Book Description
Everybody knows the legend of Captain Kidd, Americas most ruthless buccanneer. Few people realize that the facts of his life make for a much better tale. Kidd was actually a tough New York sea captain hired to chase pirates, a married war hero whose secret mission took a spectacularly bad turn.This harrowing tale traces Kidds voyages in the 1690s from his home near Wall Street to Whitehall Palace in London, from the ports of the Caribbean to a secret pirate paradise off Madagascar. Author Richard Zacks, during his research, also unearthed the story of a long forgotten rogue named Robert Culliford, who dogged Kidd and led Kidds crew to mutiny not once but twice. The lives of Kidd and Culliford play out like an unscripted duel: one man would hang in the harbor, the other would walk away with the treasure. Filled with superb writing and impeccable research, The Pirate Hunter is both a masterpiece of historical detective work and a ripping good yarn, and it delivers something rare: an authentic pirate story for grown-ups.
Download Description
Three hundred years after his adventures at sea, Captain Kidd is still the best known pirate in the English-speaking world. But what historians, novelists and the general public do not know is that Kidd was not a cardboard-cutout villain, a Blackbeard with firecrackers in his hair. In fact, he wasn't even a pirate. He was a successful NY sea-captain hired by the Lords of London to chase pirates, and the man he wanted to capture more than any other was a long-forgotten rogue by the name of Robert Culliford, who dogged Kidd throughout his career, and who was, in many ways responsible for Captain Kidd's reputation as a rogue, as a pirate. Zacks takes readers from an execution by hanging in London to the home of William Kidd, master mariner, at 56 Wall Street in Manhattan, and then to the high seas with Captain Kidd, on a covert mission to go after the bounty of five pirate ships, a mission cooked up and later disavowed by England's King William. Zacks brings to life the real story of Captain Kidd, a man who met a tragic end for crimes he did not commit, and who led another life on land, with a beautiful, wealthy wife and daughter in New York. Set in England, Madagascar, the Caribbean and many other exotic locations including the quite uncivilized Wall Street of 300 years ago, this is a tale of adventure, betrayal and courage, a book that will stand both as biography as well as with such classic tales of adventure as IN THE HEART OF THE SEA. The writing is quite extraordinary - you are with these men on their adventures. The reason for this is that Zacks followed Kidd's trail around the world, from libraries in England to remote villages in Madagascar, and the result is a tale that is more fantastic than fiction.
Customer Reviews:
Best of ye Best Pirate Book.......2007-08-05
I was unable to put it down. You will love this "Pirate Book". A word of warning, when you begin reading make sure you don't have anything planned for a while because it is VERY hard to stop once you start!
17th century world portrayed vividly........2007-07-23
The true story of Captain Kidd is first of all a totally believeable work of nonfiction. The historical era of life at sea and the blurred and flawed objectives between the East India Trading Company, the Royal Navy and the privateer at sea as well as life within the pirate world is amazing. Equally amazing is the world of the legal system in the English colonies in America and back in London. The power politics alone is worth the price of admission.
In this case fact is much stranger and makes a far more harrowing story than fiction.
A Page Turner.......2007-05-13
Very readable right from the start. Historically enlightening and brilliantly researched- a very strong insight into the blurred boundaries of privateering V piracy....Kidd becomes flesh and bone with a strong beating heart - all due to a narrative which is highly personal. It's not often with historical works that one can feel right There not only in the Place but in the Mind. Through great story telling but also through Kidd's own words from historical documents one truely gets a sense of what drove Kidd and his actions.
Captain Kidd Comes Alive in this Portrait of Pirate History.......2007-03-19
"The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd" by Richard Zachs is an incredible work of nonfiction. He truly makes history come alive in this detailed account of Captain William Kidd's ill-fated scheme to capture pirates in the waters off of Africa, India, and the Middle East to make (illegal) money for his rich English backers, including the King of England himself.
Here is a pirate story that blows away all sorts of pirate myth and cliché. The major argument made is that Captain Kidd was no pirate himself, though he died a pirate's death and lives in history as one of the most notorious pirates ever. Poor Kidd was the victim of mutiny by real pirates, double-handed dealings, hurt pride, vicious gossip, and his own tragic mistakes. You can't help but feel sorry for the man as he drunkenly awaits his legendary fate with the gallows.
Zachs uses all sorts of historical documents, including Kidd's own writings, to retrace Kidd's incredible 3-year voyage, imprisonment, trial, and death. Along the way, we learn in vivid detail about life in colonial America and Britain, life at sea, and the many different cultures and customs the sailors (or pirates) encounter in different parts of the world, from Africa to Indonesia and back. It is almost exhausting in its detail, but it makes for a good story that you can practically see, hear, and smell.
