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Appointment in Dallas: My Shocking Conversation with the Man Who Confessed to Killing JFK
By Hugh C. McDonald. 2013
Reprinted Edition"When I first brought the President's head into my telescopic sight, he was leaning forward at an appreciable angle. …
My crosshairs were exactly on the back of his skull. . . ."With these chilling words the man who fired the fatal shot that killed President John F. Kennedy revealed his role in the assassination to the law-enforcement officer who had hunted him for nearly a decade. In this classic exposé, veteran cop Hugh C. McDonald offers a gripping firsthand account of his personal journey into the dark heart of an unthinkable conspiracy--to bring to light these and other shocking revelations: The astonishing truth about the shooter on the Grassy Knoll. How security lapses allowed an armed assassin easy access to Dealey Plaza. The fallacy of the "Single Bullet" theory. Who fired the bullets that killed JFK, who fired the bullets that didn't. Through the dramatic perspective of an eyewitness to history, Appointment in Dallas provides essential insights into the who, why, and how of the JFK murder, finally answering the questions that have consumed the American public for decades.The Theory of the Four Stages of Liberation in Pāli Literature
By Amrita Nanda. 2024
This book investigates the origins and development of the theory of four stages of liberation in Pāli literature. This theory…
is an important soteriological cartography in early Buddhism, particularly Theravāda Buddhism. Amrita Nanda challenges the traditional interpretation of the four stages by recognizing the impact of the changing socio-religious factors on the theory’s origins and subsequent development. Based primarily on the Pali literary sources, this study utilizes sometimes-overlooked aspects of these texts. This book first traces the origins of each stage individually; then, it traces the formation of the theory and its subsequent development.Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within
By David Goggins. 2022
This is not a self-help book. It’s a wake-up call! Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins’ smash hit memoir, demonstrated…
how much untapped ability we all have but was merely an introduction to the power of the mind. In Never Finished, Goggins takes you inside his Mental Lab, where he developed the philosophy, psychology, and strategies that enabled him to learn that what he thought was his limit was only his beginning and that the quest for greatness is unending. The stories and lessons in this raw, revealing, unflinching memoir offer the reader a blueprint they can use to climb from the bottom of the barrel into a whole new stratosphere that once seemed unattainable. Whether you feel off-course in life, are looking to maximize your potential or drain your soul to break through your so-called glass ceiling, this is the only book you will ever need.A Daughter's Deadly Deception: The Jennifer Pan Story
By Jeremy Grimaldi. 2016
Now a Netflix Documentary What Jennifer Did • A sinister plot by a young woman left her mother dead and…
her father riddled with bullets.“The book is pure story: chronological, downhill, fast.” — Globe and MailFrom the outside looking in, Jennifer Pan seemed like a model daughter living a perfect life. The ideal child, the one her immigrant parents saw, was studying to become a pharmacist at the University of Toronto. But there was a dark, deceptive side to the angelic young woman.In reality, Jennifer spent her days in the arms of her high school sweetheart, Daniel. In an attempt to lead the life she dreamed of, she would do almost anything: lie about her whereabouts, forge school documents, and invent fake jobs and a fictitious apartment. For many years she led this double life. But when her father discovered her web of lies, his ultimatum was severe. And so, too, was her revenge: a plan that culminated in cold-blooded murder. And it almost worked, except for one bad shot.The story of Jennifer Pan is one of all-consuming love and devious betrayal that led to a cold-hearted plan hatched by a group of youths who thought they could pull off the perfect crime.2017 Arthur Ellis Award, Best Nonfiction Book — WinnerNecessary Trouble: Growing Up at Midcentury
By Drew Gilpin Faust. 1956
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA memoir of coming of age in a conservative Southern family in postwar America.To grow…
