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Tea & Antipathy: An American Family in Swinging London
By Anita Miller. 2015
Tea & Antipathy is a delightfully hilarious and true account of one American family's summer in the posh London neighborhood…
of Knightsbridge in 1965. Capturing the helpless feeling that living in a foreign city often brings, the book recounts how the Millers met a wide variety of memorable characters from all social classes, including Mrs. Grail the Irish cleaning woman, who was convinced that their home was haunted and who hated the English; Basil Goldbrick, a businessman from Manchester; and Basil's clever wife Daisy, who resented Americans. Told in a gently sardonic tone, this story provides insight on what London was like during the Swinging Sixties and what it was like to uproot a family for an adventurous summer abroad.The Craft We Chose: My Life in the CIA
By Richard L Holm, Timothy Miller. 2011
Many books, fiction and nonfiction alike, purport to probe the inner workings of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Many attempt…
to create spine-tingling suspense or allege that America's civilian spy operation has run amok and been infested with rogues and criminals. Not that The Craft We Chose lacks suspense, harrowing encounters, or its own share of villains, but this book is different; it is a straightforward, honest, surprisingly captivating memoir by one of the CIA's most well-known and honored career officers. For more than three decades, Richard L. Holm worked in the agency's Directorate of Operations now the National Clandestine Service the component directly responsible for collecting human intelligence. His assignments took him to seven countries on three continents, and his travels added many more destinations. At almost every turn Holm encountered his share of dangerous characters and situations, including one that nearly ended his life before he turned 30. The Craft We Chose is more than a chronicle of those episodes. It also reveals Holm's private life, his roots and family, his courtship and marriage, and his four daughters, whom he affectionately calls his platoon.Held at a Distance: My Rediscovery of Ethiopia
By Rebecca G. Haile. 2007
This powerful book gives readers a chance to experience Ethiopia through the personal experience of a writer who is both…
Ethiopian and American. It takes readers beyond headlines and stereotypes to a deeper understanding of the country. This is an absorbing account of the author's return trip to Ethiopia as an adult, having left the country in exile with her family at age 11. She profiles relatives and friends who have remained in Ethiopia, and she writes movingly about Ethiopia's recent past and its ancient history. She offers a clear-eyed analysis of the state of the country today, and her keen observations and personal experience will resonate with readers. This is a unique glimpse into a fascinating African country by a talented writer.Mad, Bad and Dangerous: The Eccentricity of Tyrants
By Tom Ambrose. 2015
A penetrating and incisive study of the fanaticism and foibles of some of history's most illustrious namesFrom Assad to Nero,…
Gaddafi to Ivan The Terrible, this work attempts a thorough illumination of the minds of some of the most powerful people in history. While leaving some room to describe the amusing incidents and eccentricities associated with a host of men and women of power, it also reaches into the terrifying depths and depravities of minds that shaped the destinies of peoples and nations. Using a unique combination of history, politics, and psychology, this book fully describes how power not only corrupts but deranges.Prime Minister's Wives
By Mark Hichens. 2004
Much is required of a prime minister's wife. As a hostess, sympathetic ear and adviser, she must ensure her husband…
never puts a foot wrong (and never do so herself). Arguably she has one of the hardest jobs in politics - without ever stepping into the House of Commons.Of the wives from the past two centuries featured in this book, nearly all have given their husbands unqualified support in political matters, two notable exceptions being Emily Palmerston and Clementine Churchill, who were always ready to dissent. And, until Audrey Callaghan and Cherie Blair, none had careers of their own. They came from a variety of backgrounds: some, such as Emily Palmerston, Caroline Lamb, Catherine Gladstone and Dorothy Macmillan, from the ruling classes. Two - Clementine Churchill and Margot Asquith - had aristocratic connections, while Lucy Baldwin's father was a scientist, Mary Ann Disraeli's was a junior naval officer and Margaret Lloyd George's a Welsh hill farmer. In terms of their marriages, some were secure, some wobbly and one actually broke down. In the case of Clementine Churchill, her marriage to Winston of fifty-seven years was a particularly remarkable achievement.Mark Hichens examines these women - and one husband, Denis Thatcher - in the light of their personalities and achievements as well as the roles they have indirectly played in British history in this timely volume.This Way to the Revolution: A Memoir
By Erin Pizzey. 2011
First full biography of an international figure, recently in the news after her successful libel case against Andrew Marry, who…
