With Barely TWO NICKELS To Rub Together is a straight-forward American story, both interesting and instructive, that is neither simple nor complex. It puts a face to the success of a small company that built commercial fishing vessels that were the pride of the fleet during the 1970s. It is a story about how a person’s word once given is a contract, and much more.
“It shouldn’t be surprising that I became fascinated by a new book that recently crossed my path. In With Barely Two Nickels to Rub Together, author Bo Shindler tells the remarkable story of Ed Freeman and his son Dugie, who in the 1970s in Gold Beach, Oregon, would build the largest aluminum commercial fishing boat constructed in the United States. It is a colorful story that blends all that was and is iconic about life on the Oregon coast — timber, fishing, boats, the call of the Pacific, creativity, persistence, colorful personalities, and hard work. At 350 pages with 280 photographs and illustrations, it is a true coffee table book that will provide many hours of enjoyment.”—Kerry Tymchuk, Executive Director, Oregon Historical Society
More than nine million soldiers died in World War I. At the same time, a US-led effort saved nearly ten million civilians from starvation behind the lines during the German occupation, yet one of America’s greatest humanitarian efforts is virtually unknown today. In this gripping book, Jeffrey B. Miller tells the remarkable history of two American and Belgian citizen-created organizations that led a massive food relief program for civilians trapped in German-occupied Belgium and northern France.
Herbert Hoover, then a successful international businessman, was the driving force behind the effort, coercing and bullying the governments of Germany, Great Britain, France, and the United States to allow a group of idealistic young volunteers to organize in occupied Belgium and coordinate the distribution of tons of food and clothing to desperate Belgians. These crusaders, known as CRB delegates, had to maintain strict neutrality as they watched the Belgians suffer under the harsh German regime. Miller tells compelling stories of German brutality, Belgian relief efforts, and the idealistic Americans who went into German-occupied Belgium from October 1914 up to May 1917, when they were forced to leave after the April entry into the war of the United States.
Winner History: United States 2021 Best Book Awards
Finalist History: General 2021 Best Book Awards
Finalist History: Military 2021 Best Book Awards
The small things that had great historical consequences…
“Heart-stopping, compelling, and fun!”—Win Blevins, New York Times Bestselling Author
How often does it happen that a single tiny mistake causes an entire civilization to collapse? More often than you think! Readers of Jared Knott's book, Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters, will be amazed at the little things that changed history in a big way. Here are a few examples:
A single document poorly designed by one single clerk in one single county changed the outcome of a presidential election and led directly to a major war.
A soldier accidentally kicks a helmet off of the top of a wall and causes an empire to collapse.
A small mechanical device several inches long fails to function, which changes the outcome of WWII and leads to the death of millions of people.
A man fails to gather his army in time to defend against an attack because of the temptation of opium and a young slave woman.
Educated at Valley Forge Military Academy, Dorgan is well prepared for life in the US Navy when he is forward deployed halfway around the world to the USS Midway. But he soon learns life aboard an aircraft carrier can be full of danger and chaos as the ship nicknamed the "USS Never Dock" undertakes an emergency Indian Ocean deployment to relieve the crippled aircraft carrier USS Ranger in 1979 and becomes activated as the first carrier battle group "on station" in the Arabian Sea following the fall of the US embassy in Iran later that same year.
Dorgan quickly turns his job into an adventure that pays very well. With a general court-martial looming, he and his shipmates continue to add adventure and excitement to their "tour of duty," both on and off the boat-until one night, when an unexpected turn puts an end to it all.
A bet between WWII commanders. An Eagle Scout from Tennessee assigned to pilot one of the greatest leaders of the Allied Forces. This is the story of how young Captain Richard Evans became the B-17 "Flying Fortress" pilot for Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, Commander of the British 8th Army, during missions throughout North Africa and Italy.
