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  Captain John Franklin and Sir...

  Charles River Editors

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  After the discovery of the Americas, several European countries were interested in finding the route, and nations from France to Spain sent out explorers searching for the mysterious route. While these voyages did not reveal the hoped for route, they did result in large parts of both North and South America being mapped, and as more of the new land mass was determined, the parameters of the search for such a route were narrowed. By the 18th century, explorers began to seek such a route to the north, looking for the legendary Northwest Passage.  
  	Eventually, some countries lost interest, but England remained determined, and the masters of the waves continued to send ship after ship and crew after crew across the Atlantic. By the early 19th century, the search was taking expeditions to the Arctic, and each time a team returned to England telling stories of how it was stymied by ice or bad weather, another team confidently went out, certain that it would be the one to make it through.  
  	This ultimately led to the voyage of Captain John Franklin, who left Britain in 1845 for the Arctic in the hopes of completing mapping the Northwest Passage. Instead of returning with spices and silks, Franklin and his men disappeared, leaving behind them a mystery that plagued the English conscience for decades. Ironically, the ill-fated trip only became more legendary when its mystery was solved than it was when it remained a curiosity. It was a tale of ice and cold, starvation and desperation, and a tragically fatal one.  
  	Shackleton’s place in history is not the one he set out to make, but his extraordinary deeds have made his contributions to early exploration of Antarctica indelible. Despite the victor’s wreath eventually going to another, Shackleton’s name is essential to any discussion of Antarctic exploration, based on personal heroism more than logistical triumphs.

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  Touching Gently - A Memoir

  Charles Hargrove

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  The story begins with Charles Hargrove's childhood in the city of Redlands, California during the Great Depression. He paints vivid, moving portraits of the people who influenced his life: his wise father, his strong and loving mother, and his talented Uncle Jack. His personal story conveys a larger picture of the time and place, and the culture, from which he sprang. 
  
  Charles tells of his coming of age, his delight in becoming an Eagle Scout, his relationship (and continuing obsession) with the game of golf, and the hardships of life on a destroyer during the Korean War. And he writes most lovingly of his wife, Joan Van Euer, sharing their story from their youthful courtship to her heartbreaking death from Alzheimer's. Charles writes plainly and truthfully of life's twists and turns, paths considered but not taken, the precious victories and bitter losses, the pain and dark places, and the simple but exquisite joy of being human.
  
  "A great book about a fine gentleman and what it takes to be successful in life and business. Charles writes about his life experiences and lessons learned playing the game of golf. To be a good golfer, you must have commitment, dedication, patience, competitive attitude, and willingness to practice, practice, practice. Charles learned and practiced all these things, which made him a good friend, accomplished golfer, and a successful businessman." ~ James R. Hughes, Jr.,  President & CEO, Hughes Retirement Advisory Group
  
  "Touching Gently  is more than a personal memoir; it is the autobiography of a time that may seem ancient history to many. His simple, direct style establishes a voice still audible to his contemporaries. The trials and tribulations of daily life are depicted in a tone that is indeed gentle – made more so by hope, humor, and acceptance of love, life and death without complaint. As Charles' fellow-'swabbie' in the United States Navy, I read with great delight his descriptions of his ship, USS Halsey Powell DD 686. As a Quartermaster, Charles sent signals – as a Gunner's Mate, I fired guns. This is my twenty-one-gun salute of respect for his book."~ Michael Fuller, PhD., Author of Legacy 
  
  "A story of love and courage. The author engages the reader with his personal journey of life's great joys woven in everyday challenges of being a caregiver for his wife. It chronicles the painful reality of watching the essence of his beautiful wife slowly disappear before his eyes. It also illuminates the plight of many primary caregivers of those with Alzheimer's: what to do when the care giving burden becomes overwhelming." ~ Patricia Lungren Partridge, RN, BSN, MSG

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  Getting the Pretty Back -...

  Molly Ringwald

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  The iconic Molly Ringwald shares intimate stories and candid advice in this fun, stylish, and sexy girlfriend's guide to life. 
  To her millions of fans Molly Ringwald will forever be sixteen. As the endearing and witty star of the beloved John Hughes classics Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink, Molly defined teenage angst, love, and heartbreak. While remembered eternally as the enviable high school princess Claire, or the shyly vulnerable Samantha, Molly is now a wife and mother, and just celebrated her fortieth birthday. Facing a completely new, angst-inducing time in her life, she is embracing being a woman, wife, mother of three, actress, and best friend with her trademark style, candor, and humor. 
  In this book Molly encourages every woman to become "the sexiest, funniest, smartest, best-dressed, and most confident woman that you can be" by sharing personal anecdotes and entertaining insights about the struggle to get through the murky milestones and identity issues that crop up long after prom ends. Whether she's discussing sex and beauty, personal style, travel and entertaining, motherhood, or friendship, Molly embodies the spirit of being fabulous at every age, and reminds us all that prettiness is a state of mind: it's "the part of you that knows what you really want, that takes risks." 
  Getting the Pretty Back is sure to charm women of all ages with its unforgettably personal, refreshingly outspoken take on life, love, and, of course, finding that perfect red lipstick. . . .

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  Bloody Red Tabs - General...

  Frank Davis, Graham Maddocks

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  Long before that ghastly and quite unnecessary slogging match in the mud which we now call the First World War had dragged to its blood-soaked conclusion the belief that most of the senior officers had spent their time in comfort and safety in chateaux far behind the lines with no idea of the conditions in which the men they commanded were fighting was firmly embedded in the public mind. As the years pass by that belief has, if anything, become more deeply held, gaining strength from plays like Oh! What a Lovely War, itself based on Alan Clark's book The Donkeys.It is the purpose of this book to show not only how the myth was born and grew but how totally at odds it is with the facts. Biographies of over 200 officers who held the rank of Brigadier-General or above who were killed or wounded during the war show how closely involved the men at the top were with the men at the front. Ironically, as the authors point out, this was more than just a waste of blood, for these were the very men whose experience was vital to the successful prosecution of the war. Had they actually stayed in their chateaux, as Lloyd George alleged, they might have done much more to hasten the end of the conflict.This is not only an invaluable work of reference but a tribute to those gallant senior officers who have been so unfairly traduced by many who should have known better.As featured in Essence Magazine.

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  Just Mary: A Political Memoir...

  Mary O'Rourke

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  In this memoir Mary O' Rourke writes, with remarkable candidness and humour, of personal and political events; of the many senior political figures with whom she worked, including Charles Haughey and Bertie Ahern; of her life with her beloved husband Enda; of her two dear Brians, both of whom died before their time; of her successes and disappointments.
  She does all this with honesty, energy and an absence of self-pity or self-justification. The book is like the woman herself: open, warm and frank.

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  We Dared to Win - The SAS in...

  Hannes Wessels, Andre Scheepers

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  Andre Scheepers grew up on a farm in Rhodesia, learning about the bush from his African childhood friends, before joining the army. A quiet, introspective thinker, Andre started out as a trooper in the SAS before being commissioned into the Rhodesian Light Infantry Commandos, where he was engaged in fireforce combat operations. He then rejoined the SAS.Wounded thirteen times, his operational record is exceptional even by the tough standards that existed at the time. He emerged as the SAS officer par excellence; beloved by his men, displaying extraordinary calmness, courage, and audacious cunning during a host of extremely dangerous operations. Andre writes vividly about his experiences, his emotions, and his state of mind during the war, and reflects candidly on what he learned and how war has shaped his life since.In addition to Andre's personal story, this audio book reveals more about some of the other men who were distinguished operators in SAS operations during the Rhodesian War.

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