And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO


Justin Jordan - 2012
    Jordan details life as an Air Force Mortuary Non Commissioned Officer. In his stunning debut Jordan forces the reader to walk beside him on his journey in this gruesome world. Jordan holds nothing back, and shares in graphic detail how he honored Americas heroes, both at deployed locations and stateside. This book will pry your eyes wide open as you gasp from the sheer horror he faced daily, from dealing with the families of the fallen, to witnessing the embalming and preparations of the deceased. Jordan also shares how this job taxed his mental well being, as he suffered in silence, longing not to care. Jordan is still serving on Active Duty and suffers from the crippling effects of PTSD, his story will enlighten you, it will touch you, and yes, you will cry.

Recreating Africa: Culture, Kinship, and Religion in the African-Portuguese World, 1441-1770


James H. Sweet - 2003
    Focusing first on the cultures of Central Africa from which the slaves came--Ndembu, Imbangala, Kongo, and others--Sweet identifies specific cultural rites and beliefs that survived their transplantation to the African-Portuguese diaspora, arguing that they did not give way to immediate creolization in the New World but remained distinctly African for some time.Slaves transferred many cultural practices from their homelands to Brazil, including kinship structures, divination rituals, judicial ordeals, ritual burials, dietary restrictions, and secret societies. Sweet demonstrates that the structures of many of these practices remained constant during this early period, although the meanings of the rituals were often transformed as slaves coped with their new environment and status. Religious rituals in particular became potent forms of protest against the institution of slavery and its hardships. In addition, Sweet examines how certain African beliefs and customs challenged and ultimately influenced Brazilian Catholicism.Sweet's analysis sheds new light on African culture in Brazil's slave society while also enriching our understanding of the complex process of creolization and cultural survival.

Purushottam Dev and Padmavati


Manoj Das
    During a ride in a forest he meets and falls in love with Princess Padmavati of Kanchi. According to tradition, Purushottam Dev sweeps the chariot of Jagannath during the Car Festival. Padmavati's father is furious when he hears of this and refuses to marry his daughter to one who wields a broom. He humiliates Purushottam Dev who vows to take revenge despite his love for the princess. Padmavati despairs and is ready to end her life. But things suddenly take a turn for the better after Lord Jagannath himself assures Purushottam of his support.This Amar Chitra Katha is based on a legend from Orissa.

Young Offender


Michael Maisey - 2019
    . . a story of redemption' Tony ParsonsMichael Maisey was excited the day he was locked up in the notorious Feltham Young Offenders Institute. He was going to be a legend to all his mates. The sixteen year old was in for attempted murder. He was innocent of this particular crime but amongst the violent and dangerous young men on his wing he was about to learn exactly how far he’d go to survive.In Young Offender we see what turned a good kid into a wanted criminal. Abused by his uncle, bullied at school, at the age of twelve he found the safety he craved in the ranks of a local gang in West London. He graduated from shoplifting to armed robbery and for five years Michael was in and out of Feltham, on a downward spiral of crime and drug and alcohol addiction. At rock bottom, he began attending AA meetings. But the road to recovery would mean changing himself in the deepest possible ways. Could Michael finally learn what it meant to be a good man?Honest and inspiring, this is a powerful story of redemption. Today Michael is a successful businessman and a loving father who spends time helping others find their way.

