Unforgettable Books
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The Titans of the Twentieth Century: How They Made History and the History They Made: How They Made History and the History They Made
An engaging and original historical portrait of eight of the most influential political figures of the twentieth century: Woodrow Wilson, Lenin, Hitler, Churchill, FDR, Gandhi, David Ben-Gurion, and Mao. The Titans of the Twentieth Century addresses an age-old question: what is the impact of individuals on history? The first half of the twentieth century offered political leaders enormous scope for changing the world. This book consists of essays about eight who, for better and for worse, did just that. Woodrow Wilson had a vision for a cooperative world order that failed after the First World War but gained in influence after the Second. Vladimir Ilich Lenin founded the totalitarian communist political system that controlled a large part of the planet for much of the twentieth century. Adolf Hitler started history's worst war and presided over history's worst atrocity, the Holocaust. Winston Churchill provided inspiring leadership to Great Britain, which made it possible to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II. Franklin D. Roosevelt steered the United States through the Great Depression and the Second World War. Mohandas Gandhi led the movement, and developed the philosophy of non-violence, that ended British rule in South Asia, paving the way for the end of empires throughout Asia and Africa. David Ben-Gurion led the miraculous restoration of Jewish sovereignty in the Holy Land. Mao Zedong, imposed totalitarian communist rule on China and became history's most egregious mass murderer. Individually, each chapter offers fresh and often surprising portraits of the twentieth century's titans. Collectively, the essays present a vivid and revealing portrait of a turbulent half-century that shaped the world of today.
$34.99
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The Unplugged Hours: Cultivating a Life of Presence in a Digitally Connected World: Cultivating a Life of Presence in a Digitally Connected World
Join the Challenge: One Thousand Unplugged Hours in One YearFormer social media addict, Hannah Brencher discovered first-hand that turning off her phone had a substantial impact on her mental health, relationships, time management, and outlook on the world. Like so many of us, Hannah had been turning to her phone to cope with life in a time of isolation and uncertainty. But those coping mechanisms had become habits she didn't know how to break until she truly committed herself to one simple yet profound act: log 1,000 phone-free hours in a year. Now, in The Unplugged Hours, she demonstrates how the act of powering down and reducing the habit of a constantly plugged-in lifestyle can change your entire life.No matter what you do for a living, how much time your apps save you, or how much entertainment your phone brings, it is possible to unplug--and rediscover the richness of life on the other side.A powerful weaving of memoir, cultural commentary, and spiritual insights, this life-changing book will help you: Reclaim your ability to be present and engaged with the world around you. Swap the hurried, constant pace of technology for a steadier, more rooted way of living. Establish your own unplugged rituals and rhythms in daily life. The Unplugged Hours gives you the practical ideas and spiritual inspiration you need to stop scrolling and start living. So join the challenge: put your phone down and live your life.
$19.99
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Ghana: The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah: The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah
The Story of the Visionary Who Led Ghana to Independence"No race, no people, no nation can exist freely and be respected at home and abroad without political freedom," writes Ghanaian prime minister Kwame Nkrumah in his 1957 autobiography. From humble beginnings in a small village, Nkrumah left Africa to be educated abroad, where he met other pan-Africanists who shaped his political understanding. From the time he returned home to the Gold Coast-then a British colony-his story became one with the his country's struggle for independence. Witnessing earlier attempts at West African nationalism that failed to support the masses, and believing that a colonial authority would be more likely to relinquish power to a well-organized government supported by a majority of Ghana's population, he formed the Convention People's Party "as the democratic instrument of the people's will and aspirations."Here Dr. Nkrumah shares his life and evolving political philosophy over his several-year journey toward becoming the first prime minister and then president of the newly independent Ghana. His embrace of nonviolence and promotion of Pan-African unity earned him the moniker "the African Nehru." Writing in his autobiography, he states, "Our example must inspire and strengthen those who are still under foreign domination."Nkrumah's passion for the independence of his people and for neighboring African states infuses this book with inspiration. Still relevant after six decades, this lucid, personal recounting of a pivotal moment in African political history is instrumental to understanding the challenges facing today's evolving African society.This book is also available from Echo Point Books as a hardcover (ISBN 1635619130).
$35.95
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Bayard Rustin: A Legacy of Protest and Politics: A Legacy of Protest and Politics
2024 Outstanding Academic Title, given by Choice Reviews Celebrates the life and legacy of Bayard Rustin, the civil rights leader behind the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom While we can all recall images of Martin Luther King Jr. giving his "I Have a Dream" speech in front of a massive crowd at Lincoln Memorial, few of us remember the man who organized this watershed nonviolent protest in eight short weeks: Bayard Rustin. This was far from Rustin's first foray into the fight for civil rights. As a world-traveling pacifist, he brought Gandhi's protest techniques to the forefront of US civil rights demonstrations, helped build the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led the fight for economic justice, and played a deeply influential role in the life of Dr. King by helping to mold him into an international symbol of nonviolent resistance. Rustin's legacy touches many areas of contemporary life--from civil resistance to violent uprisings, democracy to socialism, and criminal justice reform to war resistance. Despite these achievements, Rustin was often relegated to the background. He was silenced, threatened, arrested, beaten, imprisoned, and fired from important leadership positions, largely because he was an openly gay man in a fiercely homophobic era. With expansive, searching, and sometimes critical essays from a range of esteemed writers--including Rustin's own partner, Walter Naegle--this volume draws a full picture of Bayard Rustin: a gay, pacifist, socialist political radical who changed the course of US history and set a precedent for future civil rights activism, from LGBTQ+ Pride to Black Lives Matter.