Filled with humor and humility, Evans’ recollections of cadet training, combat missions and experiences with the “top brass” provide a fascinating first-hand account of a World War II pilot in both the Mediterranean and Pacific Theaters of Operations. Woven throughout the chapters, Evans interrupts his personal narrative of war to recall pivotal childhood moments with friends and family and as a Boy Scout in the Smoky Mountains. Nicknamed for his over-eagerness as a cadet, “Richard Eager” shares his stories with great optimism for the future and poignant reflections on growing up.
Imagine a non-partisan presidential history spanning Warren G. Harding to Donald Trump that never mentions Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative.
Rather than politics, WE THE PRESIDENTS focuses on the issues which affect Americans today. Soaring inflation, resurgent nativism, income inequality, budget deficits, the Ukraine crisis and other critical issues, all have their roots in presidential administrations over the past century.
Jerry Naftaly pays tribute to author Esther Meeks and her classic 1959 children's book, The Hill That Grew. This 60th Anniversary Edition reproduces the original illustrations and adds newspaper articles and photos from the 1960s to 2019.
Original illustrations from the 1959 book have been reproduced. This is the true story of how the hill in Oak Park, Michigan was formed by dumping the dirt from excavated basements of the new homes in the 1950s.
When the Northland Mall opened in Michigan on March 22, 1954, it was the worlds largest shopping center. Its innovative design was the vision of architect Victor Gruen and the Webbers, nephews of Joseph Lowthian Hudson and executives of the J.L. Hudson Company. Northland featured Hudsons flagship suburban store surrounded by other businesses selling a variety of merchandise and services. More than just a shopping destination, Northland Mall was a total experience of activity and relaxation, with colorful courtyards displaying sculptures such as the famous The Boy and Bear.
From the Author: "Let me offer an early disclaimer. I know exactly who the Founders were. I know exactly the crimes against humanity that they were responsible for and those they inherited and were not responsible for. I do not spend time extolling the virtues of Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Adams, Mr. Franklin, and Mr. Madison. Nothing in this work or in my experiment (my life's work) can change the fact or alter the history of the debasement of humanity that preceded the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Constitution (1787), and the Bill of Rights (1791) they were a part of and the obvious fact that the major accomplishment of the Founders' theories about self-government did not apply to African Americans and Native Americans, women, and specifically Black women in their thinking.
Still, there exists in their theological imagination infinite hope for their experiment. This work seeks to identify the evidence that shows and suggests that some of them were aware of a grand architectural experiment and design for the nation and its future.
Every cracked, broken, and imperfect vessel can be used to bring forward hope. I am a personal witness to this fact of human existence."
From the movements of the spheres to the slipperiness of relativity, the story of science unfolds through the fascinating history of humanity’s efforts to keep time.
Our modern lives are ruled by clocks and watches, smartphone apps and calendar programs. While our gadgets may be new, however, the drive to measure and master time is anything but—and in A Brief History of Timekeeping, Chad Orzel traces the path from Stonehenge to your smartphone.
Predating written language and marching on through human history, the desire for ever-better timekeeping has spurred technological innovation and sparked theories that radically reshaped our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
A history of the ever popular “Y” camp at Bear Lake New York which existed from 1928 until 1975. How the Camp came into existence. It’s earliest leaders and counselors. Camper’s recollections of their time at Camp. Includes memories of camp food, songs, crafts, swimming tests and cross-Lake swims for extra scoops of ice cream. Memories of summer life in tents, learning the correct way to canoe, jumping off the tower, taking star walks, eating Congo Bars and more. An oral history and local history combined with great remembrances of summer fun at an iconic camp.
Discover the untold story of the “tractor wars,” the twenty-year period that introduced power farming—the most fundamental change in world agriculture in hundreds of years.
Before John Deere, Ford, and International Harvester became icons of American business, they were competitors in a forgotten battle for the farm. From 1908-1928, against the backdrop of a world war and economic depression, these brands were engaged in a race to introduce the tractor and revolutionize farming.
