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Amazing True Stories of Execution Blunders
by Geoffrey AbbottThe business of death can be seriously absurd, and nothing illustrates this better than these gruesome true tales. This gory compendium details the frankly ridiculous ways in which a number of ill-fated unfortunates met (or failed to meet) their maker at the hands of lamentably inept executioners. With black and white illustrations, this book brings together a mixture of bungled executions, strange last requests and classic one-liners from medieval times to the present day.
Amazon Extreme: Three Ordinary Guys, One Rubber Raft and the Most Dangerous River on Earth
by Colin Angus Ian MulgrewThe hair-raising true story of the first team to raft the entire length of the Amazon. To a trio of twenty-something adrenaline junkies, it sounded like an irresistible challenge: Tackle the Amazon with nothing more than a rubber raft between them and fate. In Amazon Extreme Colin Angus provides a you-are-there account of his expedition's terrors and triumphs. In spite of Shining Path gunmen, mosquito-laden drinking water, and, of course, the terrifying rapids themselves, his crew also found a reverence for the equally compelling beauty that makes this region so renowned. Graceful dolphins, lush forests, and the intriguing people who live along the river complete the backdrop as Angus's five-month excursion unfolds. Culminating in an astonishing victory that garnered major media coverage, this is the story of three guys who truly went off the deep end, and one who came back to write a riveting recollection of it.
Amazon Men: The World's Greatest Forest that Has Eluded and Deluded Explorers for 500 Years
by Adam Courtenay“Captivating . . . An examination of complex and contradictory human responses to the development of the Amazon and to its preservation” (The Australian). Amazon Men is about conquistadors and botanists, colonizers and human rights activists, slave traders and philanthropists—that is, people who have variously tried to conquer, rework, map, enslave, and save this region and its river system, each according to the needs and zeitgeist of their time in history. The environmental battles of today are part of a long-running story that’s been going on since Europeans first discovered this impenetrable ocean of green. For centuries there’s been a war of attrition between the greatest ecosystem and the greatest predator. Up until now, the predator has failed. Amazon Men is about those who’ve tried to conquer and exploit the Amazon—and those who’ve tried to understand and savor it. Conquistadors Francisco de Orellana and Lope de Aguirre play their parts as representatives of the Age of Discovery. Charles Marie de La Condamine is a perfect foil for the Age of Enlightenment. Alexander von Humboldt appears as a scientist of the Romantic age, seeking unity in the midst of chaos. Walter Hardenburg represents the machine age, defying the industrial imperatives of his time to oppose unfettered colonial capitalism. Sydney Possuelo, the greatest living Amazonian explorer, represents the ongoing conflict between modern expansion and environmental causes. What do their experiences tell us about our attitude to the unexplored and unknown? The stories of Amazon Men recount deeds of bravery and acts of brilliance, but also forgotten holocausts where guns, germs, and steel have all played their roles.
Amazon Woman: Facing Fears, Chasing Dreams, And My Quest To Kayak The Largest River From Source To Sea
by Darcy GaechterAn extraordinary and inspiring chronicle of one woman’s harrowing journey to become the first female to kayak the entire Amazon River. Part memoir, part feminist manifesto, Amazon Woman shows what incredible feats we are capable of and will encourage people, especially women, across all backgrounds and ages to find the courage and strength to live the life they’ve imagined. This 148-day journey began on Darcy Gaechter’s 35th birthday. She sold her successful outdoor adventure business, upsetting her partner and boyfriend of twelve years and getting them both fired in the process. The emotional waters that would fester and erupt on the ensuing journey was often more challenging to navigate than the mighty river itself. With blistering lips and irradiated fingernails, Darcy would tackle raging Class Five whitewater for twenty-five days straight, barely survived a dynamite-filled canyon being prepared for a new hydroelectric plan. She and her two companions would encounter illegal loggers, narco-traffickers, murderous Shining Path rebels, and ruthless poachers in the black market trade in endangered species. They would plead for mercy at the hands of the murderous Ashaninka people who were convinced that they had come to steal their children’s organs. In a desperate attempt meant to give her some pretense of control, Darcy even cut off all her hair before entering Peru’s notoriously dangerous “Red Zone” in hopes of passing for a boy and being seen as less of a target. At once a heart-pounding adventure and a celebration of pushing personal limits, Amazon Woman speaks to all of us feeling trapped by our desk-bound, online society. This a story of finding the courage and strength to challenge nature, cultures, social norms, and oneself.
