Much of Jefferson Davis' life and career has been obscured in controversy and misinterpretation. This full, carefully annotated edition will make it possible for scholars to reassess the man who served as President of the Confederacy and who in the aftermath of war became the symbolic leader of the South. For almost a decade a dedicated team of scholars has been collecting and documenting Davis' papers and correspondence for this multi-volume work. The first volume includes not only Davis' private and public correspondence but also the important letters and documents addressed to and concerning him. Two autobiographical accounts, a detailed genealogy of the Davis family, and a complete bibliography are also included. This volume covers Davis' early years in Mississippi and Kentucky, his career at West Point, his first military assignments, and his tragic marriage to Sarah Knox Taylor. Together, the letters and documents unfold a human story of the first thirty-two years of a long life that later became filled with turbulence and controversy.
May 1864. The Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia spent three days in brutal close-quarter combat in the Wilderness that left the tangled thickets aflame. No one could have imagined a more infernal battlefield—until the armies moved down the road to Spotsylvania Court House. Even the march itself was unprecedented. For three years the armies had fought battles and disengaged after each one. That pattern changed on the night of May 7. Instead of leaving the Wilderness to regroup, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant led the Federal army southward, skirmishing with Confederates all the way. “There will be no turning back,” he had declared. He lived up to his word. By dawn on May 8, the armies had tussled their way ten miles down the road and opened another large-scale fight that would last until May 21. “One thing is certain of this campaign thus far,” explained Dr. Daniel Holt of the 121st New York: “More blood has been shed, more lives lost, and more human suffering undergone than ever before in a season.” The fighting launched a score of new place-names and events that would sear themselves into the American consciousness, such as Spindle Field, Upton’s assault, the Mule Shoe, the Bloody Angle, and the Harris Farm. The casualties exacted at Spotsylvania exceeded those of the Wilderness by thousands. The fighting severely tested the offensive capabilities of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Southern army, just as the defensive posture his men embraced would, in turn, test the limits of Federal endurance. A Tempest of Iron and Lead: Spotsylvania Court House, May 8–21, 1864 is a comprehensive and comprehensible study of this endlessly fascinating campaign. Author Chris Mackowski is intimately familiar with the battle of Spotsylvania Court House. He is a former historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, and he continues to give tours of the battlefield as the historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the battlefield’s eastern front. His meticulous knowledge of the landscape and familiarity with primary source materials, earned over nearly two decades—coupled with outstanding maps and helpful images—create a readable and satisfying single-volume account the campaign has so richly deserved.
The United States Military Academy at West Point is one of America’s oldest and most revered institutions. Founded in 1802, its first and only mission is to prepare young men—and, since 1976, young women—to be leaders of character for service as commissioned officers in the United States Army. West Point’s success in accomplishing that mission has secured its reputation as the foremost leadership-development institution in the world. An Academy promotional poster says it this way: “At West Point, much of the history we teach was made by people we taught.” Carved from Granite is the story of how West Point goes about producing military leaders of character. An opening chapter on the Academy’s nineteenth-century history provides context for the topic of each subsequent chapter. As scholar and Academy graduate Lance Betros shows, West Point’s early history is interesting and colorful, but its history since then is far more relevant to the issues—and problems—that face the Academy today. Drawing from oral histories, archival sources, and his own experiences as a cadet and, later, a faculty member, Betros describes and assesses how well West Point has accomplished its mission. And, while West Point is an impressive institution in many ways, Betros does not hesitate to expose problems and challenge long-held assumptions. In a concluding chapter that is both subjective and interpretive, the author offers his prescriptions for improving the institution, focusing particularly on the areas of governance, admissions, and intercollegiate athletics. Photographs, tables, charts, and other graphics aid the clarity of the discussion and lend visual and historical interest. Carved from Granite: West Point since 1902 is the most authoritative history of the modern United States Military Academy written to date. There will be lively debate over some of the observations made in this book, but if they are followed, the author asserts that the Academy will emerge stronger and better able to accomplish its vital mission in the new century and beyond.
Grant. Pershing. Eisenhower. Schwartzkopf. The United States Military Academy has shaped America's senior military leaders from the sons-and now daughters-of farmers and shopkeepers, laborers and bankers. Now celebrating its two hundredth anniversary, West Point and its legacy continue to support and reflect the nation it serves. Authored by Theodore Crackel, one of the nation's premier authorities on the academy, West Point: A Bicentennial History celebrates one of America's most prominent establishments. A revision and refinement of the author's earlier Illustrated History of West Point, published more than ten years ago, it provides the most accurate and comprehensive history yet available on the academy. It features new research and new perspectives in every chapter, adds a decade of coverage, and has garnered the West Point Bicentennial Committee's official seal of approval. Crackel tells how the institution was created to embody the vision of Thomas Jefferson and expands our knowledge of the additional contributions of the Adams administration to its founding. He reveals how the academy developed to meet the needs of American expansion by integrating civil engineering into its early curriculum, then tells how cadets experienced growing sectional tensions as the nation headed toward civil war. Along the way, he explains how the familiar physical presence of West Point evolved, offering new insights on decisions to adopt its classic Tudor-gothic architecture. In its chronological account of West Point's history, the book traces a number of themes: cadet and faculty life, institutional governance, curriculum development, physical expansion, growing diversity among the cadet corps, and the tensions between the school's superintendents and its academic board, who often had competing visions for the academy and its future. In following the lives of cadets and officers, Crackel also offers a fresh look at the treatment of black cadets in the nineteenth century and a new analysis of their experience in the twentieth, as well as a look at the place of women in the corps since the graduation of the first female in 1980. To understand West Point is to better understand the country its graduates are sworn to protect and defend. This bicentennial history honors that institution as no other book does and shows how it has endowed the select of America's youth with dedication to its motto: duty, honor, country.
