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Lost and Found: Adèle & Simon in China (Adele & Simon)
by Barbara McClintockWhen siblings Adèle and Simon visit their uncle in China, he buys them each gifts for their trip. Simon picks out a hat, a flute, a fan, and other small items, while his sister selects a camera to photograph their journey. As soon as they're packed and ready, it's time to set off with Uncle Sydney to explore! In a series of postcards home to their mother, Adèle describes each of the places they visit and the adventures they have... and, of course, what item Simon managed to lose at each stop along the way. On a silk farm in Shanghai, he loses his scarf. Along the Great Wall, his hat blows right off his head. By the end of the trip, Simon has misplaced all of his belongings! But when Adèle develops her photographs, she and her brother discover that they can see each of Simon's lost items in the background of the pictures.Barbara McClintock's meticulous research and intricate pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations bring this book to life, capturing the essence of each of the culturally and historically significant sites that Adèle and Simon visit. Children will love poring over the pictures to find Simon's lost items, and parents will value the authenticity of the art and story.
Lost in Hollywood
by Cindy CallaghanGinger is on a mission to find her family's missing fortune in glamorous Hollywood in this M!X novel from the author of Lost in London, Lost in Paris, Lost in Rome, and Lost in Ireland (formerly titled Lucky Me).Thirteen-year-old Ginger Carlson feels like she is the only normal one in her family. Her father is an inventor who sells his gadgets online, Mom is obsessed with classic movies, and her brother Grant thinks he is from outer space. Luckily, Ginger has a totally normal BFF, Payton, and they have big plans for the future--they plan to become doctors and open a practice together in a big city. But first, they're partnering on the state Science Olympics where they're sure to take home the gold for their eighth grade class with their model of the brain. The Olympics training is interrupted when the Carlson family gets an urgent call that their eccentric Aunt Betty, a former actress who lives in Hollywood, is in serious trouble. The bank is going to take her house unless she can give them the money she owes. The Carlsons head to LA to sort things out for Aunt Betty, along with Payton, who tags along for the West Coast adventure. In a moment alone with the girls, Aunt Betty tells them what's really going on. Because she didn't trust banks, Aunt Betty stashed her money in a secret hiding place. Only problem--it's so secret, she can't remember where that hiding place is! That's what she's been doing all around town--looking for her fortune. Can Ginger and Payton help find the money--and give Aunt Betty the Hollywood ending that she deserves?
Lost in Ireland (mix)
by Cindy CallaghanAfter breaking a chain letter, can superstitious Megan find a way to turn her luck around?Meghan McGlinchey is the most superstitious girl in her family—and probably in the entire state of Delaware. When she receives a chain letter from a stranger in Ireland, Meghan immediately passes it on, taking only a tiny shortcut in the directions. But after a disastrous day, made complete by losing the election for class president and embarrassing herself in front of the entire school, Meghan realizes that tiny shortcut was a big mistake. Thankfully, her family was already headed to Ireland on spring break, and Meghan makes it her mission to find the original sender and break her extremely unlucky streak. With the help of an eccentric cast of characters—and one very cute Irish boy—can Meghan figure out a way to stop her bad luck? Or is she cursed forever?
Lost in Mongolia: Rafting the World's Last Unchallenged River
by Colin AngusFrom the Yenisey's headwaters in the wild heart of central Asia to its mouth on the Arctic Ocean, Colin Angus and his fellow adventurers travel 5,500 kilometres of one of the world's most dangerous rivers through remotest Mongolia and Siberia, and live to tell about it. Exploration is Colin Angus' calling. It is not only the tug of excitement and challenge that keeps sending him on death-defying journeys down some of the world's most powerful waterways, it is a desire to know a place more intimately than you could from the window of a train, to feel the soul of a place. Angus emphasizes that rivers have always been key to the development of complex societies and the rise of civilizations, offering as they do irrigation, transportation, hydroelectric power, and food. But, as Lost in Mongolia captures with breathtaking detail, while they giveth plenty, the great rivers also taketh away in an instant. In Lost in Mongolia, Colin Angus takes readers through never-before-seen territory and his wonderful sense of adventure and humour come through on every page.
