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William Wordsworth: A Poetic Life
by John L. MahoneyAvailable in a new digital edition with reflowable text suitable for e-readersWilliam Wordsworth: A Poetic Life is a new biography of the great father of British Romanticism. It is new in several ways, most notably in the way it approaches the life of the poet. Paying its proper respect to the classic lives of Wordsworth by Mary Moorman and Stephen Gill, it attempts to tell the story of the life through a more rigorous reading of key and representative works of the poet, through careful blending of life and poetry. Wordsworth offers the story of the literariness of the poet's life - childhood and adolescence in the Lake District, education at Cambridge, love and political radicalism in France, the long period of residence in Grasmere and Rydal, celebrity, and national and international recognition. Its reading of the poems, in tune with current theoretical practice, offers a sense of the continuities in Wordsworth's career as it moves away from familiar theories of a Golden Decade of creativity and a period of long decline. The book also works closely and rigorously with Wordsworth's poetry as a method of dramatizing the essentially poetic character of the poet's life.
William Wyler
by Axel MadsenThe authorized biography of the celebrated film director, a giant in his craft, who directed such classics as Ben-Hur, Funny Girl, and Roman Holiday.
Williams: The legendary story of Frank Williams and his F1 team in their own words
by Maurice HamiltonA story of true drive – now the topic of a major documentaryFounded in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head, Williams F1 represents the last of the true independent teams; a company devoid of corporate dogma and run by enthusiasts driven by a love of racing and the satisfaction that comes with beating the rest of the world. Since its first Grand Prix victory at Silverstone on 14 July 1979, the team has won a further 116 GPs, delivered seven World Champions - among them Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill - and won nine Constructors Championships.This is the definitive history of the Williams team as told by those who have worked for Williams past and present. At the heart of the book are Sir Frank's personal recollections, along with memories and anecdotes from those at every level: from the shop floor to the upper strata of management; from the mechanics and machinists to the drivers - Mansell, Hill, Alain Prost and Alan Jones among them. It relates both the incredible highs of winning against the odds while never shying the terrible lows - the tragic deaths of Piers Courage in 1970 and Ayrton Senna in 1994 among them.Conveying the history and soul of a unique band of people, Williams F1 explains exactly why the Williams team is held in more affection than any other team in Britain, if not the world.
Williams: A Different Kind of Life
by Virginia Williams Pamela CockerillThe book that inspired a major motion picture. &“One of the greatest and most spellbinding books you will read about the sport.&” —Joe Saward, Formula One journalistFrank Williams&’s team was on the verge of winning the Formula One World Championship for the third time when his life was turned upside down. The racing car constructor was on his way to Nice Airport on a spring afternoon in 1986 when he lost control of his car, suffering horrific injuries in a crash that left him a quadriplegic. For his wife, Ginny, the accident meant taking on new and unwanted roles as head of the household and family decision-maker, while also struggling to overcome the anger and grief she felt after the accident. In A Different Kind of Life, Ginny tells her story with honesty and humor, set against the glamorous backdrop of Formula One racing. She documents life before and after the devastating accident—from falling in love with Frank at first sight to learning how to cope with his needs after he became severely disabled but remained fiercely independent. A testament to the power of compassion and perseverance, A Different Kind of Life is a moving and inspirational story.&“One of the most powerful love stories you&’ll ever read.&” —Daily Mail&“Ginny Williams found a way to tell her remarkable story with a mixture of searing honesty and fine wit. A Different Kind of Life is as profound, as startling and as inspiring today as it was on its first appearance almost 30 years ago.&” —Richard Williams, former head sports writer for the Independent and The Guardian
Willie: The Life of Willie Morris
by Teresa NicholasIn 2000, readers voted Willie Morris (1934–1999) Mississippi's favorite nonfiction author of the millennium. After conducting over fifty interviews and combing through over eighty boxes of papers in the archives at the University of Mississippi, many of which had never been seen before by researchers, Teresa Nicholas provides new perspectives on a Mississippi writer and editor who changed journalism and redefined what being southern could mean. More than fifty photographs—some published here for the first time, including several by renowned photographer David Rae Morris, Willie's son—enhance the exploration. From an early age, Willie demonstrated a talent for words. At the University of Texas at Austin, he became a controversial editor of the Daily Texan. He later studied history as a Rhodes Scholar in Oxford, England, but by 1960 he was back in Austin, working as editor for the highly regarded Texas Observer. In 1967 Willie became the youngest editor of the nation's oldest magazine, Harper's. His autobiography, North Toward Home, achieved critical as well as artistic success, and it would continue to inspire legions of readers for decades to come. In the final tally, he published hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, along with twenty-three books. His work covered the gamut from fiction to nonfiction, for both adults and children, often touching on the personal as well as the historical and the topical, and always presented in his lyrical prose. In 1980, he returned to his home state as writer-in-residence at the University of Mississippi. In 1990, he married his editor at the University Press of Mississippi, JoAnne Prichard, and they made a home in Jackson. With his broad knowledge of history, his sensitivity, and his bone-deep understanding of the South, he became a celebrated spokesman for and interpreter of the place he loved.
Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player (Nhl Ser.)
by Willie O'Ree Michael McKinleyAn inspiring memoir that shows that anyone can achieve their dreams if they are willing to fight for them.In 1958, Willie O'Ree was a lot like any other player toiling in the minors. He was good. Good enough to have been signed by the Boston Bruins. Just not quite good enough to play in the NHL.Until January 18 of that year. O'Ree was finally called up, and when he stepped out onto the ice against the Montreal Canadians, not only did he fulfil the childhood dream he shared with so many other Canadian kids, he did something that had never been done before. He broke hockey's colour barrier. Just as his hero, Jackie Robinson, had done for baseball.In that pioneering first NHL game, O'Ree proved that no one could stop him from being a hockey player. But he soon learned that he could never be just a hockey player. He would always be a black player, with all that entails. There were ugly name-calling and stick-swinging incidents, and nights when the Bruins had to be escorted to their bus by the police. But O'Ree never backed down. When he retired in 1979, he had played hundreds of games as a pro, and scored hundreds of goals, his boyhood dreams more than accomplished.In 2018, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in recognition not only of that legacy, but of the way he has built on it in the decades since. He has been, for twenty years now, an NHL Executive and has helped the NHL Diversity program expose more than 40,000 boys and girls of diverse backgrounds to unique hockey experiences. Inspiring, frank, and shot through with the kind of understated courage and decency required to change the world, Willie is a story for anyone willing to persevere for a dream.
Willie Brown: A Biography
by James RichardsonThis is the first comprehensive biography of Willie Brown, one of California's most enduring and controversial politicians. Audacious, driven, talented—Brown has dominated California politics longer and more completely than any other public figure. James Richardson, a senior writer for The Sacramento Bee, takes us from Brown's childhood, through his years as Speaker of the State Assembly, to his election as San Francisco's mayor. Along the way we get a riveting, behind-the-scenes account of three decades of California politics.
Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend
by James S. HirschThe “enormously entertaining and wide-ranging” (Seattle Times) authorized, definitive, New York Times bestselling biography of Willie Mays, the most complete baseball player of all time.Willie Mays is arguably the greatest player in baseball history, still revered for the passion he brought to the game. He began as a teenager in the Negro Leagues, became a cult hero in New York, and was the headliner in Major League Baseball’s bold expansion to California. He was a blend of power, speed, and stylistic bravado that enraptured fans for more than two decades. Now James Hirsch reveals the man behind the player. Mays was a transcendent figure who received standing ovations in enemy stadiums and who, during the turbulent civil rights era, urged understanding and reconciliation. More than his records, his legacy is defined by the pure joy that he brought to fans and the loving memories that have been passed to future generations so they might know the magic and beauty of the game. With meticulous research and drawing on interviews with Mays himself as well as with close friends, family, and teammates, Hirsch presents a brilliant portrait of one of America’s most significant cultural icons.
Willie Mays: A Little Golden Book Biography (Little Golden Book)
by Anne WynterDream big with a Little Golden Book biography about one of the greatest baseball players in history, Willie Mays! Little Golden Book biographies are the perfect introduction to nonfiction for young readers—as well as fans of all ages!This Little Golden Book about Willie Mays—the "Say Hey Kid" and 24-time All-Star baseball player—is an inspiring read-aloud for young sports fans and their parents! Look for more Little Golden Book biographies:Muhammad AliJackie RobinsonTom BradyLeBron JamesLionel Messi
Willie Mays Young Superstar (History Makers)
by Louis Sabin"Baseball history is filled with the names of great athletes and champions. But nobody ever played the game with more joy, style, and natural ability than Willie Mays. He was a fan's dream come true." This is an interesting and easy to read biography. Picture descriptions greatly add to this book's enjoyment. This would be a fine book for a book report.
