Miscellaneous Non-Fiction

DK's acclaimed Biography line shine the spotlight on sharpshooter Annie Oakley. Includes detailed sidebars, handy vocabulary, and a visual timeline.

This explosive, up-close view of Sarah Palin comes from an inner-circle confidant who shares surprising information about how Sarah dealt with staff and perceived “enemies,” and the discrepancy between what she said and what she did.

The author draws upon a variety of literature ranging from biblical stories to political legends and speeches to illustrate the catalog of virtues--self-discipline, compassion, work, responsibility, friendship, courage, perseverance, honesty, loyalty, faith--that he believes are foundational to strong moral character. Most selections are introduced by a short thematic note, e.g., "an honest heart will always find friends." Bennett's elevation of these virtues to moral absolutes renders the book's view of morality rather simplistic. In addition, the collection's lack of attention to women's and non-Western voices encourages the view that the experience of virtue belongs primarily to Western males.

Like the great showman himself, Buffalo Bill: Scout, Showman, Visionary stands apart from other tributes to the man. Based upon the collection of the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, this visual book provides a new perspective on William F. Cody.

George Foreman shocked the world when he regained the heavyweight boxing championship at the age of 45. Now, Foreman candidly tells the story of his childhood, his family, his triumphs and tragedies in and out of the ring, and gives readers the inside scoop on how he used his desire, drive, and faith to make his return to boxing glory anything but an impossible dream.

Palatial structures set in the tranquil green countryside or austere strongholds atop unassailable crags, the castles of the world — so often marked by extravagant architecture, enormous parks, richly furnished rooms, turbulent histories and an aura of legend and mystery — are still landmarks of geography and the collective imagination. Castles tell the history of lands that throughout the centuries have been ravaged by war; they range from centuries-old defensive towers made from bare stone to resplendent residences built by 18th- and 19th-century monarchs and magnates.

In the defense or conquest of castles, men have fought and died. To beautify them, legions of artists and architects have been drafted into service; to maintain them, marriages and alliances have been forged between great families and great fortunes. Kings and queens, princes and prelates, aristocrats, favorites and courtiers have inhabited their magnificent rooms; ghosts that live on in memory are said to descend the wide marble staircases, plot vendettas in secret rooms, or dance to ancient melodies before the immense fireplaces of vast salons.

Leafing through the pages of this volume, dwelling on the superb photographs and rich descriptions, is to visit the world's most fascinating castles. To enter these historic buildings, to climb narrow spiral stairs and to pass through ancient chambers and dusty libraries is to embark upon a journey of discovery and to encounter the power and the pageantry, the splendor and the brilliance of a great chapter in our history.

With millions of copies sold, Chapman Piloting has been the leading reference for both power and sail boaters for nearly a century. Now this absolutely essential guide—with 928 pages, 1,500 full-color illustrations and charts, and exploded views and cutaways—is thoroughly updated with all the latest information on US federal laws, regulations, and fees. In fact, NO competing book is more current on this ever-changing sport. Chapman covers the newest technology; the most recent laws; the most up-to-date rules of boat handling, navigation, safety, and etiquette. Anyone who puts a craft on water needs the vital information in this world-recognized bible of boating.

REVISIONS INCLUDE:
- Most up-to-date Federal laws, regulations, and fees
- The latest developments in outboard motors and inboard vectored thrust propulsion systems, including joystick controls
- New mayday procedures
- Cutting edge technology: VHF/DSC radio; Rescue 21 coastal communication system; networking electronic devices; features and capabilities of GPS, radar, depth sounder, fish finders, and chartplotters; eLoran system; autopilot; NMEA 2000 and more
- Latest United States Power Squadron updates
- Expanded contact information for governmental and commercial organizations

A whirlwind journalistic tour through the 20th century, this was selected by the American and Canadian Booksellers Associations as "The 1987 Book of the Year." The news stories are written in a "You Are There" style by a team of 30 of today's news reporters, with many illustrations and cross references to later developments. There is an extensive index, and annual updates are scheduled. Unfortunately, directions for using this are found only on the back flap of the book jacket. This could be a problem, as the cross-reference system is somewhat confusing, leading either to a brief calendar or an article or (in some cases) an entirely inaccurate citation. Contemporary accounts or an encyclopedia will better serve researchers and students.