up in the 1950s was to enter a world of polarized national alliances, nuclear threat, and destabilized social hierarchies. Two world wars and the depression that connected them had unleashed a torrent of expectations and dissatisfactions—not only in global affairs but in American society and Americans’ lives.A privileged white girl in conservative, segregated Virginia was expected to adopt a willful blindness to the inequities of race and the constraints of gender. For Drew Gilpin, the acceptance of both female subordination and racial hierarchy proved intolerable and galvanizing. Urged to become “well adjusted” and to fill the role of a poised young lady that her upbringing imposed, she found resistance was necessary for her survival. During the 1960s, through her love of learning and her active engagement in the civil rights, student, and antiwar movements, Drew forged a path of her own—one that would eventually lead her to become a historian of the very conflicts that were instrumental in shaping the world she grew up in.Culminating in the upheavals of 1968, Necessary Trouble captures a time of rapid change and fierce reaction in one young woman’s life, tracing the transformations and aftershocks that we continue to grapple with today.Includes black-and-white imagesThe World Is Yours: The Story of Scarface
By Glenn Kenny. 2024
The behind-the-scenes story of the iconic film Scarface, featuring new interviews with the cast and crew. An unflinching confrontation of humanity&’s…
dark side, Brian De Palma&’s crime drama film Scarface gave rise to a cultural revolution upon its release in 1983. Its impact was unprecedented, making globe-spanning waves as a defining portrait of the gritty Miami street life. From Al Pacino&’s masterful characterization of Tony Montana to the iconic &“Say hello to my little friend,&” Scarface maintains its reputation as an unwavering game changer in cult classic cinema. With brand-new interviews and untold stories of the film&’s production, longtime film critic Glenn Kenny takes us on an unparalleled journey through the making of American depictions of crime. The World Is Yours highlights the influential characters and themes within Scarface, reflecting on how its storied legacy played such a major role in American culture.Missing: My life finding the lost and delivering justice for the living
By Charlie Hedges. 2024
'A phenomenal insight... a fascinating read. I couldn't put it down' Jackie Malton, author of The Real Prime SuspectEvery 90…
seconds in the UK, a missing person is reported to the police.A pioneer in the field with experience spanning four decades, Charlie Hedges' job is to work out the best way to find them. What's going on in their life? When were they last seen?Have they chosen to go missing or is someone else involved?With no two cases ever the same, Charlie has been involved in some of the most high-profile reports during his career with the police and as a consultant in missing cases. From the evil of abductions and trafficking to the tragic accidents of the vulnerable, Charlie has dedicated his life to developing the ways we help not just the missing, but the families and loved ones left behind.Unique and fascinating, Missing tells Charlie's untold story of finding those who desperately need to be found and the cases that will never leave him.Missing: My life finding the lost and delivering justice for the living
By Charlie Hedges. 2024
'A phenomenal insight... a fascinating read. I couldn't put it down' Jackie Malton, author of The Real Prime SuspectEvery 90…
seconds in the UK, a missing person is reported to the police.A pioneer in the field with experience spanning four decades, Charlie Hedges' job is to work out the best way to find them. What's going on in their life? When were they last seen?Have they chosen to go missing or is someone else involved?With no two cases ever the same, Charlie has been involved in some of the most high-profile reports during his career with the police and as a consultant in missing cases. From the evil of abductions and trafficking to the tragic accidents of the vulnerable, Charlie has dedicated his life to developing the ways we help not just the missing, but the families and loved ones left behind.Unique and fascinating, Missing tells Charlie's untold story of finding those who desperately need to be found and the cases that will never leave him.Millions have been entertained by the viral video of a man being arrested after a &‘succulent Chinese meal&’. But when…
