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The Musical Work of Nadia Boulanger
by Jeanice BrooksNadia Boulanger - composer, critic, impresario and the most famous composition teacher of the twentieth century UO was also a performer of international repute. Her concerts and recordings with her vocal ensemble introduced audiences on both sides of the Atlantic to unfamiliar historical works and new compositions. This book considers how gender shaped the possibilities that marked Boulanger's performing career, tracing her meteoric rise as a conductor in the 1930s to origins in the classroom and the salon. Brooks investigates Boulanger's promotion of structurally motivated performance styles, showing how her ideas on performance of historical repertory and new music relate to her teaching of music analysis and music history. The book explores the way in which Boulanger's musical practice relied upon her understanding of the historically transcendent masterwork, in which musical form and meaning are ideally joined, and show how her ideas relate to broader currents in French aesthetics and culture. "
The Musicals of Cole Porter: Broadway, Hollywood, Television
by Bernard F. DickCole Porter (1891–1964) remains one of America’s most popular composer-songwriters, known for the many urbane, witty, romantic songs he wrote for stage musicals and Hollywood films. Porter was unique among his contemporaries for writing both the music and lyrics for his compositions. To this day, several of his numbers—“Night and Day,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “You’re the Top,” and “I Get a Kick Out of You,” to name a few—endure as standards. In The Musicals of Cole Porter: Broadway, Hollywood, Television, Bernard F. Dick presents a critical study of Porter’s Broadway and movie musicals, and his one foray into live television, Aladdin—covering the period from his first failure, See America First (1916), to the moderately successful Silk Stockings (1955), which ended his Broadway career. Taking a chronological approach, interspersed with chapters on Porter’s “list songs” that owe much to such operas as Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville; his love songs, often bittersweet and bleakly poignant; and, above all, his love of figurative language, Dick discusses in detail the various literary sources and cultural reference points that inspired the lyrics to Porter’s numbers. The first volume of its kind exclusively dedicated to exploring the extensive body of work by this influential twentieth-century songwriter, The Musicals of Cole Porter is a compelling resource for readers interested in the craft of a great composer-lyricist.
The Musician's Business and Legal Guide
by Mark HalloranWritten specifically for musicians by legal and business experts in the music industry, this text covers nearly all of the confusing business and legal situations musicians find themselves in on the way to and through a professional career. It focuses on issues as they are actually practised with clause-by-clause commentaries on almost all the major music industry contracts.
The Musician's Daughter
by Susanne DunlapAmid the glamour of Prince Nicholas Esterhazy's court in 18th-century Vienna, murder is afoot. Or so 15-year-old Theresa Maria thinks after her musician father turns up dead on Christmas Eve. Her father's mentor, the acclaimed composer Franz Joseph Haydn, offers her insight into her father's secret life.
The Muslim 100
by Muhammad Mojlum Khan"It is rare to see a publication which includes personalities from both Shia and Sunni schools of thought and which is so much needed in today's turbulent world. This book, I believe will . . . enrich our understanding of not only the historical but the contemporary history of the Muslim."--Ahmed J. Versi, chief editor of The Muslim News (London)Who have been the Muslim world's most influential people? What were their ideas, thoughts, and achievements? In one hundred short and engaging profiles of these extraordinary people, fourteen hundred years of the vast and rich history of the Muslim world is unfolded. For anyone interested in getting an intimate view of Islam through its kings and scholars, generals and sportsmen, architects and scientists, and many others--this is the book for you.Among those profiled are the Prophet Muhammad, the Caliph Umar, Imam Husain, Abu Hanifa, Harun al-Rashid, al-Khwarizmi, al-Ghazali, Saladin, Rumi, Ibn Battuta, Sinan, Ataturk, Iqbal, Jinnah, Ayatollah Khomeini, Malcolm X, and Muhammad Ali.