The most fascinating aspect for me were the sections regarding Kidd's trial and the ridiculousness of the British court system. Even more fascinating was the crowd's take on public executions. I couldn't stop giggling at the horrible thought of people throwing dead cats and dogs, covered in feces, into the crowd for the fun of it. Truth, it turns out in this story, is stranger than fiction.
Anyhow, I recommend this book for anyone interested in pirates or for those of us who just want to read a good story from our past. It is history as it should be read - informative, intriguing, and fun.
Excellent!.......2007-03-11
This book is an excellent read. I couldn't put it down. Captain Kidd and the other characters in the book come alive in this book. You feel the emotions of the characters. Unlike many books telling real history, Mr. Zacks doesn't get the reader bogged down in rote facts, but rather engages with action and suspense. The reader comes away with a sense of what it was like to live in Captain Kidd's time, and the forces shaping the history around him.
Highly recommended.
Book Description
An artist of the air re-creates his six-year plot to pull off an act of incomparable beauty and imagination
One late-summer day, a feat of unimaginable audacity was perpetrated on the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The year was 1974. A hundred thousand people gathered on the ground to watch in awe as twenty-four-year-old high wire artist Philippe Petit made eight crossings between the all-but-completed towers, a quarter mile above the earth, over the course of nearly an hour.
Petit's achievement made headlines around the world. Yet few who saw or heard about it realized that it was the fulfillment of a dream he had nurtured for six years, rekindling it each time it was in danger of expiring. His accomplices were a motley crew of foreigners and Americans, who under Petit's direction had conpired, connived, labored, argued, rehearsed, and improvised to make possible an act of unsurpassed aerial artistry.
In this visually and verbally stunning book, Petit tells for the first time the dramatic story of this history-making walk, from conception and clandestine planning to the performance and its aftermath. The account draws on Petit's journals, which capture everything from his budgets to his strategies for rigging a high wire in the dead of night between two of the most secure towers in the world. It is animated by photographs taken by two of Petit's collaborators, and by his own wonderfully evocative sketches and unquenchable humor.
Customer Reviews:
Totally inspiring!.......2005-06-16
This book pulled me out of the doldrums. What an appealing person Petit is! Daring, ingenious, and courageous to an insane degree, he pulled off the greatest feat of street theater in the history of the world. He makes the phrase 'the impossible dream' stand up and dance. What I didn't appreciate until I read this book was what a fine engineering coup it was - all the rigging done clandestinely in the dead of night, so that at first light he was ready to step into the air.
And what a nail biting read! He re-creates the months long drama, keeping you right there with him all the way to the exhilarating end. What I also wasn't prepared for was how agile and graceful a writer he is and what a benevolent, endearing spirit.
You think you're facing a daunting challenge? Read this book and put yours into perspective.
Amazing and Inspiring.......2005-03-26
I remember seeing the WTC towers being built, still partly framed in steel, as a child in the late 1960's. I also remember a snippet of this event in the news in the 70s. But, it was (I think) Ken Burns' American Stories on TV that reminded me of it and really gave it perspective that blew my mind as to how unbelievable an event it was. To me, it wason a scale of things like landing on the moon. With that still fresh in my head, I looked into the event and found this book and was unable to put it down from the first page until I finished it.
This book is inspiring. Petit is a bit crazy, but to pull off a hack of this magnitude, you have to be. Genius is touched with madness. To say the feat is inspiring is a great understatement. The logistics, planning, obstacles overcome, and just plain luck that all aligned in the end were really incomprehensible - more so after reading this book!
I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Sometimes, I get overwhelmed with things I need to do and obstacles I face, and I look at that timeless picture of Petit between the towers on the cover of this book and I am inspired. If he could do THAT, certainly I can find a way to overcome whatever is in my way today. THis book is fantastic.
Gripping stuff!!.......2004-11-02
I have just finished reading this book. The tension was unbearable as the operation in the sky was carried out and as I read on I realised.... my feet were sweating!! Perhaps my fear of heights was coming through but here was an experience that has never happened to me whilst reading. Do yourself a favour and get a copy.
Ode to achieving dreams. The magic of balancing in the air........2003-06-14
Firstly, i am so surprised that this book does not figure in the "Hype list" of any Media outlet. Luckily, i came across a short review of this book in a magazine and was intrigued to know that Sep11'2001 was not the first time that the towers of World trade centre captivated the attention of millions around. It was way back in 1974, when a French tightrope walker did the unprecedented daredevilry act of walking between the peak of two towers on a cable which he had rigged illegaly the previous night. He walked for 45 minutes from one tower to another, making the sky his theatre. Why did he do it?? Was it for fame? Money? Lunacy?? Philipe Petit's book explains the whole adventure in simple prose accompanied by sketches and photographs which were done during the unfolding of his "project". It is an amazing adventure. Reading it is like reliving it- Petit achieves that magic of retelling a story and giving his readers a feeling of experiencing it vicariously.
