Best of
Biography

1930

Shri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba


Govind Raghunath Dabholkar - 1930
    Gunaji. While some of the structure and references may be slightly obscure for the Western reader, what is clear is that the original English translation by N.V. Gunaji has been a core component of the spread of knowledge and devotion to Shirdi Sai Baba in the English speaking world. To help the reader with some of the obscure words and references in the Satcharitra, we have added a Glossary at the end.Who was Shirdi Sai Baba? Baba lived all his adult life in Shirdi, a small village in India. To the unknowing, He seemed a simple beggar, dressed in torn clothes, having no need for any material item. Claiming neither the Hindu nor Muslim religion, nor any religion, he lived in an abandoned Mosque with no roof and everyday took his food from a few people, making his rounds with his begging bowl, door to door.What really was happening; He was burning the karmas of everyone who came to Him, in the dhuni (Divine Fire) Baba kept burning at all times. Healing and giving guidance on every level. Hundreds of thousands of miracles are attributed to Him in His life and they have multiplied now after His Mahasamadhi. Baba left His physical form in 1918, but his Divine Energy and Intention and Power is always available and at work in the world.The Shri Sai Satcharitra is a discourse based on experiences Baba’s devotees had with Him during His life on earth and is today, almost one hundred years after He left His mortal-coil, treated as a religious text by His devotees through-out the world.

My Early Life, 1874-1904


Winston S. Churchill - 1930
    In this autobiography, Churchill recalls his childhood, his schooling, his years as a war correspondent in South Africa during the Boer War, and his first forays into politics as a member of Parliament. My Early Life not only gives readers insights into the shaping of a great leader but, as Churchill himself wrote, "a picture of a vanished age."If you want to fully understand Winston Churchill, My Early Life is essential reading.

Byron


André Maurois - 1930
    Maurois's talent is made of proportion, sanity and balance, and his style of a sure skill in the movement and order of ideas. What a picture he gives us of an age, not yet so remote but that our own grandparents or great-grandparents may have figured in it' The Times Literary Supplement

Lone Cowboy: My Life Story


Will James - 1930
    The narrative of Lone Cowboy tells how a little boy, hardly more than a baby, becomes an orphan in the West; how an old French trapper, whom the boy calls Bopy, adopts him and takes him on his long, long hunts; how when he is hardly more than a little boy, Bopy is lost in an icy river and the child, heartbroken, rides down into the prairie region alone--on his own. James gives a complete and varied idea of how a cowboy lives as he moves toward his remote objective: becoming an artist. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Theatre Street


Tamara Karsavina - 1930
    Her recreation of those days, with Diaghilev, Benois, Bakst, and Roerich working in one room and Stravinsky and Fokine squabbling next door, is simply yet effectively contrived. The story ends with grim recollections of Russia at war and then in the grip of revolution, and Karsavina's own dramatic escape to England. Diaghilev died after Karsavina had finished writing her book, but this edition reproduces an addition chapter of her memories and impressions of this great man of the theatre.

The Reminiscences of a Marine


John A. Lejeune - 1930
     His autobiography recalls his childhood in Louisiana as the son of a Confederate Officer, his education at Louisiana State University and his entrance into the Naval Academy. Upon joining the Marine Corps in 1890, Lejeune’s career took him to Europe, Mexico, Cuba and the Philippines. In addition to detailed account of military events, Lejeune provides an insightful record of the lives of the people he encountered, making his book an important source for early twentieth century history. Stationed in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, he assumed command of the Marine Corps of the U.S.S Cincinnati. With the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914 and the U.S. declaration in 1917, Lejeune saw it as his duty to fight for his country and fought tooth and nail, first to be stationed in France and then to increase the numbers of Marines serving on the ground in Europe and to push for the formation of a dedicated Marine division. Reporting to General Pershing, he assumed command of a brigade in the 32nd Division and in July 1918, becoming only the second Marine to obtain such a position in the Army, he was given the command of the 2nd Infantry Division of the American Expeditionary Force, remaining in this post until the cessation of war. As Commander of the 2nd Division, he oversaw the famous victories at the Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge and Meuse-Argonne. His division was commended for its exemplary performance in WWI: it was awarded the Croix des Guerre three times and personally praised by General Pershing. On his return to the States, Lejeune was appointed Commandant of the Marine Corps. His memoir is a compelling insight into the career of one of the greatest U.S. Marines. “There is no doubt that the modern Marine Corps can trace its roots to Major General Lejeune. He was a skilled soldier, a visionary, and a leader of uncommon talent whose decisions, guidance and foresight are still being felt by today’s Marines.” — Historical Studies John Archer Lejeune (January 10, 1867 – November 20, 1942) was a United States Marine Corps lieutenant general and the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Lejeune had nearly 40 years service in the Marine Corps including commanding the U.S. Army's 2nd Division during World War I. His book The Reminiscences of a Marine was first published in 1930.

