Book picks similar to
Reminiscences of Scottish Life & Character by Edward Bannerman Ramsay
history
non-fiction
bio-memoirs-letters
british-irish-lit
Doomed to Fail
J.J. Anselmi - 2020
Anselmi covers the bands and musicians that have impacted those styles most―Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Melvins, Eyehategod, Godflesh, Neurosis, Saint Vitus, and many others―while diving into the cultural doom that has spawned such music, from the bombing of Birmingham and hurricane devastation of New Orleans to glaring economic inequality, industrial alienation, climate change, and widespread addiction. Along the way, Anselmi interweaves the musical experiences that have led him to proudly identify as one of the doomed.
Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters: Thirty-Nine Tiny Mistakes That Changed the World Forever (Revised Edition)
Jared Knott - 2020
World History
Mafia Boss Sam Giancana: The Rise and Fall of a Chicago Mobster
Susan McNicoll - 2015
Born in 1908, in The Patch, Chicago, Giancana joined the Forty-Two gang of lawless juvenile punks in 1921 and quickly proved himself as a skilled 'wheel man' (or getaway driver), extortionist and vicious killer. Called up to the ranks of the Outfit, he reputedly held talks with the CIA about assassinating Fidel Castro, shared a girlfriend with John F. Kennedy and had friends in high places, including Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Marilyn Monroe and, some say, the Kennedys, although he fell out with them.The story of Sam Giancana will overturn many of your beliefs about America during the Kennedy era. If you want to know Giancana's role in the brother's deaths, and more of the intrigue surrounding that of Marilyn Monroe, this book will fill you in on the murky lives of many shady characters who really ruled the day, both in Chicago and elsewhere.
Nathuram Godse: The Hidden Untold Truth
Anup SarDesai - 2017
This person is Nathuram Vinayakrao Godse, India’s most hated criminal. Yes …. Nathuram Godse is the very man who assassinated ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi, the ‘Father of the Nation’ on 30th January 1948 as he was walking towards his prayer ground at the Birla House, New Delhi. He was arrested at the scene of the crime and sentenced to death by hanging after a trial that lasted for over a year. Almost seven decades have passed since the ‘Apostle of Peace’ was assassinated but, even today the story of his murder continues to remain one of the most closely guarded secrets in Indian history. Since independence, various political organizations in India have resorted to a total misuse of state machinery to suppress information on the life of Nathuram Godse and have made the people of India believe in fictional cooked up stories based on unfound theories that the murder of the ‘Mahatma’ was an act of religious fanaticism. Through extensive research the author of this book has succeeded in unearthing facts that lay suppressed for almost seven decades and has managed to uncover the truth that the murder of ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ was not an act of religious fanaticism but an act of devout patriotism. This book covers the entire lifespan of Nathuram Godse, from his birth till his death. The motive behind writing this book is neither to denigrate the Mahatma nor to glorify his assassin but to unmask the people of India from the delusion that the ‘Mahatma’ was a victim of religious fanaticism.
The House: The dramatic story of the Sydney Opera House and the people who made it
Helen Pitt - 2018
When it did, the lives of everyone involved in its construction were utterly changed: some for the better, many for the worse.Helen Pitt tells the stories of the people behind the magnificent white sails of the Sydney Opera House. From the famous conductor and state premier who conceived the project; to the two architects whose lives were so tragically intertwined; to the workers and engineers; to the people of Sydney, who were alternately beguiled and horrified as the drama unfolded over two decades.With access to diaries, letters, and classified records, as well as her own interviews with people involved in the project, Helen Pitt reveals the intimate back story of the building that turned Sydney into an international city. It is a tale worthy of Shakespeare himself.'A drama-filled page turner' - Ita Buttrose AO OBE'Helen Pitt tells us so much about the building of the Sydney Opera House we've never heard before' - Bob Carr, former Premier of NSW'Australia in the seventies: mullets, platform shoes and, miraculously, the Opera House. At least we got one of them right. A great read.' - Amanda Keller, WSFM breakfast presenter
Whatever It Took: An American Paratrooper's Extraordinary Memoir of Escape, Survival, and Heroism in the Last Days of World War II
Henry Langrehr - 2020
OMG I Would Die Without Chocolate - How I Quit Sugar and Didn't Kill Anyone.
Ellen Parker - 2014
There are loads of 'sugar free diet' books available right now, but precious few that give you a blow-by-blow account of what happens when you cut sugar from your diet. And believe me, LOTS happens! This is a personal story (cut through with some good information on going sugar free) about what happened to me, my body, my mood, my family when I started my sugar free diet. If you're considering taking the big step of cutting sugar from your diet and you want to know what you're in for, then this is the book for you. If you want detailed, scientific information on the nutritional benefits of a sugar free life, go look elsewhere. If you want a 12 step plan, go buy a different book. This is one woman's struggle with her sugar addiction and her waistline, and her determination to become healthier without going insane (from lack of chocolate.)
