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George and Robert Stephenson: A Passion for Success
by David RossFrom poverty to immense wealth, from humble beginnings to international celebrity, George and Robert Stephenson’s was an extraordinary joint career. Together they overshadow all other engineers, with the possible exception of Robert's friend Isambard Kingdom Brunel, for one vital reason: they were winners. For them it was not enough to follow the progress made by others. They had to be the best. Colossal in confidence, ability, energy and ambition, George Stephenson was also a man of huge rages and jealousies, determined to create his own legend. Brought up from infancy by his father, Robert was a very different person. Driven by the need to be the super-successful son his father wanted, he struggled with self-distrust and morbid depression. More than once his career and reputation teetered on the edge of disaster. But by being flawed, he emerges as a far more appealing and sympathetic figure than the conventional picture of the 'eminent engineer.' David Ross’s new biography of George and Robert Stephenson sheds new light on these two giants of British engineering.
George the Dog, John the Artist: A Rescue Story
by John DolanThe &“uplifting, humble, and moving&” true story of a troubled, East London artist and a twice-abandoned Staffordshire bull terrier who rescue each other (ForeWord Magazine). John Dolan grew up rough on the estates of east London. His early life was marked by neglect and abuse, and his childhood gift for drawing was stamped out by the tough realities outside his front door. A life of substance abuse and petty crime eventually landed him in prison. And when he was released, he found himself on the streets, surviving day-by-day, living hand-to-mouth. It wasn&’t until he met George, a homeless Staffy puppy, that his life changed for the better. To begin with, George was a handful: he had been abused himself and was scared of human contact. Soon, John and George became inseparable. It was then that John decided to pick up his long-forgotten gift for drawing, sitting on the sidewalk for hours at a time, sketching pictures of George that he would sell to passers-by. &“With dry wit and a lack of sentimentality,&” John recounts how he found his life&’s calling with his best friend by his side in this &“disarmingly modest yet profound tale of redemption&” (Kirkus Reviews).
George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides
by Rosalyn SchanzerThere are two sides to every story. Rosalyn Schanzer's engaging and wonderfully illustrated book brings to life both sides of the American Revolution. The narrative introduces anew the two enemies, both named George: George Washington, the man who freed the American colonies from the British, and George III, the British king who lost them. Two leaders on different sides of the Atlantic, yet with more in common than we sometimes acknowledge. We are lead through their story, and the story of their times, and see both sides of the arguments that divided the colonies from the Kingdom. Was King George a "Royal Brute" as American patriots claimed? Or was he, as others believed, "the father of the people?" Was George Washington a scurrilous traitor, as all the king's supporters claimed? Or should we remember and celebrate him as "the father of his country?" Who was right? History teaches us that there are two sides to every story. Rosalyn Schanzer's book is an accessible account of one the most vital periods in American history. It is also a timeless lesson in seeing history from different points of view. The author spent two years researching books, paintings, cartoons, and descriptions of Revolutionary times. She uses art, text, and first-hand accounts to illustrate how history should never be reduced to simplistic conflicts between the "good guys" and the "bad guys. " Her illustrations, and her engaging quote bubbles, bring the Revolution to life again, and allow the characters of the period to speak for themselves. Through its lively text, detailed illustrations, and fully authenticated quotes, George vs. George shines fresh light on both sides of the story of our country's formative years.
George's Run: A Writer's Journey through the Twilight Zone
by Henry ChamberlainGeorge Clayton Johnson was an up-and-coming short story writer who broke into Hollywood in a big way when he co-wrote the screenplay for Ocean’s Eleven. More legendary works followed, including Logan’s Run and classic scripts for shows like The Twilight Zone and Star Trek. In the meantime, he forged friendships with some of the era’s most visionary science fiction writers, including Ray Bradbury, Theodore Sturgeon, Richard Matheson, and Rod Serling. Later in life, Johnson befriended comics journalist and artist Henry Chamberlain, and the two had long chats about his amazing life and career. Now Chamberlain pays tribute to his late friend in the graphic novel George’s Run, which brings Johnson’s creative milieu to life in vividly illustrated color panels. The result feels less like reading a conventional biography and more like sitting in on an intimate conversation between friends as they recollect key moments in pop culture history, as well as the colorful band of writers known as the “Rat Pack of Science Fiction.”
