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  The Battle of the Narrow Seas -...

  Peter Scott

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  A WWII Royal Navy commander recounts the struggle to control the narrow seas between Britain and the rest of Europe throughout the war. A Motor Torpedo Boat Commander in the Second World War, Sir Peter Scott—the son of explorer Robert Scott—was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery in battle. Combining his own experience with extensive military research, he tells the story of the wide-ranging naval conflict against the Germans, fought in the congested waters of the Channel and the southern North Sea. Actions against convoys and E-boats, often under the shadows of French cliffs; an impossible sortie against Scharnhorst and Gneisenau as they ran the gauntlet through the Straits in February 1942; the attack on St Nazaire; and the defensive and offensive roles taken on by MTBs during the D-Day landings are just some of the events covered in the book. The bravery of the crews of these small ships became legendary. As the War dragged on, their exploits helped to raise the morale of the nation.

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  Foundational Leadership - Growth...

  Robert L. Griggs

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  Have you ever wondered how to lead your teams effectively? In Foundational Leadership, Robert Griggs shares the story of his encounter with Jack Stack, author of The Great Game of Business. This first interaction changed Robert’s life and it formed the basis for an entirely different way to view leadership – one where leaders led with an open book and were willing to share the ins and outs of how a company was run. As Robert shares, this approach, while unsettling in the early days of its implementation at Trinity Products, completely changed the way he and his team did business. Through the utilization of concepts such as profit sharing, benchmarks, scoreboards, and continuous improvement, Robert has created a company that continues to grow from year to year.

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  Jimmy Hoffa - The Controversial...

  Charles River Editors

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  A century ago, if one were to come across a manual laborer from the early 20th century or the Roaring Twenties and relayed to them the possibility of one day sticking it to The Man, one would probably be laughed out of the century. However, this was exactly what one man with solid-gold aspirations and audacity set out to achieve. Jimmy Hoffa, once described by Bobby Kennedy as the second most powerful man in America, was a union boss who evoked both respect and fear, and he continues to be a legendary figure who often crops up in conversation and media over 40 years after his disappearance. While it was an open secret that Hoffa had shady connections, the success of his leadership allowed supporters to overlook them. As Sloane put it, “More apparent to Teamster members than any moral lapses were the tangible gains that had been steadily realized under Hoffa since his advent to power.” Charles Brandt once wrote, “From 1955 until 1965 Jimmy Hoffa was as famous as Elvis Presley. From 1965 until 1975 Jimmy Hoffa was as famous as the Beatles.” But as famous as he was in life, it was Jimmy Hoffa’s demise that continues to fascinate the country. On July 30, 1975, Hoffa drove to an important meeting at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant, but he was never seen or heard from again. To this day, authorities are still searching for him (or presumably his remains), having been overloaded with false and dead-end leads throughout the decades. By championing the hearts and loyalty of America's trucking industry and arousing fear in the public for his rumored mob connections, earning a couple of enemies along the way was inevitable for Hoffa, but the mystery remains. Naturally, people have put forward ridiculous theories to explain his disappearance, but either way, it’s fair to say that the legendary life and times of the controversial and still-missing Teamster leader have produced one of the world's most baffling ongoing mysteries for good reason. Jimmy Hoffa: The Controversial Life and Disappearance of the Godfather of the Teamsters chronicles the tumultuous life of Jimmy Hoffa, one oozing with action and glory but also full of sinister entanglements with the criminal underworld. The book also looks at the enigma of his life and disappearance, exploring the most credible, fascinating, and downright nutty theories surrounding his persistently debated fate.

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  Nick Clegg - The Biography

  Chris Bowers

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  In early April 2010 Nick Clegg was fighting for recognition, even as the young, fresh and personable leader of Britain's third political party. Two weeks later he was the focus of 'Cleggmania' and his popularity was compared with Churchill's. Four weeks after that he became the second most important figure in the government - but within a year he was ridiculed and reviled as popular hopes turned to disappointment. But who is Nick Clegg? What has made him the man he is today? By what route did he enjoy one of the most spectacular rises - and falls - in British politics? This fully revised and updated edition of Chris Bowers' acclaimed biography contains an analysis of the first years of coalition government, and tells us what we can expect of the Deputy Prime Minister as the next general election approaches. With a lightness of touch that captures the spirit of the unstuffy Lib Dem leader, and with the benefit of access to Clegg himself and the many people who have shaped and worked with him, Bowers presents a sensitive, critical and above all insightful portrait of one of the leading political figures of our age.

