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Derrick Rose
by Chicago Tribune StaffDerrick Rose is a collection of articles, interviews, and features that originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune, as written by the award-winning journalists who followed the Chicago Bulls superstar's yearlong saga of injury and recovery, and his short-lived return for the 2013-2014 season.Chicago's vibrant and discursive sports culture has perhaps never been more fully on display than during Derrick Rose's lost season. Following his gut-wrenching knee injury in the 2012 playoffs, Rose began the Bulls' 2012-2013 campaign recovering and rehabilitating, and neither team nor player definitively declared a date for his return.As rumors swirled of Rose's estimated return to a scrappy Bulls team, local fans became increasingly frustrated. Debate raged over talk radio and the blogosphere, misinformation would spread like wildfire, snappy soundbites became amplified like city air raid sirens, and grainy video clips of Rose practicing would be pored over with investigative scrutiny.This book takes readers on the 2012-2013 season's roller-coaster ride of speculation and hope, and concludes with the initial optimism surrounding Rose's 2013 preseason promise and the eventual devastation of his second season-ending injury. Derrick Rose is the full story of Chicago's homegrown superstar as only the Chicago Tribune could tell it.
Derricks' Bridgehead: The History of the 92nd Division, 597th Field Artillery Battalion, and the Leadership Legacy of Col. Wendell T. Derricks
by Lt. Col. ClarkFinalist, 2023 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards"[The author] saw firsthand the unit's hardships and setbacks, but also its successes and victories. His brings this direct knowledge to bear in this detailed and fascinating look at the experiences of African American military units during the war."— WWII History Magazine The 597th Field Artillery Battalion, 92nd Division, was the first, last, and only all-black officered direct support field artillery battalion committed to combat in the history of the U.S. Army. It was the first all-black unit in a combat division and, together with the 600th Field Artillery Battalion, constituted the only all-black units in any combat division. Alongside impressive achievements on the battlefield in Italy in 1944–45, the unit provided more key command and staff positions exclusively for black field artillery officers than any other U.S. Army unit in combat, giving combat training and experience to more senior black field artillery officers than any of the other 16 black field artillery battalions during World War II. Colonel Wendell Derricks worked to shelter his troops from the worst of the racism exhibited during the war and, due to his ability to envision an integrated postwar army, he provided unique leadership opportunities for his senior officers. The alumni of the 597th Field Artillery Battalion have an impressive record of success, many of them were inducted into the Field Artillery Hall of Fame; some served at the Pentagon, including Lieutenant Colonel Clark; and others forged successful careers in the civilian world.
Dervish Dust: The Life and Words of James Coburn
by Robyn L. CoburnDervish Dust is the authorized biography of &“cool cat&” actor James Coburn, covering his career, romances, friendships, and spirituality. Thoroughly researched with unparalleled access to Coburn&’s friends and family, the book&’s foundation is his own words in the form of letters, poetry, journals, interviews, and his previously unpublished memoirs, recorded in the months before his passing.Dervish Dust details the life of a Hollywood legend that spanned huge changes in the entertainment and filmmaking industry. Coburn grew up in Compton after his family moved from Nebraska to California during the Great Depression. His acting career began with guest character roles in popular TV series such as The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, and Rawhide. In the 1960s Coburn was cast in supporting roles in such great pictures as The Magnificent Seven, Charade, and The Great Escape, and he became a leading man with the hit Our Man Flint. In 1999 Coburn won an Academy Award for his performance in Affliction. Younger viewers will recognize him as the voice of Henry Waternoose, the cranky boss in Monsters, Inc., and as Thunder Jack in Snow Dogs. An individualist and deeply thoughtful actor, Coburn speaks candidly about acting, show business, people he liked, and people he didn&’t, with many behind-the-scenes stories from his work, including beloved classics, intellectually challenging pieces, and less well-known projects. His films helped dismantle the notorious Production Code and usher in today&’s ratings system. Known for drum circles, playing the gong, and participating in LSD research, Coburn was New Age before it had a name. He brought his motto, Go Bravely On, with him each time he arrived on the set in the final years of his life, when he did some of his best work, garnering the admiration of a whole new generation of fans.
