With rigorous research and unprecedented insight into Robert E. Lee's personal and public lives, Michael Fellman here uncovers the intelligent, ambitious, and often troubled man behind the legend, exploring his life within the social, cultural, and political context of the nineteenth-century American South.
Dive into the Melodic Magic of Cinema's Past and Present! Ever found yourself humming a song from a classic film, or marveling at the intricate dance sequences that defined eras of cinematic history? Tunes of the Times is your passport to an enthralling journey through the transformative world of musical films. Unearth the origins, celebrate the golden eras, and embrace the innovative present of this beautiful blend of visuals and vocals. The silent beginnings were more than just muted movies. They were the canvas on which the foundation of musical cinema was laid. Discover how the early 'talkies' paved the way for a genre that would captivate audiences for generations. From the initial whispers of sound to the mesmerizing musicals that graced the silver screen, this book meticulously captures each pivotal moment. Relive the Golden Age of Hollywood, where musicals became a symbol of hope, joy, and sometimes, escapist dreams. The 1930s introduced us to new cinematic possibilities, the 1940s anchored us during wartime with uplifting tunes, and the 1950s painted our screens with the vivacious colors of Technicolor dreams. Each era, with its unique flavor, changed the way we perceived musical films. But what's a story without its twists and turns? The transitional years of the 1960s and 1970s saw experimentation and rock operas, challenging traditional norms and ushering in new narratives. And as we approached contemporary times, the evolution didn't stop. The influence of pop culture, the Disney renaissance, and the push for innovation and diversity in the 2000s reshaped the landscape of musical cinema. Delve deeper into the themes that make musicals resonate with us--love, romance, social commentary, fantasy. Understand the meticulous effort behind direction, choreography, set design, and the magic of sound and score that binds the narrative. Celebrate the iconic performers, directors, composers, and lyricists who became legends in their own right. And for those with a global palate, the book offers a special treat--a look into Bollywood's melodious masterpieces, European innovations, and musicals from every corner of the world. As we trace the profound impact and legacy of musical films, Tunes of the Times allows us to reflect on cultural mirrors, accolades, and the promising future of this beloved genre. Whether you're a film student, a musical enthusiast, or someone who simply loves the allure of cinema, this book is a treasure trove of insights, anecdotes, and pure passion. Join us on this melodious journey and understand why, through the ages, musical films have remained an enduring, enchanting, and essential part of our cultural tapestry.
“Pryor’s biography helps part with a lot of stupid out there about Lee – chiefly, that he was, somehow, ‘anti-slavery.’” – Ta-Nehisi Coates, theatlantic.com An “unorthodox, critical, and engaging biography” (Boston Globe) – Winner of The Lincoln Prize Robert E. Lee is remembered by history as a tragic figure, stoic and brave but distant and enigmatic. Using dozens of previously unpublished letters as departure points, Pryor produces a stunning personal account of Lee's military ability, shedding new light on every aspect of the complex and contradictory general's life story. Explained for the first time in the context of the young United States's tumultuous societal developments, Lee's actions reveal a man forced to play a leading role in the formation of the nation at the cost of his private happiness.
Civil War historian Reid examines in depth the operational military history during the first three years of America's Civil War. In particular, he focuses on generalship, command decisions, strategy, and tactics, as well as the experiences of ordinary soldiers.
This Omnibus E-Book brings together Piero Gleijeses's two landmark books for the first time: Visions of Freedom: Havana, Washington, Pretoria, and the Struggle for Southern Africa, 1976-1991 During the final fifteen years of the Cold War, southern Africa underwent a period of upheaval, with dramatic twists and turns in relations between the superpowers. Americans, Cubans, Soviets, and Africans fought over the future of Angola, where tens of thousands of Cuban soldiers were stationed, and over the decolonization of Namibia, Africa's last colony. Beyond lay the great prize: South Africa. Piero Gleijeses uses archival sources, particularly from the United States, South Africa, and the closed Cuban archives, to provide an unprecedented international history of this important theater of the late Cold War. Conflicting Missions: Havana, Washington, and Africa, 1959-1976 This sweeping history of Cuban policy in Africa from 1959 to 1976 is based on unprecedented research in African, Cuban, and American archives. (Among Gleijeses's many sources are Cuban archival materials to which he is the only non-Cuban to ever have access.) Setting his story within the context of U.S. policy toward both Africa and Cuba during the Cold War, Gleijeses challenges the notion that Cuban policy in Africa was directed by the Soviet Union.
Was the Civil War preordained to last four years or were there reasons why neither side could land a knockout punch? From the outset, both North and South had anticipated a brief conflict but despite more than 50 bloody battles neither could force a decisive conclusion. For most of the war, these battles followed a pattern: the victors claimed the field and the vanquished retreated to rest, resupply and fight another day. Some generals began to realize that pursuit to capture or destroy the retreating enemy was needed to end the war--not an easy task. Taking a fresh look at the tactics that characterized many major combat actions in the war, this book examines the performance of unsuccessful (sometimes insubordinate) commanders and credits two generals with eventually seeing the need for organized pursuit.
A chilling novel about the nightmare of a corrupt and brutal dictatorship. The star of Roberto Bolano's hair-raising novel Distant Star is Alberto Ruiz-Tagle, an air force pilot who exploits the 1973 coup to launch his own version of the New Chilean Poetry, a multimedia enterprise involving sky-writing, poetry, torture, and photo exhibitions. For our unnamed narrator, who first encounters this "star" in a college poetry workshop, Ruiz-Tagle becomes the silent hand behind every evil act in the darkness of Pinochet's regime. The narrator, unable to stop himself, tries to track Ruiz-Tagle down, and sees signs of his activity over and over again. A corrosive, mocking humor sparkles within Bolano's darkest visions of Chile under Pinochet. In Bolano's world there's a big graveyard and there's a big graveyard laugh. (He once described his novel By Night in Chile as "a tale of terror, a situation comedy, and a combination pastoral-gothic novel.") Many Chilean authors have written about the "bloody events of the early Pinochet years, the abductions and murders," Richard Eder commented in the The New York Times: "None has done it in so dark and glittering a fashion as Roberto Bolano."