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Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam
by Lewis Sorley&“A terrific book, lively and brisk . . . a must read for anyone who tries to understand the Vietnam War.&” —Thomas E. Ricks Is it possible that the riddle of America&’s military failure in Vietnam has a one-word, one-man answer? Until we understand Gen. William Westmoreland, we will never know what went wrong in the Vietnam War. An Eagle Scout at fifteen, First Captain of his West Point class, Westmoreland fought in two wars and became Superintendent at West Point. Then he was chosen to lead the war effort in Vietnam for four crucial years. He proved a disaster. Unable to think creatively about unconventional warfare, Westmoreland chose an unavailing strategy, stuck to it in the face of all opposition, and stood accused of fudging the results when it mattered most. In this definitive portrait, prize-winning military historian Lewis Sorley makes a plausible case that the war could have been won were it not for General Westmoreland. An authoritative study offering tragic lessons crucial for the future of American leadership, Westmoreland is essential reading. &“Eye-opening and sometimes maddening, Sorley&’s Westmoreland is not to be missed.&” —John Prados, author of Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War, 1945–1975
Westward with Fremont: The Story of Solomon Carvalho
by Sophie GreenspanIn 1853, Solomon Nunes Carvalho, proud descendant of a Sephardic Jewish family, accepted the invitation of Col. John Charles Fremont to accompany him on his fifth expedition of discovery through the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean. As the photographer and artist of the Fremont expedition, Carvalho provided the visual proof that the northern route through the Rockies could be used for the railroad that was being planned to link East and West. Fremont required this evidence to foil those who favored a route through the southern slaveholding states. Carvalho performed exceedingly well under extreme stress and danger. His photographs document the scenery and the Indian tribes that lived in the area between modern Kansas and Utah. His interest in science helped the colonel in recording the topography of the region and its meteorology. The paths of Carvalho and Fremont crossed again when the latter became the first Republican candidate for the presidency. To help the colonel, Carvalho published a book with an account of the expedition that ultimately became a best seller. Carvalho retained the pioneering instinct for the rest of his life, even in his later business career. He remains an honored figure in the history of the United States, typifying those who have served both the country at large and the Jewish community. Westward with Fremont tells the exciting story of one of the great legendary figures in American Jewish history.
Wet Earth and Dreams: A Narrative of Grief and Recovery
by Jane Lazarre"In the spring of 1995, the condition I seem to have been waiting for all my life finally struck me." So begins Jane Lazarre's account of her transforming battle with breast cancer. Following in the tradition of her critically acclaimed literary memoirs The Mother Knot and Beyond the Whiteness of Whiteness: Memoir of a White Mother of Black Sons, Lazarre brilliantly interweaves her experience of life-threatening illness with other stories of recent and past losses--most notably, that of her mother to breast cancer when Jane was a small child. From these memories and experiences, Lazarre crafts a story that is at once intensely intimate and universally healing.As she contends with the pain and many indignities of her treatment for cancer, Lazarre realizes that successful medical treatment will only be part of her healing process. Her own illness becomes the vehicle for coming to terms with key moments of loss and grief--the death of a beloved therapist from breast cancer, her brother-in-law's death from AIDS, a traumatic disappointment in her work life, and the unresolved pain of being a motherless child. The gift of Lazarre's writing is her ability to transform her narratives of grief and loss into a story whose power to heal lies in its ability to penetrate the unconscious and give voice to the elusive truths hidden there. Through her writing, Lazarre is able to embrace grief--even her own inarticulate grief as a child--and find her way through the story to a restored sense of wholeness.In Wet Earth and Dreams Jane Lazarre once again proves herself to be both companion and guide through some of the most difficult challenges life has to offer. As always, she draws strength not only from sustaining friendship and love, but also from her own faith in the power of storytelling to make bearable the seemingly unbearable. Lazarre's bravely and beautifully written account of grief, illness, and death is at the last a celebration of the redemptive possibilities of the creative spirit.
Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen
by James Robinson"This lively, interactive...heartfelt memoir is truly eye-opening and will encourage readers to seek out his other works."—Booklist, starred review An accessible and immersive account of growing up with strabismus, a condition of eye misalignment...Robinson presents a sincere reflection on childhood experiences of growing up in a world not built with him in mind."—Publishers Weekly, starred reviewFrom Emmy Award–winning documentary filmmaker James Robinson comes a breathtaking illustrated memoir for middle-grade readers (and adults, too)—inspired by the viral, Emmy-nominated short film Whale Eyes.Told through an experimental mix of intimate anecdotes and interactive visuals, this book immerses readers in James&’s point of view, allowing them to see the world through his disabling eye conditions.Readers will get lost as they chase words. They&’ll stare into this book while taking a vision test. They&’ll hold it upside down as they practice &“pretend-reading&”…and they&’ll follow an unlikely trail toward discovering the power of words. With poignant illustrations by Eisner Award–nominated artist Brian Rea, James&’s story equips readers of all ages with the tools to confront their discomfort with disability and turn confused, blank stares into powerful connections.
Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas
by Zachariah OHoraA captivating informational picture book about Paul Horn, a musician who communicated with orcas through the power of music. For fans of Shark Lady and Margaret and the Moon.Unbelievable but true, this is the story of two whales, two Pauls and two boys.The whales are Haida and Chimo, captive orcas who lived in an aquarium called Sealand of the Pacific in the 1970s.The Pauls are Paul Horn, a professional flute musician, and Dr. Paul Spong, a scientist studying the orcas in order to learn more about these mystifying creatures.And the boys are Marlen and Robin, Paul Horn's sons, who are fascinated with the orcas despite their father's fear of the giant whales.What follows is the spellbinding story of how the Pauls, through the power of music, learn to communicate with the orcas — and set into motion an entire anti-captivity movement dedicated to protecting these intelligent and majestic animals.
Wham!, George Michael and Me: A Memoir
by Andrew RidgeleyFor the first time, Andrew Ridgeley—one half of one of the most famous bands in the world—tells the inside story of Wham!, his lifelong friendship with George Michael, and the formation of a band that changed the shape of the music scene in the early eighties. In 1975 Andrew took a shy new boy at school under his wing. They instantly hit it off, and their boyhood escapades at Bushy Meads School built a bond that was never broken. The duo found themselves riding an astonishing roller coaster of success, taking them all over the world. They made and broke iconic records, they were treated like gods, but they stayed true to their friendship and ultimately to themselves. It was a party that seemed as if it would never end. And then it did, in front of tens of thousands of tearful fans at Wembley Stadium in 1986. Andrew’s memoir covers in wonderful detail those years, up until that last iconic concert: the scrapes, the laughs, the relationships, the good, and the bad. It’s a unique and one-and-only time to remember that era, that band, and those boys.
What Am I Bid?: How one of television's favourite auctioneers went from counting sheep to selling silver
by Philip SerrellDAILY MAIL BOOK OF THE WEEK'A sparkling memoir... My hope is that Philip Serrell will do for the antiques trade what James Herriot did for cow's bottoms, as his memoir contains every ingredient for similar popular success... Serrell is laugh-out-loud funny.' Roger Lewis, Daily Mail***When Philip Serrell gave up teaching to become a professional auctioneer, he thought he was embarking on a sensible and safe career... a quiet life in the country with no surprises. How wrong he was. In What Am I Bid? he tells of life after the events he described in his previous memoirs, An Auctioneer's Lot and Sold to the Man with the Tin Leg, to bring his story up to date. From dodgy cars to fakes in the saleroom; angry livestock, mangled silverware and tortuous - not to mention muddy - experiences in local markets and farm sales, Philip has been there, done that and got the hoofprints on his suit to prove it.
