In the wake of talk of a "postracial" America upon Barack Obama's ascension as president of the United States, Michele Norris, cohost of National Public Radio's flagship program All Things Considered, set out to write, through original reporting, a book about "the hidden conversation" on race that is unfolding nationwide. She would, she thought, base her book on the frank disclosures of others on the subject, but she was soon disabused of her presumption when forced to confront the fact that "the conversation" in her own family had not been forthright.Norris unearthed painful family secrets that compelled her to question her own self-understanding: from her father's shooting by a Birmingham police officer weeks after his discharge from the navy at the conclusion of World War II to her maternal grandmother's peddling pancake mix as an itinerant Aunt Jemima to white farm women in the Midwest. In what became a profoundly personal and bracing journey into her... Views: 22
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith is one of Australia′s most beloved heroes. In an action-packed life, the indomitable ′Smithy′ went from fighting as a soldier among the carnage of Gallipoli and the Western Front, to taking to the skies against the likes of the Red Baron - for which he won the Military Cross for gallantry - before becoming the greatest peacetime aviator of his generation. Along with Charles Ulm, he was the first man to conquer the Pacific by air, the first to fly across the Tasman Sea, the fastest man to fly from England to Australia, and the first pilot to circumnavigate the globe by crossing the equator. With typical flair, FitzSimons also tells the story of the several breakthroughs, some of which were discovered in Australia, which laid the foundation for the Wright brothers′ success in 1903; the first flight across the Channel in 1908; Germany′s Red Baron terrorising the Allies in 1917-18, before being shot down by an Australian; Ross and Keith Smith′s breakthrough first flight from England to Australia in 1919; the formation of Qantas in 1921; Lindbergh′s stunning vault between America and Europe in 1927; the Great Centenary Air Race, the loss of the Southern Cloud; the saga of Bert Hinkler and much, much, more . . . Views: 22
SUMMARY: For years, Jack Ryan, Jr. And his colleagues at the Campus have waged an unofficial and highly effective campaign against the terrorists who threaten western civilization. The most dangerous of these is the Emir. This sadistic killer has masterminded the most vicious attacks on the west and has eluded capture by the world's law enforcement agencies. Now the Campus is on his trail. Joined by their latest recruits, John Clark and Ding Chavez, Jack Ryan, Jr. And his cousins, Dominick and Brian Caruso, are determined to catch the Emir and they will bring him in . . . dead or alive. Views: 22
One lazy summer, Suzanne escapes her life in the city for a long holiday in the countryside. She rents a cabin in the woods, and places a personal ad in the newspaper: "Great kisser, good listener." Among the several replies to her ad, one stands out. An ordinary letter, unremarkable in every way, except for the postmark: Stillwater State Prison. The sender is Alpha Breville. A convict, a thief, and a rapist. Perhaps against her better judgement, she writes back to him. But what begins as a remote correspondence quickly evolves into something much more dangerous, exciting, and intimate... Views: 22
EDITORIAL REVIEW: In the rugged Scottish Highlands, a mighty clansman weds a headstrong heiress against her will - and discovers a fiery passion he'll risk his life to protect...Payton Dunn-Fadden is the King's Champion, notorious for his ability to fight any man and win. With steely eyes and a deeply-muscled physique, his powers of seduction are just as legendary. But Payton has a dark secret known only to his wife - and it's a secret she may not keep...Known as White Satin, Dallis Caruth is infuriated by her forced marriage to Payton. The brute is far below her station...which makes her attraction to him utterly maddening. Now Dallis is determined to tame the fearsome laird - and win her freedom in the bargain...As Payton and Dallis spar with one another, their desire ignites into fiery lovemaking. But danger is closer than either realizes. For the king has plans for the couple - plans that may unravel Payton's secret - and cost them both their lives... Views: 22
What happens when hope starts to die? In "The Sadness of Hope", the death of optimism spreads like a disease and the pandemic sweeps the world in waves. Scientists are unable to understand or contain the illness as it rips across the globe. Society collapses the world over as even those who are unaffected start to crumble. Soon there is a blurred line between who is ill, and who is not. And when hope dies, what happens to civilisation? Views: 22
