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Texas Gulag: The Chain Gang Years 1875-1925
by Gary BrownFor fifty years prison inmates in Texas were leased out to railroads, coal mines, farm plantations, and sawmill crews with terrible incidences of brutality, cruelty, injury, and death to the prisoners. They were forced to produce daily work quotas of seven tons of coal, three hundred pounds of cotton, or one and one-half cords of wood. They were fed spoiled hog meat and slept on mattresses filled with bugs and filthy from sweat, blood, and dirt. They were punished by brutal whippings with an instrument known as the "bat" and by various other methods. Self-mutilation by cutting off fingers, hands, and feet and even self-blinding were commonplace to avoid working in these lease camps. It was a period in which the state prison system was shrouded in secrecy. Former prisoners had only one option available to try to inform the public about the brutality and corruption. They could write their personal memoirs. And an amazing number of them did—dating back to the 1870s. Herein are some of their stories.
Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry
by Harvey Frommer Frederic J. FrommerThe rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox involves not just the teams, but the cities, owners, ballparks, fans, and the media. Its roots reach back to before even Babe Ruth and Harry Frazee, yet it is as contemporary as the next Red Sox–Yankees game. This book tells the story of the rivalry from the first game these epic teams played against each other in 1901 through the 2013 season in what former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani called &“the best rivalry in any sport.&”
Someone's Daughter: In Search of Justice for Jane Doe
by Silvia PettemIn 1954, two college students were hiking along a creek outside of Boulder, Colorado, when they stumbled upon the body of a murdered young woman. Who was this woman? What had happened to her? The initial investigation turned up nothing, and the girl was buried in a local cemetery with a gravestone that read, "Jane Doe, April 1954, Age About 20 Years."Decades later, historian Silvia Pettem formed a partnership with law enforcement and forensic experts and set in motion the events that led to Jane Doe's exhumation and eventual identification, as well as the identity of her probable killer. The 2023 paperback edition includes an epilogue with updated information on how the mystery finally was solved.
The People of the Great Circle: Prehistoric Mound Builders in South Florida
by Ted EhmannThe European explorers were the first to find the evidence of earlier civilizations who built monumental earthwork mounds, ceremonial complexes and cities in the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys. Speculations went wild about who built these incredible centers. This fascination over the mysterious mound building cultures continues to this very day.
Last Time Out: Big-League Farewells of Baseball's Greats
by John NogowskiMost sports fans know that Ted Williams ended his major league career with style, swatting a home run in his final at bat. But what about Babe Ruth? Ty Cobb? Joe DiMaggio? Willie Mays? How did some of baseball's greatest players bow out of The Game? Last Time Out answers that question as it examines how the greatest players in baseball history left the game they once ruled. The stories of these men and how they finished their careers, never collected anywhere before now, show another side of the men whose achievements on the field made them legends. After hours and hours of research, through biographies, microfilm, magazines, and memories, award-winning sportswriter John Nogowski culled the stories of the final games of 25 of The Game's greatest athletes-Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, Jackie Robinson, Dizzy Dean, Satchel Paige, Carlton Fisk, Bob Feller, Joe Morgan, and Carl Yastrzemski are among those featured. This impressive work recounts the circumstances surrounding these final games and puts you in a box seat to witness and sense the moment as these glorious careers ceased, most often with little fanfare. Whether it be Shoeless Joe Jackson, Lou Gehrig, Pete Rose, or Cal Ripken, Jr., Last Time Out beautifully captures in words and photographs the essence of these players' last time in uniform and celebrates the magic of the game these famed players mastered and loved.
Homemade Christmas Cookbook
by Gooseberry PatchGrandma's gingerbread cookies cooling on the counter, an old-fashioned popcorn & cranberry garland on the tree and gifts made by hand, from the heart...sounds like a Homemade Christmas is on its way! Filled with scrumptious recipes that'll make holidays to remember, our new book is a festive must-have. Simple yet impressive dishes for your gatherings, celebrations and special family meals...we've got you covered with recipes like Nan's cinnamon rolls, savory sausage balls, ham & cheese quiche, holiday pork loin and red velvet Christmas cake. Great gifts from the kitchen are also included as well as plenty inspiring tips and ideas for celebrating with family & friends!