described her as a terrorist in The Making of Modern Britain Internationally famous for starting one of the first women's refuges in the modern world, Erin Pizzey is a controversial but hugely-respected activist with enemies on the left and the right, a pioneering figure in the maelstrom of seventies politics, and a key witness of the era. Here, she tells her story in full for the first time. The daughter of a diplomat, Erin Pizzey was born in China in 1939. One of her formative experiences was seeing her parents and brother being put under house arrest by the Maoists in 1949. This instilled a hatred of totalitarian regimes and for a short time Pizzey even worked for MI6 in Hong Kong. Once relocated in the UK, Pizzey was soon swept up by sixties radicalism and the early days of the emerging Women's Liberation Movement. Opening a small community center for maltreated women in Chiswick in 1971 was to bring Pizzey to the front line of what was becoming a national issue in a time when feminists were still treated with hostility and derision by right-wing figures, but also when left-wing radicals scorned anyone, like Pizzey, who put humanity before ideology. By the mid-1970s, Pizzey found herself under bomb threat and picketed by feminists for allowing men to staff refuges: this led to a long exile from the UK where she kept up her activities and achieved international recognition, while also reinventing herself as a best-selling writer. Erin Pizzey's life and trials have been unique; her story is a compelling one, vital to any understanding of a more revolutionary age and burning issues that still resonate today.Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
By Jon Meacham. 2012
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review * The Washington Post…
* Entertainment Weekly * The Seattle Times * St. Louis Post-Dispatch * Bloomberg BusinessweekIn this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era. Philosophers think; politicians maneuver. Jefferson's genius was that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously. Such is the art of power. Thomas Jefferson hated confrontation, and yet his understanding of power and of human nature enabled him to move men and to marshal ideas, to learn from his mistakes, and to prevail. Passionate about many things--women, his family, books, science, architecture, gardens, friends, Monticello, and Paris--Jefferson loved America most, and he strove over and over again, despite fierce opposition, to realize his vision: the creation, survival, and success of popular government in America. Jon Meacham lets us see Jefferson's world as Jefferson himself saw it, and to appreciate how Jefferson found the means to endure and win in the face of rife partisan division, economic uncertainty, and external threat. Drawing on archives in the United States, England, and France, as well as unpublished Jefferson presidential papers, Meacham presents Jefferson as the most successful political leader of the early republic, and perhaps in all of American history. The father of the ideal of individual liberty, of the Louisiana Purchase, of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and of the settling of the West, Jefferson recognized that the genius of humanity--and the genius of the new nation--lay in the possibility of progress, of discovering the undiscovered and seeking the unknown. From the writing of the Declaration of Independence to elegant dinners in Paris and in the President's House; from political maneuverings in the boardinghouses and legislative halls of Philadelphia and New York to the infant capital on the Potomac; from his complicated life at Monticello, his breathtaking house and plantation in Virginia, to the creation of the University of Virginia, Jefferson was central to the age. Here too is the personal Jefferson, a man of appetite, sensuality, and passion. The Jefferson story resonates today not least because he led his nation through ferocious partisanship and cultural warfare amid economic change and external threats, and also because he embodies an eternal drama, the struggle of the leadership of a nation to achieve greatness in a difficult and confounding world.Praise for Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power "This is probably the best single-volume biography of Jefferson ever written."--Gordon S. Wood "A big, grand, absorbing exploration of not just Jefferson and his role in history but also Jefferson the man, humanized as never before."--Entertainment Weekly"[Meacham] captures who Jefferson was, not just as a statesman but as a man. . . . By the end of the book . . . the reader is likely to feel as if he is losing a dear friend. . . . [An] absorbing tale."--The Christian Science Monitor"This terrific book allows us to see the political genius of Thomas Jefferson better than we have ever seen it before. In these endlessly fascinating pages, Jefferson emerges with such vitality that it seems as if he might still be alive today."--Doris Kearns GoodwinFrom the Hardcover edition.Feisty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women
By Autumn Stephens. 2009
First ladies are supposed to be dignified background figures, quietly supportive of their husbands' agendas. Above all, they're not supposed…
to act out or cause even a whiff of scandal. Of course, reality often overrides conventional wisdom, and this book shows how far from the prim ideal many of the Presidents' wives have strayed. Part irreverent portrait gallery, part exuberant expose, Feisty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women introduces a remarkable array of wild women, from Martha Washington, who opposed her own husband's presidential election; to Abraham Lincoln's eccentric wife, Mary; to rebellious daughters like Patti Davis who were the tabloid fodder of their day. Laugh-out-loud funny and filled with amazing stranger-than-fiction facts from our American history, Feisty First Ladies journeys into the realm of the eclectic sisterhood whose outrageous words and deeds have rocked the fusty old foundations of the White House -- and the nation!Road to Rouen
