More than one million Americans have served in Iraq andAfghanistan, but fewer than 500 from this group have earned aSilver Star, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Distinguished ServiceCross, or the Medal of Honor. These Americans have demonstratedextraordinary courage under fire—in the worst of circumstances.They come from all branches of the military. They also come fromall over the country and all walks of life, representing the entirespectrum of races and creeds. But what unites them are their deeds of consummate bravery,beyond the call of duty. Heroes Among Us tells theseextraordinary true stories of valor, honor and sacrifice.
Gibbon’s masterpiece, which narrates the history of the RomanEmpire from the second century a.d. to its collapse in the west inthe fifth century and in the east in the fifteenth century, iswidely considered the greatest work of history ever written. Thisabridgment retains the full scope of the original, but in a compassequivalent to a long novel. Casual readers now have access to thefull sweep of Gibbon’s narrative, while instructors and studentshave a volume that can be read in a single term. This uniqueedition emphasizes elements ignored in all other abridgments—inparticular the role of religion in the empire and the rise ofIslam.
Advance praise for The Memoirs of Catherine the Great “Superb. The translation of the Memoirs is fluid, accessible, andidiomatic, while remaining accurate and as delightful as theoriginal. Students will heartily enjoy this excursion into thehistorical and literary world of the great empress.” –Cynthia Hyla Whittaker, professor and chair, Department ofHistory, Baruch College/CUNY “Several translations of the memoirs of Catherine the Great havebeen published before, but none of them can compare with thislatest edition. Mark Cruse and Hilde Hoogenboom have produced amasterpiece. Their translation fairly sings, capturing withstunning virtuosity all the beguiling wit and charm that make thesememoirs one of the most fascinating works ever penned by a Europeanmonarch.” –Douglas Smith, editor and translator of Love and Conquest:Personal Correspondence of Catherine the Great and Prince GrigoryPotemkin “Catherine the Great’s memoirs are a classic
Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the beginning of theAmerican Civil War. This well-rounded selection of Abraham Lincoln's finest speechescombines the classic and obscure, the lyrical and historical, andthe inspirational and intellectual to present a historical arcmarking periods of the Civil War-crisis, outbreak, escalation,victory, and Reconstruction. Addressing the conflict's multipleaspects-the issue of slavery, state versus federal power, themeaning of the Constitution, civic duty, death, and freedom-thiselegant keepsake collection will make a wonderful inspirationalgift for professed Lincoln fans, Civil War buffs, and lovers ofrhetorical genius.
Includes a complete copy of the Constitution.Fifty-five menmet in Philadelphia in 1787 to write a document that would create acountry and change a world. Here is a remarkable rendering of thatfateful time, told with humanity and humor. "The best popularhistory of the Constitutional Convention available."--LibraryJournal From the Paperback edition.
This streamlined revision of the breakthrough bestseller byrenowned child-development expert Dr. Harvey Karp will do even moreto help busy parents survive the “terrible twos” andbeyond.... In one of the most revolutionary advances in parenting of thepast twenty-five years, Dr. Karp revealed that toddlers often actlike uncivilized little cavemen, with a primitive way of thinkingand communicating that is all their own. In this revised edition ofhis parenting classic, Dr. Karp has made his innovative approacheasier to learn—and put into action—than ever before. Combining his trademark tools of Toddler-ese and the Fast-FoodRule with a highly effective new green light/yellow light/red lightmethod for molding toddler behavior, Dr. Karp provides fastsolutions for today’s busy and stressed parents. As you discoverways to boost your child’s good (green light) behavior, curb hisannoying (yellow light) behavior, and immediately stop hisunacceptable (red light) behavior you will learn how t
Among the autobiographies of great military figures, UlyssesS. Grant's is certainly one of the finest, and it is arguably themost notable literary achievement of any American president: alucid, compelling, and brutally honest chronicle of triumph andfailure. From his frontier boyhood to his heroics in battle to thegrinding poverty from which the Civil War ironically "rescued" him,these memoirs are a mesmerizing, deeply moving account of abrilliant man, told with great courage as he reflects on thefortunes that shaped his life and his character. Written underexcruciating circumstances (as Grant was dying of throat cancer),encouraged and edited from its very inception by Mark Twain, it isa triumph of the art of autobiography.