Amber, Furs and Cockleshells: Bike Rides with Pilgrims and Merchants
by Anne MustoeMyriad wonderful characters populate the pages of Anne Mustoe's fascinating book as she pedals along three very different, but equally evocative, roads - the Amber Route from the Baltic to the Adriatic, the Santa Fe Trail from the Missouri River to New Mexico and the Pilgrims' Way of St James from Le Puy to Santiago de Compostela. Battling against ferocious winds in Jutland, blizzards in the Rockies, traffic jams of cyclists along the Danube and menus in Czech, Hungarian and Basque, Mustoe survives with her usual fortitude and wry humour, even when she is knocked off her bike by a short-sighted nonagenarian in a Fiat Panda.
Ambiance, Tourism and the City (Ambiances, Atmospheres and Sensory Experiences of Spaces)
by Iñigo Sánchez-Fuarros Daniel Paiva Daniel Malet CalvoAmbiance, Tourism and the City considers how tourism and urban development affect the lived ambiances of contemporary cities around the world. As most of the existing literature on sensory atmospheres says little about the intersection between tourism and atmospheric production, this book affirms the centrality of the notion of ambiance as a mode of inquiry into the making and remaking of urban places for tourist consumption. The book takes the reader into the sensory worlds of a traditional Italian marketplace, a jungle park in Kuala Lumpur, a slum in the Colombian city of Medellín, or the "sun and sand" tourism destinations in Southern Spain, among other case studies. It offers new insights into the impact of tourism on the urban environment from multidisciplinary perspectives and a wide range of geographical regions across Europe, North America, Asia, and South America. Through these contemporary case studies, the book further deepens our understanding of the ways in which "ambiances" and "atmospheres" pervade the physical regeneration and sensory transformation of contemporary tourist destinations. Conversely, this book offers insights on the effects of tourism on everyday urban experience. By bringing together a diverse group of scholars and case studies to present a global perspective on the atmospheric production of the tourist city, this book is to serve as a valuable reference tool for researchers and undergraduate and postgraduate students with an interest in urban ambiances, tourism, cultural geography, and urban planning.
Ambiance, Tourism and the City (ISSN)
by Iñigo Sánchez-Fuarros Daniel Paiva Daniel Malet CalvoAmbiance, Tourism and the City considers how tourism and urban development affect the lived ambiances of contemporary cities around the world. As most of the existing literature on sensory atmospheres says little about the intersection between tourism and atmospheric production, this book affirms the centrality of the notion of ambiance as a mode of inquiry into the making and remaking of urban places for tourist consumption. The book takes the reader into the sensory worlds of a traditional Italian marketplace, a jungle park in Kuala Lumpur, a slum in the Colombian city of Medellín, or the "sun and sand" tourism destinations in Southern Spain, among other case studies. It offers new insights into the impact of tourism on the urban environment from multidisciplinary perspectives and a wide range of geographical regions across Europe, North America, Asia, and South America. Through these contemporary case studies, the book further deepens our understanding of the ways in which "ambiances" and "atmospheres" pervade the physical regeneration and sensory transformation of contemporary tourist destinations. Conversely, this book offers insights on the effects of tourism on everyday urban experience.By bringing together a diverse group of scholars and case studies to present a global perspective on the atmospheric production of the tourist city, this book is to serve as a valuable reference tool for researchers and undergraduate and postgraduate students with an interest in urban ambiances, tourism, cultural geography, and urban planning.
Ambivalent Encounters
by Jenny HubermanJenny Huberman provides an ethnographic study of encounters between western tourists and the children who work as unlicensed peddlers and guides along the riverfront city of Banaras, India. She examines how and why these children elicit such powerful reactions from western tourists and locals in their community as well as how the children themselves experience their work and render it meaningful. Ambivalent Encounters brings together scholarship on the anthropology of childhood, tourism, consumption, and exchange to ask why children emerge as objects of the international tourist gaze; what role they play in representing socio-economic change; how children are valued and devalued; why they elicit anxieties, fantasies, and debates; and what these tourist encounters teach us more generally about the nature of human interaction. It examines the role of gender in mediating experiences of social change--girls are praised by locals for participating constructively in the informal tourist economy while boys are accused of deviant behavior. Huberman is interested equally in the children's and adults' perspectives; her own experiences as a western visitor and researcher provide an intriguing entry into her interpretations.
