One of the first Melvilleans to advance what has since become known as the "theory of the two Moby-Dicks," Olson argues that there were two versions of Moby-Dick, and that Melville's reading King Lear for the first time in between the first and second versions of the book had a profound impact on his conception of the saga: "the first book did not contain Ahab," writes Olson, and "it may not, except incidentally, have contained Moby-Dick." If literary critics and reviewers at the time responded with varying degrees of skepticism to the "theory of the two Moby-Dicks," it was the experimental style and organization of the book that generated the most controversy.

    When Neil Kingsblood, a typical middle-American banker with a comfortable life, makes the shocking discovery that he has African blood, the odyssey that ensues creates an unforgettable portrayal of two Americas, one black, one white. As timely as when it was first published in 1947, one need only open today's newspaper to see the same issues passionately being discussed between blacks and whites that we find in Kingsblood Royal, says Charles Johnson. Perhaps only now can we fully appreciate Sinclair Lewis's astonishing achievement.

    Norman Beasley presents the story of Signius Wilhelm Poul Knudsen, a young man who came to the U.S. with an unshakeable faith in American opportunity, an eye for efficiency, and twenty dollars in his pocket. Four decades later, that man would become Lieutenant-General William S. Knudsen, the mind behind America’s production at the most crucial point in modern history.Knudsen began his time in American industry in the shipyards and factories, eventually landing a job as foreman in a bicycle manufacturing plant. He quickly demonstrated his skill in organizing production. Henry Ford took notice and bought the company on the condition that Knudsen come work for him. Knudsen succeeded everywhere he went, leading first Ford and later Chevrolet to dominating the automobile markets.When WWII loomed on the horizon, President Roosevelt needed the best production man in the country to give the U.S. and its allies a fighting chance; he chose Knudsen.This inspiring story shows a man who believed in and achieved the American dream, rising from rags to riches and changing not only the world of his time, but the course of history. Without Knudsen, America, and indeed the world, might have faced a much darker future.