Mark Dapin investigated, it emerged that this man's story went to the heart of the Australian underworld. A true crime cult classic in the making. Whether you know it as the &‘succulent Chinese meal&’ video, or &‘democracy manifest&’, chances are you have seen the video of baritone larrikin Jack Karlson getting arrested outside a Brisbane Chinese restaurant in 1991. The Guardian called it &‘perhaps the pre-eminent Australian meme of the last 10 years&’. When Karlson called crime writer Mark Dapin out of the blue, though, Dapin hadn&’t heard of him. But there was enough that intrigued him about this theatrical outlaw to continue the conversation. Over the following months emerged a dark and complex past. It turned out that Karlson had been in the background of many notorious incidents in late-twentieth century Australian crime, from collaborating with infamous prison-playwright Jim McNeil to befriending hitman Christopher Dale Flannery (Mr Rent-a-Kill). But most shockingly of all, Karlson&’s life story led Dapin to shed new light on a number of unsolved murders, by two serial killers.The result is an extraordinary, deeply revealing portrait of Australian crime from the 60s to the 2010s – a portrait of carnage. &‘Mark Dapin could never be accused of glorifying crime, but he is guilty as sin for understanding it. Inhabited by flawed humans, filled with violence, humour, tears and dreams, Carnage is a classic Australian crime story.&’ Gary Jubelin, author of I Catch Killers 'True crime at its grim and richly entertaining best, and – let&’s face it – its truest.&’ Robert Drewe, author of The Shark Net &‘If ever there was a book crammed with colourful villains who are &“mad, bad and dangerous to know,&” it&’s definitely Mark Dapin&’s extraordinary book, Carnage.&’ Kate McClymont, author of He Who Must Be Obeid &‘Carnage is a window into Australian mayhem, killingly funny and beautifully told. Dapin finds pathos in a twisted world.&’ Matthew Spencer, author of Black River &‘Carnage begins by probing what seems a minor curiosity – an internet meme centred on a colourful character – then takes a turn into the lives of traumatised youths hurled without care or thought into brutalising reformatories. From there they graduate to rorts, robberies, violence. Bleak lives interspersed with occasional forays into squaresville – spouses, kids, even jobs – and attempts at betterment via theatre and literature. A unique, deeply felt take on the Australian underworld.&’ Peter Doyle, author of Crooks Like Us &‘The moment I start reading anything by Mark Dapin I&’m captivated, intrigued and engaged for the entire journey. There is no finer writer documenting the history and characters of Australian criminality.&’ Stuart CoupeGo Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde
By Jeff Guinn. 2009
Previous books and films have emphasized the supposed glamour of America's most notorious criminal couple, thus contributing to ongoing mythology.…
The real story is completely different—and far more fascinating.With newly discovered material, bestselling author Jeff Guin tells the real tale of two kids from a filthy Dallas slum who fell in love and then willingly traded their lives for a brief interlude of excitement and, more importantly, fame. The timing for their first heist could not have been better, when most Americans, reeling from the Great Depression, were desperate for escapist entertainment. Thanks to newsreels, true crime magazines, and new-fangled wire services that transmitted scandalous photos of Bonnie smoking a cigar to every newspaper in the nation, the Barrow Gang members almost instantly became household names. In the minds of the public, they were cool, calculating bandits who robbed banks and killed cops with equal impunity. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Clyde and Bonnie were perhaps the most inept crooks ever, and their two-year crime spree was as much a reign of error as it was of terror. Lacking the sophistication to plot robberies of big-city banks, the Barrow Gang preyed mostly on small mom-and-pop groceries and service stations. Even at that, they often came up empty-handed and were reduced to breaking into gum machines for meal money. Both were crippled, Clyde from cutting off two of his toes while in prison and Bonnie from a terrible car crash caused by Clyde's reckless driving. Constantly on the run from the law, they lived like animals, camping out in their latest stolen car, bathing in creeks, and dining on cans of cold beans and Vienna sausages. Yet theirs was a genuine love story. Their devotion to each other was as real as their overblown reputation as criminal masterminds was not. Now, thanks in great part to surviving Barrow and Parker family members and collectors of criminal memorabilia who provided Jeff Guinn with access to never-before-published material, we finally have the real story of Bonnie and Clyde and their troubled times, delivered with cinematic sweep and unprecedented insight by a masterful storyteller.Fighting the Night: Iwo Jima, World War II, and a Flyer's Life