Des del país dels blancs
by Ousman UmarDesprés d'un viatge dur de cinc anys travessant el continent africà i el mar, Ousman relata la segona part de la seva història, i potser la més dolorosa i difícil: sobreviure al País dels Blancs. Amb tretze anys vaig marxar de la selva de Ghana cap al País dels Blancs. Després de cinc anys, en els quals vaig creuar el desert i tot seguit el mar en pastera, vaig arribar a Barcelona. No imaginava que aleshores començaria el pitjor i, passat un temps, el millor. Vaig viure a la jungla de ciment i d'indiferència, vaig dormir al carrer, vaig passar fam, fred i por i em vaig enfrontar al racisme. Però també vaig viure el feliç acolliment de la meva família catalana. Vaig aprendre a llegir i a escriure, em vaig posar a estudiar i vaig començar a treballar. Fins i tot vaig anar a la universitat. Però com més sabia, més interrogants m'apareixien. "Per què s'ha congelat la muntanya?", vaig preguntar-me en veure la neu per primera vegada. "Llavors Déu no va crear el món en set dies?", vaig plantejar-me quan em van explicar la teoria del big-bang. Quan anava al supermercat no veia menjar, sinó una successió d'objectes de colors vius alineats, però on es podia agafar una cabra? He explorat molts punts de vista al llarg de tot aquest temps: el xamanisme, el cristianisme, l'islam i la ciència. I he après que, al final, tots els éssers humans som iguals: no hi ha res més important que l'amor i el gaudi de la vida sense fer mal als altres. I que l'èxit no és res més que una acumulació de fracassos sense perdre la il·lusió.
Descansa en diferentes lugares: La vuelta alrededor del mundo de mi padre tras su muerte.
by Marlayna Glynn Brown Julia Vélez ArdaizLa muerte acaba con una vida amargada que inspira un viaje de curación. Ünete a la biografista de éxito Marlayna Glynn Brown en un emotivo viaje en este nuevo libro para comprender a su padre alcohólico que nunca llegó a conocer en vida y lo logró esparciendo sus cenizas por lugares mágicos. Junto a su hijo más joven viajarán a diferentes países, océanos, volcanes, ríos, lagos y bosques de nubes para reencontrarse con John Glynn y el tan inquietante mundo. Un libro que toda persona que haya perdido a un ser querido debe leer, esta biografía ilumina el camino hacia el perdón tras la vida y tras la muerte dejando atrás el dolor, la culpa, el remordimiento y el arrepentimiento.
Descartes: A Very Short Introduction
by Tom SorellMuch previous literature on Descartes treats his dualistic metaphysics as if it were disconnected in a manner analogous to his problematic mind-body split from his natural philosophy. As part of a series complementing the International Research Library of Philosophy, this volume reflects the trend in recent Descartes studies to affirm the increasing convergence of the history of science and the history of philosophy. While most of the 27 selections collected from 1983-96 readily resonate with standard English language Cartesian commentaries, several translated essays from French and Italian contributors befit Descartes' pivotal role in Western intellectual history. The nine-branched organizing schema includes essays pondering: method; metaphysics and Cartesian metaphysics; meditation and doubt; 'cogito ergo sum'; ideas, truth, and judgment; God; mind and body; matter and motion; and ethics and anthropology. Lacks a subject index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Descartes's Secret Notebook: A True Tale of Mathematics, Mysticism , and the Quest to Understand the Universe
by Amir D. AczelRené Descartes (1596–1650) is one of the towering and central figures in Western philosophy and mathematics. His apothegm “Cogito, ergo sum” marked the birth of the mind-body problem, while his creation of so-called Cartesian coordinates have made our physical and intellectual conquest of physical space possible. But Descartes had a mysterious and mystical side, as well. Almost certainly a member of the occult brotherhood of the Rosicrucians, he kept a secret notebook, now lost, most of which was written in code. After Descartes’s death, Gottfried Leibniz, inventor of calculus and one of the greatest mathematicians in history, moved to Paris in search of this notebook—and eventually found it in the possession of Claude Clerselier, a friend of Descartes. Leibniz called on Clerselier and was allowed to copy only a couple of pages—which, though written in code, he amazingly deciphered there on the spot. Leibniz’s hastily scribbled notes are all we have today of Descartes’s notebook, which has disappeared. Why did Descartes keep a secret notebook, and what were its contents? The answers to these questions lead Amir Aczel and the reader on an exciting, swashbuckling journey, and offer a fascinating look at one of the great figures of Western culture.