Ambridge
by Larry R. SlaterIn 1905, the German religious settlement of Economy changed forever from what its charismatic founder had planned in 1824. Built to await the Second Coming, Economy was passed from the hands of the moribund Harmony Society to the American Bridge division of United States Steel Corporation. The new owners renamed the town Ambridge. As the mill town burst into life, the population spiked from 600 to approximately 37,000 by 1945. Inevitably, Ambridge felt the collapse of big steel. In the 1750s, this land along the Ohio River held Log Town, which was a meeting place for Colonial and Native American leaders. Later there was Legionville, where Gen. Anthony Wayne trained American troops during the early Indian wars. This was followed by the final home of a utopian society and one of the largest mill complexes of the 20th century. Through vintage photographs, Ambridge chronicles the diverse history and evolution of this community.
Amelia Earhart Is on the Moon? (Wait! What? #0)
by Dan GutmanFrom the best-selling author of My Weird School: a new entry in the hilarious biography series that casts fresh light on high-interest historic figures. Did you know that Amelia Earhart loved heights so much she built a roller coaster in her backyard? Or that she used to race worms with her sister? Bet you didn’t know that she took photographs of garbage cans to pay for flying lessons! Siblings Paige and Turner do—and they’ve collected some of the most unusual and surprising facts about the legendary pilot, from her childhood in the rural Midwest and the spark of her passion for flying to her record-smashing flights and her infamous disappearance over the Pacific Ocean. Narrated by the two spirited siblings and animated by Allison Steinfeld’s upbeat illustrations, Amelia Earhart Is on the Moon? is an authoritative, accessible, and one-of-a-kind biography infused with Dan Gutman’s signature zany sense of humor.
Amelia Earhart's Final Flight (History's Mysteries)
by Megan Cooley PetersonOn June 1, 1937, famous pilot Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off in their small plane. Earhart’s goal was to make a record-breaking flight around the world. On the last part of the flight, they approached Howland Island to refuel. Before they could land, radio communication from Earhart stopped, and the plane disappeared. Search efforts turned up few clues. What happened to Earhart and Noonan? Explore the theories and learn why their disappearance has become one of history’s greatest mysteries.
America Unchained
by Dave GormanThe plan was simple. Go to America. Buy a second-hand car. Drive coast-to-coast without giving any money to The Man™. What could possibly go wrong? Dismayed by the relentless onslaught of faceless American chains muscling in where local businesses had once thrived, Dave Gorman set off on the ultimate American road trip - in search of the true, independent heart of the U S of A. He would eat cherry pie from local diners, re-fuel at dusty gas stations and stock up on supplies from Mom and Pop's grocery store. At least that was the idea. But when did you last see an independent gas station? Gamely, Dave beds down in a Colorado trailer park, sleeps in an Oregon forest treehouse, and even spends Thanksgiving with a Mexican family in Kansas. But when his road trip mutates into an odyssey of near-epic proportions and he finds himself being threatened at gun point in Mississippi, Dave starts to worry about what's going to break down next. The car... or him?
America by Rivers
by Tim PalmerPhotographer and writer Tim Palmer has spent more than 25 years researching and experiencing life on the waterways of the American continent. He has travelled by canoe or raft on more than 300 different rivers, down wide placid streams and rough raging rapids. His journeys have taken him to every corner of the country, where he has witnessed and described the unique interaction of geographical, historical, and cultural forces that act upon our nation's vital arteries.America by Rivers represents the culmination of that grand adventure. Palmer describes the rivers of America in all their remaining glory and tarnished beauty, as he presents a comprehensive tour of the whole of America's river systems. Filled with important new information as well as data gathered from hundreds of published sources, America by Rivers covers: the network of American waterways and how they fit together to form river systems unique features of individual rivers along with their size, length, and biological importance environmental problems affecting the rivers of different regions and what is being done to protect and restore them cultural connections and conflicts surrounding the rivers of each region Chapters address the character of rivers in distinct regions of the country, and each chapter highlights one river with a detailed view from the water. Rivers profiled include the Penobscot, Potomac, Suwanee, Minnesota, Niobara, Salmon, Rio Grande, American, Rogue, and Sheenjek. Eighteen maps guide the reader across the country and 100 photos illustrate the splendor of Palmer's fascinating subject.America by Rivers provides a new way of seeing our country, one that embraces the entire landscape and offers fresh avenues to adventure. It is compelling reading for anyone concerned about the health of our land and the future of our waterways.
