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It Happened in Colorado (It Happened in the West)
by James A. CrutchfieldColorado has historical high points as grand as its magnificent mountains. In this book, author James A. Crutchfield scales thirty-eight of these historical summits. From a prehistoric bison hunt to a mad scramble for a fortune in gold It Happened in Colorado is a window into the Centennial State's colorful past.
Land Between the Rivers: Thoughts on Time and Place
by Todd R. NelsonTodd Nelson, a retired educator, builds upon the success of his critically acclaimed debut essay collection, Cold Spelll. In this new compilation, Nelson delves into his Maine experiences, weaving together a series of concise essays. Unlike the traditional focus on specific locations, these essays center around the art of observation. While readers will recognize the Maine setting, the precise locales remain intentionally elusive. The Land Between the Rivers invites readers to explore the act of seeing, fostering a deeper connection with place, language, and storytelling. It encourages us to peer beyond mere appearances and engage in the realm of imagination.
City of Rivals: Restoring the Glorious Mess of American Democracy
by Jason GrumetForty years ago the Watergate scandal deeply wounded Americans&’ faith in government. Since then, good-government reformers and big-government opponents have been on a shared mission to make everything transparent. The problem is that too much light is scaring Congressmen away from making the tough choices necessary to govern in the national interest. It&’s no secret that the backrooms are where things get done and where politicians can collaborate without reprisal. In City of Rivals, Grumet boldly argues that the answer lies in harnessing partisanship, not spinning in its mud. America is once again gripped by fear that we are falling behind and fast. Unlike the Soviet threat that shook our nation a half century ago, the menace today is homegrown. On issues of national importance, the two parties in Congress appear incapable of working together. Whether the threat is competition from China, crumbling infrastructure, or rising debt, Washington&’s legitimacy to govern and capacity to solve problems are in doubt.The Bipartisan Policy Center&’s president, Jason Grumet, tackles this issue head-on by challenging the conventional diagnosis of the current gridlock. Rather than lamenting our differences, Grumet offers practical steps to govern a polarized nation, and he explores the unintended consequences of past reform movements. It&’sa must-read for all who care about our country&’s future.
Path of the Storm
by Douglas ReemanHong Kong, 1960s: The old submarine-chaser USS Hibiscus, refitting in a Hong Kong dockyard before being handed over to the Nationalist Chinese, is suddenly ordered to the desolate island group of Payenhau. For Captain Mark Gunnar, who is driven by the memory of his torture at the hands of Viet Cong guerillas, the new command is a chance to even the score against a ruthless, unrelenting enemy. But Payenhau is very different from his expectations, and as the weather worsens, a crisis develops that Gunnar must face alone.
Donut Holes for the Soul: Recollections, Musings, and Missives from the Dooryard
by Timothy CottonTake a nostalgic journey through the joys of everyday life with Erma Bombeck Award-winner Tim Cotton. In Donut Holes for the Soul, Cotton weaves together a collection of essays that celebrate simple pleasures, timeless friendships, and the enduring bonds of family and community. From the familiar sounds of a screen door on a warm summer day to lessons learned from helping his mother move, Cotton's stories evoke laughter, warmth, and a sense of home. Readers will find heartfelt tales of unexpected kindness, like a helpful neighbor who goes above and beyond, a chance encounter that sparks redemption, and reflections on fatherhood sparked by a classic car. Cotton&’s relaxed, conversational style makes each story feel like a chat with a trusted friend, offering humor and hope in equal measure. With vivid anecdotes that capture everything from road trips and roadside chats to the charm of a well-worn flannel shirt, Donut Holes for the Soul invites readers to slow down, reminisce, and find joy in the small things that make life big. Perfect for fans of Erma Bombeck and Mitch Albom, this collection is a comforting escape for anyone who longs for a simpler time.