Widow Walk


Gar Lasalle - 2015
    LaSalle recounts the brutal, poignant clash between Native American Indian tribes and white settlers in the Pacific Northwest with economy and beauty, writing clean, devastating prose that clutches at your heart. This lean, unsparing narrative will make you look away in sorrow--before raising your fist in triumph. A quintessential rendering of the American Experience."- -Richard Barager, author of Altamont Augie, Silver Medal winner 2011 Book of the Year Awards In the early days of the American Pacific Northwest, small settlements dot the wilds of streams and dense woods. Isaac Evers, a community leader and former militiaman, has established a small colony on Whidbey Island. Though the area appears calmer than in the past, the northern indigenous clans still threaten the livelihood of Isaac's growing family. While Isaac is away on expeditions, his wife Emmy tends to the many duties required of a property owner on Whidbey Island. Bold and assertive, Emmy has little time for the restraint of social mores. But as times on the island become more turbulent, her constitution and conviction are tested. Elsewhere, Haida native Anah-nawitka feels the rush of his first kill and the satisfying vengeance cast from his hand to the head of the invading white colonists. Basking in the praise from his tribemates, Anah starts down a violent path that will alter a great many lives. Meanwhile, the British and the U.S. Army are quietly grinding against each other following a boundary dispute, leaving men like Captain George Edward Pickett in a tight situation. In charge of the nearby Union fort, Pickett does his best to maintain his authority while he struggles with tragic events in his past. Weaving these story threads together into a powerful whole, Gerard LaSalle tells the story of an unforgettable American adventure.

The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat: A Guide to Essential Features, Gear, and Handling


John Vigor - 1999
    [Vigor's] practical wisdom gives you the know-how and confidence to prepare your boat for the sea.--Cruising World. Here is the book that answer the sailor's fundamental question--Can my boat take me offshore safely?--then shows how to make it happen.

Gunning for the Godman: The True Story Behind Asaram Bapu's Conviction


Ajay Lamba - 2020
    

The Fall of the House of Byron: Scandal and Seduction in Georgian England


Emily Brand - 2020
    It was the abode of William, 4th Baron Byron - a popular amateur composer and artist - and his teenage wife Frances. But by the end of the century, the building had become a crumbling and ill-cared-for ruin. Surrounded by wreckage of his inheritance, the 4th Baron's dissipated son and heir William, 5th Baron Byron - known to history as the 'Wicked Lord' - lay on his deathbed alongside a handful of remaining servants and amidst a thriving population of crickets.This was the home that a small, pudgy boy of ten from Aberdeen - who the world would later come to know as Lord Byron, the Romantic poet, soldier, and adventurer - would inherit in 1798. His family, he would come to learn, had in recent decades become known for almost unfathomable levels of scandal and impropriety, from elopement, murder, and kidnapping to adultery, coercion, and thrilling near-death experiences at sea. Just as it had shocked the society of Georgian London, the outlandish and scandalous story of the Byrons - and the myths that began to rise around it - would his influence his life and poetry for posterity.The Fall of the House of Byron follows the fates of Lord Byron's ancestors over three generations in a drama that begins in rural Nottinghamshire and plays out in the gentlemen's clubs of Georgian London, amid tempests on far-flung seas, and in the glamour of pre-revolutionary France. A compelling story of a prominent and controversial characters, it is a sumptuous family portrait and an electrifying work of social history.

The Melanin Empath: Discover the Knowledge of Melanated Beings Born With Empath Energy