The Muslim Heritage of Bengal
by Muhammad Mojlum Khan"The Muslim Heritage of Bengal is a multidimensional work. . . . I am sure this book will add to the vista of knowledge in the field of Muslim history and heritage of Bengal. I recommend this work."-Dr A. K. M. Yaqub Ali, Professor Emeritus, Islamic History & Culture, University of Rajshahi"Khan's book provides invaluable information which will inspire present and future generations."-Dr M. Abdul Jabbar Beg, former professor of Islamic History and Civilization, National University of MalaysiaA popular history that covers eight hundred years of the history of Islam in Bengal through the example of forty two inspirational men and women up until the twentieth century. Written by the author of the bestselling The Muslim 100.Included are the prominent figures Shah Jalal, Nawab Abdul Latif, Rt. Hon. Syed Ameer Ali, Sir Salimullah Khan Bahadur, and Begum Rokeya.Muhammad Mojlum Khan was born in 1973 in Habiganj, Bangladesh, and was educated in England. He is a teacher, author, literary critic, and research scholar, and has published more than 150 essays and articles worldwide. He is the author of The Muslim 100 (2008). He is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Director of the Bengal Muslim Research Institute, United Kindgom. He lives in England with his family.
The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women
by Mo MoultonA group biography of renowned crime novelist Dorothy L. Sayers and the Oxford women who stood at the vanguard of equal rights Dorothy L. Sayers is now famous for her Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane detective series, but she was equally well known during her life for an essay asking "Are Women Human?" Women's rights were expanding rapidly during Sayers's lifetime; she and her friends were some of the first women to receive degrees from Oxford. Yet, as historian Mo Moulton reveals, it was clear from the many professional and personal obstacles they faced that society was not ready to concede that women were indeed fully human. Dubbing themselves the Mutual Admiration Society, Sayers and her classmates remained lifelong friends and collaborators as they fought for a truly democratic culture that acknowledged their equal humanity. A celebration of feminism and female friendship, The Mutual Admiration Society offers crucial insight into Dorothy L. Sayers and her world.
The Mutual Friend
by Frederick BuschThis is an extremely intimate portrait of the last years of Charles Dickens' life, with flashbacks to his earlier years, told through the perspective of several people who were close to him including his personal tour assistant, his wife, his mistress, and a housemaid. Though Dickens cared for these people, their wellbeing was subordinate to the demands of his art and career. He met his responsibilities as a husband, father, friend, and employer, but though he was always perceptive, he was kind one moment and cruel the next, devoted to them one month and repulsed by them the next. In turn, they admired and loved him even through their outrage. The author describes the body and mind, their sexual needs, their addictions, and the horrific manifestations of their decline and death in chilling detail. The novel covers Dickens public readings of his works, the rigors of travel while he was on tour, his life with his family and friends at his country house, his creative process, and his grappling with the knowledge he is dying. The description of his former servant's suffering as a homeless alcoholic, and his death in a pauper's hospital is nightmarish, profound and moving. This is a challenging novel, rich in historic and biographical detail, with multiple personal and universal themes to ponder. This rare book is a literary work of art. There are graphic descriptions of sex, sex organs, violence, physical illness, and death.
The Mysteries of Haditha: A Memoir
by M. C. ArmstrongM. C. Armstrong secured his embed as a journalist with the Navy SEALs in 2008. Shortly before he left for Iraq his father asked him to tell the story no one else seemed to be telling, the story of the people sometimes constructed as our friends and other times our enemies: the Iraqis. &“But what about them?&” he asked. &“Who&’s their good guy? Who&’s their George Washington? That&’s the story you want to find. Talk to them.&” Armstrong&’s searing memories about his relationship with his father, his fiancé, and his SEAL team companion take the reader on a nosedive ride from a historically black college in the American South straight into Baghdad, the burn pits, and the desert beyond the mysterious Haditha dam. Culminating in the disclosure of a devastating secret, The Mysteries of Haditha explores the lengths Armstrong was willing to go to prove himself and to witness a truth he couldn&’t have prepared himself to receive. At once daring, dark, and hilarious, this memoir of M. C. Armstrong&’s journey pulls no punches and lifts the veil on the lies we tell each other and the ones we tell ourselves. The Mysteries of Haditha is a coming-of-age story and an unprecedented glimpse into the heart of the war on terror.
