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  Know about "geoffrey chaucer" -...

  Saurabh Singh Chauhan

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  This is small copy of introduction of the book: Welcome to the captivating journey through the life and legacy of Geoffrey Chaucer, affectionately known as "The Father of English Literature." In the pages that follow, we will embark on an exploration of a remarkable individual whose influence on the English language and literary tradition is immeasurable. 
  Geoffrey Chaucer lived in a time of great upheaval and transformation, where the English language was evolving, and the literary landscape was being reshaped. His life, spanning from the mid-14th century to the turn of the 15th century, was a tapestry woven with experiences that would eventually birth some of the most enduring works of literature in the English language. 
  This biography seeks to not only chronicle the significant events in Chaucer's life but also to provide insights into the historical and cultural backdrop against which he wrote. From his early days in London to his diplomatic missions across Europe, from the tumultuous era of the Hundred Years' War to the haunting specter of the Black Death, Chaucer's life was intimately connected with the trials and triumphs of his age.

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  Boss Tweed: The Life and Legacy...

  Editors Charles River

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  “I don't care who does the electing, so long as I get to do the nominating.” – Boss Tweed 
  “It's hard not to admire the skill behind Tweed's system ... The Tweed ring at its height was an engineering marvel, strong and solid, strategically deployed to control key power points: the courts, the legislature, the treasury and the ballot box. Its frauds had a grandeur of scale and an elegance of structure: money-laundering, profit sharing and organization.” – Kenneth D. Ackerman 
  Of all the great cities in the world, few personify their country like New York City. As America’s largest city and best known immigration gateway into the country, the Big Apple represents the beauty, diversity and sheer strength of the United States, a global financial center that has enticed people chasing the “American Dream” for centuries. 
  However, for all the promise and opportunities America seemingly held out, and for all of the nostalgia and pride the country’s history invokes among Americans today, the simple truth is many never climbed the ladder. One of the few who did was William Magear Tweed, known more widely as Boss Tweed, one of the most famous – and corrupt – politicians in American history. In the 19th century, Tweed was an influential mover and shaker for Tammany Hall, the infamous Democratic political machine in New York City and the driving force behind the party’s success in the city for decades. Although Tweed never technically held a position of power in New York City’s government, he essentially ran the city and its finances between 1868 and 1871 as a political boss of Tammany, and even before that, Tweed would make a name for himself among politicians as an alderman who had a penchant for figuring out how to profit from political situations. By the end of his life, people across the state commonly referred to his operation as the Tweed Ring. 
  While Tweed was at one point among the wealthiest men in the country during the 19th century, he would die in prison thanks to the illegal accumulation of this wealth. Over the course of his time at Tammany Hall, he would steal millions of dollars from state taxpayers, and he was known for extorting large sums of money for political favors. He was finally brought down by the media in a crusade of sorts that would set the precedent for how the press would deal with political scandals for years to come. As a contemporary writer, William R. Martin, put it in 1878, “Three casual expressions attributed to Mr. Tweed, illustrated by his brief political history, indicate his theory of administration. The first was, ‘The way to have power is to take it;’ the second, ‘He is human;’ and the third, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ In his career was exhibited the despotic phase of municipal administration. He got for himself and his associates offices, one after the other, by taking them with or without right, until he held the power of the State, and then fortified his position by enacting appropriate laws. His means of doing this was to approach men through their self-interests, and to buy their support by promises, offices, and money. His appreciation of this trait in the character of the men about him was expressed in his belief that they were ‘human.’ The arrogance of the full possession of power and the defiance against the remonstrances of honest men drove him to the extreme of audacity, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ which preceded his fall. There was no greater popular mistake than to call Mr. Tweed and his associates a ‘ring.’ They were so at the outset by the ‘cohesive power of public plunder,’ but, once in possession, like a crew of pirates who had gained the deck of a prize, they became arrayed against each other. If they had been a ring, their compactness of purpose might have constituted a government, but they had so little hold upon or conf

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  Facing Armageddon - With the RAF...

  Chas Hall

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  After being called up for National Service in July 1960, twenty-year-old Chas Hall joined the RAF and signed on to extend his time for an extra three years becoming a regular serviceman. Following initial training, he became a wireless operator and served at RAF Mildenhall. It was shortly after this that he got his first foreign posting in late 1961 to Christmas Island. It was on this island, that Chas encountered the horrors of nuclear testing. In an operation codenamed "Brigadoon" by the British government and "Dominic" by the Americans, Chas experienced twenty-five atmospheric nuclear tests. This he describes as his "twelve-month sentence" alongside over 300 British and 10,000 American servicemen who were posted to one corner of a remote coral island. Facing Armageddon reveals the true extent of the controversial nuclear testing and how it affected servicemen; with twenty-five men dying during Chas's time on Christmas Island and many more suffering mentally as they continued serving on the island. With the British government announcing medals for nuclear test veterans in November 2022 to recognize their contribution in the tests after a four-year campaign by participants and The Mirror newspaper, Chas's story gives insight to why these servicemen deserve the recognition for their part in these tests.

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  Brass & Unity - One Woman's...

  Kelsi Sheren

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  This is the story of a woman who witnessed the worst in the War in Afghanistan, was confronted by demons of post-traumatic stress, and fought for her life to become stronger than ever. 
   
   
   
  Fresh out of high school, Kelsi Sheren, a diminutive nineteen-year-old woman, sought to join the military to help liberate those oppressed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. While she was often the smallest person in basic training, she proved she had the biggest heart and often the most energy. She made it to Afghanistan and joined a British military unit for house-to-house insurgent patrol. What she saw there was unimaginable death and destruction—including the killing of a brother-in-arms. Devastated, Kelsi was sent home to get her head straight, but even therapy and medication couldn't clear her mind—or let her sleep. When two others who served with her later took their own lives, she feared that was the only way out. Clinging to life and the love of her husband and child, she knew she wasn't ready to give in. Finding respite in a jewelry business that utilized spent shell casings, and with the help of innovative grief therapy, Kelsi not only survived but continues to thrive—and works tirelessly to spread the word and help others.

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  Conspiracy - History’s Greatest...

  Charlotte Greig

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  22 November 1963: Dallas, Texas. US President John F Kennedy is assassinated as his motorcade passes through the city's streets. The assassin is soon captured, and revealed to be disaffected Communist sympathizer Lee Harvey Oswald. Did Oswald act alone, or did he have help? Is the Bilderberg Group simply a group of international financiers concerned with promoting democracy throughout the world, or is there a more sinister power at work? And what really happened to Princess Diana's Mercedes one warm August night in a Paris underpass? 
   
  Conspiracy looks at a range of the most interesting theories of this nature, from the risibly far-fetched, such as the belief that the world is run by the lizard people, to the only-too-true and tragic such as the overthrow and murder of Chilean President Salvador Allende.

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  The Classic Mantle

  Buzz Bissinger

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  Filled with stunning photos, this book by the #1 New York Times–bestselling sportswriter tells the story of Mickey Mantle’s legendary career. 
   
  Mickey Mantle has long been considered one of baseball's most memorable figures—playing his entire eighteen-year baseball career for the New York Yankees (1951-68), winning three American League MVP titles, playing in twenty All-Star games, and winning seven World Series.  
   
  Today, decades after his retirement, he still holds six World Series records, including most home runs (18). Buzz Bissinger, Pulitzer Prize winner and acclaimed author of Friday Night Lights and Three Nights in August, goes beyond the statistics to bring Mantle to life, and striking photographs by Marvin E. Newman make this book a fitting tribute to Mantle’s career and his lasting impact on the sport of baseball.

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