Everyday Rituals: The Liberating Power of Our Routines
by Pearl Katz Ph.DWhen we are in painfully difficult or confusing life situations, especially amidst ever-uncertain times, our minds grapple for structure: a funeral ceremony definitively lays the dead to rest; the exaggerated choreography of a surgical room confirms its sterility; and a daily schedule gives prisoners a sense of normalcy. These practices, these rituals, give us peace. Though it might seem contradictory, ordered rituals actually bring us freedom, creativity, and mental well-being. Rituals aren&’t a thing of history or belonging to elaborate ceremonies, and they aren&’t even confined to the most painful or confusing of times. Rituals can be at a family dinner table or in a morning bathroom routine. In Everyday Rituals, Pearl Katz shows us just how transformative rituals are, no matter what kind.Unlike other titles on the subject in the self-help genre or in anthropological reportage, Katz applies her years of fieldwork and psychiatric study to tangible, everyday American life. She writes a thoroughly persuasive argument, using poignant case studies, to truly inspire readers. Specific hormones flow and brain paths open when artists follow their creative regimen, and mental health increases in patients under hospital directive; in contrast, young people suffer stress in unbounded undergraduate hookup culture. And after the coronavirus ripped many rituals from American life, the ill effects of a life without routine burn bright. It&’s in the ordinary that Katz discovers unlimited potential: mundane routine actually sparks incredible imagination. With scientific evidence, case studies, personal narrative, and guiding wisdom, Katz enlightens us as to how and why we can feel true freedom.
Haunted Houses: Chilling Tales From 26 American Homes (Haunted)
by Nancy RobertsGhostwriters Nancy Roberts and Taryn Plumb spin fascinating tales about 26 haunted houses all over America. Based on stories told by first-hand witnesses, these stories of ghostly goings-on will keep you on the edge of your seat—and possibly up all night! Read about San Diego&’s Whaley House, whose former residents maintain an active presence, as does Yankee Jim, a hanging victim over whose gallows the house was built. Learn about the house in Massachusetts that once belonged to eccentric millionaire and brilliant inventor John Hammond, Jr.—whose practice in spiritualism, say some, continues long after his death. And relive the terrifying battle that claimed the lives of 1,700 Confederate soldiers whose battlefield became their final resting place on Tennessee&’s Carnton Plantation.
Native Trailblazer: The Glory and Tragedy of Penobscot Runner Andrew Sockalexis
by Ed RiceFollowing an extraordinary debut—17th place in the 1911 Boston Marathon—Penobscot Indian Andrew Sockalexis returned to run a spectacular Boston Marathon on a muddy, rainy course on April 19, 1912. Only twenty years old, running just his third marathon ever, he came in second and narrowly missed breaking the record time for that course.The greatest number of Native Americans ever to represent the United States occurred when Andrew Sockalexis joined Louis Tewanima and the legendary Jim Thorpe at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. As the American favorite to win the marathon, Sockalexis finished a gallant fourth on a brutally hot day that saw half the participants drop out and one runner die of heat stroke.Ed Rice chronicles the tragically short life of Sockalexis—he died at the age of twenty-seven from tuberculosis—focusing on his running and the races that earned him recognition from the sports community and made him revered at home.
Adventure at High Risk: Stories from Around the Globe
by Cameron Burns Kerry BurnsA collection of some of the world’s greatest adventures Anyone with a thirst for adventure and a courageous spirit will be captivated by the tales of endurance, determination, strength of mind, and perseverance recounted in this outstanding compilation. The stories in this book, be they fact or fiction, represent some of the most gripping and illuminating writing ever penned on the subject of adventure from across the globe. From straightforward narratives to spiritual reveries, adventure prompts men and women to pour forth essays, articles, and books that are unlike any other field of literature. Editors Kerry L. Burns and Cameron M. Burns showcase the amazingly vast spectrum that adventure literature offers.With contributions by:Matt GerdesLinus Lawrence PlattRobyn DavidsonJon TurkCameron M. BurnsDoug PeacockPeter McBrideStephen VenablesRoger W. BruckerRichard A. WatsonChris DavenportJonathan WatermanJohn AckermanDean CummingsChristina DodwellEdmund Stump
Rhythm of the Wild: A Life Inspired by Alaska's Denali National Park
by Kim HeacoxRhythm of the Heart is a compelling memoir about Kim Heacox&’s 30+ year relationship with the most iconic landscape in Alaska, a sister book to his 2005 Lyons book The Only Kayak, a PEN USA Literary Award finalist now in its seventh printing.Woven throughout the personal narrative will be stories on the human and natural histories of the Denali National Park, garnished with a conservation polemic, much as Edward Abbey did with Desert Solitaire, and Rick Bass has done with any number of books (that continue to sell well). Heacox will write of Denali through an inspirational arc; to show how a place can touch a life, even save a life, quietly, profoundly, day after day, year after year, and how that saving multiplied by millions of lives over a century makes the world a better place.Heacox makes the argument, through his beautiful and impassioned prose, that we must save these places so they in turn will save us. Denali National Park is the most accessible subarctic sanctuary in the world, and has awakened millions of people to what&’s authentic, priceless and true. Any serious student of spirituality and the American landscape must one day address his relationship with Alaska, and once in Alaska, he must confront Denali, the heart of the state, the state of the heart.
