- Table View
- List View
Admiral of the Blue: The Life and Times of Admiral John Child Purvis (1747–1825)
by Iain GordonAdmiral John Child Purvis was a contemporary naval officer of Nelson, who never disobeyed an order and did his job well. His ability as a fighting commander was proved in a bloody duel between his sloop-of-war and a French corvette during the War of American Independence. As a battleship Captain, he was the first British officer to confront Napoleon Bonaparte, muzzle to muzzle, during the Siege of Toulon. Commanding the Princess Royal and then the London, he was involved in much action in the Mediterranean and served under the legendary Sir John Jervis (later Lord St. Vincent).Later, as a Flag Officer, he rejoined the Mediterranean Fleet first as second-in-command and then as Commander-in-Chief. The culmination of his long and distinguished career at sea was saving the Spanish fleet in Cadiz from capture by the French and preparing the city for siege.
Admiral De Grasse and American Independence
by Charles Lee LewisThe average American knows little or nothing of the great service rendered by Admiral de Grasse, a French admiral, to the cause of American independence in the battle off Cape Henry in 1781. The battle off Cape Henry had ultimate effects more important than those of Waterloo. De Grasse's action entailed upon the British the final loss of the thirteen colonies in America. This biography by Charles Lee Lewis places this supremely important naval battle off the Virginia Capes in its proper historical perspective, and gives de Grasse the full credit for rendering the aid which made possible the capture of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Washington fully recognized this aid, when he wrote to de Grasse following the surrender of Cornwallis and expressed his gratitude "in the name of America for the glorious event for which she is indebted to you." Without de Grasse's victory all the military efforts on land made by Rochambeau, Lafayette, and Washington would have been in vain. The battle off Cape Henry was only one of numerous battles fought by this dashing Gallic sea captain. Over fifty years of his long life, 1722-1788, were spent in the service of Louis XV and Louis XVI, in the Mediterranean, in India, on the North American coast, and in the West Indies. He fought in all the wars of his day, the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, and the War of the American Revolution which developed into a general European struggle.
Admiral Byng: His Rise and Execution
by Chris WareBorn the son of George Byng, a favorite of the king and himself an admiral and member of the admiralty board (and later First Lord of the Admiralty), John Byng seemed destined for a shining career in the Royal Navy. He saw his first fleet action at Cape Passaro, the elder Byng's finest hour, as a Captain's Servant, aged just 14. He qualified as a lieutenant at 19 years old (although the minimum age was 21) and was Post Captain at 23. By the outbreak of the Seven Years' War he had risen to Admiral of the Blue. Then it all went wrong with the Battle of Minorca (20 May 1756), where his failure, or rather the nature of it, earned him accusations of cowardice and a court martial. His trial and execution were the hottest topic of the day, the media lampooning him mercilessly and his reputation has never recovered. Chris Ware reassesses Byng's whole career and carefully untangles the politics surrounding his final days to see how far his poor reputation is justified. This is a valuable and long overdue addition to the literature of the Georgian navy.
Admiral Bill Halsey: A Naval Life
by Thomas Alexander HughesWilliam Halsey, the most famous naval officer of World War II, was known for fearlessness, steely resolve, and impulsive errors. In this definitive biography, Thomas Hughes punctures the popular caricature of the fighting admiral to present a revealing human portrait of his personal and professional life as it was lived in times of war and peace.
The Admiral: The David Robinson Story
by Gregg Lewis Deborah Shaw LewisDisciplined Life, Determined Athlete, Devoted Christian Kids will be inspired by the compelling story of David “The Admiral” Robinson, who went from the Navy to the NBA, becoming MVP center for the San Antonio Spurs. When David Robinson became MVP center for the San Antonio Spurs, he seemed to have it all—fame, success, wealth, and a wonderful family—but he didn’t feel complete until he found his faith. This is the true story of one man’s disciplined life, how he excelled in academics and sports, and who isn’t afraid to share his utter devotion to God.
