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  The Pirates Own Book

  Charles Ellms

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  Authentic Narratives of the Most Celebrated Sea Robbers.

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  Vices are not Crimes

  Lysander Spooner

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  Lysander Spooner (1808 – 1887) was an American individualist anarchist, entrepreneur, political philosopher, abolitionist, supporter of the labour movement, and legal theorist of the nineteenth century. Here he gives his views on the role of Governments in the private lives of their citizens (Summary by Annise)

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  Samuel Colt and Oliver...

  Charles River Editors

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  Gunsmiths in early 19th century America were helped along by noted artisans from Germany, Switzerland, and other European powers, but despite advances made in the European and American musket, the requirement of an exterior spark and percussion to ignite powder for a single-shot discharge remained the paradigm. Similarly, the era was unable to move past the cumbersome weapon that required at least half a minute to reload. The military compensation for such an ungainly and vulnerable process was the alternation of troop lines, in which one fired while the other reloaded from behind. Effective as that was in laying down constant fire and simultaneous reloading, the force as a whole was disabled by a large fraction, and the reloading soldiers were vulnerable to saber attacks on horseback as well. 
  Trapped in the same technological rut as future wars drew near in the new century, Samuel Colt entered the pool of visionaries in search of the invention that would tip the power balance in favor of those who possessed it. As an observant child of the Industrial Revolution, Colt would ultimately lead the way with the most defining design changes in weaponry, and through constant trial and error, he gave the military what it wanted despite fierce resistance and apathy: an answer to the reloading conundrum.  
  	In the manner that Samuel Colt broke open the single-shot tradition in hand weapons, Oliver Fisher Winchester and his celebrated rifle shared the title of “the gun that won the West.” In the arena of portable arms, these two men dominated much of the technological and promotive aspects of 19th century weaponry, alternating between resisting and collaborating with rivals. While Colt created the first effective revolver mechanism for the handgun based on the technology of the ship’s wheel, it was Oliver Winchester who instituted 140 years of branding dominance by virtue of the first reliable repeating rifle.

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  Simple Sabotage Field Manual

  The Office of Strategic Services...

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  Originally written in 1944 by the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.), the wartime predecessor to the CIA, the Simple Sabotage Field Manual is a fascinating and often startling guide to subtle disruption during World War II. Designed to be used by ordinary citizens behind enemy lines, this manual offered clever, low-risk ways to undermine operations—from misfiling paperwork to tampering with machinery and stalling meetings. 
  Both a historical curiosity and a chillingly relevant study in passive resistance, the manual outlines how small acts of obstruction—carried out consistently and quietly—could grind an enemy’s war machine to a halt. With its dryly practical tone and surprising creativity, Simple Sabotage Field Manual reveals the hidden tactics of psychological warfare, bureaucratic interference, and grassroots defiance. 
  Narrated with gripping precision by Russ Jankovitz, this audiobook brings the shadowy ingenuity of World War II espionage to life, offering listeners a window into how everyday people were weaponized to fight tyranny from within.

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  And Still We March: The touching...

  Marisa Bate

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  Retracing my mother’s footsteps in search of women’s freedom 
  1974. A 22-year-old Jacqui French stands for a photograph in Omaha, Nebraska, thousands of miles from home.  
  In 2022, the US Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, restricting access to abortion across America. The decision mirrored a global trend towards a devastating unravelling of women’s freedoms; a reversal of hard-won progress, and a battle that continues to be fought on both sides of the Atlantic. 
  Following in the footsteps of her mother fifty years before her, Marisa Bate is galvanised to journey across America, meeting the women on the ground, and telling the stories behind the headlines. Examining half a century of feminist struggle in the UK and the US, she also finds herself tracing the roots of her own family, seamlessly interweaving the personal with the political. 
  Lyrical, poignant, and bursting with defiant hope, And Still We March is an urgent and perceptive dissection of female autonomy, motherhood, and a woman’s right to choose. 
  A ‘beguiling feminist memoir’ Lindsey Hilsum 
  In this top-rated autobiography, Marisa Bate delves into the history of women's rights, intertwining it with her mother's personal journey. The narrative is a testament to the resilience of women, even in the face of discrimination and social challenges. 
  For fans of Richard Osman (Richard Osman's House of Games), Laura Bates (Fix the System, Not the Women), Lucy Jones (Matrescence), Donna Lancaster (Wise Words for Women), and Bre Graham (Table for Two). 
  HarperCollins 2023

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  Unknown to History

  Charlotte Mary Yonge

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  During the captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots, plots, conspiracies, and intrigue engulfed the country. Catholics were apprehensive of Protestants; Scots mistrusted the English. No one felt completely safe. Into the midst of this turmoil was thrust a tiny baby girl, rescued from a storm-tossed sea, the solitary survivor of the wreck of the Bride of Dunbar. Was this unfortunate child - adopted and raised in the bosom of a loving family - connected to the displaced and unhappy Queen Mary? Would she eventually find herself at the mercy of the Elizabeth, Queen of England, or would she find happy bliss with her one true love? - Summary by Tanica

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