Lost in Mongolia: Rafting the World's Last Unchallenged River
by Colin Angus Ian MulgrewFrom the Yenisey&’s headwaters in the wild heart of central Asia to its mouth on the Arctic Ocean, Colin Angus and his fellow adventurers travel 5,500 kilometres of one of the world&’s most dangerous rivers through remotest Mongolia and Siberia, and live to tell about it. Exploration is Colin Angus&’ calling. It is not only the tug of excitement and challenge that keeps sending him on death-defying journeys down some of the world&’s most powerful waterways, it is a desire to know a place more intimately than you could from the window of a train, to feel the soul of a place. Angus emphasizes that rivers have always been key to the development of complex societies and the rise of civilizations, offering as they do irrigation, transportation, hydroelectric power, and food. But, as Lost in Mongolia captures with breathtaking detail, while they giveth plenty, the great rivers also taketh away in an instant. In Lost in Mongolia, Colin Angus takes readers through never-before-seen territory and his wonderful sense of adventure and humour come through on every page.
Lost in Mongolia: Travels in Hollywood and Other Foreign Lands
by Tad FriendFind yourself in the midst of a heated battle over a sitcom laugh track. Learn to get away with spectacular crimes. Get lost with the reindeer people in the mountains of Mongolia. In Lost in Mongolia a collection of Tad Friend's most original, witty, and wide-ranging articles and essays from The New Yorker, Esquire, and Outside we are taken on a cultural tour of global proportions. Friend reports from the entertainment mecca of Hollywood on topics that range from the life and death of River Phoenix to the widespread plagiarism of movie ideas, to why celebrity profiles are always dreadful. He critiques the larger American culture with articles such as White Trash Nation, In Praise of Middlebrow, and a brief rumination on what it means when your girlfriend steals and wears your favorite shirt. Readers will also journey to foreign lands and American outposts, as Friend goes on the trail of the Marcos dynasty in the Philippines, is harassed in Morocco, and digs up buried treasure in Sun Valley. Lost in Mongolia is a one-of-a-kind collection from a refreshingly candid and well-traveled journalist.
Lost in My Own Backyard: A Walk in Yellowstone National Park (Crown Journeys Ser.)
by Tim Cahill“Let’s get lost together . . . ” Lost in My Own Backyard brings acclaimed author Tim Cahill together with one of his—and America’s—favorite destinations: Yellowstone, the world’s first national park. Cahill has been “puttering around in the park” for a quarter of a century, slowly covering its vast scope and exploring its remote backwoods. So does this mean that he knows what he’s doing? Hardly. “I live fifty miles from the park,” says Cahill, “but proximity does not guarantee competence. I’ve spent entire afternoons not knowing exactly where I was, which is to say, I was lost in my own backyard. ” Cahill stumbles from glacier to geyser, encounters wildlife (some of it, like bisons, weighing in the neighborhood of a ton), muses on the microbiology of thermal pools, gets spooked in the mysterious Hoodoos, sees moonbows arcing across waterfalls at midnight, and generally has a fine old time walking several hundred miles while contemplating the concept and value of wilderness. Mostly, Cahill says, “I have resisted the urge to commit philosophy. This is difficult to do when you’re alone, twenty miles from the nearest road, and you’ve just found a grizzly bear track the size of a pizza. ” Divided into three parts—“The Trails,” which offers a variety of favorite day hikes; “In the Backcountry,” which explores three great backcountry trails very much off the beaten track; and “A Selected Yellowstone Bookshelf,” an annotated bibliography of his favorite books on the park—this is a hilarious, informative, and perfect guide for Yellowstone veterans and first-timers alike. Lost in My Own Backyard is adventure writing at its very best. From the Hardcover edition.
Lost in North America
by John GrayA personal, idiosyncratic tour of the collective work of art we call Canada. "The Global Village" is nothing more than Canadian culture writ large - and here is the guide to Canadian style. John MacLachlan Gray's tour-de-force answer to Hugh MacLennan's Two Solitudes is full of wit, insight, and breathtaking discoveries about ourselves and the world.
