Thom's new novel is an enthralling adventure with fascinating real-life characters--and a heart-grabbing narrative that casts a vivid light on a momentous chapter in American history.Flint and Steel begins just after the Louisiana Purchase. Thomas Jefferson has sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to penetrate the newly acquired territory, journey up the Missouri River, cross the Rocky Mountains, and reach the glimmering sea in the far West. To survive, the two captains need an extraordinary hunter who will be able to provide the expedition with fresh game, and a sign-talker to communicate with the native tribes. They choose George Drouillard. It is Drouillard, an actual historical figure, who becomes our eyes and ears on this unforgettable odyssey.Drouillard, a metis raised among the Shawnee, cannot fathom what drives the two men. Nor can he help but admire their ingenuity and courage as they tackle the journey into the unknown. Along the way, he watches as they shrewdly shape and discipline their force, adding French-Canadian rivermen--to guide the expedition up the Missouri--and an Indian woman, Sacagawea, who will play a crucial role in negotiations with the Western tribes.After plunging into an unforgiving land and near madness, the triumphant achievement of two captains will be eclipsed by an overwhelming tragedy that will touch not only Meriwether Lewis and the frontier tribes but George Drouillard himself. A magnificent tale told with intelligence and insight, Flint and Steel is full of song and suffering, humor and pathos. James Alexander Thom has created the rarest reading experience: one that entertains us even as it shows us a new vision of our nation, our past, and ourselves.From the Hardcover edition.

    In this book, WWII airmen of all ranks candidly speak on all aspects of their experiences--the missions and the planes they flew; their enemies; the places they saw and people they met; their morale, fears, and leadership; and the aerial brotherhood that sustained them.

    A vivid account of the Irish slave trade: the previously untold story of over 50,000 Irish men, women and children who were transported to Barbados and Virginia.

    At the end of these lectures, you will have a detailed understanding of how our hemisphere took shape, and why. The scope of the work is as follows:-Revolutions and Wars for Independence-Origins of Revolution in the Atlantic World-Colonial Empires on the Eve of Revolution-The 'North' American Revolution Emerges-From Lexington and Concord to Yorktown-The Radicalism of the American Revolution-Slave Rebellion in St. Domingue-The Haitian Revolution-Seeds of Rebellion in Spanish America-Napoleon Invades Spain and Portugal-Francisco de Miranda: The Precursor-Simon Bolivar: The Liberator-Liberating Northern South America-San Martín and Argentine Independence-Bernardo O'Higgins and Chile-Liberating Peru-Mexico: Race and Class Warfare-Mexico: Empire and Chaos-Brazil: A Royal Revolution-Failed Movements in the Caribbean-The British West Indies and Canada-The Strange Case of Paraguay-Revolutions Made and Unmade-The Aftermath of Independence

    Then and Now features fascinating archival photographs contrasted with specially commissioned, full-color images of the same scene today. A visual lesson in the historic changes of our greatest urban landscapes.