By Ben Hatch. 2013
From the bestselling author of ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET? (Radio 2 Book of the Year & voted Amazon Customers'…
Fave Kindle Read 2011) comes a new hilarious and touching story of travel chaos.Chosen as one of Amazon's Best Kindle Books of 2013 Ben Hatch is on the road again. Commissioned to write a guidebook about France (despite not speaking any French) he sets off with visions of relaxing chateaux and refined dining. Ten thousand miles later his family's been attacked by a donkey, had a run-in with a death-cult and, after a near drowning and a calamitous wedding experience involving a British spy, his own marriage is in jeopardy. A combination of obsessions about mosquitoes, French gravel and vegetable theme parks mean it's a bumpy ride as Ben takes a stand against tyrannical French pool attendants, finds himself running with the bulls in Pamplona and almost starring in a snuff movie after a near fatal decision to climb into a millionaire's Chevrolet Blazer.Funny and poignant, Road to Rouen asks important questions about life, marriage and whether it's ever acceptable to tape baguette to your children's legs to smuggle lunch into Disneyland Paris.Being Nixon: A Man Divided
By Evan Thomas. 2015
Evan Thomas delivers the best single-volume biography of Richard Nixon to date, a radical, unique portrait of a complicated figure…
who was both determinedly optimistic and tragically flawed. The New York Times bestselling author of Ike's Bluff and Sea of Thunder, Thomas brings new life to one of American history's most infamous, paradoxical, and enigmatic politicians, dispensing with myths to achieve an intimate and evenhanded look at the actual man. What drove a painfully shy outcast in elite Washington society--a man so self-conscious he refused to make eye contact during meetings--to pursue power and public office? How did a president so attuned to the American political id that he won reelection in a historic landslide lack the self-awareness to recognize the gaping character flaws that would drive him from office and forever taint his legacy? In Being Nixon, Evan Thomas peels away the layers of the complex, confounding figure who became America's thirty-seventh president. The son of devout Quakers, Richard Nixon (not unlike his rival John F. Kennedy) grew up in the shadow of an older, favored brother and thrived on conflict and opposition. Through high school and college, in the navy and in politics, he was constantly leading crusades and fighting off enemies real and imagined. As maudlin as he was Machiavellian, Nixon possessed the plainspoken eloquence to reduce American television audiences to tears with his career-saving "Checkers" speech; meanwhile, his darker half hatched schemes designed to take down his political foes, earning him the notorious nickname "Tricky Dick." Drawing on a wide range of historical accounts, Thomas reveals the contradictions of a leader whose vision and foresight led him to achieve détente with the Soviet Union and reestablish relations with communist China, but whose underhanded political tactics tainted his reputation long before the Watergate scandal. One of the principal architects of the modern Republican Party and its "silent majority" of disaffected whites and conservative ex-Dixiecrats, Nixon was also deemed a liberal in some quarters for his efforts to desegregate Southern schools, create the Environmental Protection Agency, and end the draft. A deeply insightful character study as well as a brilliant political biography, Being Nixon offers a surprising look at a man capable of great bravery and extraordinary deviousness--a balanced portrait of a president too often reduced to caricature.The Nixon Defense: What He Knew and When He Knew It
By John W Dean. 2006
Based on Nixon's overlooked recordings, New York Times bestselling author John W. Dean connects the dots between what we've come…
to believe about Watergate and what actually happened Watergate forever changed American politics, and in light of the revelations about the NSA's widespread surveillance program, the scandal has taken on new significance. Yet remarkably, four decades after Nixon was forced to resign, no one has told the full story of his involvement in Watergate. In The Nixon Defense, former White House Counsel John W. Dean, one of the last major surviving figures of Watergate, draws on his own transcripts of almost a thousand conversations, a wealth of Nixon's secretly recorded information, and more than 150,000 pages of documents in the National Archives and the Nixon Library to provide the definitive answer to the question: What did PresidentNixon know and when did he know it? Through narrative and contemporaneous dialogue, Dean connects dots that have never been connected, including revealing how and why the Watergate break-in occurred, what was on the mysterious 18 1/2 minute gap in Nixon's recorded conversations, and more. In what will stand as the most authoritative account of one of America's worst political scandals, The Nixon Defense shows how the disastrous mistakes of Watergate could have been avoided and offers a cautionary tale for our own time.From the Trade Paperback edition.5 (Rick Steves Walk Ser.)
