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Gulliver's Travels (Illustrated Classics Series)
by Jonathan SwiftThe voyages of an Englishman carry him to such strange places as Lilliput, where people are six inches tall; Brobdingnag, a land of giants; an island of sorcerers; and a country ruled by horses.
Gumbo Life: Tales From The Roux Bayou
by Ken WellsA sprightly, deeply personal narrative about how gumbo—for 250 years a Cajun and Creole secret—has become one of the world’s most beloved dishes. Ask any self-respecting Louisianan who makes the best gumbo and the answer is universal: “Momma.” The product of a melting pot of culinary influences, gumbo, in fact, reflects the diversity of the people who cooked it up: French aristocrats, West Africans in bondage, Cajun refugees, German settlers, Native Americans—all had a hand in the pot. What is it about gumbo that continues to delight and nourish so many? And what explains its spread around the world? A seasoned journalist, Ken Wells sleuths out the answers. His obsession goes back to his childhood in the Cajun bastion of Bayou Black, where his French-speaking mother’s gumbo often began with a chicken chased down in the yard. Back then, gumbo was a humble soup little known beyond the boundaries of Louisiana. So when a homesick young Ken, at college in Missouri, realized there wasn’t a restaurant that could satisfy his gumbo cravings, he called his momma for the recipe. That phone-taught gumbo was a disaster. The second, cooked at his mother’s side, fueled a lifelong quest to explore gumbo’s roots and mysteries. In Gumbo Life: Tales from the Roux Bayou, Wells does just that. He spends time with octogenarian chefs who turn the lowly coot into gourmet gumbo; joins a team at a highly competitive gumbo contest; visits a factory that churns out gumbo by the ton; observes the gumbo-making rituals of an iconic New Orleans restaurant where high-end Creole cooking and Cajun cuisine first merged. Gumbo Life, rendered in Wells’ affable prose, makes clear that gumbo is more than simply a delicious dish: it’s an attitude, a way of seeing the world. For all who read its pages, this is a tasty culinary memoir—to be enjoyed and shared like a simmering pot of gumbo.
Gun Shy: The True Story of the Army Dog Scared of War
by Alison Stokes Angie McDonellVidar, the army search dog, has spent half his life sniffing out enemy weapons and bombs on the front line of the war in Afghanistan. His keen nose saved the lives of hundreds of soldiers, finding roadside bombs which could have killed British troops. But after two years of loyal service, Vidar became ‘Gun Shy’ – a term used to describe dogs who are frightened of loud noises. Whenever he heard bombs exploding or even the sound of helicopters flying above, he would curl up in the corner, shaking with fear.His army days were numbered… and his future looked uncertain. Until Angie, an army medic who befriended him during her tour of Afghanistan, made it her duty to give him a safe haven at her Welsh home.
Gurkha: Better to Die than Live a Coward: My Life in the Gurkhas
by Colour-Sergeant Kailash LimbuIn this Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling memoir that 'reads like a thriller', (Joanna Lumley) Colour-Sargent Kailash Limbu shares a riveting account of his life as a Gurkha soldier-marking the first time in its two-hundred-year history that a soldier of the Brigade of Gurkhas has been given permission to tell his story in his own words.In the summer of 2006, Colour-Sargeant Kailash Limbu's platoon was sent to relieve and occupy a police compound in the town of Now Zad in Helmand. He was told to prepare for a forty-eight hour operation. In the end, he and his men were under siege for thirty-one days - one of the longest such sieges in the whole of the Afghan campaign.Kailash Limbu recalls the terrifying and exciting details of those thirty-one days - in which they killed an estimated one hundred Taliban fighters - and intersperses them with the story of his own life as a villager from the Himalayas. He grew up in a place without roads or electricity and didn't see a car until he was fifteen.Kailash's descriptions of Gurkha training and rituals - including how to use the lethal Kukri knife - are eye-opening and fascinating. They combine with the story of his time in Helmand to create a unique account of one man's life as a Gurkha. 'I was completely bowled over by Kailash's book and read it with a beating heart and dry mouth. I felt as though I was at his side, hearing the shells and bullets, enjoying the jokes and listening in the scary dead of night. The skill with which he has included his childhood and training is immense, always discovered with ease in the narrative: it actually felt as though I was watching, was IN a film with him. It brought me nearer than I have ever been not only to the mind of the universal soldier but to a hill boy of Nepal and a hugely impressive Gurkha. I raced through it and couldn't put it down: it reads like a thriller. If you want to know anything about the Gurkhas, read this book, and be prepared for a thrilling and dangerous trip' Joanna Lumley
Guru in Your Golf Swing: A Golf Pro, a Monk and the Magical Kingdom of Bhutan
by Ed HanczarykA PGA pro&’s trip to teach golf in Bhutan becomes a journey of self-discovery on which he learns an ancient meditation practice.PGA of Canada pro Ed Hanczaryk blends golf and the art of meditation in this travelogue based on his true story of a five-month golf-teaching assignment in the hidden Kingdom of Bhutan. One day he taught a monk how to improve his game, and the next day, the monk taught him to tame his unruly mind . . .A personal story of &“zen and the art of the golf swing&” for readers of Joseph Parent&’s Zen Golf.