Descending from the Clouds
by Gayle Wurst Spencer F. WurstWearing the remnants of a WWI uniform and pulling a water-cooled 30-caliber machine-gun, Spencer Wurst marched through his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1940 as a member of the National Guard. He was 15 years old. Five years later he was a hardened platoon sergeant leading his troopers through the frozen killing fields of "Death Valley" in Germany's Heurtgen Forest. A squad leader in Company F, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne, for most of the war, Wurst jumped into Italy in September 1943, and received his baptism of fire at Arnone. Jumping into Normandy on D-Day, he received his first Purple Heart in the liberation of Ste. Mère-Eglise, and a second Purple Heart in grueling combat through the hedgerows. On his third jump, Wurst's bravery under fire earned him the coveted Silver Star when he and his fellow paratroopers were swept up in the ferocious battle with the SS for the Highway Bridge at Nijmegen, Holland, in Operation Market Garden. A few months later, the dawn of his twentieth birthday found him serving on point in the long, freezing march to the shoulder of the Bulge. A unique view of combat from pre-war training and mobilization to First Army maneuvers, parachute school at Fort Benning, and Europe's killing fields, Wurst's poignantly written and carefully researched memoir has been hailed as an outstanding addition to the literature of WWII.
Descent: My Epic Fall from Cycling Superstardom to Doping Dead End
by Thomas DekkerThe Award-Winning, International Best-Seller &“I have success, money, women. I&’ve been lionized by the public and the press. The world is at my feet. I&’ve spread my wings and here I am, soaring above everything and everyone. But in reality, the descent has already begun.&” At age 20, Thomas Dekker was already earning €100,000 a year as an amateur bike racer. The next year, he turned pro and his salary quadrupled then rose again to €900,000 as he established his position as a super-domestique among Europe&’s wealthiest superteams. The sport marveled at Dekker&’s rise as the young racer set his ambitions on capturing cycling&’s biggest prizes for himself. Before long, though, Dekker found himself corrupted by money, dazzled by fame, and cracking under the relentless pressure to perform at a superhuman level. In his tell-all book DESCENT: My Epic Fall from Cycling Superstardom to Doping Dead End, Dekker reveals a sordid way of life full of blood bags, drugs, prostitutes, and money. DESCENT tells the story of a yearslong bender that exposes the brutal truth of his life as a professional cyclist. And Dekker is not alone; he names those who fell with him and those who aided in his downfall. In DESCENT, we take an unflinching look at the European peloton as it roars through its modern boom yearsthe height of the EPO eraand what we see is shocking. You won&’t be able to turn away from this page-turning read about one man&’s rise, fall, and redemption and what his story reveals about professional sports.
Descent
by David GutersonFrom the best-selling author of Snow Falling on Cedars: a poignant, searching memoir about one man's fall into depression in the wake of a national tragedy, and his brave struggle to return to normalcy. Like most of the country and the world, David Guterson woke up on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, not thinking history was about to change. He was in Washington, D.C., with a group of fellow writers, evaluating grant applications for the National Endowment of the Arts. But before their work day had even begun, the Pentagon was bombed; the Twin Towers were down in New York City; and havoc was wreaked irrevocably on our collective sense of happiness, security, and national pride. Scrambling to get out of the city and back home any way he could, David, along with two fellow writers, rented a car and drove 2,600 miles across the country to Seattle. But the attacks triggered something inside him, a pervasive feeling of hopelessness, fear, despair--a clinical depression that that would not go away. He lost interest in his work, family, friends--his life. Inspired by William Styron's masterful Darkness Visible, Guterson's Descent is the searing account of one man's envelopment by the darkest of human emotions, and his tunneling out. Powerful, intense, and deeply felt, it is at once personal and universally illuminating--a confession from a great literary mind who takes us on a journey of what it feels like, and means, to lose one's grasp on the world--and to find it once more, even if by fumbling in the dark.