America from the Air: An Aviator's Story
by Wolfgang LangewiescheA memoir of a pilot who learned to fly in the 1930's as well as a look at America from the air as it appeared in the 1940's. At the same time it is a study of the joys of flying.
America the Beautiful?: One Woman in a Borrowed Prius on the Road Most Traveled
by Blythe RobersonThe author of How to Date Men When You Hate Men examines Americans’ obsession with freedom, travel, and the open road in this funny, entertaining travelogue that blends the humorous observations of Bill Bryson with the piercing cultural commentary of Jia Tolentino.For writer and comedian Blythe Roberson, there are only so many Mary Oliver poems you can read about being free, and only so many times you can listen to Joni Mitchell’s travel album Hejira, before you too, are itching to take off. Canonical American travel writers have long celebrated the road trip as the epitome of freedom. But why does it seem like all those canonical travel narratives are written by white men who have no problems, who only decide to go the desert to see what having problems feels like?To fill in the literary gaps and quench her own sense of adventure, Roberson quits her day job and sets off on a Great American Road Trip to visit America’s national parks.America the Beautiful? is a hilarious trip into the mind of one of the Millennial generation’s funniest writers. Borrowing her Midwestern stepfather’s Prius, she heads west to the Loop of mega-popular parks, over to the ocean and down the Pacific Coast Highway, and, in a feat of spectacularly bad timing, through the southwestern desert in the middle of July. Along the way she meets new friends on their own personal quests, learns to cope with abstinence while missing the comforts of home, and comes to understand the limits—and possibilities—of going to nature to prove to yourself and your Instagram followers that you are, in fact, free.The result is a laugh-out-loud-while-occasionally-raging-inside travelogue, filled with meditations and many, many jokes on ecotourism, conservation, freedom, traffic, climate change, and the structural and financial inequalities that limit so many Americans’ movement. Ultimately, Roberson ponders the question: Is quitting society and going on the road about enlightenment and liberty—or is it just selfish escapism?
America's Best BBQ: 100 Recipes from America's Best Smokehouses, Pits, Shacks, Rib Joints, Roadhouses, and Restaurants
by Ardie A. Davis&“Covering styles from Texas to Memphis, the Deep South, Kansas City, Oklahoma, and beyond, this book is your go-to for barbecue of all stripes.&” —Taste of the South, &“Best Barbecue Books for Dad&” Only Ardie A. Davis and Paul Kirk, the renowned sources on barbecue, can earn the trust and the recipes from the nation&’s barbecue legends—from the tried-and-true locales to even a few joints outside of the traditional barbecue belt. Tasty sides include tips, tricks, techniques, fun memorabilia, 365 full-color photos of the joints and their food, and firsthand recollections of tales from the pits culled from over a century of combined barbecue experience. There is even a section of barbecue basics for those who are just getting started. With more than 100 recipes for mouthwatering starters (Fried Cheese Stick Grits, BBQ Egg Rolls), moist and flavorful meats, both classic and inventive side dishes (BBQ Cornbread, Grilled Potato Salad), a slew of sauces and rubs, and even some decadent desserts (Fried Pies, Root Beer Cake, Pig Candy), this book should come with its own wet-nap.&“As much a cookbook as it is a travel guide for the country&’s best rib joints, smokehouses and barbecue shacks. Davis and Kirk are the deans of American barbecue; this is their classroom textbook.&” —The Columbus Dispatch&“[Takes] readers on a journey across the country to try a variety of American barbecue dishes . . . this version includes a few more Texas joints, and the personal Top ten lists of each author shows how much quality time they spent in the Lone Star State.&” —Texas Monthly
America's Best Bass Fishing: The Fifty Best Places to Catch Bass
by Steven D. PriceLargemouth, smallmouth or stripers--bass of all varieties are the number one sport fish across the country, and in America's Best Bass Fishing veteran angler and outdoor writer Steve Price points the way to the very best places to catch them.