Guthrie and Logan County
by Glen V. McintyreGuthrie and Logan County lie at the geographical center of Oklahoma, just north of Oklahoma City. The bulk of Logan County was opened by the Land Run of April 22, 1889, with the eastern portion opened by the run of September 6, 1891, that opened the Iowa, Sac and Fox, and Potawatomi reservations. The town of Guthrie was the political and cultural center of first the territory of Oklahoma from 1890 to 1907, then the state of Oklahoma until 1910. Guthrie attracted architects who built impressive buildings, businessmen and farmers who hoped to make a new life, and a variety of other characters wanting to make a new home. While Guthrie was the most important town, others thrived as well: Marshall (home of Angie Debo, an important Oklahoma historian), Langston (home of Oklahoma's first black university), Mullhall, Orlando, Crescent, Meridian, and Coyle, as well as many towns that did not survive.
Guts & Glory: The Vikings (Guts & Glory #2)
by Ben ThompsonFerocious raids, heroic battles, larger-than-life leaders, and courageous explorers that changed the course of human history.From battle-axe-wielding tribes plundering the greatest cities of Europe to powerful kings and queens ruling their dominions with iron fists, the Vikings were some of the most feared and fearless figures in European history. Find the bravest heroes, the most menacing villains, and unbelievably awesome facts and myths inside this action-packed overview that will amaze kids with tales of a people so incredible...it's hard to believe they were real.History buff and popular blogger Ben Thompson's lively storytelling style brings the Vikings back to life in this second book in the exhilarating Guts & Glory series!
Gutsy Women
by Marybeth BondThis is a must-have for any woman traveler, and a great gift for young women just heading out to see the world. It is packed with funny, instructive, and inspiring advice, including how to stay healthy, how to thwart unwelcome advances, how to avoid "travel budget killers," and much more. This revised and expanded 4rd Edition incorporates numerous new anecdotes, tips, and wisdom on a variety of relevant topics, including: First Time Travel; Solo Travel; Women's Online Travel Community; Health and Safety; Traveling with Children; Resources for older women travelers, and much more.
Guymon (Images of America)
by Sara Jane RichterGuymon, the "Queen City" of the Oklahoma Panhandle, has long been the linchpin of Panhandle commerce, education, and entertainment. As a community of over 12,000 residents, it has seen growth--especially in the past two decades--mainly because of a rise in its immigrant population. With a median family income of $46,000, a low unemployment rate, and nearly 900 businesses, many see it as a thriving and prosperous town. Above all, Guymon knows its past and revels in its history of pioneers who settled the area in the late 1880s amid dugouts and cattle ranches and the railroad. Frontier heritage is clearly reflected in Guymon's spirit of independence, friendliness, and irrepressibility. Guymon, a town older than the state of Oklahoma, is proud of its tenacity and will continue to be the mainstay of the Panhandle for years to come.
