Best of
Historical

1981

Good Night, Mr. Tom


Michelle Magorian - 1981
    Timid, scrawny Willie Beech -- the abused child of a single mother -- is evacuated to the English countryside. At first, he is terrified of everything, of the country sounds and sights, even of Mr. Tom, the gruff, kindly old man who has taken him in. But gradually Willie forgets the hate and despair of his past. He learns to love a world he never knew existed, a world of friendship and affection in which harsh words and daily beatings have no place. Then a telegram comes. Willie must return to his mother in London. When weeks pass by with no word from Willie, Mr. Tom sets out for London to look for the young boy he has come to love as a son.

Follow the River


James Alexander Thom - 1981
    For months, she lived with them, unbroken, until she escaped, and followed a thousand mile trail to freedom--an extraordinary story of a pioneer woman who risked her life to return to her people.

Creation


Gore Vidal - 1981
    -- and embellishes it with his own ironic humor, brilliant insights, and piercing observations. We meet a vast array of historical figures in a staggering novel of love, war, philosophy, and adventure . . . "There isn't a page of CREATION that doesn't inform and very few pages that do not delight."-- John Leonard, The New York Times

Zemindar


Valerie Fitzgerald - 1981
    A magnificent love story unfolds against a backdrop of exotic splendor and stirring deeds as a young Englishwoman Laura Hewitt journeys to the East to the fabled fiefdom of the Zemindar, Guardian of the Earth.

The Flames of Rome


Paul L. Maier - 1981
    A capital city awash with corruption, sensuality, and political intrigue is at the flash point. And caught between the crushing currents of history are a new but growing religious group known as the followers of The Way.Award-winning historian and best-selling author Paul L. Maier has created a compelling style of documentary fiction, using only known historical events and persons to bring to life first-century Rome in all its excess, treachery, and insanity. This is the Rome that the apostle Paul visits, where he’s placed on trial, and which is forever changed by his testimony and witness. Maier takes readers into the courtroom of imperial justice and into the homes of the people struggling with the new faith they’ve encountered to answers questions such as:-How did Christianity first reach Rome?-Why did Paul have to wait two years for trial and was he condemned or set free?-Why does the New Testament account in Acts end so abruptly?-Who set fire to Rome and why did Nero persecute Christians so horribly?Following the family of Flavius Sabinus, mayor of Rome under Nero Maier captures all the drama and tension of the political conflicts that precede and follow the Great Fire of Rome, and the epic political and religious clashes of the world’s capital. This is the sensational story of pagans at their worst—and Christians at their best. Readers won’t want to put it down.

The Tiger's Woman


Celeste De Blasis - 1981
    She came to San Francisco in flight from a secret so shattering, a man so dangerous, that no disguise could long shield her. Then she met Jason Drake--The Tiger--lover, gambler, empire builder, the one man whose power offered sanctuary.Bound by a cold bargain, she would follow him to the majestic isolation of the San Juan Islands. There, slowly, she could learn to be free...a tenuous love could grow-until the past caught up with them and set their world aflame, testing the very special love of...The Tiger's Woman

The Black Mountains


Janet Tanner - 1981
    Charlotte, James and their seven children are independent spirits, united by strong family values.Living in a mining community is never easy, and when the shadow of impending war threatens, they must pull together to face the hardship to come. Can this close-knit family overcome whatever tragedy life throws at them?The Black Mountains, a moving saga of love, happiness and heartbreak, is perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Katie Flynn. ‘Sensitive and exceptionally polished’ Manchester Evening News The Hillsbridge Sagas The Black Mountains The Emerald Valley The Hills and the Valley A Family Affair

The Long Masquerade


Madeleine Brent - 1981
    She is without pretext and assumes that a bright future awaits her as the bride of the wealthy Oliver Foy. Too soon she discovers that her life is a masquerade and pretense her only salvation. No one is whom he or she appears to be.Brushing against the concealed identities and hidden motives of others, Emma quickly acquires secrets of her own. When murder compels Emma to flee her husband's Jamaican plantation, she and her faithful friend find sanctuary wandering the Caribbean. Tragedy cuts short their ocean idyll and delivers Emma from her sea roamings. Once again, she adopts another name, another home, another appearance.