Jade Asikiwe - 2019
    The ancient connection to the cosmos, and the side effects of knowledge… (Two Manuscripts in one, includes: Melanin Gift of the Cosmos, and Empath Natural Healing for Begginers) Do you frequently experience deep emotions: both of your own and of others’ face sensitivity to sensory stimuli or feel as if you can sense positive or negative energies when you walk into a room? No need to worry. You are not going crazy, and you are definitely not alone. You may just be an empath, a natural healer. Some people are quite sensitive to others, especially when dealing with crowds, which can drain them both mentally and physically. Does this sound familiar to you? Maybe just a simple trip to the supermarket exhausts you, causing you to need an hour of alone time as a way to recharge your energy. Maybe you are particularly sensitive to superficial people, or find yourself almost repulsed by narcissists and selfish behavior. It may also just be that you don’t feel as if you "belong” in this world as if there’s something greater behind what can physically be seen. In any case, there is an answer for why you feel this way. Dive into the realm of spirituality and open your mind to the possibilities that coexist with it. It is a journey of self-discovery and enlightened understanding. In "The Powers of an Empath & Natural Healer”, you will discover: The characteristics that distinguish one type of empath from another, along with which type is particularly significant to you The importance of crystals and how they can aid your empath type The #1 particular personality that can eventually destroy an empath if you’re not cautious and how to avoid them Why we, as a species, are more than just “human” The miraculous ingredient helpful in protecting and keeping your emotions in check The 7 energy channels to be aware of and protect Why you are a gift to the universe and how you can develop your ability for good The versatile plant you should be incorporating into your everyday life for relief 5 ways to properly take care of yourself in our energy-filled universe And much more. Even if you are skeptical about the spiritual world and the powers of natural healing, there must be an explanation for your unique perspective of the universe and your ability to sense the energy around you. If you are even slightly curious to understand more about your powers as an empath, it can only benefit your current knowledge to discover more. After all of the confusion you have had to endure throughout your life, you owe it to yourself to recognize the “why” behind it all. You are not going crazy and you do not need therapy, you have a special gift that most common people don’t want to or can’t comprehend. Unearth the explanation behind your misplaced feelings and begin your life as the natural healer and empath you were born to be. Even if you may not be interested in pursuing life as an empath, uncovering more about who you are and how you perceive the universe will simply help you grow as an individual.

Revolutionizing Motherhood: The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo


Marguerite Guzmán Bouvard - 1994
    During the Argentine junta's Dirty War against subversives, as tens of thousands were abducted, tortured, and disappeared, a group of women forged the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and changed Argentine politics forever. The Mothers began in the 1970s as an informal group of working-class housewives making the rounds of prisons and military barracks in search of their disappeared children. As they realized that both state and church officials were conspiring to withhold information, they started to protest, claiming the administrative center of Argentina the Plaza de Mayo for their center stage. In this volume, Marguerite G. Bouvard traces the history of the Mothers and examines how they have transformed maternity from a passive, domestic role to one of public strength. Bouvard also gives a detailed history of contemporary Argentina, including the military's debacle in the Falklands, the fall of the junta, and the efforts of subsequent governments to reach an accord with the Mothers. Finally, she examines their current agenda and their continuing struggle to bring the murderers of their children to justice.

Trekking On: A Boer Journal of World War One


Deneys Reitz - 2016
     Now Reitz would join the war in Europe. Following his father’s example, Deneys Reitz refused to accept the terms of the peace treaty and went into exile, on Madagascar. After four years of trials and adventures, Reitz recounts how his former commander, J. C. Smuts, eventually persuaded him to return home to help rebuild their country. A long and troubled process, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War South Africans were further divided by the September 1914 rebellion. Serving alongside Smuts once more, Reitz describes an oft-overlooked theatre of the war as they continued their campaign into Germany’s African Colonies. Continuing immediately from Commando: A Boer Journal of the Boer War, Reitz’s stirring memoir carries him towards the Western Front and the final years of the war, fighting with the British, but not for them. Deneys Reitz (1882-1944) was a Boer solider, lawyer, author and politician. After commanding the 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers on the Western Front, at the end of the First World War he returned home, later becoming a member of the South African government. Trekking On is the second of three volumes he wrote about his life. Albion Press is an imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