Guys Like Me
by Howard Curtis Dominique Fabre"Fabre is a genius of these nuanced, interior moments ... The story Fabre tells is that of every one of us: looking for meaning in the mundane, moving through our lives, our interactions, as if through the fabric of a dream ... How do we live? it asks to consider. And: What does our existence mean?"--Los Angeles Times"Guys Like Me is a short, arresting tale that ...not only offers keen insights into the mind of its middle-aged protagonist, but also provides the reader with a unique tour of what everyday life in the low-key suburbs of Paris must truly be like."--Typographical Era"Readers will take pleasure in this well-told tale with a satisfying ending."--Publishers Weekly"The setting may be Paris, but it's not the Paris of grand avenues and pricey cafés. In fact, Fabre's hero is a recognizable everyman, from any country."-Library JournalA smile like a soft flash of light . . . travels through this moving novel and tells, in words that are muted and profoundly humane, of life as it is."-Le Monde"Fabre speaks to us of luck and misfortune, of the accidents that make a man or defeat him. He talks about our ordinary disappointments and our small moments of calm. Fabre is the discreet megaphone of the man in the crowd."-Elle"In this novel one finds the intimate geography of an author who lays bare the essence of Paris and its outskirts."-La Quinzaine littéraireDominique Fabre, born in Paris and a lifelong resident of the city, exposes the shadowy, anonymous lives of many who inhabit the French capital. In this quiet, subdued tale, a middle-aged office worker, divorced and alienated from his only son, meets up with two childhood friends who are similarly adrift, without passions or prospects. He's looking for a second act to his mournful life, seeking the harbor of love and a true connection with his son. Set in palpably real Paris streets that feel miles away from the City of Light, Guys Like Me is a stirring novel of regret and absence, yet not without a glimmer of hope.Dominique Fabre, born in 1960, writes about people living on society's margins. He is a lifelong resident of Paris, France. His previous novel, The Waitress Was New, was also translated into English.
Gypsy Princess: A touching memoir of a Romany childhood
by Violet CannonThe true story of a Romany childhood... Gypsy Princess is a searingly honest account of what life is really like for travelling communities, for girls in particular, and captures a way of life that is slowly fading away. If you enjoyed the memoirs of Mikey Walsh and Jess Smith, you'll be enthralled by Violet Cannon's biography. 'A fascinating and enjoyable insight into Gypsy life' - CloserA true blooded Gypsy, Violet Cannon grew up the Romany way. Life was tough at times, living in a cramped one-roomed trailer, but, unbound by strict routines, Violet spent her days learning to keep home, playing and roaming the fields with a sense of freedom long lost to the rest of modern society. Immersed in the Gypsy way of life, her childhood set her apart from other children. Bullied by classmates, and segregated from 'gorgia' kids (all non-Gypsies), Violet eventually left school at the age of nine to live a life of travel, play and learning under generations-old Gypsy rules on the fringes of society. With traditional values at the heart of her childhood, the pressure of conforming and marrying young was intense. Violet was duty-bound to find a husband, but would her marriage lead to the 'happy ever after' she grew up believing in as a Gypsy girl? What readers are saying about Gypsy Princess:'A fascinating and realistic look at what it means to be a Gypsy in today's society. A little understanding of Gypsy traditions goes a long way and I hope we see more biographies like this one''Violet is so likeable and warm, and the stories are written so vividly that you can really imagine yourself there' 'I could not put this book down - from the first paragraph I was hooked. I would love to read more about this fascinating lady and her family. By the end of the book I felt as if I knew them all'
Gypsy Princess: A touching memoir of a Romany childhood
