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American Dream: Four Historical Love Stories
by Nancy J. Farrier Sally Laity Kristy Dykes Judith Mccoy Miller[From the back cover:] New homeland... new lifestyle... new love. Lofty dreams of a new and better life lured untold thousands to America. Among those "huddled masses yearning to breathe free" are four immigrant women facing the challenges of the untamed New World. Will they have the strength and faith to meet the trials ahead? Life in the wilds of Florida as a ready-made wife and mother must be better than living on the streets of Boston, but not everyone is cut out for pioneer life. Will Corinn be willing to say, "I Take Thee, a Stranger," in order to survive in the New World? Paloma wants to find her sister in Tucson and convince her to move back to Mexico, but a handsome blacksmith keeps barring her path. Can Blessed Land be found among the Americans Paloma despises? Kiera feels she must return home to Ireland when her dreams for a new life have died, but she has found a new friend who wants nothing more than to show her that God still keeps His promises. Are Promises Kept in America? Hannah's new hope seems to have come in the form of her widowhood, but now another man is trying to dictate the future she has entrusted to God. Will Hannah hear Freedom's Ring? Can these four unique women find their American Dream? Can the promise of freedom carry them through to a new life of love? You will thrill to the strength, courage, and tenacity of these four women determined to choose God's path in the New Land.
American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare
by Jason DeparleIn this definitive work, two-time Pulitzer finalist Jason DeParle cuts between the mean streets of Milwaukee and the corridors of Washington to produce a masterpiece of literary journalism. At the heart of the story are three cousins whose different lives follow similar trajectories. Leaving welfare, Angie puts her heart in her work. Jewell bets on an imprisoned man. Opal guards a tragic secret that threatens her kids and her life. DeParle traces their family history back six generations to slavery and weaves poor people, politicians, reformers, and rogues into a spellbinding epic. With a vivid sense of humanity, DeParle demonstrates that although we live in a country where anyone can make it, generation after generation some families don't. To read American Dream is to understand why.
American Dreamer
by Theresa WeirReaching for the IMPOSSIBLE Striking out on her own for the first time, Lark Leopold comes face-to-face with the steamy glare of an impossibly rugged and handsome farmer. Nathan Senatra's life is a mess and he doesn't have time for Lark's silly, bureaucratic, animal research. His wife has left him and taken almost everything he has. What's more, nobody in the community seems to be on his side. But Lark cannot fight the uncontrollable attraction to the warmth and sensitivity she senses deep within Nathan's soul. For the first time in her life she has found something worth holding onto--and no matter what the consequences, she is not letting go.
American Dreamer: A Life of Henry A. Wallace
by John Hyde John C. CulverThe great politician, agriculturalist, economist, author, and businessman--loved and reviled, and finally now revealed. The great politician, agriculturalist, economist, author, and businessman--loved and reviled, and finally now revealed. The first full biography of Henry A. Wallace, a visionary intellectual and one of this century's most important and controversial figures. Henry Agard Wallace was a geneticist of international renown, a prolific author, a groundbreaking economist, and a businessman whose company paved the way for a worldwide agricultural revolution. He also held two cabinet posts, served four tumultuous years as America's wartime vice president under FDR, and waged a quixotic campaign for president in 1948. Wallace was a figure of Sphinx-like paradox: a shy man, uncomfortable in the world of politics, who only narrowly missed becoming president of the United States; the scion of prominent Midwestern Republicans and the philosophical voice of New Deal liberalism; loved by millions as the Prophet of the Common Man, and reviled by millions more as a dangerous, misguided radical. John C. Culver and John Hyde have combed through thousands of document pages and family papers, from Wallace's letters and diaries to previously unavailable files sealed within the archives of the Soviet Union. Here is the remarkable story of an authentic American dreamer. A Washington Post Best Book of the Year. 32 pages of b/w photographs. "A careful, readable, sympathetic but commendably dispassionate biography."--Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Los Angeles Times Book Review "In this masterly work, Culver and Hyde have captured one of the more fascinating figures in American history."--Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of No Ordinary Time "Wonderfully researched and very well written...an indispensable document on both the man and the time."--John Kenneth Galbraith "A fascinating, thoughtful, incisive, and well-researched life of the mysterious and complicated figure who might have become president..."--Michael Beschloss, author of Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964 "This is a great book about a great man. I can't recall when--if ever--I've read a better biography."--George McGovern "[A] lucid and sympathetic portrait of a fascinating character. Wallace's life reminds us of a time when ideas really mattered."--Evan Thomas, author of The Very Best Men: The Early Years of the CIA "Everyone interested in twentieth-century American history will want to read this book."--Robert Dallek, author of Flawed Giant "[T]he most balanced, complete, and readable account..."--Walter LaFeber, author of Inevitable Revolutions "At long last a lucid, balanced and judicious narrative of Henry Wallace...a first-rate biography."--Douglas Brinkley, author of The Unfinished Presidency "A fine contribution to twentieth-century American history."--James MacGregor Burns, author of Dead Center: Clinton-Gore Leadership and the Perils of Moderation "[E]minently readable...a captivating chronicle of American politics from the Depression through the 1960s."--Senator Edward M. Kennedy "A formidable achievement....[an] engrossing account."--Kai Bird, author of The Color of Truth: McGeorge Bundy & William Bundy, Brothers in Arms "Many perceptions of Henry Wallace, not always favorable, will forever be changed."--Dale Bumpers, former US Senator, Arkansas
American Dreamer: A Multicultural Romance (Dreamers #1)
by Adriana HerreraNo one ever said big dreams come easy <P><P>For Nesto Vasquez, moving his Afro-Caribbean food truck from New York City to the wilds of Upstate New York is a huge gamble. If it works? He’ll be a big fish in a little pond. If it doesn’t? He’ll have to give up the hustle and return to the day job he hates. He’s got six months to make it happen—the last thing he needs is a distraction. <P><P>Jude Fuller is proud of the life he’s built on the banks of Cayuga Lake. He has a job he loves and good friends. It’s safe. It’s quiet. And it’s damn lonely. Until he tries Ithaca’s most-talked-about new lunch spot and works up the courage to flirt with the handsome owner. Soon he can’t get enough—of Nesto’s food or of Nesto. For the first time in his life, Jude can finally taste the kind of happiness that’s always been just out of reach. <P><P>An opportunity too good to pass up could mean a way to stay together and an incredible future for them both...if Nesto can remember happiness isn’t always measured by business success. And if Jude can overcome his past and trust his man will never let him down. <P><P>One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!
American Dreamer: An LGBTQ Romance (Dreamers #1)
by Adriana Herrera&“A fresh and vital new voice in romance.&”—Entertainment WeeklyFrom award-winning author Adriana Herrera comes a novel hailed as one of Entertainment Weekly&’s 10 Best Romance Novels of 2019 and a TODAY Show Hot Summer Read.No one ever said big dreams come easyFor Nesto Vasquez, moving his Afro-Caribbean food truck from New York City to the wilds of Upstate New York is a huge gamble. If it works? He&’ll be a big fish in a little pond. If it doesn&’t? He&’ll have to give up the hustle and return to the day job he hates. He&’s got six months to make it happen—the last thing he needs is a distraction.Jude Fuller is proud of the life he&’s built on the banks of Cayuga Lake. He has a job he loves and good friends. It&’s safe. It&’s quiet. And it&’s damn lonely. Until he tries Ithaca&’s most-talked-about new lunch spot and works up the courage to flirt with the handsome owner. Soon he can&’t get enough—of Nesto&’s food or of Nesto. For the first time in his life, Jude can finally taste the kind of happiness that&’s always been just out of reach.An opportunity too good to pass up could mean a way to stay together and an incredible future for them both...if Nesto can remember happiness isn&’t always measured by business success. And if Jude can overcome his past and trust his man will never let him down.DreamersBook 1: American DreamerBook 2: American FairytaleBook 3: American Love StoryBook 4: American SweetheartsBook 5: American Christmas
American Dreamer: My Life in Fashion & Business
