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Monkey House Blues: A Shanghai Prison Memoir
by Dominic StevensonIn 1993, Dominic Stevenson left a comfortable life with his girlfriend in Kyoto, Japan, to travel to China. His journey took him to some of the most inhospitable and dangerous places in the world, from the poppy fields of the Afghan-Pakistan border to the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road, before he was arrested for drug smuggling while boarding a boat from Shanghai to Japan. After eight months on remand in a Chinese police lock-up, Stevenson was sentenced to two and a half years in one of the biggest prisons in the world, the Shanghai Municipal Prison aka 'The Monkey House'. There, he was imprisoned alongside just five westerners amongst five thousand Chinese criminals in a block for death row inmates and political prisoners, where the guards drank green tea and let the prison run itself. The experience led him to reflect on his previous life in Japan, India and Thailand, during which time he took on a varied array of jobs, including English teacher, karaoke-bar host, factory worker, busker, crystal seller and dope smuggler. From Afghan gun shops to Tibetan monasteries, Thai brothels and the stirrings of the rave culture in Goa, Monkey House Blues is a tale of discovery and rediscovery, of friendship and betrayal.
Monkeys Are Made Of Chocolate: Exotic And Unseen Costa Rica
by Daniel Quinn Jack EwingDiscover the mysterious and fascinating ways in which animals, plants and people interact with one another in the rainforests of Costa Rica. Teachers, travelers to Costa Rica, and those individuals who care about our environment will appreciate these 32 essays. "This book is perfect reading for every inquisitive traveler to Costa Rica," says Rob Rachowiecki, author of the first five editions of the Lonely Planet Costa Rica guidebook.
Monmouth
by Bobbie M. BowlerIn 1783, Revolutionary War hero Gen. Henry Dearborn built Monmouth's first framed house. In his honor, the town was named for the Battle of Monmouth, where Dearborn had distinguished himself. The area's lakes, streams, and fertile soil helped early farmers and manufacturers to prosper, and soon the area was renowned for its Ben Davis apples and Monmouth moccasins. Monmouth is a compilation of historic images capturing the everyday lives of the hardy and hardworking individuals that created the town's fascinating history. Photographs document three of the five devastating fires to the town's center between 1885 and 1913, as well as the creation of the town's centerpiece, Cumston Hall, designed by architect, artist, author, and composer Harry Hayman Cochrane.
Monroe (Images of America)
by Marcia MccarttNathaniel Sackett Sr. was head of the secret service at Fishkill, New York, during the Revolutionary War. Monroe was platted by his son Nathaniel Sackett and John Piatt in 1817. The men chose to name this small farming community after the recently elected U.S. president, James Monroe. The Red Onion Hotel, located in the center of town, was a popular stagecoach stop during the 1850s. Monroe was a town where everyone met at the stadium for football games, a town where people never locked their doors. A tornado ripped through the village in 1969, and its citizens pulled together in the aftermath. Monroe has retained a very close-knit, small-town atmosphere. This is attributed to the men and women who love this city and donate their time to service organizations that make the town vital. The leaders are very accessible to the citizens and always take the time to smile and say hello.
Monroe County
by Terri L. Kuczynski Central Delta Historical SocietyMonroe County is situated on some of the richest soil in the Arkansas Delta region and has supported an agrarian culture for more than two centuries. The initial survey point of the Louisiana Purchase lies here in a black-water swamp, marking the origin of nearly every township boundary and property line in 15 states. The Great Flood of 1927 devastated the county, destroying vast acres of farmland and displacing thousands of families. Monroe County is home to two large wildlife management areas, including the Cache River Wildlife Management area, where the ivory-billed woodpecker, once considered extinct, was sighted in 2004. However, the real history of Monroe County is a story of the brave and diligent people that cleared the land and forged a new life through prosperity and drought, driven by their love of family and friends.
Monroe: The Early Years (Images of America)
by Kimberly A. Hutchison Craig E. HutchisonOne of the oldest settlements in Michigan, Monroe is a treasure trove of American history. Legacies of Native American cultures, French settlement, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and 19th-century progress still echo through its beautiful streets and structures. The Monroe area is nationally known as the site of the Battles and Massacre of the River Raisin, among the largest engagements of the War of 1812. But perhaps it is better known as the home of General George Armstrong Custer, the great Civil War hero who valiantly led Union troops to victory, only to perish at the Battle of Little Bighorn.This book uses rare images and historical insights to document and celebrate Monroe's early development, military legacy, legendary figures, and architectural splendor.