George, Being George
by Nelson W. AldrichNorman Mailer said that George Plimpton was the best-loved man in New York. For more than fifty years, his friends made a circle whose circumference was vast and whose center was a fashionable tenement on New York's East Seventy-second street. Taxi drivers, hearing his address, would ask, "Isn't that George Plimpton's place?" George was always giving parties for his friends. It was one of the ways this generous man gave back.This book is the party that was George's life-and it's a big one-attended by scores of people, including Peter Matthiessen, Robert Silvers, Jean Stein, William Styron, Maggie Paley, Gay Talese, Calvin Trillin, and Gore Vidal, as well as lesser-known intimates and acquaintances, each with candid and compelling stories to tell about George Plimpton and childhood rebellion, adult indiscretions, literary tastes, ego trips, loyalties and jealousies, riches and drugs, and embracing life no matter the consequences.In George, Being George people feel free to say what guests say at parties when the subject of the conversation isn't around anymore. Some even prove the adage that no best-loved man goes unpunished. Together, they provide a complete portrait of George Plimpton. They talk about his life: its privileged beginnings, its wild and triumphant middle, its brave, sad end. They say that George was a man of many parts: "the last gentleman"; founder and first editor of one of our best literary magazines, The Paris Review; the graceful writer who brought the New Journalism to sports in bestsellers such as Paper Lion, Bogey Man, and Out of My League; and Everyman's proxy boxer, trapeze artist, stand-up comic, Western movie villain, and Playboy centerfold photographer. And one of the brave men who wrestled Sirhan Sirhan, the armed assassin of his friend Bobby Kennedy, to the ground. A Plimpton party was full of intelligent, funny, articulate people. So is this one. Many try hard to understand George, and some (not always the ones you would expect) are brilliant at it. Here is social life as it's actually lived by New York's elites. The only important difference between a party at George's and this book is that no one here is drunk. They just talk about being drunk.George's last years were awesome, truly so. His greatest gift was to be a blessing to others-not all, sadly-and that gift ended only with his death. But his parties, if this is one, need never end at all.From the Hardcover edition.
George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I
by Miranda CarterIn the years before the First World War, the great European powers were ruled by three first cousins: King George V of Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Together, they presided over the last years of dynastic Europe and the outbreak of the most destructive war the world had ever seen, a war that set twentieth-century Europe on course to be the most violent continent in the history of the world. Miranda Carter uses the cousins’ correspondence and a host of historical sources to tell the tragicomic story of a tiny, glittering, solipsistic world that was often preposterously out of kilter with its times, struggling to stay in command of politics and world events as history overtook it. George, Nicholas and Wilhelmis a brilliant and sometimes darkly hilarious portrait of these men—damaged, egotistical Wilhelm; quiet, stubborn Nicholas; and anxious, dutiful George—and their lives, foibles and obsessions, from tantrums to uniforms to stamp collecting. It is also alive with fresh, subtle portraits of other familiar figures: Queen Victoria—grandmother to two of them, grandmother-in-law to the third—whose conservatism and bullying obsession with family left a dangerous legacy; and Edward VII, the playboy “arch-vulgarian” who turned out to have a remarkable gift for international relations and the theatrics of mass politics. At the same time, Carter weaves through their stories a riveting account of the events that led to World War I, showing how the personal and the political interacted, sometimes to devastating effect. For all three men the war would be a disaster that destroyed forever the illusion of their close family relationships, with any sense of peace and harmony shattered in a final coda of murder, betrayal and abdication.
George, Thomas, and Abe!: The Step into Reading Presidents Story Collection (Step into Reading)
by Martha Brenner Richard Walz Frank Murphy Donald CookThis collection features three of our most popular biographies: Washington, the stoic general with a soft spot for animals; Jefferson, the brilliant statesman who was a foodie at heart, and Lincoln, the absentminded lawyer whose compassionate caseload foretold his presidency. Beginning readers will learn about little-known, illuminating events in the earlier years of these extraordinary men and how, long before entering the White House, they lived lives filled with intelligence, courage, and kindness--the hallmarks of a great president.
