Strong and sober, George Jones looks back on his life with searing candor. From his roots in an impoverished East Texas family to his years of womanizing, boozing, brawling, and singing with the voice that made him a star, his story is a nonstop rollercoaster ride of the price of fame. It is also the story of how the love of a good woman, his wife Nancy, helped him clean up his act.

In this riveting personal story, award-winning, bestselling country music recording artist Merle Haggard takes you on a tour through his house of memories, offering a fascinating look inside his turbulent yet successful life. Merle reveals the true stories about his birth and troubled upbringing in a converted railroad boxcar. He recalls the loss of his father when he was nine, after which his childhood disobedience transformed into full-blown delinquency that eventually landed him behind the cold walls of San Quentin. He gives tribute to his mother and relives the painful memory of her death. He shares the lessons he learned from a life shaped by violence, gambling, and drugs, never shying away from the fact that he continues to pay for decades of reckless living. And he talks about the music he loves--how, ultimately, it has defined the man he is.

The Beijing Olympics focused the world's eyes on China. But despite increased tourism and rampant foreign investment, the cultural distance between China and the West remains as vast as the oceans that separate them. The Middle Kingdom is still relatively unknown by Westerners. China is in fact made up of 33 distinct regions populated by 56 ethnic groups -- and photojournalist Tom Carter has visited them all. This little book is a visual tribute to the People's Republic of China, with an ardent emphasis on the People.

World War II naval history has been discussed and examined from almost every possible angle. One story that has never been told in detail, however, is that of the U.S. Navy s vessel designated the Landing Craft Tank (LCT). Even though they are known for ferrying troops and supplies to the beaches of Normandy, LCTs were more than mere transports. In fact, the little craft had permanently assigned crews and participated in nearly all forms of naval warfare. "Beachhead Normandy" combines the history of LCT operations with a detailed look at a specific ship, the LCT 614, which landed at Omaha Beach under heavy fire.Tom Carter has gathered material from the U.S. Navy s archives, the National Archives, and personal stories from several members of the 614 s crew, including the ship s skipper and second officer, to give readers a clear picture of the LCT s role in one of World War II s pivotal moments. He also analyzes the role of LCTs in the Pacific theater, including the 614 s participation in the occupation of China while supporting the Marines famed First Division.Drawing on both technical analyses and personal accounts by the actual participants, including the author s father, "Beachhead Normandy" is a rich and varied history of the key services these ships performed during and after World War II.

Westerners are flocking to China in increasing numbers to chase their dreams even as Chinese emigrants seek their own dreams abroad. Life as an outsider in China has many sides to it - weird, fascinating and appalling, or sometimes all together. We asked foreigners who live or have lived in China to tell us a story of their experiences and these 28 contributions resulted. It's all about living, learning and loving in a land unlike any other in the world. Original stories by Dan Washburn, Jonathan Watts, Simon Winchester, Nury Vittachi, Michael Meyer, Matt Muller, Alan Paul, Matthew Polly, Derek Sandhaus, Jonathan Campbell, Tom Carter, Mark Kitto, Pete Spurrier, Graham Earnshaw, Deborah Fallows, Susie Gordon and others.

Clint and Zeke is a book about the adventures of a Texas gunman and a Tennessee Mountain Man as they travel from Tennessee to California back to Tennessee and then to West Texas. Zeke is rash and impulsive and Clint is more thoughtful. On the travels they befriend an old Indian and a Catholic Nun who is secretly in love with Clint. Throw in an episode of time travel to San Francisco, an encounter in Dodge City with Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, Zeke trying to make friends out of a bear, and the Hatfield and McCoy Feud and you have superb adventure. Then, there is Clint's talking horse Buck, and a strange friendship between a copperhead snake and a red bone hound to mix in with Clint and Zeke's travels. A great read!

Here in thirteen insightful and challenging chapters, the reader is led to consider questions that God might pose to followers today that will challenge our thinking and bring greater personal spiritual development.