An uproarious account of Mark Twain's endless attempts to strike it rich, all of which served only to empty his pockets Mark Twain's lifetime spans America's era of greatest economic growth. And Twain was an active, even giddy, participant in all the great booms and busts of his time, launching himself into one harebrained get-rich scheme after another. But far from striking it rich, the man who coined the term "Gilded Age" failed with comical regularity to join the ranks of plutocrats who made this period in America notorious for its wealth and excess. Instead, Twain's mining firm failed, despite striking real silver. He ended up somehow owing money over his 70,000 acres of inherited land. And his plan to market the mysteriously energizing coca leaves from the Amazon fizzled when no ships would sail to South America. Undaunted, Twain poured his money into the latest newfangled inventions of his time, all of which failed miserably. In Crawford's... Views: 47
In the third book in the Princess in Camo series—Dog Show Disaster—just maybe, reality TV star Allie Carroway is in over her head! When Allie is unanimously elected by her schoolmates as the Student Project Manager of this year's end-of-the-year school carnival and fundraiser she is excited. Her friends and family love her idea of having a dog show as part of the festivities and know it will be the perfect way to raise money for the local animal shelter.But almost immediately things start going haywire. Big and small disasters start to happen, one after the other, and soon Allie cannot imagine how the Ouachita Middle School Bark Fest can possibly be a success. But with the super support of the Carroway cousins, family, and friends, and a strong faith and trust that God knows exactly what is needed and when, things start to turn around ... but not without a few hurdles, including a bit of bullying and rivalries, along the way!This third book in... Views: 47
At the heart of the evil of Nazism was Hitler's "witch doctor," Heinrich Himmler, and his peculiar and deadly organization with the mundane name Schutzstaffel, literally "protective squadron." Undoubtedly you know them better as the feared SS, the very essence of Nazism. Their threatening double lightning bolt is perhaps the most dreaded symbol of the Third Reich. The facts of the SS's origins are truly stranger than fiction. If you thought Raiders of the Lost Ark was an inspired Hollywood fiction, think again. Hitler's Master of the Dark Arts reveals the hidden "truths" of the SS in full and morbidly fascinating detail. Views: 47
PAMELA ISAACS HAS NO TIME FOR LOVE Years ago her husband abandoned her with two children to raise alone. Now Pamela is ready to graduate from college and move into her own home. When Jack reappears, eager for a second chance, Pamela's not sure what to think or feel about the man she once loved. Jack's worked hard to overcome his addiction and become a man worthy of Pamela's trust. Now all he needs is a chance to prove to her that he's changed and he's here to stay. But is their love strong enough to conquer all and reunite a family forever? Views: 47
Talented, well trained and confident in his own abilities and worth, Australia's first government architect was also hot-headed and tactless. Sentenced to death for forgery, then granted a last-minute reprieve, Francis Greenway was transported to New South Wales in 1814. Within a single eventful decade, Greenway's and Governor Lachlan Macquarie's transformation of Sydney from a ramshackle convict garrison into an elegant city was well under way with buildings like the Hyde Park Barracks, St James' Church, Supreme Court and Windsor courthouse. Award-winning author Alasdair McGregor – in the first biography of Greenway since 1953 – scrutinises the life and work of a man beset by contradictions and demons. He profiles Greenway's landmark buildings, his meteoric rise and his complex and fraught relationship with Governor Macquarie, along with his thwarted ambitions and self-destruction. All played out in a fledgling colony in the throes of change from far-flung gaol to... Views: 47
Patrick Gawain knows monsters. He's seen plenty of the human sort in the Holy Lands, and as he sails home from The First Crusade, a hooded apparition begins to stalk him. Convinced that he's lost his mind, he holes up in a monastery to convalesce and, if recovery proves impossible, to hide his demons from the world. But a stranger comes to find him and presents a barely credible invitation: travel to Avalon and serve with the Avangarde, an order of knights sworn to protect young scholars from around the world. Thinking it will be a fresh start, Patrick agrees, and soon discovers that Avalon is more than a myth; it is the site of a vibrant secret academy - and it's also full of ghosts, goblins, and talking wolves. He can capably protect the castle from the island's supernatural beasts, but in the relative peace of the academy life, his hooded demon returns and his troubled heart causes him to sabotage the love of a young woman, Katherina. When an ancient being with sinister designs for the island infiltrates the academy, Patrick is the first to suspect its true nature when it begins its quest by seducing Katherina. Patrick soon learns that before he can defeat monsters, he must first defeat his demons. Views: 47
Political satire as deeper truth: Donald Trump's presidential memoir, as recorded by two world-renowned Trump scholars, and experts on greatness generally "I have the best words, beautiful words, as everybody has been talking and talking about for a long time. Also? The best sentences and, what do you call them, paragraphs. My previous books were great and sold extremely, unbelievably well—even the ones by dishonest, disgusting so-called journalists. But those writers didn't understand Trump, because quite frankly they were major losers. People say if you want it done right you have to do it yourself, even when 'it' is a 'memoir.' So every word of this book was written by me, using a special advanced word processing system during the many, many nights I've been forced to stay alone in the White House—only me, just me, trust me, nobody helped. And it's all 100% true, so true—people are already saying it may be the... Views: 47
Fourty-four essays on literature, politicking in government and in literary circles, and such celebrated contemporary characters as Norman Mailer, Dr. David Reuben, and Susan Sontag by the man Alfred Krazin has called "one of the best-informed and most biting polemicists of our overgrown American way of life." Views: 47
TOGETHER THEY FOUND THE ONE THING THAT ELUDED THEM AS INDIVIDUALS: A PLACE IN THE WORLD. Views: 47
