Western Biography

The Elements of Cricket is a cricket book unlike any other published before, an extraordinary, eccentric guide and charming visual representation of the game, from the weather and wood that make it possible to the achievements of its greatest and most famous players. The book is divided into the three parts that make up the fundamental elements of cricket: bat, ball and field. Their harmony produces cricket’s unique environment; their centuries’ long conflict provides its innovation, adaptability and vast psychological hinterland.

Many of the first artists in the West were assigned to exploration and geological parties, working as archivists and obedient to demands of cold accuracy. However, a few were driven by an imaginative mix of real events and fantastical visions to whet the appetite of Eastern consumers and preserve their own nostalgia on canvas. Among the most prominent artists depicting the "old" West was Charles Marion Russell, a prolific painter, sculptor, writer, and storyteller based in the heart of the Montana country.

Edward Zane Carroll Judson aka Ned Buntline (1821-1886) was responsible for creating a highly romantic and often misleading image of the American West, albeit one that the masses found irresistible in the mid-to-late 19th century. Some scholars estimate that he wrote at least 400 dime novels over his lifetime and perhaps as many as 600. The Notorious Life of Ned Buntline is an open-eyed look at the man who sparked an American legend but whose own scandalous life somehow escaped history's limelight.

A riveting memoir of the first Israeli-born Jewish American to be sent as a Peace Corps volunteer to a closed Arab society. A good memoir is a survivor's tale - the story of a person who has faced obstacles and made it through well enough to tell it. Dalya Cohen-Mor, a Sabra-born American woman, volunteered to serve in the Peace Corps, went through a lengthy and highly competitive application process, was accepted, and was sent to serve in the predominantly Palestinian country of Jordan.

Caldwell was born in Texas in 1951; in a land of plains so vast they frightened her. Caldwell's mother was a clandestine lover of books; her father was a master sergeant in World War II. These personalities shaped Caldwell. Turning to books for each poignant change in her life, Caldwell eventually became what her mother could not: a writer.

Infamous as a con artist, charming cult leader, and madman who spewed a toxic and twisted ideology, Charles Manson continues to fascinate and intrigue people to this very day. Long since the terrible moments when his followers committed their violent killing spree, Manson has been cemented in pop culture as the iconic cult leader - a man who hid his insanity behind a veil of cunning and manipulation.

Widdicombe shares secrets for how to crash the parties, climb the ladder, avoid the paparazzi, or make small talk with Henry Kissinger and Anna Wintour. Endlessly fun and extremely telling, Gatecrasher makes the unnerving argument that Paris Hilton conquering pop culture two decades ago lead to Donald Trump winning the White House. “As the gossip pages go, so goes the country,” he says.

Kit Carson (1809-1868) has long held a prominent place in the popular imagination of the American West. However, little is known about his family life, thanks largely to Carson's own guardianship of his privacy. After almost four decades devoted to researching Kit Carson's personal life, Marc Simmons provides information here to further our understanding of Carson.

Based on actual events spanning forty years, this story is about the relentless struggle of a family’s search for freedom, the Great Seven Fidel Castro’s inner circle, and an epic adventure driven by a passionate love relationship set in pre- and post-Revolutionary Cuba. The love story is the main impetus of this chronicle. Pepe, the only survivor of the inner circle to escape several assassination attempts, is forced to leave his family and his fiancée (Alicia) in Cuba. Alicia, who is carrying his unborn child, conceals her pregnancy to ensure Pepe’s immediate departure to safety.

"Out of The Storm" is a compelling memoir by Chaplain Sy Alli, a man who has lived multiple lives, each marked by extraordinary challenges and remarkable transformations. From his decorated military service to his unexpected stint as a professional wrestler, Dignitary Protection Agent, and eventual transition to becoming a devoted Chaplain, Sy Alli's life is a testament to the power of resilience.

Curious about the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates but short on time? "Socrates: A Short Introduction to His Life and Philosophy" is your perfect solution! This concise book explores Socrates' life, contributions to philosophy, and lasting impact on Western thought. You'll discover: Ancient Greece in Socrates' era Sources of information about him A brief biography Socrates as a person His trial and death His teachings and philosophy His legacy A timeline of his life Recommended references for further reading and more…Get a quick yet thorough understanding of Socrates' life and ...

'Women are told, from birth, that it's our job to be small: physically small, small in our presence, and small in our impact on the world. We're supposed to spend our lives passive, quiet and hungry. I want to obliterate that expectation....' Guardian columnist Lindy West wasn't always loud. It's difficult to believe she was once a nerdy, overweight teen who wanted nothing more than to be invisible. Fortunately for women everywhere, along the road she found her voice - and how she found it!

The 25-year old Charles A. Lindbergh climbed into his single-engine monoplane, Spirit of St. Louis, and took off for Paris, determined to win the $25,000 Orteig Prize promised to the first pilot to fly nonstop between New York and Paris. For the next 33 hours, as he navigated through storms across the perilous Atlantic Ocean, news of his attempt circled the globe, making him an international celebrity by the time he reached Paris.

They were the first outlaws to rob a moving train. But from 1864 to 1868, the Reno brothers and their gang of counterfeiters, robbers, burglars, and safecrackers also held the town of Seymour, Indiana, hostage, making a large hotel near the train station their headquarters. When the gang robbed the Adams Express car of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad on the outskirts of Seymour on October 6, 1866, it shocked the world - and made other burgeoning outlaws like Jesse James sit up and take notice. The extraordinary efforts to take them out defined the term "frontier justice".

In 1848, Mary Walker was born into slavery. At age 15, she was freed, and by age 20, she was married and had her first child. By age 68, she had worked numerous jobs, including cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and selling sandwiches to raise money for her church. At 114, she was the last remaining member of her family. And at 116, she learned to read.

Both Jesse Owens and Adolf Hitler grew up in poverty, and both men struggled to find their footing later in life. Owens represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics, after which he found it difficult to sustain a well-paying job. Adolf Hitler moved to Vienna as a teenager, following his parents' death, but he never found the financial success he so desperately craved as an artist. He spent most of his time in the city a penniless, unemployed young man. The similarities between the two men end there.

Nat Love: The Life and Legacy of the Former Slave Who Became the Wild West’s Most Famous Black Cowboy chronicles the colorful life of Nat Love and the legends that sprung up around him over time. You will learn about Nat Love like never before.

This fun quiz book is a tribute to the late Adam West! This book contains over 100 questions and answers. Play on your own, or enjoy it with family and friends! Each question is worth one point unless otherwise noted. Have fun and enjoy!

Many of us would say it takes guts and a little bit of crazy to step toe-to-toe with a powerful, 1700-pound bull. For hall-of-fame bullfighter, Jeremy Sparks, it took faith. Sparks' remarkable and illustrious journey began at a young age when he received a God-given calling to become a professional bullfighter.

On a sultry August morning in 1970, the battered body of a young woman was hoisted from a dry well just outside Hogansville, Georgia. Author and investigator Clay Bryant was there, witnessing the macabre scene. Then fifteen, Bryant was tagging along with his father, Buddy Bryant, Hogansville chief of police. The victim, Gwendolyn Moore, had been in a violent marriage. That was no secret. But her husband had connections to a political machine that held sway over the Troup County Sheriff's Office overseeing the case. To the dismay and bafflement of many, no charges were brought.