Willie Mclean and the Civil War Surrender (On My Own History)
by Candice RansomEleven-year-old Willie McLean knows that General Lee will defeat the Yankees and win the Civil War, he just knows it. When a battle moves to the fields near his home in Appomattox, Virginia, Willie's thrilled-especially when General Lee himself comes to Willie's house! But then General Grant comes too. Overhearing the two men talk, Willie hears one word: Surrender. Is the war really over?
Willie Nelson: An Epic Life
by Joe Nick PatoskiFrom his first performance at age four, Willie Nelson was driven to make music and live life on his own terms. But though he is a songwriter of exceptional depth - "Crazy" was one of his early classics - Willie only found success after abandoning Nashville and moving to Austin, Texas.Red Headed Stranger made country cool to a new generation of fans. Wanted: The Outlaws became the first country album to sell a million copies. And "On the Road Again" became the anthem for Americans on the move. A craggy-faced, pot-smoking philosopher, Willie Nelson is one of America's great iconoclasts and idols.Now Joe Nick Patoski draws on over 100 interviews with Willie and his family, band, and friends to tell Nelson's story, from humble Depression-era roots, to his musical education in Texas honky-tonks and his flirtations with whiskey, women, and weed; from his triumph with #1 hit "Always On My Mind" to his nearly career-ending battles with debt and the IRS; and his ultimate redemption and ascension to American hero
Willie Nelson: The Outlaw
by Graeme ThomsonIn this intimate and engaging biography, Graeme Thomson interviews Nelson himself, his band and those who knew him best en route to discovering the real Willie Nelson. The Outlaw brilliantly describes a complex and compelling man whose life and music reflect something fundamental at the heart of twentieth-century America. Thomson's revealing portrait is a timely reminder of the stature and achievements of a true living legend. Covering everything from dirt poor beginnings in Texas, global fame in the 70s, four marriages, the death of a son and affairs with Amy Irving and Candice Bergen up to his current position as a 73-year-old pot smoking man of the road, Thomson's account emerges as the first detailed, clear-eyed account of Nelson's fascinating life.
Willie Nelson: A Little Golden Book Biography (Little Golden Book)
by Geof SmithHelp your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography about country-music star and activist Willie Nelson! Little Golden Book biographies are the perfect introduction to nonfiction for preschoolers!Willie Nelson, singer-songwriter of such hits as "On the Road Again" and "You Were Always on My Mind," is the subject of this terrific Little Golden Book biography. Children--as well as adult fans--will be inspired by Willie's activism and work with Farm Aid and how he always stayed true to himself by dressing how he liked and creating the music he wanted to share! Look for Little Golden Book biographies about these other inspiring people:Carol BurnettHarriet TubmanLucille BallQueen Elizabeth IIBarack ObamaSonia SotomayorDr. FauciJoe BidenDolly PartonKamala HarrisMisty CopelandBetty WhiteFrida KahloRuth Bader GinsburgJackie RobinsonMartin Luther King Jr.
Willie Nelson's Letters to America
by Willie NelsonFollowing his bestselling memoir, It&’s a Long Story, Willie Nelson now delivers his most intimate thoughts and stories in Willie Nelson's Letters to America. From his opening letter &“Dear America&” to his &“Dear Willie&” epilogue, Willie digs deep into his heart and soul--and his music catalog--to lift us up in difficult times, and to remind us of the endless promise and continuous obligations of all Americans--to themselves, to one another, and to their nation.In a series of letters straight from the heart, Willie sends his thanks and his thoughts toAmericans past, present, and future,his closest family members, andhis personal heroes, from our founding fathers to the leaders of future generations.Willie&’s letters are rounded out with the moving lyrics to some of his most famous and insightful songs, including &“Let Me Be a Man,&” &“Family Bible,&” &“Summer of Roses,&” &“Me and Paul,&” and &“Yesterday's Wine.&”
Willie, Waylon, and the Boys: How Nashville Outsiders Changed Country Music Forever
by Brian FairbanksThe tragic and inspiring story of the leaders of Outlaw country and their influence on today&’s Alt-County and Americana superstars, tracing a path from Waylon Jennings&’ survival on the Day the Music Died through to the Highwaymen and on to the current creative and commercial explosion of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Zach Bryan, Jason Isbell, and the Highwomen. On February 2, 1959, Waylon Jennings, bassist for his best friend, the rock star Buddy Holly, gave up his seat on a charter flight. Jennings joked that he hoped the plane, leaving without him, would crash. When it did, killing all aboard, on "the Day the Music Died," he was devastated and never fully recovered. Jennings switched to playing country, creating the Outlaw movement and later forming the Highwaymen supergroup, the first in country music, with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. The foursome battled addiction, record companies, ex-wives, violent fans, and the I.R.S. and D.E.A., en route to unprecedented mainstream success. Today, their acolytes Kacey Musgraves, Ryan Bingham, Sturgill Simpson, and Taylor Swift outsell all challengers, and country is the most popular of all genres. In this fascinating new book, Brian Fairbanks draws a line from Buddy Holly through the Outlaw stars of the 60s and 70s, all the way to the country headliners and more diverse, up-and-coming Nashville rebels of today, bringing the reader deep into the worlds of not only Cash, Nelson, Kristofferson, and Jennings but artists like Chris Stapleton, Simpson, Bingham, and Isbell, stadium-filling masters whose stories have not been told in book form, as well as new, diverse artists like the Highwomen, Brittney Spencer, and Allison Russell. Thought-provoking and meticulously researched, Willie, Waylon, and the Boys ultimately shows how a twenty-one-year-old bass-playing plane crash survivor helped changed the course of American music.
