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On This Day in California History (On This Day In)
by Jim SilvermanCalifornia has a rich history of cultural innovation and colorful characters. On May 26, 1853, Lola Montez premiered her famous Spider Dance routine in San Francisco. On February 21, 1937, San Diego’s Waldo Waterman created one of the first operational flying cars. Emeryville’s Wham-O sold the first Frisbee, earlier called a Flyin’ Cake Pan, on January 13, 1957. Entrepreneurs Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne established Apple Inc. on April 1, 1976. With a historical account for each day of the year, Jim Silverman highlights the unforgettable stories that have defined California.
On This Day in Detroit History
by Bill LoomisOne day at a time, discover colorful Motor City moments in history spanning more than three centuries. On November 5, 1851, Voice of the Fugitive published a letter in support of escaped slaves. On July 3, 1904, Monk Parry became the first monkey to drive a car, and on January 16, 1919, the Statler Hotel menu offered whale meat for dinner. The legendary Steve Yzerman was named captain of the Red Wings on October 7, 1986. Local historian Bill Loomis covers the big events and remarkable stories of life and culture from Detroit's founding to its recent struggles and rebirth.
On This Day in Indianapolis History
by Dawn E. BakkenAlthough best known for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," Indianapolis claims countless fascinating stories that happened off the track--one for every date on the calendar. In a single day on January 1, 1970, Indianapolis jumped from the nation's twenty-sixth largest city to number eleven. On July 25, 1934, gangster and native son John Dillinger was laid to rest in Crown Hill Cemetery, where chips of his four successive gravestones became favorite city souvenirs. On September 17, 1945, the nation finally learned that Indianapolis was the top-secret manufacturing center for the Norden bombsight, crucial to Allied victory. And on September 6, 1959, jazz musician Wes Montgomery and his brothers finished recording one of their most popular albums. One day at a time, author Dawn Bakken chronicles a year of people, places and events in Circle City history.
On This Day in Kingsport History (On This Day In Ser.)
by Brianne WrightWith a story for each day of the year, Kingsport City archivist and author Brianne Wright illuminates the significant people, places and events of the Model City. Charley Grubb evaded his prison sentence when he slyly escaped from the courtroom during the jury deliberations on May 25, 1929. On June 5, 1936, the Rotherwood Bridge collapse nearly claimed five lives. After four decades, the State Theater officially aired its last film on March 26, 1978. The city's first "Fun Fest," held on August 8, 1981, aimed to bolster community unity. From its early days as Boatyard to the modern-day Kingsport, colorful characters and quirky events shaped the city's unique history one day at a time.
On This Day in Terre Haute History
by Dorothy Weinz JerseOn the east bank of the Wabash River, Terre Haute was established as a real estate venture in 1816. Two hundred years of history is chronicled here, one day at a time, with stories of its remarkable events and colorful characters. In 1915, Coca-Cola introduced its iconic green bottle, designed and manufactured locally at Root Glass Company. Giving credit to the town's "Sin City" moniker, authorities seized the largest moonshine still ever discovered in Vigo County on July 15, 1929. Many notable Hoosiers have called Terre Haute home, too, including labor leader Eugene V. Debs and Tony Hulman of Indianapolis 500 fame. Every date on the calendar reveals a story to fascinate, educate or entertain.
On Trails: An Exploration
by Robert MoorFrom a brilliant new literary voice comes a groundbreaking exploration of how trails help us understand the world--from tiny ant trails to hiking paths that span continents, from interstate highways to the Internet.In 2009, while thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Robert Moor began to wonder about the paths that lie beneath our feet: How do they form? Why do some improve over time while others devolve? What makes us follow or strike off on our own? Over the course of the next seven years, Moor traveled the globe, exploring trails of all kinds, from the miniscule to the massive. He learned the tricks of master trail-builders, hunted down long-lost Cherokee trails, and traced the origins of our road networks and the Internet. In each chapter, Moor interweaves his adventures with findings from science, history, philosophy, and nature writing--combining the nomadic joys of Peter Matthiessen with the eclectic wisdom of Lewis Hyde's The Gift. Throughout, Moor reveals how this single topic--the oft-overlooked trail--sheds new light on a wealth of age-old questions: How does order emerge out of chaos? How did animals first crawl forth from the seas and spread across continents? How has humanity's relationship with nature and technology shaped world around us? And, ultimately, how does each of us pick a path through life? Moor has the essayist's gift for making new connections, the adventurer's love for paths untaken, and the philosopher's knack for asking big questions. With a breathtaking arc that spans from the dawn of animal life to the digital era, On Trails is a book that makes us see our world, our history, our species, and our ways of life anew.