Monroeville: The Search for Harper Lee's Maycomb
by Monroe County Heritage MuseumsFor 39 years, people from all over the world and all walks of life have come to the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, in search of a place called Maycomb. They come in search of a story that have moved millions of people with its enduring message, and in search of the world of the storyteller. Monroeville: The Search for Harper Lee's Maycomb explores the relationship between Harper Lee's hometown and the setting of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Born in response to the curiosities of visitors to the Monroe County Heritage Museums, this book explores the parallels between the tow worlds through vintage images and informative captions. Included are photographs of the Lee family and the author in her early years; the sights of Monroeville that undoubtedly inspired the setting of Maycomb; the cast of the Oscar-winning film adaptation that premiered in 1963; and the Mockingbird Players, a group of Monroeville residents who, each year in May, present an authentic production of the two-act play adapted by Christopher Sergel. Among the visitors to Monroeville are teachers and lawyers making a pilgrimage to Atticus' courtroom, scholars in search of unanswered questions, and fans of the novel trying to capture a glimpse of Scout's world. The Monroe County Heritage Museums, under the direction of Kathy McCoy, made this possible in 1991 with the opening of the Old Courthouse Museum on the town square. Visitors now leave Monroeville feeling as if they walked the streets of Maycomb on a hot summer day, enchanted by the imagined presence of Sout, Jem, and Dill exploring their neighborhood in an era of tumultuous change.
Monsieur Mediocre: One American Learns the High Art of Being Everyday French
by John von SothenA hilarious, candid account of what life in France is actually like, from a writer for Vanity Fair and GQAmericans love to love Paris. We buy books about how the French parent, why French women don't get fat, and how to be Parisian wherever you are. While our work hours increase every year, we think longingly of the six weeks of vacation the French enjoy, imagining them at the seaside in stripes with plates of fruits de mer.John von Sothen fell in love with Paris through the stories his mother told of her year spent there as a student. And then, after falling for and marrying a French waitress he met in New York, von Sothen moved to Paris. But fifteen years in, he's finally ready to admit his mother's Paris is mostly a fantasy. In this hilarious and delightful collection of essays, von Sothen walks us through real life in Paris--not only myth-busting our Parisian daydreams but also revealing the inimitable and too often invisible pleasures of family life abroad. Relentlessly funny and full of incisive observations, Monsieur Mediocre is ultimately a love letter to France--to its absurdities, its history, its ideals--but it's a very French love letter: frank, smoky, unsentimental. It is a clear-eyed ode to a beautiful, complex, contradictory country from someone who both eagerly and grudgingly calls it home.
Monsters of Pennsylvania: Mysterious Creatures in the Keystone State
by Patty A WilsonGritty isn&’t the only monster who makes Pennsylvania his home. From Pittsburgh&’s Ogua to the coal country&’s Tommyknockers, mythical beasts stalk the state. Pennsylvania is home to an assortment of odd creatures, and this volume features the best of the bunch. Bigfoot looms large here, trudging the wilds all throughout the state. Other cryptids featured are the gigantic Broad Top Snake, the bizarre Dogman of Westmoreland County, and Bessie, Lake Erie&’s resident monster. Reports of big cats, giant attacking thunderbirds, bloodsucking wolfmen, and mischievous, mine-dwelling Tommyknockers are included.