Lost in Outer Space: The Incredible Journey of Apollo 13 (Lost #2)
by Tod OlsonFor middle grade space enthusiasts, the amazing true story of the doomed Apollo 13 moon mission that nearly ended in disaster.April 13, 1970: Two hundred thousand miles from Earth and counting, an explosion rips through Jim Lovell’s spacecraft. The crippled ship hurtles toward the moon at three times the speed of sound, losing power and leaking oxygen into space. Lovell and his crew were two days from the dream of a lifetime—walking on the surface of moon. Now, they will count themselves lucky to set foot on Earth again. From “Houston, we’ve had a problem” to the final tense moments at Mission Control, Lost in Outer Space takes readers on the unbelievable journey of Apollo 13 and inside the minds of its famous and heroic astronauts. Complete with photographs of the crew and diagrams of the spacecraft, this is an up-close-and-personal look at one of the most thrilling survival stories of all time.“Fans of action-packed true survival stories will take to this real-life space episode—an easy pick for upper elementary schoolers.” —School Library Journal
Lost in Tibet: The Untold Story of Five American Airmen, a Doomed Plane, and the Will to Survive
by Richard Starks Miriam MurcuttCaught in a violent storm and blown far off their intended course, five American airmen--flying the dangerous Himalayan supply route known as "The Hump"--were forced to bail out just seconds before their plane ran out of fuel. To their astonishment, they found they had landed in the heart of Tibet. There they had to confront what, to them, seemed a bizarre--even alien--people. At the same time, they had to extricate themselves from the political turmoil that even then was raging around Tibet's right to be independent from China.Now back in print,Lost in Tibet is an extraordinary story of high adventure that sheds light on the remarkable Tibetan people, just at the moment when they were coming to terms with a hostile outside world.
Lost in the Antarctic: The Doomed Voyage of the Endurance (Lost #4)
by Tod OlsonClimb aboard the doomed ship Endurance to join famed explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew who must battle the frigid Antarctic elements to survive being stranded at the edge of the world.There wasn't a thing Ernest Shackleton could do. He stood on the ice-bound Weddell Sea, watching the giant blocks of frozen saltwater squeeze his ship to death. The ship's name seemed ironic now: the Endurance. But she had lasted nine months in this condition, stuck on the ice in the frigid Antarctic winter. So had Shackleton and his crew of 28 men, trying to become the first expedition ever to cross the entire continent.Now, in October 1915, as he watched his ship break into pieces, Shackleton gave up on that goal. He ordered his men to abandon ship. From here on, their new goal would be to focus on only one thing: survival.Filled with incredible photographs that survived the doomed voyage of the Endurance, Lost in the Antarctic retells one of the greatest adventure and exploration stories of all time.
Lost in the Jungle: A Harrowing True Story of Adventure and Survival
by Yossi GhinsbergFour travellers set off into the Amazon rainforest on an expedition to find a hidden tribe. But what begins as the adventure of a lifetime quickly becomes a struggle for survival when they get lost in the jungle. It’s a story of friendship and a terrifying true account that you won’t be able to put down.
Lost in the Lakes: Notes from a 379-Mile Hike Around the Lake District
by Tom ChesshyreJoin travel writer Tom Chesshyre for a lakeland adventure like no other. Explore towering mountains, wide-open valleys and magnificent lakes - stopping off at a cosy inn or two along the way - on a 379-mile hike around the Lake DistrictFrom Penrith and back, via Keswick, Cockermouth, Coniston, Grasmere and Windermere, plus many places in between, Tom Chesshyre puts on his walking boots and sets forth in a "big wobbly circle" around the Lakes, drawn onwards by the dramatic scenery that attracts more than 19 million visitors each year.Across landscape that so inspired the Romantic poets, he takes in remote parts of the parkland that many tourists miss - enjoying encounters aplenty with farmers, fell runners and fellow hikers, while staying in shepherds' huts, bothies and old climbers' hotels along the way, and even going for a (chilly) dip in Derwentwater.This is the Lake District seen from its walking paths - with just a backpack, an open mind... and a spring in the step.
Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas
by Harley RustadIn the vein of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a riveting work of narrative nonfiction centering on the unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India—one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley.For centuries, India has enthralled westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker.In his early thirties Justin Alexander Shetler, quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey: across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal, in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters, while also documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever restless explorer was driven to pursue ever greater challenges, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero’s journey.In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition yet shrouded in darkness and danger. There, he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a “spiritual journey” to a holy lake—a journey from which he would never return.Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man’s search to find himself, in a country where for many westerners the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life.Lost in the Valley of Death includes 16 pages of color photographs.
Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas
by Harley RustadIn the vein of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a riveting work of narrative nonfiction centering on the unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India—one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley.For centuries, India has enthralled Westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or, in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker. In his early thirties, Justin quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey—across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal—in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters while documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever-restless explorer was driven to seek out ever-greater extremes, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero&’s journey. In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition and shrouded in darkness and danger. There he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a spiritual journey to a holy lake—one from which he would never return. Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man&’s search to find himself, in a country where, for many Westerners, the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life.
Lost in the Wild: Danger and Survival in the North Woods
by Cary J. GriffithIn the wilderness, one false step can make the difference between a delightful respite and a brush with death. On a beautiful summer afternoon in 1998, Dan Stephens, a 22-year-old canoeist, was leading a trip deep into Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park. He stepped into a gap among cedar trees to look for the next portage -- and did not return. More than four hours later, Dan awakened with a lump on his head from a fall and stumbled deeper into the woods, confused. Three years later, Jason Rasmussen, a third-year medical student who loved the forest's solitude, walked alone into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on a crisp fall day. After a two-day trek into a remote area of the woods, he stepped away from his campsite and made a series of seemingly trivial mistakes that left him separated from his supplies, wet, and lost, as cold darkness fell. Enduring days without food or shelter, these men faced the full harsh force of wilderness, the place that they had sought out for tranquil refuge from city life. Lost in the Wild takes readers with them as they enter realms of pain, fear, and courage, as they suffer dizzying confusion and unending frustration, and as they overcome seemingly insurmountable hurdles in a race to survive.
Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid
by J. Maarten TroostThe bestselling author of The Sex Lives of Cannibals returns with a sharply observed, hilarious account of his adventures in China--a complex, fascinating country with enough dangers and delicacies to keep him, and readers, endlessly entertained. Maarten Troost has charmed legions of readers with his laugh-out-loud tales of wandering the remote islands of the South Pacific. When the travel bug hit again, he decided to go big-time, taking on the world's most populous and intriguing nation. In Lost on Planet China, Troost escorts readers on a rollicking journey through the new beating heart of the modern world, from the megalopolises of Beijing and Shanghai to the Gobi Desert and the hinterlands of Tibet. Lost on Planet China finds Troost dodging deadly drivers in Shanghai; eating Yak in Tibet; deciphering restaurant menus (offering local favorites such as Cattle Penis with Garlic); visiting with Chairman Mao (still dead, very orange); and hiking (with 80,000 other people) up Tai Shan, China's most revered mountain. But in addition to his trademark gonzo adventures, the book also delivers a telling look at a vast and complex country on the brink of transformation that will soon shape the way we all work, live, and think. As Troost shows, while we may be familiar with Yao Ming or dim sum or the cheap, plastic products that line the shelves of every store, the real China remains a world--indeed, a planet--unto itself. Maarten Troost brings China to life as you've never seen it before, and his insightful, rip-roaringly funny narrative proves that once again he is one of the most entertaining and insightful armchair travel companions around.
