Henry David Thoreau was just a few days short of histwenty-eighth birthday when he built a cabin on the shore of WaldenPond and began one of the most famous experiments in living inAmerican history. Apparently, he did not originally intend to writea book about his life at the pond, but nine years later, in Augustof 1854, Houghton Mifflin's predecessor, Ticknor and Fields,published Walden;or, a Life in the Woods. At the time the book waslargely ignored, and it took five years to sell out the firstprinting of two thousand copies. It was not until 1862, the year ofThoreau's death, that the book was brought back into print. Sincethen it has never been out of print. Published in hundreds ofeditions and translated into virtually every modern language,it hasbecome one of the most widely read and influential books everwritten, not only in this country but throughout the world. On the one hundred and fiftiethanniversary of the original publication of Walden, Houghton Mifflinis proud to present the most bea

From a master chronicler of Spanish history comes amagnificent work about the pivotal years from 1522 to 1566, whenSpain was the greatest European power. Hugh Thomas has written arich and riveting narrative of exploration, progress, and plunder.At its center is the unforgettable ruler who fought the French andexpanded the Spanish empire, and the bold conquistadors who werehis agents. Thomas brings to life King Charles V—first as a ganglyand easygoing youth, then as a liberal statesman who exceeded allhis predecessors in his ambitions for conquest (while making sureto maintain the humanity of his new subjects in the Americas), andfinally as a besieged Catholic leader obsessed with Protestantheresy and interested only in profiting from those he presidedover. The Golden Empire also presents the legendary men whom KingCharles V sent on perilous and unprecedented expeditions: HernánCortés, who ruled the “New Spain” of Mexico as an absolutemonarch—and whose rebuilding of its capital, Tenochti

The distinguished historian of the Jewish people, Howard M.Sachar, gives us a comprehensive and enthralling chronicle of theachievements and traumas of the Jews over the last four hundredyears. Tracking their fate from Western Europe’s age of mercantilism inthe seventeenth century to the post-Soviet and post-imperialistIslamic upheavals of the twenty-first century, Sachar applies hisrenowned narrative skill to the central role of the Jews in many ofthe most impressive achievements of modern civilization: whether inthe rise of economic capitalism or of political socialism; in thediscoveries of theoretical physics or applied medicine; in “higher”literary criticism or mass communication and popularentertainment. As his account unfolds and moves from epoch to epoch, fromcontinent to continent, from Europe to the Americas and the MiddleEast, Sachar evaluates communities that, until lately, have beenunderestimated in the perspective of Jewish and world history—amongthem, Jews of Sephardic

As a young boy he re-enacted historic battles with toysoldiers, as a soldier he saw action on three continents, and asthe Prime Minister only a direct edict from King George VI couldkeep him from joining the troops on D-Day. Churchill's War Lab reveals how Churchill's passion for militaryhistory, his unique leadership style, and his patronization ofradical new ideas would lead to new technology and new tactics thatwould save lives and enable an Allied victory. No war generatedmore incredible theories, more technical advances, more scientificleaps, or more pioneering work that lay the foundation for thepost-war computer revolution. And it was Churchill's doggeddetermination and enthusiasm for revolutionary ideas that fuelledthis extraordinary outpouring of British genius. From the coauthorof Cold War comes an exciting new take on Churchill's warleadership and the story of a complex, powerful and inventive warleader.

With almost a quarter of the world's migrants, Europe has beenattempting to regulate migration and harmonize immigration policyat the European level. The central dilemma exposed is how liberaldemocracies can reconcile the need to control the movement ofpeople with the desire to promote open borders, free markets andliberal standards. Gallya Lahav's book traces ten years of publicopinion and elite attitudes toward immigration cross-nationally toshow how and why increasing EU integration may not necessarily leadto more open immigration outcomes. Empirical evidence reveals thatsupport from both elite and public opinion has led to the adoptionof restrictive immigration policies despite the requirements ofopen borders. Unique in bringing together original data on Europeanlegislators and national elites, longitudinal data on publicopinion and institutional and policy analyses, this study providesan important insight into the processes of European integration,and globalization more broadly.

Churchill's six-volume history of World War II -- the definitivework, remarkable both for its sweep and for its sense of personalinvolvement, universally acknowledged as a magnificent historicalreconstruction and an enduring work of literature. From Britian'sdarkest and finest hour to the great alliance and ultimate victory,the Second World War remains the pivotal event in our century.Churchill was not only its greatest leader, but the free world'smost eloquent voice of defiance in the face of Nazi tyranny. Hisepic account of those times, published in six volumes, won theNobel Prize in 1953.