What Am I Bid?: How one of television's favourite auctioneers went from counting sheep to selling silver
by Philip SerrellThe well-known TV auctioneer's entertaining and informative memoir of a life under the hammer.When Philip Serrell - now well known for his television appearances - gave up teaching to become a professional auctioneer, he thought he was embarking on a sensible and safe career . . . a quiet life in the country with no surprises. How wrong he was. In WHAT AM I BID? he tells of life after the events he described in AN AUCTIONEER'S LOT (2006) and SOLD TO THE MAN WITH THE TIN LEG (2007), to bring his story up to date. From dodgy cars to fakes in the saleroom; angry livestock, mangled silverware and tortuous - not to mention muddy - experiences in local markets and farm sales, Philip has been there, done that and got the hoofprints on his suit to prove it.(P) 2021 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
What Am I Doing Here?
by Bruce ChatwinIn this collection of profiles, essays and travel stories, Chatwin takes us to Benin, where he is arrested as a mercenary during a coup; to Boston to meet an LSD guru who believes he is Christ; to India with Indira Ghandi when she attempted a political comeback in 1978; and to Nepal where he reminds us that 'Man's real home is not a house, but the Road, and that life itself is a journey to be walked on foot'
What Am I Still Doing Here?: My Life as Me
by Roger LewisThis is Roger Lewis at his best: more cantankerous and curmudgeonly wit and musings about the pointlessness of life. Dark, witty and hilarious, Roger Lewis has a real way with words.
What Am I Still Doing Here?: My Life as Me
by Roger LewisThis is Roger Lewis at his best: more cantankerous and curmudgeonly wit and musings about the pointlessness of life. Dark, witty and hilarious, Roger Lewis has a real way with words.
What America Needs: The Case for Trump
by Jeffrey LordHe's controversial, colorful, and occasionally crass. But there's no denying that billionaire businessman Donald Trump has struck a chord with the American electorate. <P><P>Right now the economy is floundering; college students are protesting; undocumented immigrants are settling in; ISIS is growing; and Russia is plotting. It's time for a bold leader in the White House. It's time, CNN contributor Jeffrey Lord says, for President Donald Trump. <P><P>In What America Needs, Lord makes a powerful case that Trump--often denigrated even by other Republicans as too outrageous for the White House--is actually exactly the president our country needs right now: one who will reverse the damages done during the Obama administration and do what it takes to make America great again.
What Are We For?: The Words and Ideals of Eleanor Roosevelt
by Eleanor RooseveltFrom one of the world’s most celebrated and admired public figures, Eleanor Roosevelt, a collection of her most treasured sayings—the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, graduation, and a new generation of feminists.With a foreword by Speaker Nancy PelosiNo one can make you feel inferior without your consent. We’ve all heard this powerful Eleanor Roosevelt adage—it is, perhaps, one of her best known. A wise leader, she knew the power of words, and throughout her work as First Lady, a UN representative, and advocate for human rights, women, youth, minorities, and workers, she was a prolific writer and speaker. Eleanor’s wise words on government, race and ethnicity, freedom, democracy, economics, women and gender, faith, children, war, peace, and our everyday lives leap off the page in memorable quotations such as:· One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes.· Progress is rarely achieved by indifference.· I am convinced that every effort must be made in childhood to teach the young to use their own minds. For one thing is sure: If they don’t make up their minds, someone will do it for them. · Unless people are willing to face the unfamiliar they cannot be creative in any sense, for creativity always means the doing of the unfamiliar, the breaking of new ground.…and these are just a few. At this politically and culturally divided moment in our nation’s history, Eleanor Roosevelt’s quotes have an even deeper resonance—as moving and insightful as they are timely. What Are We For? is a celebration of a cultural icon, and a powerful reminder of Eleanor Roosevelt’s extraordinary contributions to our country, and the world.
What Are You Figuring Now? A Story about Benjamin Banneker
by Jeri Chase FerrisA biography of the Afro-American farmer and self-taught mathematician, astronomer, and surveyor for the new capital city of the United States in 1791, who also calculated a successful almanac notable for its preciseness.
