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Duke
by Terry TeachoutA major new biography of Duke Ellington from the acclaimed author of Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong Edward Kennedy "Duke” Ellington was the greatest jazz composer of the twentieth century-and an impenetrably enigmatic personality whom no one, not even his closest friends, claimed to understand. The grandson of a slave, he dropped out of high school to become one of the world’s most famous musicians, a showman of incomparable suavity who was as comfortable in Carnegie Hall as in the nightclubs where he honed his style. He wrote some fifteen hundred compositions, many of which, like "Mood Indigo” and "Sophisticated Lady,” remain beloved standards, and he sought inspiration in an endless string of transient lovers, concealing his inner self behind a smiling mask of flowery language and ironic charm. As the biographer of Louis Armstrong, Terry Teachout is uniquely qualified to tell the story of the public and private lives of Duke Ellington. Duke peels away countless layers of Ellington’s evasion and public deception to tell the unvarnished truth about the creative genius who inspired Miles Davis to say, "All the musicians should get together one certain day and get down on their knees and thank Duke. ” .
Duke
by Terry TeachoutA major new biography of Duke Ellington from the acclaimed author of Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was the greatest jazz composer of the twentieth century--and an impenetrably enigmatic personality whom no one, not even his closest friends, claimed to understand. The grandson of a slave, he dropped out of high school to become one of the world's most famous musicians, a showman of incomparable suavity who was as comfortable in Carnegie Hall as in the nightclubs where he honed his style. He wrote some fifteen hundred compositions, many of which, like "Mood Indigo" and "Sophisticated Lady," remain beloved standards, and he sought inspiration in an endless string of transient lovers, concealing his inner self behind a smiling mask of flowery language and ironic charm. As the biographer of Louis Armstrong, Terry Teachout is uniquely qualified to tell the story of the public and private lives of Duke Ellington. Duke peels away countless layers of Ellington's evasion and public deception to tell the unvarnished truth about the creative genius who inspired Miles Davis to say, "All the musicians should get together one certain day and get down on their knees and thank Duke."
Duke Ellington
by James Lincoln CollierDuke Ellington is considered to be one of the great genius' of jazz--its major composer and leader of probably the most significant of all jazz bands. Yet, other than his own not-very-revealing autobiography and a collection of reminiscences of his band members, there has never been an in-depth biography of this pre-eminent figure in twentieth century music and entertainment. Here at last is the definitive critical biography of both the man and his music. James Lincoln Collier, author of the highly acclaimed Louis Armstrong: An American Genius, has produced a fascinating work which tells the full story of Edward Kennedy Ellington, from his childhood as the pampered and adored only son of a middle-class Washington black family to his death in 1974, hailed as "America's greatest composer" (according to the New York Times obituary) and mourned at his funeral by more than 10,000 people. Collier describes Ellington's charisma--his sense of being special even from childhood, when he would announce to his cousins "I am the grand, noble, Duke; crowds will be running to me,"...the formation of his band, including some of the greatest names in jazz history, among them, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams, Lawrence Brown, and Paul Gonzavles...his arrival at the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem in the 1920s...his involvement with his manager Irving Mills, who manipulated and cheated him and even put his name on some of Ellington's songs, but who made him famous...his relationship with his family, including his troubled relationship with his son, his marriage and many affairs (including involvements with some of his own musician's women). But most of all, the book is about the creation of the music, from classic songs like "Sophisticated Lady" to the "sacred concerts" of Ellington's last years. Collier maintains that it is not necessary to see Ellington as a "composer" in the narrow sense of the word but as something just as important: an improvising jazz musician. His instrument was a whole band.This is a controversial book--not all will agree with Collier's assessments--but it will enthrall jazz buffs as well as anyone interested in a fascinating life and times.
Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz with 21 Activities (For Kids series)
by Stephanie Stein CreaseCelebrating one of the most influential figures in jazz, this comprehensive biography incorporates the legendary Duke Ellington's talents into engaging activities for children. Enlisting the musician's gifts as a pianist, composer, and band leader, this interdisciplinary approach shows how to create a ragtime rhythm, make a washtub bass, write song lyrics, dance the Lindy Hop, and even design an album cover. Exploring Ellington's life and career, this activity guide includes information on additional topics such as the Harlem Renaissance, the musical evolution of jazz, and how technology has changed over the years--from piano rolls and record albums to CDs, television, and portable music devices. A time line, glossary, selected bibliography, and extensive resources--including Ellington's greatest recordings, related websites, and recommendations for further study--are also included.
