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  Beethoven - The Universal Composer

  Edmund Morris

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  Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a genius so universal that his popularity, extraordinary even during his lifetime, has never ceased to grow. It now encircles the globe: Beethoven's most famous works are as beloved in Beijing as they are in Boston.Edmund Morris, the author of three bestselling presidential biographies and a lifelong devotee of Beethoven, brings the great composer to life as a man of astonishing complexity and overpowering intelligence. A gigantic, compulsively creative personality unable to tolerate constraints, he was not so much a social rebel as an astute manipulator of the most powerful and privileged aristocrats in Germany and Austria, at a time when their world was threatened by the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.But Beethoven's achievement rests in his immortal music. Struggling against progressive, incurable deafness (which he desperately tried to keep secret), he nonetheless produced towering masterpieces, such as his iconic Fifth and Ninth symphonies. With sensitivity and insight, Edmund Morris illuminates Beethoven's life, including his interactions with the women he privately lusted for but held at bay, and his work, whose grandeur and beauty were conceived "on the other side of silence."

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  The Yellow on the Broom

  Betsy Whyte

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  This classic memoir of a Scottish woman’s traditional nomadic family offers an intimate glimpse at girlhood in a bygone way of life. A rare firsthand account of Scotland’s indigenous traveler culture, The Yellow on the Broom has earned its place as a modern classic of Scottish literature. Here, Betsy Whyte vividly recounts the story of her childhood in flowing prose reminiscent of oral storytelling. Through the 1920s and 30s, she and her family spent much of the year traveling from town to town, working odd jobs while maintaining their centuries-old language and a culture. Whyte’s people were known by many names—mist people, summer walkers, tinkers, and gypsies. As their way of life became increasingly marginalized, they faced greater hardship, suspicion and prejudice. Together with her second memoir, Red Rowans and Wild Honey, Whyte’s story is a thought-provoking account of human strength, courage, and perseverance.

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  Confessions of a Poacher

  Jon Watson

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  The poacher of these "Confessions" was no imaginary being. Following in his father's and forefather's footsteps, he learnt from an early age the practical skills of poaching and woodcraft. It was, however, Mother Nature that made old "Phil" a Poacher but she also made him a Sportsman and a Naturalist at the same time. Never did any man appear in closer sympathy with the wild creatures about him. Even when about eighty years of age, there was still some of the old erectness in his carriage; some of the old fire in his eyes. As a young man he was handsome, though in later years his features were battered out of all original conception. His silvery hair still covered a lion-like head, and his tanned cheeks were hard and firm. If his life had been a lawless one he had undoubtedly paid a heavy price for his wrong doings. Great as a poacher, he must have been great whatever he had been. (Confessions of a Poacher / TND)

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  The Boys in Chicago Heights -...

  Matthew J. Luzi

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  “Chronicles the heyday of the Chicago Heights subsidiary of Al Capone’s infamous Prohibition-breaking criminal organization” (Time Out Chicago).   Chicago Heights was long the seat of one of the major street crews of the Chicago Outfit, but its importance has often been overlooked and misunderstood. The crew’s origins predate Prohibition, when Chicago Heights was a developing manufacturing center with a large Italian immigrant population. Its earliest bosses struggled for control until a violent gang war left the crew solidified under the auspices of Al Capone. For the remainder of the twentieth century, the boys from Chicago Heights generated large streams of revenue for the Outfit through its vast gambling enterprises, union infiltration, and stolen auto rackets. For the first time, the history of the Chicago Heights street crew is traced from its inception through its last known boss.   Includes photos!   “I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Chicago Heights Street Crew. It not only provides a well researched history of the crew, but also explains how the boys from Chicago Heights became an important, yet little known, part of the Chicago Outfit.” —Springer Science + Business Media

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  Robert Johnson Devil's Son

  Patrizia Barrera

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  The tragic story of Robert Johnson, great Blues musician of the American 30`s, the mysterious solution to his tragic end, the background and his complete discography. 
  An emotional thriller with a historical research of the short life of Robert Johnson, considered by most as the grandfather of rock, but adored by blues fans. A compelling narration that perhaps offers a solution to a mysterious intrigue, full of esotery and religious fanaticism, that lead to the violent and early death of the one that was labelled the Devil`s Son. What of Robert Johnson`s art can be defined as evil? Did he really sign a pact with Satan in order to obtain fame and honour in the music world? And what was really the cause of his death? Let`s discover it together in this engaging and fluid book that will touch your hearts.

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  Patrick's Corner

  Sean Patrick

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  In this warmhearted memoir, the author revisits growing up the youngest of six in an Irish Catholic family in post–World War II Cleveland. You’ve heard of Murphy’s Law and even the Peter Principle, but here’s a new one: Patrick’s Law. Patrick’s Law, which deserves at least equal space in the index of life, states that in large families, the youngest gets the shortest end of the stick. The youngest has certain traits that can last to adulthood: “His clothing will mark him and his position in the family strata. His socks will droop because of a lack of elasticity brought on by age and the larger ankles of his brothers. The youngest will generally never hold an original opinion for fear of being informed he is a klutz by at least one of his brothers. He will always be referred to as So-and-So’s little brother and will NEVER (a) get the Sunday funnies first, (b) go anywhere without telling at least two persons where he is going, or (c) be able to read a comic while seated on the family’s only commode.” Patrick’s Corner is a collection of stories about growing up after World War II in a world where family life, neighborhood interdependence, and nurturing environments were the norm. The author describes how one family’s steadfast devotion to each other, and their foundation of moral values helped them surmount the challenges of poverty. Told with the sensitivity of the “baby of the family,” this memoir is full of warmth, love, growing pains, and the struggles for survival. The author writes about his “comin’ up” as the youngest of six sons in an Irish Catholic family headed by a widowed mother. Like most brothers, the Patrick boys fought, but more often they were friends who talked, laughed, and shared their growing pains with each other. Even if you have never had to wear hand-me-down clothes or been referred to as So-and-So’s little brother or sister, these stories are sure to touch your heart. Praise for Patrick’s Corner “A bred-in-the-bone storyteller, the author makes this memoir a dramatic, moving and irrepressibly witty delight.” —Publishers Weekly“A nostalgic tribute from the baby of a family—life-affirming.” —Kirkus Reviews

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