Dodge City, Kansas, is a place of legend. The town that started as a small military site exploded with the coming of the railroad, cattle drives, eager miners, settlers, and various entrepreneurs passing through to populate the expanding West. Before long, Dodge City’s streets were lined with saloons and brothels and its populace was thick with gunmen, horse thieves, and desperadoes of every sort. By the 1870s, Dodge City was known as the most violent and turbulent town in the West.

Enter Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Young and largely self-trained men, the lawmen led the effort that established frontier justice and the rule of law in the American West, and did it in the wickedest place in the United States. When they moved on, Wyatt to Tombstone and Bat to Colorado, a tamed Dodge was left in the hands of Jim Masterson. But before long Wyatt and Bat, each having had a lawman brother killed, returned to that threatened western Kansas town to team up to restore order again in what became known as the Dodge City War before riding off into the sunset.

In the remote parts of the West where law and order was unheard of, a man's best friend and main hope for salvation was his gun. It was an integral part of his life, and most men who lived and died by the gun were a breed apart. In their own time, they were generally called gunfighters -- part man, part myth. A dynamic and evocative design, this illustrated, full color book brings the ever-fascinating wild west to life.

This is an oversized browsing book filled with magnificent pictures taken from space. As can be guessed from its title, most of the photographs are of portions of the earth's surface. The concise text consists of short quotations from astronauts and cosmonauts describing the emotional impact of being in space. Naturally, the comments are predominantly from Americans and Soviets, but among the 18 nations represented are France, Germany, Syria, and India. Each commentary is given in the speaker's native language with an English translation. A truly beautiful book.

This user-friendly, authoritative resource by the cofounder of the International Guild of Knot Tyers includes easy-to-follow guidance and full-color illustrations showing you everything you need to know about the most common and useful knots. Topics include knotting history, knotting terms, and knot uses and their names.

Inside you will find:
Boating knots, knots for home and hobbies, life-support knots
Details on cordage, tools, and accessories
Step-by-step instructions
Glossary and resources for further reading

With a widowed mother and six siblings, Annie Oakley first became a trapper, hunter, and sharpshooter simply to put food on the table. Yet her genius with the gun eventually led to her stardom in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The archetypal western woman, Annie Oakley urged women to take up shooting to procure food, protect themselves, and enjoy healthy exercise, yet she was also the proper Victorian lady, demurely dressed and skeptical about the value of women’s suffrage. Glenda Riley presents the first interpretive biography of the complex woman who was Annie Oakley.

This work contains the actual experiences of J. Frank Norfleet, a Texas rancher, and his 30,000 mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men. This true story takes the reader from the Atlantic to the Pacific in Norfleet's four year chase after a gang of international swindlers. Prior to his contact with this gang, Norfleet had been a man of peace, with kindest feeling toward all humanity and malice toward none. This is a wonderful adventure which will keep the reader enthralled.

NRA membership has roughly quadrupled over the last 25 years, boasts NRA: An American Legend, an illustrated history of the organization that celebrates its leaders, political activities and advertising campaigns since the organization was chartered in 1871. Author and columnist Jeffrey L. Rodengen (The Legend of Halliburton) covers such subjects as the evolution of rifle and pistol design; the role of NRA's magazine, American Rifleman, in reporting on WWII; and the birth of gun control legislation under Lyndon Johnson ("NRA's darkest days"). The book is filled with photographs and sidebars that spotlight various eminent riflemen such as sharpshooter Elizabeth Servaty Topperwein, the first female NRA member. Foreword by Tom Clancy.

