Book picks similar to
Abraham Lincoln: The War Years (Four Volumes) by Carl Sandburg
nonfiction-civil-war
american-civil-war
biog-memoir
biographies
Kit Carson's Autobiography
Kit Carson - 1935
We have all read of his actions in dime novels and lionizing biographies.
But who was the real Kit Carson?
It is rare that this question can be answered by the subject themselves, but Kit Carson’s Autobiography allows the reader a brilliant view into the story of this remarkable man through his own words. The autobiography was found by mere chance in the early twentieth century by Mrs. Pierce Butler and Milo Milton Quaife as they were searching through the Ayer Collection of Americana at the Newberry Library, and now with the assistance of Dr. Quaife’s editing can be enjoyed by all. The book uncovers all the details of Carson’s life on the plains and in the mountains of the Far West in modest, but truthful style. Beginning with his childhood and escape from dull life in Missouri at the age of sixteen, Carson’s autobiography exposes how he spent the next thirty years of his life as a frontiersman in the wild lands of the west. The book reveals Carson’s view of life as a trapper, Indian fighter, guide and buffalo hunter, and gives details on his experiences in some of the famous expeditions with Ewing Young and John C. Frémont. The rough experiences of his life are told in a frank manner that transport the reader to the world of this illiterate frontier legend. Kit Carson, born Christopher Houston Carson, was an American mountain man, wilderness guide, Indian agents and U. S. Army officer. His understated nature belied confirmed reports of his fearlessness, combat skills, tenacity, and profound effect on the westward expansion of the United States. His autobiography was dictated to a friend in 1856 but was not fully published until the twentieth century. This edition, edited by Milo Milton Quaife, was first published in 1935. Carson passed away in 1868 and Quaife passed away in 1959.
War Like the Thunderbolt: The Battle and Burning of Atlanta
Russell S. Bonds - 2009
Union commander William Tecumseh Sherman’s relentless fight for the city secured the reelection of Abraham Lincoln, sealed the fate of the Southern Confederacy, and set a precedent for military campaigns that endures today. Its depiction in the novel and motion picture Gone with the Wind established the fight for Atlanta as an iconic episode in our nation’s most terrible war. In War Like the Thunderbolt: The Battle and Burning of Atlanta, award-winning author Russell S. Bonds takes the reader behind the lines and across the smoky battlefields of Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Ezra Church, and Jonesboro, and into the lives of fascinating characters, both the famous and the forgotten, including the fiery and brilliant Sherman; General John Bell Hood, the Confederacy’s last hope to defend Atlanta; Benjamin Harrison, the diminutive young Indiana colonel who would rise to become President of the United States; Patrick Cleburne, the Irishmanturned- Southern officer; and ten-year-old diarist Carrie Berry, who bravely withstood and bore witness to the fall of the city. Here also is the dramatic story of the ordeal of Atlanta itself—the five-week artillery bombardment, the expulsion of its civilian population, and the infamous fire that followed. Based on new research in diaries, newspapers, previously unpublished letters, and other archival sources, War Like the Thunderbolt is a combination of captivating narrative and insightful military analysis—a stirring account of the battle and burning of the “Gate City of the South.”
The Hunting of Hillary: The Forty-Year Campaign to Destroy Hillary Clinton
Michael D'Antonio - 2020
The worst took the form of sexism and misogyny, much of it barely disguised.A pioneer for women, Clinton was burdened in ways no man ever was. Defined by a right-wing conspiracy, she couldn't declare what was happening lest she be cast as weak and whiny. Nevertheless, she persisted and wouldn't let them define her. As The Hunting of Hillary makes clear, her achievements have been all the more remarkable for the unique opposition she encountered. The 2016 presidential election can only be understood in the context of the primal and primitive response of those who just couldn't imagine that a woman might lead.For those who seek to understand the experience of the most accomplished woman in American politics, The Hunting of Hillary offers insight. For those who recognized what happened to her, it offers affirmation. And for those who hope to carry Clinton's work into the future, it offers inspiration and instruction.