Duke Ellington: A Life in Music (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Vocabulary Readers #Leveled Reader: Level: 4, Theme: 5.2)
by Erick MontgomeryBriefly tells of the life of Duke Ellington, the musician.
Duke Ellington: Man of Music (Leveled Readers 4.5.2)
by Erick MontgomeryDuke Ellington was a great composer and musician. How did he change music in America?
Duke Ellington: Giant of Jazz
by Wendie C. OldExamines the life and career of the talented jazz composer, bandleader, and pianist, from his childhood in Washington, D.C., through his battle against racism, to his influence on the world of jazz.
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra
by Andrea Davis PinkneyEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, "King of the Keys," was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. "He was a smooth-talkin', slick-steppin', piano-playin' kid," writes master wordsmith Andrea Pinkney in the rhythmic, fluid, swinging prose of this excellent biography for early readers. It was ragtime music that first "set Duke's fingers to wiggling." He got back to work and taught himself to "press on the pearlies." Soon 19-year-old Duke was playing compositions "smoother than a hairdo sleeked with pomade" at parties, pool halls, country clubs, and cabarets. Skipping from D.C. to 1920s Harlem, "the place where jazz music ruled," Duke and his small band called the Washingtonians began performing in New York City clubs, including the Cotton Club, where Duke Ellington and his Orchestra was officially born.
Duke Ellington and His World: A Biography
by A. H. LawrenceBased on lengthy interviews with Ellington's bandmates, family, and friends, Duke Ellington and His World offers a fresh look at this legendary composer. The first biography of the composer written by a fellow musician and African-American, the book traces Ellington's life and career in terms of the social, cultural, political, and economic realities of his times. Beginning with his birth in Washington, DC, through his first bands and work at the legendary Cotton Club, to his final great extended compositions, this book gives a thorough introduction to Ellington's music and how it was made. It also illuminates his personal life because, for Ellington, music was his life and his life was a constant inspiration for music.
Duke Ellington's America
by Harvey G. CohenDuke Ellington represented a singular, pathbreaking force in music over a half-century. Harvey G. Cohen paints a vivid picture of Ellington's life and times, taking him from his youth in the black middle class to the heights of worldwide acclaim.
Duke Kahanamoku and the Secret History of Surfing (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom, Guided Reading)
by Michael Sandler Ron RandallNIMAC-sourced textbook. Bringing Surfing to the World. One Hawaiian's love for riding the waves—born from a childhood in the water—helped a little–known ancient pastime grow into a hugely popular sport all around the world.
Duke (Leopards of Normandy 2): An action-packed historical epic of battle, death and dynasty
by David Churchill**From the co-author of the No.1 bestselling Wilbur Smith novel, WAR CRY*The Conqueror will rise...The Leopards of Normandy trilogy continues with DUKE, as William of Normandy inherits his father's title and assumes command of his lands. David Churchill's 'exciting mix of medieval betrayal, violence and sex' (Wilbur Smith) is sure to enthral fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden.Normandy, 1037. Sparks fly from clashing swords as the game of thrones plays out in bloodshed. Of those named guardian to the boy Duke, all seek advantage and power. Most wish the boy dead. Some will go to any lengths to make it happen.Across the sea, the struggle for the English crown has seen Queen Emma's beloved son killed. She has two more sons waiting in the wings but Godwin, Earl of Wessex - kingmaker and arch manipulator - has other plans.As the noble families of Europe murder each other in their lust for power and fortune, the boy stands apart.His name is William. His destiny is to conquer.Don't miss the final instalment of The Leopards of Normandy trilogy, as Duke William prepares to take England by storm in CONQUEROR. What readers are saying about DUKE:'To read a novel linked by actual historic characters and events whilst still maintaining a racy narrative is quite something. A fantastic read''One of the best historical novels I have read. Well written, compelling, action-packed, good characters. This is seriously worth reading!'
