"This comprehensive first biography of Bird provides a detailed account of his personal life and a deeply researched coverage of his feats at the chess board. Almost 1,200 games are included, hundreds
"The War of 1812 saw the United States wracked by political dissent and problematic military policy. The grievances listed in President Madison's war message to Congress were all mitigated by the time
Venditta, a retired newspaper writer and editor, describes his quest to reconstruct a grenade accident in an American Division training explosion at Chu Lai during the Vietnam War, in which his cousin
The 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry suffered the second highest number of battle deaths of all the Union regiments, in every theater, throughout the course of the Civil War. Nevertheless, this hardy and de
First implemented in 1962, the American embargo against Cuba is one of the most enduring anti-trade measures in human history, having outlived most of the original government and military leaders resp
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
Considered one of the finest performers in world cinema, Japanese actor Takashi Shimura (1905–1982) appeared in more than 300 stage, film and television roles during his five-decade career. He is best
Defeat was looming for the South—as the Civil War wore on, paths to possible victory were fast disappearing. Dr. Luke Pryor Blackburn, a Confederate physician and expert in infectious diseases, had an
Most artists work alone, but some find a creative partner and team up for their entire careers. Artistic collaborators testify that their work done jointly is better than what each person could create
It was not Robert Oppenheimer who built the bomb—it was engineers, chemists and young physicists in their twenties, many not yet having earned a degree. The first atomic bomb was originally conceived
[This is a densely researched and comprehensive examination of the deep history of the region from the time of European settlement to the present day. Taking an expansive approach to local history, it
Dystopian fiction captivates us by depicting future worlds at once eerily similar and shockingly foreign to our own. This collection of new essays presents some of the most recent scholarship on a gen
[Focusing on the first 10 years following the events of 9/11, this book provides an in-depth analysis of the various means through which stereotypical characteristics of Muslim identities and their wo
During the “Must See TV” 1990s, Americans enjoyed such immensely popular sitcoms as Friends, Seinfeld, Home Improvement and The Drew Carey Show. Shows that did not make the ratings cut numbered in the
The signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 signified the end of the Vietnam War. American personnel returned home and 591 American prisoners held captive in North Vietnam were released. Still, 2,6
Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Katherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly—the five known victims of Jack the Ripper—are among the most written-about women in history. Hundreds of books
The son of Jewish immigrants, war correspondent Cecil Brown (1907–1987) was a member of CBS’ esteemed Murrow Boys. Expelled from Italy and Singapore for reporting the facts, he witnessed the Nazi inva
Written by and for baseball fans (or those trying to live with one), this collection of essays joins a perennial conversation all fans have—"Why do we love baseball?” Thirty contributors share persona
The tools for independent filmmaking are more accessible today than ever. Yet there is much more to successfully creating a film than access to equipment and software. Chronicling the making of his pr
On a frigid February night in Kiev in 2013, former president of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski turned to his friend Pat Cox, the former president of the European Parliament, and said: “Don’t worry, Pat
For much of the past century, public discourse about gender and politics has been driven largely by progressive women—those voices on the left that support policies widely considered to be pro-women.
Walpole (1961-2015) does not recount the story of the lost expedition, but places the relics from the voyage in the context of material culture, and offers a different perspective on the cultural
"This book tells the story of the short-lived league and the clubs who entertained fans on dusty ball fields under dim lights, including the Lumberton Auctioneers, Rockingham Eagles, Warsaw Red Sox, S
Isleib, who writes about the sport, uses daily playoff contention data from baseball to examine the impact of relative team reputations on team and player fame, including impacts on Hall of Fame v
"Furry fandom--an adult social group interested in anthropomorphic animals in art, literature and culture--has grown since the 1980s. This study of the furry subculture presents a history of the oft-m
It has been 2500 years since the Greek heavy infantry known as hoplites dominated the battlefield. Yet they still capture the imagination today, through a wave of successful action films, novels and d
Science fiction movie audiences may sometimes wonder how fictitious the science in a film really is. Yet for many—call them the “Jurrasic Park generation”—film and popular media can present a seemingl
The author traces the history of Sega's subsidiary in America, detailing its growth into one of the largest game development studios in the world, each in-house Sega studio, and key games develope
"For nearly two decades Alan Trammell displayed an all-around game as a fielder, hitter, and base runner that was rare for shortstops of his era. This exhaustively researched biography provides the fi
"This comprehensive history describes the evolution of polo in the U.S., from its beginnings in 1876 until the 2010 Open Championship in Florida. The principal early players and the first polo clubs a
Acknowledging the explosion of both print and online sources of information on graves, Wilson continues to provide as much detail as possible on where the people he lists ended up, sharing what inform
"In this memoir spanning nine decades, Lieutenant Colonel C.F. Jerram (1882-1969) of the Royal Marines recounts his life and military service through both world wars. An essay by the editor, based on
The Pacific Coast League enjoyed a reputation as one of the premier minor leagues in organized baseball. Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Lefty Gomez, the Waner brothers and Ernie Lombardi were among the f
“George Stevens could do anything,” said veteran Hollywood producer Pandro S. Berman, “break your heart or make you laugh.” Winner of two Best Director Oscars—for A Place in the Sun (1951) and Giant (
[From the 1950s through the 1970s, disaster films were among the most popular on any genre. Audiences loved the thrill and spectacle of these movies, many of which were quite glamorous for their time.
The day-by-day inside story of the making of Tombstone (1993) as told to the author by those who were there—actors, extras, crew members, Buckaroos, historians and everyone in between. Historical cont
Christopher Nolan is one of the defining directors of the 21st century. Few of his contemporaries can compete in terms of critical and commercial success, let alone cultural impact. His films have a r
Young adult literature holds an exceptional place in modern American popular culture—accessible to readers of all levels, it captures a diverse audience and tends to adapt to the big screen in an exci
Hollywood studios were once eager to bring stand-up comedy king Richard Pryor’s dynamic humor to the big screen—so much so that studio executives gave him full access to available resources and creati
The Page Fence Giants, an all-star black baseball club sponsored by a woven-wire fence company in Adrian, Michigan, graced the diamond in the 1890s. Formed through a partnership between black and whit