Descent: The Heroic Discovery of the Abyss
by Bradford MatsenBrad Matsen brings to vivid life the famous deep-sea expeditions of Otis Barton and William Beebe. Beebe was a very well-connected and internationally acclaimed naturalist, with the power to generate media attention. Barton was an engineer and heir to a considerable fortune, who had long dreamed of making his mark on the world as an adventurer. Together, Beebe and Barton would achieve what no one had done before--direct observation of life in the blackness of the abyss. Here, against the back drop of the depression, is their riveting tale.
Descubriendo a Coco
by Edmonde Charles-RouxLa vida intensa de una mujer que revolucionó la moda y la vida social del siglo XX: Coco Chanel. Narrar la vida de una persona que ha dejado solo unos pocos testimonios y que se ha preocupado por falsear una y otra vez su propia biografía no es una tarea sencilla. La intención de Charles-Roux, que escribió este texto a los pocos años de morir la artista, es ir más allá de la leyenda, y para eso decide aportar minuciosos datos biográficos pero también ahondar en las mentiras y contradicciones de esta gran dama. Su retrato de Chanel muestra el lado más genial y creativo de la diseñadora, y a la vez el más cruel, oportunista y oscuro. Plasmada en toda su complejidad y sus contradicciones, Chanel suscita una mezcla de admiración y rechazo, pero nunca indiferencia. Repleta de anécdotas, su biografía se enlaza con la de aquellas figuras que jugaron un papel importante en su vida y su época. Un retrato cabal de la mujer y de la artista que cambió la historia de la moda, y también de la época que le tocó en suerte; desde sus inicios como costurera en Moulins hasta su fallecimiento en 1971, pasando por su consolidación como Coco Chanel, las relaciones que mantuvo con figuras como Picasso, Cocteau, Stravinski o Collete y la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el inicio de un período oscuro en el que participó en una operación de espionaje alemán.
Desde el fondo del mar: Así me recuperé del asesinato de mi mamá, Diana Turbay
by María Carolina Hoyos TurbayPor primera vez la hija de Diana Turbay revela detalles de una historia que partió su vida en dos: el asesinato de su madre en una de las épocas más violentas de la historia reciente de Colombia María Carolina Hoyos Turbay tenía 18 años cuando se enteró por la radio de la operación autorizada por el entonces presidente César Gaviria para intentar liberar a su mamá, secuestrada por Pablo Escobar. Horas después, luego de un rescate fallido y frente al cuerpo sin vida de Diana Turbay, su hija le prometió que nunca más volvería a sonreír. Tuvieron que pasar muchos años, muchas lágrimas y mucho dolor para que María Carolina decidiera incumplir esa promesa, retomar su vida e intentar ser feliz. Esta es la historia de cómo una mujer colombiana, una hija a quien el narcotráfico le arrebató a su madre, decidió perdonar. Pero también podría ser la historia de aquellos que un día pensaron que jamás se recuperarían de una enfermedad, un divorcio o una crisis económica. Este testimonio confirma que, a pesar de las situaciones más adversas, es posible salir a flote y volver a sonreír. "Me asombra gratamente una combinación que aflora en todos los párrafos de este libro: la naturalidad de periodismo auténtico con que la autora describe sus emociones más íntimas y sus pesares más entrañables. Solo una persona que tenga el corazón en paz puede traducir así los rincones de su propia alma, con sencillez y maestría al mismo tiempo". -Tomado del prólogo de Juan Gossaín
Desde el país de los blancos