Willie Wells: "El Diablo" of the Negro Leagues
by Bob LukeWillie Wells was arguably the best shortstop of his generation. As Monte Irvin, a teammate and fellow Hall of Fame player, writes in his foreword, "Wells really could do it all. He was one of the slickest fielding shortstops ever to come along. He had speed on the bases. He hit with power and consistency. He was among the most durable players I've ever known. " Yet few people have heard of the feisty ballplayer nicknamed "El Diablo. " Willie Wells was black, and he played long before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier. Bob Luke has sifted through the spotty statistics, interviewed Negro League players and historians, and combed the yellowed letters and newspaper accounts of Wells's life to draw the most complete portrait yet of an important baseball player. Wells's baseball career lasted thirty years and included seasons in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada. He played against white all-stars as well as Negro League greats Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Buck O'Neill, among others. He was beaned so many times that he became the first modern player to wear a batting helmet. As an older player and coach, he mentored some of the first black major leaguers, including Jackie Robinson and Don Newcombe. Willie Wells truly deserved his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but Bob Luke details how the lingering effects of segregation hindered black players, including those better known than Wells, long after the policy officially ended. Fortunately, Willie Wells had the talent and tenacity to take on anything-from segregation to inside fastballs-life threw at him. No wonder he needed a helmet.
Willie Wells: "El Diablo" of the Negro Leagues
by Bob LukeThe first complete biography of an important Negro League baseball player from Austin, Texas.Willie Wells was arguably the best shortstop of his generation. As Monte Irvin, a teammate and fellow Hall of Fame player, writes in his foreword, &“Wells really could do it all. He was one of the slickest fielding shortstops ever to come along. He had speed on the bases. He hit with power and consistency. He was among the most durable players I&’ve ever known.&” Yet few people have heard of the feisty ballplayer nicknamed &“El Diablo.&” Willie Wells was black, and he played long before Jackie Robinson broke baseball&’s color barrier. Bob Luke has sifted through the spotty statistics, interviewed Negro League players and historians, and combed the yellowed letters and newspaper accounts of Wells&’s life to draw the most complete portrait yet of an important baseball player.Wells&’s baseball career lasted thirty years and included seasons in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada. He played against white all-stars as well as Negro League greats Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Buck O&’Neill, among others. He was beaned so many times that he became the first modern player to wear a batting helmet.As an older player and coach, he mentored some of the first black major leaguers, including Jackie Robinson and Don Newcombe. Willie Wells truly deserved his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but Bob Luke details how the lingering effects of segregation hindered black players, including those better known than Wells, long after the policy officially ended. Fortunately, Willie Wells had the talent and tenacity to take on anything—from segregation to inside fastballs—life threw at him. No wonder he needed a helmet.&“Willie Wells: &“El Diablo&” of the Negro Leagues is well researched and well written, so the average baseball fan should find it to be an entertaining read.&” —Dale Petroskey, president, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum &“The story of Willie Wells opens another window on the conditions and constraints of Jim Crow America, and how painfully difficult it can be, even now, to remedy the persistent effects of discrimination. Every baseball fan will love this story. Every American should read it.&” —Ira Glasser, executive director, American Civil Liberties Union, 1978-2001&“Reconstructing, indeed resurrecting, the career of a peripatetic Negro League baseball player is a daunting task. Negro and Major League great Monte Irvin tells us that his fellow Hall of Famer, shortstop Willie Wells, belongs on the same baseball page as Gibson, DiMaggio, Paige, and Feller. This fine biography by Bob Luke does a wonderful job in telling us why and how that is the case. We have here a Hall of Fame telling of the story of a true Hall of Famer.&” —Lawrence Hogan, author of Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African American Baseball
Willie's Game: An Autobiography
