"Angst over the apostrophe and hysteria over hyphens: the English language has become a combat zone. Why are people so passionate about language? How has the fighting over English usage come about?" "David Crystal charts the clashes from Anglo-Saxon times via the language of Shakespeare and Samuel Johnson to our own time of texting and the greengrocer's apostrophe. While others have fought to impose their views on spelling and grammar, David Crystal - as ever scholarly yet entertaining - explains why we should say no to zero tolerance."--BOOK JACKET.
Peter Martin recounts the patriotic fervor in the early American republic to produce a definitive national dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson's 1755 Dictionary of the English Language. But what began as a cultural war of independence from Britain devolved into a battle among lexicographers, authors, scholars, and publishers, all vying for dictionary supremacy and shattering forever the dream of a unified American language.
In 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaïre, two African American boxers were paid five million dollars apiece to fight each other. One was Muhammad Ali, the aging but irrepressible “professor of boxing.” The other was George Foreman, who was as taciturn as Ali was voluble. Observing them was Norman Mailer, a commentator of unparalleled energy, acumen, and audacity. Whether he is analyzing the fighters’ moves, interpreting their characters, or weighing their competing claims on the African and American souls, Mailer’s grasp of the titanic battle’s feints and stratagems—and his sensitivity to their deeper symbolism—makes this book a masterpiece of the literature of sport. Praise for The Fight “Exquisitely refined and attenuated . . . [a] sensitive portrait of an extraordinary athlete and man, and a pugilistic drama fully as exciting as the reality on which it is based.”—The New York Times “One of the defining texts of sports journalism. Not only does Mailer recall the violent combat with a scholar’s eye . . . he also makes the whole act of reporting seem as exciting as what’s occurring in the ring.”—GQ “Stylistically, Mailer was the greatest boxing writer of all time.”—Chuck Klosterman, Esquire “One of Mailer’s finest books.”—Louis Menand, The New Yorker Praise for Norman Mailer “[Norman Mailer] loomed over American letters longer and larger than any other writer of his generation.”—The New York Times “A writer of the greatest and most reckless talent.”—The New Yorker “Mailer is indispensable, an American treasure.”—The Washington Post “A devastatingly alive and original creative mind.”—Life “Mailer is fierce, courageous, and reckless and nearly everything he writes has sections of headlong brilliance.”—The New York Review of Books “The largest mind and imagination [in modern] American literature . . . Unlike just about every American writer since Henry James, Mailer has managed to grow and become richer in wisdom with each new book.”—Chicago Tribune “Mailer is a master of his craft. His language carries you through the story like a leaf on a stream.”—The Cincinnati Post
The precarious life of the adjunct instructor comes to life in this wry and comical novel about academic everyman Cyrus Duffleman. This classroom edition includes bonus essays, interviews and graphics about adjunct survival and the state of so-called "higher" education.
In Perilous Fight, Stephen Budiansky tells the rousing story of the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812, when an upstart American fleet fought off the legendary Royal Navy and established America as a world power for the first time. Through vivid re-creations of riveting and dramatic encounters at sea, Budiansky shows how this underdog coterie of seamen and their visionary secretary of the navy combined bravery and strategic brilliance to defeat the British, who had dominated the seas for more than two centuries. A gripping and essential hsitory, this is the military and political story of how the U.S. Navy became a permanent and essential part of the nation’s defense.
Age Level: 4 to 8 | Grade Level: K to 4 What's a knight's greatest power? Stories, of course! From the beloved author/illustrator team behind The Snatchabook comes the ultimate storytime book about castles, knights, dragons, and the power of stories! Even dragons love a good story... Leo was a gentle knight in thought and word and deed. While other knights liked fighting, Leo liked to sit and read... When Leo's mom and dad pack him off to fight a dragon, he takes a shield, a sword—and a pile of his favorite books. But can a story be as mighty as a sword? This delightful rhyming story about books and the joy of reading is also perfect for kids who love dragon books, adventures, brave knights, and books about castles! An Autumn 2016 Kids Indie Next Pick A 2017-2018 SSYRA Jr. List Title Praise for The Snatchabook: #1 Indie Next Pick "I dare you to try to read The Snatch-a-book silently to yourself. You can't do it. The book is so wonderful it demands to be read out loud. And besides, if you didn't read the book out loud, how would the Snatch-a-book hear it?"—Caldecott Medalist Brian Selznick "This ever-so-sweet story begs to be read out loud." —Booklist " The gorgeous illustrations are a perfect match for the lively text. This book is a fabulous fit for both storytime and one-on-one reading. Children will be begging for this book to be read to them every night–clever ones will claim they want to keep the Snatchabook happy." —School Library Journal "The husband-and-wife team of the Dochertys have a winner in this heartwarming tribute to the essential role of bedtime reading in the lives of families." —Publishers Weekly "The story is sweet and the illustrations darling." —Kirkus "This whodunit with an uplifting ending will appeal to fans of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! . . . [it] celebrates bedtime reading as a ritual to be revered, and features a thief who merely wants to share in the fun." —Shelf Awareness Pro
One of the most important teachers of historical swordsmanship, Stephen Hand has delivered what may well be his Magnum Opus, a detailed study in text and photographs of his best form, the swordsmanship of the 16th century English swordmaster, George Silver. In nearly 800 photographs, Mr. Hand explores the depth of Silver's technique, presenting for the student a clear and concise path to fighting with the single-handed sword. These techniques are from the same period as William Shakespeare, and it is even supposed that Silver had something to do with the staging of swordsmanship in Shakespeare's plays. So these techniques should have special interest to those involved in swordplay on the stage. Students of fencing history, members of the SCA, LARPS, or students of Renaissance history will also find this first-ever exploration of Silver's amazingly effective techniques surpremely valuable.
31/10/1978 Thomond Park. One of the greatest days in rugby history, Munster beat the All Blacks. More than 100,000 people claimed to have watched the game, even though the ground could only hold 12,000. In this 40th anniversary edition of the widely acclaimed Stand Up and Fight, Alan English revisits some of the key characters involved in this extraordinary story to offer a fully updated account of this extraordinary match.
We all do things that we wish we wouldn't. We overeat, under perform, procrastinate, push people away and say the wrong things at precisely the worst moments. What if we could find a way to overcome our self-destructive tendencies? Fight explains the psychology of self-sabotage and offers a practical guide to taking control. While training as a competitive boxer and kickboxer, Hazel Gale developed anxiety issues that led to emotional and physical burnout. Discovering cognitive hypnotherapy not only helped her back on the road to health, but ultimately turned her whole life around. She learnt to understand competition, success, fear and challenge in new ways, leading to international titles across both sports. Hazel felt compelled to introduce others to the profound benefits of cognitive hypnotherapy. She trained as a therapist and is now one of the most sought-after practitioners in Britain.
The Fighting Spirit is a self-help life motivator through storytelling. It catches your attention through the wonder of George, boxing and how it relates to life. It will inspire through real life "Fights" and successes. It shows us how this law applies, by providing real life stories we can all relate to - the ?ght of life that is real and next door. George's experience and growth through his father as a Motivator, Minister and, most importantly, a fighter. George parlays his experience growing up as George III, as his son, Business Manager and a Professional Boxer, himself.