On Travel
by Tony WheelerTony Wheeler is 'the trailblazing patron saint of the world's backpackers and adventure travelers'. New York TimesEn route to his next destination, Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler looks at the world's biggest business: travel. An unashamed travel addict, Wheeler writes about the joys of escaping home, satiating wanderlust, and why the bird's-eye view from the window seat is best. Confronting travel's great tensions-employment, income and connection versus overcrowding and cultural damage-he comes down on the side of 'pack and go'.
On Tugboats
by Virginia ThorndikeTugboats hold a fascination not only for anyone who has worked aboard a vessel or around a harbor but for many land-bound folks as well. There is something about their chunky, powerful build and their often risky but vital work that excites our interest and admiration. The captains and crews of the tugboats are justifiably proud of what they do, and they have some great stories to tell about the ships and barges they tow or push; the harbors, storms, tides, and dangerous passages they must negotiate; the unions; the pilots; the different designs and capabilties of their boats; and the way the boats and their livelihood are irrevocably changing.
On a Hoof and a Prayer: Around Argentina at a Gallop
by Polly EvansAt the age of thirty-four, Polly Evans finally fulfilled a childhood dream -- to learn how to ride a horse. But rather than do so conveniently close to home, she decided to travel to Argentina and saddle up among the gauchos. Overcoming battered limbs, a steed hell-bent on bolting, and an encounter with the teeth of one very savage dog, Polly cantered through Andean vineyards and galloped beneath snow-capped Patagonian peaks. She survived a hair-raising game of polo and a back-breaking day herding cattle. Taking a break from riding, she delved into Argentina's tumultuous history: the Europeans' first terrifying acquaintances with the native 'giants'; the sanguinary demise of the early missionaries; and the gruesome drama of Evita's wandering corpse. On a Hoof and Prayer is the stampeding story of Polly's journey from timorous equestrian novice to wildly whooping cowgirl. It's a tale of ponies, painkillers and peregrinations -- not just around present-day Argentina, but also into the country's glorious and turbulent past.
On a Pedestal: A Trip around Britain's Statues
by Roger LytollisThis is a book for people who are interested in statues . . . and for people who aren't. It explores those immortalised in marble and bronze - and what the rest of us think about them.As Roger Lytollis travels Britain he encounters a man at Liverpool's Beatles statue convinced that Rod Stewart was in the Fab Four. In Edinburgh he walks into a row over Greyfriars Bobby's nose and in Glasgow learns why the Duke of Wellington wears a traffic cone on his head. London brings a controversial nude statue and some hard truths about racism.Elsewhere, Roger sees people dancing with Eric Morecambe, finds a statue being the backdrop to a marriage proposal and, everywhere he goes, pigeons. Always pigeons . . .On a Pedestal is the first book to examine public statues around the nation. It looks at their emergence into our culture wars; the trend for portraying musicians, sports stars and comedians rather than monarchs, politicians and generals; the amazing tales of many of those commemorated on our streets.It also features interviews with sculptors, including Sir Antony Gormley, telling the stories behind some of our most popular modern statues.Part history book, part travelogue, On a Pedestal brings statues to life. Informative and entertaining, it's a book that - ultimately - is more about blood than bronze.
On a Pedestal: A Trip around Britain's Statues
by Roger LytollisThis is a book for people who are interested in statues . . . and for people who aren't. It explores those immortalised in marble and bronze - and what the rest of us think about them.As Roger Lytollis travels Britain he encounters a man at Liverpool's Beatles statue convinced that Rod Stewart was in the Fab Four. In Edinburgh he walks into a row over Greyfriars Bobby's nose and in Glasgow learns why the Duke of Wellington wears a traffic cone on his head. London brings a controversial nude statue and some hard truths about racism.Elsewhere, Roger sees people dancing with Eric Morecambe, finds a statue being the backdrop to a marriage proposal and, everywhere he goes, pigeons. Always pigeons . . .On a Pedestal is the first book to examine public statues around the nation. It looks at their emergence into our culture wars; the trend for portraying musicians, sports stars and comedians rather than monarchs, politicians and generals; the amazing tales of many of those commemorated on our streets.It also features interviews with sculptors, including Sir Antony Gormley, telling the stories behind some of our most popular modern statues.Part history book, part travelogue, On a Pedestal brings statues to life. Informative and entertaining, it's a book that - ultimately - is more about blood than bronze.