This recipe book features over 1,000 cocktails and will have you creating memorable cocktails in no time! From 3-ingredient drinks to mad-scientist mixology, The Encyclopedia of Cocktails is any bartender’s go-to resource. A clean, uncluttered design and extensive index makes finding drinks easy, whether you’re searching by spirit or style. This in-depth guide will provide recommendations, tips, and techniques that will help you understand how to make the best cocktails at home and features: Over 1,000 cocktail recipes that will have you understanding the craft of mixology Necessary tools of the trade and where you can purchase everything you need A guide to purchasing the perfect liquor and spirits for your at-home bar An in-depth guide to ice, simple syrups, shrubs, and bitters to elevate your cocktails to the next level Tips for mixing your drinks like a pro and adding the perfect garnish to top them off Chapters dedicated specifically to each type of spirit, mocktails, and other non-alcoholic drinks The history of over 100 classic cocktails Recipes for hundreds of homemade ingredients; from syrups to blends, infusions, tinctures, foams, and more, you’ll be crafting bespoke ingredients in no time The Encyclopedia of Cocktails is the perfect gift for anyone who likes to mix drinks – it’s the only cocktail book they’ll ever need!
The history books are full of heroes and villains … but what about all the idiots? Comedian and armchair historian Mikey Robins tells the astonishing story of human stupidity, one idiot at a time. Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe. Albert Einstein History is full of heroes and villains. But then there are the idiots. Idiots, Follies & Misadventures shows that human stupidity has always been our constant companion. History tends to omit tales of human fallibility. We overlook the dubious and ridiculous contributions made by history’s tawdry parade of knuckleheads. But this book is a call to arms … knuckleheads assemble! And once assembled, prepare to be mocked. Just because history has mostly swept these idiots under the carpet does not make them by any means unsung heroes. These are rather ridiculous cautionary tales, to amuse and add some perspective to our current rash of stupidity. Tales such as: Why you shouldn’t soak your underpants in mercury. The booze cruise that plunged England into civil war. The Russian nuclear briefcase and pizzas. Flatulence jars and The Great Plague of London. The deadly green wallpaper that proved a problem for Britain's trendy middle-class.
All you need to know about the Season of Christmas - an entertaining Question-and-Answer Guide with over 700 illustrations: The forgotten Seasons of Christmas - the 40 days, the 20 days, the 12 (or is it 13?) days; Christmas and War; Christmas and the Movies; Christmas and the Industrial Revolution - the force that almost killed it; Christmas and Religion - when and where was it made illegal to celebrate Christmas?; Christmas food - Brawn, Boar's head, Plum pudding, etc., and Christmas drink - from Wassail to the Tom and Jerry.
As the owner of more than 200 slaves and a profitable sugar plantation, Bishop Polk commanded a unique platform from which he articulated a vision of the Old South that merged Episcopalian values and traditions with the region's more dominant evangelical religious culture. Polk displayed virtually no interest in his denomination's theological squabbles. Instead, his genius rested in his attempts to cultivate a religious solidarity among white Southerners of all classes and to broaden the social and cultural appeal of Episcopalianism in the South. Polk's mission for the University of the South illustrated his dedication to denominational purity, but it also embodied the fundamental tenets of a religious and culturally based Southern nationalism.
Alcohol consumption goes to the very roots of nearly all human societies. Different countries and regions have become associated with different sorts of alcohol, for instance, the “beer culture” of Germany, the “wine culture” of France, Japan and saki, Russia and vodka, the Caribbean and rum, or the “moonshine culture” of Appalachia. Wine is used in religious rituals, and toasts are used to seal business deals or to celebrate marriages and state dinners. However, our relation with alcohol is one of love/hate. We also regulate it and tax it, we pass laws about when and where it’s appropriate, we crack down severely on drunk driving, and the United States and other countries tried the failed “Noble Experiment” of Prohibition. While there are many encyclopedias on alcohol, nearly all approach it as a substance of abuse, taking a clinical, medical perspective (alcohol, alcoholism, and treatment). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol examines the history of alcohol worldwide and goes beyond the historical lens to examine alcohol as a cultural and social phenomenon, as well—both for good and for ill—from the earliest days of humankind.
Drink is the definitive reference guide for the cocktail renaissance. Inside, you'll find something to satisfy everyone's taste. This ultimate cocktail book features: Over 1,100 easy-to-follow cocktail recipes that span the wide world of spirits A brief history of cocktails A comprehensive guide to homemade ingredients, including infusions, shrubs, and simple syrups Necessary tools to make great cocktails and an explanation of terms A guide to selecting the right spirits and perfectly garnishing your cocktails The importance of ice in a cocktail Chapters specifically dedicated each type of spirit, along with a chapter for mocktails and non-alchoholic beverages Interviews and signature recipes from industry insiders from bars and bartenders from around the world, from New York City to New Orleans, Belfast to Buenos Aires, and beyond. This tour around the world of cocktails will help you enhance every experience from making a cocktail for yourself or a punch for a party.
