Other books that might interest you

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  River of No Reprieve -...

  Jeffrey Tayler

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  The author of In Putin’s Footsteps chronicles a deadly trek through the icy Russian region known for gulags and isolation. 
   
  In a custom-built boat, Jeffrey Tayler travels some 2,400 miles down the Lena River from near Lake Baikal to high above the Arctic Circle, recreating a journey first made by Cossack forces more than three hundred years ago. He is searching for primeval beauty and a respite from the corruption, violence, and self-destructive urges that typify modern Russian culture, but instead he finds the roots of that culture—in Cossack villages unchanged for centuries, in Soviet outposts full of listless drunks, in stark ruins of the gulag, and in grand forests hundreds of miles from the nearest hamlet. 
   
  That’s how far Tayler is from help when he realizes that his guide, Vadim, a burly Soviet army veteran embittered by his experiences in Afghanistan, detests all humanity, including Tayler. Yet he needs Vadim’s superb skills if he is to survive a voyage that quickly turns hellish. They must navigate roiling whitewater in howling storms, eschewing life jackets because, as Vadim explains, the frigid water would kill them before they could swim to shore. Though Tayler has trekked by camel through the Sahara and canoed down the Congo during the revolt against Mobutu, he has never felt so threatened as he does now. 
   
  Praise for River of No Reprieve 
   
  “This is a fiercely evocative account of an astonishing journey, wrenched out of near-disaster.” —Colin Thubron, author of In Siberia and The Lost Heart of Asia 
   
  “Nonfiction adventure at its best. A page-turner from cover to cover.” —Adventure Journey 
   
  “Reads like a Dantean tour of purgatory, providing a gloomily beautiful glimpse of nature—and humanity—at its bleakest edges.” —Men’s Journal

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  The Dutch Empire - Their...

  Kelly Mass

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  Don't think that because it is such a small country with only about 17 million people, it should be neglected. The Netherlands has a long history, with a high influence on our cultures, trading routes, the stock market, business, and art. 
  The Dutch were all over the world. They "owned" and colonized a big portion of what was then the known world. They were among the first settlers, had the biggest haven and biggest fleet for some time. The Dutch East-Indian Trading Company, or VOC, is probably the biggest or at least one of the biggest companies that has ever existed, with its shareholders, its ships, its spices and trading routes, and so much more. Learn more about what happened in the same area that's currently the United States, South Africa, Indonesia, and so many areas across the world. 
  In this book, we will begin with the Dutch settlers on the east coast of the United States, their settlements in Indonesia and other Asian countries, and their vast group of colonists in South Africa.

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  The Austin Cookbook - Recipes...

  Paula Forbes

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  The acclaimed food writer’s “go-to guide for Austin eating” shares classic and creative recipes from the city’s greatest restaurants (Publishers Weekly). 
   
  The story of Austin food is equal parts deep Texan traditions and a booming food scene. It is this atmosphere that has fostered some of the hottest restaurants in the country, a lively food truck community, and a renaissance in the most Texan of foods: barbecue.  
   
  Austin food is also tacos and Tex-Mex, old fashioned Southern cooking, street food and fine dining, with influences from all over the globe. Above all, it’s a source of pride and inspiration for chefs and diners alike.  
   
  Organized by Austin’s “major food groups”, The Austin Cookbook explores the roots of Texas food traditions and the restaurants that are reinventing them, revealing the secrets to Bob Armstrong dip, Odd Duck’s sweet potato nachos, East Side King’s beet fries, and of course, smoked brisket that has people lining up to eat it—even in the Texas summer.  
   
  Part cookbook, part restaurant guide, and 100 percent love letter, The Austin Cookbook is perfect for proud locals, curious visitors, and (t)ex-pats.

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  Haunted Longmont

  Richard Estep

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  “Boulder County isn’t short of ghost stories . . . highlights 20 different destinations in Longmont that are said to be haunted” (Travel Boulder).   Longmont is a city warm and friendly by day but overrun with restless spirits by night. With namesake Long's Peak looming over it, the town’s chilling history casts a specter over its present. The gruesome 1864 Sand Creek Massacre may be connected to the murder of a successful local entrepreneur whose property is said to be haunted. Though retail empire JCPenney outgrew its hometown, its legacy lingers in the form of the Phantom Lady. An airliner exploded in the night skies and led to the execution of a desperate criminal. Join paranormal investigator Richard Estep on his fifteen-year journey to reveal and document the interwoven, ghoulish tales of this colorful Colorado city.   Includes photos!   “Although ghost sightings through the centuries have been largely disregarded by the mainstream as imaginary, the stories have persisted. Estep wants to know why. . . . His Longmont book features 20 different haunted properties in Longmont, just a handful of the many he says he has experienced firsthand.” —Daily Camera  

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  Where the Ghosts Are - The...

  Hans Holzer

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  Paranormal researcher Hans Holzer documents more than fifty locations where he has personally investigated ghosts, often with the assistance of a psychic. Complete with details about each spectral phenomenon as well as the stories of the ghosts themselves, this book tells who they were and why they are found in each location. Where the Ghosts Are allows you to visit such fascinating sites as:America's most haunted house, the California Whaley House The ghosts in New Jersey's "Spy House"The ghosts at the Octagon in Washington, D.C.Toronto's haunted nightclubThe haunted frigate U.S. Constellation in Baltimore HarborThe ghosts at St. Marks-in-the-Bouwerie in New York CityThe ghosts of Longleat Palace, Bath, EnglandAnd many more

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  American Notes

  Charles Dickens

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  In 1842, Charles Dickens visited America. His reception was somewhat colder than that which usually greeted him – already a successful author in both Britain and the U.S. This lack of enthusiasm from the Americans was partly due to his criticism of the pirating of English books in that country and partly due to his outspoken distaste for the custom of slavery in the southern states.  
  He wrote in the preface to American Notes, "Prejudiced I am not, and never have been, otherwise than in favour of the United States. I have many friends in America. I feel a grateful interest in the country. I hope and believe it will successfully work out a problem of the highest importance in the whole human race. To represent me as viewing America with ill nature, coldness or animosity is merely to do a very foolish thing, which is always a very easy one!"  
  Despite this placatory tone, one American reviewer spoke thus of American Notes: "The most trashy... the most contemptible... the essence of balderdash, reduced to the last drop of silliness and inanity."  
  Listen to the journals and judge for yourself.

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