Once upon a Summer


Janette Oke - 1981
    He's a twelve-year-old orphan being raised by his eighteen-year-old aunt. When Grandpa and Uncle Charlie start making plans to find Auntie Lou a husband-and take away the only mother Josh has ever known-he knows something has to be done. His family has shaped the young man he has become. Now, as he grows into manhood, he begins to face important questions about life, love, and faith. How can he find his way when his whole world threatens to come apart?Trying desperately to cling to the life he's always had, Josh does what he can to keep his aunt single. But when a preacher comes along, Josh sees that things are going to get complicated.This heartwarming story is full of love, humor, and inspiring faith.

Banners of Silk


Rosalind Laker - 1981
    Louise Vemet. Raised in the slums of Paris. Coming of age around the splendor and corruption of the Second Empire. She ruled the world of fashion, clothing the most fabled women of title and of pleasure in a society where even sin had to have style. She took as her lover a nobleman she could never wed -- and gave a name to their child by entering into a passionless marriage. Sweeping from the Paris of Louis Napoleon to the England of Queen Victoria... and from the depths of despair to the heights of joy and fulfillment... this is the unforgettable saga of a woman of daring and destiny -- and the dazzling world of French haute couture she helped create....

Some Brief Folly


Patricia Veryan - 1981
    And though Miss Euphemia (Mia) Buchanan liked them all, love was simply not in the picture.But the accident was to change all that. The accident that had almost killed her and her brother. Suddenly Mia found herself convalescing at Dominer, the ancestral home of the infamous Garret Hawkhurst, who, rumor had it, had murdered his wife and son--and for whom Mia had developed a dangerous tenderness.

The Midwife


Gay Courter - 1981
    She fought her own doubts and fears as she plunged into a forbidden love affair and an even more hazard-filled marriage. She fought the awesome odds facing a Jewish immigrant and the bitter hostility of male doctors in turn-of-the-century New York. She fought for her burning dreams and desires. She fought and she won.This magnificent novel follows the courageous and passionate Hannah Blau from the corridors of the Imperial Palace to the Lower East Side and finally to New York's Fifth Avenue mansions - recreating a whole new world of striving, of love, of lust, of life, death and birth.

The Old Priory


Norah Lofts - 1981
    Now it belonged to Arthur Tresize, a returning seaman who purchased the house, the land -- and his fate, with gold ill-gotten from a noblewoman veiled in mystery.Tresize and his family grew richer with each passing year. But strange mishaps and tragic misfortunes befell them with the vengeance of a curse unheeded. Death, betrayal, madness, heartbreak, and murderous hatreds worked their evil through three generations. Until the family's pride and prosperity and all they had built were as broken dreams in the dust.Yet in a young man's passion for a beautiful woman was the promise that the sorrow haunting the Old Priory might now give way to the joy of love.

The Luck of Huemac


Daniel J. Peters - 1981
    Spanning a century of Aztec history, this account documents the rise and fall of the Aztec civilization by focusing on three powerful men, particularly Huemac, who faces the marauding Spaniards led by Cortez.

There's an Enemy Sub in Potter's Pond


George D. Durrant - 1981
    After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Jake learns the meaning of friendship, courage, and loyalty when public opinion threatens his friendship with a young Japanese.