Adland: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet
by James P. OthmerSomewhere between The Tipping Point and Mad Men lies Adland. Adland is the wickedly funny, compelling personal chronicle of the rise and fall of a modern-day ad man; a riveting insider's look at the astonishing transformation taking place in advertising's hottest idea factories; and an introduction to the people whose job is to know what makes us tick, what makes us lean in, what we think we need and don't know that we want. Amidst the tales of lavish shoots, agencies on the brink, and pampered mega-brands Adland is also a snapshot of how we live our lives on this earth at this particular moment . . . thirty seconds at a time.
Adirondack Outlaws: Bad Boys and Lawless Ladies
by Niki KourofskyLocal author and historian Niki Kourofsky exposes the North Country's shadowy past of crime and dark deeds. Her wry, lively storytelling puts readers right in the thick of shootouts, jewel heists, bank robberies, manhunts, and unsolved murders. Spanning eight decades of Adirondack history and ranging from Glens Falls to the Canadian border, Adirondack Outlaws is a rollicking page-turner, rich in chilling details and amply illustrated with historical photographs.
Adiós to My Parents
by Héctor Aguilar CamínIt all begins with a faded photograph taken in Chetumal, Mexico in 1938, portraying Emma and Héctor, the parents of Héctor Aguilar Camín, as newlyweds. The author is moved to investigate his family origins, driven by a search for both a familial and personal identity. Adiós to My Parents is a painfully personal story about the need for a narrative that tells you where your grandparents come from, how your parents met, why they married or separated, why they were who they were and why you are who you are. In impeccable, moving prose, Héctor Aguilar Camín delves into his past as far as he can go, reflecting on how fate has lead him back to his parents, whom he hasn't seen for decades, on two different floors of a hospital where they both are ailing.
Adiós Muchachos: A Memoir of the Sandinista Revolution
by Sergio Ramírez Stacey Alba SkarAdiós Muchachos is a candid insider's account of the leftist Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. During the 1970s, Sergio Ramírez led prominent intellectuals, priests, and business leaders to support the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), against Anastasio Somoza's dictatorship. After the Sandinistas overthrew the Somoza regime in 1979, Ramírez served as vice-president under Daniel Ortega from 1985 until 1990, when the FSLN lost power in a national election. Disillusioned by his former comrades' increasing intolerance of dissent and resistance to democratization, Ramírez defected from the Sandinistas in 1995 and founded the Sandinista Renovation Movement. In Adiós Muchachos, he describes the utopian aspirations for liberation and reform that motivated the Sandinista revolution against the Somoza regime, as well as the triumphs and shortcomings of the movement's leadership as it struggled to turn an insurrection into a government, reconstruct a country beset by poverty and internal conflict, and defend the revolution against the Contras, an armed counterinsurgency supported by the United States. Adiós Muchachos was first published in 1999. Based on a later edition, this translation includes Ramírez's thoughts on more recent developments, including the re-election of Daniel Ortega as president in 2006.
Adios, Motherfucker: A Gentleman's Progress Through Rock and Roll
by Michael RuffinoA blend of This Is Spinal Tap and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the cult classic confessions of a debauched rock ’n’ roller and his adventures in excess on the ’80s hair-metal nostalgia tour through Middle America, now in a revised and updated edition. Once upon a time at the start of the new century, the unheard-of Unband got a chance to drink, fight, and play loud music with ’80s metal bands like Dio and Def Leppard. To the mix they brought illegal pyrotechnics, a giant red inflatable hand with movable digits, a roadie dubiously named Safety Bear, a high tolerance for liver damage, and an infectious love of rock & roll and everything it represents.Unband bassist Michael Ruffino takes us on an epic joyride across a surrealistic American landscape where we meet mute Christian groupies, crack-smoking Girl Scouts, beer-drinking chimps, and thousands of head-bangers who cannot accept that hair metal is dead. Here, too, are uncensored portraits of Ronnie James Dio, Anthrax, Sebastian Bach, Lemmy of Motorhead, and others.Adios, Motherfucker is gonzo rock storytelling at its finest—excessive, incendiary, intelligent, hilarious, and utterly original.