by Ousman UmarTras un duro viaje de cinco años cruzando el continente africano y el mar, Ousman relata la segunda parte de su historia, y quizá la más dolorosa y difícil: sobrevivir en el País de los Blancos. A los trece años partí desde la selva de Ghana hacia el País de los Blancos. Tras cinco años, en los que crucé el desierto y después el mar en patera, llegué a Barcelona. No imaginaba que entonces iba a empezar lo peor y, tiempo después, lo mejor. Viví en la jungla de cemento e indiferencia, dormí en la calle, pasé hambre, frío y miedo y me enfrenté al racismo. Pero también viví la feliz acogida de mi familia catalana. Aprendí a leer y escribir, me puse a estudiar y comencé a trabajar. Incluso fui a la universidad. Pero cuanto más sabía, más interrogantes me surgían. ¿Por qué se ha congelado la montaña?,me pregunté al ver la nieve por primera vez. ¿Entonces Dios no creó el mundo en siete días?, me planteé cuando me explicaron la teoría del Big Bang. Cuando iba al supermercado no veía comida, sino una sucesión de objetos de colores vivos alineados, pero ¿dónde se podía coger una cabra? He explorado muchos puntos de vista a lo largo de todo este tiempo: el chamanismo, el cristianismo, el islam y la ciencia. Y he aprendido que, al final, todos los seres humanos somos iguales: no hay nada más importante que el amor y disfrutar de la vidasin hacer daño a los demás. Y que el éxito no es más que una acumulación de fracasos sin perder la ilusión. Reseñas:«Un duro viaje de ida y vuelta que migrantes y sociedades de acogida deben conocer.»Ana Pastor «La historia de Ousman Umar es una de las más hermosas que la radio me ha permitido compartir. Sé que muchos oyentes han estado al borde de las lágrimas. Yo, también. Ya les aviso que se van a emocionar con su historia.»Julia Otero «Ousman era un niño que un día, en su Ghana natal, vio volar un avión. Desde entonces la curiosidad le empujó a cruzar el Mediterráneo y viajar hasta el País de los Blancos. Esta es su historia: la historia de un superviviente.»Gemma Nierga «El relato de Ousman comparte con los miles de migrantes que cada año se la juegan para llegar a Europa el dolor, el miedo, la injusticia, el racismo y el sufrimiento. Sentimientos provocados por situaciones que narra con una naturalidad pasmosa.»Antònia Justícia, La Vanguardia
Desde las trincheras: Colombia dividida en la Guerra de los 1000 días
by José Guillermo Sánchez RiveraAmor, pasión y guerra. Este libro nació de la necesidad de compartir con el pueblo latinoamericano, especialmente con el colombiano, lo que sucedido día a día y noche a noche por uno de sus soldados de artillería que peleó en la Guerra de los 1000 días, y peleó no por su supervivencia, sino únicamente por el partido que él creía que era el de la Iglesia Católica, y por eso daría hasta la última gota de sangre que llevaba dentro de su desnutrido cuerpo. <P><P>Quería poder liberar la patria de ese voraz adversario cuya única religión era la de descuartizar a sus enemigos a machete limpio, y por este medio lograr sembrar el pánico, terror y destrucción, así de esta bárbara manera poder doblegar al adversario. Este diario lo escribió mi padre sobre lo acontecido en el campo de batalla, en sus periodos de descanso, o en las noches sin sueño, para poder así dejarnos un legado de lo sucedido en esa cruel e inhumana guerra. Hasta la fecha no se ha encontrado a nadie que haya escrito lo sucedido en tan deplorables situaciones. <P><P>Este manuscrito lo guardaron los miembros de mi familia durante todos estos años, hasta que llego a mi poder en el en año 2014 cuando estuve de vacaciones en mi querida patria, yo soy el último de los hijos de mi padre, y vi la necesidad de publicarlo, pues sería una gran pérdida no llevar a cabo la divulgación de esta penosa historia, de uno de sus más grandes e ignorados patriotas de esa sufrida época de nuestra linda patria.