An absorbing, revelatory, and definitive account ofone of the greatest tragedies in human history Adroitly blending narrative, de*ion, and analysis, RichardJ. Evans portrays a society rushing headlong to self-destructionand taking much of Europe with it. Interweaving a broad narrativeof the war's progress from a wide range of people, Evans revealsthe dynamics of a society plunged into war at every level. Thegreat battles and events of the conflict are here, but just astelling is Evans's re- creation of the daily experience of ordinaryGermans in wartime. At the center of the book is the Naziextermi?nation of the Jews. The final book in Richard J. Evan'sthree-volume history of Hitler's Germany, hailed "a masterpiece" by The New York Times, The Third Reich at War lays bare themost momentous and tragic years of the Nazi regime.

The Great Pyramid's eerily precise architecture has forcenturies both astounded and puzzled archaeologists and has givenrise to numerous modern fantasies concerning the so-called 'Mysteryof the Pyramids'. Sweeping away centuries of myth and confusion,John Romer describes for the first time exactly how the GreatPyramid was designed and built. He argues that the pyramid makersworked from a single plan whose existence has long been doubted andeven denied by scholars. Moreover, the Great Pyramid's uniquearchitecture is integral to the way it was built, and for itsbuilders the tasks of construction and design were not separate asthey are now. By placing this awesome monument in its genuinecontemporary context, this book underlines the extraordinarytalents and the originality of the ancient Egyptians at the time ofKing Khufu. Describes for the first time exactly how the Great Pyramid wasdesigned and built ? A product of the most recent research anddecades of personal study by an author who is very well

In this landmark work, one of the world’s most renownedEgyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, fromits birth as the first nation-state to its final absorption intothe Roman Empire—three thousand years of wild drama, boldspectacle, and unforgettable characters. Award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson captures not only the lavishpomp and artistic grandeur of this land of pyramids and pharaohsbut for the first time reveals the constant propaganda andrepression that were its foundations. Drawing upon forty years ofarchaeological research, Wilkinson takes us inside an exotic tribalsociety with a pre-monetary economy and decadent, divine kings whoruled with all-too-recognizable human emotions. Here are the years of the Old Kingdom, where Pepi II, made kingas an infant, was later undermined by rumors of his affair with anarmy general, and the Middle Kingdom, a golden age of literatureand jewelry in which the benefits of the afterlife became availablefor all, not just royalt

An epic history of a doomed civilization and a lostempire. The devastating struggle to the death between theCarthaginians and the Romans was one of the defining dramas of theancient world. In an epic series of land and sea battles, bothsides came close to victory before the Carthaginians finallysuccumbed and their capital city, history, and culture were almostutterly erased. Drawing on a wealth of new archaeological research, Richard Milesvividly brings to life this lost empire-from its origins among thePhoenician settlements of Lebanon to its apotheosis as the greatestseapower in the Mediterranean. And at the heart of the history ofCarthage lies the extraordinary figure of Hannibal-the scourge ofRome and one of the greatest military leaders, but a man who alsounwittingly led his people to catastrophe. The first full-scale history of Carthage in decades, CarthageMust Be Destroyed reintroduces modern readers to thelarger-than-life historical players and the ancient glory of thisalmost forgotten civili

With a flaming holographic cover, the new GWR 2011 edition explodes with new and updated records. There's 100% new photography and hot new categories and features including TV's 75th anniversary, eye popping 3-D cinema, the historic Space Shuttle and a 270 city record-breaking GPS World Tour.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National BookAward Based on hitherto unexamined sources: interviews with ex-slaves,diaries and accounts by former slaveholders, this "rich andadmirably written book" (Eugene Genovese, The New York TimesBook Review ) aims to show how, during the Civil War and afterEmancipation, blacks and whites interacted in ways that dramatizednot only their mutual dependency, but the ambiguities and tensionsthat had always been latent in "the peculiar institution."