SOAR: A Black Ops Mission


John Weisman - 2003
    With the clock ticking and the summit approaching, the President mobilizes a top–secret unit–Task Force 160 of the Army's Special Operations Air Regiment栮d orders a team of Spec Warriors to rescue the American intel squirrels before the Chinese find out what has happened, cancel the summit, and embarrass the U.S. Then, satellite intelligence reveals that not only have renegade Uzbeks captured the Americans, they have also seized a thirty–year–old, capacitor–fused nuclear device from the Chinese military.Within hours, an ultra–sensitive National Reconnaissance Office FORTAE (Fast Onboard Recognition of Transient Atomic Experiments) Ⲯiffer⟳atellite indicates the IMU has somehow armed the devise. National Reconnaissance Office photos show the nuke and the hostages heading for the Pamirs and Afghanistan, where remnants of the IMU␳ al Qaeda allies still hold out. That is followed by a National Security Agency communications intercept: the Chinese president has secretly dispatched a Zhongdui (Special Forces) unit from the Jin Jiancha Zhu (Tactical Reconnaissance Office) of the People's Liberation Army to hunt down the terrorists and retrieve the nuke.The only good news is that Beijing doesn't know the IMU is holding six American hostages渥t. Now, the U.S. team must not only beat the Zhongdui to the IMU guerrillas so it can extract the CIA team covertly, the rescuers must also take a Department of Energy expert to defuse the unstake nuke without leaving any American fingerprints.

Don't Know Much About® Mythology: Everything You Need to Know About the Greatest Stories in Human History but Never Learned


Kenneth C. Davis - 2005
    S. dollar bill? Did a pharaoh inspire Moses to worship one God? What’s a Canaanite demoness doing at a rock concert?Since the beginning of time, people have been insatiably curious. They’ve asked questions about where we come from, why the stars shine and the seasons change, and what constitutes evil. The imaginative answers crafted by our ancestors have served as religion, science, philosophy, and popular literature. In this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling Don’t Know Much About® series, Kenneth C. Davis introduces and explains the great myths of the world using his engaging and delightfully irreverent question-and-answer style. He tackles the epic of Gilgamesh; Achilles and the Trojan War; Stonehenge and the Druids; Odin, Thor, and the entire Norse pantheon; Native American myths, and much more, including the dramatic life and times of the man who would be Buddha. From Mount Olympus to Machu Picchu, here is an insightful, lively look at the greatest stories ever told.

Two Years on the Alabama


Arthur Sinclair - 1989
    Alabama was the terror of the Atlantic Ocean. Built in secrecy in Liverpool, England, through the arrangement of Confederate agent Commander James Bulloch, it was built for the fledgling Confederate States Navy which was sorely in need of ships. Under the command of Raphael Semmes it would spend the next two years terrorising and attacking Union shipping to help the Confederacy break the stranglehold which it found itself in. Through these two years it completed seven highly successful expeditionary raids, and it had been at sea for 534 days out of 657, never visiting a single Confederate port. They boarded nearly 450 vessels, captured or burned 65 Union merchant ships, and took more than 2,000 prisoners without a single loss of life from either prisoners or their own crew. Fifth Lieutenant Arthur Sinclair, who served under Semmes on the Alabama for the entirety of its existence, documents a fascinating first-person account of life on board this Confederate raider. As they crisscrossed over the oceans Sinclair notes the ships they attacked, prisoners they took and various places they visited, from Brazil to South Africa. Powered by both sail and steam, the Alabama was one of the quickest ships of its era, reaching speeds of over 13 knots. But in the quest for speed there had been sacrifices, notably the lack of heavy armor-cladding and larger guns, which were to prove fatal during the Battle of Cherbourg in 1864 against the U.S.S. Kearsage. Two Years on the Alabama is an excellent account of naval operations of the confederacy during the American Civil War. It provides brilliant details into the revolutionary changes that were occurring in late-nineteenth century maritime developments. After the Alabama was sunk Sinclair was rescued by the English yacht Deerhound and taken to Southampton. He later served as an officer of the inactive cruiser CSS Rappahannock at Calais, France. Following the Civil War, he primarily lived in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was a merchant. In 1896 he published Two Years on the Alabama. Arthur Sinclair died in Baltimore in November 1925.

Sweeter Than Wine


Susan Sallis - 1994
    The quarrel began in 1850 on a West Indian sugar plantation, and the grudges still separated Bristol's two most important families—until the 1927 Michaelmas ball, when handsome rake Jack Martinez danced with spoiled, precocious Maude Rudolph.