Duke (Leopards of Normandy 2): An action-packed historical epic of battle, death and dynasty
by David Churchill**From the co-author of the No.1 bestselling Wilbur Smith novel, WAR CRY*The Conqueror will rise...The Leopards of Normandy trilogy continues with DUKE, as William of Normandy inherits his father's title and assumes command of his lands. David Churchill's 'exciting mix of medieval betrayal, violence and sex' (Wilbur Smith) is sure to enthral fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden.Normandy, 1037. Sparks fly from clashing swords as the game of thrones plays out in bloodshed. Of those named guardian to the boy Duke, all seek advantage and power. Most wish the boy dead. Some will go to any lengths to make it happen.Across the sea, the struggle for the English crown has seen Queen Emma's beloved son killed. She has two more sons waiting in the wings but Godwin, Earl of Wessex - kingmaker and arch manipulator - has other plans.As the noble families of Europe murder each other in their lust for power and fortune, the boy stands apart.His name is William. His destiny is to conquer.Don't miss the final instalment of The Leopards of Normandy trilogy, as Duke William prepares to take England by storm in CONQUEROR. What readers are saying about DUKE:'To read a novel linked by actual historic characters and events whilst still maintaining a racy narrative is quite something. A fantastic read''One of the best historical novels I have read. Well written, compelling, action-packed, good characters. This is seriously worth reading!'
Duke (Leopards of Normandy 2): An action-packed historical epic of battle, death and dynasty
by David Churchill**From the co-author of the No.1 bestselling Wilbur Smith novel, WAR CRY. **The Leopards of Normandy trilogy continues with Duke, as William of Normandy inherits his father's title and assumes command of his lands. This vibrant series by David Churchill will enthrall fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden. 'An exciting mix of medieval betrayal, violence and sex' Wilbur Smith.Normandy, 1037. Sparks fly from clashing swords as the game of thrones plays out in bloodshed. Of those named guardian to the boy Duke, all seek advantage and power. Most wish the boy dead. Some will go to any lengths to make it happen.Across the sea, the struggle for the English crown has seen Queen Emma's beloved son killed. She has two more sons waiting in the wings but Godwin, Earl of Wessex - kingmaker and arch manipulator - has other plans.As the noble families of Europe murder each other in their lust for power and fortune, the boy stands apart. His name is William. His destiny is to conquer.(P)2016 Headline Digital
Duke of Deception
by Geoffrey WolffDuke Wolff was a flawless specimen of the American clubman -- a product of Yale and the OSS, a one-time fighter pilot turned aviation engineer. Duke Wolff was a failure who flunked out of a series of undistinguished schools, was passed up for military service, and supported himself with desperately improvised scams, exploiting employers, wives, and, finally, his own son.In The Duke of Deception, Geoffrey Wolff unravels the enigma of this Gatsbyesque figure, a bad man who somehow was also a very good father, an inveterate liar who falsified everything but love.
The Duke of Havana
by Steve Fainaru Ray SánchezIn 1998, a mysterious right-handed pitcher helped lead the N. Y. Yankees to a World Championship. <P><P> Named Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, he was a fallen hero of Fidel Castro's socialist revolution. <P><P>Once hailed as a paragon of Castro's revolution, the finest pitcher in modern Cuban history was banned from baseball for life for allegedly plotting to defect. <P><P>But he fearlessly fought back, defying the Communist party authorities, vowing to pitch again, and ultimately fleeing his country in a 30-foot fishing boat. Here are the secrets behind El Duque's persecution and escape. <P><P> A true story of cloak-&-dagger adventure, secret plots, and the pull of big money.
The Duke of Monmouth: Life and Rebellion
by Laura BrennanHe was the illegitimate son of a king, a gallant and brave military hero, charming, handsome and well loved both within the court and with women; James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, had the life many would have envied in the seventeenth century.Monmouth lived in an age that was on the cusp of modernity. He lived through some of the biggest events and scandals of seventeenth century British history, including: the Restoration of his father, King Charles II; The Great Fire of London in 1666 and the last great plague to sweep through London killing thousands.James also experienced the political scandal of the Popish Plot; became embroiled in the foiled Rye House Plot, and was at the centre of the Exclusion Crisis, which was a major catalyst for the modern creation of our party political system.But what would turn the beloved darling of the Restoration court into a leading rebel?
The Duke of Windsor's War
by Michael BlochDrawing on unique sources, Michael Bloch describes the career of the Duke of Windsor during the Second World War.As a military liaison officer in France during 1939-40, he issued warnings which, had they been heeded, might have avoided the defeat of France;as Governor of the Bahamas 1940-45, he succeeded in what was regarded as one of the most difficult posts in the British Empire.But at the same time he and his wife (to marry whom he had given up a throne) had a second war to contend with - against King George VI and Queen Elizabeth who were determined to treat them as outcasts.This book caused a furore on publication, being the first work to give a detailed account of the bitter relations between the ex-King and his family.