By Paul Hendrickson. 2024
From the acclaimed and best-selling author of Hemingway&’s Boat, the profoundly moving story of his father&’s wartime service as a…
night fighter pilot, and the prices he and his fellow soldiers paid for their acts of selfless, patriotic sacrificeIn the fall of 1944, Joe Paul Hendrickson, the author&’s father, kissed his twenty-one-year-old wife and two baby children goodbye. The twenty-five-year-old first lieutenant, pilot of a famed P-61 Black Widow, was leaving for the war. He and his night fighter squadron were sent to Iwo Jima, where, for the last five and a half months of World War II, he flew approximately seventy-five missions, largely in pitch-black conditions. His wife would wait out the war at the home of her small-town Ohio parents, one of the countless numbers of American family members shouldering the burden of being left behind.Joe Paul, the son of a Depression-poor Kentucky sharecropper, was fresh out of high school in 1937 when he enlisted in mechanic school in the peacetime Army Air Corps. Eventually, he was able to qualify for flight school. After marriage, and with the war on, the young officer and his bride crisscrossed the country, airfield to airfield, base to base: Santa Ana, Yuma, Kissimmee, Bakersfield, Orlando, La Junta, Fresno. He volunteered for night fighters and the newly arrived and almost mythic Black Widow. A world away, the carnage continued. As Paul Hendrickson tracks his parents&’ journey, together and separate, both stateside and overseas, he creates a vivid portrait of a hard-to-know father whose time in the war, he comes to understand, was something truly heroic, but never without its hidden and unhidden psychic costs.Bringing to life an iconic moment of American history, and the tragedy of all wars, Fighting the Night is an intense and powerful story of violence and love, forgiveness and loss. And it is a tribute to those who got plunged into service, in the best years of their lives, and the sacrifices they and their loved ones made, then and thereafter.The Jhanas: A Practical Guide to Deep Meditative States
By Shaila Catherine. 2024
Experience new levels of joy, calm, and clarity with this revised and enhanced edition of the bestselling Focused and Fearless.The…
Pali word jhana literally means &“to meditate.&” It also refers to a traditional series of states of absorption, each deeper than the last, in which the mind is undistracted by sensation, thoughts, or moods. Shaila Catherine&’s friendly, wise approach, blended with contemporary examples and pragmatic "how to" instructions that anyone can try, will show meditators (and non-meditators) how to attain these extraordinary states with relative ease. But jhana practice is about much more than just meditation or concentration; it offers a complete path toward bliss, fearlessness, and true awakening. From the introduction: Jhanas are states of happiness that can radically transform the heart, reshape the mind, imbue consciousness with enduring joy and ease, and provide an inner resource of tranquility that surpasses any conceivable sensory pleasure. Jhanas are states of deep rest, healing rejuvenation, and profound comfort that create a stable platform for transformative insight. In this approach to jhana, we use the calming aspects of concentration to support the investigative aspects of insight meditation. The fruit of concentration is freedom of heart and mind. This new edition of the meditation classic clarifies crucial points and offers twenty-one additional exercises, making this a great book for both those new to jhana practice and those looking to deepen their practice.The Truth in True Crime: What Investigating Death Teaches Us About the Meaning of Life
By J. Warner Wallace. 2024
Explore fifteen life-truths gleaned from both contemporary murder investigations and ancient biblical wisdom."Every murder investigation teaches two lessons: a death lesson and…
a life lesson."For decades, cold-case homicide detective J. Warner Wallace investigated the causes behind deaths and murders, chasing one lead after another as he attempted to solve the case. Several of these cases remain open, unsolved mysteries. . .But even those that haven't yet revealed the identity of the killer do expose the truths of human nature: what's important to us, what threatens our well-being, and what causes us to flourish.Join Wallace as he investigates life lessons he learned as a detective, so that you can:Better understand your own identity and the identity of your Creator.Rethink the nature of death so you can live a better life.Uncover life-truths gleaned from both contemporary murder investigations and ancient biblical wisdom.Discover profound attributes of human beings that will guide you down the path of true self-discovery. Each chapter introduces you to an investigation of a death as Wallace and his partner Rick chase down leads and along the way learn guiding principles to help you thrive and flourish as a human being created in the image of God.Daisy de melker: Hiding among killers in the city of gold