Fat Funeral: The Scientific Approach to Long-Term Weight Loss
Daniel Dell'uomo - 2018
But don’t blame yourself if you’ve struggled losing weight. There’s a lot of conflicting information and nonsense out there. Drawing on years of research, Fat Funeral answers critical questions, busts myths, and introduces The Five Golden Weight-Loss Habits—a system of simple, science-based habits that are proven, practical, and powerful enough to completely change your life.
Dr. and Mrs. Guinea Pig Present the Only Guide You'll Ever Need to the Best Anti-Aging Treatments
Terry Dubrow - 2016
There are treatments available that can halt, and in some cases, even reverse the aging process.But how do you know what treatments are best for you? Which of the hippest, hottest, and newest are fabulously effective and which are nothing more than new-age snake oil? Let us be your guides. Dr. and Mrs. Guinea Pig Present The Only Guide You'll Ever Need to the Best Anti-Aging Treatments will outline all the best techniques and treatments, from the so-new-you-haven t-heard-of-them-yet to the tried-and-true; from the perfectly legal to the are-you-trying-to-get-me-arrested; from the simple to the outrageous; and from the cheapest drugstore creams to the most complicated surgeries. We will provide you with the information and research you need to create your own, unique anti-aging plan to look and feel your best forever!"
The Browns Blues: Two Decades of Utter Frustration: Why Everything Kept Going Wrong for the Cleveland Browns
Terry Pluto - 2018
And their fans had ulcers. Now, veteran sports columnist Terry Pluto explains why everything kept going wrong. This detailed report on two decades of disappointment takes a behind-the-scenes look at upheaval in the front office, frustration on the field, and headaches and heartache in the stands. His earlier book False Start: How the New Browns Were Set Up to Fail told how the NFL hamstrung the new franchise. Who could have predicted the limping would last 19 years? This book picks up the story. Season after season began with hope in spring for the NFL draft (“the Browns’ version of the Super Bowl,” a fan called it) . . . often a new coach or GM or quarterback (or all three) . . . then the losses . . . and back to rebuilding. Pluto reviews all the major moves—draft choices and deals, hiring and firing and reshuffling—and the results. If you’re a Browns fan who wants to understand what went wrong with your team, this is the place to start. Includes heartfelt and humorous opinions contributed by fans.
The Nazi Murder Machine: 13 Portraits in Evil
Ben Stevens - 2014
The world can only be ruled by fear...' So declared Adolf Hitler, the Fuhrer of Germany. A leader of millions, served by men and women of such appalling savagery, such merciless evil, that they make the words 'barbarians' and 'pitiless' seem all but redundant. This book features 13 such 'servants of Hitler'. Included are names almost as infamous as Hitler's own - Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels - yet also the cowardly, but wholly sadistic Irma Grese (female guard at the Auschwitz concentration camp, in sole charge of some 30,000 inmates) and Bruno Tesch, one of the owners of the pest-control company Tesch and Stabenow, who amassed a fortune through the sale of the Zyclon-B gas crystals, used in the concentration camp gas chambers, to the Nazis.(Originally published with ten entries. Three extra entries added 2014/11/06)ALSO AVAILABLE: 'Auschwitz: A Short History' (Ben Stevens).THE WHISTLER: A MURDERER'S TALE '5 stars for a gripping and gritty read... The ending won't be what you think it will be... it's far better...' Lloyd Tackitt (Bestselling author of the EDEN series)'Moves easily between eras... Arrives at an ending I never saw coming...' Stephanie De Pue'Literary brilliance... A very dark story of Germany's past...' Shelby Austin'The power of music can touch your heart and save your life...' Shirley Waayenberg'An engaging book and totally believable...' Marti C Temple 'Excellent story...' Glora Hawthorne'Many twists and unexpected side issues. Author's long research paid off big-time...' Richard Milbrodt 'Read this after the Book Thief... The same genre and very well written...' Christopher Doyle'Authentic... An engaging story... A brilliant half-Jewish violinist on the run from Nazis...' Rachel D. Reyes'A story of beauty and brutality during WWII...' Kadee from Littlerock, CA 'Passionate and powerful. I read it in a day as I had to understand... Gives numerous perspectives with intelligence and care. Outstanding!' SamL 'Haunting and rivetting...' hitza 'Great use of flashbacks to tell of what was going on during World War II... Hard to put it down...' Edwin E Hooker 'Compare this to the Book Thief... Blends past and present in a new and exciting way...' Lou Zitnik 'Engagind... Had me turning the pages wanting more...' K DeGrazia 'Great writing can be done about those ghastly times...' AvdE'A marvellous book...' Carole Weinstein 'The characters are very strong...' Amanda'A chilling insight into life in WW2 Germany...' Meesh J 'I got more and more engrossed...' Alan G 'I became totally absorbed in this novel after reading just the first few pages...' Bonnie Gleckler Clarke
Dhyan Chand
Luis Fernandes - 2013
Overcoming great odds with indomitable courage, discipline and skill, he rose from humble beginnings to become the greatest figure in the sport.Under his leadership, India humbled the Europeans who were till then regarded as masters of the game and then went on to conquer all global hockey powers. The world still remembers how the Indian team gave the Nazis a bloody nose, when he led it to an 8-1 victory over the aggressive German side in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.The story of Dhyan Chand is the story of Indian hockey at its very best. The game defined his personality and his life. He strove for the glory of his country, desiring nothing for himself. India reigned supreme in hockey during Dhyan's playing years and for some decades afterwards, earning the country the respect of the world.