Woodwright's Workbook: Further Explorations in Traditional Woodcraft


Roy Underhill - 1981
    Creator of the popular PBS series The Woodwright's Shop, Roy has inspired millions--from professional craftsman to armchair woodworker--with his talent, knowledge, and enthusiasm. Roy returns here with his third book. The Woodwright's Workbook features step-by-step instructions for a selection of projects from his television series. All projects are illustrated with photographs and measured drawings. Included here are plans for tool chests, workbenches, lathes, and historical reproductions of items for the home: a six-board chest, rustic chairs with cattail seats, a churn for the kitchen, and the Rittenhouse hygrometer. Roy also explores building barns, forges, boats, and even colonial fortresses. A wonderful feature of this book is Roy's own translation of the humorous fifteenth-century poem The Debate of the Carpenter's Tools. He also provides a fascinating and useful 'field guide' to American tool marks that shows how to identify the specific tool used by the marks it left. Whether Roy is an old friend or a new acquaintance, let him be your guide to the world of traditional woodworking.

Hers the Kingdom


Shirley Streshinsky - 1981
    It was here, with her handsome aristocratic husband, Owen, and her crippled sister Lena, that Willa would build her empire.The Malibu, where the mountains meet the sea. A sprawling ranch pounded by the raging Pacific, it would grow to shelter the generations of a might California dynasty.Willa's dynasty. Through the boom days of the railroads, from the dance halls of San Francisco, to the revolutionary fires of China, through the bitter losses of war and the terrible secrets of a forbidden love, Willa would fight. For pride, for passion, for her children and her men...for the vast cherished acres of the Malibu, her kingdom, her home, her destiny.Like GONE WITH THE WIND and THE THORN BIRDS, a once-in-adecade story that will sweep you away into another woman's life.

Woodwright's Companion: Exploring Traditional Woodcraft


Roy Underhill - 1981
    This volume features chapters on helves and handles, saws, the search for the whetstone quarry, crow chasers and turkey calls, hurdles, whimmy diddles, snaplines and marking gauges, candle stands, planes, window sash, riven shingles, and pit sawing. The final chapter offers a glimpse of traditional woodworking techniques still used by the Colonial Williamsburg housewrights. More than 260 photographs complement the text.

Unconquered


Bertrice Small - 1981
    Except Jared Dunham. Betrothed to this wildcat in a pact that allowed Miranda to remain mistress of her ancestral home off the New England coast, the roguish merchant adventurer turns his wife’s burning rage to searing ecstasy as he fires her most wanton desires.But time are dangerous - Napoleon is plundering the continents and seas. Miranda’s spirited ways and breathtaking sensuality will plunge her into perilous escapades of brutality and erotic discovery - from the war torn Crimea and the savage slave breeding farm to a terrifying capture and grueling trek to Istanbul.

Dear Fred


K.M. Peyton - 1981
    To Laura's parents, her passionate hero-worship was an embarrassment. The only people who understood her feelings were Uncle Harry and his strange protege, Tiger, a runaway boy with a lithe body and fiery nature who kissed Laura secretly behind the stable door.

Sun Dancer's Passion


Karen A. Bale - 1981
    He saw the arrival of the gun, the horse, the buffalo. He watched his tribe change from peace-loving farmers to savage hunters. And he remembered how Sweet Medicine, the beloved prophet, had predicted thatSUN DANCER would become a legend in her times Even as a child his daughter was special...bright, beautiful, breath-taking. And as she grew, an aura of magnificence surrounded her - an enchanting, spell-binding radiance She shunned all the braves who wanted her, waiting for the one man she truly loved...STALKING HORSE, who was the strongest and most desirable of the tribe. From the time they were children, they shared everything...laughter, love, loyalty. But innocence gave way to passion...and betrayal. Would their relationship ever survive the ultimate sin?

