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A Military Miscellany: From Bunker Hill to Baghdad -- Important, Uncommon, and Sometimes Forgotten Facts, Lists, and Stories from America's Military History
by Thomas AyresFor armchair generals, history buffs, and military enthusiasts everywhere,A Military Miscellany is an essential and entertaining collection of fascinating and little-known facts, anecdotes, lists, and stories from America's rich military legacy. Forgotten heroes, amazing blunders, surprising trivia, and strange-but-true stories overlooked by historians, it's all here in a book that will enlighten and amaze even the most avid student of American military history. Did you know that American soldiers have been sent to invade foreign nations or their territories more than two hundred times since Thomas Jefferson dispatched troops to North Africa in 1803 to punish Muslim pirates? Or that during the Vietnam War a can opener was called a John Wayne? Or that a downed World War II airman once trekked across Germany, through occupied France, and across the mountains into Spain to avoid capture-only to be treated as a spy because Allied military intelligence said it couldn't be done? Open this book anywhere and you'll find yourself instantly captivated. From the "peace president" who was our most frequent practitioner of gunboat diplomacy to the Revolutionary War hero whose refusal to cut his hair set off a four-year rebellion that went all the way to the White House, there's plenty of fascinating lore here--from the monumental to the trivial--in an indispensable encyclopedic work that takes up where ordinary history books leave off.
A Mill Should Be Build Thereon: An Early History of the Todmorden Mills
by Eleanor DarkeIt is difficult for Todmorden Mills Museum visitors to imagine that this site so close to the busy Don Valley Parkway was once home to an important mill. As early as 1793 Governor Simcoe recognized the industrial potential of this portion of the Don River. By 1795 Skinner’s sawmill was under construction, initiating an era of technological development that spread beyond the valley of the Don into what was then Muddy York. Today, Todmorden serves to remind us of Toronto’s industrial heritage and the spirit of the time. This invaluable local history confirms the significance of early mills and later factories along the Don River and recognizes the roles played by Timothy Skinner, Parshall Terry, George Playter, William Helliwell and other settlers and entrepreneurs of Governor John Graves Simcoe’s time and beyond. Eleanor Darke, assisted by Ian Wheal, presents us with an informative account of the people, their lives and their creative influence.
A Millennial View of Spain’s Development: Essays in Economic History (Frontiers in Economic History)
by Leandro Prados de la EscosuraThis open access book presents the evolution of the Spanish economy over the past seven centuries since the end of the Reconquest and examines how much economic progress has Spain achieved, as well as its impact on living standards and income distribution over the very long run. It shows that preindustrial Spain was far from stagnant, although levels of output per head in the early nineteenth century were not much different from those on the eve of the Black Death (1348). It further discusses how phases of simultaneous per capita output and population expansion and shrinkage alternated, lending support to the recurring growth and frontier economy hypotheses. While a collapse in the 1570s gave way to sluggish growth and higher inequality after a long phase of sustained growth and lower inequality, the book shows how real per capita income has improved substantially over the last two centuries, driven by increased labor productivity, and derived from more intense andefficient use of physical and human capital per worker. Presenting exposure to international competition as a stimulus for this development, the book sheds light on the underperformance of Spain up to 1950 in a European comparison and describes the catch-up of Spain’s economy with more advanced countries until 2007. Finally, the book explains how modern economic growth is associated with an increase in the material well-being of its inhabitants, as the most dynamic economic phases of the last century have been associated with an improvement in income distribution, although the relationship between growth and inequality has not been linear. This book is a must-read for students, researchers, and scholars of economics and economic history interested in a better understanding of cliometrics, long-run analyses, economic development, economic growth, as well as the Spanish economy.
A Million Drops: A Novel
by Lisa Dillman Victor Del ÁrbolAn intense literary thriller that tears through the interlocked histories of fascism and communism in Europe without pausing for breath. Gonzalo Gil is a lawyer stuck in a disaffected life, with a failed career, dodging the never-ending manipulation of his powerful father-in-law. When, after no news for years of his estranged sister, Laura, he learns that she has committed suicide under dramatic circumstances, his fragile life as both a father and a husband is pushed to the limit. Resolutely investigating the steps that led his sister to suicide, Gonzalo discovers that Laura is suspected of having murdered a Russian gangster who had kidnapped and killed her young son. What seems to be revenge is just the beginning of a tortuous path that will take Gonzalo through the untold annals of his family’s past. He will examine the fascinating story of his father, Elias Gil, the great hero of the resistance against fascism. As a young engineer his father traveled to the USSR committed to the ideals of the revolution, but was betrayed, arrested, and confined on the infamous Nazino Island, and became a key figure, admired and feared, during Spain’s darkest years. Suspenseful, dark, and thrilling, A Million Drops is a visceral story of enduring love and revenge postponed that introduces a master of international crime fiction to American readers.