Education Of A Princess A Memoir By Marie, Grand Duchess Of Russia


Marie, Grand Duchess of Russia - 1930
    Translated from the French and Russian under the editorial supervision of Russell Lord. To clarify the confusing Romanov family: this Marie was the granddaughter of Czar Alexander II, the daughter of Grand Duke Paul, and the cousin of Tsar Nicholas. Her brother, Prince Dmitri, was one of the plotters against Rasputin. He was exiled for that, to the Persian frontier, which saved his life when the roundup of the Imperial family began. These are the memoirs of her childhood, a glittering version of solitary confinement, and young adult life. Her father was banished for marrying without the Czar's permission, which left Marie and her brother to be brought up by her uncle, the military governor of Moscow. After her uncle's assassination in 1905, her aunt arranged a marriage with a Swedish prince whom Marie saw a few times before the wedding. The marriage was disastrous, and a divorce was arranged, quickly and quietly. Marie's young son stayed in Sweden. Charity was an acceptable occupation for the women of the aristocracy, but Marie became a qualified nurse and spent much of the early part of WWI in field hospitals. The last part of the book contains her account of the final tense days of the Romanovs, her second marriage, and her escape through the Ukraine.

The Life and Times of Rembrandt van Rijn


Hendrik Willem van Loon - 1930
    Van Loon gives us the thrilling story of the great artist whose famous signature R.V.R. on any picture makes it priceless. He tells about the son of a Dutch miller who rose to fame, who tasted the fruits of success and prosperity and sank to the trials of bankruptcy and utter want. A lavish spender, a generous giver, a constant friend to all in need, he found himself alone when he needed friends most. Six drunken grave diggers lowered his cheap coffin into the earth. The book is full of high spirit, eager thinking, laughter, scorn, reason, kindness, observation, shrewdness, courage, love of adventure, confidence in processes of the mind, and interest in the methods of the heart.

Edison As I Know Him


Henry Ford - 1930
    Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

The Way of a Transgressor


Negley Farson - 1930
    Farson had something to prove: His aristocratic family lost its fortune and he had to make his own. He wanted everything in life, and he pretty nearly got it.Farson was in France during the first war, in Russia during the revolution. He lived on a houseboat in British Columbia, fished the Caucasus, sold stories to keep alive. He was on a first name basis with most of the men who made headlines under Wilson, Hoover and Roosevelt.

Salah-Ud-Din Ayubi


Muhammad Yusuf Abbasi - 1930
    This book is the best available translation of Harold Lamb's "The Crusades: The Flame of Islam".It also contains the note on original author and on Salah Uddin Ayubi.For Urdu reader convenience, translator has added many explaining footnotes.

Walter Rathenau: His Life and Work


Harry Graf Kessler - 1930
    It details the life and work of the German industrialist and politician Walter Rathenau. This fascinating work is thoroughly recommended for inclusion on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the history of early twentieth century Europe. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Houdini's Escapes and Magic


Walter B. Gibson - 1930
    Prepared by Walter Gibson after Houdini's death in 1926, from the magicians private notebook and memoranda, and with the assistance of his widow, Beatrice, and his friend and attorney, Bernard M. L. Ernst, then President of the Society of American Magicians, these books provide the most complete description available of Houdini's feats and how he performed them. In effect, these are the books that Houdini himself would have written, if only he had lived long enough. Here are the details of the spectacular illusions: Walking Through a Brick Wall, The Spanish Maiden Escape, The Milk Can Challenge, and many more such marvelous feats. Special topics covered in the first volume include rope ties and chain releases, underwater escapes, and box, trunk, barrel and coffin escapes. In learning about his escapes, the reader will also learn about Houdini himself. As Melbourne Christopher, America's foremost illusionist, writes: "It will soon become apparent to the reader that though Houdini was daring, he never took an uncalculated risk. He would not accept a challenge unless he was sure he could meet it. He was physically fit, an athlete and a strong swimmer . Yet his assistants were poised to rescue him if he didn't surface on schedule from an underwater box. A dozen less careful performers would have been drowned or seriously injured because they attempted this feat without sufficient knowledge or without taking necessary precautions. The second volume on Houdini's magic includes sections on impromptu tricks for close up performance; card tricks; slate tricks; message-reading and second-sight tricks; platform tricks; stage illusions and special effects (including a mid-air vanish and decapitation act); tricks that Houdini used to duplicate the effects of fraudulent mediums in his anti-spiritualistic campaigns and finally the notes Houdini made on the magic of the great Harry Kellar. All magicians, professional as well as amateur, will welcome the republication of these two classic books. WALTER GIBSON, after completing Houdini's Escapes and Houdini's Magic, turned to fiction writing, creating the famed mystery character of Lamont Cranston, also known as The Shadow. Under the pen name of Maxwell Grant, he wrote novel-length stories for The Shadow Magazine for more than fifteen years. These novels were adapted for The Shadow radio program and today they are being reprinted in paperback and hard-cover editions. Under his own name, Mr. Gibson has written The Master Magicians and many other books in the fields of magic, games and the occult.