The power and wonder of the ocean is as strong today as ever, with new expeditions to its depths, and new discoveries beneath melting ice, in developing reefs, and on shores around the world.

To celebrate, we are releasing a second edition of Ocean, with the latest scientific research, coverage of major events like Superstorm Sandy and the Fukushima tsunami, and new graphics and images. Ocean includes an atlas of the world's oceans and seas compiled using satellite data, brand-new 3-D Earth modeling, and remarkable photography of the marine world that explores the interaction between people and the ocean environment.

From the geological and physical processes that affect the ocean floor to the key habitat zones, flora, and fauna, this is the definitive reference to the world's oceans.

A monumental retelling of world history through the lens of maritime enterprise, revealing in breathtaking depth how people first came into contact with one another by ocean and river, lake and stream, and how goods, languages, religions, and entire cultures spread across and along the world’s waterways, bringing together civilizations and defining what makes us most human.

Lincoln Paine takes us back to the origins of long-distance migration by sea with our ancestors’ first forays from Africa and Eurasia to Australia and the Americas. He demonstrates the critical role of maritime trade to the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley. He reacquaints us with the great seafaring cultures of antiquity like those of the Phoenicians and Greeks, as well as those of India and Southeast and East Asia, who parlayed their navigational skills, shipbuilding techniques, and commercial acumen to establish thriving overseas colonies and trade routes in the centuries leading up to the age of European expansion. And finally, his narrative traces how commercial shipping and naval warfare brought about the enormous demographic, cultural, and political changes that have globalized the world throughout the post–Cold War era.

This tremendously readable intellectual adventure shows us the world in a new light, in which the sea reigns supreme. We find out how a once-enslaved East African king brought Islam to his people, what the American “sail-around territories” were, and what the Song Dynasty did with twenty-wheel, human-powered paddleboats with twenty paddle wheels and up to three hundred crew. Above all, Paine makes clear how the rise and fall of civilizations can be linked to the sea. An accomplishment of both great sweep and illuminating detail, The Sea and Civilization is a stunning work of history.

More than just the tale of one flag and one song, The Star-Spangled Banner is the story of how Americans—often in times of crisis—have expressed their patriotism and defined their identity through the "broad stripes and bright stars" of our preeminent national symbol, a tradition that still thrives today. The original flag that inspired Francis Scott Key "by the dawn's early light" has been cared for by the Smithsonian since 1907. The dramatic story of this flag—and of the Smithsonian's effort to save it for posterity—are told here in this lavishly illustrated book that also explores the broader meaning of the flag in American life.

“Frank Hamer, last of the old breed of Texas Rangers, has not fared well in history or popular culture. John Boessenecker now restores this incredible Ranger to his proper place alongside such fabled lawmen as Wyatt Earp and Eliot Ness. Here is a grand adventure story, told with grace and authority by a master historian of American law enforcement. Frank Hamer can rest easy as readers will finally learn the truth behind his amazing career, spanning the end of the Wild West through the bloody days of the gangsters.” ---Paul Andrew Hutton, author of The Apache Wars

To most Americans, Frank Hamer is known only as the “villain” of the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. Now, in Texas Ranger, historian John Boessenecker sets out to restore Hamer’s good name and prove that he was, in fact, a classic American hero.

From the horseback days of the Old West through the gangster days of the 1930s, Hamer stood on the frontlines of some of the most important and exciting periods in American history. He participated in the Bandit War of 1915, survived the climactic gunfight in the last blood feud of the Old West, battled the Mexican Revolution’s spillover across the border, protected African Americans from lynch mobs and the Ku Klux Klan, and ran down gangsters, bootleggers, and Communists. When at last his career came to an end, he ran up against another legendary Texan: Lyndon B. Johnson. Written by one of the most acclaimed historians of the Old West, Texas Ranger is the first biography to tell the full story of this near-mythic lawman.