In The Dark Of The Moon


Christopher Kenworthy - 1981
    With nothing left in the world, he is left with no choice but to forge a new life as a sailor in Nelson's Navy. A brutal life at sea in the midst of a terrible war awaits him. Leaving his childhood sweetheart behind, Matthew sets sail on his own, cutting all ties with his former life.But after being left for dead by the crew on his first voyage, Matthew decides to forge his own path, navigating his way through a world of plunder and pirates.His new life brings him passion and prestige in the steamy heat of Savannah and his growing merchant fleet brings him a chance for revenge on his old enemies.When he finally returns to the land he left behind, will Matthew manage to reclaim his rights to the farm - and the woman he once loved? Or will he be cast once more upon the stormy seas? 'In The Dark Of The Moon' is an enthralling adventure story set against the violent backdrop of Britain’s war against Napolean Bonaparte. It is perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Alexander Kent, and CS Forrester. "I could taste the salt and smell the wind on every page. A brilliant read.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'The Dante Code'. Christopher Kenworthy was a journalist and novelist. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher.

Lincoln's Mothers


Dorothy Clarke Wilson - 1981
    Their story is one of survival on the early American frontier, and of the unique love they held for their family, especially son Abraham.

Lessons from Great Lives: Learn to Be Rich in All Areas of Your Life!


Sterling W. Sill - 1981
    Sill, Dan McCormick

Mary's Little Donkey and the Escape to Egypt


Gunhild Sehlin - 1981
    This engaging alternative to the traditional Christmas story tells how the stubborn, dirty little donkey who is of no use to anyone in Nazareth becomes a quick and willing helper under Mary's care.

Magic Windows


Ernest Nister - 1981
    . . .--Publishers Weekly. Full-color illustrations.

Dream Traders


E.V. Thompson - 1981
    Young Cornishman Luke Trewarne is in the Far East to make his fortune, but his plans are threatened by his ideals combined with a growing love for China, its people, and a beautiful Chinese boat-girl. Challenged by the brutal intrigues of those with the most to gain from the squalor and degradation of the opium trade, Trewarne finds an ally in the Tartar hero of China’s “Bannermen” army. Together, they meet with both triumph and disaster.

Lost Trails And Forgotten People: The Story Of Jones Mountain


Tom Floyd - 1981
    

Georgiana


Marian Devon - 1981
    To prevent a duel between the two men, Georgiana bravely intervenes on her brother's behalf--even as it leads her to an altogether different sort of confrontation with the lord. . . .

Pacific Breakthrough


Lawrence Cortesi - 1981
     It’s April 1944, half a dozen B-29 Superfortress planes have just landed in China to join the new US 20th Air Force, and the war in the Pacific is about to turn. The plan is to begin the first systematic bombing of Japan, but the path between here and there is littered with Japanese fighter planes and anti-aircraft guns, and such a mission is surely suicide. The solution? Take the islands of Saipan, Tinian and Guam from the Japanese and use them as US force bases instead. No mean feat. Especially when the enemy forces are determined not to give up without a fight. But with the faith of Admiral Nimitz, time running out and no other options, everything rested on perfect planning and bravery and resilience of those involved… In Cortesi’s trademark style, Pacific Breakthrough tells the true story of ‘Operation Forager’ through clever novelisation. This World War II US offensive mission to take essential islands in the Pacific Ocean would call for nearly 1000 navy bombers and fighters as well as over 60 destroyers, 21 cruisers and 6 battleships, with 50,000 troops and another 50,000 support troops required just for the Saipan stage of the mission alone. Operation Forager would mean the largest journey for an invasion fleet in the entire history of amphibious warfare. Praise for Lawrence Cortesi "A HYBRID OF HISTORY AND DOCUDRAMA... INFORMATIVE, DETAILED AND INVOLVING" - LibraryThing Lawrence Cortesi was an American school teacher and prolific writer, who published multiple books, often telling history as a story in his trademark style. Born on August 6, 1923, he married Frances Barringer and had four children. He died on October 12, 1987.

Ancient Herbs: The J. Paul Getty Museum


Jeanne D'Andrea - 1981
    

The Power of Patriotism: The Story of Francis Scott Key


DeLynn Decker - 1981
    A life story of the patriotic and eloquent attorney who was inspired to write "The Star-Spangled Banner" after witnessing the British attack on Fort McHenry.