Captain Ed (Edwin D. Armbruster) lived a fascinating life as he flew thousands of hours over the jungles of Panama and the Carribean in single engine planes. Over seven hundred students called him their instructor as he piloted them from Atlantic to Pacific over and along the Panama Canal, through Panama, Central and South America. Beginning with the halcyon days of Canal Zone life and navigating more troubled times as the drug wars escalated, adventure calls on every page.
Strike Hard and Expect No Mercy is the story of boots on the ground in Iraq, as seen through the eyes of a tank platoon leader. Baqubah, on the eve of the Surge, and Sadr City, during the spring uprising of 2008, saw some of the darkest hours of the war. A tough dragon, the M1A2 Abrams tank and its crews were often called to crack the toughest nuts on the battlefield, and victory, even survival, was not guaranteed. It is a gritty and visceral dive into the combat experience, flavored with the anguish of loss, the exhilaration of victories, the frustrations of defeats, and the humor required to survive. Along the way, the story shares rarely told insights into the duties and expectations of an Army junior officer.
The Moroccan city of Fez, founded in the ninth century CE, is one of the most precious urban jewels of Islamic civilization. For more than 40 years Titus Burckhardt worked to document and preserve the artistic and architectural heritage of Fez in particular and Morocco in general. These newly translated lectures, delivered while Burckhardt was living and working in Fez, explore how the historic city can be preserved without turning it from a living organism into a dead museum-city, and how it can be adapted and updated using the values that gave birth to the city and its way of life. Aided by photographs and sketches made during the course of his lifetime, Burckhardt conveys what it means to be a living Islamic city.
Born in Lebanon, Marlene Zaedyan is a descendant of the Armenian people who fled Turkey during the Armenian Genocide. Zaedyan lived through the Lebanese Civil War and suffered through many hardships over the course of her formative years. In her autobiography, Nine Lives, Endless Dreams, Zaedyan narrates the violence and trauma of a childhood interrupted and displaced by war. "I want to educate readers on the horrors of the war and the genocide that took place in Lebanon as well as illuminate present day struggles," says Mrs. Zaedyan. "I want to bring awareness to the Armenian Genocide that took place from 1914 to 1923.
Despite the ugliness of the war, Zaedyan still believes life is full of beauty and mystery. "Life is really good in spite of its challenges," says Mrs. Zaedyan. "The key is knowing how to react to adversity." Zaedyan hopes to inspire readers to overcome adversity through grit and resilience.
March 1, 2021, Peace Corps turns sixty. Its mission—to teach a skill and to spread the Peace Corps brand of goodwill around the world—still resonates. In No Greater Service, author Alvin J. Hower highlights its relevance yesterday, today, and the years to come.
This memoir offers a stirring, personal, vivid, and action-packed account of a Peace Corps volunteer’s remarkable life in the underserved areas of the southern Philippines. With curiosity, empathy, and wry humor, Hower creates a distinct Peace Corps photo memoir. An avid photographer, he produced more than 5,000 images of everyday people and the awe-inspiring beauty of a nation of 7,641 islands. He was a teacher and social worker in General Santos City, and a management consultant for a mission school in the remote mountains of Lake Sebu, Surallah, working and living with the indigenous T’boli people featured in the August 1971 National Geographic Magazine.
Finalist History: United States 2021 Best Book Awards
Do Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms? Or is this power vested solely in government? Recent years have seen a sea change in scholarship on the Second Amendment. Beginning in the 1960s, a view emerged that individuals had a “right” to bear arms only in militia service—a limited, "collective" right. But in the late 1980s Dr. Stephen Halbrook and a handful of other scholars began producing an altogether persuasive analysis that changed thinking on the matter, so that today, even in canonical textbooks, bearing arms is acknowledged as an individual right.