$30.00
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Mary Cassatt Between Paris and New York: The Making of a Transatlantic Legacy: The Making of a Transatlantic Legacy
"You'll never look at Cassatt the same way again."--A Hyperallergic Favorite Art Book of 2025"An authoritative, beautifully illustrated study."--Kirkus ReviewsFinalist for the Marfield Book PrizeThe first comprehensive study of Cassatt's life, work, and legacy through the prism of a transatlantic framework. This book re-envisions Mary Cassatt in the context of her transatlantic network, friendships, exhibitions, politics, and legacy. Rather than defining her as either an American artist or a French impressionist, author Ruth E. Iskin argues that we can best understand Cassatt through the complexity of her multiple identifications as an American patriot, a committed French impressionist, and a suffragist. Contextualizing Cassatt's feminist outlook within the intense pro- and anti-suffrage debates in the United States, Iskin shows how these impacted her artistic representations of motherhood, fatherhood, and older women. Mary Cassatt between Paris and New York also argues for the historical importance of her work as an advisor to American collectors, and demonstrates the role of museums in shaping her legacy, highlighting the combined impact of gender, national, and transnational dynamics.
$49.95
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Mob Island
"Some things are not what they look and feel like." - "Louie the Tailor" Rosanova Lou was right. Who would have believed that Savannah, Georgia, specifically the Savannah Inn and Country Club, played a significant role in mobster relations? Leading figures in the Mob during the seventies came together for important meetings at the Inn. And there were good reasons why they chose Savannah for these meetings (and the ultimate burial site of Jimmy Hoffa). More importantly, who would believe that the friendship between a brilliant young southern lawyer and a powerful member of the Chicago Outfit would evolve into one of the most effective defence teams combating social and legal injustices in South Georgia at the time? For the first time, Bubba Haupt explains how the Outfit and the Teamsters were instrumental in funding the successful defence of indigent clients facing the death penalty. Without the help of Rosanova, innocent individuals would have been electrocuted or spent their entire lives in prison. Rosanova is a complicated person and his residence in Savannah is a largely unknown but fascinating part of Mob history. As Haupt says, "In every lawyer's trial experience, some events loom so large that others are completely overshadowed. Some are humorous while others are extremely sad." Haupt shares details of his cases, experiences, thoughts, and feelings surrounding events that changed his life and many of his clients' lives forever. No longer under Omertà (the vow of silence), Bubba Haupt's riveting story will leave you breathless.
$20.95
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The Lives of Lee Miller
Collected in this compelling volume are the many lives of Lee Miller, intimately recorded by her son, Antony Penrose, whose years of work on her photographic archives have unearthed a rich selection of her finest work, including portraits of her friends Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Max Ernst, Paul Eluard, and Joan Miró.Starting in 1927 in New York, this volume chronicles Lee Miller as she is discovered as a model by Condé Nast, hits the cover of Vogue, and is immortalized by Edward Steichen, George Hoyningen-Huene, Horst P. Horst, and other acclaimed photographers. From there, readers follow Miller to Paris where she, along with Man Ray, invented the solarization technique of photography, and where she developed into a brilliant Surrealist photographer. Finally, this account covers the later chapters of her life, when she became a war correspondent during World WarII, traveling with the Allied armies to cover the siege of Saint-Malo and the liberation of Paris, which lead to her photographs of the Dachau concentration camp that shocked the world.A highly readable biography of a uniquely talented artist, The Lives of Lee Miller is now published in compact paperback.
$16.95
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Life and Death at Cape Disappointment: Becoming a Surfman on the Columbia River Bar: Becoming a Surfman on the Columbia River Bar
The ocean is one of the few untamed places on earth--unpredictable and unsympathetic to the lives lost there. For this reason, people remain fascinated by its tides, currents, and mysteries. Life and Death at Cape Disappointment is Christopher J. D'Amelio's first-hand account of life as a surfman at one of the Coast Guard's most dangerous stations.Cape Disappointment is one of the most notorious Coast Guard units on the Pacific Coast. Its area of responsibility is referred to as the "Graveyard of the Pacific." This book focuses on five of the most significant search and rescue cases during D'Amelio's tour and how such work affected him and his colleagues mentally and physically. It's armchair entertainment for those enthralled by the ocean.