On a Pedestal: A Trip around Britain's Statues
by Roger LytollisThis is a book for people who are interested in statues . . . and for people who aren't. It explores those immortalised in marble and bronze - and what the rest of us think about them.As Roger Lytollis travels Britain he encounters a man at Liverpool's Beatles statue convinced that Rod Stewart was in the Fab Four. In Edinburgh he walks into a row over Greyfriars Bobby's nose and in Glasgow learns why the Duke of Wellington wears a traffic cone on his head. London brings a controversial nude statue and some hard truths about racism.Elsewhere, Roger sees people dancing with Eric Morecambe, finds a statue being the backdrop to a marriage proposal and, everywhere he goes, pigeons. Always pigeons . . .On a Pedestal is the first book to examine public statues around the nation. It looks at their emergence into our culture wars; the trend for portraying musicians, sports stars and comedians rather than monarchs, politicians and generals; the amazing tales of many of those commemorated on our streets.It also features interviews with sculptors, including Sir Antony Gormley, telling the stories behind some of our most popular modern statues.Part history book, part travelogue, On a Pedestal brings statues to life. Informative and entertaining, it's a book that - ultimately - is more about blood than bronze.
On a Shoestring to Coorg
by Dervla MurphyFrom Bombay to the hippy beaches of Goa and on to the tropical tip of India, travelling by boat and bus, staying in fishermans huts and no-star hotels, Dervla Murphy and her young daughter, Rachel, explored southern India. En route, they fell in love with the tiny mountain paradise of Coorg, whose landscapes and people form the focus of an entertaining diary.
On a Shoestring to Coorg: A Travel Memoir of India
by Dervla MurphyTravel writing on exotic India. From Bombay to the hippy beaches of Goa and on to the tropical trip of India, travelling by boat and bus, staying in fisherman’s huts and no-star hotels, Dervla Murphy and her five-year-old daughter explored the south. En route they fell in love with the tiny mountain paradise of Coorg, whose landscapes and people form the focus of a wonderfully evocative travel diary. This is an account of their journey. The author also wrote In Cameroon with Egbert, The Waiting Land and Muddling through in Madagascar.
On a Shoestring to Coorg: A Travel Memoir of India
by Dervla MurphyTravel writing on exotic India. From Bombay to the hippy beaches of Goa and on to the tropical trip of India, travelling by boat and bus, staying in fisherman's huts and no-star hotels, Dervla Murphy and her five-year-old daughter explored the south. En route they fell in love with the tiny mountain paradise of Coorg, whose landscapes and people form the focus of a wonderfully evocative travel diary. This is an account of their journey. The author also wrote In Cameroon with Egbert, The Waiting Land and Muddling through in Madagascar.
On a Shoestring to Coorg: A Travel Memoir of India (Isis Large Print Ser.)
by Dervla MurphyA “lively travel memoir” by a woman who journeyed to India in 1973 with her five-year-old daughter (Publishers Weekly). “Irish travel writer and memoirist Murphy has in the past bicycled from Ireland to India and traveled Ethiopia by mule. Here, she recounts a perhaps more daunting adventure—taking her five-year-old daughter wandering through southern India with little money and only what they can carry on their backs . . . Leaving behind the vividly described poverty of Bombay, the pair head south. Inland from the Malabar Coast, they come upon the lush, remote, comparatively prosperous region of Coorg: local people are curious and hospitable despite the danger of pollution by associating with casteless foreigners . . . Engaging writing and interesting view of rural India.” —Kirkus Reviews “She is the best kind of traveler: observant, high-spirited, and impervious to discomfort.” —The Sunday Telegraph
On the Back Roads: Discovering Small Towns of America
by Bill GravesDo you like small towns, places off the beaten path, trips down memory lane? Ever wonder if old-fashioned values are still alive in America? Then kick back, unwind, and hop onboard with travel writer Bill Graves as he takes you On the Back Roads. Graves has a knack for finding the quirky, the offbeat in some of the most obscure, yet fascinating, small towns on the map. Among the places and faces he discovers: a town where it's against the law not to own a gun, a town famous for its split pea soup, the wise 83-year-old Emmy who camps alone in the dessert, and a man who hunts live ants for a living. The list goes on! Retired and free to roam in his motorhome, the "RV Author," Bill Graves, logs 40,000 miles through the western states of California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming.