George-3-7th Marines: A Brief Glimpse through Time of a Group of Young Marines
by Jim NicholsonMilitary Writers Society of America Gold Medal Winner: An account of the Korean War, as told by the men who fought it. Includes photos. In the four years of the Korean War, America lost almost 54,000 men, roughly the same number who lost their lives in Vietnam, yet this war has almost disappeared into American history, often called the &“Forgotten War.&” George-3-7th Marines recounts the bloody Marine infantry campaigns fought in the deadly mountain ranges of Korea. It is the story of the men who fought—and died anonymously—in a little-known yet bloody war. These never-before-told tales of the battle-hardened Marines of G-3-7 have been collected and recorded by one of their own. Described by those who experienced the action firsthand, these accounts blend the shocking details of savage, bloody killing with gentle, almost heartbreaking prose seldom seen in a chronicle of war. Jim Nicholson paints a brutally accurate picture of America and the Valhalla culture that shaped the toughness of soldiers in the 1950s. He examines the events and mistakes that led to a collision of the free world with the rapidly expanding Communist military machine. He reminds us that the sacrifice of young American boys saved the South Koreans, who now live freely in their beautiful &“land of the morning calm.&”
George: A Magpie Memoir
by Frieda HughesThen, just in time, before I swung the spade again, I saw, right by the blade and camouflaged by the leaves on the ground, a magpie chick. It squatted belligerently, peering up at me with miniature magpie fury. George.When Frieda Hughes moved to the depths of the Welsh countryside, she was expecting to take on a few projects: planting a garden, painting and writing her poetry column for the Times. But instead, she found herself rescuing a baby magpie, the sole survivor of a nest destroyed in a storm - and embarking on an obsession that would change the course of her life.As the magpie, George, grows from a shrieking scrap of feathers and bones into an intelligent, unruly companion, Frieda finds herself captivated - and apprehensive of what will happen when the time comes to finally set him free.
George: A Magpie Memoir
by Frieda Hughes&“Poignant and funny…a passionate book about unconditional love and commitment.&” —The Washington Post * &“Captivating.&” —Associated Press * &“Rich with imagery…It&’s impossible not to be smitten.&” —Star Tribune (Minneapolis) From poet and painter Frieda Hughes, an intimate, charming, and humorous memoir recounting her experience rescuing and raising an abandoned baby magpie in the Welsh countryside.When Frieda Hughes moved to a ramshackle estate in the wilds of Wales, she was expecting to take on a few projects: planting a garden, painting, writing her poetry column for The Times (London), and possibly even breathing new life into her ailing marriage. But instead, she found herself rescuing a baby magpie, the sole survivor of a nest destroyed in a storm—and embarking on an obsession that would change the course of her life. As the magpie, George, grows from a shrieking scrap of feathers and bones into an intelligent, unruly companion, Frieda finds herself captivated—and apprehensive of what will happen when the time comes to finally set him free. With irresistible humor and heart, Frieda invites us along on her unlikely journey toward joy and connection in the wake of sadness and loss; a journey that began with saving a tiny wild creature and ended with her being saved in return.
Georges Laraque: The Story of the NHL's Unlikeliest Tough Guy
by Georges LaraqueThink you know NHL tough guy Georges Laraque? Think again. Sure, Laraque knows all about the rough side of the game of hockey. Ottawa Senators pugilist Chris Neil called him "probably the toughest in the league." Phoenix Coyotes brawler Paul Bisonette said "I'm not really afraid of anyone, but if I were to fight him, I'd probably be shaking going in." Ask Laraque, though, and he'd say that's not who he is. Known as a player who was unfailingly respectful and gentlemanly even when he was going toe-to-toe with the toughest guys in the toughest league in the world, today Laraque takes that courageous sense of what is fair into fights that are much more important than the outcome of a hockey game. The son of Haitian immigrants, Laraque campaigns for World Vision to help with Haitian relief. A committed believer in animal rights (and probably the toughest vegan in the world), Laraque is a spokesperson for PETA. A conscientious environmentalist, Laraque stepped up to be the deputy leader of the Green Party. In this intimate, often surprising, biography, Laraque tells the story of a hockey player's life that is unlike any other, from a childhood facing racism in Quebec's minor hockey system, to the thrill of the Stanley Cup Finals as an Edmonton Oiler, and sharing a dressing room with Sidney Crosby -- and from dropping the gloves on the ice to refusing to back back down from much more serious fights off the ice. Honest, startling, and brave, this is a portrait of a hockey player unlike any you've seen before.