By Rick Steves. 2016
Rick Steves' Walks eBooks are straightforward, self-guided walking tours through some of Europe's most popular destinations, designed for easy reference…
on your mobile device or eReader. In Rick Steves' Walk: The Ramblas Ramble, Barcelona, Rick shares his candid advice on how to get the most out of a walk down Barcelona's main boulevard-including where to start, how much time you need, and what's worth stopping for-all for less than the cost of a cappuccino. With Rick's knowledgeable, humorous writing in hand, you'll also learn some interesting historical facts about the things you encounter along the way. Packed with indispensable tips and recommendations from America's expert on Europe, Rick Steves' Walk: The Ramblas Ramble, Barcelona is a tour guide in your pocket-and on your smartphone.Rick Steves' Walks and Tours are available for must-see locations throughout London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Amsterdam, Vienna, Budapest, Athens, Istanbul, and Barcelona.23 (Rick Steves Tour Ser.)
By Rick Steves. 2016
Rick Steves' Tours eBooks are straightforward, self-guided tours of some of Europe's most popular museums, ancient buildings, and other points…
of interest, designed for easy reference on your mobile device or eReader. In Rick Steves' Tour: Picasso Museum, Barcelona-for less than the price of a cappuccino-Rick shares his candid advice on how to get the most out of a visit to the museum, including when to go, how much it costs, and what to keep an eye out for once you're there. With Rick's knowledgeable, humorous writing in hand, you'll also learn some interesting historical facts about Pablo Picasso along the way. Packed with indispensable tips and recommendations from America's expert on Europe, Rick Steves' Tour: Picasso Museum, Barcelona is a tour guide in your pocket-and on your smartphone.Rick Steves' Tours and Walks are available for must-see locations throughout London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Amsterdam, Vienna, Budapest, Athens, Istanbul, and Barcelona.Cleopatra: Cleopatra (Phoenix Press Ser.)
By Michael Grant. 2000
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, was also a scholar, murderer, lover of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony and one of the…
most remarkable women in history.The distinguished historian and classicist Michael Grant confirms that her reputation as a temptress was well-founded. However, by unravelling the sources behind the tangle of myth, gossip and invention he shows that the popular image of a wayward woman opting for a life of sensuous luxury and neglecting her affairs of state is far from the truth.A brilliant linguist and the first of her Greek-speaking dynasty who learned Egyptian, she was reputed to be the author of treatises on agriculture, make-up and alchemy. Her love affairs were carefully calculated to further her plans to restore her empire to its former greatness and she was a ruthless foe to all who stood in her way.But dead on her golden couch in the palace at Alexandria her life seemed to have ended in failure; her dreams of empire shattered; her lover Mark Antony a suicide himself and she a prisoner of her conqueror Octavian.An unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary queen and her stormy life.Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary (Rick Steves' Ser.)
By Rick Steves. 2003
Buon giorno! From ordering calamari in Venice to making new friends in Tuscan hill towns, it helps to speak some…
of the native tongue. Rick Steves, bestselling author of travel guides to Europe, offers well-tested phrases and key words to cover every situation a traveler is likely to encounter. This handy guide provides key phrases for use in everyday circumstances, complete with phonetic spelling, an English-Italian and Italian-English dictionary, the latest information on European currency and rail transportation, and even a tear-out cheat sheet for continued language practice as you wait in line at the Sistine Chapel. Informative, concise, and practical, Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary is an essential item for any traveler's zainetto.Rick Steves London 2018 (Rick Steves Ser.)
By Rick Steves, Gene Openshaw. 2017
Explore London from the sacred stones of Westminster Abbey to the top of the London Eye: with Rick Steves on…
your side, London can be yours!Inside Rick Steves London 2018 you'll find:Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring LondonRick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favoritesTop sights and hidden gems, from Trafalgar Square and the Victoria & Albert to where to find the best tikka masala or fish and chipsHow to connect with local culture: Catch a show in Soho, meet the ravens at the Tower of London, and end your day at the pub sharing a pint and chat with a friendly LondonerBeat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insightThe best places to eat, sleep, and relax over a cup of teaSelf-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums Detailed neighborhood maps and a fold-out city map for exploring on the goUseful resources including a packing list, popular British slang, a historical overview, and recommended readingOver 500 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you downAnnually updated information on the whole city, plus day trips to Windsor, Cambridge, and StonehengeMake the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves London 2018.Spending just a few days in the city? Try Rick Steves Pocket London.Rick Steves France 2018 (Rick Steves Ser.)