America's Best Breakfasts: Favorite Local Recipes from Coast to Coast
by Lee Brian Schrager Adeena SussmanRise and dine! If there's one meal of the day to get passionate about--no matter where you're from in this great land--it's breakfast with all the fixings. Featuring down-home diners, iconic establishments, and the newest local hot spots, America's Best Breakfasts is a celebration of two of this nation's honored traditions: hitting the open road and enjoying an endless variety of breakfasts. Even without a road trip, you can re-create favorites that will satisfy any time of day: Shrimp and Grits, Hominy Grill, Charleston Croque Monsieur Sandwiches, Tartine, San Francisco Kimchi Pancakes, Sunshine Tavern, Portland Filipino Steak with Garlic Fried Rice, Uncle Mike's, Chicago Cannoli French Toast, Café Lift, Philadelphia Brioche Cinnamon Buns, Honey Bee, Oxford Morning Glory Muffins, Panther Coffee, Miami
America's Best Day Hikes: Spectacular Single-day Hikes Across The States
by Derek Dellinger50 of the greatest hikes in the country, for all abilities and in all landscapes Beautifully illustrated, this best-of compendium features the most memorable one-day hikes in every region of the United States from Sierra Buttes Lookout in Tahoe National Forest to Grinnell Glacier Trail in Montana's Glacier National Park to Giant Mountain in Adirondack Park and beyond. Organized by region, this guide goes into detail about what makes each hike so remarkable and why it might be worth a detour or even a special journey for someone looking to broaden their horizons. All of the hikes are doable during daylight hours and none require camping. America’s Best Day Hikes comes with all the information anyone would need to experience these unique locations, including details about the hike itself—difficulty, duration, seasonal hazards, and more.—as well as traveling, planning, and packing suggestions. All this paired with Derek Dellinger’s stunning photography makes this incredible volume a must-have for any lover of the outdoors.
America's Best Food Cities
by The Washington Post Tom SietsemaThe Washington Post food critic&’s guide to the nation&’s top ten culinary capitals—plus restaurant recipes you can make in your own kitchen. Follow Tom Sietsema as he dines, drinks and browses at 271 restaurants, bars, and shops while reporting for his America&’s Best Food Cities project. Along the way, he measures how each city stacks up in terms of creativity, community, tradition, ingredients, shopping, variety, and service. Sietsema offers a guidebook to his top recommendations, garnished with short descriptions of the eateries he visited, the best things he ordered in each city, and even some signature recipes from notable restaurants along his path, so that you too can make the best dishes without buying a plane ticket. Along the way he dishes out surprises and tips to satisfy the palate of every culinary adventurer. This is the ultimate guide to eating well in America&’s top 10 food cities, whether you&’re a resident of one of them or planning a visit. Bon appetit!
America's Covered Bridges
by Terry E. Miller Ronald G. KnappThe history of North America is in many ways encapsulated in the history of her covered bridges. The early 1800s saw a tremendous boom in the construction of these bridges, and in the years that followed as many as 15,000 covered bridges were built. Today, fewer than a thousand remain. Without covered bridges to span the rivers and provide access to vast swaths of the interior that had previously been difficult to access-America never would have developed the way she did. In America's Covered Bridges, authors Terry E. Miller and Ronald G. Knapp tell the fascinating story of these bridges, how they were built, the technological breakthroughs required to construct them, and above all the dedication and skill of their builders. Each of the bridges, whether still standing or long gone, has a story to tell about the nature of America at the time-not only about its transportational needs, but the availability of materials and the technological prowess of the people who built it. This book is absolutely packed with fascinating stories and information-passionately told by two leading experts on this subject. The book will be of tremendous interest to anyone interested in American history, carpentry and early technology.