by Quincy Jones Peter Knobler Tommy HilfigerIn this tale of grit and glamour, setbacks and comebacks, business and pop culture icon Tommy Hilfiger shares his extraordinary life story for the first time. Few designers have stayed on top of changing trends the way Tommy Hilfiger has. Fewer still have left such an indelible mark on global culture. Since designing his first collection of "classics with a twist" three decades ago, Tommy Hilfiger has been synonymous with all-American style--but his destiny wasn't always so clear. Growing up one of nine children in a working-class family in Elmira, New York, Tommy suffered from dyslexia, flunked sophomore year of high school, and found himself constantly at odds with his father. Nevertheless, this self-described dreamer had a vision and the relentless will to make it a reality. At eighteen he opened his own clothing store, parlaying his uncanny instinct for style into a budding career as a fashion designer. Through decades of triumph and turmoil, Tommy remained doggedly optimistic. To this day, his approach to commerce is rooted in his positive view of the world.American Dreamer brims with anecdotes that cover Tommy's years as a club kid and scrappy entrepreneur in 1970s New York as well as unique insights into the exclusive A-list personalities with whom he's collaborated and interacted, from Mick Jagger and David Bowie to Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. But this is more than just a fashion icon's memoir--it's a road map for building a brand, both professionally and personally. Tommy takes us behind the scenes of every decision--and every mistake--he's ever made, offering advice on leadership, business, team-building, and creativity. This is the story of a true American original, told for the first time in his own words, with honesty, humor, and the insatiable appetite for life and style that proves that sometimes you have to dream big to make it big. Advance praise for American Dreamer "Tommy burst onto the fashion scene at the height of hip-hop and was instantly taken up by rappers and rockers alike. Since then, year after year he has been ahead of the curve with his elegant and stylish looks. His creative energy has always been an inspiration to me. He's really himself in American Dreamer."--Mick Jagger "Whenever I think of Tommy Hilfiger, I think of a designer who has been able to wrap fashion in the American flag. In American Dreamer Tommy shows how he has taken the (rock) stars and the (preppy) stripes and come up with a look--and a label--that are recognized globally as being quintessentially American, as well as a brand that constantly keeps time with pop music."--Anna Wintour "Tommy is an inspiration to many people. American Dreamer shows how he has managed to be successful in business and done so with integrity. I have come to know Tommy, and every time we talk I learn something new about creating a successful business."--David Beckham "Tommy is one of the most genuine people I know! In American Dreamer you can feel his passion pour through everything he does: fashion, fatherhood, family, and friendship!"--Alicia Keys "Tommy Hilfiger is an American icon who was able to transcend fashion and blend it with pop culture and take it to a worldwide audience. American Dreamer documents how, unlike any other designer, Tommy was able to tap into music, its subculture, and its influence on society, which propelled his fashion to be mainstream and global."--Tommy MottolaFrom the Hardcover edition.
American Dreamers: How the Left Changed a Nation
by Michael KazinA panoramic yet intimate history of the American left--of the reformers, radicals, and idealists who have fought for a more just and humane society, from the abolitionists to Michael Moore and Noam Chomsky--that gives us a revelatory new way of looking at two centuries of American politics and culture. Michael Kazin--one of the most respected historians of the American left working today--takes us from abolitionism and early feminism to the labor struggles of the industrial age, through the emergence of anarchists, socialists, and communists, right up to the New Left in the 1960s and '70s. While the history of the left is a long story of idealism and determination, it has also been, in the traditional view, a story of movements that failed to gain support from mainstream America. In American Dreamers, Kazin tells a new history: one in which many of these movements, although they did not fully succeed on their own terms, nonetheless made lasting contributions to American society that led to equal opportunity for women, racial minorities, and homosexuals; the celebration of sexual pleasure; multiculturalism in the media and the schools; and the popularity of books and films with altruistic and antiauthoritarian messages. Deeply informed, at once judicious and impassioned, and superbly written, American Dreamers is an essential book for our times and for anyone seeking to understand our political history and the people who made it.From the Hardcover edition.