by Stanley Cohen Willie MosconiAmerica's greatest professional billiards player tells the story of his legendary life and career--from his days as a child prodigy to his record-breaking run of world championships Willie Mosconi's father never wanted him to play billiards. At night, the boy would lie awake listening to the clatter of balls downstairs in the family pool hall, and when his father wasn't around, he would climb onto an apple crate to practice his shots. When his dad started locking up the balls and cue, young Willie improvised with potatoes and a broom handle. By the time he was 7 years old, he was good enough to play against Ralph Greenleaf in a match billed as "The Child Prodigy vs. The World Champion." It was the start of a magnificent career that would include an unprecedented 15 world championships and the record for most consecutive balls run without a miss: 526. Nicknamed "Mr. Pocket Billiards," Mosconi was instrumental in popularizing pool in America, serving as a consultant for iconic films such as The Hustler and The Color of Money and facing off against the famed hustler Minnesota Fats in 2 celebrated matches. Cowritten with journalist Stanley Cohen, Willie's Game is the colorful, captivating autobiography of an illustrious champion who lifted his sport to new heights and played by one simple rule: If you don't miss, you don't have to worry about anything else.
Willow in a Storm
by Kathy Murphy Taylor James Peter TaylorWritten in a stark, unsentimental style, this compelling memoir shows how one man survived a seemingly impossible existence. As a child, "Jimmy Pete" was repeatedly abused by his adoptive father and family acquaintances. He married young, had a daughter, drifted into crime and ultimately killed a banker accidentally in a botched robbery.Jailed for four decades, Taylor didn't join a gang. Instead, though heterosexual, he adopted a traditionally female role, depending on men for protection and ultimately becoming so comfortable as a woman that he considered changing his sex.Taylor colors his surprising story with vivid anecdotes, never shying away from the sexual and physical violence endemic to prison. The victim of attacks that left him blind and brain-impaired, he nonetheless finds the spiritual safety valve that filigrees this remarkable book, learning to live by "bending like the willow."
Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey Through Depression
by Nana-Ama DanquahThe first book to focus on Black women and depression, through the author’s “absorbing and inspirational” (Washington Post) personal journey. When Nana-Ama Danquah, a twenty-two-year-old single mother, began to suffer from a variety of depressive symptoms after giving birth to her daughter, she thought she was going crazy. Determined to portray strength in a world that often undervalues Black women’s lives, she shrouded her debilitating despair in silence and denial. But when she befriends other Black women who suffer with depression, she finds the support she needs to confront the traumatic childhood events that lie beneath her grief. Twenty-five years after its initial publication, as best-selling author Andrew Solomon writes in an illuminating foreword, Willow Weep for Me “remains a brave book . . . but at the time of its writing it was humblingly audacious.” Also including an afterword from the author, this groundbreaking classic is a powerful meditation on courage and a litany for survival. “An important and moving memoir. [Danquah] describes beautifully her experiences with depression.” —Kay Redfield Jamison, author of An Unquiet Mind
Will's Red Coat: The story of one old dog who chose to live again
by Tom RyanA true story of acceptance, perseverance, and the possibility of love and redemption as evocative, charming, and powerful as the New York Times bestseller Following Atticus.From the author of Following Atticus, an international bestseller that has inspired hundreds of thousands of people around the world, comes the moving true story of a despondent and broken old dog and the man who gave him a second chance. Drawn by a fateful online post, Tom Ryan, with the help of his canine hiking partner, Atticus M. Finch, adopts Will, an elderly, deaf, and nearly blind soul. Long neglected and filled with anger and pain, Will finds himself in a curious world unlike any he has ever known. Tom hopes to give Will a place to die with dignity surrounded by the natural beauty of the White Mountains of his New Hampshire home. But when he witnesses Will's fear and lack of trust, Tom realizes that his task entails so much more. With endless patience and the same meditative empathy Tom has nurtured in his relationship with Atticus, Will eventually begins to thrive. Soon, an angry, hurt, depressed, and near-death Will has transformed into a happy, frolicking fellow with a puppy-like zest for discovery, inspiring hundreds of thousands of people with his courage, resilience, and renewed heart. Will lived for two more years - to the ripe old age of 17 - and helped Tom understand a great deal about aging, how to live a full life and make the best of our days. Will's Red Coat is a real-life fairy tale of promises kept and a life-changing, inviolable bond between friends. Heartbreaking, uplifting, and ultimately unforgettable, it honours the possibility held in all of us, at any stage of life.