A Million Little Bricks: The Unofficial Illustrated History of the LEGO Phenomenon
by Sarah HermanToy of the Year, Toy of the Century, Greatest Toy of All Time . . . there aren't many titles that haven't been bestowed on LEGO toys, and it's not hard to see why. From its inception in the early 1930s right up until today, the LEGO Group's history is as colorful as the toys it makes. Few other playthings share the LEGO brand's creative spirit, educative benefits, resilience, quality, and universal appeal. The LEGO name is now synonymous with playtime, but it wasn't always so. This history charts the birth of the LEGO Group in the workshop of a Danish carpenter and its steady growth as a small, family-run toy manufacturer to its current position as a market-leading, award-winning brand. The company's ever-increasing catalogof products-including the earliest wooden toys, plastic bricks, play themes, and other building systems such as DUPLO, Technic, and MINDSTORMS-are chronicled in detail, alongside the manufacturing process, LEGOLAND parks, licensed toys, and computer games. Learn all about how LEGO pulled itself out of an economic crisis and embraced technology to make building blocks relevant to twenty-first-century children and discover the vibrant fan community of kids and adults whose conventions, websites, and artwork keep the LEGO spirit alive. As nostalgic as it is contemporary, A Million Little Bricks will have you reminiscing about old Classic Space sets, rummaging through the attic for forgotten Minifigure friends, and playing with whatever LEGO bricks you can get your hands on (even if it means sharing with your kids).
A Million Nightingales
by Susan StraightHaunting and beautifully written, this novel of 19th-century Louisiana is the tale of a slave girl's journey--emotional and physical-- from captivity to freedom.
A Million Quiet Revolutions
by Robin GowRobin Gow's A Million Quiet Revolutions is a modern love story, told in verse, about two teenaged trans boys who name themselves after two Revolutionary War soldiers. A lyrical, aching young adult romance perfect for fans of The Poet X, Darius the Great is Not Okay, and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe.For as long as they can remember, Aaron and Oliver have only ever had each other. In a small town with few queer teenagers, let alone young trans men, they’ve shared milestones like coming out as trans, buying the right binders—and falling for each other.But just as their relationship has started to blossom, Aaron moves away. Feeling adrift, separated from the one person who understands them, they seek solace in digging deep into the annals of America’s past. When they discover the story of two Revolutionary War soldiers who they believe to have been trans man in love, they’re inspired to pay tribute to these soldiers by adopting their names—Aaron and Oliver. As they learn, they delve further into unwritten queer stories, and they discover the transformative power of reclaiming one’s place in history. Further reading on trans history is included in backmatter.
A Million Shades of Gray
by Cynthia KadohataA boy and his elephant escape into the jungle when the Viet Cong attack his village immediately after the Vietnam war.
A Million Years in a Day
by Greg Jenner'A wonderful idea, gloriously put into practice. Greg Jenner as is witty as he is knowledgeable' - Tom Holland Who invented beds? When did we start cleaning our teeth? How old are wine and beer? Which came first: the toilet seat or toilet paper? What was the first clock? Every day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old. Structured around one ordinary day, A MILLION YEARS IN A DAY reveals the astonishing origins and development of the daily practices we take for granted. In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history Greg Jenner explores the gradual and often unexpected evolution of our daily routines. This is not a story of politics, wars or great events, instead Greg Jenner has scoured Roman rubbish bins, Egyptian tombs and Victorian sewers to bring us the most intriguing, surprising and sometimes downright silly nuggets from our past. Drawn from across the world, spanning a million years of humanity, this book is a smorgasbord of historical delights. It is a history of all those things you always wondered - and many you have never considered. It is the story of your life, one million years in the making.