On the Backs of Others: Rethinking the History of British Geographical Exploration
by Edward Armston-SheretIn the Victorian and Edwardian eras British explorers sought to become respected geographers and popular public figures, downplaying or reframing their reliance on others for survival. Far from being solitary heroes, these explorers were in reality dependent on the bodies, senses, curiosity, and labor of subaltern people and animals. In On the Backs of Others Edward Armston-Sheret offers new perspectives on British exploration in this era by focusing on the contributions of the people and animals, ordinarily written out of the mainstream histories, who made these journeys possible. He explores several well-known case studies of enduring popular and academic interest, such as Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke&’s Nile expeditions (1856–59 and 1860–63); Isabella Bird&’s travels in North America, Persia, and East Asia (1872–c. 1900); and Captain Robert Falcon Scott&’s two Antarctic expeditions (1901–4 and 1911–13). Armston-Sheret argues that numerous previously ignored stories show the work and agency of subaltern groups. In rethinking the history of exploration On the Backs of Others offers the first book-length study of the relationship between exploration and empire and their legacies within academic geography.
On the Border
by Tom MillerTom Miller's On the Border frames the land between the United States and Mexico as a Third Country, one 2,000 miles long and twenty miles wide. This Third Country has its own laws and its own outlaws. Its music, language, and food are unique. On the Border, a first-person travel narrative, portrays this bi-national culture, "unforgettable to every reader lucky enough to discover this gem of southwestern Americana." (San Diego Union-Tribune) It's a "deftly written book," said the New Times Book Review. "Mr. Miller has drawn a lively sketch of this unruly, unpredictable place." Traveling from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, Miller offers "cultural history and fine journalism." (Dallas Times Herald) Among his stops is Rosa's Cantina in El Paso, the Arizona site where a rancher sadistically tortured three Mexican campesinos, and the 100,000-watt XERF radio station where Wolfman Jack broadcasts nightly. He interviews children in both countries, all of whom insist that the candy on the other side is superior. On the Border, translated into Spanish, French, and Japanese, was the first book to identify and describe this land as a Third Country. Miller "knows this country," says Newsday, "feels its joys and sorrows, hears its music and loves its soul."
On the Brink: Israel and Palestine on the Eve of the 2014 Gaza Invasion
by Alice RothchildOn the Brink is a compelling collection of blog posts made during a fact-finding and solidarity visit to the West Bank and Israel encompassing the last three weeks of June 2014. Physician, author, filmmaker, and longtime activist Alice Rothchild turns her powers of careful observation and her deep understanding of the consequences of racism and occupation into a lively, honest, heart breaking, collection of reports from the field. She documents the stories and lives that do not make the evening news, but are essential to understanding the context in which that news occurs. While Rothchild expected the delegation to focus on the longest Palestinian prisoner hunger strike in history and the debate over forced feeding, the kidnap of three settler teenagers from Hebron soon dominated the news. Rather than investigating this crime, the Israel government used this as an excuse to launch a full scale incursion into the West Bank, moving into villages and refugee camps at night, invading people's homes, arresting hundreds, killing ten, trashing and destroying buildings, and launching a campaign of demonization towards Hamas in Gaza. As this unfolded, it became clear to Rothchild that Netanyahu was determined to crush the Fatah/Hamas unity government and he had found his excuse. Israel launched air raids against Hamas before a single rocket was fired by insurgents. This experience unfolds as Rothchild relentlessly documents the injustices, the inspiring resilience, and the intense yearning for the end to occupation and for a more just society both in Israel and the Occupied Territories.
On the Bullet Train with Emily Brontë: Wuthering Heights in Japan
by Judith PascoeWhile teaching in Japan, Judith Pascoe was fascinated to discover the popularity that Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights has enjoyed there. Nearly 100 years after its first formal introduction to the country, the novel continues to engage the imaginations of Japanese novelists, filmmakers, manga artists and others, resulting in numerous translations, adaptations, and dramatizations. On the Bullet Train with Emily Brontë is Pascoe’s lively account of her quest to discover the reasons for the continuous Japanese embrace of Wuthering Heights, including quite varied and surprising adaptations of the novel. At the same time, the book chronicles Pascoe’s experience as an adult student of Japanese. She contemplates the multiple Japanese translations of Brontë, as contrasted to the single (or non-existent) English translations of major Japanese writers. Carrying out a close reading of a distant country’s Wuthering Heights, Pascoe begins to see American literary culture as a small island on which readers are isolated from foreign literature. In this and in her previous book, The Sarah Siddons Audio Files, Pascoe’s engaging narrative innovates a new scholarly form involving immersive research practice to attempt a cross-cultural version of reader-response criticism. On the Bullet Train with Emily Brontë will appeal to scholars in the fields of 19th-century British literature, adaptation studies, and Japanese literary history.