Did They Mention the Music?: The Autobiography of Henry Mancini
by Henry ManciniBest known for the "dead-ant" theme to the Pink Panther films, Henry Mancini also composed the music to Peter Gunn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Orson Welles' Touch of Evil, and the Academy Award winning soundtracks to Victor/Victoria and The Days of Wine and Roses. In a career that lasted over thirty years, Mancini amassed twenty Grammy awards and more nominations than any other composer. In his memoir, written with jazz expert Lees, Mancini discusses his close friendships with Blake Edwards, Julie Andrews, and Paul Newman, his professional collaborations with Johnny Mercer, Luciano Pavarotti, and James Galway, and his achievements as a husband, father, and grandfather. A great memoir loaded with equal parts Hollywood glitz and Italian gusto.
Object: The Risky Business of Mail-Order Matchmaking on the Western Frontier
by Chris EnssComplete with historic photographs and actual advertisements from both women seeking husbands and males seeking brides, Object Matrimony includes stories of courageous mail order brides and their exploits as well as stories of the marriage brokers, mercenary matchmakers looking to profit as merchants did off of the miners and settlers. Some of these stories end happily ever after; others reveal desperate situations that robbed the brides of their youth and sometimes their lives.
Street Without Joy: The French Debacle in Indochina (Stackpole Military History Series)
by Bernard B. FallFirst published in 1961 by Stackpole Books, Street without Joy is a classic of military history. Journalist and scholar Bernard Fall vividly captured the sights, sounds, and smells of the brutal— and politically complicated—conflict between the French and the Communist-led Vietnamese nationalists in Indochina. The French fought to the bitter end, but even with the lethal advantages of a modern military, they could not stave off the Viet Minh insurgency of hit-and-run tactics, ambushes, booby traps, and nighttime raids. The final French defeat came at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, setting the stage for American involvement and a far bloodier chapter in Vietnam&‘s history. Fall combined graphic reporting with deep scholarly knowledge of Vietnam and its colonial history in a book memorable in its descriptions of jungle fighting and insightful in its arguments. After more than a half a century in print, Street without Joy remains required reading.
National Park Ranger: An American Icon
by Charles R. Farabee Jr.In this celebration of one of America's most enduring symbols, fromer ranger Butch Farabee brielfy revies the evolution of this national symbol.
A Sea Vagabond's World: Boats and Sails, Distant Shores, Islands and Lagoons (Maritime Classics)
by Bernard Moitessier"I would like now to write a practical book that will cover three topics: boats, the sea, and the beachcombing life." These were the thought of Bernard Moitessier after he finished writing his last book, Tamata and the Alliance, while in Polynesia.The great master died in 1994 and never completed the book, but here it is, meticulously collected from his many writings, published and unpublished, by his companion, Véronique Lerebours Pigeonnière. Moitessier's notebooks include all the know-how and the 1,001 tips of this legendary sailor, the knowledge he acquired on the water, in meeting with sailors, during long passages, and during his many years living on various islands. The first part of the book details how to prepare for an extensive cruise, what kind of boat to choose, the rigging, the sails, the anchors, on deck, and below deck. The second part describes the passage: the weather, navigation, watch-keeping, and heavy weather. In the third part, Moitessier takes us to the South Sea islands and shows how to adapt to living on an atoll, gardening, fishing, and attaining self-sufficiency.