Lost to the Sea: A Journey Round the Edges of Britain and Ireland
by Lisa Woollett'An immersive and lyrically personal journey through deep-time and modern tides' RAYNOR WINN'Wondrous, elegant and haunting, Lost to the Sea is a fascinating alternative history of the fractured, flooded and eroded edges of Britain and Ireland' PHILIP HOAREMedieval kingdoms. Notorious pirate towns. Drowned churches. Crocodile-infested swamps.On a series of coastal walks, Lisa Woollett takes us on an illuminating journey, bringing to life the places where mythology and reality meet at the very edges of Britain and Ireland.From Bronze Age settlements on the Isles of Scilly and submerged prehistoric forests in Wales, to a Victorian amusement park on the Isle of Wight and castles in the air off County Clare, Lisa draws together archaeology, meetings with locals and tales from folklore to reveal how the sea has forged, shaped and often overwhelmed these landscapes and communities.Lost to the Sea is an exhilarating voyage around the ever-shifting shores of the British Isles, and a haunting ode to our profound relationship with the sea.'A hugely enjoyable mosaic of history, myth and imagination' SARA WHEELER'Beautifully written and researched . . . I was immediately tempted to head out in search of lost lands' WYL MENMUIR
Lost to the Sea: A Journey Round the Edges of Britain and Ireland
by Lisa Woollett'An immersive and lyrically personal journey through deep-time and modern tides' RAYNOR WINN'Wondrous, elegant and haunting, Lost to the Sea is a fascinating alternative history of the fractured, flooded and eroded edges of Britain and Ireland' PHILIP HOAREMedieval kingdoms. Notorious pirate towns. Drowned churches. Crocodile-infested swamps.On a series of coastal walks, Lisa Woollett takes us on an illuminating journey, bringing to life the places where mythology and reality meet at the very edges of Britain and Ireland.From Bronze Age settlements on the Isles of Scilly and submerged prehistoric forests in Wales, to a Victorian amusement park on the Isle of Wight and castles in the air off County Clare, Lisa draws together archaeology, meetings with locals and tales from folklore to reveal how the sea has forged, shaped and often overwhelmed these landscapes and communities.Lost to the Sea is an exhilarating voyage around the ever-shifting shores of the British Isles, and a haunting ode to our profound relationship with the sea.'A hugely enjoyable mosaic of history, myth and imagination' SARA WHEELER'Beautifully written and researched . . . I was immediately tempted to head out in search of lost lands' WYL MENMUIR
Lost: Books V And Vi (Orca Currents)
by John WilsonSam and Annabel are pleased when they are selected to take a cruise to the Arctic. They are thrilled when they learn that the cruise will take them past a site connected to the most famous mystery in Arctic history: the Franklin Expedition. But things on the cruise are not what they seem. When Sam and Annabel make a startling discovery on a small island close to where archaeologists are diving on the wreck of the Erebus, one of the Franklin’s ships, they are confronted by an old enemy. Isolated and outnumbered, how can they possibly save the priceless artifact that may hold the answer to the Franklin mystery? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Loudoun County Fair
by Stephanie Briley FidlerDating back to 1936, the Loudoun County Fair has been a place for the community to celebrate the agriculture of the area. Established for 4-H members to have a fair of their own, the Loudoun County Fair has provided a place, along with volunteers and the support of the community, for the children to exhibit their animals, home economics projects, and produce. After moving from Purcellville to Middleburg and then to Lincoln, the fair found a permanent home in 1956 on donated land in the Clarke's Gap area of Loudoun County. Since the 1957 fair, a livestock auction has been added, an auditorium has been built, and new barns have been erected. Take a step back, slow down, and enjoy the history and beauty of one of Loudoun's longest-running events, the Loudoun County Fair.
Loudoun County: 250 Years of Towns and Villages
by Mary Fishback Thomas Balch Library CommissionLoudoun County, one of Virginia's most charming areas, is truly a picturesque region, balanced with sweeping pastoral landscapes along the Potomac and many lovely small towns and villages. Over the pastseveral hundred years, this county has enjoyed an ethnic-rich past, meaning that many diverse cultures--the American Indian, European, and African--have called this place home. These different civilizations have left an indelible mark on Loudoun County's character and architectural appearance, from traditional churches and shops to the more ornate and lavish homes scattered across the countryside. Fortunately, many of these buildings still stand, serving as fitting reminders to these different people's struggles and lives. In this volume of over 200 photographs, many never before published, you will experience the Loudoun County of yesteryear--a time when wagons and early automobiles competed for space on the same dusty highways, when homes and schools were made of cobblestone and woodframing, and when life seemed, overall, slower and less complicated. This book takes us on a wonderful journey through the county's major towns, such as Leesburg, Hamilton, Hillsboro, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, and Round Hill, and to the smaller villages, such as Waterford, Broad Run Farms, and Taylorstown. From the turn of the twentieth century to more contemporary times, you will see your "home county" as you have never seen it before or as you remembered it as a child.
