Instant coffee was invented during the Civil War for use by Union troops, who hated it; holding races between lice was a popular pastime for both Johnny Reb and Billy Yank; 13% of the Confederate Army deserted during the conflict. These are three of the hundreds of bits of knowledge that Mike Wright makes available in his informative and entertaining What They Didn't Teach You About the Civil War, which focuses on the lives and ways of ordinary soldiers and of those they left behind.
New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin welcomes young readers to the thrilling, tragic, and downright wild historic adventure of America’s westward expansion in Which Way to the Wild West? Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn’t Tell You About America’s Westward Expansion, featuring illustrations by Tim Robinson. 1805: Explorer William Clark reaches the Pacific Ocean and pens the badly spelled line “Ocian in view! O! the joy!” (Hey, he was an explorer, not a spelling bee champion!) 1836: Mexican general Santa Anna surrounds the Alamo, trapping 180 Texans inside and prompting Texan William Travis to declare, “I shall never surrender or retreat.” 1861: Two railroad companies, one starting in the West and one in the East, start a race to lay the most track and create a transcontinental railroad. With a storyteller's voice and attention to the details that make history real and interesting, Steve Sheinkin delivers the wild facts about America's greatest adventure. From the Louisiana Purchase (remember: if you're negotiating a treaty for your country, play it cool.) to the gold rush (there were only three ways to get to California--all of them bad) to the life of the cowboy, the Indian wars, and the everyday happenings that defined living on the frontier. “An engaging...medley of anecdotes about the Wild West in nine lively chapters starting with the Louisiana Purchase and ending with the Lakota massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. Casual vignettes of famous figures and ordinary people come to life.” —School Library Journal “Sheinkin builds his conversational narrative around stories of the men and women who peopled the west, with particular attention given to African Americans, Chinese workers, and everyday farmers and cowboys. There's plenty of humor here, but Sheinkin's strength is his ability to transition between events.”—The Horn Book Also by Steve Sheinkin: Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution Two Miserable Presidents: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the Civil War Born to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America
For the average person, most of the American history that he or she knows comes from facts taught to them in school to prepare them for their state mandated tests. That's not the fault of their teachers who were just carrying out the directives of their employers. But it's also a fact that a great deal of that content that they were teaching is dry and boring. However, as in every aspect of life, there is always another story behind each major event. The story of America is interesting and exciting, but it's those lesser known parts of our history that make it special. Even though in most cases, the names and events in the book will be recognizable, most of the stories about them will be new to the reader. If you're a young teacher, perhaps you'll find some material to help you get through those less-than-exciting areas of your textbook. If you hated history as a student, maybe you'll find some of these tales entertaining. For those of you who are history buffs, hopefully you'll come across a few things that are new to you.
“Zeroes in on the interesting, irreverent, long-ignored tidbits that shape behavior in all conflicts and important periods of history.”—The Denver Post What made the founding fathers so great (or were they?). And don’t forget the founding mothers. We have intrigue and skullduggery with spies from Nathan Hale to Benedict Arnold, with enlightening stops on the distaff side of espionage for Patience Wright (no relation to our esteemed author), Lydia Darragh, and Ann Bates. “[Mike] Wright uncovers the gamut of the revolutionary era with a highly readable, breezy narrative style, and some of his speculations eloquently illustrate the ironies always present in grand historical movements. . . . This work will inform, amuse, and provide an interesting perspective on the Revolution.”—Booklist
Packed with personal anecdotes and details you won’t find anywhere else, this is the secret history of World War II. “A fast-moving overview stuffed with interesting factoids and historical tidbits . . . Casual readers will find themselves carried along, and hardened military buffs will learn much that is new.”—Library Journal “It’s almost guaranteed to make you so interested in the subject you’ll want to learn . . . By including hundreds of interesting anecdotes and facts, [Mike] Wright not only piques our interest repeatedly, he also gives areal feel for the war era.”—Manchester Journal Inquirer “An excellent overview . . . [with] interesting chapters on spies, POWs, censorships, and the building of the atomic bomb . . . Wright’s style is accessible.”—The Post and Courier
“Zeroes in on the interesting, irreverent, long-ignored tidbits that shape behavior in all conflicts and important periods of history.”—The Denver Post What made the founding fathers so great (or were they?). And don’t forget the founding mothers. We have intrigue and skullduggery with spies from Nathan Hale to Benedict Arnold, with enlightening stops on the distaff side of espionage for Patience Wright (no relation to our esteemed author), Lydia Darragh, and Ann Bates. “[Mike] Wright uncovers the gamut of the revolutionary era with a highly readable, breezy narrative style, and some of his speculations eloquently illustrate the ironies always present in grand historical movements. . . . This work will inform, amuse, and provide an interesting perspective on the Revolution.”—Booklist
Guess what? The Indians didn’t save the Pilgrims from starvation by teaching them to grow corn. Thomas Jefferson thought states’ rights—an idea reviled today—were even more important than the Constitution’s checks and balances. The “Wild” West was more peaceful and a lot safer than most modern cities. And the biggest scandal of the Clinton years didn’t involve an intern in a blue dress. Surprised? Don’t be. In America, where history is riddled with misrepresentations, misunderstandings, and flat-out lies about the people and events that have shaped the nation, there’s the history you know and then there’s the truth. In 33 Questions About American History You’re Not Supposed to Ask, Thomas E. Woods Jr., the New York Times bestselling author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History, sets the record straight with a provocative look at the hidden truths about our nation’s history—the ones that have been buried because they’re too politically incorrect to discuss. Woods draws on real scholarship—as opposed to the myths, platitudes, and slogans so many other “history” books are based on—to ask and answer tough questions about American history, including: - Did the Founding Fathers support immigration? - Was the Civil War all about slavery? - Did the Framers really look to the American Indians as the model for the U.S. political system? - Was the U.S. Constitution meant to be a “living, breathing” document—and does it grant the federal government wide latitude to operateas it pleases? - Did Bill Clinton actually stop a genocide, as we’re told? You’d never know it from the history that’s been handed down to us, but the answer to all those questions is no. Woods’s eye-opening exploration reveals how much has been whitewashed from the historical record, overlooked, and skewed beyond recognition. More informative than your last U.S. history class, 33 Questions About American History You’re Not Supposed to Ask will have you wondering just how much about your nation’s past you haven’t been told.