Desde un rincón de la Casa Blanca
by Beck Dorey-SteinUn testimonio personal y humano, excelentemente escrito, sobre la vida en la Casa Blanca. En 2012, Beck Dorey-Stein llega, como caída del cielo, al Despacho Oval para convertirse en una de las taquígrafas de Barak Obama. Ajena hasta el momento a ese mundo, pasa a formar parte del equipo de colaboradores más próximos al presidente, a quien acompañarán en sus desplazamientos. En el transcurso de largos viajes, atravesando zonas horarias, Beck traba amistad con un dinámico grupo de compañeros, jóvenes que, al igual que ella, dejan su vida cotidiana en tierra desde el instante en que suben al Air Force One para servir al primer mandatario. Unas memorias atrapantes que conducen al lector hasta el interior de la Casa Blanca durante la era Obama, donde podremos verlo todo a través de los ojos de una joven integrante del grupo de élite del presidente. La crítica ha dicho...«Dorey-Stein ofrece una panorámica absolutamente fascinante de lo que supone estar cerca del poder en el momento en que se escribe la Historia.»Piper Kerman, autora de Orange is the New Black «¿Quién habría dicho que el Ala Oeste de la Casa Blanca podía ser tan sexy? La excepcional perspectiva de la que gozó Beck queda patente en cada una de las páginas de este libro, así como su afilado sentido del humor.»Lauren Weisberger, autora de El diablo viste de Prada «La atrevida y conmovedora historia de una mujer que intenta abrirse camino en el mundo.»The Bookseller
Desde un rincón de la Casa Blanca
by Rebecca Dorey-SteinUn testimonio personal y humano, excelentemente escrito, sobre la vida en la Casa Blanca. En 2012, Beck Dorey-Stein llega, como caída del cielo, al Despacho Oval para convertirse en una de las taquígrafas de Barak Obama. Ajena hasta el momento a ese mundo, pasa a formar parte del equipo de colaboradores más próximos al presidente, a quien acompañarán en sus desplazamientos. En el transcurso de largos viajes, atravesando zonas horarias, Beck traba amistad con un dinámico grupo de compañeros, jóvenes que, al igual que ella, dejan su vida cotidiana en tierra desde el instante en que suben al Air Force One para servir al primer mandatario. Unas memorias atrapantes que conducen al lector hasta el interior de la Casa Blanca durante la era Obama, donde podremos verlo todo a través de los ojos de una joven integrante del grupo de élite del presidente. La crítica ha dicho...«Dorey-Stein ofrece una panorámica absolutamente fascinante de lo que supone estar cerca del poder en el momento en que se escribe la Historia.»Piper Kerman, autora de Orange is the New Black «¿Quién habría dicho que el Ala Oeste de la Casa Blanca podía ser tan sexy? La excepcional perspectiva de la que gozó Beck queda patente en cada una de las páginas de este libro, así como su afilado sentido del humor.»Lauren Weisberger, autora de El diablo viste de Prada «La atrevida y conmovedora historia de una mujer que intenta abrirse camino en el mundo.»The Bookseller
Deseo vivir: La historia de una mujer valiente que aprendió a morir
by María Eugenia Carmona Edwin Winkels«Esta mañana volví a plantearme qué hago aquí: sólo estar y ¿eso qué es?... Cuando vuelva a nacer podré dedicarme a ayudar y a entender a otras personas. Ahora simplemente no puedo más porque estoy demasiado atrapada en mi cuerpo físico y en su influencia sobre mi mente. Doy gracias por la existencia del papel y del lápiz». La vida de María Eugenia Carmona dio un giro vertiginoso cuando le diagnosticaron un tumor en el pecho en el verano de 2000. Deseo vivir recoge sus pensamientos desde ese momento. Un cuaderno personal en el que anotaba todo lo que se le pasaba por la cabeza a medida que el cáncer iba avanzando: sus miedos, sus alegrías, su dolor, la relación con su familia, la búsqueda espiritual... Deseo vivir es un testimonio sobrecogedor acerca de cómo una persona puede aprender la lección más importante a pesar de todo. Un viaje enternecedor hacia el interior de una mujer que ha de afrontar su destino y recuperar el perdón, encontrar el sentido, disfrutar del encuentro y afrontar la despedida. Un relato cargado de verdad que nos desvela la cara más dura de la enfermedad y la más iluminadora.