When Petit was asked by a TV crew why he did it - his answer was, when i saw three oranged, i juggle. When i see two towers, i walk ! ;-)
Petit was not alone in his effort to breakthrough the security of the towers and implement his plan. Aiding him where his friends who believed in his ability and went to great lenghts against all odds in planning and pulling off the feat.
This is a great book, in the true spirit of adventure and the endless capacity of a human to set and achieve his goals. One more imporant thing to note, Petit doesn't sound arrogant or egoistical. At the peak moment of his success, he is modest and humble, bowing to the gods in every element which helped him in the feat - the wind, the sea, the people below, his dear friends, the friends who stood by and the friends who gave up- he sees gods in all of them and thanks them for their role.
I am not given to effusive praise and there is nothing like a perfect ten. But, this is a fine read.
Dreams Do Come True!.......2003-05-01
This is a beautiful book that proves dreams do come true if you really want something bad enough and are willing to work hard enough no matter what the risk to reach that goal. It was Paris, 1968, when young 18-year-old street performer Philippe Petit saw a sketch of the proposed World Trade Center towers, and he was so awestruck that he drew a line between the two rooftops of the towers, and decided then and there that his ultimate goal was to one day walk on a high wire between the two towers. Over the next six years he perfected his craft. He did public performances atop Paris' Notre Dame in June, 1971, and he walked between the northern pylons of the world's largest steel arch bridge in Sydney harbor, as well as other high wire acts. One day in late summer 1974, Petit's dream came true. As thousands watched he made eights crossings between the towers, 110 stories above the ground, in less than an hour.
I think the most fascinating aspect about this story, was the lengths that Petit and his co-conspirators went to plan, train, and carry out this unauthorized feat. It's all here in vivid detail. And even if you didn't bother to read the text in this book, the photographs are amazing and breathtaking by themselves. This is a captivating memoir that captures the excitement, triumph, and joy of Petit's stunning achievement. Now that the towers are, sadly, gone, it's all the more important as a part of the towers history. I more than enjoyed this memoir, I was fascinated by it. It is certainly a positive and enlightening ray of hope for those who dream of the impossible!
Joe Hanssen
Customer Reviews:
Now This is Real Exploration.......2007-08-28
I began with Robert Moss's Conscious Dreaming and graduated to Dreamgates. This book is full of insight into the worlds we can access beyond our daily waking reality, both in night dreams and by consciously entering into these realms. By practicing Robert's Active Dreaming techniques and by exploring the journeys presented in this book, we can become familiar with our own dream locales, which are personal sources of healing, inspiration and adventure. And we can travel with others on group dreams to heal ourselves and our planet. We can reenter the dreams we puzzle over and learn more. The fun begins with awareness and intent. Life can be so much more than the mundane. All we have to do is decide to go there.
Some helpful information for novices.......2007-01-04
His book helped me create a new perspective on animal spirits in my dreams, but the other information seemed aimed at people who hadn't begun their own personal dream journeys. Just use a journal to develop your recall/memory, and after awhile patterns will begin to emerge. Once you gain the ability to analyse your own dream information you won't need this book, but it might provide the right impulse to get you started.
Going beyon analysing dreams.......2006-03-14
I came to this book through a DVD on Carlos Castaneda where Robert Moss does a comentary on dreaming. This book does a good job of expalaining the mysteries of the astral plane better perhaps than any other book I have read. While many of us are not advanced enough to perform some of the magic involved in becoming a "frequent flyer" the author does an excellent job of describing these mysteries in terms that a layman can understand. If you like Castaneda you will like Rober Moss.
Highly impacting book!.......2006-01-12
Not only is this book an entirely fascinating read - the type you breeze through - but the simple, clear guidelines make it seem natural to take on board the tools and knowledge in this book.
I rank this as one of the very few books in the category of "most life-changing book". Instant results, multitudes of possibilities opened up, challenging and thought-provoking reading, and nourishment for the soul are what I got out of this book, to say the least. Most of all, the exercises and knowledge presented in this book have greatly accelerated and enriched my dream life, enabling me to understand and work with them more successfully. A serious MUST for anyone keen to explore the realms beyond and within, and for anyone wanting to create a better reality for themselves.