The Mysteries of John the Baptist: His Legacy in Gnosticism, Paganism, and Freemasonry
by Tobias ChurtonThe search for the real historical person known as John the Baptist and the traditions that began with him • Explores why John the Baptist is so crucially important to the Freemasons, who were originally known as “St. John’s Men” • Reveals how John and Jesus were equal partners and shared a common spiritual vision to rebuild Israel and overcome corruption in the Temple of Jerusalem • Explains the connections between John as lord of the summer solstice, his mysterious severed head, fertility rites, and ancient Jewish harvest festivals Few Freemasons today understand why the most significant date in the Masonic calendar is June 24th--the Feast of the Birth of St. John the Baptist and the traditional date for appointing Grand Masters. Nor do many of them know that Masons used to be known as “St. John’s Men” or that John the Baptist was fundamental to the original Masonic philosophy of personal transformation. Starting with the mystery of John in Freemasonry, Tobias Churton searches out the historical Baptist through the gospels and ancient histories, unearthing the real story behind the figure lauded by Jesus’s words “no greater man was ever born of woman.” He investigates John’s links with the Essenes and the Gnostics, links that flourish to this day. Exposing how the apostle Paul challenged John’s following, twisting his message and creating the image of John as “merely” a herald of Jesus, the author shows how Paul may have been behind the executions of both John and Jesus and reveals a precise date for the crucifixion and the astonishing meaning of the phrase “the third day.” He examines the significance of John’s severed head to holy knights, such as the Knights Templar, and of Leonardo’s famous painting of John. Churton also explains connections between John, the summer solstice, fertility rites, and ancient Jewish harvest festivals. Revealing John as a courageous, revolutionary figure as vital to the origins of Christianity as his cousin Jesus himself, Churton shows how John and Jesus, as equal partners, launched a covert spiritual operation to overcome corruption in the Temple of Jerusalem, re-initiate Israel, and resurrect Creation.
The Mysteries of the Marco Polo Maps
by Benjamin B. OlshinWhat&’s the truth behind the travels of Marco Polo? &“A fascinating tale about maps, history and exploration.&”—Times Literary Supplement (UK) In the thirteenth century, Italian merchant and explorer Marco Polo traveled from Venice to the far reaches of Asia, a journey he chronicled in a narrative titled Il Milione, later known as The Travels of Marco Polo. While Polo&’s writings would go on to inspire the likes of Christopher Columbus, scholars have long debated their veracity. Some have argued that Polo never even reached China—while others believe that he came as far as the Americas. Now, there&’s new evidence for this historical puzzle: a very curious collection of fourteen little-known maps and related documents said to have belonged to the family of Marco Polo himself. Here, historian of cartography Benjamin B. Olshin offers the first credible book-length analysis of these artifacts, charting their course from obscure origins in the private collection of Italian-American immigrant Marcian Rossi in the 1930s; to investigations of their authenticity by the Library of Congress, J. Edgar Hoover, and the FBI; to the work of the late cartographic scholar Leo Bagrow; to Olshin&’s own efforts to track down and study the Rossi maps, all but one of which are in the possession of Rossi&’s great-grandson. Are the maps forgeries, facsimiles, or modernized copies? Did Marco Polo&’s daughters—whose names appear on several of the artifacts—preserve in them geographic information about Asia first recorded by their father? Or did they inherit maps created by him? Did Marco Polo entrust the maps to an admiral with links to Rossi&’s family line? Or, if the maps have no connection to Marco Polo, who made them, when, and why? Regardless of the maps&’ provenance, this tale takes us on a fascinating journey, offering insights into Italian history, the age of exploration, and the wonders of cartography. &“Olshin&’s book tugs powerfully at the imagination of anybody interested in the Polo story, medieval history, old maps, geographical ideas, European voyages of discovery, and early Chinese legends.&”—The Wall Street Journal
The Mysterious Affair at Olivetti: IBM, the CIA, and the Cold War Conspiracy to Shut Down Production of the World's First Desktop Computer
by Meryle SecrestThe never-before-told true account of the design and development of the first desktop computer by the world's most famous high-styled typewriter company, more than a decade before the arrival of the Osborne 1, the Apple 1, the first Intel microprocessor, and IBM's PC5150.The human, business, design, engineering, cold war, and tech story of how the Olivetti company came to be, how it survived two world wars and brought a ravaged Italy back to life, how after it mastered the typewriter business with the famous "Olivetti touch," it entered the new, fierce electronics race; how its first desktop compter, the P101, came to be; how, within eighteen months, it had caught up with, and surpassed, IBM, the American giant that by then had become an arm of the American government, developing advanced weapon systems; Olivetti putting its own mainframe computer on the market with its desktop prototype, selling 40,000 units, including to NASA for its lunar landings. How Olivetti made inroads into the US market by taking control of Underwood of Hartford CT as an assembly plant for Olivetti's own typewriters and future miniaturized personal computers; how a week after Olivetti purchased Underwood, the US government filed an antitrust suit to try to stop it; how Adriano Olivetti, the legendary idealist, socialist, visionary, heir to the company founded by his father, built the company into a fantastical dynasty--factories, offices, satellite buildings spread over more than fifty acres--while on a train headed for Switzerland in 1960 for supposed meetings and then to Hartford, never arrived, dying suddenly of a heart attack at fifty-eight . . . how eighteen months later, his brilliant young engineer, who had assembled Olivetti's superb team of electronic engineers, was killed, as well, in a suspicious car crash, and how the Olivetti company and the P101 came to its insidious and shocking end.