The first authorized inside account of one of the mostdaring—and successful—military operations in recent history From the earliest days of his dictatorship, Saddam Hussein hadvowed to destroy Israel. So when France sold Iraq a top-of-the-linenuclear reactor in 1975, the Israelis were justifiablyconcerned—especially when they discovered that Iraqi scientists hadalready formulated a secret program to extract weapons-gradeplutonium from the reactor, a first critical step in creating anatomic bomb. The reactor formed the heart of a huge nuclear plantsituated twelve miles from Baghdad, 1,100 kilometers from Tel Aviv.By 1981, the reactor was on the verge of becoming “hot,” andIsraeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin knew he would have toconfront its deadly potential. He turned to Israeli Air Forcecommander General David Ivry to secretly plan a daring surgicalstrike on the reactor—a never-before-contemplated mission thatwould prove to be one of the most remarkable military operations ofall time. Written
If members of the History Book Club do not recognize the name Joy Hakim, grade school students know her as the grandmother who writes history. Hakim's widely acclaimed 10-volume A History of US has earned a place in classrooms across the nation. Now she aims to bring history into the nation's homes as well with a companion book for the upcoming PBS miniseries Freedom. She considers herself a storyteller, and indeed, she writes U.S. history from colonial times to the new millennium as the story of the march of liberty. As she recounts the struggles of women, workers, blacks, immigrants and other minorities to participate equally in American society and government, she reiterates the ideals of freedom of religion and speech, and the right to vote, to a fair trial and to education. Despite advertising claims that the book is "for families," Hakim seems to be writing for children. Young readers will like the personable characters, lively action and conversational style ("There's a whole lot more to this freedom s
The Chronicles of Froissart (1337-1410) are one of thegreatest contemporary records of fourteenth-century England andFrance. Depicting the great age of Anglo-French rivalry from thedeposition of Edward II to the downfall of Richard II, Froissartpowerfully portrays the deeds of knights in battle at Sluys, Crecy,Calais and Poitiers during the Hundred Years War. Yet they are onlypart of this vigorous portrait of medieval life, which also vividlydescribes the Peasants' Revolt, trading activities and diplomacyagainst a backdrop of degenerate nobility. Written with the samesense of curiosity about character and customs that underlies theworks of Froissart's contemporary, Chaucer, the Chronicles are amagnificent evocation of the age of chivalry.
They Came Before Columbus reveals a compelling,dramatic, and superbly detailed documentation of the presence andlegacy of Africans in ancient America. Examining navigation andshipbuilding; cultural analogies between Native Americans andAfricans; the transportation of plants, animals, and textilesbetween the continents; and the diaries, journals, and oralaccounts of the explorers themselves, Ivan Van Sertima builds apyramid of evidence to support his claim of an African presence inthe New World centuries before Columbus. Combining impressivescholarship with a novelist’s gift for storytelling, Van Sertimare-creates some of the most powerful scenes of human history: thelaunching of the great ships of Mali in 1310 (two hundred masterboats and two hundred supply boats), the sea expedition of theMandingo king in 1311, and many others. In They Came BeforeColumbus, we see clearly the unmistakable face and handprint ofblack Africans in pre-Columbian America, and their overwhelmingimpact on the civilizatio
Tacitus' "Annals of Imperial Rome" recount the majorhistorical events from the years shortly before the death ofAugustus up to the death of Nero in AD 68. With clarity and vividintensity he describes the reign of terror under the corruptTiberius, the great fire of Rome during the time of Nero, and thewars, poisonings, scandals, conspiracies and murders that were partof imperial life. Despite his claim that the Annals were writtenobjectively, Tacitus' account is sharply critical of the emperors'excesses and fearful for the future of Imperial Rome, while alsofilled with a longing for its past glories.
A masterly and beautifully written account of theimpact of Alexander von Humboldt on nineteenth-century Americanhistory and culture The naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859)achieved unparalleled fame in his own time. Today, however, he andhis enormous legacy to American thought are virtually unknown. In The Humboldt Current , Aaron Sachs traces Humboldt’spervasive influence on American history through examining the workof four explorers—J. N. Reynolds, Clarence King, George Wallace,and John Muir—who embraced Humboldt’s idea of a "chain ofconnection" uniting all peoples and all environments. A skillfulblend of narrative and interpretation that also discussesHumboldt’s influence on Emerson, Whitman, Thoreau, Melville, andPoe, The Humboldt Current offers a colorful, passionate, andsuperbly written reinterpretation of nineteenth-century Americanhistory.
From the author of the New York Times bestseller The Wealth and Poverty of Nations , a fascinatinglook at the crossroads of kin and coin David S. Landes has earned a reputation as a brilliant writer andiconoclast among economic historians. In his latest acclaimed work,he takes a revealing look at the quality that distinguishes a thirdof today's Fortune 500 companies: family ownership. From thebanking fortunes of Rothschild and Morgan to the automobile empiresof Ford and Toyota, Landes explores thirteen different dynasties,revealing what lay behind their successes-and how extravagance, badbehavior, and poor enterprise brought some of them to their knees.A colorful history that is full of surprising conclusions, Dynasties is an engrossing mix of ambition, eccentricity,and wealth.
Heroism in battle has been celebrated throughout history, yetit is one of the least understood virtues. What makes some men andwomen perform extraordinary deeds on the battlefield? What makesthem risk their lives in the pursuit of victory?Max Hastings, oneof our foremost military historians, has seen combat up close andwritten about it for decades. In Warriors , he brings us theexperiences of fourteen soldiers who fought in the wars of thenineteenth and twentieth centuries. From an exuberant cavalryofficer in Napoleon’s army to an abused orphan who in World War IIbecame America’s youngest general since Custer, to an Israeliofficer who recovered from a devastating injury to save hiscountry, each portrait depicts a unique and remarkable story. Atribute to soldierly valor and a deeply insightful study of combat,this is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand whatit means to be at war.