Will's Red Coat: The Story of One Old Dog Who Chose to Live Again
by Tom RyanBoston Globe BestsellerA true story of acceptance, perseverance, and the possibility of love and redemption as evocative, charming, and powerful as the New York Times bestseller Following Atticus.Drawn by an online post, Tom Ryan adopted Will, a frightened, deaf, and mostly blind elderly dog, and brought him home to live with him and Atticus. The only owners Will ever knew had grown too fragile to take care of themselves, or of him. Ultimately, Will was left at a kill shelter in New Jersey. Tom hoped to give Will a place to die with dignity, amid the rustic beauty of the White Mountains of his New Hampshire home. But when Will bites him numerous times and acts out in violent displays, Tom realizes he is in for a challenge.With endless patience and the kind of continued empathy Tom has nurtured in his relationship with Atticus, Will eventually begins to thrive. Soon, the angry, hurt, depressed, and near-death oldster has transformed into a happy, gamboling companion with a puppy-like zest for discovery. Will perseveres for two and a half years, inspiring hundreds of thousands of Tom and Atticus’s fans with his courage, resilience, and unforgettable heart.A story of a dog and an indelible bond that is beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting, and unforgettable, Will’s Red Coat honors the promise held in all of us, at any stage of life.Will’s Red Coat includes eight pages of color photographs.
Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk
by Jane SutcliffeWhen Jane Sutcliffe sets out to write a book about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre, in her own words, she runs into a problem: Will's words keep popping up all over the place! What's an author to do? After all, Will is responsible for such familiar phrases as "what's done is done" and "too much of a good thing." He even helped turn "household words" into household words. But, Jane embraces her dilemma, writing about Shakespeare, his plays, and his famous phrases with glee. After all, what better words are there to use to write about the greatest writer in the English language than his very own? As readers will discover, "the long and the short of it" is this: Will changed the English language forever. Backmatter includes an author&’s note, a bibliography, and a timeline.
Willy Ley: Prophet of the Space Age
by Jared S. Buss"Beautifully written. Reveals the vicissitudes of an extraordinarily interesting life."--Michael J. Neufeld, author of Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War "Willy Ley has been a mystery among spaceflight historians for many years. His role as science writer, advocate, and popularizer is known to many but understood by few. This book unpacks that story."--Roger D. Launius, associate director of collections and curatorial affairs, National Air and Space Museum "Ley lit the fire of interplanetary enthusiasm in the hearts of generations of young space cadets. Long overdue, this biography establishes the details and the ups and downs of his career."--Tom D. Crouch, author of Lighter Than Air: An Illustrated History of Balloons and Airships "Beyond recovering the fascinating and many contradictory aspects of Ley's extraordinary life, Buss has provided a valuable case study of the complex relationship between science popularization, mass media, and scientific advocacy in the twentieth century."--Asif A. Siddiqi, author of The Red Rockets' Glare: Spaceflight and the Soviet Imagination, 1857-1957 Willy Ley inspired young rocket scientists and would-be astronauts around the world to imagine a future of interplanetary travel long before space shuttles existed. This is the first biography of the science writer and rocketeer who predicted and boosted the rise of the Space Age. Born in Germany, Ley became involved in amateur rocketry until the field was taken over by the Nazis. He fled to America, where he forged a new life as a weapons expert and journalist during World War II and as a rocket researcher after the war. As America's foremost authority on rockets, missiles, and space travel, he authored books and scientific articles, while also regularly writing for science fiction pulp magazines and publishing what he termed romantic zoology--a blend of zoology, cryptozoology, history, and mythology. He even consulted for television's Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and the Disney program Man in Space, thrilling audiences with a romanticized view of what spaceflight would be like. Yet as astronauts took center stage and scientific intellectuals such as Wernher von Braun became influential during the space race, Ley lost his celebrity status. With an old-fashioned style of popular writing and eccentric perspectives influenced by romanticism and science fiction, he was ignored by younger historians. This book returns Willy Ley to his rightful place as the energizer of an era--a time when scientists and science popularizers mixed ranks and shared the spotlight so that our far-fetched, fantastic dreams could turn into the reality of tomorrow. Jared S. Buss is adjunct professor of history at Oklahoma City Community College.