The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I
by Douglas BruntThis instant New York Times bestselling &“dynamic detective story&” (The New York Times) reveals the hidden history Rudolf Diesel, one of the world&’s greatest inventors, and his mysterious disappearance on the eve of World War I.September 29, 1913: the steamship Dresden is halfway between Belgium and England. On board is one of the most famous men in the world, Rudolf Diesel, whose new internal combustion engine is on the verge of revolutionizing global industry forever. But Diesel never arrives at his destination. He vanishes during the night and headlines around the world wonder if it was an accident, suicide, or murder. After rising from an impoverished European childhood, Diesel had become a multi-millionaire with his powerful engine that does not require expensive petroleum-based fuel. In doing so, he became not only an international celebrity but also the enemy of two extremely powerful men: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and the richest man in the world. The Kaiser wanted the engine to power a fleet of submarines that would finally allow him to challenge Great Britain&’s Royal Navy. But Diesel had intended for his engine to be used for the betterment of the world. Now, New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brunt reopens the case and provides an &“absolutely riveting&” (Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author) new conclusion about Diesel&’s fate. Brunt&’s book is &“equal parts Walter Isaacson and Sherlock Holmes, [and] yanks back the curtain on the greatest caper of the 20th century in this riveting history&” (Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author).
The Mysterious Life and Faked Death of Jesse James: Based on Family Records, Forensic Evidence, and His Personal Journals
by Daniel J. Duke Teresa F. DukeA deep investigation into historical documents that prove the notorious outlaw Jesse James faked his own death • Presents the legend of Jesse James and counters it with the real story, based on family records • Provides photographic evidence, a journal of Jesse James&’s, and historical records that prove James faked his death, verified by experts and civic authorities • Debunks the 1995 DNA test results of James&’s supposed remains The story of the notorious outlaw Jesse James&’s assassination at the hands of Robert Ford has been clouded with mystery ever since its inception. Now, James&’s great-great-grandchildren Daniel and Teresa Duke present the results of more than 20 years of exhaustive research into state and federal records, photographs, newspaper reports, diaries, and a 1995 DNA test in search of the truth behind Jesse James&’s demise. Explaining how the accepted version of the history of Jesse James is wrong, the authors confirm their family&’s oral tradition that James faked his own death in 1882 and lived out his remaining days in Texas. They methodically unravel the legend surrounding his death, with evidence vetted by qualified experts and civic authorities. They share the journal of their great-great-grandfather, kept from 1871 to 1876 and verified to be written in James&’s handwriting. They reveal forensically confirmed photographs of James before and after his supposed killing, including one of James attending his own funeral. Examining James&’s life both before and after his faked death, they provide an account of where he lived and who he associated with, including his interactions with secret societies. They compare the contradictory newspaper reports of James&’s death with accounts by his family and associates, which support that the man buried as James was actually his cousin, and reveal how James tricked authorities into believing he had been killed. Further supporting their claim, the authors debunk the DNA test results of the exhumation of James&’s body in 1995. The Dukes detail the ways in which the test was fraudulent, an assertion supported by the deputy counselor for Clay County at the time of the testing. Backed by a wealth of evidence, the descendants of Jesse James conclusively prove what really happened to America&’s Robin Hood.