A Book of Wonders!.......2003-04-11
I have been interested in dreams for decades, and in that time have read many books on the subject. By comparison with other popular books on dreams, Robert Moss's books are singular in breadth and depth of subject range, readability, and usefullness of the exercises presented to the reader. Moss takes the reader through an exploration of known dream territories and further, to the exciting outside edge of dream possibilities. He cites historical and cultural information to show that many of these concepts are not new, but have been practiced since ancient times. The wealth of information in this book is invaluable. Moss knows that there are many kinds of dreams, and many ways of dreaming. Dreaming is an education and an adventure, and Moss's books are wonderful guides for both the casually curious and the seasoned dream explorer. (I also highly recommend both Conscious Dreaming and Dreaming True by Robert Moss. Conscious Dreaming would be an excellent place for someone new to dream study to begin their explorations.)
Book Description
The maritime history of the Knights Templar following the Church’s attempt to expunge them in southern France
• Shows that the pirates of legend originated with the Knights Templar’s secret navy
• Reveals the Templars’ secret objective to establish a new universal order based on spirituality, wisdom, and individualism--the New Jerusalem
• Examines the secret history of the Templars’ influence in international politics
When the Vatican condemned the Order of the Temple in 1312, many of those who escaped took to the sea. Their immediate objective was to take revenge on the Church. Recent discoveries confirm that ships of the Templar fleet that went missing at La Rochelle later reappeared--first in the Mediterranean and later in the Atlantic and Caribbean--to menace the Church’s maritime commerce. These Templar vessels often flew the famed Jolly Roger, which took its name from King Roger II of Sicily, a famed Templar who, during a public spat with the Pope in 1127, was the first to fly this flag.
Opportunistic buccaneers were quick to see that vast wealth could be gained in pursuing the Templars’ harassment of the Pope’s interests on the high seas, and they spread a reign of terror across the shipping lanes of the New World. Some unaffiliated pirates, in admiration of the Templar egalitarian ideals, even formed their own secret societies, and together with the Templars were part of the ferment that gave rise to independence movements in France and the New World and contributed to the growth of Freemasonry.
The Templar Pirates is the story of the birth and actual conduct of piracy on the seas of the New World and of the influence the Templars had on their constituents, and, by their wealth, on the governments of nations old and new.
Customer Reviews:
Absorbing and unusual .......2007-05-10
When the Vatican condemned the Order of the Temple in 1312, many who escaped took to sea intent on revenge on the Church. The missing Templar fleet later reappeared in the Mediterranean and later the Caribbean and posed a threat to the Church's maritime commerce. THE TEMPLAR PIRATES tells the story of the birth and conduct of piracy on the New World seas, providing an important link between Templar history and Church interactions and piracy as a whole. Any collection strong in Templar or Catholic history will find this absorbing and unusual - and many a general interest library will find it interesting for its insights on early pirates, as well.
Customer Reviews:
A fascinating journey.......2007-08-31
This is a marvelous book about one of the least-known of the great explorers.
As Corey Sandler says, very little is known about Henry Hudson except for the period included within the five years of his four voyages. And much of what is on the record is based on the testimony of the mutineers who were out to save their own necks.
Instead, what the author has done is write a fascinating biography of the PLACES Hudson explored: Svalbard near the north pole, Novaya Zemlya above Russia, the Hudson River, and northern Canada including Hudson Strait, Hudson Bay, and James Bay.
He uses the logs and journals of Hudson and some of his crew to put things in context, and then tells us the stories of some of the most amazing places on the planet.
This is a most unusual book, a great read. And it delivers exactly what it promises: "The Tragic Legacy of the New World's Least Understood Explorer." Every page brought a new perspective on history for me. I highly recommend this book.
Know what you're in for.......2007-08-29
If you're considering buying this book you should know what you're in for. If you're expecting a biography of Henry Hudson you'll be disappointed. There is very little on Hudson in this book. What you get is a high-level overview of what Hudson is thought to have done and a whole lot of ramble on Corey Sandler's experiences visiting the places Hudson visited.
There's not a whole lot that's known about Hudson. What there is comes from a few brief surviving documents. You get the text from those documents word-for-word with little if any interpretation from the author. That's the real disappointment of this book. If I wanted to read the text of the original documents I'd look them up myself online. What I wanted was expert interpretation and the telling of the story that these documents seem to describe.
Sandler writes from Nantucket, an island he shares with the great historian Nathaniel Philbrick. But where Philbrick excels at taking scant information and turning it into a fascinating story, Sandler dumps the source information on the page and then rambles on about his own experiences in visiting the same places 400 years later. Unfortunately, it's just not very interesting. Thought you'd learn about Hudson's trip up the river that bears his name? You're going to get a little of that and then a whole lot of information on General Electric, PCBs, the environmental movement, and Pete Seeger.