Salvage - A Personal Odyssey
by Ian Tew'No cure, no pay'- those are the terms under which a salvor operates, and in doing so he takes on an onerous responsibility. If he is defeated by the elements he is not paid. He receives nothing, however much money, effort, sweat and tears he has put in. Salvage is not a business for the faint-hearted.Ian Tew joined Selco Salvage of Singapore in 1974, and spent over a decade on the front line. Already an experienced master mariner, he learnt the salvage trade in the busy waters of the Far East before rising to command some of the world's largest supertugs, eventually becoming a roving salvage master. In his odyssey he roamed the world, from the coast of Cornwall to the Southern Ocean, from the Gulf of Suez to the dangerous reefs of the South China Sea.This is a vivid account of those ten tough years - successes, failures, tows and rescues - a barge adrift in a hurricane in the English Channel - a freighter aground on a reef hundreds of miles from land with a tropical storm approaching - a trawler battered by the surf on a coral reef, its bottom ripped out - a tanker hit by a missile in the Gulf during the 'Tanker War' of the 1980s.The tugs themselves play a big part in the story, as do the crews and captains the author worked with. This gripping account of drama at sea is a tribute to the seamanship, courage and resourcefulness of the salvor, and an insight into the technical, commercial and human issues behind the headlines.
Big Sky, Big Parks: An Exploration of Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, and All That Montana in Between
by Ednor TherriaultMontana is home to two of America&’s most popular national parks, and many of the twelve million visitors who travel to Big Sky Country each year include both Glacier and Yellowstone in their plans. It&’s a full day&’s drive between these two western jewels, and there are dozens of routes road trippers can select to build their journey. There are also thousands of travel guides on the shelf that provide information about the region, but Big Sky, Big Parks is unique among them, a blend of history, culture, and local flavor that&’s more of an entertaining travel companion and a useful resource for those visiting the two national parks and the vast chunk of Montana that connects them. Author Ednor Therriault shares his experiences on the road and in the parks with humor and insight in thirty stories that chronicle the triumphs and tragedies that make traveling between Glacier and Yellowstone such a rewarding endeavor. Discover the reasons behind Yellowstone&’s devilish place names and read about Butte&’s version of Disneyland in this road trip handbook/travelogue that features insider tips on regional delicacies, interesting places to lay your head, local trivia, and even road trip playlists to provide a soundtrack to your Montana adventure.
Century of Swindles: Ponzi Schemes, Con Men, and Fraudsters
by Railey Jane SavageFrom the Gilded Age through WWII, America was rife with ne&’er-do-wells on a never-ending search for the next big score. Between 1850 and 1950 lawlessness melded with ingenuity, fueled by optimism and ruthlessness: America was dangerous, buzzing, and where opportunity came to take flight. The perfect conditions for swindlers.The gall and gumption of their hustles strain credulity. Fake diamond fields? War with Canada? Sir Francis Drake&’s unclaimed fortune? Apparently, all was fair in the quest for something-for-nothing.The scammers in this volume range from the undeniably unscrupulous, to the ill and ill-advised. Fans of clever schemes and schadenfreude alike will be entertained by these tales of the rise and fall of some of America&’s greatest swindlers.
Backpacker Magazine's Hiking and Backpacking with Kids: Proven Strategies For Fun Family Adventures (Backpacker Magazine Series)
by Molly AbsolonHow to safely and successfully hike and backpack with kids, from infants to teenagers is all here in a durable, packable, full-color package. Former NOLS instructor and current mom Molly Absolon tells how to plan trips for kids, what to pack, games to play, kid-favorite food and snacks for the trail, and other tips and tricks to make a family hiking outing the best it can be.
Ultralight Survival Kit
by Justin LichterUltralight Survival Kit is the first book of backpacking tips that is itself ultralight! It focuses on all of the skills and techniques that hikers and backpackers would want at their fingertips while in the outdoors. Perfect for backpackers from beginner to advanced, this book contains:Worst-case-scenario advice you&’d want handy if stuck in a precarious situation.Tips for the most common trail concerns, from lightning to blisters.Suggestions for keeping your pack light or ultralight without sacrificing the must-havesTopics like: how to identify/treat reactions to poisonous plants, how to handle animal encounters, how to identify animal tracks, how to build a fire, need-to-know essential knots, how to predict weather patterns, how to repair or replace gear with limited materials, and how to deal with the elements when you don&’t have a lot of gear on your backThe book is formatted to make learning easy and user-friendly. This pocket-size book of tips is convenient to carry with you should you desire, but also includes advice you can easily digest ahead of time than add weight to your pack. The information is time tested in more than 35,000 miles of hiking experience. Readers will be able to adapt their surroundings to the techniques shown in the book and safely overcome challenges that may otherwise have turned them back.