American Dreaming: Immigrant Life on the Margins
by Sarah J. MahlerAmerican Dreaming chronicles in rich detail the struggles of immigrants who have fled troubled homelands in search of a better life in the United States, only to be marginalized by the society that they hoped would embrace them. Sarah Mahler draws from her experiences living among undocumented Salvadoran and South American immigrants in a Long Island suburb of Manhattan. In moving interviews they describe their disillusionment with life in the United States but blame themselves individually or as a whole for their lack of economic success and not the greater society. As she explores the reasons behind this outlook, the author argues that marginalization fosters antagonism within ethnic groups while undermining the ethnic solidarity emphasized by many scholars of immigration. Mahler's investigation leads to conditions that often bar immigrants from success and that they cannot control, such as residential segregation, job exploitation, language and legal barriers, prejudice and outright hostility from their suburban neighbors. Some immigrants earn surplus income by using private cars as taxis, subletting space in apartments to lower rent burdens, and filling out legal forms and applications--in essence generating institutions largely parallel to those of the mainstream society whereby only a small group of entrepreneurs can profit. By exacting a price for what used to be acts of reciprocal good will in the homeland, these entrepreneurs leave people who had expected to be exploited by "Americans" feeling victimized by their own.
American Dreams
by Bruce PriceIn the author's words "American Dreams was a radical experiment, because the whole idea was to let the stories erupt and evolve on their own. I would draw a word and then use that word in the most interesting sentence I could think of, and then create the next most interesting (and connected) sentence I could think of, and so on until the energy ran out. Much to my surprise, I wrote an entire chapter the first time I tried this technique. It was as if I had discovered a magic lamp. And that's the way it continued: a single word created each chapter. As I created more characters, I made a chart and assigned them numbers and then I rolled dice to decide which character would run into which other character. After all, in real life you're constantly running into new people. Who knows why?"
American Dreams
by Janet DaileyA stirring story of love and passion on the Trail of Tears from New York Times–bestselling author Janet Dailey, America&’s first lady of romance.Temple Gordon&’s family is one of the oldest, and proudest, to call Cherokee country home. Although their house may look like a southern plantation, the blood in their veins and the land beneath their feet is Cherokee. Nothing will change that—or so they believe. When President Andrew Jackson begins agitating to push the Indian tribe west, Temple&’s family prepares to fight to keep their homes. But when her heart is tempted by the fiery Cherokee known as &“The Blade,&” who believes removal is inevitable, Temple feels passion stirring on the eve of one of the greatest tragedies in American history. Previously published as The Proud and the Free, American Dreams is a stirring historical novel from one of the greatest names in romance.
American Dreams
by John JakesFrom America's master storyteller and writer of historical fiction comes the epicstory of the Crown family--first introduced in the New York Times bestsellerHomeland. As the second generation comes of age, the Crowns strive to find theirplace in a turbulent America which stands at the dawn of a new century. From thespeedways of Detroit to the unbridled glamour of a young Hollywood, to the daringheights of early aviation--theirs is a story of passion and adventure, glory, andambition, with all the wonder, promise, and splendor of...American Dreams.
American Dreams
by John JakesJohn Jakes continues the fascinating story of the Crown family dynasty in Chicago. Moving from 1906 to 1917, AMERICAN DREAMS brings to life a brash young nation taking its place on an international stage as the children of the German immigrant Crown family prepare themselves for the excitement of a new century. As Fritzi Crown becomes a comedy film star, her younger brother Carl seeks greater thrills in flying planes and their cousin Paul finds his destiny filming the destruction wrought by World War I to show Americans back home. From the early carefree days of a new century to the stark realities of the first world war, AMERICAN DREAMS goes through a decade of change with the men and women who coloured a nation's future. As he has in his previous bestsellers, John Jakes combines deep historical research with a powerful story peopled by characters both vivid and memorable. AMERICAN DREAMS once again brings Jakes' legions of readers the drama and passion that are his hallmarks.