The Mysterious Life of Dr Barry: A Surgeon Unlike Any Other (True Adventures)
by Lisa WilliamsonThe remarkable true story of Margaret Anne Bulkley - aka Dr James Barry - a surgeon who lived as a man for their entire lifeMargaret Anne Bulkey desperately wants to be a surgeon - but only men can train as doctors.Fifty years later, Dr James Barry is famous, serving as Inspector General of Hospitals throughout the British Empire. A brilliant surgeon, bold reformer and prickly individual known for his fierce tempter, he fought a duel in South Africa and clashed with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea.But Dr Barry has a secret that he is determined no one should every learn...
The Mysterious Mistress: The Life and Legend of Jane Shore
by Margaret CroslandJane Shore often gets just a byline in history. We know her name, and that she was the mistress of a king. But who was this woman caputred for the stage by Shakespeare in 'Richard III', fictionalised by Jean Plaidy and others? Where did she come from? And how was it that having been mistress to the most powerful man in the land, she ended her years in prison and poverty? Jane Shore was born into a family of merchants and was married early, to William Shore. Having already attempted to get her marriage annulled - citing William's impotence - once she became involved with Edward IV it was inevitable that her marriage was dissolved. She is said to have been a benign influence - 'where men were out of favour, she would bring them in his grace' wrote Thomas More - even intervening to save Eton College and King's College from destruction. When the king died, her position became very vulnerable. Sorcery, treason, penance, imprisonment, poverty, escape and execution were key elements in the rest of Jane's life. Margaret Crosland draws on literary, historical and artistic sources to explore Jane's life both before and after Edward's demise.
The Mysterious Montague: A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery
by Leigh MontvilleFrom the glamour of 1930s Hollywood and John Montague's extraordinary skill on the golf course to the shady world of Adirondack rumrunners and bootleggers, a "New York Times"-bestselling author captures a man and an era with extraordinary color and energy.
The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto: A Fifteen-Year Quest to Unmask the Secret Genius Behind Crypto
by Benjamin WallaceA thrilling investigation into the mysterious identity of Bitcoin&’s creator and a deep dive into crypto&’s utopian origin story—from The New York Times bestselling author of The Billionaire&’s Vinegar&“Could be the best mystery story of the past twenty years.&”—James Patterson &“The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto will leave you amazed, enlightened, and utterly breathless.&”—Robert Kolker, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley RoadIn October 2008, someone going by the name Satoshi Nakamoto posted a white paper outlining &“a peer-to-peer electronic cash system&” called Bitcoin to an arcane listserv populated by Cypherpunks. No one in the community had heard of Nakamoto, and just as people were starting to wonder who he was, he vanished. As the years passed, and the scope of Nakamoto&’s achievement became clear, the truth of his identity grew into the greatest unsolved mystery of our time.The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto traces Benjamin Wallace&’s attempt to unmask the figure behind the currency and the world it wrought. Nakamoto&’s Bitcoin at first seemed destined to fulfill the dreams of fringe 1990s utopians for a currency set free from governments and big banks. Yet after he disappeared, his creation took on a strange new life in the financial markets, where rampant speculation fueled a vision of crypto as a potential windfall, inviting charlatans and scammers and opening a vast gulf between Bitcoin&’s idealistic origins and its troubled reputation.But who was Nakamoto? Whoever he was could rightly claim to have invented one of the most important technologies of the new century. And Nakamoto was a billionaire—his Bitcoin wallet held an untouched eleven-figure fortune waiting to be claimed.With the same propulsive-narrative flair that made his New York Times bestseller The Billionaire&’s Vinegar an instant success, Benjamin Wallace presents a page-turning work of investigative journalism. Tracking leads from London to Oslo to Los Angeles, from coastal Australia to the Arizona desert, he takes readers through a rogues&’ gallery tour of Nakamoto suspects—from benevolent geniuses like cryptographer Hal Finney to difficult ones like a reclusive polymath known to his followers only as Jim; from the mercurial Australian Craig Wright, who claims to be Nakamoto, to a secret team at the National Security Agency. With the forensic skill of Sherlock Holmes and the storytelling verve of Arthur Conan Doyle, Wallace follows the trail of computer code and personal writings to the heart of the Nakamoto mystery while interrogating the very nature of mystery itself.
