Other books that might interest you

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  Crisis Convoy - The Story of...

  Sir Peter Gretton

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  In April 1943, Commander Peter Gretton was in charge of escorting a vital Allied trade convoy from New York to Great Britain across the North Atlantic. Over the course of the voyage, the sixty-one merchant ships of convoy HX231, along with the six ships of B7 Escort Group, were continuously shadowed and attacked by a German wolf pack of twenty U-boats.With the aid of air support, the convoy and defending escort fought valiantly across hundreds of miles of ocean and, despite poor weather conditions, managed to sink and severely damage several enemy submarines. Tragically six merchant ships were torpedoed and with no rescue vessel any survivors were left stranded in the freezing waters of the Atlantic as the convoy continued on its journey.Drawing on reports from both sides, Gretton details the sequence of events as convoy HX231 battled its way through a large wolf pack and offers an authoritative post-battle analysis of the strategies, decisions, and actions taken that would ultimately see the tide of war turn in favor of victory for the Allies.Crisis Convoy takes the listener to the heart of the action and is a thrilling account of naval warfare during World War II.

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  Sit Stay Heal - What Dogs Can...

  Renee Alsarraf

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  “Written with grace and emotional honesty, Sit, Stay, Heal will live with you long after the last page.”— John Grogan, bestselling author of Marley & Me 
  For more than two decades, esteemed veterinary oncologist Dr. Renee Alsarraf treated cancer in her beloved canine patients. Then, at age fifty-one, she was diagnosed with cancer herself. 
  Sit, Stay, Heal: What Dogs Can Teach Us About Living Well is Dr. Renee’s unforgettable testament to the extraordinary healing nature of dogs. Every day in her veterinary practice, she bears witness to the undeniable bond between pets and their people. However, while we are busy teaching them to “sit” and “stay,” they have their own, more profound, lessons to impart. In Sit, Stay, Heal, we meet Cosmo, the golden retriever who arrives at Renee’s office just before his fourteenth family vacation to the beach; Daisy, the cocker spaniel, an emotional support dog for a special needs child; and Franny, the bloodhound, a police dog who wasn’t ready to retire from the force. Then there’s Dr. Renee’s own dog Newtie, who falls ill when she needs him most. 
  Our dogs are wise in ways humans are not. For Dr. Renee, it was her patients—those furry, four-legged, slobbering animals—who seemed to uniquely understand her difficult journey and who showed her the true power of positivity and unconditional love. Full of life lessons and healing metaphors, perfect dogs and their imperfect humans, Sit, Stay, Heal is a captivating, heartwarming story for dog lovers far and wide.

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  Rainbow Warrior - My Life in Color

  Gilbert Baker

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  In 1978, Harvey Milk asked Gilbert Baker to create a unifying symbol for the growing gay rights movement, and on June 25 of that year, Baker's Rainbow Flag debuted at San Francisco's Gay Liberation Day parade. Baker had no idea his creation would become an international emblem of freedom, forever cementing his place and importance in helping to define the modern LGBTQ+ movement. 
  Rainbow Warrior is Baker's passionate personal chronicle, from a repressive childhood in 1950's Kansas to a harrowing stint in the U.S. Army, and finally his arrival in San Francisco, where he bloomed as both a visual artist and social justice activist. His fascinating story weaves through the early years of the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights, where he worked closely with Milk, Cleve Jones, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Baker continued his flag-making, street theater, and activism through the Reagan years and the AIDS crisis. And in 1994, Baker spearheaded the effort to fabricate a mile-long Rainbow Flag—at the time, the world's longest—to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City. 
  Gilbert Baker often called himself the "Gay Betsy Ross," and those listening to his colorful, irreverent and deeply personal memoir will find it difficult to disagree.