by Violet CannonThe true story of a Romany childhood... Gypsy Princess is a searingly honest account of what life is really like for travelling communities, for girls in particular, and captures a way of life that is slowly fading away. If you enjoyed the memoirs of Mikey Walsh and Jess Smith, you'll be enthralled by Violet Cannon's biography. 'A fascinating and enjoyable insight into Gypsy life' - CloserA true blooded Gypsy, Violet Cannon grew up the Romany way. Life was tough at times, living in a cramped one-roomed trailer, but, unbound by strict routines, Violet spent her days learning to keep home, playing and roaming the fields with a sense of freedom long lost to the rest of modern society. Immersed in the Gypsy way of life, her childhood set her apart from other children. Bullied by classmates, and segregated from 'gorgia' kids (all non-Gypsies), Violet eventually left school at the age of nine to live a life of travel, play and learning under generations-old Gypsy rules on the fringes of society. With traditional values at the heart of her childhood, the pressure of conforming and marrying young was intense. Violet was duty-bound to find a husband, but would her marriage lead to the 'happy ever after' she grew up believing in as a Gypsy girl? What readers are saying about Gypsy Princess:'A fascinating and realistic look at what it means to be a Gypsy in today's society. A little understanding of Gypsy traditions goes a long way and I hope we see more biographies like this one''Violet is so likeable and warm, and the stories are written so vividly that you can really imagine yourself there' 'I could not put this book down - from the first paragraph I was hooked. I would love to read more about this fascinating lady and her family. By the end of the book I felt as if I knew them all'
Habanera Florentina
by Marco Del PasquaOtoño de 1997. Carlo, un joven huraño y solitario, se va de vacaciones a Cuba luego de romper su noviazgo. Hace poco que los restos del Che Guevara descansan en Santa Clara mientras todo el país lucha por sobrevivir a la crisis provocada por el derrumbe de la URRS y el embargo impuesto por los EEUU. En su Italia natal todavía no se perciben señales de la crisis que ese país afrontará diez años más tarde. Durante su viaje, Carlo encuentra varios personajes, sin relación alguna entre ellos, pero que le abren las puertas a un mundo de emociones expresadas en modos que le resultan totalmente desconocidos: amor, odio, celos… Un universo al que Carlo no puede sustraerse, hasta que un día conoce a Evelyn. Será ella quien, al fin. lo despertará de su aturdimiento emocional.
Habitats: Private Lives in the Big City
by Constance RosenblumThere may be eight million stories in the Naked City, but there are also nearly three million dwelling places, ranging from Park Avenue palaces to Dickensian garrets and encompassing much in between. The doorways to these residences are tantalizing portals opening onto largely invisible lives. Habitats offers 40 vivid and intimate stories about how New Yorkers really live in their brownstones, their apartments, their mansions, their lofts, and as a whole presents a rich, multi-textured portrait of what it means to make a home in the world's most varied and powerful city. These essays, expanded versions of a selection of the Habitats column published in the Real Estate section of The New York Times, take readers to both familiar and remote sections of the city--to history-rich townhouses, to low-income housing projects, to out-of-the-way places far from the beaten track, to every corner of the five boroughs--and introduce them to a wide variety of families and individuals who call New York home. These pieces reveal a great deal about the city's past and its rich store of historic dwellings. Along with exploring the deep and even mystical connections people feel to the place where they live, these pieces, taken as a whole, offer a mosaic of domestic life in one of the world's most fascinating cities and a vivid portrait of the true meaning of home in the 21st-century metropolis.
Hackensack
by Allan Petretti Theresa E. Jones Barbara J. Gooding Terry E. SellaroleHackensack rose from humble beginnings as a pre-Colonial meeting place for the Achkenheshacky people, members of the Lenni-Lenape tribe. In 1614, Dutch fur traders were the first Europeans to come to the area. Ancient footpaths served the new settlers well, and some of these paths became roads that are still in use today. The most quintessentially American of these roads, Main Street, terminates at a place known as "the Green," which provided a place to rest for a weary George Washington and his troops in 1776. It is also the site of the oldest church in Bergen County. Once a lure for New Yorkers seeking recreational outlets, Hackensack attracted many new permanent residents during the mid- to late 1800s. As the hub of Bergen County, the city led the way as the area moved away from its agrarian roots to a more industrialized society. In more recent times, Hackensack has been the birthplace of one of the seven original astronauts, home to the practice ice for three gold-medal-winning Olympic figure skaters, and a favorite lyric for singers and songwriters such as Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix, Fountains of Wayne, and Johnny Cash.