Adiós eterno: Los últimos días del Divo
by Francisco Javier León Herrera Juan Manuel Navarro Salinas¿Presentía su muerte Juan Gabriel? ¿Qué fue lo que realmente lo mató? ¿Qué dolores profundos encerraba en su corazón, qué angustias, qué amores? El 28 de agosto de 2016 murió en Santa Mónica, California, Juan Gabriel, el ídolo más grande de la música popular mexicana y uno de los cantautores con mayor prestigio mundial. Después de una vida marcada por la tragedia familiar, el abandono infantil en un internado y el sufrimiento del joven músico, su gran esfuerzo y carisma lo llevaron a la consagración del artista con shows en múltiples escenarios de América y Europa. Juan Gabriel, el cantautor que hizo de sus canciones un himno al amor, murió en forma trágica y triste, para dolor de sus millones de admiradores, consternados por su adiós, su adiós eterno. Pero, ¿quién era realmente Juan Gabriel? ¿En qué momento aparecía Alberto Aguilera Valadez, su nombre real, para hundirse en la tristeza? ¿Cómo era El Divo de Juárez como padre, amigo, amante? Marcado por una investigación extraordinaria, Javier León Herrera y Juan Manuel Navarro, periodistas expertos del mundo del espectáculo, revelan en este libro cómo fueron los últimos días del ídolo mexicano, quiénes eran sus confidentes, cuál fue su última voluntad, qué sentimientos guardaba para sus hijos biológicos y adoptivos. En este libro se rompen de manera radical los mitos acerca de sus preferencias sexuales, se revelan las causas de la malograda relación con Rocío Dúrcal y qué personajes de la farándula le dolían a Juan Gabriel. Este libro retrata con gran detalle al hombre alejado de los escenarios para acercarnos al ser humano agobiado por la dureza de su infancia y la presencia de la depresión siempre amenazante; además, nos brinda la ocasión para comprender al Juan Gabriel vanidoso, explosivo, seductor, a la estrella que amó a su país con tanta pasión como a sus seguidores
Adiós a las armas: Una crónica del final de ETA
by Antoni BatistaLa crónica definitiva sobre el abandono de las armas por parte de ETA. El 20 de octubre de 2011, ETA anunció su abandono definitivo de la violencia. Adiós a las armas es la crónica de veinte años de negociaciones y de reflexión interna que han acabado propiciando una decisión histórica. Con un acceso incomparable a las fuentes, y a menudo como testigo presencial, Antoni Batista cuenta la historia de cómo la izquierda abertzale acabó logrando imponer a ETA la vía política frente a la armada y acallar para siempre el ruido de las pistolas. El final de ETA es un largo proceso de más de veinte años, que se ha acelerado en los dos últimos. Las razones de este Adiós a las armas son variadas y complejas, y múltiples los actores y los episodios. Antoni Batista hace este viaje al final de la violencia en primera persona, para contar aquello de lo que fue testigo o de lo que supo por las fuentes de primera mano acumuladas por más de veinticinco años de corresponsalía política en el País Vasco. Siguiendo el registro narrativo de sus últimos libros, explica la realidad con los recursos literarios de la ficción: relata hechos, retrata personajes y describe el contexto. Adiós a las armas es como una novela en la que todo lo que sucede es real, resultado de un cuidadoso trabajo de dos años, desde que, en otoño de 2009, Antoni Batista dio fiabilidad a quien le advirtió que sucedería lo que ha acabado sucediendo.