The Duke of Windsor's War
by Michael BlochDrawing on unique sources, Michael Bloch describes the career of the Duke of Windsor during the Second World War.As a military liaison officer in France during 1939-40, he issued warnings which, had they been heeded, might have avoided the defeat of France;as Governor of the Bahamas 1940-45, he succeeded in what was regarded as one of the most difficult posts in the British Empire.But at the same time he and his wife (to marry whom he had given up a throne) had a second war to contend with - against King George VI and Queen Elizabeth who were determined to treat them as outcasts.This book caused a furore on publication, being the first work to give a detailed account of the bitter relations between the ex-King and his family.
The Duke: Portrait Of Prince Phillip
by Tim HealdTHE DUKE is the biography of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, a celebrity in his own right and yet an enigma still, even after 60 years in the public eye. What is he really like? Bombastic, autocratic, say his critics. Colourful, stimulating, say his admirers.Tim Heald was given a unique opportunity to find out for himself. Not for twenty years had a biographer been allowed such access to talk to Prince Philip and watch him at work - still very much a man in a hurry, still speaking and questioning on an astonishing variety of subjects and treading the most impossible tightrope between the breezy informality which he first introduced to the royal family and the parade-ground traditions which he has had to accept. And members of the royal family - among them the Queen Mother, Princes Margaret, Princess Anne and his only surviving sister, Princess Sophie - also share with Heald their thoughts on the man who started life as Philip of Greece, one of a royal family who were deposed and exiled while he was still an infant. Many other witnesses reveal for the first time the Prince Philip they know. His early days in exile, at schools in France, in England and in Germany - where he had first-hand experience of the 'unpleasant habits' of the Nazis, and then in Scotland at the newly founded Gordonstoun. His service with distinction in the Royal Navy during World War Two. His engagement in 1947 to Princess Elizabeth, twenty-one-year-old daughter of King George VI. As TIm Heald observes, Prince Philip swiftly emerged as very much his own man, winning over one or two doubters within the Court who might have preferred a home-grown aristocrat as husband to the future Queen. Written with the co-operation of Buckingham Palace, THE DUKE is a brilliantly informed portrait of a life that has been independent of, but fully supportive to the Queen.
The Dukes of Durham, 1865–1929
by Robert F. DurdenThis is the history of Washington Duke and two of his sons, Benjamin Newton Duke and James Buchanan Duke. Although numerous other members of the family play their parts in the story it focuses primarily on the three men who were at the center of the economic and philanthropic activities which made the Dukes of Durham one of America's famous families. The Dukes operated closely and constantly as a family, and only in that context is their full story told.In the years after the Civil War, Washington Duke proved to be an unusually able industrialist and a conscientious, Methodist philanthropist. He was, in fact, a major Southern pioneer in both industry and philanthropy. His two sons by a second marriage were remarkably devoted to each other as well as to their father. Both sons also reflected traits of thier father. While Benjamin N. Duke and James B. Duke had life-long involvement with the business world--first in tobacco, then textiles, and finally electric power--as well as with philanthropy, they actually developed complementary specializations. Benjamin N. Duke, the older of the two, served as the family's primary agent for philanthropy from his early manhood in the late 1800's until he gradually became semi-invalid after 1915. James B. Duke, on the other hand, early displayed a marked talent, even a genius, for business. Toward the end of his life, with the establishment of The Duke Endowment late in 1924, he emerged as one of the nation's major philanthropists, ranking alongside Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. A central theme of this book is, however, that the Endowment, despite its magnitude and far-reaching scope, was essentially the institutionalization and culmination of a pattern of family philanthropy that emerged in the 1890's and for which the older brother, Benjamin N. Duke, had always been the primary agent. Thus, the story of James B. Duke, who was and has remained much the more well-known of the two brothers, cannot properly be told out of the family context from which he emerged and in which occurred most of the important phases of his life.Washington Duke, as a small, land-owning yeoman farmer, was typical of the great majority class not only in ante-bellum North Carolina but in the South as a whole. Only after the war, when he and his sons emerged as large-scale industrialists and philanthropists, did the Dukes become atypical. Their story is, then, both agricultural and industrial, both Southern and national. Born North Carolinians, they moved onto a national, even global, stage. Yet all the while they kept deep roots, as well as vast investments of capital, in the Old North State, and they poured many millions into philanthropy, largely in the two Carolinas. Based largely on manuscript sources, many of them hitherto unused, this is the first study of the Duke family. The "New South," as recent historians have told us, may not have been so new--but it was certainly different in important ways, and the Dukes loomed large among those who helped to make it so.
