Novedades

Claus Spreckels (1828-1908) emigrated from his homeland of Germany to the United States with only seventy-five cents in his pocket, built a sugar empire, and became one of the richest Americans in history. Migrating to San Francisco after the gold rush, Spreckels built the largest sugar beet factory of its kind in the United States. When Spreckels gave America its first sugar cube, he became the “Sugar King.” The indomitable Spreckels was a colorful and complicated character on both sides of the Pacific.

The Story of Manhattan by Charles Hemstreet is a compelling narrative history of New York City, tracing the island’s evolution from a pristine, wooded homeland of Native Americans to the world-renowned metropolis we know today. Written in the early 20th century, this rich and engaging account captures pivotal moments—from Henry Hudson’s arrival aboard the Half Moon in 1609 to the colonial days of New Amsterdam, and beyond.

In the fifty years since his tragic death in a car crash, Steve Prefontaine has towered over American distance running. One of the most recognizable and charismatic figures to ever run competitively in the United States, Prefontaine has endured as a source of inspiration and fascination—a talent who presaged the American running boom of the late 1970s and helped put Nike on the map as the brand’s first celebrity-athlete face. Now on the anniversary of his untimely death, author Brendan O’Meara, host of the Creative Nonfiction podcast, offers a fresh, definitive retelling of Prefontaine’s life.

History from Patrick County, Virginia, and Regional History from Historian Thomas D. "Tom" Perry.

In Tearing Down the Orange Curtain, journalists Nate Jackson and Daniel Kohn explore the trajectory of punk and ska from their humble beginnings to their peak popularity years, where their cultural impact could be felt in music around the world. Delving deep into the personal and professional lives of bands like Social Distortion, The Adolescents, The Offspring, and their ska counterparts No Doubt, Sublime, Reel Big Fish, Save Ferris, and more, this book gives listeners a deeper look into the very human stories of these musicians.

Unlock the secrets of America's most legendary prison island. The History of Alcatraz: A Complete Guide to America's Most Infamous Prison Island is a captivating, thoroughly researched look at the rich and complex past of Alcatraz. From its early days as a Civil War-era military fort to its decades as a maximum-security federal penitentiary, this book explores why Alcatraz has remained a symbol of justice, power, and mystery in the American imagination. Walk the island through its many lives: the fortress that once protected San Francisco Bay, the prison that held notorious criminals like ...

The North American prairie is an ecological marvel, a lush carpet of grass that stretches to the horizon, and home to some of the nation’s most iconic creatures—bison, elk, wolves, pronghorn, prairie dogs, and bald eagles. Plants, microbes, and animals together made the grasslands one of the richest ecosystems on Earth and a massive carbon sink, but the constant expansion of agriculture threatens what remains.

When ships under the command of white Europeans first sailed into the Delaware Bay in 1609, southeastern Pennsylvania's documented history of the strange and unusual began. This book tackles seven true "dark histories" from Chester and Delaware counties, which include tales of murder, witchcraft, cannibalism, tragic accidents, and macabre events that actually happened in the Greater Philadelphia region. All stories are meticulously researched and placed within the greater context of Pennsylvania and world history.

The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 was a monumental achievement. Linking the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, it transformed New York City into a hub of international trade, drove the rise of industrial cities in once sparsely populated areas, and accelerated the westward expansion of the United States. Yet few of the laborers who toiled along the canal shared in the prosperity it brought.

New England's history is marked with witch executions, curses, and an untold number of cemeteries hiding mysteries beneath their stones. In this sometimes harsh landscape, the truth is often stranger than fiction. Examine the footprints burned into the ledge of Devil's Foot Rock in Rhode Island. Spend a night at the Kennebunk Inn in Maine, where the mischievous specter of Silas Perkins still resides.

In Ludlow, Kentucky, where Confederate flags once dominated the landscape and call for civil war echoed on Facebook, a circus raised its big top—and never left. On January 20, 2025, as Donald Trump returned to office, the KKK plastered the town with hateful fliers, but the circus, a 250-year-old beacon of diversity and inclusion, stood its ground. This is the true, stranger-than-fiction story of how a creative community defied hate, bureaucracy, and small-town politics to transform Ludlow into Kentucky’s hottest real estate market.