A Million Years in a Day: A Curious History of Daily Life
by Greg Jenner'A wonderful idea, gloriously put into practice. Greg Jenner is as witty as he is knowledgeable' - Tom Holland'You will love Greg Jenner's jolly account of how we have more in common with our ancestors than we might think ... all human life is here, amusingly conveyed in intriguing nuggets of gossipy historical anecdote' - Daily MailEvery day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old. In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history - featuring new updates for the paperback edition - BBC Horrible Histories consultant Greg Jenner explores the hidden stories behind these daily routines.This is not a story of politics, wars or great events, instead Greg Jenner has scoured Roman rubbish bins, Egyptian tombs and Victorian sewers to bring us the most intriguing, surprising and sometimes downright silly nuggets from our past.It is a history of all those things you always wondered - and many you have never considered. It is the story of our lives, one million years in the making.
A Million Years in a Day: A Curious History of Daily Life
by Greg Jenner'A wonderful idea, gloriously put into practice. Greg Jenner as is witty as he is knowledgeable' - Tom Holland'Delightful, surprising and hilarious, this is a fascinating history of the everyday objects and inventions we take for granted' - Lauren LaverneEvery day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old. In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history, Greg Jenner explores the hidden stories behind these daily routines.This is not a story of politics, wars or great events, instead Greg Jenner has scoured Roman rubbish bins, Egyptian tombs and Victorian sewers to bring us the most intriguing, surprising and sometimes downright silly nuggets from our past.Written and narrated in a chatty style by Greg Jenner, Historical Consultant to CBBC's multi-award-winning HORRIBLE HISTORIES, it is an entertaining history of all those things you always wondered - and many you have never considered. It is the story of our lives, one million years in the making.(p) 2015 Orion Publishing Group
A Million Years in a Day: A Curious History of Everyday Life from the Stone Age to the Phone Age
by Greg JennerWho invented beds? When did we start cleaning our teeth? How old are wine and beer? Which came first: the toilet seat or toilet paper? What was the first clock?Every day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old. Structured around one ordinary day, A Million Years in a Day reveals the astonishing origins and development of the daily practices we take for granted. In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history, Greg Jenner explores the gradual—and often unexpected—evolution of our daily routines.This is not a story of wars, politics, or great events. Instead, Jenner has scoured Roman rubbish bins, Egyptian tombs, and Victorian sewers to bring us the most intriguing, surprising, and sometimes downright silly historical nuggets from our past.Drawn from across the world, spanning a million years of humanity, this book is a smorgasbord of historical delights. It is a history of all those things you always wondered about—and many you have never considered. It is the story of your life, one million years in the making.
A Million to One
by Adiba JaigirdarAdiba Jaigirdar, author of one of Time's Best YA books of all time, gives Titanic an Ocean’s 8 makeover in this nail-biting heist set onboard the infamous ship. Josefa is an unapologetic and charismatic thief, who loves the thrill of the chase. She has her eye on her biggest mark yet—the RMS Titanic, the most luxurious ship in the world. But she isn’t interested in stealing from wealthy first-class passengers onboard. No, she’s out for the ultimate prize: the Rubiyat, a one of a kind book encrusted with gems that’s worth millions.Josefa can’t score it alone, so she enlists a team of girls with unique talents: Hinnah, a daring acrobat and contortionist; Violet, an actress and expert dissembler; and Emilie, an artist who can replicate any drawing by hand.They couldn’t be more different and yet they have one very important thing in common: their lives depend on breaking into the vault and capturing the Rubiyat. But careless mistakes, old grudges, and new romance threaten to jeopardize everything they’ve worked for and put them in incredible danger when tragedy strikes.While the odds of pulling off the heist are slim, the odds of survival are even slimmer…Perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper and Girl in the Blue Coat, this high-seas heist from the author of The Henna Wars is an immersive story that makes readers forget one important detail—the ship sinks.
A Million to One
by Adiba JaigirdarFour girls. One daring heist. Their chances? A Million to One. Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist.It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls must work together to pull off the heist of their lives.But careless mistakes, old grudges and new romances threaten to jeopardise everything they've worked towards. And with the Titanic sailing ever further north, the girls' chances of survival are a million to one ...A heart-pounding, romantic adventure from the author of Hani and Ishu's Fake Guide to Dating - WINNER OF THE YA BOOK PRIZE 2022!(P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers
A Million to One
by Adiba JaigirdarAdiba Jaigirdar, author of one of TIME's Best YA books of all time and winner of the YA Book Prize 2022, gives Titanic an Ocean's 8 makeover in this nail-biting heist set onboard the infamous ship.Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist.It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls must work together to pull off the heist of their lives.But careless mistakes, old grudges and new romances threaten to jeopardise everything they've worked towards. And with the Titanic sailing ever further north, the girls' chances of survival are a million to one...A heart-pounding, romantic adventure from the award-winning author of Hani and Ishu's Fake Guide to Dating.