Joe Biden: The Biography
University Press - 2020
is one of the most recognizable figures in American politics. In the past six decades, he has overcome heartbreaking personal tragedies and discouraging political setbacks to become a popular U.S. senator, U.S. Vice President, and U.S. Presidential candidate.Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to a large, hard-working, Catholic family, Biden was ridiculed for his stutter, emerged as a popular football player, was elected class President, married his college sweetheart, went to law school, practiced law, became a public defender, won a county council seat, became the sixth-youngest U.S. senator in American history, grieved the tragic deaths of his wife and young daughter, chaired the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, caused some plagiarism scandals, served as the 47th Vice President of the United States, grieved the tragic death of his adult son, and ran for President of the United States.This short book tells the intensely human story of a man who is changing the world in a way that no one else can.
Riders of the Tumbling K: Lost Novel - First Book Edition
Louis L'Amour - 1947
Once again Louis L'Amour delivers an unforgettable novel of men and women facing the raw challenges of the range land. Ward McQueen and Kim Sartain are friends and hands on the Tumbling K ranch. One will find love with its passionate owner, Ruth Kermett. The other will leave in search of a woman and land of his own. Both will have to stand up for what they want with their hearts, their minds and their guns. This authentic western saga remained undiscovered and unreprinted for more than sixty years, until the editors of Buckskin Editions found it and put the pieces together. Includes a preface by writer Charles Lee Jackson II, plus an introduction and a complete list of Louis L'Amour's series novel. Bonus material includes the first two chapters from the Buckskin Editions ebooks of Showdown Trail and The Rider of Lost Creek.
Gandhi
Philip Wilkinson - 2005
After studying law in London, he championed Indian rights in South Africa for two decades. He returned to India in 1914, leading a campaign of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience against British rule. Philip Wilkinson's lively narrative takes us through his remarkable life, up to India's independence in 1947, and the tragic conclusion; in 1948 Gandhi was assassinated by a fanatic opposed to his program of tolerance for all creeds and religions.
Stone Cold: The extraordinary story of Len Opie, Australia's deadliest soldier
Andrew Faulkner - 2016
A cold-eyed killer who drank nothing stronger than weak tea, he fought with his bare hands, a sharpened shovel and piano wire. He was a larrikin who went by the book, unless the book was wrong. He set his own bar high and expected others to do the same.Stone Cold is the extraordinary story of one of Australia's most fearless fighters. It takes us into the jungles of New Guinea and Borneo and some of the fiercest battles of World War II. It goes to the cold heart of Korea, where Len emerged from the ranks to excel in the epic Battle of Kapyong and play a key role at the Battle of Maryang San. And it drops us into the centre of the American counterinsurgency war in Vietnam with Len's involvement in the CIA's shadowy black ops program, Phoenix.Action-packed and surprising, Stone Cold gives rich life to a warrior soldier and one of Australia's greatest diggers.
Ken Dodd
Stephen Griffin - 2006
A new generation of fans and comedians, including Johnny Vegas, Victoria Wood and Vic Reeves, are now rediscovering Dodd's unique talents. Dodd has a huge and fiercely loyal fanbase. On the eve of his eightieth birthday, Ken Dodd is still touring the country, performing in packed venues an average of two nights a week with his legendary four-hour sets. 'I do it because that is what I do. I do it because that is what I am,' he said, when asked why he continues with this punishing schedule. Ken Dodd's career has spanned over five decades as he went from singer to actor, and presently, most famously, comedian. He is considered the last, great, music-hall-inspired variety comic, but what drives this man whose career has been tainted by hardship? Dodd still lives in his childhood home of Knotty Ash and has never married, despite having two-long term fiances. In 1989, his strange relationship to money culminated in a trial for tax evasion, and he was also famously stalked by a mystery woman. How did this feather-duster salesman become one of the most loved, though least-lauded, British comedians of all time? Stephen Griffin interviewed friends, colleagues and fellow comedians to get inside the mind of the original Diddyman.
Nasty Little Girl: A Story Of Child Sexual Abuse
B.C. Monahan - 2015
Stripped of her clothes, food and any dignity. The abuse continues at school too but less shocking than what she receives at home. Those who should love and care for her only warp her mind into believing she is a nasty little girl. This heartbreaking novella visits themes of sexual abuse and child abuse.Warning: contains passages that some readers may find disturbing.