During World War Two, 131 German cities and towns weretargeted by Allied bombs, a good number almost entirely flattened.Six hundred thousand German civilians died—a figure twice that ofall American war casualties. Seven and a half million Germans wereleft homeless. Given the astonishing scope of the devastation, W.G. Sebald asks, why does the subject occupy so little space inGermany’s cultural memory? On the Natural History of Destructionprobes deeply into this ominous silence.
Gather Together in My Name continues Maya Angelou’s personalstory, begun so unforgettably in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.The time is the end of World War II and there is a sense ofoptimism everywhere. Maya Angelou, still in her teens, has givenbirth to a son. But the next few years are difficult ones as shetries to find a place in the world for herself and her child. Shegoes from job to job–and from man to man. She tries to returnhome–back to Stamps, Arkansas–but discovers that she is no longerpart of that world. Then Maya’s life takes a dramatic turn, and shefaces new challenges and temptations. In this second volume of her poignant autobiographical series,Maya Angelou powerfully captures the struggles and triumphs of herpassionate life with dignity, wisdom, humor, and humanity.
Includes the complete texts of Common Sense; Rights ofMan, Part the Second; The Age of Reason (part one); FourLetters on Interesting Subjects , published anonymously and justdiscovered to be Paine’s work; and Letter to the AbbéRaynal, Paine’s first examination of world events; as well asselections from The American Crises In 1776, America was a hotbed of enlightenment and revolution.Thomas Paine not only spurred his fellow Americans to action butsoon came to symbolize the spirit of the Revolution. His elegantlypersuasive pieces spoke to the hearts and minds of those fightingfor freedom. He was later outlawed in Britain, jailed in France,and finally labeled an atheist upon his return to America.
In The Wall Street Journal, Victor Davis Hanson named With theOld Breed one of the top five books on epic twentieth-centurybattles. Studs Terkel interviewed the author for his definitiveoral history, The Good War. Now E. B. Sledge’s acclaimedfirst-person account of fighting at Peleliu and Okinawa returns tothrill, edify, and inspire a new generation. An Alabama boy steeped in American history and enamored of suchheroes as George Washington and Daniel Boone, Eugene B. Sledgebecame part of the war’s famous 1st Marine Division–3d Battalion,5th Marines. Even after intense training, he was shocked to bethrown into the battle of Peleliu, where “the world was a nightmareof flashes, explosions, and snapping bullets.” By the time Sledgehit the hell of Okinawa, he was a combat vet, still filled withfear but no longer with panic. Based on notes Sledge secretly kept in a copy of the NewTestament, With the Old Breed captures with utter simplicity andsearing honesty the experience of a soldier
Pliny's "Natural History" is an astonishingly ambitious workthat ranges from astronomy to art and from geography to zoology.Mingling acute observation with often wild speculation, it offers afascinating view of the world as it was understood in the firstcentury AD, whether describing the danger of diving for sponges,the first water-clock, or the use of asses' milk to removewrinkles. Pliny himself died while investigating the volcaniceruption that destroyed Pompeii in AD 79, and the natural curiositythat brought about his death is also very much evident in the"Natural History" - a book that proved highly influential right upuntil the Renaissance and that his nephew, Pliny the younger,described 'as full of variety as nature itself'.
There has been a great deal written on the secret longings andsexual hypocrisy of the Victorian era's upper crust, but almostnothing has chronicled the erotic desires and sexuality of London'sworking class. Now, in this painstakingly researched book, theirtouching and emotional stories can be told.
Rome’s famed historian illuminates the twilight of the oldRoman Republic from 157 to 43 BC in succinct accounts of thegreatest politicians and statesmen of the classical period.
In AD 476 the Roman Empire fell–or rather, its western halfdid. Its eastern half, which would come to be known as theByzantine Empire, would endure and often flourish for anothereleven centuries. Though its capital would move to Constantinople,its citizens referred to themselves as Roman for the entireduration of the empire’s existence. Indeed, so did its neighbors,allies, and enemies: When the Turkish Sultan Mehmet II conqueredConstantinople in 1453, he took the title Caesar of Rome, placinghimself in a direct line that led back to Augustus. For far too many otherwise historically savvy people today, thestory of the Byzantine civilization is something of a void. Yet formore than a millennium, Byzantium reigned as the glittering seat ofChristian civilization. When Europe fell into the Dark Ages,Byzantium held fast against Muslim expansion, keeping Christianityalive. When literacy all but vanished in the West, Byzantium madeprimary education available to both sexes. Students debated themerits
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), who led the Macedonian armyto victory in Egypt, Syria, Persia and India, was perhaps the mostsuccessful conqueror the world has ever seen. Yet although no otherindividual has attracted so much speculation across the centuries,Alexander himself remains an enigma. Curtius' History offers agreat deal of information unobtainable from other sources of thetime. A compelling narrative of a turbulent era, the work recountsevents on a heroic scale, detailing court intrigue, stirringspeeches and brutal battles - among them, those of Macedonia'sgreat war with Persia, which was to culminate in Alexander's finaltriumph over King Darius and the defeat of an ancient and mightyempire. It also provides by far the most plausible and hauntingportrait of Alexander we possess: a brilliantly realized image of aman ruined by constant good fortune in his youth.