NOLS Wilderness Medicine
by Tod SchimelpfenigThe seventh edition of the bestselling NOLS Wilderness Medicine includes all the key first-aid information that made previous editions so valuable, now updated throughout with the latest medical recommendations. This guide is used in NOLS and WMI courses to train outdoor leaders to prevent, recognize, and treat common medical problems and to stabilize severely ill or injured patients for evacuation. A vital resource for outdoor enthusiasts, this book covers fundamental topics in first aid from the unique perspective of the National Outdoor Leadership School. First-aid topics include patient assessments, shock, soft tissue injury, burns, fractures and dislocations, and chest, head, and abdominal injury.Learn how to handle common environmental problems—heat, cold, water, altitude, and poisonous plants and animals.Vital material is presented in an easy-to-use reference format to save valuable time in an emergency.
Land of the Dead: How the West Changed Death in America
by Terry HamburgThe fabled nineteenth-century migration to the American West was filled with peril and despair. From sailing ship to covered wagon, ambitious young pioneers endured six months of unprecedented, largely unanticipated personal hardship – that is, if they survived the trip. Death was a constant companion and the promised land proved as lethal as it was fickle. Land of the Dead explores how the demands of survival and adaptation during Westward Expansion changed the way we have buried and grieved for our dead in America. That custom was one of many transformations an outlier adolescent culture wrought upon the nation that spawned it.Nowhere did these changes play out more dynamically than in California, particularly in the quintessential American boom city - gold rush San Francisco, which banned burials at the turn of the twentieth century and then decreed the removal of 150,000 privately owned graves, the only major metropolis to execute a complete eviction of its dead. The epic cemetery battle began early, when San Francisco was still a remote, wannabe great city, and raged on for over half a century, replete with fiery polemics, political intrigue, nasty legal wrangling, and divisive elections. Public cemeteries were dispatched quickly but – as time will reveal – hardly well. Private sanctuaries took longer to expunge, and many of its &“residents&” were overlooked in what has been called &“the greatest mass removal of the dead in human history.&” How could the unthinkable happen? And how did other American cities reckon with the now-precious land once dedicated to their dead.In this well-researched and well-told history, Terry Hamburg explores how an &“instant city&” heritage bred that momentous decision and led to the formation of nearby Colma – the largest necropolis in America. Providing a fresh overlay on traditional narratives and revealing a burgeoning nation&’s trends and conflicts, Land of the Dead examines how we relate to our &‘living dead&’ then and now.
The Black Legend: George Bascom, Cochise, and the Start of the Apache Wars
by Doug HockingIn 1861, war between the United States and the Chiricahua seemed inevitable. The Apache band lived on a heavily traveled Emigrant and Overland Mail Trail and routinely raided it, organized by their leader, the prudent, not friendly Cochise. When a young boy was kidnapped from his stepfather&’s ranch, Lieutenant George Bascom confronted Cochise even though there was no proof that the Chiricahua were responsible. After a series of missteps, Cochise exacted a short-lived revenge. Despite modern accounts based on spurious evidence, Bascom&’s performance in a difficult situation was admirable. This book examines the legend and provides a new analysis of Bascom&’s and Cochise&’s behavior, putting it in the larger context of the Indian Wars that followed the American Civil War.