When The Legend Became Fact - The True Life of John Wayne
Richard Douglas Jensen - 2012
With decades of research and insight, Jensen lifts the veil of public relations half-truths and exposes the reality of the man who is still, 30 years after his death, the iconic Western movie hero and hero of red state America. Jensen proves that the public John Wayne was very different from the private man, who struggled with severe alcoholism, chronic infidelity, self-esteem and personal demons that often made life hell for his wives and children. The book painstakingly recounts the triumphs and tragedies of the life of John Wayne – who rose from abject poverty to become the world’s most famous movie star – and creates a portrait of a man haunted by a childhood of abuse; a man conflicted by his own definition of masculinity; a man fighting to control his own rage and his propensity for violence; a man who committed domestic violence against all three of his wives and his children; and a man haunted by and driven to overcome his fear of failure, poverty and ridicule.
Thatcher's Britain
Richard Vinen - 2009
'Thatcher's Britain' tells the story of Thatcherism for a generation with no personal memories of the 1980s, as well as for those who want to revisit the polemics of their youth.
Second Innings: My Sporting Life
Andrew Flintoff - 2015
The complex and troubled relationship with discipline, alcohol and authority during his exhilarating cricket career. The search for an authentic voice as a player, free from the blandness and conformity of modern professionalism. Is Flintoff the last of his kind, in any sport?Through all his highs and lows, triumphs and reversals, this book reveals a central tension. There is 'Fred' - performer, extrovert, centre of attention. Then there is 'Andrew' - reflective, withdrawn and uncertain. Two people contained in one extraordinary life. And sometimes, inevitably, keeping the two in balance proves too much.We are taken backstage, seeing the mischief and adventure that has defined Andrew Flintoff's story. Above all, we observe the enduring power of fun, friendship and loyalty - the pillars of Flintoff's career. At ease with his faults as well as his gifts, Andrew Flintoff has sought one thing, even more than success: to be himself.
Killer Kane: A Marine Long-Range Recon Team Leader in Vietnam, 1967-1968
Andrew R. Finlayson - 2013
S. Marine long range reconnaissance teams during the Vietnam War, Andrew Finlayson recounts his team's experiences in the year leading up to the Tet Offensive of 1968. Using primary sources, such as Marine Corps unit histories and his own weekly letters home, he presents a highly personal account of the dangerous missions conducted by this team of young Marines as they searched for North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong units in such dangerous locales as Elephant Valley, the Enchanted Forest, Charlie Ridge, Happy Valley and the Que Son Mountains. In numerous close contacts with the enemy, the team (code-name Killer Kane) fights for its survival against desperate odds, narrowly escaping death time and again. The book gives vivid descriptions of the life of recon Marines when they are not on patrol, the beauty of the landscape they traverse, and several of the author's Vietnamese friends.
Aviatrix: First Woman Pilot for Hughes Airwest
Mary Shipko - 2015
Hired in 1976 at Hughes Airwest, Mary Bush made a herculean effort to overcome the resistance and harassment she faced in such a position, but it was to no avail. Mary was introduced to flying at an early age. She started flying as a teenager, studying and training long hours until she painstakingly obtained her ratings one by one. Financial hardships hit the family hard, though, and Mary--desperate for both flying experience and money--headed down to the infamous Corrosion Corner in South Florida to be a "freight dog" for fly-by-night operators. However, she was frequently denied work because of her gender. She kept praying, working, and struggling, though, with the hope of one day becoming an airline pilot, a job in which she would have both steady work and steady pay. Then, after her brother is lost at sea in one of the family airplanes, Mary is more determined than ever to become a pilot at an airline, just as her brother had planned to be. So, when she is offered the position at Hughes Airwest, Mary is thrilled. Going out west to fly jets was everything she had dreamed of and worked for. The discrimination and lewd remarks she had often faced in Florida, though, had not even come close to preparing her for the relentless harassment she would encounter as the first woman pilot at an airline. A close-up and enthralling account of Mary's struggles as an aviation pioneer, this book will astound, appall, and inspire you.