$19.95
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My Legs Were Praying: A Biography of Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Biography of Abraham Joshua Heschel
A Spirituality & Practice "Best Spiritual Book of 2025"Succinct, inspiring biography of a bridge-building Jewish leader, supplemented by 15 black-and-white photographsOn March 21, 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights organizers led 8,000 protesters on a 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery. They invited a distinguished group of national religious figures to join them in the front lines. One of these was Abraham Joshua Heschel--a gifted Jewish scholar, teacher, and speaker, whose recent book, The Prophets (1962)--a detailed study of the ancient biblical champions of justice and mercy--was a source of great inspiration to Dr. King and others.As Heschel walked arm-in-arm with his colleagues, he was easy to spot in the crowd: He was a short, stocky man with flowing white hair, a bushy beard, who wore a dark yarmulke (Jewish head covering). Like the prophets of old, Heschel believed that standing up for others--particularly the most vulnerable members of society--is a sacred obligation. He later wrote, the religious person must seek to hold God and humankind "in one thought at one time," suffering "harm done to others," making "compassion" one's "greatest passion."Heschel first learned these essential values as a child in Eastern Europe. This little book is his story.
$18.95
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The Heart That Fed: A Father, a Son, and the Long Shadow of War: A Father, a Son, and the Long Shadow of War
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY TOP 10 BEST BOOK OF 2024 A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST NEW COMIC OF 2024 FOR ADULTS A brilliant, "powerful" (Booklist) graphic memoir, and a loving son's exploration of his tumultuous relationship with his father, told through the lens of the Vietnam War and its lasting effects long after returning home. As a college dropout amid the tumult of the 1960s and the Vietnam War, David Sciacchitano enlisted in the Air Force and volunteered to be sent overseas. An aircraft mechanic away from the front lines, David nevertheless experienced the chaos of war during the Tet Offensive and the 1975 evacuation. Although David returned home from the war with no physical injuries, it would be as if a part of him was forever left behind. Set against one of the most polarizing events of the 20th century, The Heart That Fed is a beautifully illustrated and moving story of trauma and love--"a complex and empathetic portrait of war and its consequences" (Publishers Weekly, starred review)--told by a son seeking to understand a father now changed by PTSD and the horrors of war.
$29.99
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When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt: Six Queens of Egypt
This riveting narrative explores the lives of six remarkable female pharaohs, from Hatshepsut to Cleopatra--women who ruled with real power--and shines a piercing light on our own perceptions of women in power today. Female rulers are a rare phenomenon--but thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt, women reigned supreme. Regularly, repeatedly, and with impunity, queens like Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra controlled the totalitarian state as power-brokers and rulers. But throughout human history, women in positions of power were more often used as political pawns in a male-dominated society. What was so special about ancient Egypt that provided women this kind of access to the highest political office? What was it about these women that allowed them to transcend patriarchal obstacles? What did Egypt gain from its liberal reliance on female leadership, and could today's world learn from its example? Celebrated Egyptologist Kara Cooney delivers a fascinating tale of female power, exploring the reasons why it has seldom been allowed through the ages, and why we should care.
$28.00
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We Now Belong to Ourselves: J.L. Edmonds, the Black Press, and Black Citizenship in America: J.L. Edmonds, the Black Press, and Black Citizenship in America
Weaving together poetry, personal narrative, and never-before-seen documents from the Jefferson Lewis Edmonds' family archive, Arianne Edmonds provides a wide-ranging look at how the Black Press of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries defined Black citizenship after Reconstruction, fostered networks of resistance, and set in motion critical social justice narratives that are still relevant today. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Black press provided a blueprint to help Black Americans transition from slavery and find opportunities to advance and define African American citizenship. Among the vanguard of the Black press was Jefferson Lewis Edmonds, founder and editor of The Liberator newspaper. His Los Angeles-based newspaper championed for women's rights, land and business ownership, education, and civic engagement, while condemning lynchings and other violent acts against African Americans. It encouraged readers to move westward and build new communities, and it printed stories about weddings and graduations as a testament to the lives and moments not chronicled in the White-owned press. Edmonds took this fierce perspective in his career as a journalist, for he himself was born into slavery and dedicated his life to creating pathways of liberation for those who came after him. Across the pages of his newspaper, Edmonds painted a different perspective on Black life in America and championed for his community--from highlighting the important work of his contemporaries, including Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, to helping local readers find love in the personal ads section. The Liberator, along with a chorus of Black newspapers at the turn of the century, educated an entire generation on how to guard their rights and take claim of their new American citizenship. Written by Jefferson Lewis Edmonds' great-great granddaughter, We Now Belong to Ourselves chronicles how Edmonds and other pioneering Black publishers documented the shifting tides in the advancement of Black liberation. Arianne Edmonds argues that the Black press was central in transforming Black Americans' communication patterns, constructing national resistance networks, and defining Black citizenship after Reconstruction--a vision, mission, and spirit that persists today through Black online social movements. Weaving together poetry, personal narrative, newspaper clips, and documents from the Edmonds family archive, We Now Belong to Ourselves illustrates how Edmonds used his platform to center Black joy, Black triumph, and radical Black acceptance.
$29.99
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