What Are You?: Voices of Mixed-Race Young People
by Pearl Fuyo GaskinsIn the past three decades, the number of interracial marriages in the United States has increased by more than 800 percent. Now over four million children and teenagers do not identify themselves as being just one race or another. Here is a book that allows these young people to speak in their own voices about their own lives. What Are You? is based on the interviews the author made over the past two years with mixed-race young people around the country. These fresh voices explore issues and topics such as dating, families, and the double prejudice and double insight that comes from being mixed, but not mixed-up.
What Are the Paralympic Games? (What Was?)
by Gail Herman Who HQIt's time to cheer for the inspiring athletes of the Paralympic Games! As the Opening Ceremony for the 1948 Summer Olympic Games commenced in London, a similar sporting competition was taking place a few miles away. But the men at Stoke Mandeville weren't your typical athletes. They were paralyzed World War II veterans. The games at Stoke Mandeville were so successful that they would eventually lead evolve into the Paralympics. Participants from all around the world vie for the gold medal in a variety of sports, including archery, basketball, swimming, speed skating, and ice hockey. Author Gail Herman highlights their achievements, describes how these athletes train--both mentally and physically--for the games, and gives the reader a better understanding of what makes the Paralympic Games one of the world's most viewed sporting events.
What Becomes You
by Aaron Raz Link Hilda Raz“Being a man, like being a woman, is something you have to learn,” Aaron Raz Link remarks. Few would know this better than the coauthor of What Becomes You, who began life as a girl named Sarah and twenty-nine years later began life anew as a gay man. Turning from female to male and from teaching scientist to theatre performer, Link documents the extraordinary medical, social, legal, and personal process involved in a complete identity change. Hilda Raz, a well-known feminist writer and teacher, observes the process as both an “astonished” parent and as a professor who has studied gender issues. All these perspectives come into play in this collaborative memoir, which travels between women’s experience and men’s lives, explores the art and science of changing sex, maps uncharted family values, and journeys through a world transformed by surgery, hormones, love, and... clown school. Combining personal experience and critical analysis, the book is an unusual—and unusually fascinating—reflection on gender, sex, and the art of living.
What Becomes You (American Lives)
by Aaron Raz Link Hilda Raz&“Being a man, like being a woman, is something you have to learn,&” Aaron Raz Link remarks. Few would know this better than the coauthor of What Becomes You, who began life as a girl named Sarah and twenty-nine years later began life anew as a gay man. Turning from female to male and from teaching scientist to theatre performer, Link documents the extraordinary medical, social, legal, and personal processes involved in a complete identity change. Hilda Raz, a well-known feminist writer and teacher, observes the process as both an &“astonished&” parent and as a professor who has studied gender issues. All these perspectives come into play in this collaborative memoir, which travels between women&’s experience and men&’s lives, explores the art and science of changing sex, maps uncharted family values, and journeys through a world transformed by surgery, hormones, love, and . . . clown school. Combining personal experience and critical analysis, the book is an unusual—and unusually fascinating—reflection on gender, sex, and the art of living.