Georges Perec: A Life in Words
by David Bellos"It's hard to see how anyone is ever going to better this User's Manual to the life of Georges Perec" - Gilbert Adair, Sunday TimesWinner of the Prix Goncourt for Biography, 1994George Perec (1936-82) was one of the most significant European writers of the twentieth century and undoubtedly the most versatile and innovative writer of his generation.David Bellos's comprehensive biography - which also provides the first full survey of Perec's irreverent, polymathic oeuvre - explores the life of an anguished, comical and endearingly modest man, who worked quietly as an archivist in a medical research library. The French son of Jewish immigrants from Poland, he remained haunted all of his life by his father's death in the war, fighting to defend France, and his mother's in Auschwitz-Birkenau. His acclaimed novel A Void (1969) - written without using the letter "e" - has been seen as an attempt to escape from the words "père", "mere", and even "George Perec".His career made an auspicious start with Things: A Story of the Sixties (1965), which won the Prix Renaudot. He then pursued an idiosyncratic and ambitious literary itinerary through the intellectual ferment of Paris in the 1960s and 1970s.He belonged to the Ouvrior de Littérature Potentielle (OuLiPo), a radically inventive group of writers whose members included Raymond Queneau and Italo Calvino. Perec achieved international celebrity with Life A User's Manual (1978), which won the Prix Medicis and was voted Novel of the Decade by the Salon du Livre. He died in his mid-forties after a short illness, leaving a truly puzzling detective novel, 53 Days, incomplete."Professor Bellos's book enables us at once to relish the most wilfully bizarre aspects of Perec's oeuvre and to understand the whys and wherefores of his protean nature" - Jonathan Romney, Literary Review
Georges and Pauline Vanier
by Mary Frances CoadyGeorges and Pauline Vanier follows their lives and travels across the world - from Canadian military life to the League of Nations, from the inner circles of British government to their harrowing escape from Nazi-occupied France - detailing their disappointments and triumphs during social and political turbulence. With insight and sympathy, Mary Frances Coady tells their dramatic personal story. Revealing their remarkably vibrant personalities, she details the couple's support of the French resistance as well as Georges Vanier's pleas for the Canadian government to accept refugees fleeing Hitler's horrors and his effort to broaden immigration policy. She also recounts the importance of their religious convictions, their controversial standing among Quebecers, and their early advocacy of official bilingualism. An invigorating and well-told tale of their lasting legacies, Georges and Pauline Vanier is the definitive account of the enduring contributions the Vaniers made to the world and to their country.
Georges and Pauline Vanier: Portrait of a Couple (Footprints Series #15)
by Mary Frances CoadyGeorges and Pauline Vanier follows their lives and travels across the world - from Canadian military life to the League of Nations, from the inner circles of British government to their harrowing escape from Nazi-occupied France - detailing their disappointments and triumphs during social and political turbulence. With insight and sympathy, Mary Frances Coady tells their dramatic personal story. Revealing their remarkably vibrant personalities, she details the couple's support of the French resistance as well as Georges Vanier's pleas for the Canadian government to accept refugees fleeing Hitler's horrors and his effort to broaden immigration policy. She also recounts the importance of their religious convictions, their controversial standing among Quebecers, and their early advocacy of official bilingualism. An invigorating and well-told tale of their lasting legacies, Georges and Pauline Vanier is the definitive account of the enduring contributions the Vaniers made to the world and to their country.