Now a major motion picture starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Gabe Polsky. In his National Book Award–winning novel Augustus, John Williams uncovered the secrets of ancient Rome. With Butcher’s Crossing, his fiercely intelligent, beautifully written western, Williams dismantles the myths of modern America. It is the 1870s, and Will Andrews, fired up by Emerson to seek “an original relation to nature,” drops out of Harvard and heads west. He washes up in Butcher’s Crossing, a small Kansas town on the outskirts of nowhere. Butcher’s Crossing is full of restless men looking for ways to make money and ways to waste it. Before long Andrews strikes up a friendship with one of them, a man who regales Andrews with tales of immense herds of buffalo, ready for the taking, hidden away in a beautiful valley deep in the Colorado Rockies. He convinces Andrews to join in an expedition to track the animals down. The journey out is grueling, but at the end is a place of paradisal richness. Once there, however, the three men abandon themselves to an orgy of slaughter, so caught up in killing buffalo that they lose all sense of time. Winter soon overtakes them: they are snowed in. Next spring, half-insane with cabin fever, cold, and hunger, they stagger back to Butcher’s Crossing to find a world as irremediably changed as they have been.
THE CALL OF THE WILD WEST - Ultimate Western Collection is an unparalleled anthology that brings together over 175 novels and short stories from the pens of some of the most celebrated authors in the American literary canon. This collection features a vast array of themes, including the rugged beauty of the American frontier, the complex relationships between man and nature, and the tumultuous path towards justice and redemption. Embedded within its pages are tales that traverse the whole of the Western genre, from thrilling adventures to poignant histories, all aimed at exploring the essence of what it means to confront the wild unknown. The anthology stands as a testament to the diversity and significance of the Western narrative, offering readers standout pieces that highlight the periods dynamic range of literary stylesfrom the raw realism of Twain to the romanticized vistas by Grey. The contributing authors, a veritable whos who of the literary world, including but not limited to Mark Twain, Willa Cather, and Jack London, bring a rich tapestry of backgrounds to the collection. Their collective works encapsulate not only the evolving character of the American West but also the broader shifts in American culture and literature. The anthology aligns with key historical and cultural movements such as Manifest Destiny and the taming of the frontier, enabling a multifaceted exploration of these themes through the prism of various literary movements. By amalgamating the distinct voices and narratives of authors who have defined the genre, the collection invites readers to a deeper understanding of the enduring myths and realities of the American West. THE CALL OF THE WILD WEST - Ultimate Western Collection offers readers an unprecedented opportunity to engage with the Western genre in all its complexity and grandeur. It is an imperative read for those who wish to delve into the rich narrative of American expansion and the diverse interpretations of frontier life. Beyond its educational value, the anthology serves as a platform for the intricate dialogues between different periods, themes, and styles, encapsulated within the Western tradition. It invites lovers of history, literature, and culture to explore the depths of human resilience and the landscapes that shaped Americas literary heritage.
The Outlaws of the Wild West: 150+ Westerns in One Edition stands as a monumental anthology that explores the allure and the multifaceted nature of the American West through its most emblematic genre: the Western. Within its pages, readers are treated to a diverse array of literary styles, from the rugged realism of pioneer life to the mythmaking narratives of outlaws and heroes. This collection, unparalleled in its scope, showcases the evolution of Western literature over time, presenting seminal works alongside lesser-known gems, offering a comprehensive insight into the genre's development and its lasting impact on American culture. The inclusion of works by celebrated authors such as Mark Twain and Jack London alongside those by niche writers ensures a rich and varied reading experience, encapsulating the broad expanse of the Western narrative landscape. The collective backgrounds of the anthology's authors provide a vivid tapestry of the American literary canon. From Twains razor-sharp wit to Londons raw depiction of adversity and survival, and Cathers evocative portrayal of frontier life, the anthology spans a critical period in American history. These authors, hailing from diverse walks of life, bring authenticity and depth to their depiction of the West, reflecting the socio-political landscapes and cultural shifts of their respective eras. The anthology not only commemorates the traditional Western but also underscores the genres role in exploring themes of identity, conflict, and the American dream, echoing the complexity and contradictions of American society itself. The Outlaws of the Wild West: 150+ Westerns in One Edition offers readers an unparalleled opportunity to dive deep into the heart of American literary heritage. It appeals not only to aficionados of the Western genre but also to those keen on exploring the narratives that have shaped American identity and mythology. This anthology opens up a dialogue among a wide array of voices, each adding its unique perspective to the vast, untamed landscapes of the American West. As such, it is an essential read for anyone looking to grasp the full spectrum of American literary output, offering an educational journey through time and across the plains, mountains, and deserts that have inspired generations of storytellers.