By Rick Steves, Steve Smith. 2018
Wander the lavender fields of Provence, climb the Eiffel Tower, and bite into a perfect croissant: with Rick Steves on…
your side, France can be yours!Inside Rick Steves France 2018 you'll find:Comprehensive coverage for planning a multi-week trip to FranceRick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favoritesTop sights and hidden gems, from Louvre and the Palace of Versailles to neighborhood restaurants and delicate macarons How to connect with local culture: Stroll through open-air markets in Paris, or bike between rustic villages and local vineyardsBeat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insightThe best places to eat, sleep, and relax over a vin rougeSelf-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and museumsVital trip-planning tools, like how to link destinations, build your itinerary, and get from place to place Detailed maps, including a fold-out map for exploring on the goUseful resources including a packing list, French phrase book, a historical overview, and recommended reading Over 1,000 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you downAnnually updated information on Paris, Chartres, Normandy, Mont St-Michel, Brittany, The Loire, Dordogne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, The French Riviera, Nice, Monaco, The French Alps, Burgundy, Lyon, Alsace, Reims, Verdun, and much moreMake the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves France 2018.Planning a one- to two-week trip? Check out Rick Steves Best of France.Rick Steves Snapshot Dublin (Rick Steves Snapshot Ser.)
By Rick Steves, Pat O'Connor. 2016
You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Dublin. In…
this compact guide, Rick Steves and Pat O'Connor team up to cover the best of Dublin, including tips on arrival, orientation, and transportation. Embark on a traditional pub crawl, tour the Kilmainham Gaol, or view the Book of Kells in the Trinity Old Library. You'll get firsthand advice on the best sights, eating, sleeping, and nightlife, and the maps and self-guided tours will ensure you make the most of your experience. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves Snapshot guide is a tour guide in your pocket.Rick Steves Snapshot guides consist of excerpted chapters from Rick Steves European country guidebooks. Snapshot guides are a great choice for travelers visiting a specific city or region, rather than multiple European destinations. These slim guides offer all of Rick's up-to-date advice on what sights are worth your time and money. They include good-value hotel and restaurant recommendations, with no introductory information (such as overall trip planning, when to go, and travel practicalities).Rick Steves Snapshot Basque Country: Spain And France (Rick Steves Snapshot Ser.)
By Rick Steves. 2014
You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in the Basque…
Country.In this compact guide, Rick Steves covers the essentials of the Basque Country with coverage of St. Jean-de-Luz, The Bay of Biscay, and Bayonne. Visit the Eglise St. Jean Baptiste, the Plaza de la Constitución, and experience both the French and Spanish aspects of the region. You'll get Rick's firsthand advice on the best sights, eating, sleeping, and nightlife, and the maps and self-guided tours will ensure you make the most of your experience. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves Snapshot guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.Rick Steves' Snapshot guides consist of excerpted chapters from Rick Steves' European country guidebooks. Snapshot guides are a great choice for travelers visiting a specific city or region, rather than multiple European destinations. These slim guides offer all of Rick's up-to-date advice on what sights are worth your time and money. They include good-value hotel and restaurant recommendations, with no introductory information (such as overall trip planning, when to go, and travel practicalities).Moon Living Abroad Italy (Living Abroad Ser.)
By John Moretti. 2017
Moon Travel Guides: Make Your Move!From visas, to job-hunting, to cultural assimilation, get a head start on your life-changing move…
with Moon Living Abroad Italy.Inside you'll find:Practical information on setting up the essentials, including visas, finances, employment, education, and healthcareFirsthand insight on navigating the language and culture from John Moretti, an experienced expat who has lived in Italy for more than a decadeTips on finding housing that suits your needs and budget, whether you're renting or buyingA thorough survey of the many regions, provinces, and individual cultures that Italy encompasses, to help you find the right new home for youInterviews with other expats who share their personal experiences building successful lives abroadHow to plan a fact-finding trip before making the move to familiarize yourself with aspects of daily life in Italy: internet and phone access, schooling, banking, insurance, travel, transportation, and moreSpecial tips for those making the move with children or petsMoon Living Abroad Italy takes the hassle out of planning your move, giving you the insider tips, practical resources, and local know-how to start your new life abroad!