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Anthropologist shares anecdotes and stories of baseball's history, from its founding in the mid-1800s to the early twenty-first century, framing…
them in the context of social and political history. Presents similarities between the sport and war and nationalism. Strong language. 2014
From the New York Times bestselling author of Those Guys Have All the Fun comes the unvarnished, comprehensive, and astonishing…
history of HBO, told for the first time through the disruptors who led its epic rise to prestige and changed the way we watch television forever. The exclusive story of HBO's key creators, executives, actors, and directors gives listeners an unprecedented peek behind the curtain at the founding and triumph of the first "pay-channel" that brought America The Sopranos , Sex and the City , The Wire , Succession , and countless, groundbreaking, culture-shifting shows. James Andrew Miller collects insider accounts of the humble beginnings, devastating missteps, controversial business decisions, and, of course, backstage drama and celebrity gossip from the set. Since televisions entered Americans' living rooms, the question of whether programming should be "free"—paid for with advertising—has loomed, to the extent that some broadcasters, lobbyists and fearmongers warned someone would come along and disrupt their Madison Avenue–championed business model. But who would pay for something that had always been free? Home Box Office dared to ask that question in 1972, opening the doors for other pay-channels and ultimately the streaming platforms that are now the norm. They created different, better content—or at least they convinced viewers that different was better. HBO gave us violent scenes with blood and guts, shows like Tales from the Crypt that were actually scary, romcoms with sex instead of suggestion. We take their big-budget, "prestige" TV for granted now, but their success was far from assured at the outset. HBO's audacity built the viewing culture we have today and permanently transformed the television landscape. A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company
Wasdin, a former Navy SEAL Team Six sniper, chronicles his training and war experiences, including special operations during Desert Storm.…
Details the mission that almost cost him his life--the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, the basis for the 2001 movie Black Hawk Down. Some violence, strong language. Bestseller. 2011
A Marine's searing and intimate story—"A passionate, fascinating, and deeply humane memoir of both war and of the hard work…
of citizenship and healing in war&’s aftermath. A superb addition to our understanding of the Vietnam War, and of its lessons&” (Phil Klay, author of Redeployment ). John Musgrave had a small-town midwestern childhood that embodied the idealized postwar America. Service, patriotism, faith, and civic pride were the values that guided his family and community, and like nearly all the boys he knew, Musgrave grew up looking forward to the day when he could enlist to serve his country as his father had done. There was no question in Musgrave&’s mind: He was going to join the legendary Marine Corps as soon as he was eligible. In February of 1966, at age seventeen, during his senior year in high school, and with the Vietnam War already raging, he walked down to the local recruiting station, signed up, and set off for three years that would permanently reshape his life. In this electrifying memoir, he renders his wartime experience with a powerful intimacy and immediacy: from the rude awakening of boot camp, to daily life in the Vietnam jungle, to a chest injury that very nearly killed him. Musgrave also vividly describes the difficulty of returning home to a society rife with antiwar sentiment, his own survivor's guilt, and the slow realization that he and his fellow veterans had been betrayed by the government they served. And he recounts how, ultimately, he found peace among his fellow veterans working to end the war. Musgrave writes honestly about his struggle to balance his deep love for the Marine Corps against his responsibility as a citizen to protect the very troops asked to protect America at all costs. Fiercely perceptive and candid, The Education of Corporal John Musgrave is one of the most powerful memoirs to emerge from the war
Author of Ship of Ghosts (DB 63121) chronicles the seven sea battles to secure the South Pacific island of Guadalcanal…
that began in August 1942. Official documents and day-by-day accounts drawn from survivors portray an underfunded campaign, nascent use of radar, tremendous losses, and a determined Japanese opponent. 2011
Journalist and author of The First National Bank of Dad (DB 59001) warns that inventing new technologies to deal with…
the energy crisis does not fix the problem--and may worsen the situation. Advocates consuming less and living in densely populated areas such as New York City. 2011
Texas ranchhand-turned-Navy SEAL recalls his career as the sniper with the most kills in U.S. military history. Describes his training,…
his four tours of duty in Iraq, and the strains of deployment on his family life. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2012
Eric Greitens recounts his personal odyssey from humanitarian to soldier. Relates studying the history of humanitarianism as a Rhodes scholar,…
working with genocide survivors as a volunteer, and joining the Navy SEALs to make a difference. Some violence and some strong language. 2011
Former army captain recalls returning stateside with numerous physical injuries--including traumatic brain injury--and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after two tours…
in Iraq. Describes acquiring a service dog named Tuesday and ways the canine helped him recover. 2011
Emmy Award-winning journalist relates discovering her father's hidden past, years after her mother's death. Recounts learning that Richard Cosby, born…
Ryszard Kossobudzki in Poland, endured life as a World War II freedom fighter, a POW, an escapee, and a refugee. 2010
Commentary from post-9/11 veterans collected from the Library of Congress Veterans History Project and supplemented by author interviews. Covers reasons…
for enlisting; dealing with combat, local populations, and contractors; and living with post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injury. Strong language and some violence. 2010
Political commentator and radio talk-show host shares her observations and opinions of boutique cupcake shops; laptop users; shrinking airplane seats…
and expanding passengers; celebrities' choices for baby names; and other aspects of modern American life. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2011
Author of The Men Who Stare at Goats (DB 60917) explores psychiatry's efforts to recognize and treat psychopaths. Interviews include…
a doctor who developed a checklist of psychopathic traits, a former Haitian death-squad leader, and an ex-CEO who seemed to enjoy firing workers. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2011
Biography of Admiral Elmo "Bud" Zumwalt Jr. (1920-2000) chronicles his career from his Annapolis Naval Academy education to his 1970-1974…
tenure as U.S. Chief of Naval Operations. Highlights his integration of the service and modernization of the fleet. Discusses his son's death from Agent Orange poisoning. 2012
Historian chronicles the life of Union general Philip Sheridan (1831-1888). Details Sheridan's antebellum army service after attending West Point. Highlights…
his role in the development of the concept of total war, including the destruction of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and the postwar massacre of the Plains Indians. 2012
The author of Under the Sabers (DB 62238) follows the personal and professional lives of four female military officers from…
2006-2011. Discusses their struggles with discrimination, deployment in a war zone, and separation from their families. Strong language and some violence. 2013
Retired Lieutenant Commander Denver describes the training and attitude it takes to be a successful Navy SEAL. Discusses his missions…
in the Middle East and his later duty directing the SEAL's training program. Relates his role in making the movie Act of Valor. Violence and strong language. 2013
Army Special Forces and CIA operative Billy Waugh chronicles his half-century career, which took him to sixty-four countries and included…
covert missions trailing Osama bin Laden in 1991 and 1992 and a pivotal role in the 1994 capture of Carlos the Jackal. Some violence and some strong language. 2004
British author of The Men Who Stare at Goats (DB 60917) pens essays exploring absurdities of the modern world. In…
the title piece Ronson investigated the 2011 disappearance of an employee from a Disney cruise and learned that many people go missing from cruises every year. Strong language. 2012
Explores the idea and effect of moral injury--the violation of core beliefs--on military personnel following their return from combat to…
civilian life. Discusses the symptoms, coping methods, and healing techniques to prevent suicide and other mental issues. Highlights four vets' experiences. Violence. 2012