Best Easy Day Hikes Salt Lake City (Best Easy Day Hikes Series)
by Greg Witt Rob Witt Dallin WittBest Easy Day Hikes Salt Lake City features twenty-one easily manageable hikes in this great hiking destination. Where else can you spot elk and raptors and still be within 300 yards of downtown? Discover a range of hikes in Salt Lake Valley, as well as nearby Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Shipwrecks and Other Maritime Disasters of the Maine Coast
by Taryn PlumbWith its incessant fogs and infamously craggy coast, Maine has long been a bane of mariners. Scores of vessels and countless lives have been lost on its rocky shores. Taryn Plumb explores the tragic history of shipwrecks in Maine, focusing on a dozen or so of the most interesting and weaving in tales of pirates, lost treasure, violent storms, and other disasters. Maine&’s role in shipbuilding is legendary, and the history of vessels meeting their demise here is equally compelling.
It Happened In Oregon: Stories of Events and People that Shaped Beaver State History (It Happened In Series)
by James A. CrutchfieldFrom a volcanic eruption that created the deepest lake in North America to a freighter wreck that took nine years to clean up, It Happened in Oregon looks at intriguing people and episodes from the history of the Beaver State.Meet Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, the affluent leader of an eastern religious sect that attempted to take over a small town in Oregon to establish a spiritual corporate headquarters. Relive the Lewis and Clark Expedition&’s &“Showerey wet and disagreeable&” Christmas at Fort Clatsop. And find out what caused the tragic, excruciating deaths of dozens of patients at Oregon State Hospital during one night in 1942.
Primal: Why We Long to Be Wild and Free
by Jon Young Nate SummersTV survival shows and survival schools are more popular than ever; Paleo diets are proving to be more than just a passing trend; and free-range parenting is gaining steady momentum. So in an age when living in a modern society often equates to comfort and ease, why is it that we are so interested in these primal aspects of being human when they are no longer really necessary? Why are we still so fascinated with making fire or stone tools in this social media-driven digital age? Why are we urging our children to run back out into the wild? The answer to all of these questions—to why we seek out the natural world—stares us in the mirror every day: We long to fulfill our natural destiny as upright-walking hunter-gatherer-nomads. It&’s who we are. Primal explores the natural human desire—the primal desire—to fulfill our original design. From the telling of anecdotes and stories from author Nate Summer&’s twenty years as a survival specialist to conversations with world-renown survival and human nature specialists to digging into the rewilding and free-range parenting trends, Nate explores how humans have—and continue to—pursue &“survival&” situations to fulfill their deep, soulful longings.
Angel City: A Novel
by Patrick D. SmithAfter leaving their failed farm in West Virginia, Jared Teeter and his family make their way to Florida, with dreams of fishing, going to the beach, and running their own roadside produce stand. What they find instead is a nightmare in a migrant labor camp, where they become the indentured servants of a soulless crew chief and his mindless henchmen. Vacillating between hope and despair, Jared must stay alert—and alive—to rescue his own family and the prisoners around him from a life of continued degradation.
Beyond Beyond: A Lute Bapcat Mystery
by Joseph HeywoodFrom the author of the popular Woods Cop Mysteryseries comes the next historical mystery thriller in the Lute Bapcat series. We last saw our hero in Mountains of the Misbegotten and Heywood delivers an even more thrilling mystery. Lute Bapcat and Pinkhus Zakov had been partners in the far northern counties of Michigan&’s Upper Peninsula for years when in early 1917, Zakov suddenly disappeared. A year later, Bapcat and Jordy (now 18) get a summons to Marquette, by former President Teddy Roosevelt. (Bapcat had served as a Roughrider with Roosevelt back in the day.) Roosevelt tells them that Zakov was sent to Russia by the U.S. government to find Russian Tsar Nicholas II, who abdicated and disappeared. Zakov went into Russia in April 1917 and had been feared dead, until an urgent message comes through a Swedish diplomat: Zakov wants Bapcat and Jordy sent to Russia to assist him. In the midst of the flu epidemic, a strange, Russian-born American marine major named Dodge is assigned to lead them into and across Russia until they locate Zakov. They dive deep into the heart of the Russian Fatherland as the Revolution of 1917 turns into a full out Civil War, with a level of chaos, random violence, and blood-letting far beyond Bapcat&’s imagination.