Stephen Halbrook’s The Founders’ Second Amendment is the first book-length account of the origins of the Second Amendment, based on the Founders’ own statements as found in newspapers, correspondence, debates, and resolutions. Dr. Halbrook investigates the period from 1768 to 1826, from the last years of British rule and the American Revolution through to the adoption of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the passing of the Founders’ generation. His book offers the most comprehensive analysis of the arguments behind the drafting and adoption of the Second Amendment, and the intentions of the men who created it.
Under the orders of French Emperor Napoleon III, French troops arrive in Mexico in 1861 with a dual purpose: to help the Confederacy win the war against the United States and to conquer Mexico. As President Benito Juárez suspends payment of Mexico's foreign debts, the French drop their façade of debt negotiations and head for Puebla, where they are soundly defeated in their attempt to capture the city.
The French withdraw from their stunning setback and spend the summer of 1862 nursing their wounds and awaiting reinforcements in Orizaba. This gives the Mexicans ample time to highly fortify Puebla against a future attack. During spring of 1863 French troops head for Puebla and Mexico City in what they hope will be a pair of easy victories.
It is August 1990, and Iraq has just invaded Kuwait, setting off a chain reaction of events leading up to the first Gulf War. Vicki Cody’s husband, the commander of an elite Apache helicopter battalion, is deployed to Saudi Arabia—and for the next nine months they have to rely on written letters in order to stay connected.
From Vicki’s narrative and journal entries, the reader gets a very realistic glimpse of what it is like for the spouses and families back home during a war, in particular what it was like at a time when most people did not own a personal computer and there was no Internet—no iPhones, no texting, no tweeting, no Facetime. Her writing also illuminates the roller coaster of stress, loneliness, sleepless nights, humor, joys, and, eventually, resilience, that make up her life while her husband is away. Meanwhile, Dick’s letters to her give the reader a front row seat to the unfolding of history, the adrenaline rush of flying helicopters in combat, his commitment to his country, and his devotion to his family back home. Together, these three components weave a clear, insightful, and intimate story of love and its power to sustain us.
This is the story of an American C-47 ‘Dakota’ pilot who earned three Air Medals, seven Battle Stars and flew twenty-seven combat missions during the Second World War. As a young U.S. pilot, Harry Watson, arrived in Britain as the Battle of Normandy was reaching its crescendo. Thrown immediately into the fray, Harry, along with more than 200 aircraft, set off to carry supplies to the troops fighting in France. But with visibility reduced to zero, the aircraft were ordered to turn back – all did except Harry, who successfully delivered his life-saving cargo of blood and US Army nurses.
Harry continued to take risks, which resulted in many hair-raising episodes. This included almost being caught on the ground, while on an urgent fuel resupply mission for a platoon of General Patton’s tanks, by a German Mk.IV panzer and a battalion of supporting infantry.
Van Slayden trained on the PT-3 kilte-like biplane in 1937, but he learned fighter pilot operations flying “by the seat of his pants,” walking away from five crashes. Shortly after the invasion of Normandy, he landed on Utah Beach to help establish a US Army Air Forces’ (AAF’s) presence in Europe. He flew the P-47 Thunderbolt, a fighter-bomber, in combat over Northern France and commanded the 36th Fighter Group—the “Fightin’ 36th— at Batogne, St. Vith, the Bridgehead at Remagen, Operations Grenade, Clarion, Varsity and other missions. His 22nd Fighter Squadron was the first in the AAF to land voluntarily on German soil. Unfortunately, one of his pilots attacked a friendly aircraft, killing the pilot.
He was deep into Germany when the Nazis surrendered on May 8, 1945, which was remarkably anticlimactic. Van Slayden, a country boy from rural Tennessee, like so many of his contemporaries, stepped up to the challenge as part of the Greatest Generation.
Operation Market Garden: Airborne Invasion of the Netherlands guides visitors to the battlefields of a daring plan for the largest airborne drop in the Second World War. Three Airborne Divisions (American 82nd and 101st and British 1st) parachuted behind enemy lines to capture and hold key river and canal bridges. An armored column raced across the Netherlands on a single narrow highway to secure the crossings. The effort was defeated at the critical bridge in Arnhem resulting in the destruction of the British 1st Airborne Division. The guide provides battle summaries, descriptions of museums, relics, battlefield locations, driving and in-city walking tour routes complete with GPS co-ordinates, and individual stories of men engaged in combat.
