Publisher: Good Press
The following book is an interesting glimpse about the types of sports that were popular amongst the frontiersmen of the U.S. in the early days of the country. Fascinatingly enough, the book is written from the perspective of a German traveler and novelist, Friedrich Gerstäcker.
The year is 1838. The scene is the dense Honduran forest along the Copán River. Two men, John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, are about to rediscover Mayan civilization. Their guide, slashing through the rampant growth with his machete, leads them to a structure with steps up the side, shaped like a pyramid. Next they see a stone column, fourteen feet high, sculptured on the front with a portrait of a man, “solemn, stern and well fitted to excite terror,” covered on the sides with hieroglyphics, and with workmanship “equal to the finest monuments of the Egyptians.” Stephens records these discoveries and also his travels in Central America, where he had been sent by President Van Buren as special ambassador to the ill-fated Republic of Central America. The republic being engulfed in civil war when Stephens arrives in Guatemala, he finds himself dodging revolutionary armies while he hunts for a “legitimate government” to which to present his credentials. Catherwood, meanwhile, directs his immense artistic talent to illustrating views of Mayan architecture. Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan was a best seller in its day and has been called an “Indiana Jones” saga by modern reviewers. (Summary by Sue Anderson)Show book
Explore the boulevards and bistros of the City of Light with fifty walking tours highlighting both major landmarks and lesser-known gems. Paris is a perfect city to explore à pied, and this ebook is designed for just that. On each page you’ll find an illustrated map and, along with it, insider info on where to eat, drink, stop, and shop. With these fifty self-guided walking adventures you can explore historic sites, from the Arc de Triomphe to the Musée du Louvre, as well as uncover lesser-known gems, from open-air markets and intimate cafes to small museums with world-class art. Choose any page, and Paris is yours for the taking.Show book
The author of The Haunted Boonslick proves the Show Me State isn’t shy about its ghostly heritage—especially in the beautiful college town at its center. According to Columbia ghost lore, the city’s dead only dabble with departure. The specter of Broadway legend Maude Adams checks in on classes at Stephens College, while ragtime pioneer John William Boone returns to trail invisible fingers along his grand piano. Some linger from love, like the spirit of the Osage woman who waited for a final walk with the brave she was to marry. Others remain for a reckoning, like the guerrilla stalking Brannock Hall for the Union sniper who shot him down or the murdered child discovered in the plaster of a frontier tavern. From the columns of Mizzou’s quad to the region’s winding country roads, author Mary Collins Barile explores the restless graves of Columbia’s eerie heritage. Includes photos!Show book
Since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 by a United Nations mandate, the Middle East has been a flashpoint of conflict between the world's only Jewish state and the Palestinians, who lost their land because of the UN partition. Although peace agreements were signed with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, Israel's relationships with Lebanon and Syria continue to be strained, owing to those countries' ties with the Islamic political party Hezbollah, and its relationship with Palestine continues to be marked by violence. Despite the ongoing conflict with Palestine, Israeli troops and settlers vacated the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank in 2005. This ready-reference volume explores the culture, geography, economy, and government of the state of Israel. The book is published by Chelsea House Publishers, a leading publisher of educational material.Show book
Audio Journalist Jessica Spain is in Hawaii exploring the Maritime Culture as she sails in a traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe.Show book
Once the second capital of the British Empire, Dublin is a city of monumental architecture with a history both glorious and tragic. But it's also a city brimming with humanity: home to a friendly, gregarious people, who love to hear and tell stories. The combination has arguably produced more great writers per capita than any other place on earth. And yet, as any Dubliner can tell you, the great writers didn't know the half of it. This unique guide leads you behind the granite facades and postcard-perfect pictures to explore the heart and soul of the city through all its eccentricities and foibles. Encounter a whiskey-soaked windmill guarded by St. Patrick or visit a shrine for lovers with the relics of St. Valentine; pay your respects to the grave of a much-decorated four-legged war hero or stop in for a pint at a haunted pub called the Gravediggers; discover a House of the Dead on an island you can reach on foot or explore a literary micro-museum where everybody buys soap. 111 Places in Dublin takes you on an intimate, insider's tour of the Hibernian metropolis, at the end of which, you'll be an insider too.Show book