The Out Trail
by Mary Roberts RinehartFrom "Roughing it with the Men" to "Below the Border in Wartime" Mary Roberts Rinehart's The Out Trail features seven tales from her adventures in the West from fishing at Puget Sound to hiking the Bright Angel trail at the Grand Canyon. Though she was best known at the time for her mystery novels, Rinehart's travel writing, starting with her 1915 travels to the then young Glacier National Park, offers observations and insights into the fun and difficulties of early twentieth-century travel and her fellow travelers with humor and clarity of detail that makes them vivid for today's travelers.
The Little Book of Outdoor Wisdom: An Adventurer's Collection of Anecdotes and Advice
by John LongThere&’s a reason we pause at the vista overlook and be quiet for a second. The wilderness, or simply being outside in the natural world, provides us with a psychological reboot. It declutters our minds, washes off the guff, gives us a chance to see and feel ourselves as expansively as the Tunnel Overlook in Yosemite Valley. But the process is different, and in some ways, more powerful than the benefits we get from sleep. The Little Book of Outdoor Wisdom is a collection of all-new essays from legendary climber and outdoor writer John Long, an exploration of what connects us fundamentally to the outdoors and of why we return again and again. Through evocative anecdotes and sketches, told in Long&’s visceral yet poignant style, readers will rediscover their love for nature and glean a deeper appreciation for its rejuvenating effect.
The Power of Positive Fishing: A Story of Friendship and the Quest for Happiness
by Adam Gamble Michael J. TougiasJoin Michael J. Tougias and Adam Gamble out on the water to see how their mutual passion for heart-pounding fishing action transforms their destinies. When the pair first met, they were married with two children each, nice homes in the suburbs, jobs that paid the bills, and frequent fishing trips. But their comfortable lives had cracks in them, and they soon found themselves hit by the rogue waves of divorce, financial challenges, addiction, and career upheaval. What kept them going—and helped them navigate the rough waters of middle age—was fishing and friendship. Together they not only learned some of the successful secrets of striped bass fishing, but they were also brutally honest in their advice for each other. They began to see their time spent on Adam&’s boat, the Scout, as a way to explore new ways of thinking, dreaming big, and being right with the world. The two not only discovered ways forward but began living lives far beyond what they thought possible. The Power of Positive Fishing is an emotional journey interspersed with humor on how two individuals finally began tapping their full potentials, while hooking some great fish along the way.
Big Book of Washington Ghost Stories (Big Book of Ghost Stories)
by Janice OberdingWashington gained statehood on November 11, 1889, making it one of the newer states and yet, the land that comprises the Evergreen State has been inhabited for centuries. Long before Europeans came to North America, indigenous people were living here in present day Washington&’s dense rich forests and coastal regions for at least 4,000 years. That in itself gives rise to a lot of ghostly tales; from the headless ghost of Col. Isaac Ebey, the ghosts of the Andelana, which mysteriously sank at Tacoma while anchored in Commencement Bay, the spectral little boy in blue, who inhabits the governor&’s mansion in Olympia, the old Greenwood Cemetery, to the ghostly victims of the wicked Linda Burfield Hazzard, Washington has its share of ghosts
Ebb Tide: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel (Nathaniel Drinkwater Novels)
by Richard WoodmanIt is 1843 and Captain Nathaniel Sir Drinkwater embarks on the paddle-steamer Vestal for an inspection of lighthouses on the west coast of England. Bowed with age and honors, the old sea officer has been drawn from retirement on half-pay to fulfill his public duty. The following day, tragedy strikes, and Drinkwater is confronted with his past life: his sins and follies, his triumphs and his disasters.Drawing on a true incident, Richard Woodman deftly concludes the career of his sea hero. Drinkwater&’s complex character is revealed in its entirety. Far from being the reminiscences of an old man, the novel skillfully weaves the past with the present; the personal tensions below decks, the straining creak of a man-of-war under sail, the crack of a cannon shot, and the plaintive mews of the trailing gulls are never far away. To the end, Nathaniel Drinkwater&’s life is full of incident and the unexpected, so typical of the sea officers of his day.