America's Scientific Treasures: A Travel Companion
by Paul S. Cohen Brenda H. CohenA fairly comprehensive travel guide that takes the reader to sites of scientific interest in the 48 contiguous states. Each state is represented by its own scientific treasures including museums, arboretums, zoos, national parks, planetariums, natural or technological points of interest and homes of famous scientists. Addresses, telephone numbers, travel directions, opening and closing dates, hours of entry, handicapped access, restaurants, fees, and the availability of tour guides is listed for each attraction.
America: An Anthology of France and the United States
by Editor François BusnelToday’s leading French writers offer their perspective of a post-2016 America in this collection of pieces from the bestselling French literary magazine.From Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America to the moveable feasts of the Lost Generation, France and the United States have long shared a special relationship, defined as much by romantic fascination as occasional incomprehension. François Busnel, host of the acclaimed literary talk show La Grande Librairie, seeks to bridge this gap with America, a journal of literature and politics conceived in the aftermath of the election of Donald Trump, now available to English readers for the first time.In this insightful collection of pieces from the magazine, Alain Mabanckou sketches the outlines of his Los Angeles, where he finds a sense of belonging far from his home country of the Republic of the Congo. Leïla Slimani considers the ways #MeToo is shaping a new discourse around consent on college campuses, and Philippe Besson takes an old-fashioned road trip through the American heartland as he drives from Chicago to New Orleans. Joël Dicker traipses through Yellowstone National Park on the lookout for grizzlies, while Alice Zeniter wanders the scorching streets of Las Vegas on foot. Featuring a poignant interview with National Book Award winner Louise Erdrich and original work in English by luminaries including Richard Powers, Colum McCann, and Laura Kasischke, America suggests a new way of understanding the enduring relationship between France and the United States, one that has never been read in quite this way before.From the streets of Manhattan to the Wyoming wilderness, across rural Pennsylvania’s Amish country to the bright lights of Hollywood, America takes us on a crisscrossing road trip across the country as it archives accounts of the administration of the past four years and offers a moving testament to the essential power of literature to unite in times of division.Praise for America“Busnel presents a fine anthology of essays originally published in the French quarterly America. . . . The writers’ varied approaches mean that, even for readers familiar with the issues at play, the pieces will be consistently entertaining. As such, an American audience should lap up this thought-provoking tour.” —Publishers Weekly“A form of sophisticated literary activism.” —Literary Hub“While we wait for the “great works” inspired by the Trump era, the novelists and reporters at America will continue to discover the country that elected him, painting a picture while leaving prejudice to one side.” —France-Amérique“A kaleidoscopic reading list of a divided nation.” —Columbia Journalism Review
American Association Milwaukee Brewers, The (Images of Baseball)
by Bob Koehler Rex HamannMany people know of Milwaukee's famous beer brewers, such as Schlitz, Pabst, and Miller, but these pages contain the story of the original baseball Brewers. The Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association spent 51 seasons (1902-1952) on the city's near north side. To have had the opportunity to stretch out in the sun-soaked stands of Borchert Field during that era was to witness minor league baseball at its best. The Brewers were the second-winningest franchise in the league's history, and names like Tom "Sugar Boy" Dougherty and Nick "Tomato Face" Cullop were once household words throughout the city. This book stands as a tribute to the colorful history of this team and to all the former players, coaches, and managers who ever wore the woolens for Milwaukee.
American Boundaries: The Nation, The States, The Rectangular Survey
by Bill Hubbard Jr.For anyone who has looked at a map of the United States and wondered how Texas and Oklahoma got their Panhandles, or flown over the American heartland and marveled at the vast grid spreading out in all directions below, American Boundaries will yield a welcome treasure trove of insight. The first book to chart the country's growth using the boundary as a political and cultural focus, Bill Hubbard's masterly narrative begins by explaining how the original thirteen colonies organized their borders and decided that unsettled lands should be held in trust for the common benefit of the people. Hubbard goes on to show--with the help of photographs, diagrams, and hundreds of maps--how the notion evolved that unsettled land should be divided into rectangles and sold to individual farmers, and how this rectangular survey spread outward from its origins in Ohio, with surveyors drawing straight lines across the face of the continent. Mapping how each state came to have its current shape, and how the nation itself formed within its present borders, American Boundaries will provide historians, geographers, and general readers alike with the fascinating story behind those fifty distinctive jigsaw-puzzle pieces that together form the United States.