Obelisk and the Englishman: The Pioneering Discoveries of Egyptologist William Bankes
by Dorothy U. SeylerWilliam John Bankes (1786-1855) was a pioneer in the nascent study of the language, history, and civilization of ancient Egypt. At the Abydos Temple he discovered the King List - a wall of cartouches listing Egyptian kings in chronological order - which was vital to the decoding of Egyptian hieroglyphs. At Philae he uncovered a fallen obelisk, which he arranged to be transported back to England. And in modern-day Jordan he was the first European to make sketches and site plans of the "lost" city of Petra. Bankes's life was rich and full, and his discoveries have proven to be quite valuable and influential. But, living in an era when homosexuality was a capital offense, he was persecuted for being gay and threatened with imprisonment and execution. His decision to travel and pursue his love of art and architecture went against his father's wishes that he follow in his footsteps and become a politician. Despite such obstacles, Bankes's pioneering work on ancient temples and artifacts now enriches the knowledge of modern Egyptologists, and his art collection and decorative talents can be enjoyed by those who visit his home, a National Trust estate - with the obelisk from Philae still raised on the south lawn. Enhanced by many of Bankes's drawings and paintings, this engaging story is full of vivid detail about the beginnings of Egyptology, Regency England, and a fascinating individual, and it sets the record straight about Bankes's crucial role in setting the stage for the work of later scholars.
The Traveler's Guide to the Most Scenic Roads in Massachusetts
by John GibsonJohn Gibson offers a variety of routes for those wishing to appreciate the more rural side of Massachusetts. Routes vary in length. Some are circular, others point-to-point, but all seek out the less-traveled routes and steer explorers away from congestion and the worst examples of modern development. John's writing style is accessible, concise, informative, and infused with the author's appreciation for the true character of New England.
Moms Favorite Recipes
by Gooseberry PatchAll-American favorites, straight from Mom's kitchen...you'll love this collection of irresistible recipes from our Mom's Favorite Recipes cookbook! Try delicious, hearty dishes like seashell salad, cheesy corn chowder, flaky chicken pot pie, skillet supper and apple bread pudding, or check out our chapter filled with canning recipes for jellies, jams, pickles, preserves and more! We've sprinkled creative tips and ideas throughout for turning flea-market finds into treasures plus we've included a chapter of fun-filled crafts.
Veiled Horizons: Stories of Big Game Fish of the Sea
by Ralph BandiniFirst published in 1939 by The Derrydale Press, Veiled Horizons offers a collection of anecdotes of fishing for the giants of the sea as well as "fish tales" many would find difficult to swallow. Writing in the same style as Zane Grey's fishing stories, Ralph Bandini enthralls his readers with breath taking descriptions, narrow escapes and of course, the one that got away.
For Good and Evil: The Impact of Taxes on the Course of Civilization
by Charles AdamsA fascinating history... —Kirkus Reviews ...an acidly witty guide. —Wall Street Journal
Ballad of the Green Beret: The Life and Wars of Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler from the Vietnam War and Pop Stardom to Murder and an Unsolved, Violent Death
by Marc LeepsonThe rough-and-tumble life of Special Forces vet and Sixties pop star Barry SadlerThe top Billboard Hot 100 single of 1966 wasn&’t &“Paint It Black&” or &“Yellow Submarine&”--it was &“The Ballad of the Green Berets,&” a hyper-patriotic tribute to the men of the Special Forces by Vietnam vet Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler. But Sadler&’s clean-cut, all-American image hid a darker side, a Hunter Thompson-esque life of booze, girls, and guns. Unable to score another hit song, he wrote articles for Soldier of Fortune and pulp novels that made &“Rambo look like a stroll through Disneyland.&” He killed a lover&’s ex-boyfriend in Tennessee. Settling in Central America, Sadler ran guns, allegedly trained guerrillas, provided medical care to residents, and caroused at his villa. In 1988 he was shot in the head by a robber on the streets of Guatemala and died a year later. This life-and-times biography of an American character recounts the sensational details of Sadler&’s life vividly but soberly, setting his meteoric rise and tragic fall against the big picture of American society and culture during and after the Vietnam War.