards and their bloody battle for survival in Afghanistan in 2009. Underequipped and overstretched, they found themselves in the most intense fighting the British had experienced in a generation. They were led into battle by Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, a passionate believer in the justness of the war who was deeply dismayed by the way it was being resourced and conducted. Thorneloe was killed by an IED during Operation Panther's Claw, the biggest operation mounted by the British in Helmand. Dead Men Risen draws on secret documents written by Thorneloe, which raise questions from beyond the grave that will unnerve politicians and generals alike. The Welsh Guards also lost Major Sean Birchall, commanding officer of IX Company, and Lieutenant Mark Evison, a platoon commander whose candid personal diary was unnervingly prophetic. Not since the Second World War had a single British battalion lost officers at the three key levels of leadership. Harnden transports the reader into the heart of a conflict in which a soldier has to be prepared to kill and die, to ward off paralysing fear and watch comrades perish in agony. Given unprecedented access to the Welsh Guards, Harnden conducted hundreds of interviews in Afghanistan, England and Wales. He weaves the experiences of the guardsmen and the loved ones they left behind into a seamless and unsparing narrative that sits alongside a piercing analysis of the political and military strategy. No other book about modern warfare succeeds on so many levels.
Dead Men Talking: Collusion, Cover-Up and Murder in Northern Ireland's Dirty War
by Nicholas DaviesFollowing the revelations of the secret conspiracy between British Military Intelligence and the gunmen of the Ulster Defence Association in Ten-Thirty-Three, Nicholas Davies now dramatically reveals the evidence and facts that the Sir John Stevens Inquiry is still trying to establish regarding links between the security services and loyalist terrorist groups.In Dead Men Talking, Davies exclusively details the covert killing operations planned, organised and carried through by the RUC Special Branch and MI5, as well as by the British Army's covert intelligence organisation, the Force Research Unit. He provides new evidence on the killings that were authorised at the highest level of MI5 and the British Government, and carried out by loyalist terror groups. Davies also reveals the existence of a hitherto unknown secret intelligence unit operating under MI5 and examines its role in the government's undercover operation. Davies traces the work carried out by the legendary 'Steak Knife', the British super-spy who infiltrated the highest echelons of the Provisional IRA and passed their secrets to MI5 over a 30-year period. For the first time, Davies gives details of Steak Knife's extraordinary life, reveals some of the Provo bombings and shootings which he thwarted, and details vital secrets he passed to British Intelligence. Dead Men Talking uncovers the true story of the murder of Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane, of UDA gunman William Stobie and the subsequent murders of others allegedly involved. Dead Men Talking uncovers the true story of the murder of Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane, of UDA gunman William Stobie and the subsequent murders of others allegedly involved.
Dead Men: A Novel
by Richard Pierce“An expertly told story that captures the detail and spirit of Antarctic adventure, then and now . . . A compelling novel.” —Sir Ranulph Fiennes, explorer The discovery of Captain Scott’s body in the Antarctic in 1912 started a global obsession with him as a man and an explorer. But a central mystery remains—why did he and his companions remain in a tent just eleven miles from the safety of their food and fuel depot during their last ten days? Birdie Bowers, an infamously secretive painter, was named after one of Scott’s companions. A century after his death, she is determined to discover what really happened to him. On her way to view some of the relics from Scott’s expedition, she collapses and is rescued by Adam, a bored computer expert—who falls in love with her so completely that he agrees to travel with her to the Antarctic to discover the site of Scott’s tent, now encased beneath thirty yards of ice. “Sensual and intriguing,” Dead Men tells the story of two journeys while illuminating “the passion between Adam and Birdie, the passion of the Antarctic explorers, and a passion for the truth” (Booklist). “This debut novel by Richard Pierce proves a poetically written narrative can also be riveting and engrossing. . . . This is a love story, a historical novel, a polar expedition and a ghostly tale.” —Washington Independent Review of Books
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident
by Donnie EicharThe New York Times and Wall Street Journal Nonfiction Bestseller that explores the gripping Dyatlov Pass incident that took the lives of nine young Russian hikers in 1959.What happened that night on Dead Mountain?In February 1959, a group of nine experienced hikers in the Russian Ural Mountains died mysteriously on an elevation known as Dead Mountain. Eerie aspects of the mountain climbing incident—unexplained violent injuries, signs that they cut open and fled the tent without proper clothing or shoes, a strange final photograph taken by one of the hikers, and elevated levels of radiation found on some of their clothes—have led to decades of speculation over the true stories and what really happened.Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident delves into the untold story through unprecedented access to the hikers' own journals and photographs, rarely seen government records, dozens of interviews, and author Donnie Eichar's retracing of the hikers' fateful journey in the Russian winter.An instant historical nonfiction bestseller upon its release, this is the dramatic real story of what happened on Dead Mountain.GRIPPING AND BIZARRE: This is a fascinating portrait of young adventurers in the Soviet era, and a skillful interweaving of the hikers' narrative, the investigators' efforts, and the author's investigations. Library Journal hailed "the drama and poignancy of Eichar's solid depiction of this truly eerie and enduring mystery."FOR FANS OF UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: Unsolved true crimes and historical mysteries never cease to capture our imaginations. The Dyatlov Pass incident was little known outside of Russia until film producer and director Donnie Eichar brought the decades-old mystery to light in a book that reads like a mystery.FASCINATING VISUALS: This well-researched volume includes black-and-white photographs from the cameras that belonged to the hikers, which were recovered after their deaths, along with explanatory graphics breaking down some of the theories surrounding the mysterious incident.Perfect for:Fans of nonfiction history books and true crimeAnyone who enjoys real-life mountaineering and survival stories such as Into Thin Air, Buried in the Sky, The Moth and the Mountain, and Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the WorldReaders seeking Cold War narratives and true stories from the Soviet era
Dead Precedents: How Hip-Hop Defines the Future
by Roy ChristopherThe story of how hip-hop created, and came to dominate, the twenty-first century.In Dead Precedents, Roy Christopher traces the story of how hip-hop invented the twenty-first century. Emerging alongside cyberpunk in the 1980s, the hallmarks of hip-hop - allusion, self-reference, the use of new technologies, sampling, the cutting and splicing of language and sound - would come to define the culture of the new millennium.Taking in the groundbreaking work of DJs and MCs, alongside writers like Dick and Gibson, as well as graffiti and DIY culture, Dead Precedents is a counter-culture history of the twentieth century, showcasing hip-hop's role in the creation of the world we now live in.
Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation’s Leaders
by Brady CarlsonAn entertaining exploration into the death stories of our nation’s greatest leaders—and the wild ways we choose to remember and memorialize them. To public radio host and reporter Brady Carlson, the weighty responsibilities of being president never end. As Carlson sees it, the dead presidents (and the ways we remember them) tell us a great deal about ourselves, our history, and how we imagine our past and future. For American presidents, there is life after death—it’s just a little weird. In Dead Presidents, Carlson takes readers on an epic trip to presidential gravesites, monuments, and memorials from sea to shining sea. With an engaging mix of history and contemporary reporting, Carlson recounts the surprising origin stories of the Washington Monument, Mount Rushmore, Grant’s Tomb, and JFK’s Eternal Flame. He explores whether William Henry Harrison really died of a cold, how the assassin’s bullet may not have been what killed James A. Garfield, and why Zachary Taylor’s remains were exhumed 140 years after he died. And he explains the strange afterlives of the presidents, including why “Hooverball” is still played in Iowa, why Millard Fillmore’s final resting place is next to that of funk legend Rick James, why “Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?” became a running gag for Groucho Marx, why Ohio and Alaska fought for so long over the name of Mt. McKinley (now known as Denali), and why we exalt dead presidents not just with public statues and iconic paintings but with kitschy wax dummies, Halloween costumes, and bobblehead dolls. With an infectious passion for history and an eye for neglected places and offbeat characters reminiscent of Tony Horwitz and Sarah Vowell, Carlson shows that the ways we memorialize our presidents reveal as much about us as it does about the men themselves.
Dead Reckoning
by C. Northcote ParkinsonIn this final book in the Richard Delancey series, Captain Richard Delancey heads for the East Indies on the 32-gun frigate Laura to take part in the capture of the Cape of Good Hope. His ingenious tactics gain the attention of his superiors, who recruit him for a high-stakes mission: to seek out and destroy the French privateer Subtile.