Georgette Heyer
by Jennifer KloesterThe groundbreaking biography of one of the world's best-loved and bestselling authorsWho was the real Georgette Heyer?Georgette Heyer famously said, "I am to be found in my work."Who was this amazing writer who was so secretive about her personal life that she never gave an interview? Where did she get her ideas? Were there real-life models for her ultra-manly heroes, independent-minded heroines, irascible guardians, and clever villains? What motivated her to build a Regency worldso intricately researched that readers want to escape there again and again? Heyer's Regency romances, historical novels, and mysteries have surprised and delighted millions of readers for decades, while the woman behind the storieshas stayed hidden...Until now! With unprecedented, exclusive access to Heyer's notebooks, papers, and early letters, Jennifer Kloester uncovers both the complex life of a private woman anda masterful writer's craft that will forever resonate in literature and beyond."A wonderful entertaining biography--a readable and lively account of this beloved writer."--Eloisa James, #1 New York Times bestselling author"Required reading for all lovers of Regency novels."--Mary Jo Putney, New York Times bestselling author of No Longer a Gentleman"A superb portrayal of one of my all-time favorite writers."--Anne Gracie, award-winning author of Bride By Mistake"An engaging, intriguing, absorbing, read!"--Stephanie Laurens, #1 New York Times bestselling authorPraise for Georgette Heyer's Regency World:"Meticulously researched yet splendidly entertaining ... a must-have."--Publishers Weekly Starred Review "Detailed, informative, impressively researched. A Heyer lover writing for Heyer fans."--Times Literary Supplement"Kloester's lively book will delight died-in-the-wool Regency readers." --Booklist
Georgette Heyer's Regency World: The Definitive Guide For All Fans Of Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, And The Glittering Regency Period
by Jennifer KloesterThe definitive guide for all fans of Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, and the glittering Regency period"Detailed, informative, impressively researched. A Heyer lover writing for Heyer fans." —Times Literary SupplementImmerse yourself in the resplendent glow of Regency England and the world of Georgette Heyer...From the fascinating slang, the elegant fashions, the precise ways the bon ton ate, drank, danced, and flirted, to the shocking real life scandals of the day, Georgette Heyer's Regency World takes you behind the scenes of Heyer's captivating novels.As much fun to read as Heyer's own novels, beautifully illustrated, and meticulously researched, Jennifer Kloester's essential guide brings the world of the Regency to life for Heyer fans and Jane Austen fans alike."An invaluable guide to the world of the bon ton. No lover of Georgette Heyer's novels should be without it." — Katie Fforde"Splendidly entertaining" —Publishers Weekly"Meticulously researched yet splendidly entertaining, Kloester's comprehensive guide to the world of upper-class regency England is a must-have." —Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Georgia O'Keeffe (SparkNotes Biography Guide)
by SparkNotesGeorgia O'Keeffe (SparkNotes Biography Guide) Making the reading experience fun! SparkNotes Biography Guides examine the lives of historical luminaries, from Alexander the Great to Virginia Woolf. Each biography guide includes:An examination of the historical context in which the person lived A summary of the person&’s life and achievements A glossary of important terms, people, and events An in-depth look at the key epochs in the person&’s career Study questions and essay topics A review test Suggestions for further reading Whether you&’re a student of history or just a student cramming for a history exam, SparkNotes Biography guides are a reliable, thorough, and readable resource.
Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life (Biografia Circe Ser.)
by Roxana RobinsonA New York Times Notable Book: Roxana Robinson's definitive biography of Georgia O'Keeffe is a rich and revealing portrait of the iconic American artist. Artist Georgia O'Keeffe was born into a family of strong Midwestern farmwomen and taught self-reliance at an early age. Coming of age in the modern era, she went on to defy the social conventions of her time and lead a successful and emancipated life full of creativity, feminism, and austerity that has taken on mythic proportion. Roxana Robinson's multilayered book explores O'Keeffe's journey to personal and professional independence, the evolution of her art, and her most influential relationships. Written with the cooperation of O'Keeffe's family, and using sources unavailable during her lifetime, this biography presents the artist's own voice through her letters to family and friends. Robinson follows O'Keeffe from her childhood on a Wisconsin farm to the center of the New York art scene where she met her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz. Stieglitz championed O'Keeffe, exhibiting her work at his gallery and drawing her into his inner circle of early modernists. But O'Keeffe, ever caught between the demands of love and art, left New York to find inspiration in the New Mexico desert where she created some of her most renowned work. This vividly rendered, beautifully written account succeeds in capturing the passions, controversies, and contradictions in the life of an extraordinary woman.
Georgia Witness: A Contemporary Oral History of the State
by Stephen DosterDrawing on the voices of residents from across the state, this oral history reflects on life in Georgia as it evolved throughout the twentieth century. Author Stephen Doster grew up on St. Simons Island, one of Georgia&’s Golden Isles. He began interviewing fellow island residents and captured their personal histories in the book Voices from St. Simons. Now, Doster has expanded the scope of his work to encompass the entire state of Georgia. In Georgia Witness, Doster records the stories of residents from all across the state, capturing the unique life and history of its many communities. Here are the voices of influential figures and ordinary residents, individuals of varying backgrounds and ethnicities, all of whom remember and contribute to the legacy and lifeblood of the peach state.