Dumb but Lucky!
by Richard CurtisSecond lieutenant Dick Curtis arrived in Italy in May 1944-twenty years old and part of a shipment of P-51 Mustang fighter pilots so desperately needed that they were rushed into combat with less than thirty hours of flight time in their new high-performance aircraft. Six of the twelve pilots assigned to the 52nd Fighter Group were shot down in the first two weeks. By his ninth mission, Curtis was the only one still flying. A maverick, he barely escaped court-martial with his high-flying antics. Escorting bombers sent to pound heavily defended oil fields was risky enough, but strafing the enemy supply lines, ports, and airfields was even more dangerous. Curtis may chalk up his success to dumb luck, but these missions took exceptional skill and courage. This hair-raising account captures the air war in all its split-second terror and adrenaline-pumping action. From the Paperback edition.
Dumbfounded: Big Money. Big Hair. Big Problems. Or Why Having It All Isn't for Sissies
by Matt RothschildWhat fresh hell is this? I stopped, dumbfounded. My grandmother was at my bedroom door. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked, surprised but not angry. I looked down at my dress. "Playing school. " My grandmother began stroking her chin. Clearly, there were several ways she could take this conversation. "Matthew, what are you wearing?" I could see that she didn't really want to ask this question but felt she had to. "A dress," I said. . . . "And where did you get this dress?" she asked. . . . "I found it?" My grandmother sighed. "So you've been wandering around the women's department at JC Penney? Do you expect me to believe you couldn't find a better dress than that?" The only Jewish family in a luxury Fifth Avenue building of WASPs, the senior Rothschilds took over the responsibility of raising their grandson, Matt, after his mother left him for Italy and a fourth husband. But rearing Matt was no small task--even for his sharp-tongued grandmother, a cross between Lauren Bacall and Bea Arthur, and a lady who Matt grew to love deeply. Matt secretly wore his grandmother's dresses, shoplifted Barbies from FAO Schwarz, invented an imaginary midget butler who he addressed at dinner parties, and got kicked out of nearly every elite school in Manhattan--once for his impersonation of Judy Garland at a recital. He was eventually sent to a boarding school (his grandmother had to ransom off a van Gogh to get him in). But as funny as his hijinks are now, at the time they masked a Jewfroed, chubby, lovable kid, sexually confused and abandoned by his mother, trying to fit in among the precious genteel world he was forced to live in. Matt Rothschild--the man David Sedaris could have been if he'd grown up in an esteemed family on Manhattan's Upper East Side--tells the story of his childhood with humor, honesty, and unlikely compassion for his eccentric relatives, including his mother, in this bitingly entertaining and unexpectedly tender memoir of family dysfunction. From the Hardcover edition.
Dumped: Stories of Women Unfriending Women
by Nina GabyCandid, relatable stories by established and emerging women writers about being discarded by someone from whom they expected more: a close female friend. There are 161 million women in America today, and our friendships are still as primary and universal as back when Ruth and Naomi, Elizabeth and Susan B., and Thelma and Louise made history. When a romantic relationship breaks up, no problem—there&’s an Adele song for that. Health concerns; problems in school; issues at the workplace? We&’ve got our chums to prop us up. Until we don&’t. When our most sustaining relationships dissolve—those with the women friends in our lives—there&’s never been the fanfare that accompanies the loss of other relationships society deems &“more important.&” Until now. In Dumped: Stories of Women Unfriending Women, twenty-five established and emerging writers—including Jacquelyn Mitchard, Ann Hood, Carrie Kabak, Jessica Handler, Elizabeth Searle, Alexis Paige, and editor Nina Gaby—explore the fragile, sometimes humorous, and often unfathomable nature of lost friendship. These, like your own, are stories that stay with you—maybe for a lifetime.
Dunblane: Never Forget
by Dr Mick NorthMick North's daughter Sophie was one of the children killed in the massacre at Dunblane Primary School. Dunblane: Never Forget is a personal account of Mick's life before and after the massacre and includes a critical assessement of the events that led to the tragedy and those that have followed. He begins by recalling his arrival in Stirling and how he and Barbara moved to Dunblane while awaiting the birth of their only child. A few months later Barbara was diagnosed with cancer and the family had to deal with her terminal illness. After the death of Barbara, father and daughter became an inseparable team until that dreadful day in 1996. North writes about how he and the other families dealt with public sympathy, the anti-handgun campaign, the memorial service, the television programmes, newspaper interviews and the creation of the Dunblane Memorial Garden. He describes how it felt to attend a public inquiry into the murder of his child, criticises the local police force and details the ambivalent attitude of the Dunblane community.