Monsters of West Virginia: Mysterious Creatures in the Mountain State
by Rosemary Ellen GuileyWild and wonderful West Virginia takes a turn for the weird with these accounts of Mothman, the Grafton Monster, Sheepsquatch, and more. Every state and region has its own stellar cast of supernatural creatures, and West Virginia is no exception. Rosemary Ellen Guiley, the pioneering paranormal investigator, has spent a great deal of time in the Mountain State on the trail of entities, creatures, and all sorts of phenomena. These are her findings, featuring accounts of Mothman, the Grafton Monster, the Wampus Cat, the White Things, and other bizarre creatures, including Bigfoot, lizard people, and out-of-place panthers. &“Featuring tales of Mothman, the Sheepsquatch, and a host of lesser known West Virginia weirdness, Monsters of West Virginia is the perfect book for anyone with even a passing interest in West Virginia cryptozoology . . . a quick read by one of the most knowledgeable researchers of the paranormal in the country.&” —Theresa&’s Haunted History of the Tri-State
Monsters of Wisconsin: Mysterious Creatures in the Badger State
by Linda S GodfreyThe noted cryptozoologist gives readers a rundown of the Wisconsin unknowns—from creatures of the sky to lake dwellers, aliens to lumberjack legends. &“These riveting accounts of monsters in the heart of America are expertly chronicled by Linda S. Godfrey. The numerous detailed eyewitness reports will open your mind to the real possibility of &‘unknowns&’ that may live at the edge of our driveways and backyards.&” —Doug Hajicek, producer/creator of History Channel&’s MonsterQuest Bizarre beasts of the Badger State featured in this volume include: The Beast of Bray Road Sasquatch Rocky of Rock Lake Dragons of Green Bay Werewolves Flying lizard men Out-of-place kangaroos Goat men
Montague: Labor and Leisure (Images of America)
by Kyle J. ScottMontague, a picturesque New England town, was once a hub of manufacturing. This uniquely planned community was established in an area that was well suited to both labor and leisure. The Great Falls offered the power to cover the energy needs for the countless factories along the river's edge as well as its man-made power canal. The newly planned village of Turners Falls and the pleasant living conditions of Montague's other villages led to a growth in population at the beginning of the twentieth century. Immigrants from all over the globe added to the diversity of Montague. The historical photographs in Montague Labor and Leisure show one hundred thirty-five years of captivating history.
Montana Baseball History (Sports)
by Jeremy Watterson Skylar BrowningThe Wild West had nothing on Montana's first baseball games. Fights, booze, cheating and gambling fueled the state's inaugural professional league in 1892. The turn of the century brought star-studded barnstorming tours and threats of bloodshed. Big Sky Country embraced a distinctly different version of the old ballgame, and Montana players who made their way to big league diamonds helped change the sport on and off the field. From the Lewis and Clark expedition to Dave McNally's historic career, award-winning journalist Skylar Browning and researcher Jeremy Watterson reveal Montana's relationship with America's pastime.
Montana Ghost Dance: Essays on Land and Life
by John B. WrightMontana has been the last best place for so many people. A century ago, Native Americans gathered here to perform the Ghost Dance--a last, doomed attempt to make white settlers vanish and bring back the old ways of life. Today, people are still pouring into Montana, looking for the pristine wilderness they saw in A River Runs through It. The reality of Montana--indeed, of all the West--has never matched the myths, but this book eloquently explores how the search for a perfect place is driving growth, development, and resource exploitation in Big Sky country. In ten personal essays, John Wright looks at such things as Montana myths; old-timers; immigrants; elk; ways of seeing the landscape; land conservation and land trusts; the fate of the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, and Paradise valleys; and some means of preserving the last, best places. These reflections offer a way of understanding Montana that goes far beyond the headlines about militia groups and celebrities' ranches. Montana never was or will be a pristine wilderness, but Wright believes that much can be saved if natives and newcomers alike see what stands to be lost. His book is a wake-up call, not a ghost dance.
Montana Highway Tales: Curious Characters, Historic Sites and Peculiar Attractions (History & Guide)
by Jon AxlineMuch of Montana's exciting history is visible from its storied highways. Visit a segment of the historic Bozeman Trail overlooking Virginia City, where vigilantes hanged public nuisance Joseph Alfred Slade just as his wife attempted a horseback rescue. Discover the saga of adultery, attempted murder and eventual triumph that occurred at a single stone building in the Browns Gulch area of Butte. On Highway 308 east of Red Lodge, learn more about the tragic 1943 Smith Mine disaster, where a methane explosion trapped and killed seventy-three miners. The catastrophe triggered investigations at the state and national level that resulted in improvements in mine safety. With more than two dozen stories, historian Jon Axline provides a front-seat view of the Treasure State's thrilling past, forgotten characters and overlooked oddities found by the wayside.