American Dreams
by Senator Marco RubioDear Friends, My parents came to the United States in 1956. The country they found was truly a land of opportunity, where hardworking people with grade school educations could afford a home, a car, and college for their kids. A country where maids and bartenders could raise doctors, lawyers, small-business owners, and maybe even a U.S. senator. That was the American Dream--our country's central promise to its people: If you work hard and play by the rules, you'll find tremendous opportunities and an even better life for your children. Yet today, I look around and see the American Dream on life support. Seven years of government-centered, tax-and-spend liberalism have failed to lift the poor or sustain the middle class. Fewer Americans are working than at any time since Jimmy Carter was president. New business creation is 30 percent lower than it was in the 1980s. The stock market may be surging by the time you read this, but millions of everyday Americans will still be left behind by an economy that doesn't value their skills and a government that would rather give a handout than a hand up. I wrote this book because we stand at a critical juncture. What kind of country are we going to be? Will we surrender to Obamacare and other laws that crush innovation and entrepreneurship? Will we accept a powerful nanny state and the erosion of family values? Will we allow politics to kill the American Dream? Or will we rise to the challenge--and take back our legacy as the only nation on earth that offers unrestricted opportunity to all? I believe we can restore the American Dream and expand it to reach more people than ever before. But to do so we must restrain our power-hungry, debt-ridden federal government. We must help businesses create more stable middle-class jobs. And we must help our families stay healthy and secure. In this book you'll meet an over-regulated small-businessman, a struggling single mother, an out-of-work and in-debt college graduate, and others who want nothing more than their own shot at the American Dream. Their stories are our stories; their challenges are our challenges. Of course no book or politician can single-handedly restore the American Dream. But a movement, working to promote the values and can-do spirit that made our country exceptional, can turn everything around. My goal is to provide a roadmap for that movement and inspire Americans to reclaim their rights: to dream, to work, to build a better life for their children. I hope you will join me as we build that movement and restore the land of opportunity. Sincerely, Marco Rubio
American Dreams (Fiction Without Frontiers)
by Kenneth BrombergIn 1904 Czarist Russia, four-year-old Max witnesses the rape and murder of his mother by Russian soldiers. After the boy&’s father extracts terrible revenge, father and son escape to New York, a teeming melting pot of immigrants. Max meets a young Polish girl, Sophie, who grows into a stunningly beautiful young woman. The two fall in love but their plans are shattered when Sophie is forced to marry a local crime boss and, once again, Max must watch as the most important person in his life is taken from him. Thus begins Max&’s ruthless climb to dominance of the New York underworld and Sophie&’s transformation from a submissive girl to a strong woman who will allow no man determine her fate. FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
American Dreams Trilogy: Dream of Freedom, Dream of Life, and Dream of Love
by Michael PhillipsAll three novels in the acclaimed Christian author’s historical fiction series about a Southern family following God’s will as Civil War tensions rise.Dream of FreedomIn the pre-Civil War South, Richmond Davidson and his family decide to follow God’s will and free their slaves. The controversy over this decision sets off escalating tensions as the lines are being drawn between North and South.Dream of LifeWhen the Underground Railroad hears that the Davidson family home is a potential safe house, runaways began appearing at their door. Unable to turn them away, the Davidsons must find a way to help. But the prying eyes of neighbors make this a dangerous calling.Dream of LoveAs the Civil War rages, the Davidsons continue their work with the Underground Railroad. But as one son fights for the Confederacy while another has gone North, the family will face its most difficult trials yet.