The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast
by Michael Scott MooreMichael Scott Moore, a journalist and the author of Sweetness and Blood, incorporates personal narrative and rigorous investigative journalism in this profound and revelatory memoir of his three-year captivity by Somali pirates—a riveting,thoughtful, and emotionally resonant exploration of foreign policy, religious extremism, and the costs of survival.In January 2012, having covered a Somali pirate trial in Hamburg for Spiegel Online International—and funded by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting—Michael Scott Moore traveled to the Horn of Africa to write about piracy and ways to end it. In a terrible twist of fate, Moore himself was kidnapped and subsequently held captive by Somali pirates. Subjected to conditions that break even the strongest spirits—physical injury, starvation, isolation, terror—Moore’s survival is a testament to his indomitable strength of mind. In September 2014, after 977 days, he walked free when his ransom was put together by the help of several US and German institutions, friends, colleagues, and his strong-willed mother. Yet Moore’s own struggle is only part of the story: The Desert and the Sea falls at the intersection of reportage, memoir, and history. Caught between Muslim pirates, the looming threat of Al-Shabaab, and the rise of ISIS, Moore observes the worlds that surrounded him—the economics and history of piracy; the effects of post-colonialism; the politics of hostage negotiation and ransom; while also conjuring the various faces of Islam—and places his ordeal in the context of the larger political and historical issues. A sort of Catch-22 meets Black Hawk Down, The Desert and the Sea is written with dark humor, candor, and a journalist’s clinical distance and eye for detail. Moore offers an intimate and otherwise inaccessible view of life as we cannot fathom it, brilliantly weaving his own experience as a hostage with the social, economic, religious, and political factors creating it. The Desert and the Sea is wildly compelling and a book that will take its place next to titles like Den of Lions and Even Silence Has an End.
The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast
by Michael Scott MooreThe “highly addictive” international bestseller, “an amazing true-life thriller, one of the most suspenseful books written in recent years” (Jeffrey Gettleman, Pulitzer Prize–winning author).In January 2012, having covered a Somali pirate trial in Hamburg for Spiegel Online International—and funded by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting—Michael Scott Moore traveled to the Horn of Africa to write about piracy and ways to end it. In a terrible twist of fate, Moore himself was kidnapped and subsequently held captive by Somali pirates. Subjected to conditions that break even the strongest spirits—physical injury, starvation, isolation, terror—Moore’s survival is a testament to his indomitable strength of mind. In September 2014, after 977 days, he walked free when his ransom was put together by the help of several US and German institutions, friends, colleagues, and his strong-willed mother. Yet Moore’s own struggle is only part of the story: The Desert and the Sea falls at the intersection of reportage, memoir, and history. Caught between Muslim pirates, the looming threat of Al-Shabaab, and the rise of ISIS, Moore observes the worlds that surrounded him and places his ordeal in the context of the larger political and historical issues. A sort of Catch-22 meets Black Hawk Down, The Desert and the Sea is written with dark humor, candor, and a journalist’s clinical distance and eye for detail. Moore offers an intimate and otherwise inaccessible view of life as we cannot fathom it, brilliantly weaving his own experience as a hostage with the social, economic, religious, and political factors creating it.“A harrowing and affecting account.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Desert Blues
by Bill AlbertAn orphaned teenager moves in with his cocktail-waitress aunt in 1950s Palm Springs, in a novel with &“its full share of hilarious, and touching, moments&” (Booklist). &“Swinging from poignant drama to edgy satire to farce, Albert&’s moving and funny first novel pairs an awkward orphaned adolescent immersed in 1950s rock &’n&’ roll and an unconventional &‘kept&’ woman. In 1957, confused, taciturn and fat 15-year-old Harold Abelstein, survivor of a car crash that killed his parents, goes to live with his Aunt Enid, a Palm Springs, Calif., cocktail waitress whose flowery perfumes, loud talk and constant pinching and touching make him uncomfortable. Enid&’s rent and car are provided gratis by her part-time lover, incredibly self-absorbed Archie Blatt, a St. Louis garment manufacturer who pops in a few times a year to escape his invalid wife and teenage daughters. Though resenting her dependence, Enid faces a bigger problem when her manipulative, self-pitying father, Abe, who walked out on the family 25 years ago, suddenly reappears, shabby, reeking of whiskey and terminally ill. Tensions snap as Abe grows ever sicker and then Archie shows up, forcing four disparate souls to fitfully coexist under one roof. With a fine ear for dialogue, Albert perfectly captures a time and place—and the emotional chafing between family members who can't help but care for one another, despite themselves.&” —Publishers Weekly