What Becomes a Legend Most: A Biography of Richard Avedon
by Philip GefterThe first definitive biography of Richard Avedon, a monumental photographer of the twentieth century, from award-winning photography critic Philip Gefter.In his acclaimed portraits, Richard Avedon captured the iconic figures of the twentieth century in his starkly bold, intimately minimal, and forensic visual style. Concurrently, his work for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue transformed the ideals of women's fashion, femininity, and culture to become the defining look of an era. Yet despite his driving ambition to gain respect in the art world, during his lifetime he was condescendingly dismissed as a "celebrity photographer."What Becomes a Legend Most is the first definitive biography of this luminary—an intensely driven man who endured personal and professional prejudice, struggled with deep insecurities, and mounted an existential lifelong battle to be recognized as an artist. Philip Gefter builds on archival research and exclusive interviews with those closest to Avedon to chronicle his story, beginning with Avedon’s coming-of-age in New York between the world wars, when cultural prejudices forced him to make decisions that shaped the course of his life.Compounding his private battles, Avedon fought to be taken seriously in a medium that itself struggled to be respected within the art world. Gefter reveals how the 1950s and 1960s informed Avedon’s life and work as much as he informed the period. He counted as close friends a profoundly influential group of artists—Leonard Bernstein, Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Harold Brodkey, Renata Adler, Sidney Lumet, and Mike Nichols—who shaped the cultural life of the American twentieth century. It wasn't until Avedon's fashion work was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the late 1970s that he became a household name.Balancing glamour with the gravitas of an artist's genuine reach for worldy achievement—and not a little gossip—plus sixteen pages of photographs, What Becomes a Legend Most is an intimate window into Avedon's fascinating world. Dramatic, visionary, and remarkable, it pays tribute to Avedon's role in the history of photography and fashion—and his legacy as one of the most consequential artists of his time.
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted: A Memoir
by E. Lynn HarrisFor almost a decade, beloved storyteller E. Lynn Harris has welcomed you into his family with his passionate, warm and trail-blazing novels. Now, he invites you into the most intimate world ever--his own.Since his first book Invisible Life was published in the early 1990s, New York Times bestselling author E. Lynn Harris has wowed, charmed and romanced millions of readers. As a master storyteller, E. Lynn Harris has created an intimate and glamorous world centered around his signature themes of love, friendship and family. People all over the world have fallen in love with his characters and laughed and cried with them. Now, in his most daring act yet, E. Lynn Harris writes the memoir of his life-from his childhood in Arkansas as a closeted gay boy through his struggling days as a self-published author to his rise as a New York Times bestselling author. In What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, E. Lynn Harris shares an extraordinary life touched by loneliness and depression, but more important, he reveals the triumphant life of a small-town dreamer who was able through writing to make his dreams-and more-come true.
What Blest Genius?: The Jubilee That Made Shakespeare
by Andrew McConnell StottThe remarkable, ridiculous, rain-soaked story of Shakespeare’s Jubilee: the event that established William Shakespeare as the greatest writer of all time. The remarkable, ridiculous, rain-soaked story of Shakespeare’s Jubilee: the event that established William Shakespeare as the greatest writer of all time. In September 1769, three thousand people descended on Stratford-upon-Avon to celebrate the artistic legacy of the town’s most famous son, William Shakespeare. Attendees included the rich and powerful, the fashionable and the curious, eligible ladies and fortune hunters, and a horde of journalists and profiteers. For three days, they paraded through garlanded streets, listened to songs and oratorios, and enjoyed masked balls. It was a unique cultural moment—a coronation elevating Shakespeare to the throne of genius. Except it was a disaster. The poorly planned Jubilee imposed an army of Londoners on a backwater hamlet peopled by hostile and superstitious locals, unable and unwilling to meet their demands. Even nature refused to behave. Rain fell in sheets, flooding tents and dampening fireworks, and threatening to wash the whole town away. Told from the dual perspectives of David Garrick, who masterminded the Jubilee, and James Boswell, who attended it, What Blest Genius? is rich with humor, gossip, and theatrical intrigue. Recounting the absurd and chaotic glory of those three days in September, Andrew McConnell Stott illuminates the circumstances in which William Shakespeare became a transcendent global icon.