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  Calvin Coolidge in the Black Hills

  Seth Tupper

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  “Well-written . . . analysis and insight into what role the crisp, clean Black Hills air may have had in the culmination of a successful political career” (The Washington Times).   On August 2, 1927, President Calvin Coolidge shocked the nation by announcing he would not seek reelection. The declaration came from the Black Hills of South Dakota, where Coolidge was vacationing to escape the oppressive Washington summer and to win over politically rebellious farmers. He passed his time at rodeos, fishing, meeting Native American dignitaries and kick-starting the stagnant carving of Mount Rushmore. But scandal was never far away as Coolidge dismissed a Secret Service man in a fit of anger. Was it this internal conflict that led Coolidge to make his famous announcement or the magic of the Black Hills? Veteran South Dakota journalist Seth Tupper chronicles Coolidge’s Black Hills adventure and explores the lasting legacy of the presidential summer on the region.   Includes photos   “The book sets out to examine such questions as why the president chose to travel west and why he used the trip to make the announcement that he would not run for president again in 1928 . . . well documented and filled with fascinating details.” —The Washington Free Beacon

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  A Year in Paris - Season by...

  John Baxter

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  From the incomparable John Baxter, the bestselling author of The Most Beautiful Walk in the World, a sumptuous and definitive portrait of Paris through the seasons, highlighting the unique tastes, sights, and changing personality of the city in spring, summer, fall, and winter. 
  “A man with a great appreciation of what makes Paris tick.”— Newsday 
  When the common people of France revolted in 1789, one of the first ways they chose to correct the excesses of the monarchy and the church was to rename the months of the year. Selected by poet and playwright Philippe-Francois-Nazaire Fabre, these new names reflected what took place at that season in the natural world; Fructidor was the month of fruit, Floréal that of flowers, while the winter wind (vent) dominated Ventôse.  
  Though the names didn’t stick, these seasonal rhythms of the year continue to define Parisians, as well as travelers to the city. As acclaimed author and long-time Paris resident John Baxter himself recollects, “My own arrival in France took place in Nivôse, the month of snow, and continued in Pluviôse, the season of rain. To someone coming from Los Angeles, where seasons barely existed, the shock was visceral. Struggling to adjust, I found reassurance in the literature, music, even the cuisine of my adoptive country, all of which marched to the inaudible drummer of the seasons.” 
  Devoting a section of the book to each of Fabre’s months, Baxter draws upon Paris’s literary, cultural and artistic past to paint an affecting, unforgettable portrait of the city. Touching upon the various ghosts of Paris past, from Hemingway and Zelda Fitzgerald, to Claude Debussy to MFK Fisher to Francois Mitterrand, Baxter evokes the rhythms of the seasons in the City of Light, and the sense of wonder they can arouse for all who visit and live there. 
  A melange of history, travel reportage, and myth, of high culture and low, A Year in Paris is vintage John Baxter: a vicarious thrill ride for anyone who loves Paris.

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  Buddy Holly - Learning the Game

  Spencer Leigh

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  Buddy Holly died on the 3 February 1959 death. He was 22 years old. Don McLean called that fatal day 'The Day the Music Died'. But, his music hasn't died, as he has left us a wonderful legacy.
  With his animated voice, trademark black glasses, fender Stratocaster and inimitable songs, Buddy and his music live on and continue to influence subsequent generations of musicians.
  Spencer Leigh has interviewed those who knew him best – his young widow Maria Elena, his band members the Crickets, Des O'Connor who compered his UK 1958 tour as well as musicians, songwriters, friends, fans and many others who worked with Buddy.
  A definitive account of Buddy Holly and his career.
  'Spencer Leigh Raves On – brilliantly.' Sir Tim Rice
  A journalist, acclaimed author and BBC broadcaster for over 40 years, Spencer Leigh is an acknowledged authority on popular music. He has written an extensive list of music biographies which includes The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Simon & Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan.
  'A highly-readable mix of impeccable research, first-hand testimonies and a personal critique on Holly's life, career and music. First-rate.' Michael Leonard, Vintage Rock
  'I am delighted to have been asked by Spencer to write the Foreword to Buddy Holly: Learning the Game, as I have read several of his biographies and he certainly knows what he is talking about.' Frank Ifield
  'Spencer Leigh is a fine writer and a good researcher and I certainly enjoyed what he had to say about Buddy Holly.' Hunter Davies, author, journalist and broadcaster

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