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  The Beginning Comes After the...

  Rebecca Solnit

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  Rebecca Solnit offers a thrilling account of the sheer breadth and scale of social, political, scientific, and cultural change over the past three quarters of a century. 
   
  In this sequel to her enduring bestseller Hope in the Dark, Solnit surveys a world that has changed dramatically since the year 1960. Despite the forces seeking to turn back the clock on history, change is not a possibility; it is an inevitability. 
   
  The changes amount to nothing less than dismantling an old civilization and building a new one, whose newness is often the return of the old ways and wisdoms. In this rising worldview, interconnection is a core idea and value. But because the transformation is obscured within a longer arc of history, its scale is seldom recognized. 
   
  While the white nationalist and authoritarian backlash drives individualism and isolation, this new world embraces antiracism, feminism, a more expansive understanding of gender, environmental thinking, scientific breakthroughs, and Indigenous and non-Western ideas, pointing toward a more interconnected, relational world.

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  The Real Moby Dick - The True...

  John Harpoon

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  For more than a century, Moby-Dick has captivated readers with its epic tale of obsession, revenge, and the relentless pursuit of an almost mythical white whale. Herman Melville’s novel, often considered one of the greatest works of American literature, is filled with symbolism and philosophical depth. Yet, behind this work of fiction lies a true story—one of survival, maritime danger, and an extraordinary encounter with a real-life white whale that terrorized whalers in the early 19th century. The legend of Moby Dick is more than just fiction; it is rooted in historical events, shaped by firsthand accounts, and woven into the fabric of seafaring lore.  
    
  The inspiration for Melville’s famous novel came from two key sources: the Essex tragedy and the real-life white whale known as Mocha Dick. The Essex, a whaling ship from Nantucket, was attacked and sunk by a massive sperm whale in 1820, leaving its crew stranded in the open ocean. Their harrowing tale of survival, including desperate decisions that pushed them to the limits of human endurance, became one of the most infamous maritime disasters of the era. Meanwhile, whalers of the Pacific frequently told stories of an unusually large and aggressive albino whale that had survived multiple harpoon attacks. This whale, named Mocha Dick after the Chilean island where he was often seen, was known to fight back with remarkable intelligence and force. These real events formed the foundation for Melville’s fictional masterpiece, blending reality with myth in a way that continues to spark curiosity and debate. 

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  Battle of Breitenfeld The: The...

  Editors Charles River

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  The Thirty Years' War was one of the most horrific conflicts in history, and though it is widely viewed as a religious struggle, that was only part of the complicated war. Calvinists and Lutherans did not get along, and both persecuted some of the more radical Anabaptist sects. At the same time, one major motivation behind the war was Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II’s determination to rule all of the empire and not be just a figurehead. There were struggles between rulers and their estates over power, and Catholic France later entered the war on the side of the Protestants in order to counter the Habsburgs’ power.  
  	The Battle of Breitenfeld, fought in September 1631, was one of the most decisive moments of the war. It was the first major Protestant victory and widely considered the crowning achievement of Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus’ military career. Through his establishment of communication and supply lines at strategic points across the Baltic Sea, the securing of Protestant alliances, and his use of combined arms, amongst his other trademark techniques, the Swedish forces, against all odds, defeated their rivals. Such was the devastation inflicted upon their opponents that the Count of Tilly, the chief commander of the Catholic League's armies, had no other choice but to retreat. 6,000 or so Catholic soldiers were captured, many of them later incorporated into the Protestant forces. Whatever remained of the survivors vanished into the dark of the night. 

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  The Wonderfull Wizard of Oz

  Lyman Frank Baum

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  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an American children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. The first novel in the Oz books, the Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz after she and her pet dog Toto are swept away from their home by a tornado. Upon her arrival in Oz, she learns she cannot return home until she has destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West. The book was first published in the United States in May 1900 by the George M. Hill Company. In January 1901, the publishing company completed printing the first edition, a total of 10,000 copies, which quickly sold out. It had sold three million copies by the time it entered the public domain in 1956. It was often reprinted under the title The Wizard of Oz, which is the title of the successful 1902 Broadway musical adaptation as well as the classic 1939 live-action film. The ground-breaking success of both the original 1900 novel and the 1902 Broadway musical prompted Baum to write thirteen additional Oz books which serve as official sequels to the first story. Over a century later, the book is one of the best-known stories in American literature, and the Library of Congress has declared the work to be "America's greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale."

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  Vampire Boys - True Tales from...

  Charlotte Bailey

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  Sliding out of the shadows of World War Two, the de Havilland Vampire—accompanied by the distinctive whine of its Goblin engine—quickly proved itself an effective alternative to piston-powered fighters. After entering operational service with the RAF (as the service's first single-engine jet) in 1946, the Vampire—sought by air forces the world over—held a number of notable records: the first fighter to exceed 500 mph, the first to set a world altitude record of almost 60,000 feet, the first jet to take off and land from an aircraft carrier, and the first jet to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Not bad for something built partly of wood. Throughout this book, the "Vampire Boys" bring to life the trials and tribulations of operating a first-generation jet across the globe. Through their insightful anecdotes and exceptional experiences, listeners can follow squadrons across the dusty deserts of Iraq to exercises in West Germany. First-hand tales of training, aerial handling, incidents and accidents (including the much-maligned spin characteristics) and squadron life bring together a portrait of a pioneering time in aviation advancement, right up to the present day with the T.11 still flying from Coventry Airport.

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  Republicanism Explained - The...

  Arlo Holders

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  Republicanism is a political ideology that emphasizes the importance of a government where power rests in the hands of elected representatives, rather than a monarch or dictator. The essence of republicanism lies in the commitment to a system that prioritizes liberty, the rule of law, and the well-being of the public. Republicanism has roots in the ancient political thought of Greece and Rome, particularly through the Roman Republic, which provided the foundational ideas of civic participation and the limitation of power. It was in the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods that these principles were revived and further refined, giving rise to modern republicanism as we know it today. 
  The core tenet of republicanism is that government should be based on consent of the governed. Unlike monarchies, where power is inherited or imposed, republicanism promotes a system in which rulers are elected by the people to serve their interests. This concept of popular sovereignty—government’s authority coming from the consent of the people—distinguishes republicanism from both monarchy and democracy. In republican systems, rulers are expected to act in the best interest of society, balancing the needs of the individual with those of the community, while also safeguarding the common good. 
  A key feature of republicanism is its emphasis on the separation of powers. Drawing from Montesquieu’s influence, republican thought advocates for dividing government authority into branches—executive, legislative, and judicial—in order to prevent any one entity from becoming too powerful. This system of checks and balances ensures that power is distributed and that no single branch or individual can dominate or misuse their authority. This is vital to maintaining the liberty of individuals within a republican system.

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