By Ted Botha. 2023
Mother. Nurse. Gold-digger. Cause célèbre. When Daisy de Melker stood trial in 1932, accused of poisoning her son and two…
husbands, the public couldn't get enough of her. Crowds gathered outside court baying for blood, and she waved to them like a celebrity. Against the backdrop of Johannesburg in its golden age, a booming metropolis of opulence and chaos nicknamed the 'City of Gold' and the 'University of Crime', she had quietly gone about her sinister business while around her sensational crimes grabbed the headlines. There was the marauding Foster Gang, which left at least ten people dead; a dashing German hustler; a local Bonnie and Clyde; an innocent student walking in Zoo Lake park at the wrong time and a man who escaped death row to become one of South Africa's most revered authors. These interlinking stories are told in the style of a thriller and with riveting, kaleidoscopic detail. In Daisy de Melker, Ted Botha weaves together a fantastic cast of killers and con men, detectives and lawmen, journalists and authors – even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Herman Charles Bosman – to depict a grand and desperate city. For almost twenty years Daisy hid in the shadows but when someone finally spoke up about the suspicious deaths around her, it led to a trial like nothing the City of Gold had ever seen and spread her name across the worldAlbert Ball VC: The Fighter Pilot Hero of World War I
By Colin Pengelly. 2010
An action-packed military biography of a British fighter pilot and his rise through ranks during World War I. World War…
I pilot Albert Ball&’s invincible courage and determination made him a legend not only in Britain but also amongst his enemies, to whom the sight of his lone Nieuport Scout brought fear. Ball enlisted in the British army in 1914 with the 2/7th Battalion (Robin Hoods) of the Sherwood Foresters, Notts, and Derby Regiment. By October, 1914, he had reached the rank of Sergeant and then became Second-Lieutenant to his own battalion in the same month. In June, 1915, he trained as a pilot in Hendon. Then in October, he obtained Royal Aero Club Certificate and was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He further trained at Norwich and Upavon, being awarded the pilot&’s brevet in January, 1916. In May, he opened his score, shooting down an Albatros C-type over Beaumont. Days later he shot down two LVG C-types, while flying his Nieuport 5173. Captain Albert Ball made his final flight on May 7, 1917, when he flew as part of an eleven-strong hunting patrol into action against Jagdstaffel 11, led by Lothar Von Richthofen. Albert was pursuing the Albatros Scout of Lothar, who crash-landed, wounded. Then many witnessed Albert dive out of a cloud and crash. He died minutes later in the arms of a French girl, Madame Cecille Deloffre. Ball rose from obscurity to the top rank of contemporary fighter pilots in only 15 months. In that period, he had been awarded the MC, DSO, and two Bars, and was credited with at least 44 victories.Caracalla: A Military Biography
By Ilkka Syvänne. 2017
This biography of the Roman Emperor Caracalla challenges his tyrannical reputation with a revealing narrative of his social reforms and…
military campaigns. Caracallahas one of the worst reputations of any Roman Emperor. Many ancient historians were very hostile, and the 18th century English historian Edward Gibbon even dubbed him the common enemy of mankind. Yet his reign was considered by at least one Roman author to be the apogee of the Roman Empire. He was guilty of many murders and massacres—including that of his own brother, ex-wife and daughter. Yet he instituted the Antonine Constitution, granting citizenship to all free men in the Empire. He was also popular with the army, improving their pay and cultivating the image of sharing their hardships. Historian Ilkka Syvanne explains how the biased ancient sources in combination with the stern looking statues of the emperor have created a distorted image of the man. He then reconstructs a chronology of Caracalla&’s reign, focusing on his military campaigns and reforms, to offer a balanced view of his legacy. Caracalla offers the first complete overview of the policies, events and conflicts he oversaw and explains how and why these contributed to the military crisis of the third century.The WWI biography of a Victory Cross recipient who fought bravely at Gallipoli, only to be shunned after the war…