Adiós a casi todo (Diarios de Pániker #5)
by Salvador PánikerAdiós a casi todo es, por el momento, la última entrega de los diarios de Salvador Pániker y prosigue la serie iniciada por Cuaderno amarillo, Variaciones 95, Diario de otoño y Diario del anciano averiado. El quinto de los dietarios de Salvador Pániker abarca los años que van del 2004 al 2010 y, como en volúmenes anteriores, en él da cuenta de su vida más íntima, de la realidad del momento social y de su pensamiento filosófico. Con su sabiduría elegante, estos textos no esquivan esa devastación llamada vejez, con sus preguntas y, si cabe, algunas respuestas. En las páginas de los diarios de Paniker, el lector encontrará una paideia cada vez más elaborada, una propuesta «musical» para afrontar la parte final de la vida y para hacer más llevadera la convivencia con el sufrimiento, otra de las preocupaciones más acuciantes del Pániker maduro. Reseña:«Pániker habla desde la consistencia de una madurez expresiva y emocional apta para recrear con verdad y belleza (incluso con verdad y crudeza) la experiencia de la decrepitud cuando todavía no es abismal ni paralizante, sino una compañera estable [...] incapaz de detener la fiesta de un hombre fundamentalmente feliz, equilibrado y hedonista, escéptico y creyente, vital y sosegado.»Jordi Gracia, El País
Adieux
by Simone De BeauvoirSimone de Beauvoir's account of the last ten years of Jean-Paul Sartre's life provides a focus for understanding one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century. But the book, consisting of both a year-by-year account of Sartre's last decade and a conversation between him and de Beauvoir about his life and work, is more than just a philosophical examination. It is also a personal dialogue of astonishing frankness that illuminates one of the most famous and complex relationships of the twentieth century.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Adhisankarar
by VasudevA biography of Adhisankarar, a Hindu Saint, who hailed from Kalady of Kerala, a south Indian State. He was an Indian philosopher who introduced the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta, a sub-school of Vedanta and his teachings were based on the unity of the Soul and Brahman in which Brahman is viewed as without attributes.
ADHD and Me: What I Learned From Lighting Fires at the Dinner Table
by Blake E. TaylorFrom being tied down to a kitchen chair by a frustrated babysitter, to foiling bullies, and launching rockets into neighbors' swimming pools, the stories from Blake Taylor's life with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at times hilarious, poignant, and instructive. This eminently readable memoir sheds light on what it's like for a young person to grow up with, and suffer from, and ultimately learn to harness this common condition.
Adele: The Biography
by Chas Newkey-BurdenAdele's soulful voice, catchy hits, and vulnerable personality have won her critical acclaim and widespread popularity. She has topped the charts in 18 countries and swept the top awards at the 2012 Grammys—but who is she? How has her tempestuous life that influenced her heartbreaking tracks? How did she overcome the challenges that threatened to derail her career? In Adele, veteran celebrity biographer Chas Newkey-Burden traces her story from her childhood in London, where she began singing at the age of four. During her teenage years she wrote her own music and attended the BRIT school, alongside the likes of Leona Lewis. After posting demos on her MySpace webpage, she earned a record deal and quickly captured hearts. Adele remains an unlikely icon. Her looks are unusual in a formulaic world of celebrity image, she suffers badly with pre-stage nerves, and she once canceled a crucial promotional trip to the U.S. because she felt too down to travel. This is a full, unflinching portrait of a genuine talent and inspiring, uncompromising woman—the curvy girl next door who conquered the world.