American Dreams in Mississippi
by Ted OwnbyThe dreams of abundance, choice, and novelty that have fueled the growth of consumer culture in the United States would seem to have little place in the history of Mississippi--a state long associated with poverty, inequality, and rural life. But as Ted Ownby demonstrates in this innovative study, consumer goods and shopping have played important roles in the development of class, race, and gender relations in Mississippi from the antebellum era to the present. After examining the general and plantation stores of the nineteenth century, a period when shopping habits were stratified according to racial and class hierarchies, Ownby traces the development of new types of stores and buying patterns in the twentieth century, when women and African Americans began to wield new forms of economic power. Using sources as diverse as store ledgers, blues lyrics, and the writings of William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright, and Will Percy, he illuminates the changing relationships among race, rural life, and consumer goods and, in the process, offers a new way to understand the connection between power and culture in the American South.
American Dreams, Global Visions: Dialogic Teacher Research With Refugee and Immigrant Families (Sociocultural, Political, and Historical Studies in Education)
by Donald F. HonesThis book presents the struggle for dialogue and understanding between teachers and refugee and immigrant families, in their own words. Forging a stronger connection between teachers, newcomers, and their families is one of the greatest challenges facing schools in the United States. Teachers need to become familiar with the political, economic, and sociocultural contexts of these newcomers' lives, and the role of the U.S. in influencing these contexts in positive and negative ways. The important contribution of American Dreams, Global Visions is to bring together global issues of international politics and economics and their effects on migration and refugee situations, national issues of language and social policy, and local issues of education and finding ways to live together in an increasingly diverse society. Narratives of four immigrant families in the United States (Hmong, Mexican, Assyrian/Kurdish, Kosovar) and the teacher-researchers who are coming to know them form the heart of this work. The narratives are interwoven with data from the research and critical analysis of how the narratives reflect and embody local, national, and global contexts of power. The themes that are developed set the stage for critical dialogues about culture, language, history, and power. Central to the book is a rationale and methodology for teachers to conduct dialogic research with refugees and immigrants--research encompassing methods as once ethnographic, participatory, and narrative--which seeks to engage researchers and participants in dialogues that shed light on economic, political, social, and cultural relationships; to represent these relationships in texts; and to extend these dialogues to promote broader understanding and social justice in schools and communities. American Dreams, Global Visions will interest teachers, social workers, and others who work with immigrants and refugees; researchers, professionals, and students across the fields of education, language and culture, ethnic studies, American studies, and anthropology; and members of the general public interested in learning more about America's most recent newcomers. It is particularly appropriate for courses in foundations of education, multicultural education, comparative education, language and culture, and qualitative research.
American Dreams: Opportunity and Upward Mobility (Miller Center Studies on the Presidency)
by Peter Wehner Michael Nelson William A. Galston Margaret O'Mara Richard Schragger Melody Barnes Cristina Lopez-Gottardi Chao Guian McKee Robert C. PiantaIn an increasingly polarized political environment, the first year of the new president’s term will be especially challenging. With a fresh mandate, however, the first year also offers opportunities that may never come again. The First Year Project is a fascinating initiative by the Miller Center of the University of Virginia that brings together top scholars on the American presidency and experienced officials to explore the first twelve months of past administrations, and draw practical lessons from that history, as we inaugurate a new president in January 2017.This project is the basis for a new series of digital shorts published as Miller Center Studies on the Presidency. Presented as specially priced collections published exclusively in an ebook format, these timely examinations recognize the experiences of past presidents as an invaluable resource that can edify and instruct the incoming president.Contributors: Melody Barnes, New York University * William A. Galston, Brookings Institution * Dambisa Moyo, global economist and author * Michael Nelson, Rhodes College * Margaret O’Mara, University of Washington * Robert Pianta, University of Virginia * Richard Schragger, University of Virginia * Peter Wehner, Ethics and Public Policy Center
American Dreams: Portraits & Stories of a Country
by Ian BrownA powerful, moving collection of 170 portraits of Americans and their handwritten statements about what the American dream means to them.Shot by one photographer over twelve years, fifty states, and eighty thousand miles, American Dreams is a poignant, defining look at people from every walk of life and a remarkable exploration of what it means to be an American.Long fascinated by the idea of the &“American Dream,&” Canadian photographer Ian Brown set out to document, in photographs and words, what that dream means to Americans of all ages, races, identities, classes, religions, and ideologies. Over the course of twelve years, Brown traveled more than eighty thousand miles in an old truck, visiting all fifty states and connecting with hundreds of Americans. He knocked on people's doors; met them at town halls, diners, and factories; and approached them on main streets in small towns. He shot their portraits and asked them to write down their own American dreams. Their dreams and stories—which range from hopeful, moving, and optimistic to defiant, bitter, and heartbreaking—offer a fascinating, unparalleled perspective of the striking diversity and deep nuance of the American experience.