Hacklebarney and Voorhees State Parks (Images of America)
by Peter OsborneHacklebarney and Voorhees State Parks recounts the history of two beautiful natural sanctuaries at the southwestern end of New Jersey's Highlands. Managed as a single unit by the state park service, the two parks are Hacklebarney, 977 acres along the Black River corridor, and Voorhees, 640 acres of gently rolling farmland. Their stories are similar: both parks were created in the 1920s on privately donated land and were developed by the federally operated Civilian Conservation Corps. With more than two hundred unique photographs, many published here for the first time, Hacklebarney and Voorhees State Parks shows life at the CCC camps, the building of trails and roads by hand, and the repair of forests.
The Hadj: An American's Pilgrimage to Mecca
by Michael WolfeThe Hadj, or sacred journey, is the pilgrimage to the house of God at Mecca that all Muslims are asked to make once in their lifetimes. One of the world’s longest-lived religious rites, having continued without break for fourteen hundred years, it is, like all things Islamic, shrouded in mystery for Westerners. In The Hadj, Michael Wolfe, an American who converted to Islam, recounts his own journey a pilgrim, and in doing so brings readers close to the heart of what the pilgrimage means to a member of the religion that claims one-sixth of the world’s population. Not since Sir Richard Burton’s account of the pilgrimage to Mecca over one hundred years ago has a Western writer described the Hadj in such fascinating detail.
Hadriana in All My Dreams
by René DepestreLegendary Haitian author Depestre combines magic, fantasy, eroticism, and delirious humor to explore universal questions of race and sexuality. “One-of-a-kind . . . [A] ribald, free-wheeling magical-realist novel, first published in 1988 and newly, engagingly translated by Glover . . . An icon of Haitian literature serves up a hotblooded, rib-ticking, warmhearted mélange of ghost story, cultural inquiry, folk art, and véritable l’amour.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review “An exceptional novel . . . Depestre’s masterpiece and one of the greatest examples of Haitian literature.” —New York Journal of Books Hadriana in All My Dreams, winner of the prestigious Prix Renaudot, takes place primarily during Carnival in 1938 in the Haitian village of Jacmel. A beautiful young French woman, Hadriana, is about to marry a Haitian boy from a prominent family. But on the morning of the wedding, Hadriana drinks a mysterious potion and collapses at the altar. Transformed into a zombie, her wedding becomes her funeral. She is buried by the town, revived by an evil sorcerer, then disappears into popular legend. Set against a backdrop of magic and eroticism, and recounted with delirious humor, the novel raises universal questions about race and sexuality. The reader comes away enchanted by the marvelous reality of Haiti’s Vodou culture and convinced of Depestre’s lusty claim that all beings—even the undead ones—have a right to happiness and true love.
Hagerstown
by Mary H. RubinLying just north of the Potomac River in the heart of the fertile Cumberland Valley, Hagerstown, Maryland has been at the crossroads of history and commerce since its founding in 1762. Nestled between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, the city sits on a north-south path that migration, war, and commerce have traveled for centuries, while the nearby Potomac River carves out a natural path that served as a gateway to the American West. This fortunate geography influenced the growth and development of Hagerstown, the seat of Washington County, and also earned it the nickname "Hub City." The unique story of Hagerstown, captured in this volume of vintage photographs, includes not only the tales of the Civil War, the coming of the railroad, and the C&O Canal, but of the men and women who built a community and made it home. Through their perseverance and spirit, the city took shape--businesses were established, schools, hospitals, and churches erected, and neighborhoods formed. From Alsatia Mummer's parades and the Great Hagerstown Fair to the bygone days when trolleys rolled through town, the heritage of this singular city is recalled and honored in this engaging tribute.