The World of Simon Rich
Simon Rich - 2016
From the horrors of childhood to the vagaries of old age, from confused people to humiliated animals, we're all just trying - and often failing - to keep it together. How carefully should you answer when asked what you'd take to a desert island? What do you do if your parents are reading your diary? How useful is a Swiss Army Knife? And what's A Brief History of Time really about?Armed with a sharp eye for the absurd and an overwhelming sense of doom, Simon Rich explores the ridiculousness of our everyday lives, from the most minute of anxieties to one of life's biggest questions: Does God really have a plan for us? Yes, it turns out. Now if only He could remember what it was ...'Simon Rich is very much laugh-out-loud funny. He can conjure authentic, from-the-abdomen laughter on almost every page. He stacks surrealism on top of slick satire on top of pure childish silliness in such a brilliant and condensed way, there are sometimes three laugh-out-loud moments within the same paragraph ... He is exactly the right kind of writer for the internet: funny, high-concept, accessible, short, sharable, a James Thurber for the Twitter age' Matt Haig
The Warlizard Chronicles
Warlizard - 2011
Now I know why my dog likes her better. 2. I wish this were the worst thing she’d ever told me. About the book In “The Warlizard Chronicles”, Warlizard tells the tales of a misspent youth, from the story of his “dog-gasmic” ex-fiancée to the logic of serving as a German linguist in Iraq. The stories are light, fast-paced, graphic, and not remotely safe for work. You have been warned. Reader feedback: - “You tell all women that story? You should wash out your mouth!” - “I think I could listen to your stories for hours.” - “So you owe your marriage to the people who brought down the world trade center?” - “I have nothing else I can add or ask, except MORE STORIES.” - “Holy s**t. I wish I was you.” - “You slept with another man's wife and then lied to him about it, and can say with a straight face it was the right thing to do?” - “Godda***t, I spewed out laughter too loud at work, now I have to leave because everyone knows I'm not doing s**t. F*** this is hilarious, and disconcerting, at the same time.” - “He is the most interesting man in the world.” - “I feel like a failure reading these stories, they're awesome.” - “Your life experience makes me feel good. You good sir are somewhat of a new idol of mine. Nothing much you can do about that. Have a good day sir.” - “Warlizard doesn't always drink beer, but when he does, he prefers Dos Equis.” - “I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that not only a story like this exists but that a Reddit regular would be living it. And it kinda has this enthusiastic ‘and then it happened...’ moments in it that kinda style like you'd write fiction on the go.” - “This guy is either the most creative man in the world or the most interesting man in the world. Either way...”
Tunnel Rats
Jimmy Thomson - 2011
It doesn't matter how small the tunnel is you never know what's around the bend ... You don't know if it's abandoned, you don't know if it's booby trapped and you don't know why the tunnel is there in the first place."They were young, they were Australian, they were Army engineers and they were the first allied soldiers to risk their lives in the darkness of the Vietcong tunnels of South Vietnam. Staring death squarely in the face every day, not only did they follow their enemy down into these unknown underground labyrinths, but matched the Vietcong's jungle warfare skills and defused thousands of their clever booby traps.Off duty, it was a different story. The bad boys of 3 Field Troop were a boozing, brawling, bonking bunch of larrikins, who cut a swathe through the bars and brothels of Saigon, fought American Military Police to a standstill, built a secret casino and booby-trapped their own HQ to teach their officers a lesson.Thrilling, inspiring and action packed, this is the true story of the unsung heroes of Australia's war in Vietnam. Living up to their motto of 'We Make and We Break', they created the legend of the Tunnel Rats.