The Mysterious Mrs Hood: A True Victorian Mystery of Scandal, Arson, Murder & Betrayal
by Kim Donovan'A gripping story of a cold-blooded murder... This is true crime at its best' Wendy Moore'A true crime thriller that pulls you in, with drama so addictive it should be illegal' Sam ChristerA true Victorian murder mystery...Great Yarmouth, September 1900: A young woman is found dead on the beach, a bootlace tied tightly around her neck. Despite her death attracting national attention in the press, nobody claims her. Detective Inspector Robert Lingwood of the Great Yarmouth police force declares he will not rest until the mystery of the young woman's death is solved. But it's only once the case has been referred to Scotland Yard that the layers of mystery start to peel away... 'Mrs Hood' was in fact Mary Jane Bennett, and this is her story. Following clues and tracking red herrings leads the police to close in on their one and only suspect. With arson, fraud, an affair and a sensation-hungry press, the murder gripped the nation in one of the most eagerly anticipated trials of the early twentieth century. Author Kim Donovan finally tells her great-great-aunt's story and the truth of evil duplicity in Victorian England.'As atmospheric and absorbing as any murder mystery... A combination of your favourite whodunnit and your favourite true crime podcast. A real triumph!' Books by Your Bedside blog*A fascinating historical true crime case perfect for fans of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and The Five*
The Mysterious Mrs Hood: A True Victorian Mystery of Scandal, Arson, Murder & Betrayal
by Kim Donovan'A gripping story of a cold-blooded murder... This is true crime at its best' Wendy Moore'A true crime thriller that pulls you in, with drama so addictive it should be illegal' Sam ChristerA true Victorian murder mystery...Great Yarmouth, September 1900: A young woman is found dead on the beach, a bootlace tied tightly around her neck. Despite her death attracting national attention in the press, nobody claims her. Detective Inspector Robert Lingwood of the Great Yarmouth police force declares he will not rest until the mystery of the young woman's death is solved. But it's only once the case has been referred to Scotland Yard that the layers of mystery start to peel away... 'Mrs Hood' was in fact Mary Jane Bennett, and this is her story. Following clues and tracking red herrings leads the police to close in on their one and only suspect. With arson, fraud, an affair and a sensation-hungry press, the murder gripped the nation in one of the most eagerly anticipated trials of the early twentieth century. Author Kim Donovan finally tells her great-great-aunt's story and the truth of evil duplicity in Victorian England.'As atmospheric and absorbing as any murder mystery... A combination of your favourite whodunnit and your favourite true crime podcast. A real triumph!' Books by Your Bedside blog*A fascinating historical true crime case perfect for fans of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and The Five*
The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady
by Heath Hardage LeeA new, revolutionary look into the brilliant life of Pat Nixon.In America’s collective consciousness, Pat Nixon has long been perceived as enigmatic. She was voted “Most Admired Woman in the World” in 1972 and made Gallup Poll’s top ten list of most admired women fourteen times. She survived the turmoil of the Watergate scandal with her popularity and dignity intact. The real Pat Nixon, however, bore little resemblance to the woman so often described as elusive, mysterious and “plastic” in the press. Pat married Richard Nixon in June of 1940. As the couple rose to prominence, Pat became Second Lady from 1953-1961 and then First Lady from 1969-1974, forging her own graceful path between the protocols of the strait-laced mid-century and the bra-burning Sixties and Seventies.Pat was a highly travelled First Lady, visiting eighty-three countries during her tenure. After a devastating earthquake in Peru in 1970, she personally flew in medical supplies and food to hard-hit areas, meeting one-on-one with victims of the tragedy. The First Lady’s 1972 trips with her husband to China and to Russia were critical to the detente that resulted. Back in the US, Pat greatly expanded upon previous preservation efforts in the White House, obtaining more art and antique objects than any other First Lady. In the domestic arena, she was progressive on women’s issues, favoring the Equal Rights Amendment and backing a targeted effort to get more women into high level government jobs. Pat strongly supported nominating a woman for the Supreme Court. She was pro-choice, supporting women’s reproductive rights publicly even before the landmark Roe v. Wade case in 1973.When asked to define her “signature” First Lady agenda, she defied being put into a box, often saying: “People are my project.” The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon, Heath Hardage Lee presents readers with the essential nature of this First Lady, an empathetic, adventurous, self-made woman who wanted no power or influence, but who connected warmly with both ordinary Americans and people from different cultures she encountered world-wide.