Hairstyles of the Damned (Punk Planet Books #0)
by Joe MenoThe debut novel from Akashic's new imprint, PUNK PLANET BOOKS! Included in MTV.com's "These 17 Music-Themed YA Books Could Be Your Life" A selection of the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Program. "Meno gives his proverbial coming-of-age tale a punk-rock edge, as seventeen-year-old Chicagoan Brian Oswald tries to land his first girlfriend...Meno ably explores Brian's emotional uncertainty and his poignant youthful search for meaning...His gabby, heartfelt, and utterly believable take on adolescence strikes a winning chord." --Publishers Weekly "A funny, hard-rocking first-person tale of teenage angst and discovery." --Booklist "Captures the loose, fun, recklessness of midwestern punk." --MTV.com "Captures both the sweetness and sting of adolescence with unflinching honesty." --Entertainment Weekly "Joe Meno writes with the energy, honesty, and emotional impact of the best punk rock. From the opening sentence to the very last word, Hairstyles of the Damned held me in his grip." --Jim DeRogatis, pop music critic, Chicago Sun-Times "The most authentic young voice since J.D. Salinger's Holden Caulfield...A darn good book." --Daily Southtown "Sensitive, well-observed, often laugh-out-loud funny...You won't regret a moment of the journey." --Chicago Tribune "Meno is a romantic at heart. Not the greeting card kind, or the Harlequin paperback version, but the type who thinks, deep down, that things matter, that art can change lives." --Elgin Courier News "Funny and charming and sad and real. The adults are sparingly yet poignantly drawn, especially the fathers, who slip through without saying much but make a profound impression." --Chicago Journal "Underneath his angst, Brian, the narrator of Hairstyles of the Damned, possesses a disarming sense of compassion which allows him to worm his way into the reader's heart. It is this simple contradiction that makes Meno's portrait of adolescence so convincing: He has dug up and displayed for us the secret paradox of the teenage years, the desire to belong pitted against the need for individuality--a constant clash of hate and love." --NewPages.com "Joe Meno knows Chicago's south side the way Jane Goodall knew chimps and apes--which is to say, he really knows it. He also knows about the early '90s, punk rock, and awkward adolescence. Best of all, he knows the value of entertainment. Hairstyles of the Damned is proof positive." --John McNally, author of The Book of Ralph "Filled with references to dozens of bands and mix-tape set lists, the book's heart and soul is driven by a teenager's life-changing discovery of punk's social and political message...Meno's alter ego, Brian Oswald, is a modern-day Holden Caulfield...It's a funny, sweet, and, at times, hard-hitting story with a punk vibe." --Mary Houlihan, Chicago Sun-Times "Meno's language is rhythmic and honest, expressing things proper English never could. And you've got to hand it to the author, who pulled off a very good trick: The book is punk rock. It's not just punk rock. It's not just about punk rock; it embodies the idea of punk rock; it embodies the idea of punk--it's pissed off at authority, it won't groom itself properly, and it irritates. Yet its rebellious spirit is inspiring and right on the mark." --SF Weekly Hairstyles of the Damned is the debut novel of our Punk Planet Books imprint, which originates from Punk Planet magazine. Hairstyles of the Damned is an honest, true-life depiction of growing up punk on Chicago's south side: a study in the demons of racial intolerance, Catholic school conformism, and class repression. It is the story of the riotous exploits of Brian, a high school burnout, and his best friend, Gretchen, a punk rock girl fond of brawling. Based on the actual events surrounding a Chicago high school's segregated prom, this work of fiction unflinchingly pursues the truth in discovering what it means to be your own person.
The Hairy Hikers: A Coast-to-Coast Trek Along the French Pyrenees
by David Le VayFuelled by a mid-life crisis and the need to escape modern life, David and Rob set out to walk from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. This humorous and often poignant account of their coast-to-coast trek along the French Pyrenees, reveals the history and geography along the way and will appeal to all walkers and admirers of human endeavour.
The Hairy Hikers: A Coast-to-Coast Trek Along the French Pyrenees
by David Le VayFuelled by a mid-life crisis and the need to escape modern life, David and Rob set out to walk from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. This humorous and often poignant account of their coast-to-coast trek along the French Pyrenees, reveals the history and geography along the way and will appeal to all walkers and admirers of human endeavour.
