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  We Had Fun and Nobody Died -...

  Amy T. Waldman, Peter Jest

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  This irreverent biography provides a rare window into the music industry from a promoter’s perspective. From a young age, Peter Jest was determined to make a career in live music, and despite naysayers and obstacles, he did just that, bringing national acts to his college campus at UW–Milwaukee, booking thousands of concerts across Wisconsin and the Midwest, and opening Shank Hall, the beloved Milwaukee venue named after a club in the cult film This Is Spinal Tap. This funny, nostalgia-inducing book details the lasting friendships Jest established with John Prine, Arlo Guthrie, and Milwaukee’s own Violent Femmes, among others. It also shines a light into the seldom-seen world of music promotion, as Jest attempts to manage a turbulent band on the road, negotiates with agents, deals with fires (both real and metaphorical), struggles through a pandemic, and takes pleasure in presenting music of all kinds—from world-famous acts to up-and-coming local bands. The book documents decades of rock, folk, and alternative shows that helped put Milwaukee on the live music map. As the music industry has become dominated by profit-driven corporations, We Had Fun and Nobody Died chronicles the career of a one-of-a-kind independent promoter whose hardheadedness and love of music have helped him keep it real and make it in the music business for more than forty years.  "[An] adventure-filled biography of music promoter Peter Jest. . . . Reflecting decades of changes to the music business, We Had Fun and Nobody Died is a fascinating biography of a passionate promoter’s work to transform Milwaukee’s music scene."  —Foreword Reviews  “Amy Waldman and Peter Jest weave a thrilling tale of fanhood gone pro. Dreams followed, dragons slain, and the roof of a venerable venue repeatedly blown sky-high. We’re proud to have provided the name [for Shank Hall]; it took men and women of sterner stuff to do the heavy lifting.”   —Michael McKean, actor and comedian, This Is Spinal Tap

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  Generals and Admirals of the...

  James Webb

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  "... a work of exceptional scholarship that stands as a testament to the exhaustive nature of historical research." — War History Network
  
  This three-volume set offers concise biographical information for over five thousand generals and admirals of the Third Reich. It covers all branches of service, ordered alphabetically and provides a brief, though scholarly, overview of each individual, including personal details and dates for all attachments to unit, and medals awarded, offering a readily accessible go-to reference work for all World War II researchers and historians.
  
  In addition to the biographic information, each volume includes extensive appendices.
  
  The books are packed with information on these senior officers of the Third Reich, many of whom are little documented in the English language.

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  The Bushman's Son

  Terry Fergusson- Hughes

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  The story of this Bushman's youngest son starts in 1960s' small town New Zealand where life didn't come without its challenges. This true story begins with a lot of rugby, beer, pig hunting and the socialising that was all part of our basic Kiwi lifestyle. However there was me, Terry, different from the rest of my siblings, separated by design and confusing to my parents... This book takes you through a journey out of Tokoroa and into the world where I tried most things, tasted as much forbidden fruit as I could and did my best to experience all life had to offer at the time, but maybe all that glitters isn't always gold. My extended family's backstory paints a picture of love, heartache, rebellion and loss that many of us would not recover from. Did I conform, did I behave, did I make amends and forgive? Prepare to be challenged, pushed and pulled in all directions as this story seldom has a quiet moment. Desperate times call for desperate measures and sometimes in our lives we react in a way that we later regret, or at least try to. Fatherhood, coming out as gay, sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll all rolled into one story. Not just drama - more like adventure with the everlasting search for a resolution. Ngaru Nui Ngaru Roa Ngaru paewhenua

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  The Yank - The True Story of a...

  John Crawley

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  1975: A young Irish-American man joins an elite US Marine unit to get the most intensive military training possible—then joins the Irish Republican Army, during the days of some of the bloodiest fighting ever in the Irish-British conflict. 
   
   
   
  In a powerful, brutally honest recounting of his experience, John Crawley details, first, the grueling challenges of his Marine Corps training, then how he put his hard-earned skills to use back in Ireland in service of the Provos. It is a story that will see him running guns with notorious American mobster—and secret IRA fundraiser—Whitey Bulger; running, under cover of night, from safe house to safe house in the Irish countryside, one step ahead of British troops; being captured, imprisoned, and being part of a mass escape attempt; fending off a recruitment offer from the CIA; and being one of the masterminds behind a campaign to take out London's electrical system. 
   
   
    
  Along the way, Crawley is blisteringly candid about the memorable people he worked with, including behind-the-scenes portrayals of revered IRA leader Martin McGuinness, and of the psychopathic Whitey Bulger, as well as others in the Boston IRA support network. There are vivid portraits of colleagues and enemies, and Crawley is unflinching in his commentary on IRA leadership and their tactics, both military and political.

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  Hiding in Plain View

  Marcel Clarke

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  In the quiet moments of our lives, when the world slows down and reflection takes over, we often ponder the paths we’ve walked and the choices we’ve made. This book delves into the life of a young man who stood at the crossroads of failure and triumph. 
  His journey begins in the shadows of poor decisions, choices that could have defined his existence in ways both limiting and predictable. Yet, within him burned a fierce resilience, an unyielding determination to rewrite his story. It is a tale of relentless perseverance, where every setback becomes a stepping stone, and each failure a lesson in disguise. 
  As you turn these pages, you’ll be drawn into a world where hope battles despair, where dreams challenge reality, and where the human spirit rises against all odds. This is not just a story of success but of transformation, a testament to the power of will and the beauty of redemption. 
  Prepare to be inspired, moved, and reminded that our destinies are not written in stone but forged through the fires of our choices and the strength of our resolve. This is the journey of a young man who defied the odds, a journey that just might change the way you view your own.

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  Alan Shepard - Higher and Faster

  Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

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  Written for ages 10 and up -- enjoyed by adults!Alan Shepard gripped the abort handle and braced his feet against the capsule floor. Five, Four, Three...Don't screw up, he muttered. Two, One, Zero, Liftoff. Alan felt himself rising into the sky. He could scarcely believe it. The boy who grew up with a passion for flying was off on the ultimate flight -- to space!Alan Shepard's boyhood fascination with flight led him from constructing model airplanes in his grandfather's basement to attaining national hero status in the race to space. Rooted in hard work and education, this pioneer's dreams of flight came true as he became not only the first American launched into space but, later, one of the privileged few to walk on the moon.When he wasn't soaring above the clouds, astronaut Alan Shepard used his expertise to benefit others, raising money to fuel the dreams of science students and guiding NASA missions. The achievements of this high flyer -- America's "Lindbergh of Space" -- inspire all who dare to live their dream

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