for speaking out against it. The son of a former Premier of Western Australia, Hugo Throssell volunteered to join the Imperial Australian Force during the Great War. He was shipped to Gallipoli in 1915 with the 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment, which fought in a dismounted role. He was involved in the famous charge of the 10th Light Horse at the Battle of the Nek and the Battle of Hill 60. Throssell was severely wounded during the Battle of Hill 60, but refused to leave his post until the fighting was over. As soon as his wounds were dressed, he went back into the firing line until he was ordered to stand down by the Medical Officer. His determination saved his battalion at a critical moment. After the war, Throssell became an outspoken opponent of war, for which he was widely condemned. It also made employment difficult and he fell into debt. When he tried to pawn his Victoria Cross, he was offered only ten shillings. He committed suicide at forty-nine. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this is a moving tale of heroism and tragedy.Marlborough's Shadow: The Life of the First Earl Cadogan
By J. N. Watson. 2003
Several writers have remarked that Marlborough could have never achieved his great military success during the War of the Spanish…
Succession without the support, industry and ingenuity of his Chief of Staff, Quartermaster General and Chief of Intelligence, General William Cadogan, who became the 1st Earl of Cadogan, and who, in 1722, succeeded Marlborough as Commander-in Chief of the British Army. Apart from the other considerations Marlborough, then in his 50's, was relatively frail and prone to fevers and headaches, whereas Cadogan, the better educated officer, was still in his early 30's and very fit. This, the story of a most able young general, is a must for all those interested in military history, particularly that relating to the early 18th century. However, Cadogan was a more complex -and more interesting -personality than his career as a soldier indicates. He possessed the charm, the wisdom, the powers of persuasion and the linguistic ability to make an outstanding diplomat. He proved, indeed, to be the brightest roving ambassador of the reign of George I. And yet, despite all his positive attributes he was not a man political or of financial integrity.Convicts in the Colonies: Transportation Tales from Britain to Australia
By Lucy Williams. 2018
&“A book that looks deeply into the lives of some of the convicts who were sentenced in court to be…
transported to Botany Bay.&” —Pirates and Privateers In the eighty years between 1787 and 1868 more than 160,000 men, women and children convicted of everything from picking pockets to murder were sentenced to be transported beyond the seas. These convicts were destined to serve out their sentences in the empires most remote colony: Australia. Through vivid real-life case studies and famous tales of the exceptional and extraordinary, Convicts in the Colonies narrates the history of convict transportation to Australia—from the first to the final fleet. Using the latest original research, Convicts in the Colonies reveals a fascinating century-long history of British convicts unlike any other. Covering everything from crime and sentencing in Britain and the perilous voyage to Australia, to life in each of the three main penal colonies—New South Wales, Van Diemen&’s Land, and Western Australia—this book charts the lives and experiences of the men and women who crossed the world and underwent one of the most extraordinary punishments in history. &“An easily read, fascinating history, telling the tales of the &‘recidivist&’ convicts in the 18th and 19th centuries.&” —The Essex Family HistorianWinged Warriors: The Cold War from the Cockpit
By Thomas McDonald. 1988
Paul McDonald is a former RAF fast-jet pilot whose flying career spanned 34 years. He is not a typical senior…
RAF officer having been brought up on a council estate in a bleak northern industrial town. He became a pilot by accident and struggled to gain his wings. He spent 14 years on operational tours overseas including 2 tours at the height of the Cold War on a Tornado tactical nuclear squadron in Germany, only 15 minutes from responding to an anticipated Soviet onslaught. Earlier he served on a low-level photo reconnaissance squadron on NATO's vulnerable southern flank. He was decorated for gallantry in 1980 and later served in Kuwait as the Senior RAF Adviser, including Operation Desert Fox, the air war against Iraq in 1998.