Elbridge Durbrow served as the third United States ambassador to the Republic of Vietnam from 1957 to 1961. His relationships with Vietnamese president Ngô Ðình Di?m and members of the Military Assist
Frederick Dannay (1905–1982) was—with his partner Manfred Bennington Lee—the creator of the Ellery Queen detective novels and short stories, a literary historian and critic, and the editor of the reno
Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, with their distinct vocal harmonies, blending of rock, jazz, folk, and blues, and political and social activism, have remained one of the most enduring musical acts of
Using repeated sets of visuals meant to relax and desensitize the mind, autogenic training equips patients to deal with chronic conditions such as anxiety disorders, recurring pain and stress. Patient
“This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny,” said President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the young Americans who grew up during the deprivation of the Great Depression and later served du
[In a changing world, with multiple and often conflicting voices, the library’s important role as a location of safety and inclusion as well as the crusader for knowledge cannot be overstated. It can
The heyday of silent film soon became quaint with the arrival of “talkies.” As early as 1929, critics and historians were writing of the period as though it were the distant past. Much of the literatu
This literary companion surveys the works of Lee Smith, a Southern author lauded for her autobiographical familiarity with Appalachian settings and characters. Her dialogue captures the distinct voice
In an era of unique baseball stadiums, the Polo Grounds in New York stood out from the rest. With its horseshoe shape, the Polo Grounds had extremely short distances down the foul lines and equally lo
Often neglected by historians, actions in Missouri and Kansas had an important influence on the course of the Civil War, with profound and lasting effects for the communities and people in the region.
“Wizard rock”—music based on the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling—is an idiosyncratic subgenre, with band names like Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys and The Whomping Willows. Drawing
Fashion is synonymous with change yet the iconic showgirl costume—feathers, sparkle and revealing clothes—has remained largely unchanged since the early 20th century. Beginning in the 1800s, a couture
There was another war in Vietnam, one that generally didn’t make the headlines: the campaign to “win the hearts and minds” of the Vietnamese people. Fought not with artillery and helicopters but with
Over the years, technological advances have given publishers the ability to produce more books and online publications with greater speed. This new efficiency, however, has increased editors’ workload
The Infield Fly Rule is the most misunderstood in baseball, and perhaps in all of sports. That makes it also the most infamous rule. Drawing on interviews with experts, legal arguments and a study of
Captain Ernie Blanchard left for work January 10, 1995, a successful officer. Respected by superiors and subordinates alike, his personal and professional values seemed perfectly aligned with the inst
Mid-flight noncombat mishaps and blunders occur frequently in the USAF during training and utility flights—sometimes with the loss of life and regularly with the destruction of expensive aircraft. In
During the Cold War, the West—especially in the popular media—tended to view communism as a monolithic phenomenon, with little variation throughout the Eastern Bloc. Yet culture and geography contribu
Professional motorsports found their way to Las Vegas in the mid–1950s at a bankrupt horse track swarmed by gamblers—and soon became enmeshed with the government and organized crime. By 1965, the Vega
Charlie Chaplin the actor is universally synonymous with his beloved Tramp character. Chaplin the director is considered one of the great auteurs and innovators of cinema history. Less well known is C
Walter McDermott graduated with honors from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1968, enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to the Mekong Delta in 1969—the height of the Vietnam War. A specialist w
British author and essayist George Orwell shot to fame with two iconic novels—the anti-Stalinist satire Animal Farm and the dystopian masterpiece Nineteen Eighty-Four. A few years after his death in 1
Group Motion—an improvisational dance performance practice—represents fifty years of co-creation by the authors, with the participation of thousands of dancers, musicians, videographers and others aro
Frank and Jesse James, the infamous brothers from Missouri, rode with marauding Confederate guerrillas during the Civil War. Having learned to kill and raid without compunction, they easily transition
Launched in 1977 by the Christian Broadcasting Service (originally associated with Pat Robertson), the ABC Family/Freeform network has gone through a number of changes in name and ownership. Over the
Like the age-old feud between the Montagues and Capulets in Romeo and Juliet, the enduring rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers makes for great drama. Macbeth’s career began with promi
You can abandon rote learning with this middle and high school teaching guide. Encouraging both students and teachers to unlock their creativity, the authors provide guidance in lesson planning and id
Much of the history of the Korean War has been misinterpreted or obscured. Intense propaganda and limited press coverage during the war, couple with vague objectives and an incomplete victory, resulte
Peplum or “sword-and-sandal” films—an Italian genre of the late 1950s through the 1960s—featured ancient Greek, Roman and Biblical stories with gladiators, mythological monsters and legendary quests.
Many critics and fans refer to the 1990s as the decade that horror forgot, with few notable entries in the genre. Yet horror went mainstream in the ’90s by speaking to the anxieties of American youth
Two events in 1976 had enduring effects on American culture—the debut of Saturday Night Live and the presidential election pitting Gerald Ford against Jimmy Carter. With its mix of sketch comedy and m
"There is a time to preach and a time to fight. And now is the time to fight." With those words, the Rev. John Muhlenberg stepped from his pulpit, removed his clerical robe, revealing the uniform of a
Beginning with the structural features of design and play, this book explores video games as both compelling examples of storytelling and as important cultural artifacts. The author analyzes fundament
This philosophical look at friendship and happiness begins with a review of Aristotle's three categories of friendship—friends of utility, friends of pleasure and friends of the good. Modern variation
Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster are horror cinema icons, and the actors most deeply associated with the two roles also shared a unique friendship. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff starred in dozens of
Tom Gamboa played baseball professionally, coached, scouted, managed in the minors and in Puerto Rico and coached in the big leagues with the Cubs and Royals. As a national crosschecker, he scoured th
With more than 400 illustrations, and detailed maps, this immense and deeply researched account of the history of chess covers not only the Persian and Arab game familiar to most Westerners for the pa
During the African American cultural resurgence of the 1920s and 1930s, professional athletes shared the spotlight with artists and intellectuals. Negro League baseball teams played in New York City’s
Electric propulsion for boats was developed in the early 19th century and—despite the advent of the internal combustion engine—continued with the perfecting of the modern turbo-electric ship. Sustaina
Major League Baseball was in crisis in 1968. The commissioner was inept, professional football was challenging the sport’s popularity and the game on the field was boring, with pitchers dominating hit