Adele: The Biography
by Chas Newkey-BurdenAdele's soulful voice, catchy hits, and vulnerable personality have won her critical acclaim and widespread popularity. She has topped the charts in 18 countries and swept the top awards at the 2012 Grammys--but who is she? How has her tempestuous life that influenced her heartbreaking tracks? How did she overcome the challenges that threatened to derail her career? In Adele, veteran celebrity biographer Chas Newkey-Burden traces her story from her childhood in London, where she began singing at the age of four. During her teenage years she wrote her own music and attended the BRIT school, alongside the likes of Leona Lewis. After posting demos on her MySpace webpage, she earned a record deal and quickly captured hearts. Adele remains an unlikely icon. Her looks are unusual in a formulaic world of celebrity image, she suffers badly with pre-stage nerves, and she once canceled a crucial promotional trip to the U.S. because she felt too down to travel. This is a full, unflinching portrait of a genuine talent and inspiring, uncompromising woman--the curvy girl next door who conquered the world.
Adele: The Biography
by Chas Newkey-BurdenAdele’s powerful voice and breathtaking songs have seen her top the charts around the planet, collect millions of admirers and win dozens of awards. When she became a mother, in 2012, her fans rejoiced in a fairytale moment for a young woman who has known so much pain in her personal life. At last, it seemed, she had it all. But who is Adele? Adele: The Biography traces her story from a humble childhood in London, where she began singing at the age of four, through to her phenomenal success of her first two albums, 19 and 21. It then brings her remarkable story up to date, examining her health scare, motherhood and triumphant comeback, singing Skyfall at the 2013 Oscars ceremony. Along the way, this unique book uncovers how her troubled private life influenced her heartbreaking tracks and how she gamely overcame a string of obstacles that threatened to derail her career. Here, you will discover the fascinating truth behind all the highs and the lows experienced by this fun, formidable woman, whose songs have become national anthems for the heartbroken. Adele has won well over 70 major musical prizes including Grammys, Brits and an Oscar – all before she turned 25. Yet she remains fully grounded, and regards the glitzy world of show business with an old-fashioned English combination of amusement and healthy suspicion. So here is Adele in all her glory – the curvy girl next door who compared the world. In this fully updated edition of his internationally-bestselling biography, Chas Newkey-Burden reveals the woman behind the music.
Adele: The Biography (Updated Edition)
by Chas Newkey-BurdenThe newly revised, definitive account of the Grammy-winning soul singer's life story, illustrated with 16 color photos and now fully updated to include the making of her eagerly anticipated new album, 25 After years of rumors, Adele's long-awaited third album 25 was finally announced in late 2015, and with it came claims that she was to single-handedly "save the music industry." Such is the influence of Adele--a young mother from north London with the most powerful voice in the world. Adele's breathtaking songs have seen her top the charts in over 30 countries, collect millions of admirers, and win dozens of top awards. But who is she? Her commendable desire to protect her family and friends from the harsh glare of the media's spotlight has meant that she has become one of the most private superstars on the planet. Adele: The Biography traces her story from a humble childhood in London through to the phenomenal success of her first two albums, 19 and 21, and the making of her most recent work, 25. Along the way, this unique book uncovers how her troubled private life influenced her heartbreaking tracks and how she overcame a string of obstacles that threatened to derail her career. You will discover the fascinating truth behind all the highs and the lows experienced by this fun, formidable woman, whose songs have become national anthems for the heartbroken. In this fully updated edition of his internationally-bestselling biography, Chas Newkey-Burden reveals the woman behind the music.
Adele: The Biography
by Chas Newkey-BurdenAdele's soulful voice, catchy hits, and vulnerable personality have won her critical acclaim and widespread popularity. She has topped the charts in 18 countries and swept the top awards at the 2012 Grammys--but who is she? How has her tempestuous life that influenced her heartbreaking tracks? How did she overcome the challenges that threatened to derail her career? InAdele, veteran celebrity biographer Chas Newkey-Burden traces her story from her childhood in London, where she began singing at the age of four. During her teenage years she wrote her own music and attended the BRIT school, alongside the likes of Leona Lewis. After posting demos on her MySpace webpage, she earned a record deal and quickly captured hearts. Adele remains an unlikely icon. Her looks are unusual in a formulaic world of celebrity image, she suffers badly with pre-stage nerves, and she once canceled a crucial promotional trip to the U. S. because she felt too down to travel. This is a full, unflinching portrait of a genuine talent and inspiring, uncompromising woman--the curvy girl next door who conquered the world.