The Mysterious Sofía: One Woman's Mission to Save Catholicism in Twentieth-Century Mexico (The Mexican Experience)
by Stephen J. AndesWho was the &“Mysterious Sofía,&” whose letter in November 1934 was sent from Washington DC to Mexico City and intercepted by the Mexican Secret Service? In The Mysterious Sofía Stephen J. C. Andes uses the remarkable story of Sofía del Valle to tell the history of Catholicism&’s global shift from north to south and the importance of women to Catholic survival and change over the course of the twentieth century. As a devout Catholic single woman, neither nun nor mother, del Valle resisted religious persecution in an era of Mexican revolutionary upheaval, became a labor activist in a time of class conflict, founded an educational movement, toured the United States as a public lecturer, and raised money for Catholic ministries—all in an age dominated by economic depression, gender prejudice, and racial discrimination. The rise of the Global South marked a new power dynamic within the Church as Latin America moved from the margins of activism to the vanguard. Del Valle&’s life and the stories of those she met along the way illustrate the shared pious practices, gender norms, and organizational networks that linked activists across national borders. Told through the eyes of a little-known laywoman from Mexico, Andes shows how women journeyed from the pews into the heart of the modern world.
The Mysterious Virginia Hall: World War II's Most Dangerous Spy
by Claudia FriddellHow did a young lady from a wealthy family in Maryland end up as the Gestapo&’s most wanted spy? This YA biography of Virginia Hall, World War II&’s most successful female spy, will inspire reluctant readers and budding history buffs alike.Virginia Hall, known to her family as &“Dindy,&” was an athletic, outdoorsy girl who dreamed of joining the foreign service and becoming an ambassador. Despite numerous setbacks, including losing her leg to gangrene after an accident, Virginia never wavered in her determination to serve her country. After the outbreak of World War II, a chance meeting on a train changed her life—George Bellows, an agent of the British Special Operations Executive, recruited her as one of its first women agents. Working for Allied intelligence services in France, Virginia Hall organized French resistance fighters, performed daring rescues, and provided the Allies with intelligence that was key for ousting the Nazis and earned her numerous medals, including the US Army&’s Distinguished Service Cross.With chapters titled for each of the many aliases and nicknames used by Virginia Hall, this book takes readers through her extraordinary life and her evolution as a resistance fighter and intelligence operative. Award-winning author Claudia Friddell brings Virginia Hall&’s bravery, intelligence, and determination to life in this thoroughly researched and photo-filled biography endorsed by Hall&’s family.
The Mysterious World of Sherlock Holmes: The Illustrated Guide To The Famous Cases, Infamous Adversaries, And Ingenious Methods Of The Great Detective
by Bruce WexlerOver a century since his first appearance in print, Sherlock Holmes remains an iconic figure today. This unique companion is a collector's dream, allowing fans to delve into the criminal environment of foggy, gas-lit Victorian London-the world of the all-time greatest detective. The book brings to life the elements of Holmes's success, the crime scene of his day, his history in film and television, and the present-day Holmes legacy. Featured throughout are famous figures such as Holmes's faithful sidekick, Dr. Watson; his nemesis, Professor Moriarity; and Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Filled with more than 150 images-many of the works by the great original illustrators of Conan Doyle's stories-this volume presents an excellent mix of information to satisfy legions of Holmes collectors, mystery fans, and historians fascinated by a bygone era.
The Mystery Guest
by Grégoire BouillierA &“frank and wry, mad and graceful&” (Slate) true story about getting dumped, and getting over it.When the phone rang on a cold November afternoon in 1990, Grégoire Bouillier had no way of knowing that the caller was the woman who had left him, without warning, five years before. And he couldn&’t have guessed why she was calling: not to say she was sorry, not to explain why she&’d vanished from his life, but to invite him to a party. A birthday party. For a woman he&’d never met. Here is the unlikely but true account of how one man got over a broken heart, regained his faith in literature, participated—by mistake—in a work of performance art, threw away his turtlenecks, spent his rent money on a 1964 bordeaux that nobody ever drank, and fell in love again. Named one of the year&’s best books by Slate and the San Francisco Chronicle when it first appeared in English, The Mystery Guest is a &“darkly hilarious . . . odyssey . . . that wends its loopy way toward yes&” (O, the Oprah Magazine).