Now revised — the easy-to-understand guide to the story ofAmerica Want to better understand U.S. History? This friendly book servesas your tour guide through the important events of America's pastand present, introducing you to the people who helped to shapehistory. From pre-Columbus to the American Revolution, fromWatergate to Iraq to Barack Obama, you'll discover fascinatingdetails that you won't find in dry history texts! They're coming to America — explore early civilizations, meetNative Americans, and see how the development of the Englishcolonies led to slavery and the American Revolution From Thomas Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln — examine thecontributions of great Americans as well as the discovery of gold,the birth of California, the Civil War, and Manifest Destiny America grows up — be there during the conquering of the West,industrial development, and the invention of the light bulb and thetelephone The impact of the World Wars — understand the sweeping

That Sweet Enemy brings bothBritish wit (Robert Tombs is a British historian) and Frenchpanache (Isabelle Tombs is a French historian) to bear on threecenturies of the history of Britain and France. From Waterloo toChirac’s slandering of British cooking, the authors chart thiscross-channel entanglement and the unparalleled breadth ofcultural, economic, and political influence it has wrought on bothsides, illuminating the complex and sometimes contradictory aspectsof this relationship—rivalry, enmity, and misapprehension mixedwith envy, admiration, and genuine affection—and the myriad ways ithas shaped the modern world. Written with wit and elegance, and illustrated with delightfulimages and cartoons from both sides of the Channel, That SweetEnemy is a unique and immensely enjoyable history, destined tobecome a classic.

Instead of the dying Old Regime, Schama presents an ebullientcountry, vital and inventive, infatuated with novelty andtechnology--a strikingly fresh view of Louis XVI's France. A NewYork Times bestseller in hardcover. 200 illustrations.

This is the definitive visual guide to 5,000 years of Britishhistory. "The History of Britain Ireland" traces the keyevents that have shaped the British Isles. From the Elizabethan ageof Shakespeare to the Iraq and Afghan wars of the 21st century,this beautifully illustrated book offers a definitive visualchronicle of the most colourful and defining episodes in Britishhistory. Packed with visually arresting illustrations and clear,concise text, you can now explore the long and fascinating story ofthe British Isles. It includes profiles of key people in historysuch as Geoffrey Chaucer, Alfred the Great, Charles Dickens, QueenElizabeth I and Winston Churchill. "The History of Britain Ireland" is ideal as a family reference for the home as well as akey history companion for schools.

Now at last in a single, abridged paperback - the definitivelife. Ian Kershaw's two-volume biography of Hitler was greeted withuniversal acclaim as the essential work on one of the most malignfigures in history. Now this landmark biography is available in onesingle, abridged edition, tracing the story of how a bitter, failedart student from an obscure corner of Austria rose to unparalleledpower, destroying the lives of millions and unleashingArmageddon.

We were in the closet. We all had our weapons loaded. We sat there and waited for the doorbell to ring," said Salvatore Vitale, a slender New York mobster known as Good-Looking Sal. "We left the door open a smidge to look out." The ringing of the bell at the private social club’s entrance signaled the arrival of the first of the invited guests. Vito Rizzuto crouched low, peeking out from his vantage point. Through the swelling crowd and loud chatter from tough men all accustomed to having their say, Vito kept his eyes on one man, Gerlando Sciascia, a fellow Sicilian who was a long-time Rizzuto family friend. Breathing deeply beneath his mask, Vito watched for the secret signal that would draw him from the closet, a signal that came when Sciascia slowly ran the fingers of his lean, right hand through the silver hair on the side of his head. That simple act of preening brought mayhem to the social club and radically changed the balance of power. "Don’t anybody move. This is a holdup," V

A delightful treasury of observations and insights into the lives of all sorts of creatures -- from jackdaws and water-shrews to dogs, cats and even wolves -- this is a wonderfully written introduction to the world of our furred and feathered friends!

Hailed on publication in 1957 as "probably the only book published this year that will outlive the century," this is a brilliant of the idea that there are fixed laws in history and that human beings are able to predict them.

This handsomely illustrated volume commemorates AbrahamLincoln’s 200th birthday and gives rare insight into the Presidentwho shook the world—and whose words and example endure today innations from Siberia to Mexico to Pakistan. This is the officialbook of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM)in Springfield, Illinois that has welcomed more than one millionvisitors since its 2005 opening. Using the exhibition halls as a launching point, this book offersstories, anecdotes, and never-before-seen images and artifacts fromthe museum’s vault. It positions Lincoln as a man of his century, atime ripe with Industrial Revolution, travel and culture,abolition, and war. Worldwide events figure into the story:Britain’s emergence as a democracy, Russia’s freeing of the serfs,Japan’s opening to foreign trade, Germany’s unity underBismarck. Every page reflects the humor, integrity, and unique style ofleadership that made Abe Lincoln a legend. Quote boxes reveal hissayings

THIS UNIQUE TIMECHART CELEB RATES THE 100 YEAR LEGEND OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES 11-foot foldout chronological Timechart showing a full color illustrated history of Harley-Davidson.