Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  The Yakuza - History and...

  Kelly Mass

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  The Yakuza were members of large-scale organized criminal syndicates based in Japan, known for their deeply entrenched criminal activities and distinctive cultural identity. Officially referred to as "violent organizations" at the request of Japanese authorities, the Yakuza bear similarities to gangsters or mafia members in the West. Their reputation is tied to strict codes of conduct, an internally hierarchical and feudal structure, and an array of unique ritual practices. Among the most notorious of these customs is *yubitsume*, the ritualistic amputation of part of the left little finger, used as a form of atonement for mistakes or failure within the organization. This physical mark is often a telling sign of membership. Yakuza members were typically described as males in sharp suits, their bodies adorned with elaborate, full-body tattoos, and their hair slicked back in a signature style. They are regarded as one of the most powerful and financially successful criminal groups in the world. 
  At the height of their influence, the Yakuza wielded considerable power both in Japan and internationally. In the early 1960s, police estimates placed the total Yakuza membership at over 200,000 members, a number that has significantly declined in recent decades. The reduction in their ranks can be attributed to a combination of economic shifts and legal reforms that made it increasingly difficult for the Yakuza to operate as they once had. Despite this, the Yakuza remain involved in a wide variety of criminal enterprises today, ranging from drug trafficking to white-collar crime, and continue to instill fear among many Japanese citizens, who view them as a persistent threat to public safety.

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  Lieutenant General James...

  F. Gregory Toretta

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  A “fascinating and informative” reassessment of the underappreciated Confederate general’s achievements and ahead-of-his-time military strategy (Midwest Book Review).   Lieutenant-General James Longstreet, commander of the First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, was a brilliant tactician and strategist. Prior to the Civil War there were many technological developments, of which the rifled musket and cannon, rail transport, and the telegraph were just a few. In addition, the North enjoyed a great advantage in manpower and resources. Longstreet adapted to these technological changes and the disparity between the belligerents, making recommendations on how the war should be fought.   Longstreet made a mental leap to adjust to this new type of warfare. Many others didn’t make this leap, including Lee, Jackson, Bragg, Hood, and Jefferson Davis, and Longstreet’s advice went unheeded. In contrast to many southern generals, he advocated for defensive warfare, using entrenchments and trying to maneuver the enemy to assault his position, conserving manpower, resources, and supplies. With the advent of the highly accurate and long-range rifled musket, offensive tactics became questionable and risky. This caused Longstreet to come into conflict with General Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg, and with General Bragg at Chickamauga.   Longstreet, a pragmatic and methodical general, was never given full authority over an army in the field. Had his suggestions been utilized there would have been a better outcome for the South. Many historians and biographers have misunderstood Longstreet and his motives, but this work offers a fresh perspective. It takes a new viewpoint of the Civil War and the generals who tailored their designs to pursue the war, analyzes Longstreet’s views of the generals and the tactics and strategy they employed, and examines why Longstreet proposed and urged a new type of warfare.

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  The Black Joy Project

  Kleaver Cruz

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  A breathtaking and necessary love letter to a force that fuels Black life all around the globe, The Black Joy Project is Humans of New York meets The Black Book 
  ""A patchwork quilt of ... moments of triumph, antidotes to trauma narratives and rich, ebullient emotional and verbal spice for the soul."" – Michael W. Twitty, culinary and cultural historian, and author of The Cooking Gene and Koshersoul 
  ""In literature, there are some books that transcend mere pages and ink, becoming essential pieces of cultural expression. One such book poised to make its mark is The Black Joy Project…. This ambitious work breaks new ground."" – Essence 
  Black Joy is everywhere. From the bustling streets of Lagos to hip-hop blasting through apartment windows in the Bronx. From the wide-open coastal desert of Namibia to the lush slopes of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. From the thriving tradition of Candomblé in Bahia to the innovative and trendsetting styles of Soweto, and beyond, Black Joy is present in every place that Black people exist. Now—at last—is a one-of-a-kind celebration of this truth and a life-giving testament to one of the most essential forces that fuels Black life: The Black Joy Project. 
  International in the scale, fist-raising in the prose, and chockfull of gorgeous works by dozens of acclaimed artists, The Black Joy Project does what no other book has ever done. It puts joy on the same track as protest and resistance … because that is how life is actually lived. Uprisings in the street, with music as accompaniment. Heartbreaking funerals followed by second line parades. Microaggressions in the office, then coming home to a warm hug and a garden of lilacs. The list goes on. 
  Black Joy is always held in tension with broader systemic wounds. It is a powerful, historically important salve that allows us to keep going and reimagine new ways of being. The Black Joy Project captures these dual realities to incredible, unforgettable effect. 
  The brainchild of educator and activist Kleaver Cruz, The Black Joy Project is an extension of a real-world initiative of the same name. It has become a source of healing and regeneration for Black people of all backgrounds and identities. Long overdue and somehow still worth the wait, The Black Joy Project is a necessary addition for any book lover, art enthusiast, or freedom fighter. And begs the question, What does Black Joy mean to you?

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  17A Keong Saik Road

  Charmaine Leung

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  Mummy, why do you always have to leave for 17A… 
   
   
   
  17A Keong Saik Road recounts Charmaine Leung’s growing-up years on Keong Saik Road in the 1970s when it was a prominent red-light precinct in Chinatown in Singapore. An interweaving of past and present narratives, 17A Keong Saik Road tells of her mother’s journey as a young child put up for sale to becoming the madame of a brothel in Keong Saik. Unfolding her story as the daughter of a brothel operator and witnessing these changes to her family, Charmaine traces the transformation of the Keong Saik area from the 1930s to the present, and through writing, finds reconciliation. 
   
  A beautiful dedication to the past, to memory, and to the people who have gone before us, 17A Keong Saik Road tells the rich stories of the Ma Je, the Pei Pa Zai, and the Dai Gu Liong—marginalised, forgotten women of the past, who despite their difficulties, persevered in working towards the hope of a better future.

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  Abraham Lincoln - A New Birth of...

  Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

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  From the flag-draped presidential box, Abraham Lincoln watched the popular comedy on stage at the Ford Theater. As he laughed at a funny line--Bang! A single shot rang out from a small derringer, the sound barely audible over the laughter of the crowd. Abe slumped forward, blood running from behind his left ear.When President Lincoln died the next morning, the United States mourned as it had never mourned before. An assassin had killed the man who had led Americans through the bloody turmoil of the Civil War with an unswerving commitment to rebuilding a strong and united country.Abe Lincoln had never set his sights on becoming president; after all, he'd grown up in a log cabin on the frontier and had hardly any formal schooling. But as the quesion of slavery threatened to destroy the United Sates, this self-taught lawyer with a sharp mind and passion for justice found himself at the center of the greatest debate the nation had ever faced

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  The Sign of Jonas

  Thomas Merton

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  Begun five years after he entered the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, The Sign of Jonas is an extraordinary view of Merton's life in a Trappist monastery, and it serves also as a spiritual log recording the deep meaning and increasing sureness he felt in his vocation: the growth of a mind that finds in its contracted physical world new intellectual and spiritual dimensions.

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