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Writing Feature Stories: How to Research and Write Articles - From Listicles to Longform by Matthew Ricketson
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Godfathers of Crime: Face to Face with India's Most Wanted
Sheela Raval - 2015
Farmaiyen, Sheelaji!’Among the first female journalists in India to investigate crime andthe underworld, Sheela Raval has had an eventful three-decade-longcareer in print media and television that has seen her track India’smost notorious criminals across different parts of the globe. Alwayshot on the trail of a story, Raval broke the news about Chhota Rajansurviving a brutal assassination attempt in Bangkok in 2000, attendedDawood Ibrahim’s daughter’s wedding in Dubai and is the only personto have interviewed Samira Jumani, noted gangster Abu Salem’s firstwife, after Salem’s arrest and extradition.Now, in a candid memoir of fearless reportage, Raval recounts herinteractions with the much-feared dons, and the revelations theybrought forth about the intricate workings of organized crime withinIndian borders and beyond. Raval’s bold writing gives fresh and sofarunpublished insight into the D Company’s evolution as a criminalorganization with transnational influence and connections withforeign governments; the much-talked-about split between Dawoodand Chhota Rajan; a once-promising cricketer who became one ofMumbai’s most-feared dons; the Abu Salem–Monica Bedi affair; andthe circumstances that led her to appear as a state witness in the highprofilecase against film producer Bharat Shah and Chhota Shakeel.Chilling and revelatory, Raval’s stories provide a fascinating glimpseinto the minds of organized criminals who have long haunted India’ssecurity forces. Godfathers of Crime is a chronicle of men who havelived outside the boundaries of the law for most of their lives, toldthrough the personal experiences of an intrepid journalist.
The Sound and the Fury: 40 Years of Classic Rock Journalism: A Rock's Backpages Reader
Barney Hoskyns - 2003
Thus was born the website Rock's Backpages (www.rocksbackpages.com), home to thousands of brilliant reviews and rants, interviews and overviews, that helped define music journalism over the last four decades. The Sound and the Fury is the best of this remarkable collection. With contemporary and retrospective articles on the Beatles, Otis Redding, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, ABBA, Madonna, Ice Cube, Nirvana, Morrissey, and many, many more.
Murder By The Books Vol. 1: Horrific True Stories
R.J. Parker - 2014
895 pages. - Serial Killers Abridged (Encyclopedia of 100 Serial Killers) - Cold Blooded Killers - Parents Who Killed Their Children: Filicide Serial Killers Abridged The ultimate reference for anyone compelled by the pathology and twisted minds behind the most disturbing of homicidal monsters. From A to Z, starting with Ahmad Suradji and ending with Zhou Kehua, there are names you may not have heard of, but many you have, including, notorious names serial killers; John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Gary Ridgway, Aileen Wuornos, and Dennis Rader, just to name a few. This reference book will make a great collection for true crime enthusiasts. Cold Blooded Killers Cold Blooded Killers is a blood-curdling collection of some of the most famous and the least known multiple-murder cases including; school shootings, kids who killed their parent(s) and 'going postal' spree killers. Parents Who Killed Their Children: Filicide This collection of "Filicidal Killers" provides a gripping overview of how things can go horribly wrong in once-loving families. This book depicts ten of the most notorious and horrific cases of homicidal parental units out of control. People like--Andrea Yates, Diane Downs, Susan Smith, and Jeffrey MacDonald--who received a great deal of media attention. The author explores the reasons; from addiction to postpartum psychosis, insanity to altruism. "These are 3 books that you will want to keep in your library to read and read again. Every day we are faced with the news of another serial killer or a senseless murder. If for no other reason, read these to stay aware of the dangers that face us, and to watch out for those that may not can watch out for themselves. There are many stories told in this collection, each one horrific. Mr. Parker is a no nonsense writer, he gives the facts (as hard as they are to read) in a straight forward manner. A great deal on this box set." -- Amazon Customer "I love how these books are packed full of facts and details but also have that wonderfully descriptive quality of fiction that makes me lose myself in the story. Several of these stories have stuck with me and I find myself revisiting them time and again as well as sharing them with other readers. I heartily recommend not only for the content, but the economical price as well." -- Kelly Sons
The Silent Season of a Hero: The Sports Writing of Gay Talese
Gay Talese - 2010
At age fifteen he became a sports reporter for his Ocean City High School newspaper; four years later, as sports editor of the University of Alabama's Crimson-White, he began to employ devices more common in fiction, such as establishing a scene with minute details-a technique that would later make him famous.Later, as a sports reporter for the New York Times, Talese was drawn to individuals at poignant and vulnerable moments rather than to the spectacle of sports. Boxing held special appeal, and his Esquire pieces on Joe Louis and Floyd Patterson in decline won praise, as would his later essay Ali in Havana, chronicling Muhammad Ali's visit to Fidel Castro. His profile of Joe DiMaggio, The Silent Season of a Hero, perfectly captured the great player in his remote retirement, and displayed Talese's journalistic brilliance, for it grew out of his on-the-ground observation of the Yankee Clipper rather than from any interview. More recently, Talese traveled to China to track down and chronicle the female soccer player who missed a penalty kick that would have won China the World Cup.Chronicling Talese's writing over more than six decades, from high school and college columns to his signature adult journalism- and including several never-before-published pieces (such as one on sports anthropology), a new introduction by the author, and notes on the background of each piece-The Silent Season of a Hero is a unique and indispensable collection for sports fans and those who enjoy the heights of journalism.