Georgia's Bones
by Jen BryantGrowing up on a Wisconsin farm, Georgia O'Keeffe began gathering all sorts of objects — sticks and stones, flowers and bones. Although she was teased for her interest in unique shapes and sizes, young Georgia declared: “Someday, I’m going to be an artist” — and that is exactly what she became. Jen Bryant’s story of Georgia O’Keeffe celebrates the famous artist’s fascination with natural shapes, “common objects,” and her unusual way of looking at the world. Bethanne Andersen’s fluid, graceful illustrations capture the beauty of O’Keeffe’s work and spirit.
Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O'Keeffe
by Dawn TrippNATIONAL BESTSELLER * In a dazzling work of historical fiction in the vein of Nancy Horan's Loving Frank, Dawn Tripp brings to life Georgia O'Keeffe, her love affair with photographer Alfred Stieglitz, and her quest to become an independent artist. This is not a love story. If it were, we would have the same story. But he has his, and I have mine. In 1916, Georgia O'Keeffe is a young, unknown art teacher when she travels to New York to meet Stieglitz, the famed photographer and art dealer, who has discovered O'Keeffe's work and exhibits it in his gallery. Their connection is instantaneous. O'Keeffe is quickly drawn into Stieglitz's sophisticated world, becoming his mistress, protégé, and muse, as their attraction deepens into an intense and tempestuous relationship and his photographs of her, both clothed and nude, create a sensation. Yet as her own creative force develops, Georgia begins to push back against what critics and others are saying about her and her art. And soon she must make difficult choices to live a life she believes in.A breathtaking work of the imagination, Georgia is the story of a passionate young woman, her search for love and artistic freedom, the sacrifices she will face, and the bold vision that will make her a legend.Praise for Georgia"Complex and original . . . Georgia conveys O'Keeffe's joys and disappointments, rendering both the woman and the artist with keenness and consideration."--The New York Times Book Review"As magical and provocative as O'Keeffe's lush paintings of flowers that upended the art world in the 1920s . . . Tripp inhabits Georgia's psyche so deeply that the reader can practically feel the paintbrush in hand as she creates her abstract paintings and New Mexico landscapes. . . . Evocative from the first page to the last, Tripp's Georgia is a romantic yet realistic exploration of the sacrifices one of the foremost artists of the twentieth century made for love."--USA Today "Sexually charged . . . insightful . . . Dawn Tripp humanizes an artist who is seen in biographies as more icon than woman. Her sensuous novel is as finely rendered as an O'Keeffe painting."--The Denver Post"A vivid work forged from the actual events of O'Keeffe's life . . . [Tripp] imbues the novel with a protagonist who forces the reader to consider the breadth of O'Keeffe's talent, business savvy, courage and wanderlust. . . . [She] is vividly alive as she grapples with success, fame, integrity, love and family."--Salon "Masterful . . . The book is a lovely portrayal of an iconic artist who is independent and multidimensional. Tripp's O'Keeffe is a woman hoping to break free of conventional definitions of art, life and gender, as well as a woman of deep passion and love."--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "O'Keeffe blazes across the pages in Tripp's tour de force about this indomitable woman. . . . Tripp has hit her stride here, bringing to life one of the most remarkable artists of the twentieth century with veracity, heart, and panache."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)"I devoured this dazzling novel about an American icon. Dawn Tripp brings Georgia O'Keeffe so fully to life on every page and, with great wisdom, examines the very nature of love, longing, femininity, and art."--J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of Maine and The EngagementsFrom the Hardcover edition.