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  Turn Around Bright Eyes - The...

  Rob Sheffield

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  Once upon a time I was falling apart. Now I'm always falling in love.Pick up the microphone.When Rob Sheffield moved to New York City in the summer of 2001, he was a young widower trying to start a new life in a new town. Behind, in the past, was his life as a happily married rock critic, with a wife he adored, and a massive collection of mix tapes that captured their life together. And then, in a flash, all he had left were the tapes.Beyoncé , Bowie, Bon Jovi, Benatar . . .One night, some friends dragged him to a karaoke bar in the West Village. A night out was a rare occasion for Rob back then.Turn aroundSomehow, that night in a karaoke bar turned into many nights, in many karaoke bars. Karaoke became a way out, a way to escape the past, a way to be someone else if only for the span of a three-minute song. Discovering the sublime ridiculousness of karaoke, despite the fact that he couldn't carry a tune, he began to find his voice.Turn aroundAnd then the unexpected happened. A voice on the radio got Rob's attention. The voice came attached to a woman who was unlike anyone he'd ever met before. A woman who could name every constellation in the sky, and every Depeche Mode B side. A woman who could belt out a mean Bonnie Tyler.Bright EyesTurn Around Bright Eyes is an emotional journey of hilarity and heartbreak with a karaoke soundtrack. It's a story about finding the courage to move on, clearing your throat, and letting it rip. It's a story about navi- gating your way through adult romance. And it's a story about how songs get tangled up in our deepest emotions, evoking memories of the past while inspiring hope for the future.

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  Gorgeous George - The Outrageous...

  John Capouya

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  This is the first-ever biography of the legendary wrestler Gorgeous George, filled with incredible never-before-told stories. George directly influenced the likes of Muhammad Ali, who took his bragging and boasting from George; James Brown, who began to wear sequined capes onstage after seeing George on TV; John Waters, whose films featured the outrageous drag queen Divine as an homage to George; and too many wrestlers to count. Amid these pop culture discoveries are firsthand accounts of the pro wrestling game from the 1930s to the 1960s.The ideal American male used to be stoic, quiet, and dignified. But for a young couple struggling to make ends meet, in the desperation born of the lingering Depression and wartime rationing, an idea was hatched that changed the face of American popular culture, an idea so bold, so over-the-top and absurd, that it was perfect. That idea transformed journeyman wrestler George Wagner from a dark-haired, clean-cut good guy to a peroxide-blond braggart who blatantly cheated every chance he got. Crowds were stunned—they had never seen anything like this before—and they came from miles around to witness it for themselves.Suddenly George—guided by Betty, his pistol of a wife—was a draw. With his golden tresses grown long and styled in a marcel, George went from handsome to . . . well . . . gorgeous overnight, the small, dank wrestling venues giving way to major arenas. As if the hair wasn't enough, his robes—unmanly things of silk, lace, and chiffon in pale pinks, sunny yellows, and rich mauves—were but a prelude to the act: the regal entrance, the tailcoat-clad valet spraying the mat with perfume, the haughty looks and sneers for the "peasants" who paid to watch this outrageously prissy hulk prance around the ring. How they loved to see his glorious mane mussed up by his manly opponents. And how they loved that alluringly alliterative name . . . Gorgeous George  . . . the self-proclaimed Toast of the Coast, the Sensation of the Nation!All this was timed to the arrival of that new invention everyone was talking about—television. In its early days, professional wrestling and its larger-than-life characters dominated prime-time broadcasts—none more so than Gorgeous George, who sold as many sets as Uncle Miltie.Fans came in droves—to boo him, to stick him with hatpins, to ogle his gowns, and to rejoice in his comeuppance. He was the man they loved to hate, and his provocative, gender-bending act took him to the top of the entertainment world. America would never be the same again.

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