The Totally Awesome Book of Crazy Stories: Crazy But True Stories That Actually Happened!
Bill O'Neill - 2020
Veronica's Bird: Thirty-five years inside as a female prison officer
Veronica Bird - 2018
Life was a despairing time in the 1950s, as Veronica sought desperately to keep away from his cruelty. Astonishingly, to her and her mother, she won a scholarship to Ackworth Boarding School where she began to shine above her class-mates. A champion in all sports, Veronica at last found some happiness until her brother-in-law came into her life. It was as if she had stepped from the frying pan into the re: he took over control of her life removing her from the school she adored, two terms before she was due to take her GCEs, so he could put her to work as a cheap option on his market stall. Abused for many years by these two men, Veronica eventually ran away and applied to the Prison Service, knowing it was the only safe place she could trust. This is the astonishing, and true story of Veronica Bird who rose to become a Governor of Armley prison. Given a ‘basket case’ in another prison, contrary to all expectations, she turned it around within a year, to become an example for others to match. During her life inside, her ‘bird’, she met many Home Secretaries, was honoured by the Queen and was asked to help improve conditions in Russian Prisons. A deeply poignant story of eventual triumph against a staggeringly high series of setbacks, her story is filled with humour and compassion for those inside.
Life Can Be Cruel: The Story of a German P.O.W. in Russia
H.R.R. Furmanski - 2017
Originally published in 1960, this compact book tells the true story of a German soldier: from his early childhood during the First World War, through to his harrowing experiences on the frontline during the Word War II, culminating in his capture by the Red Army on 20 December 1942…An astonishing first-hand account.
My Bloody Efforts: Life as a Rating in the Modern Royal Navy
Stephen Bridgman - 2012
Daysearlier, while traversing the Straits of Sicily the crew had discovered a crack in one ofthe nuclear reactor pipes, requiring the immediate shutting down of the reactor toprevent a potential reactor accident, an operation never before conducted on a Britishsubmarine at sea.Th e previous six days had been a difficult time for the crew of the submarine. Initialindications of a nuclear reactor defect had quickly escalated into a full scale potential nuclearreactor accident at sea, requiring decisive action by the crew to make the reactor safe, toidentify the defect and attempt to repair the reactor, and then to surface the submarine andto sail her safely back to the nearest safe harbor using emergency propulsion machinerydesigned for very limited use. The resulting lack of electrical power resulted in the crewhaving to sacrifice lighting, air-conditioning, bathing facilities and even hot food until theirreturn to harbor, and to suffer in the excessively hot interior of the boat. Throughout,there remained the fear of exposure to deadly radiation and the uncertainty that the reactormight still be one step away from a major accident.For one man onboard, this episode formed the culmination of a 25 year navalengineering career almost fated for this moment. Charge Chief Stephen Bridgman,the senior nuclear propulsion technician, had needed all of his engineering knowledgeand experience in the identification and eventual repair of the submarine reactor,subsequently being awarded an MBE together with a colleague for his services to navalengineering for his actions.This book provides an insight into a remarkable naval career starting as a 16 year oldStoker on the final proper British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal in 1977, throughthe Falklands War, being selected for naval technician training and submarine service,submarine training, submarine patrols in the supposed post cold-war period, theKosovo conflict, progression through the ranks, submarine refi t and refueling throughto the nuclear reactor accident onboard HMS Tireless.While there are countless accounts of naval life during wartime, this book tells theunique story of life as a British naval rating in the modern era, starting from the lowestlevel at a time of decline for the Royal Navy in the late 1970s, and paralleling the majorpolitical and military events of the 1980s and 1990s.
Ivory Gleam
Priya Dolma Tamang - 2018
A potpourri of musings assembled with a hint of practical spirituality, to be savoured passably as an oracle of hearts to the many answers, whose questions our minds are yet to comprehend. Ivory Gleam is split into three chapters of learning, longing and loving. Each chapter is a journey traversing a different road to the ultimate destination of self-reflection.