A Mind Full of Music: Essays on Imagination and Popular Song
by Chris ForhanA Mind Full of Music contemplates and celebrates the mysterious, powerful, dynamic relationship between ourselves and the songs we love: the way in which songs work upon our minds and in which our minds, because of the inevitable creative force of our imaginations and memories, work upon them. The book does not propose or develop a unified argument, nor does it tell, chronologically, the story of the author's life of listening. Instead, in recognition of the varied, fluid, and ultimately mysterious ways in which our minds respond to songs, it is structured associatively, with one topic inspiring thoughts of another; the book begins with a song drifting into the author's mind, and it ends with that mind still in the midst of listening, waiting for a beat that will never come.
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground
by Alicia ElliottA bold and profound work by Haudenosaunee writer Alicia Elliott, A Mind Spread Out on the Ground is a personal and critical meditation on trauma, legacy, oppression and racism in North America. In an urgent and visceral work that asks essential questions about the treatment of Native people in North America while drawing on intimate details of her own life and experience with intergenerational trauma, Alicia Elliott offers indispensable insight and understanding to the ongoing legacy of colonialism. What are the links between depression, colonialism and loss of language--both figurative and literal? How does white privilege operate in different contexts? How do we navigate the painful contours of mental illness in loved ones without turning them into their sickness? How does colonialism operate on the level of literary criticism?A Mind Spread Out on the Ground is Alicia Elliott's attempt to answer these questions and more. In the process, she engages with such wide-ranging topics as race, parenthood, love, mental illness, poverty, sexual assault, gentrification, writing and representation. Elliott makes connections both large and small between the past and present, the personal and political--from overcoming a years-long history with head lice to the way Native writers are treated within the Canadian literary industry; her unplanned teenage pregnancy to the history of dark matter and how it relates to racism in the court system; her childhood diet of Kraft dinner to how systematic oppression is linked to depression in Native communities. With deep consideration and searing prose, Elliott extends far beyond her own experiences to provide a candid look at our past, an illuminating portrait of our present and a powerful tool for a better future.
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground
by Alicia Elliott#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 HILARY WESTON WRITERS' TRUST PRIZE FOR NONFICTIONNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2019 BY THE GLOBE AND MAIL • CBC • CHATELAINE • QUILL & QUIRE • THE HILL TIMES • POP MATTERSA bold and profound meditation on trauma, legacy, oppression and racism in North America from award-winning Haudenosaunee writer Alicia Elliott.In an urgent and visceral work that asks essential questions about the treatment of Native people in North America while drawing on intimate details of her own life and experience with intergenerational trauma, Alicia Elliott offers indispensable insight into the ongoing legacy of colonialism. She engages with such wide-ranging topics as race, parenthood, love, mental illness, poverty, sexual assault, gentrifcation, writing and representation, and in the process makes connections both large and small between the past and present, the personal and political—from overcoming a years-long battle with head lice to the way Native writers are treated within the Canadian literary industry; her unplanned teenage pregnancy to the history of dark matter and how it relates to racism in the court system; her childhood diet of Kraft Dinner to how systemic oppression is directly linked to health problems in Native communities. With deep consideration and searing prose, Elliott provides a candid look at our past, an illuminating portrait of our present and a powerful tool for a better future.
A Mind at Sea: Henry Fry and the Glorious Era of Quebec's Sailing Ships
by John FryThe trials and tribulations of a Canadian business titan during a fascinating period in 19th-century Quebec. A Mind at Sea is an intimate window into a vanished time when Canada was among the world’s great maritime countries. Between 1856 and 1877, Henry Fry was the Lloyd’s agent for the St. Lawrence River, east of Montreal. The harbour coves below his home in Quebec were crammed with immense rafts of cut wood, the river’s shoreline sprawled with yards where giant square-rigged ships – many owned by Fry – were built. As the president of Canada’s Dominion Board of Trade, Fry was at the epicentre of wealth and influence. His home city of Quebec served as the capital of the province of Canada, while its port was often the scene of raw criminality. He fought vigorously against the kidnapping of sailors and the dangerous practice of deck loading. He also battled against and overcame his personal demon – mental depression – going on to write many ship histories and essays on U.S.-Canada relations. Fry was a colourful figure and a reformer who interacted with the famous figures of the day, including Lord and Lady Dufferin, Sir John A. Macdonald, Wilfrid Laurier, and Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau, Quebec’s lieutenant-governor.