Montana Noir (Akashic Noir)
by Walter Kirn Debra Magpie Earling James Grady Keir Graff Jamie Ford Yvonne Seng Carrie La Seur Thomas McGuane Gwen Florio David Abrams Janet Skeslien Charles Caroline Patterson Eric Heidle Sidner LarsonEric Heidle's "Ace in the Hole" nominated for a 2018 Edgar Award for Best Short Story!A Parade magazine pick, included in "Books We Love" section"What could be a more unlikely breeding ground for noir fiction than Montana, whose wide-open landscapes seem the polar opposite of the mean streets of Los Angeles? Yet certain noir standbys prove both malleable and fertile in these 14 new stories...If Montana has a dark side, is anywhere safe from noir?"--Kirkus Reviews"Terrific...Montana Noir is one of the high points in Akashic's long-running and justly celebrated Noir series...Editors Grady and Graff's selections...are all sharply attuned to their settings and to the ways those varying landscapes reflect the darkness within the people who walk the streets or drive the country roads."--Booklist"14 stories set in Big Sky Country. Much like a travel map that divides Montana into regions, this volume is partitioned into four sections that reflect the geography of the state: Copper Power, The Hi-Line, Custer Country, and Rivers Run...Montana, and others live in the state; all the authors have strong emotional ties to the area's particular lifestyle. The editors tout this book as the first-ever anthology of Montana-set noir short stories. Fans of the genre and regional fiction will be intrigued."--Library Journal XPress Reviews"There's no shortage of misbehavior in this book. But there's also no shortage of excellent writing by some of Montana's finest authors. The book included work by Thomas McGuane, Jamie Ford, Walter Kirn, Debra Magpie earling and eight others. Thwey're all Montanans, every one, and their subjects are as varied and unique as the state itself."--Montana Quarterly"Even though Montana's beauty makes the idea of dark alleys and neon lights seem incongruous, noir also represents struggle, and doing the wrong thing for the right reasons...There can never be a happy ending in noir but there can be the possibility of redemption. It's the little guy against big forces and as Montanans, we can all appreciate that fight."--Billings GazetteAkashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct location within the geographic area of the book. Grady and Graff, both Montana natives, masterfully curate this collection of hard-edged Western tales.Brand-new stories by: David Abrams, Caroline Patterson, Eric Heidle, Thomas McGuane, Janet Skeslien Charles, Sidner Larson, Yvonne Seng, James Grady, Jamie Ford, Carrie La Seur, Walter Kirn, Gwen Florio, Debra Magpie Earling, and Keir Graff.From the introduction by James Grady and Keir Graff:This anthology is a road trip through the dreams and disasters of the true Montana, stories written by authors with Montana in their blood, tales that circle you around the state through its cities and small towns. These are twenty-first century authors writing timeless sagas of choice, crime, and consequences...You'll meet students and strippers, cops and cons, druggies and dreamers, cold-eyed killers and caught-in-their-gunsights screwed-up souls.But mostly, through all our fiction here, you'll meet quiet heroes and see the noir side of life that makes our Montana as real as it is mythic. No doubt the state's beauty will still make the very idea of Montana Noir seem incongruous to some. Noir is black-and-white. Streets and alleys. Flashing neon lighting a rain-streaked window. But while noir was definitely an urban invention, it knows no boundaries. Noir is struggle. It's doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. It's being trapped. It's hubris. It's being defeated yet going on. Sometimes it's being defeated and not going on.That's life everywhere. This is our Montana.
Montana and the NFL (Sports)
by Brian D'AmbrosioMontanans' football obsession goes far beyond storied college programs. From Baker to Zurich, even the tiniest towns in Montana have sent players to the NFL. One of the most dominant offensive linemen of the 1940s was Anaconda's own Francis Cope, who earned All-Decade honors as a New York Giant. Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991, MSU alum Jan Stenerud was the league's first soccer-style kicker. Pat Donovan, who earned a Super Bowl ring with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s, was named by Sports Illustrated as the fourth-greatest Montana athlete of the twentieth century. Griz Doug Betters was a member of the Miami Dolphins' famed Killer Bees and the 1983 NFL defensive player of the year. From the obscure to the prominent, author Brian D'Ambrosio celebrates Big Sky Country's rich connections with America's favorite professional sports league.
Montana's Hot Springs (Images of America)
by Jeff BirkbyMontana's hot springs and hot water resorts bubble with fascinating histories of medical cures, Native American legends, glittering spas, and isolated wilderness soaks. These Montana hot springs provided soothing cures for the aches and pains of Native Americans and early Montana pioneers. A few of the crude bathhouses built by miners and settlers gave way to ornate bathing resorts, replete with some of the most elegant furnishings and facilities available between Minneapolis and San Francisco, from the 1890s through the 1920s. Grand hot springs resorts--including Corwin Hot Springs, Boulder Hot Springs, Hunter's Hot Springs, and Broadwater Hot Springs--flourished and then faded from Montana's landscape. Through photographs, Images of America: Montana's Hot Springs explores the stories and legends of hot-water bathing resorts in Montana.