From their eponymous 1978 debut through their colossal 1984 album (they've sold over 75 million albums worldwide), Van Halen rewrote all the rules. Nobody rocked—or partied—harder. Photographer Neil Zlozower first met the band in 1978, worked with them again on Van Halen II, and soon became their friend, hanging out in L.A. and hitting the road on tour with them. Van Halen collects more than 250 backstage, candid, and full rock-out photos of the all-powerful, spandexed, high-kicking, guitar blazing, stadium-shaking, original Van Halen lineup. Accompanying Zlozower's amazing photos are an introduction about his wild ride with VH, a foreword by David Lee Roth, and testimony from the rock pantheon paying homage to the band, including members of Led Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, KISS, Motley Crüe, and more. Turn it up!

For legendary surfer Laird Hamilton, hundred foot waves represent the ultimate challenge. As Susan Casey travels the globe, hunting these monsters of the ocean with Hamilton’s crew, she witnesses first-hand the life or death stakes, the glory, and the mystery of impossibly mammoth waves. Yet for the scientists who study them, these waves represent something truly scary brewing in the planet’s waters. With inexorable verve, The Wave brilliantly portrays human beings confronting nature at its most ferocious.

In July 1865, "Wild Bill" Hickok shot and killed Davis Tutt in Springfield, MO―the first quick-draw duel on the frontier. Thus began the reputation that made him a marked man to every gunslinger in the Wild West.

James Butler Hickock was known across the frontier as a soldier, Union spy, scout, lawman, gunfighter, gambler, showman, and actor. He crossed paths with General Custer and Buffalo Bill Cody, as well as Ben Thompson and other young toughs gunning for the sheriff with the quickest draw west of the Mississippi.

Wild Bill also fell in love―multiple times―before marrying the true love of his life, Agnes Lake, the impresario of a traveling circus. He would be buried however, next to fabled frontierswoman Calamity Jane.

Even before his death, Wild Bill became a legend, with fiction sometimes supplanting fact in the stories that surfaced. Once, in a bar in Nebraska, he was confronted by four men, three of whom he killed in the ensuing gunfight. A famous Harper’s Magazine article credited Hickok with slaying 10 men that day; by the 1870s, his career-long kill count was up to 100.

The legend of Wild Bill has only grown since his death in 1876, when cowardly Jack McCall famously put a bullet through the back of his head during a card game. Bestselling author Tom Clavin has sifted through years of western lore to bring Hickock fully to life in this rip-roaring, spellbinding true story.

The marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton is one of the most significant royal events of recent times. As second in line to the throne, the elder son of the much mourned Diana, Princess of Wales—whose famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring he bestowed on his future bride—William embodies the hopes and expectations of millions of people around the world. And as a “commoner” who will become a princess, Catherine brings romance and freshness to a very traditional union. Acclaimed biographer Andrew Morton, who was trusted by Diana herself to recount her true story to the outside world, has been covering Prince William since birth. Now he brings his unique insights to this portrait of the histories and characters of the bride and groom—from their family backgrounds, their childhoods, and the early days of their relationship at university, through their ups and downs as a couple in the public eye, their private engagement in Kenya, and all the glamour and drama of the wedding itself. Lavishly illustrated with color photographs, both a chronicle and a lasting memento of a day to remember, William & Catherine brings us both the public spectacle and the private moments as only the author of Diana: Her True Story can reveal them.

It began in 1692, over an exceptionally raw Massachusetts winter, when a minister's daughter began to scream and convulse. It ended less than a year later, but not before 19 men and women had been hanged and an elderly man crushed to death.

The panic spread quickly, involving the most educated men and prominent politicians in the colony. Neighbors accused neighbors, parents and children each other. Aside from suffrage, the Salem Witch Trials represent the only moment when women played the central role in American history. In curious ways, the trials would shape the future republic.

As psychologically thrilling as it is historically seminal, THE WITCHES is Stacy Schiff's account of this fantastical story-the first great American mystery unveiled fully for the first time by one of our most acclaimed historians.