Desert Children
by Waris DirieFashion model, UN ambassador and courageous spirit, Waris Dirie was born into a family of tribal desert nomads in Somalia. She told her story - enduring female circumcision at five years old; running away through the desert; being discovered by Terence Donovan and becoming a top fashion model - in her book, the worldwide bestseller, DESERT FLOWER. In DESERT DAWN she wrote about becoming a UN Special Ambassador against FGM (female genital mutilation) and returning to her family in Somalia. DESERT CHILDREN tells us how she and the journalist Corinna Milborn have investigated the practice of FGM in Europe - they estimate that up to 500,000 women and girls have undergone or are at risk of FGM. At the moment, France is the only European country in which offenders are convicted and no European country officially recognises the threat of genital mutilation as a reason for asylum. Here are the voices of women who have felt encouraged and emboldened by Waris Dirie's courage. They speak out for the first time and move us to action.
Desert Children
by Waris DirieFashion model, UN ambassador and courageous spirit, Waris Dirie was born into a family of tribal desert nomads in Somalia. She told her story - enduring female circumcision at five years old; running away through the desert; being discovered by Terence Donovan and becoming a top fashion model - in her book, the worldwide bestseller, DESERT FLOWER. In DESERT DAWN she wrote about becoming a UN Special Ambassador against FGM (female genital mutilation) and returning to her family in Somalia. DESERT CHILDREN tells us how she and the journalist Corinna Milborn have investigated the practice of FGM in Europe - they estimate that up to 500,000 women and girls have undergone or are at risk of FGM. At the moment, France is the only European country in which offenders are convicted and no European country officially recognises the threat of genital mutilation as a reason for asylum. Here are the voices of women who have felt encouraged and emboldened by Waris Dirie's courage. They speak out for the first time and move us to action.
Desert Diplomat: Inside Saudi Arabia Following 9/11
by Robert W. Jordan Steve Fiffer James A Baker IIIIn the spring of 2001, George W. Bush selected Dallas attorney Robert W. Jordan as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Jordan’s nomination sped through Congress in the wake of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, and he was at his post by early October, though with no prior diplomatic experience, as Saudi Arabia mandates that the U.S. Ambassador be a political appointee with the ear of the president. Hence Jordan had to learn on the job how to run an embassy, deal with a foreign culture, and protect U.S. interests, all following the most significant terrorist attacks on the United States in history.From 2001 through 2003, Jordan worked closely with Crown Prince Abdullah and other Saudi leaders on sensitive issues of terrorism and human rights, all the while trying to maintain a positive relationship to ensure their cooperation with the war in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq. At the same time he worked with top officials in Washington, including President Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, George Tenet, and Tommy Franks. Desert Diplomat discusses these relationships as well as the historic decisions of Jordan’s tenure and provides a candid and thoughtful assessment of the sometimes distressing dysfunction in the conduct of American foreign policy, warfare, and intelligence gathering. Still involved in the Middle East, Jordan also offers important insights into the political, economic, and social changes occurring in this critical region, particularly Saudi Arabia.
Desert Fire: The Diary of a Cold War Gunner
by Andrew GillespieForming part of the Royal Artillery's historical series, Desert Fire is the Battery Commander of O Battery (The Rockett Troop), 2nd Field Regiment RA's gripping description of the Gulf War. His first-hand account brings to life the power and destructive force of modern massed artillery and is a fitting tribute to all members of the Royal Regiment who played such a vital role in the desert campaign. Shows detailed plans and maps of events first time around in the Gulf.