Adelaide Hoodless
by Cheryl MacdonaldAdelaide Hunter Hoodless, lifelong crusader for the recognition of the domestic sciences (cooking, sewing, childcare and housework) and an early proponent of home economics in Canada, was considered one of the radical new woman of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She helped turn the Canadian YWCA into a national organization. She founded the Women’s Institute, assisted in the founding of the Victorian Order of Nurses and represented Canada on numerous International Councils of Women, as well as establishing the first school for the training of domestic science teachers in Canada and putting together the first Canadian domestic science textbook, popularly known as the Little Red Book.
The Addiction of Mary Todd Lincoln
by Anne E. BeidlerMary Todd Lincoln, wife of the president we have immortalized, has always been difficult for us to understand. She could appear poised and brilliant one moment yet rude and ugly the next. Sometimes competent and strong, able to entertain dignitaries from around the world, at other times she appeared dependent and weak. At times she seemed utterly beside herself with sobbing and screaming. Historians have mostly avoided saying very much about Mary Todd Lincoln except in reference to her husband, Abraham. To many it would seem that Mary Todd Lincoln is still an embarrassment in the tragic story of her martyred husband. But Mary Todd Lincoln lived her own tragic story even before Abraham was murdered. She was an addict, addicted to the opiates she needed for her migraine headaches. Seeing Mary Todd Lincoln as an addict helps us understand her and give her the compassion and admiration she deserves. In her time there had been no courageous First Lady like Betty Ford to help people understand the power of addiction. There was no treatment center. In Mary Todd Lincoln's time there were many addicts at all levels of society, as there are now, but it was a more socially acceptable condition for men to have than for women. More importantly, addiction was not very well understood, and it was often mistreated. Because Mary Todd Lincoln's only surviving son, Robert Lincoln, made a great effort to protect his mother and his family from journalists and historians, he intentionally destroyed most of Mary Todd Lincoln's medical records and many of her letters. What he could not destroy, however, is the record of Mary Todd Lincoln's pain and the record of how she behaved while living with this pain. In The Addiction of Mary Todd Lincoln, we can see clearly, for the first time, what Mary Todd Lincoln had to live with and the courage it took for her to carry on.
Addicted To Danger
by Jim Wickwire Dorothy BullittAdventurist Jim Wickwire, an eyewitness to glory and terror above 20,000 feet, has braved bitter cold, blinding storms, and avalanches to become what the Los Angeles Times calls "one of America's most extraordinary and accomplished high-altitude mountaineers." Although his incredible exploits have inspired a feature on 60 Minutes and a full-length film, he hasn't told his remarkable story in his own words -- until now. Among the world's most fearless climbers, Jim Wickwire has traveled the globe in search of fresh challenges. He was one of the first two Americans to reach the summit of K2, the world's second highest peak, the toughest and most dangerous to climb. But with the triumphs came tragedies that haunt him still. During several difficult climbs, he was forced to look on helplessly as four of his climbing companions lost their lives. A successful Seattle attorney, Wickwire climbed his first mountain in 1960. Deeply compelled by the thrill of risk, he pushed himself to the limits of physical and mental endurance for thirty-five years, before facing a turning point that threatened his faith in himself and his hope in the future. How he reassessed his priorities and rededicated his life -- to his family and his community -- completes a unique and moving portrait of one man's courage and commitment. Addicted To Danger is a tale of adventure in its truest sense.
The Adderall Diaries: A Memoir of Moods, Masochism, and Murder
by Stephen ElliottHans stands accused of murdering his wife, Nina. Despite of circumstantial evidence against him, he proclaims his innocence. The case takes a twist when Nina's former lover, and Hans's former friend, Sean confesses to eight unrelated murders.