Asked by a group of Middle Easterners why they were a target of good-natured jokes, a popular Hispanic comedian recently said, "Because it's your turn." The hypersensitive political-correct crowd would have us believe that there is currently some kind of unprecedented assault on immigrants and immigration. But ours is a country of newcomers, none of whom were welcomed with open arms. The Irish, Jewish and Italians, for instance, were not cosseted as they might be today. They were subjected to mockery as well as employment and housing discrimination. Thankfully, none were so brittle, nor their accomplishments so superficial or their pride so hollow that a cartoon or joke could take it all away. This historic reprint of a 1909 joke book is not remarkable for its wit but as evidence of the bias that plagued nearly all ethnicities in this country. Contained here within are mostly standard jokes of the day with an exaggerated Italian accent added; occasional use of the "D" word is unfortunate but a reality of the time. None of the jokes are spiteful. Handier than the free PDFs on the web, this you can hold, bookmark, highlight and shelve. An inexpensive imperative for any history buff or comedy aficionado.

A historical reprint of a 1904 guide to "The Crescent City." Includes century-old perspectives of NOLA's greatest features. Handier than the free PDFs on the web, this you can hold, bookmark, highlight and shelve. An inexpensive imperative for any writer, travel- or history-buff.

A historical reprint of a 1906 guide to Vienna (Wien). Includes century-old perspectives of the legendary city's greatest features. Experience it the way our ancestor's saw it. Handier than the free PDFs on the web, this you can hold, bookmark, highlight and shelve. An inexpensive imperative for any writer, travel- or history-buff.

History, it's said, is written by the winners. Thus, one must look long and hard to find an account of the Civil War from the South's perspective. What was the primary cause for their secession and rebellion? When fewer than one in seven that fought owned slaves it was clearly not to preserve the institution. Why then? The reader may find it interesting that the South's president, Jefferson Davis -- from whose 1890 book "A Short History of the Confederate States of America" introductory chapters are included -- likened the South's struggle for independence with the country's break from Britain four score earlier. Written in 1895 for younger audiences, "History of the War for Southern Independence: The Story of the Confederate States" offers a rare perspective on what the North called "The Great Rebellion." Handier than the free PDFs on the web, this you can hold, bookmark, highlight and shelve. An inexpensive imperative for any history buff.

Slavery has existed in one form or another throughout recorded history. And while many races and nationalities have been victims of this abhorrent practice around the world, this "peculiar institution," as it was called in the United States, is particularly tragic inasmuch as our country was founded on the principle of equality for all. Since the Reconstruction, we've struggled with the embarrassing legacy of our forefathers. But as our lands fill with immigrants and generations far separated from the era who bear no responsibility for the crimes of the past century it's important to face the inhuman slave experience which, because it makes some uncomfortable, has sadly been bowdlerized. Slave narratives were popular in the 19th century precisely to share these deplorable stories and preserve them for all time. There was, for example, Austin Steward's "22 Years a Slave," Louis Hughes' "30 Years a Slave," H.C. Bruce's "29 Years a Slave," and, of course, Solomon Northup's "12 Years a Slave" in which the author, a free man, recounts his kidnapping, sale, and the subsequent enslavement he endured for twelve years before returning home. Handier than the free PDFs on the web, this you can hold, bookmark, highlight and shelve. An inexpensive imperative for any history buff or advocate of civil rights and social justice.

Much has been written about the great elephant Jumbo, P.T. Barnum's centerpiece from 1882 until the animal's tragic death in 1885. But what could be more authoritative than that penned here by Jumbo's longtime keeper Matthew Scott? This autobiography of Jumbo's keeper and biography of the most famous pachyderm of all was published in 1885, the same year of that elephant's death. Handier than the free PDFs on the web, this you can hold, bookmark, highlight and shelve. An inexpensive imperative for any history buff. With additional illustrations.