An earlier reviewer characterized this book as being 1/3 history. I'd put it more at 1/10th. By the end of the book you'll know little about Hudson, but all about Sandler's political views, summer camp experiences, family, feelings, travel preferences, and a whole lot of other personal detail. If that's what you're looking to read about, you'll love it. But if you read the title and thought you were instead going to read a biography of Henry Hudson, you'll be disappointed.
Great book!.......2007-08-01
I am going to give this 5 stars. I'll list why in a second just let me tell you a few of my issues. First Sandler doesn't seem to interview that many people concerning the Clearwater Sloop, the Hudson River Keeper or the many, many other environmental organizations dedicated to keep the Hudson clean. He also brushes over the Storm King case. Sandler does not mention the Indian Point nuclear power plant.
Ok now that's out of the way let me explain a bit why this book is excellent.
First of all its one-third history, one-third travelogue and one-third PSA for keeping all the places Henry Hudson visited clean. The history part is fairly typical in that we don't know much about Hudson; he may have been a bad captain nothing that new or exciting. But overall it's still interesting and a good introduction for those unfamiliar with Hudson.
Then comes the travelogue sections. These are really interesting mostly because of all the unique people the author met on his travels. In reading the book the former director of Clearwater, Andy Mele, comes off as a pretty genuine guy. He's not a crazy tree hugging hippe but just a regular guy that wants to do some good. Most of the environmentalist people come off this way. Some people may not like this but honestly try spending a night near the Hudson...smell that? Yeah, that's the river. I did enjoy Sandle's search for Hudson's monuments and as he mentions in the introduction the most obvious ones are the Hudson River and New York City.
The best parts are the sections that are basically the PSAs about environmentalism. There are numerous digs at GE for dumping PCBs and our society in general. Having lived for four years about 100 yards from the Hudson I must say it's easily one of the greatest sights in the world. But its also one of the biggest dumps too. I think it's terrible that the river is so polluted that you can't go for a swim or eat a fish from there. I had a picnic with my girlfriend one day in Hyde Park right on the river and it was pretty easy to spot all the trash washed up on the shore. Ok enough gushing as Sandler does a much better job explaining this then I do.
In conclusion just read the book. It's excellent.
Customer Reviews:
A fun book for a sailor.......2005-04-10
A lot of great adventurers came back to write a book--Marco Polo, Julius Caeser, William Bligh, Neil Armstrong (well, with the help of Life Magazine). People seem to be the same throughout history. They'll go off on a great adventure, come home, and write a book about it. While Columbus' book (his log) as well as his body, evidently, are currently lost, this book sure seems realistic. It was a lot of fun trying to duplicate his voyage with modern charts to see if I could figure out his first landfall and any sailor will have fun doing the same since Columbus discovered the sailing routes still used.
I thought Columbus portrayed himself as an adventurer out for the discovery of gold and working for the king and queen who hired him, but what's so surprising about that? He was trying to substantiate the worth of his first trip and to convince Ferdinand and Isabella to send him again wasn't he?
indispensable for the student of the voyage...........2002-04-11
....and very easy to read. The English translation is very clear and put together from sources other than Las Casas, whose facts weren't always straight. For some reason the paragraphs are all center-justified and taper out oddly. Various theories about Columbus's landfall are discussed.
The one flaw is the introductory pieces that whitewash the man himself. Made out to be a bold, great hero, he was in actuality a gold-obsessed sailor, a poor mariner, a perpetual whiner whose crew could barely stand him, an intolerant European who assumed every land he touched belong to his King back in Spain, and of course the initiator of the slavery system in Espanola. His men built the first fortress in the so-called New World, and they brought several Native captives back to Spain. Fortunately, some of these events are mentioned in the Log itself.
Columbus Log.......2000-08-09
Fuson translated (and reconstructed where necessary) the logs of Columbus. Loaded with pictures, maps and explanatory comments this work gives us a look at the famous explorer in his own words. I'd guess this is the best and closest one could get to a primary source for Columbus's journals. This would be a great resource for teachers and students who cover the Discovery. Too bad it's out of print
Product Description
Uppity Women of the New World presents more than 200 New World pioneers and adventurers. Spanning the early 1500's to the mid-1800's, Leon follows the women who braved new worlds. Documenting not only the women who journeyed to distant lands but the indigenous women who met them there, she gives us the inside scoop on these brave and daring dames.