Loudoun County: A Family Album (Images of America)
by Mary FishbackIn the fast-paced world in which we live, the relationships among families and friends continue to be the bonds that hold our complex communities together. Located in the flourishing region of Northern Virginia, Loudoun County has experienced significant growth in recent years, but it is those essential ties, the determined character of the region's first inhabitants, and the importance ofheritage to the generations that have followed that have truly shaped the area's singular personality. Documented in the contents of leather-bound picturealbums, cardboard boxes, and dusty attic trunks, the most touching stories of the region are found in the collected everyday memories of its people. Loudoun County: A Family Album takes readers on an intimate tour of the county's major towns and small villages through the eyes of the people who lived and worked in these communities. From candid snapshots taken on family vacations and school outings to early photographs of the town's first farmers and entrepreneurs, this volume of over 200 vintage images captures the everyday lives of the citizens who have persevered to make their home the beautiful, diverse, and charming place it has become. Showcasing the work of both Winslow Williams, one of Loudoun's best and most prolific photographers, as well as the efforts of doting parents and grandparents, friendly neighbors, and enthusiastic playmates from throughout the area, this book provides a one-of-a-kind glimpse at the county from a uniquely personal perspective.
Loudoun County: People and Places
by Mary FishbackAlthough geography plays a significant role in a place's identity, it is the people and their stories that make an area special. Loudoun County is one such place, a county known for its charm and uniquepersonality. Over the past 250 years, the county has drawn a truly eclectic population from across the world, and these different immigrant groups have shaped the county's history with their churches, schools, and businesses--all still clearly visible into the twenty-first century. Loudoun County: People and Places highlights the everyday life of itscitizens throughout the county, capturing in word and image the local flavor of Leesburg and the county's many historic towns and villages. Possessing a strong religious presence, Loudoun County is dotted with many old churches, representing a wide network of beliefs and faiths,and this volume takes readers on an extraordinary visual tour showcasing their beautiful exteriors and diverse architectural styles. Throughout the rest of the work, readers will encounter scenes of forgotten one-room schoolhouses, posed snapshots of early faculty members and students, and different views around the county that capture early businesses, local celebrations, and famous homes. This book also features a chapter on the photographs of Winslow Williams, a prolific local studio photographer whose work has preserved many scenes and familiar facesaround the county.
Louis: A Life of Robert Louis Stevenson
by Philip CallowThere are many Stevensons behind the initials RLS, but the one that has endeared him to readers for so long is surely the fighter, battling to stay alive. Jorge Luis Borges described his brief life as courageous and heroic. In Philip Callow s absorbing new biography, one can see why. Doctors, called repeatedly to what should have been his deathbed, would find a scarecrow, twitching and alive. A sickly child, Louis became in turn a bohemian dandy, a literary gypsy traipsing through the mountains of France with a donkey, and at twenty-eight the lover of an American woman ten years his senior, the fabulous Fanny. He escaped his Scottish town, his family, his friends who had mapped out a literary career for him in London, and instead went chaotically across the Atlantic and overland to California in poverty and despair to reach his beloved, whereupon he escaped into marriage and committed himself to being a nomad. He sailed the Pacific and dreamed of being an explorer; his restlessness was Victorian. With the power of a novelist and the grace of a poet (of which he is both), Philip Callow captures this great writer and his many contradictions. He was a born exile longing for home; a northerner who thrived on tropic sunshine; a near atheist who organized Sunday services for his Samoan workers. He has been called Scotland's finest writer of English prose, a more economical Walter Scott. As an essayist he equaled Hazlitt. In emotional crises he wept openly, to the embarrassment of his wife. His feelings are always his reasons, said Henry James, and caught in a sentence the secret of Stevenson s popularity as one of the last of the classic storytellers. Louis brings him alive. With 8 pages of black-and-white photographs. "