Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

The name 'Alabama' comes from the Choctaw word meaning "clearers of the thickets," inspiring the title of this fascinating new book. It examines Alabama's early history, beginning with the era of European colonization and culminating with the state's controversial secession from the Union-after just 41 years as a state (recognizing, of course, that the actual history began long before, with Native American civilizations). In so doing, the author traces how Alabama emerged from a raw frontier of European settlement into a fully functioning state that provided much-needed order to its new citizens. The book begins by exploring the colonial period during which three European powers-Spain, France, and Great Britain-continually vied for control of what was to become part of Alabama. Each culture, along with the Native American communities that lived throughout most of the region, contributed to the development of the emerging territory and left its enduring stamp. Later chapters examine Alabama's territorial period, the Creek War of 1813-1814, the Constitutional Convention of 1819 and statehood, the first years of state government in Cahaba, removal of the capital to Tuscaloosa, King Cotton and the ignominy of slavery, further relocation of the capital to Montgomery as secession loomed, and social and economic advances during the antebellum period that were interrupted and stunted by the tragedy of secession and war. "'Clearing the Thickets' is narrative history in the grand old style-a spirited effort to make sense of the ideas, human beings, and events that came together to shape Alabama's first tumultuous decades. ... Anyone interested in antebellum Alabama will be grateful for what Lewis has accomplished." -Paul Pruitt, Jr., Special Collection Librarian, University of Alabama; author of 'Taming Alabama: Lawyers and Reformers, 1804-1929' (2010)

Journey Beyond the Narrows explores the history of an American family whose origin is traced to eleven immigrants who arrived in America in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. These individuals came through the Narrows into upper New York Harbor to begin their American journey. They were escaping famine in Ireland, poverty, political oppression, or lack of opportunity-or all three combined in Finland, Germany, and Scotland. Journey Beyond the Narrows does not provide just names and facts about these individuals but puts their lives in the context of the times in which they lived in their home countries and in America. It is the story of how two of their descendants reared six children in the Bronx, New York.

This volume is a guide to developing superior project-manager skills and competencies. Effective project management is becoming a critical mission skill for individuals and organizations in every industry. Faster product life cycles, the widespread adoption of cross-functional teams, and the increasing demands of customers are all contributing to the growing need for professional managers who know how to marshal resources, make decisions, and ensure the smooth flow of projects from idea to launch. In this work Robert Wysocki and James Lewis offer a highly practical handbook for anyone who aspires to achieve superior project-manager skills. Featuring self-assessment tools, showcasing best practices from the field, and drawing on their own experience in training project managers around the world, the authors provide a comprehensive program for crafting a career development plan and putting it into action.

The county of Tripoli in what is now North Lebanon is arguably the most neglected of the so-called 'crusader states' established in the Middle East at the beginning of the twelfth century. The present work is the first monograph on the county to be published in English, and the first in any western language since 1945. What little has been written on the subject previously has focused upon the European ancestry of the counts of Tripoli: a specifically Southern French heritage inherited from the famous crusader Raymond IV of Saint-Gilles. Kevin Lewis argues that past historians have at once exaggerated the political importance of the counts' French descent and ignored the more compelling signs of its cultural impact, highlighting poetry composed by troubadours in Occitan at Tripoli's court. For Lewis, however, even this belies a deeper understanding of the processes that shaped the county. What emerges is an intriguing portrait of the county in which its rulers struggled to exert their power over Lebanon in the face of this region's insurmountable geographical forces and its sometimes bewildering, always beguiling diversity of religions, languages and cultures. The counts of Tripoli and contemporary Muslim onlookers certainly viewed the dynasty as sons of Saint-Gilles, but the county's administration relied upon Arabic, its stability upon the mixed loyalties of its local inhabitants, and its very existence upon the rugged mountains that cradled it. This book challenges prevailing knowledge of this little-known crusader state and by extension the medieval Middle East as a whole. .