Customer Reviews:
informative, yet light.......2006-12-14
The light, at times silly, style of this book belies the fact that a lot of research has gone into finding these women and reporting on their lives. I found its somewhat cavalier tone a little annoying and shallow, though. I wanted a lot more information on most of the women. I think this book is probably aimed at a younger audience and I'm sure it succeeds at that. Young women and girls need to be aware of the past accomplishments women have made. You will not find these stories in a standard history text the likes of which leaves everybody wondering just who were the people who came before us. It is a book like this one that will give you an inkling of life before the 19th amendment. Most of the stories are inspiring. Some are heartbreaking. The collection serves to state the potential and energy women have if only given half a chance. In some cases cited, the women were given no chance and still did amazing things. If nothing else the book serves as fodder for those who argue that women's achievements generally go unremarked upon and forgotten, no matter how astonishing they are. It is time to celebrate such acheivements and I'm glad Ms. Leon has put this book together. It's a good starting point for others to do serious research. And I can't wait for the movie on La Hueca, the "Peruvian Mountie" that "could throw a mean left hook."
Brava.
Sue Lange
author, Tritcheon Hash
Women still Uppity across the Atlantic.......2003-11-04
Another fun collection of short biographies of interesting women, again some I had already heard of , and lots I hand't. I enjoyed reading all these stories, though occasionaly had heretical thoughts. For instance, when she writes about Lucinda Foote being turned down for admission to yale, and going on to be a wife and mother with ten children 'what a waste to the world', i found myself harboring the daring notion that maybe lucinda Foote liked being a wife and mother, perhaps she even found raising ten children as intellectualy demanding as she would have found being a yale scholar. Possible? Also I simply could not cope with her announcement that Pocahontas's rescue of John Smith was just some boring old adoption ceremony, I flatly refuse to believe that, and I don't care what any old anthropologist says. In 1624, John Smith wrote "she hazarded the beating out of her own braines to save mine" and that's good enough for me. Ms. leon seems to be like one of those writers Will Cuppy mentions in the chapter on jhon Smith in 'Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody'. He says "This story has been denied by several writers who weren't there. They refuse to believe it because nothing of the sort ever happened to them."
A wonderful quick read.......2002-12-28
If you like short stories about inspirational women of the past, this book is for you. This book highlights the lives of many women of the past in short stories of their lives. I should have realized that many women of the past have had extraordinary lives. This book is perfect to read along when you only have a short amount of time to read as the passages are only a couple of pages per women. Very inspirational.
UPPITITY WOMEN OF THE NEW WORLD.......2002-02-03
Great book to have on your bedside table to pick up and read one or several short chapters at a time. It also makes a great gift. I keep ordering more copies as I remember other woman who have birthdays coming! It's not only informative, but also entertaining and inspiring to learn what women were able to accomplish in the past...gives one a nudge to perhaps dare to be different today!
Hilarious and Informative.......2001-09-22
Ms. Leon once again gives us an irreverent look at our ancestresses, this time in the New World, the Americas and Australia. The book is a series of very short stories about women who made a difference or were different in their time. I enjoyed all of the stories, but there were some standouts; the young girls who were successful at the ride Paul Revere became famous for, th.e Widow Cliquot and her champagne, the Pitcairn Island women(2 stories)and so many others. I own every book in this series and recommend it highly
Amazon.com
As the boundaries of our world change, so must our atlases. This generously sized 2003 edition of the award-winning National Geographic World Atlas for Young Explorers reflects the latest-possible place-name and boundary changes and features a new 16-page section on the world's oceans (including maps and illustrated essays) and an expanded U.S. section that provides an in-depth look at each region. If you are unfamiliar with the format of previous editions, expert National Geographic cartographers have designed more than 115 pages of colorful, easy-to-read, full-spread political (names and boundaries of countries), physical (land forms and water features), and thematic (displaying patterns such as climate) maps for children ages 8 to 12. All maps are shown in the context of surrounding areas. The plentiful color photographs, illustrations, and charts make this an interesting book to casually peruse, as do engaging captions about everything from golden toads to Pueblo Indian artists. The maps themselves are labeled with large, legible type. Students will also find a glossary of geographic terms, a chart of key world facts and figures, conversion tables, and a detailed index. A fine atlas for school projects or for browsing through on a rainy day. (Ages 8 to 12) --Karin Snelson
Book Description
This enhanced and completely updated edition of our award-winning and best-selling world atlas for middle-grade readers stands in a class by itself! Sparkling throughout with state-of-the-art political, physical, and thematic maps plus full-color photo essays and images from space, this engaging resource features the latest boundary and place-name changes as well as updated statistical data. A brand-new, 16-page chapter on Earth's oceans includes detailed maps of each ocean floor and photo essays on topics ranging from amazing sea creatures to El Niño. The section of world thematic maps contains new graphics and information, including a spread on world economy and trade. Locator globes and color coding help young readers find what they need and make easy comparisons, while fact boxes, charts, geographic superlatives, national flags, a glossary, and a detailed index further enhance the book's reference value and appeal.