Best Easy Day Hikes Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Best Easy Day Hikes Series)
by Randy JohnsonBest Easy Day Hikes Great Smoky Mountains National Park includes concise descriptions of the best short hikes in the area, with detailed maps of the routes. The 22 hikes in this guide are generally short, easy to follow, and guaranteed to please.
North Carolina Myths and Legends: The True Stories behind History's Mysteries (Legends of America)
by Sara PitzerNorth CarolinaMyths and Legends explores unusual phenomena, strange events, and mysteries in North Carolina&’s history. Each episode included in the book is a story unto itself, and the tone and style of the book is lively and easy to read for a general audience interested in North Carolina history. Read about the Cherokee legend of the Judaculla rock. Try to figure out if Tom Dula, subject of many a local myth and a popular folk song, really did murder his wife. Speculate as to what really caused the Carolina Bays indentations.
New England Nature: Centuries of Writing on the Wonder and Beauty of the Land
by David K. Leff Eric D. LehmanSince its founding four hundred years ago, New England has been a vital source of nature writing. Maybe it&’s the diversity of landscapes huddled so close together or the marriage of nature and culture in a relatively small, six-state region. Maybe it&’s the regenerative powers of the ecosystem in a place of repeated exploitations. Or maybe we have simply been thinking about our relationship with the natural world longer than everyone.If all successive nature writing is a footnote to Henry David Thoreau, then New England has a strong claim to being the birthplace of the genre. But there are, as the sixty entries in this anthology demonstrate, many other regional voices that extol the wonders and beauty of the outdoors, explore local ecology, and call for environmental sustainability. Between these covers, Noah Webster calls for our stewardship of nature and Lydia Sigourney finds sublime pleasure in it. Jonathan Edwards and Helen Keller both find miracles, while Samuel Peters and Mark Twain find humor. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne discovers a place to hide his metaphors, while the enslaved James Mars discovers an actual hiding place.Through it all is the apprehension of a profound and lasting splendor, &“the glory of physical nature,&” as W.E.B. Dubois calls it, something beyond our everyday concerns and yet tied so closely to our daily lives that we cannot escape it. Nature writing cultivates our sense of beauty, inflaming curiosity and the passion to explore. It opens us to deep, primal experiences that enrich life. Anyone wanting to understand our relationship with the world must start here.
The Steep Atlantick Stream: A Memoir of Convoys and Corvettes
by Robert HarlingFirst published in 1946, this atmospheric memoir of the Battle of the Atlantic offers one of the most original accounts of war at sea aboard a corvette, escorting convoys in both the North and South Atlantic. The author, an RNVR lieutenant, experienced the terrors of U-boat attacks and the hardships of icy gale-force winds contrasted with the relief of shore runs in ports as far apart as Halifax and Freetown.The narrative begins with Harling&’s voyage from the Clyde to New York on the Queen Mary (or QM, as she was known during her martial career), on route to join a newly-built corvette in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was to be her First Lieutenant, and his service at sea started in the spring of 1941, just as the Battle of the Atlantic was entering its most crucial stage. During the first east-bound convoy he was to experience attacks by U-boats, the loss of merchant vessels and a steep learning curve as the ship&’s crew struggled to live in the harsh wartime conditions. Later that summer they made return voyages to Iceland where runs ashore offered some solace from dangerous days at sea. Time was also spent in the South Atlantic with voyages to Freetown and Lagos, before a short interlude when he experienced the excitement of fighting with Coastal Forces. The corvette subsequently returned to escorting convoys from Halifax to Europe.Harling&’s narrative is both serious and humorous, and his picture of wartime Britain, his descriptions of being buffeted by great storm-tossed seas in the &‘cockleshell corvettes&’, and the recounting of grim losses are all too real and authentic. His story ends as he leaves his ship after a violent cold developed into pneumonia, and soon afterwards he hears the shattering news of her loss by torpedo, along with the captain and half the crew. He is left to ponder on the many tombless dead consigned by the war to the Steep Atlantick Stream.