American Dreams: The United States Since 1945
by H. W. BrandsTHE STORY OF OUR NATION FROM THE A - BOMB TO THE iPHONE <p><p>For a brief moment in 1945, America stood at its apex, looking back on victory not only against the Axis powers but also against the Great Depression, and looking ahead to a seemingly limitless future. What we've done in the six decades since is a vitally important and fascinating topic that has rarely been tackled in one volume. Covering the highs and lows, politics to pop culture, H. W. Brands, one of today's preeminent historians, creates a character-driven narrative that chronicles the great themes and events that have driven America-a still unfolding legacy of dreams born out of a global cataclysm. <p> 'A crisp, balanced account of America. ' - THE ECONOMIST <p> 'Brands weaves together keen political history with anecdote and marvellous sense of place to produce a vivid tableau. ' - THE BOSTON GLOBE <p> 'Brands knows how to write narrative and how to make the complex comprehensible. ' - JONATHAN YARDLEY, THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
American Dreams: The United States Since 1945
by H. W. BrandsFrom bestselling historian H. W. Brands, an incisive chronicle of the events and trends that guided-and sometimes misguided-our nation from the A-bomb to the iPhone. For a brief, bright moment in 1945, America stood at its apex, looking back on victory not only against the Axis powers but against the Great Depression, and looking ahead to seemingly limitless power and promise. What we've done with that power and promise over the past six decades is a vitally important and fascinating topic that has rarely been tackled in one volume, and never by a historian of H. W. Brands's stature. As American Dreams opens, Brands shows us a country dramatically different from our own-more unequal in social terms but more equal economically, more religious and rural but also more liberal and more wholeheartedly engaged with the rest of the world. As he traces the changes we have gone through as a nation, he reveals the great themes and dreams that have driven America-the rising focus on individual rights and pleasures, the growing distance between our global goals and those of the rest of the world, and the inexorable dissolution of a shared sense of what it means to be American. In Brands's adroit hands, these trends unfold through a character-driven narrative that sheds brilliant light on the obvious highs and lows-from Watergate to the Berlin Wall, from Apollo 11 to 9/11, from My Lai to shock and awe. But he also chronicles the surprising impact of less celebrated events and trends. Through his eyes, we realize the sweeping significance of the immigration reforms of the 1960s, which gradually transformed American society. We come to grasp the vast impact of abandoning the gold standard in 1971, which enabled both globalization and the current financial crisis. We ponder the unnerving results of CNN's debut in 1979, which sped up the news cycle and permanently changed our foreign policy by putting its effects live on our TV screens. Blending political and cultural history with his keen sense of the spirit of the times, Brands captures the national experience through the last six decades and reveals the still-unfolding legacy of dreams born out of a global cataclysm.