Customer Reviews:
Not up to expectations.......2006-12-06
1. The book is bound in such a manner that the binding conceals map features in the binding making them difficult or impossible to see.
2. The content of explanatory material is too general. It presents no challenge to further interest children at the high end (age 11-12)
of the recommended age grouping.
A book like this should present a challenge to motivated children.
If used with an adult it would be fine for younger children, but would
bore or frustrate an adult trying to motivate an older truly interested, highly
motivated youngster. A sad commentary on the inspiration for this age
group. We are grandparents of 79 years, whose 4 children have broad and
deep interests that they have conveyed to their children.
So many maps, so little time.......2001-10-31
I ordered this for my 5 year old daughter because the price was right. But, I was happily surprised by how thorough and lovely the pictures are. The beginning of the book contains a comprehensive section on how to read maps, and explains how a map can represent different information (climate, politics, terrain). Each continent also had photographs of the people, and natural formations that are identified with it. That was nice!
But, all cannot be perfect alas. Many of the maps span two pages, to make it larger I presume. However, and this is REALLY annoying, you cannot see what is in the crease between the two pages! The United States is missing parts of it, Africa is bisected at the Congo. I would rather Nat'l Geographic had made each map a fold-out. I guess there would have been a chance that it would eventually get ripped out, but at least you can see the whole area being shown.
Beautiful!.......2000-10-06
This is a wonderful atlas, great for a beginner but the adults are enjoying it too.
Amazon.com
On April 9, 1682, Robert Cavalier, Sieur de la Salle, paddled into the Gulf of Mexico. He and a small band of men in three canoes had become the first to navigate the entire length of the Mississippi River--"the object of his day-dreams, the destined avenue of his ambition and his hopes." He claimed the river and its enormous watershed for France and named it after King Louis XIV. Five years later, while searching for an overland route to the Mississippi, La Salle was killed by mutinous members of his party. La Salle had spent nearly half of his 42 years in North America, enjoying some triumphs and enduring many hardships.
Francis Parkman, one of America's greatest historians, tells the story of La Salle, his rivals, and the struggle over North America in La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West. Parkman was an adventurer himself (he recounts his own five-month trek through the American wilderness in The Oregon Trail), and his experiences on the (admittedly different) frontier lent him a certain authority. He wrote with a fluid, 19th-century grace--"All day there was feasting without respite, after the merciless practice of Indian hospitality"--though some readers may find his prose too florid. First published as part of his epic seven-volume study, France and England in North America, La Salle has been inexplicably out of print for decades. Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air) rescued this classic for reissue in the Modern Library's Exploration series. With an introduction by Rick Bass, La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West is a welcome addition to the early history of North America. --Sunny Delaney
Download Description
René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle (1643-1687), one of the most legendary explorers of the New World, is best known for claiming the entire Louisiana Territory for France in 1682. Two years later, he was given the order to colonize and govern the great expanse of territory between Lake Michigan and the Gulf of Mexico. He set out from France with four ships but never reached his destination. Landing somewhere in East Texas, he and his men were ravaged by disease, weakened by hard labor, even gored by buffalo as they tried to locate the mouth of the Mississippi River, which was obscured by the sandy sameness of the Gulf coastline. In 1687, on a third attempt to locate the river by an overland route, La Salle was murdered by his own men in the desolate country between the Trinity and Brazos rivers. His body was never found.
First published in 1869, La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West is the vivid, richly detailed story of that final grim expedition, told by America's foremost historian.
"Parkman was... perhaps the first great historian the United States produced, certainly still one of [the] most notable. The vividness of his narrative breathes the excitement he felt... in penetrating the Great American Wilderness."
JOHN KEEGAN
Customer Reviews:
America's Tacitus.......2004-10-28
Parkman is that unusual combination of great scholar and wonderful writer. His books depicting the history of French exploration of North America and the conflict between the French and the British for control of North America remain the basic narratives of these events. Parkman's writing, combining narrative, psychological insight into major historical actors, and use of rhetoric that seamlessly reflects his narrative, is often superb. This particular book is almost entirely devoted to the career of the Sieur De La Salle, the French explorer obsessed with establishing French control over the Mississippi valley. Parkman provides vivid portraits of the almost incredible hardships of travel in North America, the character of politics in the French colonies, and an insightful treatment of La Salle and his associates. Parkman's powerful but restrained language often recalls the style of Tacitus.
Living History.......2002-02-09
Frances Parkman was a man who lived and breathed his history. He not only researched his subjects thoroughly, but seems to have crawled inside their heads as well.
