Library History

Beginning in Italy, the Renaissance was a cultural movement that spread throughout Europe and affected art, science, technology, politics, and thought. From the 1300s to the beginning of the 1600s, scholars started to question what they knew and looked to literature and historical texts to develop new ideas for why things were the way they were. In just a short amount of time, the foundations for European life were uprooted and examined, leading people, including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, to explore new ways of thinking and being.

Shut the hatches. It's time to roll out. You'll find yourself behind enemy lines with Clarence Smoyer and the 3rd Armored Division, the workhorse unit know as "Spearhead", the best in the tank armor ranks. You'll feel as if you are right beside Clarence and his fellow crew members - all formerly strangers from across America who have now become family to each other. You will be jarred by enemy fire, and then explore the other side, stepping into the boots of German tanker soldier, Gustav Schaefer, and his crew.

The Library of Congress is the research arm of Congress, home of the US Copyright Office, and a public forum for artistic and literary culture. It is generally considered the national library of the United States, and it has influenced cultural affairs worldwide in myriad ways since its founding more than two centuries ago. In The Library of Congress, Jane Aikin draws on a wealth of primary and secondary sources to weave a narrative of the individuals, events, and controversies that have shaped the history of this venerable institution.

As a young child, Benedict Arnold never shied away from a fight. So when the French and Indian War began in 1754, Benedict was eager to join the militia and fight for the British colonies in America. And when he was 18 years old, he got his chance. Arnold had no idea that less than 20 years later, he would be fighting against the British in the Revolutionary War. Now the captain of his own militia, Benedict won the admiration of his troops and George Washington when he captured a major British fort.

Born into slavery in 1862, Ida Bell Wells was freed as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865. Yet she could see just how unjust the world she was living in was. This drove her to become a journalist and activist. Throughout her life, she fought against prejudice and for equality for African Americans. Ida B. Wells would go on to co-own a newspaper, write several books, help cofound the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and fight for women's right to vote.

Readers will discover the rich history of the written language, printing, books, the alphabet, and the library. The written word is essential to modern civilization. The invention of the printing press was a major advance in the history of language, making possible the mass production of books and dissemination of knowledge.

Robert E. Lee was many things - accomplished soldier, military engineer, college president, family man, agent of reconciliation, polarizing figure. He was also a person of deep Christian conviction. In this biography of the famous Civil War general, R. David Cox shows how Lee's Christian faith shaped his crucial role in some of the most pivotal events in American history.

In 2005, a group of construction workers in Jerusalem made an incredible discovery. Underneath the parking lot they were digging up lay an ancient city that was built in the tenth century! Three years later, gold coins from an even earlier century were found at the site. The city of Jerusalem is like a layer cake of history—more than five thousand years of complicated history—all of which author Ellen Morgan explains clearly and objectively in this audiobook.

Called the "Great Pathfinder", Daniel Boone is most famous for opening up the West to settlers through Kentucky. A symbol of America's pioneering spirit Boone was a skilled outdoorsman and an avid reader, although he never attended school. Sydelle Kramer skillfully recounts Boone's many adventures, such as the day he rescued his own daughter from kidnappers.

Although he started out as a teacher without aspirations to be an activist or politician, Harvey Milk found himself captivated by the history-making movements of the 1960s. He would eventually make history of his own by becoming the first openly gay elected politician in California. While in office, Harvey Milk advocated for equal rights for the gay community.

In Venice, magic is not unusual. Merle is apprenticed to a magic mirror maker, and Serafin, a boy who was once a master thief, works for a weaver of magic cloth. Merle and Serafin are used to the mermaids who live in the canals of the city, beautiful creatures with hideous mouths that split their faces from ear to ear, and to the guards who patrol the streets on living stone lions.

Cuba has fought three wars for independence, and still she is not free. Her people have been rounded up in reconcentration camps, where there is always too little food and too much illness. Rosa knows how to heal sickness with medicines made from wild plants. But with a price on her head for helping the rebels, Rosa dares not go out in the open. Instead, she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her.

La familia Gambino es un ejemplo paradigmático de las familias del crimen organizado, sus luchas internas y diversos estilos de liderazgo han definido la era de la mafia. Desde principios del siglo XX, la familia ha pasado por una serie de nombres y líderes, pero siempre se mantuvo en la cima del régimen mafioso de Nueva York y ha conservado sus vínculos sicilianos.

All John Lewis wanted was a library card, but in 1956, libraries were only for white people. That didn't seem fair to John, and so he spent a lifetime advocating for change and fighting against unfair laws until the laws changed. Finally, black people could eat at restaurants, see movies, vote in elections, and even get library cards.

The amazing autobiography of a young Sudanese boy who went from a child soldier and struggling refugee to international peace activist and Hollywood actor. Amid fame, trauma, and the memory of home, can this lost boy find himself?

At the heart of the extraordinary ferment of the High Renaissance stood a distinctive, strange and beguiling figure: the magus. An unstable mix of scientist, bibliophile, engineer, fabulist and fraud, the magus ushered in modern physics and chemistry while also working on everything from secret codes to siege engines to magic tricks. Anthony Grafton's wonderfully original book discusses the careers of men who somehow managed to be both figures of startling genius and - by some measures - credulous or worse.

Introducing the lesser-known but equally intriguing Magaddino-Todaro Mafia Crime Family! While the Five Families of the New York Mafia often steal the spotlight, delve into the captivating world of Buffalo's criminal underworld with Mafia Library's newest non-fiction crime audiobook.

Chelsea Clinton introduces tiny feminists, mini activists, and little kids who are ready to take on the world to 13 inspirational women who never took no for an answer, and who always, inevitably and without fail, persisted. Throughout United States history, there have always been women who have spoken out for what's right, even when they have to fight to be heard. In this audiobook, Chelsea Clinton celebrates 13 American women who helped shape our country through their tenacity, sometimes through speaking out, sometimes by staying seated, sometimes by captivating an audience.

¿Sientes fascinación por el mundo oculto del crimen organizado? ¿Quieres descubrir qué familia sirvió de inspiración para la aclamada serie de televisión Los Soprano? Si quieres descubrir los secretos de una de las organizaciones criminales más notorias de la historia de los Estados Unidos, entonces debes leer este libro.

She Persisted, She Persisted Around the World, She Persisted in Sports, and She Persisted in Science each give listeners a collection of remarkable, diverse, and tenacious women. Chelsea Clinton's words and narration bring the women to life, showing how they struggled and ultimately persevered, inspiring and empowering people across the US and the entire world. Now together for the first time, this collection is a perfect gift for feminists of all ages.