A Mind of Winter
by Shira NaymanWorld War II haunts the lives and loves of three people, on three continents, in this novel by an author who &“writes with wisdom and courage&” (Ursula Hegi, author of Stones from the River). Oscar is a mysterious Englishman who presides over Ellis Park, a sprawling mansion on Long Island&’s North Shore. It is 1951; as the jazz bands play and the ever-present houseguests waft into the ballroom, the war seems much further away than a mere six years. But Oscar is tormented by his own questionable wartime dealings—and embroiled in a drama involving late-night meetings with an official, with whom he speaks German. He is also haunted by memories of Christine, his great love, who sailed to Shanghai after the war. He has no idea of the murky moral depths into which she has fallen. Marilyn, meanwhile, has moved in to Ellis Park for the summer, and is working on a book of her wartime photography. She reminds Oscar of Christine—and he finds refuge late at night sitting beside her in the pristine photographic studio he built in a basement area, deep beneath the sumptuous, brightly lit rooms above. But he suspects that Marilyn has a secret, and this suspenseful literary page-turner unfolds through the point of view of all three characters, spanning three continents, telling a story of beliefs and self-deceptions, and the ways our lives are shaped by both history and art. &“In the years following WWII, the horrors of that war reverberate in the lives of the intertwined characters in [this] story of guilt, mistaken identity, and love . . . Nayman&’s saga delves deeply into how even those not directly affected are forever changed by war.&” —Booklist &“A marvelous book that sweeps across decades and around the world to reveal dark secrets locked tight within the human heart.&” —Jed Horne, author of Breach of Faith
A Mind to Stay: White Plantation, Black Homeland
by Sydney NathansSydney Nathans offers a counterpoint to the narrative of the Great Migration, a central theme of black liberation in the twentieth century. He tells the story of enslaved families who became the emancipated owners of land they had worked in bondage.
A Mind with Wings: The Story of Henry David Thoreau
by Gerald Hausman Loretta Hausman[From the dust jacket:] "It's July 4, 1845. A soft-spoken young man named Henry David Thoreau has carefully constructed a small, simple cabin in the woods overlooking Walden Pond. For the next two years, his closest companions will be the chickadees, the woodchucks, and the quiet pines of the Walden Woods. Henry is twenty-eight years old, and his life has not been easy. His brother John--his closest friend and companion--has died. The only woman he ever loved has rejected him. On this day he has come to Walden in search of the truth--not the truth taught in schools or in church, but the truth he can feel dwelling deep within him. Henry opens his journal and begins to write: I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. Follow Henry into the woods and out again--through a courageous American life that has changed our world for the better."
A Mind with Wings: The Story of Henry David Thoreau
by Gerald Hausman Loretta HausmanIt's July 4, 1845. A soft-spoken young man named Henry David Thoreau has carefully constructed a small, simple cabin in the woods overlooking Walden Pond. For the next two years, his closest companions will be the chickadees, the woodchucks, and the quiet pines of the Walden Woods. Henry is twenty-eight years old, and his life has not been easy. His brother John--his closest friend and companion--has died. The only woman he ever loved has rejected him. On this day he has come to Walden in search of truth--not the truth taught in schools or in church, but the truth he can feel dwelling deep within him. Henry opens his journal and begins to write: I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. Follow Henry into the woods and out again--through a courageous American life that has changed our world for the better.For ages 12 and up.
A Miner's Daughter: Home is Where the Heart is...
by Elizabeth GillFrom the bestselling author of Miss Appleby's Academy and Far From My Father's House comes a family saga perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Anna Jacobs and Dilly Court.When Rosalind West leaves her native Durham for a job in London with the Doxbridge Motor Company she is determined to escape her background and build a new life. London is excitingly different and tantalisingly glamorous - especially when she meets the handsome and aristocratic Freddie Harrington, a rally driver, and the son of a once-wealthy Northumberland landowner. Against her friends' better judgement Freddie and Rosalind begin a relationship. But Freddie's family have plans for him which do not include marrying a Durham miner's daughter. Turning to a close companion for consolation, Rosalind suddenly finds herself torn between two men, both of strong passions, and fierce ambition.Note: this book was previously published under the title Home to the High Fells.