Finalist History: United States 2021 Best Book Awards
A Second Reckoning tells the story of John Snowden, a Black man accused of the murder of a pregnant white woman in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1917. He refused to confess despite undergoing torture, was tried—through legal shenanigans—by an all-white jury, and was found guilty on circumstantial evidence and sentenced to death. Despite hair-raising, last-minute appeals to spare his life, Snowden was hanged for the crime. But decades after his death, thanks to tireless efforts by interested citizens and family members who believed him a victim of a “legal lynching,” Snowden was pardoned posthumously by the governor of Maryland in 2001.
Finalist History: United States 2021 Best Book Awards
The truth is, if you don't know your history, you lose your civilization and your culture. If the primary history that African-American children are taught boils down to “we came from slaves,” we not only lose the rich complexity that is African-American history, but we start children off with a “less than equal” subtlety that disengages them from wanting to learn their history or to be a part of system which stands for principals of justice and equality but yet lives according to a much different system, one of corruption and profits at all cost. This needs to change.
Finalist History: United States 2021 Best Book Awards
For more than four decades beginning in 1944, the Hanford nuclear weapons facility in southeastern Washington State secretly blanketed much of the Pacific Northwest with low-dose ionizing radiation, the byproduct of plutonium production. For those who lived in the vicinity, many of them families of Hanford workers, the consequences soon became apparent as rates of illness and death steadily climbed—despite repeated assurances from the Atomic Energy Commission that the facility posed no threat. Trisha T. Pritikin, who has battled a lifetime of debilitating illness to become a lawyer and advocate for her fellow “downwinders,” tells the devastating story of those who were harmed in Hanford’s wake and, seeking answers and justice, were subjected to yet more suffering.
At the center of The Hanford Plaintiffs are the oral histories of twenty-four people who joined In re Hanford Nuclear Reservation Litigation, the class-action suit that sought recognition of, and recompense for, the grievous injury knowingly caused by Hanford. Radioactive contamination of American communities was not uncommon during the wartime Manhattan Project, nor during the Cold War nuclear buildup that followed. Pritikin interweaves the stories of people poisoned by Hanford with a parallel account of civilians downwind of the Nevada atomic test site, who suffer from identical radiogenic diseases.
Finalist History: United States 2021 Best Book Awards
This book is about Billy the Kid's trial for murder, and the events leading to that trial. The result of Billy's trial sealed his fate. And yet Billy's trial is the least written about, and until this book, the least known event of Billy's adult life.
Prior biographies have provided extensive - and fascinating - details on Billy's life, but they supply only a few paragraphs on Billy's trial. Just the bare facts: time, place, names, result.
The information presented here has been unknown until now.
Finalist History: United States 2021 Best Book Awards
This book has been awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Illinois State Historical Society.
Moral treatment, the vogue of early American psychology, freed the mentally ill of their chains. They were, however, still relegated to separate institutions, commonly called asylums, for at least a brief respite from the stressors that were thought to cause their madness. Did it work? Were the patients actually treated more humanely? The Untold History of the First Illinois State Hospital for the Insane tells the stories of the people who were subjected to this new treatment on the American Frontier. As author Dr. Joe Squillace shows, the institution first had great difficulty in getting established, but the town of Jacksonville, Illinois, where the Hospital was built, rallied to make it a more humane and person-centered institution. The Hospital’s leaders, too, attempted, within the constraints of their time, to treat their patients with respect. But, at a time when mental illness was still not well understood some patients were tortured and imprisoned, even though they were not insane, even by 19th century standards. What is revealed in Untold History is an institution that struggled, much like today’s institutions do, to address the needs of those living with mental illness, in a culture that did not understand it fully.