American Drifter
by Heather Graham Chad Michael MurrayNew York Times bestselling author Heather Graham has teamed up with celebrated actor and celebrity icon Chad Michael Murray to weave a tale of passion and danger in the captivating thriller suspense, American Drifter. A young veteran of the US Army, River Roulet is struggling to shake the horrors of his past. War is behind him, but the memories remain. Desperate to distract himself from the images haunting him daily, River abandons the world he knows and flees to the country he’s always dreamed of visiting: Brazil. Rio de Janeiro is everything he hoped for and more. In the lead-up to Carnaval, the city is alight with music, energy, and life. With a few friends at his side, River seems to be pulling his life together at last.Then he meets the enchanting Natal, an impassioned journalist and free spirit—who lives with the gangster that rules much of Rio. As their romance blossoms, River and Natal flee together into the interior of Brazil, where they are pursued by the sadistic drug lord, Tio Amato, and his men. When River is forced to kill one of those men, the chase becomes even deadlier. Not only is the powerful drug boss after them, the Brazilian government is on their trail as well. Will the two lovers escape—and will River ever be free of the bloody memories that haunt him?At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
American Drive: How Manufacturing Will Save Our Country
by Hank H. Cox Richard E. DauchPoliticians, voters, executives, and employees all want the answer to one question: How can America compete with cheap foreign labor, and restore skilled, well-paying jobs to our economy? American Drive answers that question.An executive with nearly thirty years in the trenches of the hard-nosed Detroit automobile industry, Richard E. "Dick" Dauch had long dreamed of running his own manufacturing company. From his first job on the plant floor at General Motors to his crucial role in helping to rescue Chrysler from the brink of bankruptcy, Dauch focused passionately, and relentlessly, on quality, productivity, and flexibility in manufacturing. In 1993 he took on the challenge of his life, buying a lagging axle supply and parts business from GM, along with five rusting, unprofitable, union-controlled, near-decrepit plants in the heart of a crime-ridden Detroit and a deteriorating environment in Buffalo, New York.The newly created "stand-alone" company was named American Axle and Manufacturing. Dauch set out to create a world-class industrial automotive manufacturer. He bought and bulldozed the crack, liquor, and prostitution businesses that surrounded the company and rebuilt the plants. He upward educated, trained, and expanded the skill sets of the workforce, struck tough bargains with unions, and solved massive quality problems that were costing tens of millions every year and undermining customer satisfaction. Within one year of opening the doors, AAM had turned an astounding $66 million in profit.In American Drive, Dauch narrates the story of AAM against the backdrop of his nearly fifty years in the auto industry, from its glory days to its decline in the face of foreign competition, government bailouts, battles with unions, and the recent Great Recession. Tough, smart, inspiring, high-energy, and opinionated, Dauch offers memorable lessons on leadership, advanced product technology, communication, negotiation, and making profits in the most difficult times. Dauch's story transcends the auto industry and draws a blueprint for job creation, manufacturing competitiveness, economic growth, and excellence in America.
American Duchess: A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt
by Karen HarperBefore there was Meghan Markle, there was Consuelo Vanderbilt, the original American Duchess. Perfect for readers of Jennifer Robson and lovers of Downton Abbey.Karen Harper tells the tale of Consuelo Vanderbilt, her “The Wedding of the Century” to the Duke of Marlborough, and her quest to find meaning behind “the glitter and the gold.”On a cold November day in 1895, a carriage approaches St Thomas Episcopal Church on New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Massive crowds surge forward, awaiting their glimpse of heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. Just 18, the beautiful bride has not only arrived late, but in tears, yet her marriage to the aloof Duke of Marlborough proceeds. Bullied into the wedding by her indomitable mother, Alva, Consuelo loves another. But a deal was made, trading some of the vast Vanderbilt wealth for a title and prestige, and Consuelo, bred to obey, realizes she must make the best of things. At Blenheim Palace, Consuelo is confronted with an overwhelming list of duties, including producing an “heir and a spare,” but her relationship with the duke quickly disintegrates. Consuelo finds an inner strength, charming everyone from debutantes to diplomats including Winston Churchill, as she fights for women’s suffrage. And when she takes a scandalous leap, can she hope to attain love at last…?From the dawning of the opulent Gilded Age, to the battles of the Second World War, American Duchess is a riveting tale of one woman’s quest to attain independence—at any price.