Collector Bro: The Quixotic 'Thallals' of a Civil Servant
Prasanth Nair - 2021
An untold one that played out in the district of Kozhikode when a young IAS officer took charge as the District Collector in 2015. Over the next two years, he led the district and transformed the very concept of public administration with the use of social media, public consultation, usage of technology, volunteerism and public participation in governance. The two year tenure of 'Collector Bro' in Kozhikode transformed the landscape and narrative of district administration and communication with the citizens forever.Within a couple of months, 'Collector Kozhikode' Facebook page became a trendsetter in Kerala, and the most followed district administration page in India. It still is. With initiatives like Compassionate Kozhikode, Operation Sulaimani, Savari Giri Giri, Kozhipedia, Freedom Café, Yo Appooppa and Tere Mere Beach Mein, IAS officer Prasanth Nair, who was the District Collector of Kozhikode at that time, ushered in a new language of governance that endeavoured to bridge the gap between the district administration and citizens through the optimal employment of social media. The District Collector descended from the colonial ivory towers and mingled as one amongst the common man, totally dismantling the hierarchical stereotypes that the society was used to.This book traces the story of how exactly this happened and how and why the public responded so overwhelmingly to such an initiative. It also chronicles how these experiences transformed the young officer also - from a hesitant public speaker to a crowd-puller, from an introvert to a seemingly extrovert energetic leader. For the first time, the emotional roller-coaster of events that re-shaped the attitude and language of engagement by District administration is narrated with all the inside-stories. Straight from the horse's mouth. The author however takes pains not to take centre-stage in the book and manages that somewhat with wit and self-deprecating humour. This book has got nothing to do with government; but it is all about governance, life and compassion. At one level it is a collection of case-studies, the most readable and engrossing ones, narrated with fun and illustrations. At another level it is a chronicle of a personal journey of a compassionate administrator. This is not a typical arrogant bureaucratic ‘I did this’ book, but an ‘I went through this’ book. Not a high-horsed motivational ‘you can do it’ book, but a book that makes you think and prioritise what you want to do in life.As Dr. Shashi Tharoor says in the foreword, a must read for all civil servants, civil-service aspirants, students of public administration and all citizens who dream for a better tomorrow.
My Week at the Blue Angel: Stories from the Storm Drains, Strip Clubs, and Trailer Parks of Las Vegas
Matthew O'Brien - 2010
Thompson’s Las Vegas, with the Good Doctor as tour guide. A Lord of the Rings-like adventure in the city’s underground flood channels. A seven-day stay at a seedy motel on East Fremont Street.The stories in My Week at the Blue Angel aren’t about Steve Wynn, Cirque du Soleil, or how to play poker and they aren’t set in Caesars Palace, XS Nightclub, or a 2,000-seat showroom. They’re about prostitutes, ex-cons, and the homeless and they’re set under Caesars Palace and in trailer parks and weekly motels.In this creative-nonfiction collection, Matthew O’Brien—author of Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas—and veteran photographer Bill Hughes show a side of the city rarely seen. A side beyond the neon lights, themed facades, and motel-room doors. A side beyond the barbwire fences, “No Trespassing” signs, and midnight shadows.A side of Las Vegas many locals and visitors are curious about, but few ever explore.
17
Bill Drummond - 2008
He references his own contributions to the canon of popular music, and he provides fascinating insider portraits of the industry and its protagonists. But above all, he questions our ideas of music and our attitude to sound, introducing us throughout this provocative and superbly written book to his current work, The17.
Kids Want To Know About Mysterious Places
J.W. Patterson - 2014
Did you know that actors making the movie "Gettysburg" in 2003 had an incredible ghostly experience? Did you know that the Bigelow Ranch in Utah has been the scene of reported crop circles, UFO landings and ghosts?Kids will learn what is known and not known about many mysterious places. Are these places really where strange happenings occur? Kids can make their own minds up about them. Here Is A Preview Of What You'll Discover In This Book
Did you know that 5 military planes and 14 men were lost in the Bermuda Triangle in one flight exercise in 1945?
Did you know that a search plane looking for the 5 missing planes also disappeared?
How were statues weighing 82 tons moved miles on Easter Island 1,000 years ago?
Did you know that Union troops swore that the ghost of George Washington appeared on the Gettysburg battlefield?
Were the amazing Nazca lines created by aliens as a giant UFO landing area 1,500 years ago?
8,000 people every year search for the Lost Dutchman Mine in the Superstition Mountains! Is it cursed?
and much, much more
Incredible Tales of the Royal Canadian Air Force: Unsung Heroes of World War II (Amazing Stories)
Cynthia J. Faryon - 2007
They fought in all the major air operations. Thousands lost their lives. Only one in four aircrews completed their bomber tours: some were killed in action, some in training, others became prisoners of war. All volunteered. These are the stories of the valiant Canadians who fought in this brutal war.
100 Bible Facts About Jesus: The Exciting way to Learn
Dr. Baum - 2019
Goodreads reviews for 100 Bible Facts About Jesus Reviews from Goodreads.com