What Can I Do?: My Path from Climate Despair to Action
by Jane FondaA call to action from Jane Fonda, one of the most inspiring activists of our time, urging us to wake up to the looming disaster of climate change and equipping us with the tools we need to join her in protest <p><p> "This is the last possible moment in history when changing course can mean saving lives and species on an unimaginable scale. It's too late for moderation." <p> In the fall of 2019, frustrated with the obvious inaction of politicians and inspired by Greta Thunberg, Naomi Klein, and student climate strikers, Jane Fonda moved to Washington, D.C., to lead weekly climate change demonstrations on Capitol Hill. On October 11, she launched Fire Drill Fridays, and has since led thousands of people in nonviolent civil disobedience, risking arrest to protest for action. In What Can I Do?, Fonda weaves her deeply personal journey as an activist alongside conversations with and speeches by leading climate scientists and inspiring community organizers, and dives deep into the issues, such as water, migration, and human rights, to emphasize what is at stake. Most significantly, Fonda equips us all with the tools we need to join her in protest, so that everyone can work to combat the climate crisis. <p> No stranger to protest, Fonda's life has been famously shaped by activism. And now she is once again galvanizing the public to take to the streets. Many are already aware of the looming disaster of climate change and realize that a moral responsibility rests on our shoulders. In 2019, we saw atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases hit the highest level ever recorded in human history, and our window of opportunity to act is quickly closing. We are facing a climate crisis, but we're also facing an empathy crisis and an inequality crisis; the surge of protests over police violence against black Americans has once again highlighted the links between racism and environmental degradation in our country. It isn't only earth's life-support systems that are unraveling. So too is our social fabric. This is going to take an all-out war on drilling and fracking and deregulation and racism and misogyny and colonialism and despair all at the same time. <p> As Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace USA and Fonda's partner in developing Fire Drill Fridays, has declared, "Change is inevitable; by design, or by disaster." Together, we can commandeer change for the positive—but it will require collective actions taken by social movements on an unprecedented scale. The problems we face now require every one of us to join the fight. The fight for not only our immediate future, but for the future of generations to come.
What Can You Do With Your Will Power
by Russell H. ConwellIn "What You Can Do With Your Will Power," Russell H. Conwell, the esteemed Baptist minister, lawyer, and founder of Temple University, explores the immense power of the human will and its critical role in achieving personal and professional success. This enlightening book offers practical insights and motivational wisdom that inspire readers to harness their inner strength and transform their lives.Conwell delves into the nature of willpower, illustrating how it can be developed and utilized to overcome obstacles, achieve goals, and realize one’s full potential. He shares inspiring stories and practical advice on how to cultivate a strong will, maintain focus, and persevere in the face of challenges.Key themes include:The Nature of Will Power: Conwell defines willpower as the inner strength and determination that drives individuals to pursue their goals relentlessly. He emphasizes that everyone possesses this power and can cultivate it through conscious effort and practice.Cultivating Will Power: The book provides practical strategies for strengthening willpower, such as setting clear goals, developing disciplined habits, and maintaining a positive mindset. Conwell encourages readers to practice self-control and stay committed to their objectives.Overcoming Obstacles: Conwell discusses the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. He offers guidance on how to stay motivated and focused, even when confronted with setbacks and difficulties.The Role of Will Power in Success: Through compelling anecdotes and real-life examples, Conwell demonstrates how willpower has been a decisive factor in the achievements of successful individuals. He highlights the transformative impact of a determined and focused mind.Balancing Will Power and Flexibility: While emphasizing the importance of strong willpower, Conwell also advises on the need for flexibility and adaptability. "What You Can Do With Your Will Power" is an inspiring and practical guide for anyone looking to strengthen their resolve and achieve their ambitions. Russell H. Conwell’s timeless wisdom and motivational insights provide readers with the tools they need to unlock their inner strength and reach their fullest potential.
What Can a President Really Do?: A Good Answer to a Good Question
by Who HqDirect from Who HQ, the team that brings you the New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? biography series, comes Who HQ Presents. These short illustrated e-Books provide quick, simple answers to the important questions being asked today about politics, social issues, the environment, and more!How much power does a US president really have? Wonder no more: Who HQ Presents the answers to what presidents can do on their own, how the three branches of government hold one another in check, and what executive orders presidents have signed in the past.
What Charlie Heard
by Mordicai GersteinDescribes the life of American composer Charles Ives, who wrote music which expressed all the sounds he heard in the world, but which was not well received during his lifetime.