Georgiana
by Amanda ForemanThe winner of Britain's prestigious Whitbread Prize and a bestseller there for months, this wonderfully readable biography offers a rich, rollicking picture of late-eighteenth-century British aristocracy and the intimate story of a woman who for a time was its undisputed leader.Lady Georgiana Spencer was the great-great-great-great-aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales, and was nearly as famous in her day. In 1774, at the age of seventeen, Georgiana achieved immediate celebrity by marrying one of England's richest and most influential aristocrats, the Duke of Devonshire. Launched into a world of wealth and power, she quickly became the queen of fashionable society, adored by the Prince of Wales, a dear friend of Marie-Antoinette, and leader of the most important salon of her time. Not content with the role of society hostess, she used her connections to enter politics, eventually becoming more influential than most of the men who held office. Her good works and social exploits made her loved by the multitudes, but Georgiana's public success, like Diana's, concealed a personal life that was fraught with suffering. The Duke of Devonshire was unimpressed by his wife's legendary charms, preferring instead those of her closest friend, a woman with whom Georgiana herself was rumored to be on intimate terms. For over twenty years, the three lived together in a jealous and uneasy ménage à trois, during which time both women bore the Duke's children--as well as those of other men.Foreman's descriptions of Georgiana's uncontrollable gambling, all- night drinking, drug taking, and love affairs with the leading politicians of the day give us fascinating insight into the lives of the British aristocracy in the era of the madness of King George III, the American and French revolutions, and the defeat of Napoleon. A gifted young historian whom critics are already likening to Antonia Fraser, Amanda Foreman draws on a wealth of fresh research and writes colorfully and penetratingly about the fascinating Georgiana, whose struggle against her own weaknesses, whose great beauty and flamboyance, and whose determination to play a part in the affairs of the world make her a vibrant, astonishingly contemporary figure.
Georgiana Molloy: Portrait with Background
by Alexandra HasluckThe story of a remarkable pioneer who discovered in the strange colonial wilderness the splendour and richness of Australia's unique flora. In 1829 Georgiana Molloy moved from the middle-class comfort of the English border country to an isolated wilderness on the opposite side of the world. The young bride and her husband, Captain John Molloy, were among a small party that founded the settlement of Augusta on Western Australia's south-west coast. A pioneer of great courage and capacity, Georgiana was presented with seemingly overwhelming trials and hardships. But she was a woman who was never defeated by circumstance, and never ceased to find enjoyment and satisfaction in her life. One of her enduring legacies is her study and identification of much of the unique local flora. A vivid portrait of an extraordinary woman.
Georgiana: A biography of Georgiana McCrae, painter, diarist, pioneer
by Brenda NiallAfter a childhood among artists, French �migr�s and English radicals in Regency London, Georgiana lived as a young woman at her father's castle in the Highlands. A gifted portraitist, professionally trained in London, she earned her own living in Edinburgh before making the choice between marriage and a career. After marrying Andrew McCrae in 1830 she followed her husband in his erratic progress from Edinburgh to London and then to Port Phillip, where he was successively lawyer, squatter and goldfields magistrate. The varied fortunes of the McCraes are recounted in a story whose tragic elements are counter-balanced by the strength of mind, the lively wit and creativity of Georgiana. By allowing Georgiana's own voice to be heard through her letters and journals Brenda Niall has brought a legendary colonial figure into authentic vibrant life.
Gerald Ford and the Challenges of the 1970s
by Yanek MieczkowskiA reappraisal of the brief presidency of Gerald Ford, called to leadership in the midst of scandal, stagflation, and an energy crisis. For many Americans, Gerald Ford evokes an image of either an unelected president who abruptly pardoned his corrupt predecessor or an accident-prone klutz spoofed on Saturday Night Live. In this book, Yanek Mieczkowski reexamines Ford&’s two and a half years in office, showing that his presidency successfully confronted the most vexing crisis of the postwar era. Viewing the 1970s primarily through the lens of economic events, Mieczkowski argues that Ford&’s understanding of the national economy was better than any modern president&’s; that he oversaw a dramatic reduction of inflation; and that he attempted to solve the energy crisis with judicious policies. Throughout his presidency, Ford labored under the legacy of Watergate. Democrats scored landslide victories in the 1974 midterm elections, and within an anemic Republican Party, the right wing challenged Ford&’s leadership, even as pundits predicted the GOP&’s death. Yet Ford reinvigorated the party and fashioned a 1976 campaign strategy against Jimmy Carter that brought him from thirty points behind to a dead heat on election day. Drawing on numerous personal interviews with former President Ford, cabinet officials, and members of the Ninety-fourth Congress, Mieczkowski presents the first major work on Ford in more than a decade, combining the best of biography and presidential history to paint an intriguing portrait of a president, his times, and his legacy. &“This ambitious work calls for a reexamination of the Ford presidency in light of the formidable challenges he faced upon taking office. A welcome and important addition to the literature on the Ford presidency.&” ―Library Journal