On the Ganges: Encounters with Saints and Sinners Along India's Mythic River
by George BlackJourney along one of the world’s greatest rivers and catch a glimpse into the lives and cultures of the people who live along its banksThe Ganges flows through northern India and Bangladesh for more than 1,500 miles before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. It is sacred to Hindus who worship Ganga, the river goddess. But it has also long been a magnet for foreigners, some seeking to unravel its mysteries and others who have come in search of plunder. In On the Ganges, George Black, who chronicled the exploration of the American West and the creation of Yellowstone National Park in Empire of Shadows, takes readers on an extraordinary journey from the glaciers of the Himalayas to the sacred city of Varanasi to the “hundred mouths” of the Ganges Delta.On the Ganges, parts of which originated from a New Yorker article published last year, introduces us to a vivid and often eccentric cast of characters who worship the river, pollute it, and flock to it from all over the world in search of enlightenment and adventure. Black encounters those who run the corrupt cremation business, workers who eke out a living in squalid factories, religious fanatics, and Brits who continue to live as if the Raj had never ended.By the end of his journey, Black has given us a memorable picture of the great river, with all its riddles and contradictions, both sacred and profane, giving the last word to a man scavenging for the gifts left by pilgrims: "There are good days and there are bad days. It all depends. Everything is in the hands of our mother, Ma Ganga."
On the Go! Jokes for Kids: Over 250 Jokes
by ZondervanGet ready for hours of funny, corny, crazy, roll-your-eyes entertainment! LOL at over 250 hilarious, kid-friendly, travel related knock-knock jokes, Q&A jokes, tongue twisters, and a whole lot more—perfect for vacations, road trips, and putting a hilarious end to “Are we there yet?”Get rid of backseat boredom for good. Whether in a plane, train, or automobile, On the Go! Jokes for Kids is certain to have every kid you know laughing out loud. Its on-the-go size fits in the seat pockets of cars and planes, and even inside the smallest suitcase.Knock, knock.Who's there?Cargo!Cargo who?Car go “Beep beep!”On the Go! Jokes for Kids:Is a popular joke book for kids ages 6 to 10Features a collection of over 250 travel related knock-knock jokes, Q&A jokes, tongue twisters, and moreIs offered at a low price pointIs a perfect boredom buster for vacations and road tripsProvides kids with hours of clean and hilarious entertainment
On the Grand Trunk Road
by Steve CollAvailable for the first time in paperback, Steve Coll's trek across a socially and politically damaged South Asia Bestselling author Steve Coll is one of the preeminent journalists of the twenty-first century. His last two books, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Ghost Wars and New York Times bestseller The Bin Ladens, have been praised for their creative insight and complex yet compelling narratives-and have put him on par with journalists such as the legendary Bob Woodward. Now, for the first time ever, the paperback edition of On the Grand Trunk Road is finally available, revised and updated with new material. Focusing on Coll's journeys in conflict-ridden India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Afghanistan as a bureau chief for The Washington Post, On the Grand Trunk Road reveals a little-seen area of the world where violence, corruption, and greed have had devastating effects on South Asians from all walks of life. .
On the Grand Trunk Road
by Steve CollAvailable for the first time in paperback, Steve Coll's trek across a socially and politically damaged South Asia Bestselling author Steve Coll is one of the preeminent journalists of the twenty-first century. His last two books, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Ghost Wars and New York Times bestseller The Bin Ladens, have been praised for their creative insight and complex yet compelling narratives-and have put him on par with journalists such as the legendary Bob Woodward. Now, for the first time ever, the paperback edition of On the Grand Trunk Road is finally available, revised and updated with new material. Focusing on Coll's journeys in conflict-ridden India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Afghanistan as a bureau chief for The Washington Post, On the Grand Trunk Road reveals a little-seen area of the world where violence, corruption, and greed have had devastating effects on South Asians from all walks of life.