Parkman's gift for bringing people alive is nowhere more evident than in this complex story of Robert Cavalier de la Salle's attempt to realize his dream of making France a leader in the new world. Parkman's skillful examination of the man behind the story lets the reader understand why LaSalle and his ideas were the cause of such controversy. At the same time, Parkman paints a vivid picture of the new world frontier as it existed in LaSalle's time. This is a book that can be savored on many levels: as an entertaining adventure story, a psychological thriller, and a historical reference.
Parkman's prose is rich and full of details you will need to understand the complexity of the charcters and the consciousness of the times. Therefore, you should be prepared to spend time working your way through this book. Whenever I tried to hurry through a section, I found that I missed something important that was needed later on. In other words, patience is needed, but well worth it. Parkman was a true lover of history and the people who shaped it and it shows.
Just a great story.......2000-11-30
I picked this up on a lark and found I couldn't put it down. A fascinating story, extremely well written and a pure pleasure to read. I travel extensively and found it amazing how many places I go to regularly have a direct link to La Salle. Couldn't recommend it more.
Breathing Life into History.......2000-01-24
While there is a new Introduction, this is the historic account of Robert LaSalle's exploration of the Louisiana territory in the 1680s. Parkman first published this treatise in 1869; it has since been reprinted numerous times. An excellent, thoroughly engrossing recounting of the exploration of the territory which LaSalle claimed for France in 1682, through which the reader not only learns of the daily travails of the little band of explorers, but also, the human frailties of the man, Robert Cavelier, known as LaSalle. This book gives life to a name from history, and exemplifies the methodical research done by Parkman in the days before telephones, faxes, and copiers. I was thoroughly impressed by the subject and the writer. Excellent; informative, totally enthralling reading-writers of today should take note! Kudos to the publishers (and Krakauer) for bringing this series (back) to life!
Fascinating History Expertly Told.......1999-12-20
For those who liked Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" or Lansing's "Endurance", make room on your bookshelf for another favorite. Parkman tells the story of LaSalle's journeys in North America with a novelist's style and a historian's attention to detail.
Of particular interest were Parkman's references to things which exist "today" referring to his time, the mid to late 1800's. As such, the reader is treated to a double dose of history by viewing past events through the eyes of someone who wrote over 100 years ago. The book was an exciting and enjoyable read.
My only criticisms of the book were that the volume of the footnotes was somewhat distracting, and that a few key phrases were not translated from French. Otherwise, excellent.
Book Description
Completed in 1747, Mark Catesby's Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands was the first major illustrated publication on the flora and fauna of Britain's American colonies. Together with his Hortus Britanno-Americanus (1763), which detailed plant species that might be transplanted successfully to British soil, Catesby's Natural History exerted an important, though often overlooked, influence on the development of art, natural history, and scientific observation in the eighteenth century.
Inspired by a major traveling exhibition of Catesby's watercolor drawings from the Royal Library, Windsor Castle, this collection of interdisciplinary essays considers Catesby's endeavors as a naturalist-artist, scientific explorer, experimental horticulturist, ornamental gardener, and early environmental thinker in terms of the interests held by the various, overlapping communities in which he functioned—particularly as those interests related to the British colonial enterprise.
The contributors are David R. Brigham, Joyce E. Chaplin, Mark Laird, Amy R. W. Meyers, Therese O'Malley, and Margaret Beck Pritchard.
The contributors:
David R. Brigham (Worcester Art Museum)
Joyce E. Chaplin (Vanderbilt University)
Mark Laird (University of Toronto)
Amy R. W. Meyers (Huntington Library & Art Collections)
Therese O'Malley (National Gallery of Art)
Margaret Beck Pritchard (Colonial Williamsburg Foundation)
Books:
- The Road (Oprah's Book Club)
- The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2)
- The Six Wives of Henry VIII
- The Story of Spain: The Dramatic History of Europe's Most Fascinating Country
- The Watchman: A Joe Pike Novel (Joe Pike Novels)
- The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
- Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection (Railway Series)
- Thoughts of St. Ignatius Loyola for Every Day of the Year
- Union 1812: The Americans Who Fought the Second War of Independence
- United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Abominable Snowman/Journey Under the Sea/Space and Beyond/The Lost Jewels of Nabooti/Mystery of
- History: Fiction or Science
- Adventures of a Chemist Collector
- Artist's Photo Reference: Boats & Nautical Scenes
- Dragonart: How to Draw Fantastic Dragons and Fantasy Creatures
- History: Fiction or Science
- Foxes and Their Dens
- Young America: Childhood in 19th-Century Art and Culture
- Art Director's Annual 84
- Reactionary - Revised 2000
General
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
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The History of Pirates
The Buccaneers of America
The Pirates Own Book: Authentic Narratives of the Most Celebrated Sea Robbers
