|
Books > Biography > Historical, political & military
Twenty Years at Hull House, by the acclaimed memoir of social
reformer Jane Addams, is presented here complete with all
sixty-three of the original illustrations and the biographical
notes. A landmark autobiography in terms of opening the eyes of
Americans to the plight of the industrial revolution, Twenty Years
at Hull House has been applauded for its unflinching descriptions
of the poverty and degradation of the era. Jane Addams also details
the grave ill-health she suffered during and after her childhood,
giving the reader insight into the adversity which she would
re-purpose into a drive to alleviate the suffering of others. The
process by which Addams founded Hull House in Chicago is detailed;
the sheer scale and severity of the poverty in the city she and
others witnessed, the search for the perfect location, and the
numerous difficulties she and her fellow activists encountered
while establishing and maintaining the house are detailed.
Robert W. Merry presents a fresh, playful, and challenging way of
playing America's favorite game, "Rating the Presidents," by
pitching historian's views and experts' polls against the judgment
and votes of the presidents' contemporaries.
A Foreign Affairs Best Book of 2022 A Financial Times Politics Book
of the Year 2021 A fascinating account of Russia's famous dissident
and the politics he embodies. Who is Alexei Navalny? Poisoned in
August 2020 and transported to Germany for treatment, the
politician returned to Russia in January 2021 in the full glare of
the world media. His immediate detention at passport control set
the stage for an explosive showdown with Vladimir Putin. But
Navalny means very different things to different people. To some,
he is a democratic hero. To others, he is betraying the Motherland.
To others still, he is a dangerous nationalist. This book explores
the many dimensions of Navalny's political life, from his
pioneering anti-corruption investigations to his ideas and
leadership of a political movement. It also looks at how his
activities and the Kremlin's strategies have shaped one another.
Navalny makes sense of this divisive character, revealing the
contradictions of a man who is the second most important political
figure in Russia-even when behind bars. In order to understand
modern Russia, you need to understand Alexei Navalny. This updated
version includes new material following Russia's February 2022
invasion of Ukraine.
A TIME TO BETRAY
This exhilarating, award-winning memoir of a secret double life
reveals the heart-wrenching story of a man who spied for the
American government in the ranks of the notorious Revolutionary
Guards of Iran, risking everything by betraying his homeland in
order to save it.
Reza Kahlili grew up in Tehran surrounded by his close-knit family
and friends. But the enlightened Iran of his youth vanished
forever, as Reza discovered upon returning home from studying
computer science in the United States, when the revolution of 1979
ushered in Ayatollah Khomeini's dark age of religious
fundamentalism. Clinging to the hope of a Persian Renaissance, Reza
joined the Ayatollah's elite Revolutionary Guards. As Khomeini's
tyrannies unfolded, as fellow countrymen turned on each other, and
after the deeply personal horrors he witnessed firsthand inside
Evin Prison, a shattered and disillusioned Reza returned to America
to dangerously become "Wally," a spy for the CIA.
In "A Time to Betray," Reza not only relates his razor's-edge,
undercover existence from moment to heart-pounding moment as he
supplies vital information from the Iran-Iraq War, the bombing of
Pan Am Flight 103, the Iran-Contra affair, and more; he also
documents a chain of incredible events that culminates in a
nation's fight for freedom that continues to this very day, making
this a timely and vital perspective on the future of Iran and the
fate of the world.
"The first biography of this important American Indian
artist"
Artist, teacher, and Red Progressive, Angel De Cora (1869-1919)
painted "Fire Light" to capture warm memories of her Nebraska
Winnebago childhood. In this biography, Linda M. Waggoner draws on
that glowing image to illuminate De Cora's life and artistry, which
until now have been largely overlooked by scholars.
One of the first American Indian artists to be accepted within
the mainstream art world, De Cora left her childhood home on the
Winnebago reservation to find success in the urban Northeast at the
turn of the twentieth century. Despite scant documentary sources
that elucidate De Cora's private life, Waggoner has rendered a
complete picture of the woman known in her time as the first "real
Indian artist." She depicts De Cora as a multifaceted individual
who as a young girl took pride in her traditions, forged a bond
with the land that would sustain her over great distances, and
learned the role of cultural broker from her mother's Metis
family.
After studying with famed illustrator Howard Pyle at his first
Brandywine summer school, De Cora eventually succeeded in
establishing the first "Native Indian" art department at Carlisle
Indian School. A founding member of the Society of American
Indians, she made a significant impact on the American Arts and
Crafts movement by promoting indigenous arts throughout her
career.
Waggoner brings her broad knowledge of Winnebago culture and
history to this gracefully written book, which features more than
forty illustrations. "Fire Light" shows us both a consummate artist
and a fully realized woman, who learned how to traverse the borders
of Red identity in a white man's world.
Iffat Al Thunayan, spouse of the late King Faysal bin Abdul Aziz Al
Saud (r. 19641975), was a pillar of the ruling Al Saud family. Born
and raised in Istanbul to an uprooted Saudi family, she returned to
the Kingdom in 1932, a few months before the founder ruler, Abdul
Aziz bin Abdul Rahman, reinstituted the monarchy. Iffat used her
influence to infiltrate many progressive ideas into the Kingdom,
including significant strides in education for both boys and girls
as well as major advances in health care. An astute observer and a
doer par excellence, Queen Iffat left her mark on the contemporary
history of the Al Saud, as she protected and empowered her kin. She
raised a formidable family, listened carefully, guided
conversations as necessary, spoke with moderation, recommended
policies to her husband and, after the latter was assassinated, to
her brothers-in-law who succeeded him. A politically conscious
spouse, Queen Iffat played the leading role in Saudi female
society, attended many state functions, and received female state
guests. She traveled extensively, especially in Europe and the
United States, supported myriad charities, and cajoled many to
invest in the Kingdom. Universally respected, many people sought
her advice for she shared her ambitions and ideas to benefit the
entire country. Based on multiple interviews conducted with members
of the al-Faysal family, friends, and acquaintances of the late
Queen, Joseph A. Kechichian offers the first political biography of
a Saudi monarch's spouse. This work is an important resource for
social scientists and political analysts, and of interest to all
who wish to learn about Arab women in general, and Saudi women in
particular.
|
|