The Tempestuous Affair


Caroline Courtney - 1981
    The late Sir Charles Stanton had written to his estranged father-in-law Prince Kuragin in Russia-entrusting him with the care of his daughter Lucy. The prospect of traveling to St. Petersburg-far away-was frightening and exciting. Though without a chaperone, Lucy did not fear for her virtue, one look at her escort, cousin Nikolai, revealed a nature as frozen as the Russian steppes.

Portrait In Passion


Maggie Osborne - 1981
    A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN'S STORM-WRACKED ODYSSEY IN AN AGE OF BREATHTAKING OPULENCELovely young Kate Callahan was innocent of the harsh realities of existence when her swashbuckling robber-baron father died and left her stripped of the protection of wealth.Painfully, Kate had to learn the facts of life and love in a New York where every decent door was closed to her, and houses of ill-fame were all too open...in a bohemian Paris ablaze with art and amour, genius and madness...in a Victorian world where a woman had to break every rule to make her way...and in a labyrinth of passion where a ruthless, superbly sensual tycoon and a handsome demonically driven painter both laid claim to Kate's body and tore her heart in two...

Tales from the Arabian Nights


Vladimír Hulpach - 1981
    Edited by Anne ScottIllustrated by Maria Zelibska

Topsell's Histories of Beasts


Edward Topsell - 1981
    

Prairie Fires and Paper Moons: The American Photographic Postcard, 1900-1920


Hal Morgan - 1981
    Lovely survey of vernacular imagery from the U.S. in the first two decades of the 20th century. Includes an essay on methods of dating photographic postcards (with 19 marks illustrated). Compiled with text by Hal Morgan and Andreas Brown; foreword by John Baskin. 192 pages; 290 actual-size sepia-toned and color reproductions; 9.25 x 8.25 inches. Appendix.

Charleston


Alexandra Ripley - 1981
    She is a woman who experiences the horrors of life & a passion that comes to but a lucky few.

Victorians at Home


Susan Lasdun - 1981
    Printed in Italy. Handsome oversized hardcover title, 160 pages. A feast for the eyes, with wonderful contemporary water colors, drawings and photos, most of them published here for the first time. Deals with the changes that took place as far as domestic interiors was concerned between the 1820s until the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.

Black Viking


Bill Downey - 1981
    He returns home from fun and free-booting to find his adoptive parents, wife, and child dead, and vows vengeance against their slayer. In the course of this quest, he becomes outlawed and is driven to lead a mighty raid against the Franks.

They Shall Be Mine


John Tallach - 1981
    Each of them had faith in Christ, and loved him more than anything else in the world.

Songs Of The Troubadours And Trouvères: An Anthology Of Poems And Melodies


Samuel N. Rosenberg - 1981
    The fruit of both musicological and philological expertise, the collection is an invaluable resource for musical performers no less than students of early poetry. Most songs accompanied by musicThe 144 songs, authoritatively edited from medieval manuscripts, comprise works by 25 troubadours and 27 trouveres, including a number of anonymous pieces. Most are accompanied by their music. All are presented with parallel English translations. The selection ranges across the various surviving types of lyric production, from the high style of the "cansos "to women's ballad-like weaving songs and the first motets. Provides historical and cultural contextThree introductory essays treat the history and cultural significance of this repertory, its themes and forms, the relation between text and melody, manuscript transmission and the question of critical editing, performance practice, and other matters. In addition, the individual songs are all presented with specific commentary on words and music. An extensive bibliography and other editorial apparatus complete the volume. Hear the songs-on an audio CDIn conjunction with the Folger Shakespeare Library, a companion CD recording of 12 pieces from the anthology, "Songs of the Troubadours and Trouveres: Music and Poetry from Medieval France, " is included with this book. Audio CD included. Index. Bibliography. Illustrated.

The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, 1906


Eric Saul - 1981
    

The Evil Image


Patricia L. Skarda - 1981