Big Black Mountain is a ridge of the Cumberland Mountains and is the highest mountain peak in Kentucky, towering 4,145 feet in elevation. Scotia Coal Company operated four coal mine openings inside and beneath Black Mountain, one of which experienced two devastating methane gas explosions on March 9 and 11, 1976, killing 26 miners.The author, a retired Scotia coal miner, describes his experiences of helping to recover the bodies of eleven of the miners who were killed in the second explosion. The eleven miners were sealed inside the mine for over eight months before they were successfully ...

When the Allen brothers sold Houston's first lots, the city became a magnet for enterprising tycoons and opportunistic crooks alike. As the young city grew, a scourge of crime and vice accompanied the success of oil and real estate. The Bayou City's seedy side—flashing Bowie knives, privileged bad boys, hardened prostitutes, and unchecked serial killers—established its hold. From a young Clyde Barrow to the Man Who Killed Halloween, Houston's past is filled with bloody tales, heartbreaking loss, and despicable deeds.

Author Sharon Kitchens identifies the locations that serve as the basis for King's fictional towns of Castle Rock, Jerusalem's Lot, Derry, and Haven. Drawing on historical materials and conversations with locals and people who know King, the author sheds light on daily life in places that would become the settings for Carrie, Salem's Lot, The Dead Zone, Cujo, IT, and 11/22/63.

Young countercultural back-to-the-land settlers flocked to northwestern California beginning in the 1960s, and by the 1970s, unregulated cannabis production proliferated on Indigenous lands. As of 2021, the California cannabis economy was valued at $3.5 billion. In Settler Cannabis, Kaitlin Reed demonstrates how this "green rush" is only the most recent example of settler colonial resource extraction and wealth accumulation. Reed shares this history to inform the path toward an alternative future.

Mike Stack was born to power and followed his father and grandfather into the ring of fire of Philadelphia politics. He was groomed for office, and was running in his early 20s. After years of failure, he upset a top Senator with the help of his former adversary, the prince of darkness, Vincent J Fumo, arguably the most powerful politician in Pennsylvania and maybe America. Fumo became Mike's most important friend, and the roller coaster ride through the corridors of power and row home streets of Philly took place by his side. Soon came a storm of corruption investigations and Fumo was ...

Historian Thomas D. "Tom" Perry tells the story of Civil War General James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart and his first sweetheart Elizabeth Perkins "Bettie" Hairston in this book on the history of Patrick and Henry Counties in Virginia in the antebellum period and through the War Between The States. Using Stuart's letters to Hairston, Perry tells the story of their romance and their lives afterwards. The story comes forward to the piano she played and he sang with her in the days before a war torn this nation apart.

Most people know Florida as the land of endless sunny beaches, Disney World, and NASA shuttle launches. But the state is also home to many hidden mysteries, eerie legends, and tales of bizarre creatures. In Eerie Florida, author Mark Muncy and photographer Kari Schultz provide a unique guide to these truly unique sites across the Sunshine State.

Unlock the Secrets of the Sierra Nevada and Embark on the Adventure of a Lifetime! Explore the breathtaking beauty and untold treasures of the Sierra Nevada with Treasures of the Sierra Nevada: A Modern Explorer's Guide. This all-encompassing guide blends rich Gold Rush history, hidden legends, and actionable tips to transform your weekend getaway into an unforgettable treasure-hunting journey. Inside This Book, You Will Discover: The rich history and lore of the Sierra Nevada Step-by-step guidance for gold panning, metal detecting, and exploring historic mining sites. A comprehensive list ...

Schmall World Publishing in conjunction with Bite-Sized Books brings you; Beyond the Pasture: Scientific Insights into Cattle Mutilations CATTLE MUTILATION, A phenomenon that has puzzled ranchers, law enforcement, and enthusiasts alike, refers to the mysterious and often gruesome deaths of cattle characterized by the precise and surgical removal of body parts. These incidents typically involve the excision of organs such as the tongue, eyes, and genitalia, often without any visible signs of struggle or predation. While the term "mutilation" suggests a violent act, the circumstances ...