Haiti: The God Of Tough Places, The Lord Of Burnt Men
by Herbert GoldFive decades ago, award-winning author Herbert Gold traveled to Haiti on a Caribbean version of the Fulbright Scholarship. The journey proved to be a turning point in his life. Fifty years later, his attachment to the tiny Caribbean nation-his second home-remains as passionate and powerful as ever. Now, in Best Nightmare on Earth, he explores the secret life of this vibrant, volatile, violent land. -Beautiful...bizarre...dangerous...exotic, a Garden of Eden fallen into despair, a tiny nation of unimaginable misery and unpredictable grace, an island where life is a kind of literature, a world of -unlimited impossibility.- This is Herbert Gold's Haiti, a country of extraordinary paradox and remarkable extremes-of gingerbread dream houses and wretched slums, of brutal repression and explosive creative energy. Where else, he asks, can you run into evil spirits on the back roads, or find the goddess of fertility and orgasm represented by a photo of a tap-dancing Shirley Temple? Where else is there such generosity amid such corruption, such humor in the midst of such desperation? In his many Haitian travels, Gold has dined with Graham Greene and chatted with the hated Duvalier oppressors. He has traded stories with CIA saboteurs, former Nazis, rum-soaked diplomats, and voodoo priests. He has taken in the cockfights and hunted for pirate treasure. He has nearly died of malaria; he has faced machete-wielding gangs of Ton-Ton Macoutes. He followed the traffic in Haitian blood to American hospitals and watched the AIDS epidemic take its toll. He listened to the steady beat of drums rolling down mist-shrouded mountains, and shared in the flirting, drinking, and laughter of the streets. He has captured the essence of this land where tragedy is the music the people dance to. Herbert Gold reflects on the country's history and politics, culture and folklore, but sees much more. He sees Haiti through the eyes of a lover: impassioned, jealous, probing, ever alert, and alive. This book will be of interest to travelers to, and people interested in the problems of, Haiti and the Caribbean; and collectors of Haitian art.
The Haiti Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The Latin America Readers)
by Laurent Dubois et al.While Haiti established the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere and was the first black country to gain independence from European colonizers, its history is not well known in the Anglophone world. The Haiti Reader introduces readers to Haiti's dynamic history and culture from the viewpoint of Haitians from all walks of life. Its dozens of selections—most of which appear here in English for the first time—are representative of Haiti's scholarly, literary, religious, visual, musical, and political cultures, and range from poems, novels, and political tracts to essays, legislation, songs, and folk tales. Spanning the centuries between pre-contact indigenous Haiti to the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, the Reader covers widely known episodes in Haiti's history, such as the U.S. military occupation and the Duvalier dictatorship, as well as overlooked periods such as the decades immediately following Haiti's &“second independence&” in 1934. Whether examining issues of political upheaval, the environment, or modernization, The Haiti Reader provides an unparalleled look at Haiti's history, culture, and politics.
Hakluyt's Promise: An Elizabethan's Obsession for an English America
by Peter C. MancallRichard Hakluyt the younger, a contemporary of William Shakespeare, advocated the creation of English colonies in the New World at a time when the advantages of this idea were far from self-evident. This book describes in detail the life and times of Hakluyt, a trained minister who became an editor of travel accounts. Hakluyt's Promise demonstrates his prominent role in the establishment of English America as well as his interests in English opportunities in the East Indies. The volume presents nearly 50 illustrations--many unpublished since the sixteenth century--and offers a fresh view of Hakluyt's milieu and the central concerns of the Elizabethan age. Though he never traveled farther than Paris, young Hakluyt spent much of the 1580s recording information about the western hemisphere and became an international authority on overseas exploration. The book traces his rise to prominence as a source of information and inspiration for England's policy makers, including the queen, and his advocacy for colonies in Roanoke and Jamestown. Hakluyt's thought was shaped by debates that stretched across Europe, and his interests ranged just as widely, encompassing such topics as peaceful coexistence with Native Americans, the New World as a Protestant Holy Land, and in, his later life, trade with the Spice Islands.