Monterey & Carmel
by Kristin LealJournalist and Monterey Bay area resident Kristin Leal offers her firsthand experience and advice on Monterey, Carmel, and beyond, from Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row to the nearby areas of Pacific Grove and Salinas. Leal includes various travel itinerary ideas, including Family Fun in Santa Cruz, Charmed in Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Visit Early California—a guide to the best antiques shops and Mexican restaurants San Juan Bautista has to offer. Complete with expert tips on wandering the redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains, finding hidden waterfalls in Big Sur, and spotting otters at the Elkhorn Slough National Reserve,Moon Monterey & Carmelgives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.
Montevallo
by Carey Heatherly Clark HultquistMontevallo: a mountain in a valley. This bucolic, natural phrase aptly describes the beauty of this central Alabama town. Early settlers were drawn to the area by its abundant agricultural and mineral resources, and in 1826, the tiny village of Montevallo was born. The nature of the town changed significantly in 1896 with the founding of the Alabama Girls' Industrial School, now the University of Montevallo. The Olmsted Brothers firm of Brookline, Massachusetts, laid out the central campus, and its master plan still inspires current development. Since 1896, the focus of the town has shifted from agriculture and mining to education. The university's mission is to be Alabama's "Public Liberal Arts College." Prominent figures include writer and veteran E. B. Sledge, actresses Polly Holliday and Rebecca Luker, and Major League Baseball player Rusty Greer.
Montgomery County
by Kelly Yacobucci FarquharWith a rich and varied history spanning almost three hundred years, Montgomery County suffered during the Revolutionary War, prospered with the Erie Canal and the railroad, and changed in the age of urban renewal. Located in the heart of the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York, the county experienced the arrival of Dutch and Palatine German settlers, the passage of travelers heading west through the Noses, the pre-suffragist sojourn of Susan B. Anthony, and the swift success of the carpet industry. All of this is compellingly retold in Montgomery County, a broad look at the people, industry, culture, and architecture that make up the county's history.
Montgomery County
by Michael DwyerNicknamed the "Gateway to the Nation's Capital," Montgomery County is home to a number of federal agencies and a highly educated and affluent population that has grown increasingly diverse in recent years. Established in 1776, Montgomery County now consists of urban centers like Bethesda and Silver Spring; suburban neighborhoods like Wheaton, Germantown, and Potomac; and scenic rolling farmland interspersed with historic villages, like Brookeville and Barnesville. An additional 50,000 acres of federal, state, and county parkland provide numerous recreational opportunities for its residents.
Montgomery County
by S. M. SendenMontgomery County was one of the last areas in Iowa to be settled. For many years it was considered to be uninhabitable and of little value-until the men and women with hopes and dreams began to settle, build towns, and till the rich, fertile soil. The Forks, Binn's Grove, Hungry Hollow, Frankfort, Milford, Red Oak Junction, Stanton, Villisca, and many more settlements came into being, budding with promise, but the coming of the railroad determined the survival of them all. Some are still thriving cities, while others are no more than a fading memory that only the winds of the prairie can recall.
Montgomery's Civil Heritage Trail: A History & Guide (Landmarks)
by Site Directors Friends of the Civil Heritage TrailMontgomery's cultural heritage reflects two of America's most transformative struggles: the Civil War and the civil rights movement. On February 18, 1861, Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as president of the Confederate States of America on the Alabama Capitol steps. Those same steps marked the final destination of the Selma-Montgomery voting rights march on March 25, 1965. The telegram to fire on Fort Sumter originated from the Winter Building on Court Square on April 11, 1861. Just down the street, and a century later, Mrs. Rosa L. Parks refused to give up her seat, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Discover these compelling stories and more surrounding the historical landmarks along Montgomery's Civil Heritage Trail.
Monticello
by W. C. Madden Mayor Robert FoxMonticello was founded by the White County commissioners in 1834 on a bluff above the Tippecanoe River. They named it after the mansion ofThomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. It was incorporated as a town in 1862. The county seat grew more rapidly when the railroads cameto town before the Civil War. Then the town grew large enough to become a city in 1909, and a mayor was elected. The area around the city became atourist destination in the 1920s after dams created the twin lakes--Shafer and Freeman--and Ideal Beach was conceived. It was renamed Indiana Beach in the 1950s and became the largest entertainment park in the state. In 1974, a devastating tornado roared through downtown Monticello, killing eight people and destroying a large part of the city. However, the people of Monticello banded together to reconstruct a stronger community. Today the city of Monticello is a thriving, progressive community growing in population and size. About a milliontourists come to the area each summer to relax and have fun.