Other books that might interest you

• 

  John Glenn: The Life and Legacy...

  Editors Charles River

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  From 1959-1963, the United States worked toward putting satellites and humans into orbit via the Mercury program, but they continued to lag behind the Soviets. With the opening of a new decade, the Soviets reinforced their Space Race lead in a big way. On April 12, 1961, the world watched as the Soviets scored two major victories: they sent the first human being into space and made that man the first to orbit the Earth. Yuri Gagarin's success seemed to both solidify the Soviet's lead in the Space Race and underline the importance of scientific achievements in the race for geopolitical prestige. Even on the other side of the world, the United States could not deny the significance of the Vostok mission. President Kennedy graciously congratulated the Soviets, while privately conceding that it would be impossible for the United States to match Soviet space achievements for some time. At the same time, American policymakers also understood the depth of this latest defeat in the Space Race.  
  On February 20, 1962, John Glenn orbited the Earth, nearly a year after Gagarin’s orbit, and he remains best known for that historic feat, but in many ways it obscures a life and career of astonishing depth. Before the Friendship 7 mission, Glenn was already a distinguished combat fighter in multiple wars, and he was one of America’s best test pilots, a record that included making the first supersonic transcontinental flight in American history. He was an obvious candidate for the country’s first team of astronauts, and it launched him not only into space but into a long political career. All told, Glenn earned too many awards to count, and along the way, he became the oldest person to fly in space.  
  John Glenn: The Life and Legacy of the First American Astronaut to Orbit Earth profiles his life, chronicles his historic space mission, and details all the highlights before and after it. 

  Show book

• 

  A State of War Exists -...

  Michael Nicholson

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  "The worst moment in a war was my fear I would not be sent to it." So wrote the young Michael Nicholson, a reporter whose astonishing career has covered eighteen major conflicts. Published to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the Falklands War, A State of War Exists sees the veteran journalist pondering what made him want to risk life and limb travelling to the most dangerous parts of the world, at the most dangerous times - over 200 journalists have been killed in the last three years alone. Was it machismo or masochism that encouraged him so compulsively and repeatedly to risk his life? Nicholson introduces us to trailblazers who have inspired him and countless others with their bravery, wisdom and skill in presenting the 'pity of war'.

  Show book

• 

  Tell No One

  Brendan Watkins

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  A stunning memoir of one man's search for his birth parents, which uncovered an astonishing global scandal at the heart of the Catholic Church. 
  When Brendan Watkins was eight years old, his parents told him he was adopted. In his late twenties, he discovered the identity of his birth mother - a woman who had been a Catholic nun when he was born - but she wanted nothing to do with him. For thirty years he only managed limited communication with her, and had no clues to the identity of his birth father.  
  In 2018, a DNA test led him to the truth: he was the son of a celebrated missionary priest. His father had studied in a Trappist monastery in Ireland, had a career as a builder, was a Bondi Lifesaver, a trophy-winning ballroom dancer, was a landscape painter, a fine chocolate maker, met Mother Teresa and toured the world. 
   An astounding story had been uncovered which simply had to be told. After decades of searching, Brendan Watkins had discovered that his birth parents were a Catholic priest and a nun. Tell No One explores the questions, anxieties and reflections arising from this hidden past.

  Show book

• 

  My African Journey

  Winston S. Churchill

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  The future Prime Minister recounts his excursions through colonial East Africa in this 1908 travelogue complete with maps and photographs.   In the early years of the 20th Century, Winston Churchill served as Undersecretary of State for the British Colonies. During this time, he lobbied for permission to tour and inspect Britain's holdings in East Africa. In My African Journey, Churchill provides a detailed chronicle of his trip, documenting his experiences, the people he met, and his thoughts on how Britain might best wield its power in the region.   Detailing his experiences on the Uganda Railway, around Mount Kenya, and beyond, Churchill’s journal is a fascinating travel narrative. It is also a significant historical document, providing a firsthand account of Churchill’s views on colonialism in the early 20th century.

  Show book

• 

  Wisconsin group wants to turn...

  PBS NewsHour

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Through the recession, college tuition skyrocketed at public universities to make up for flagging state funding. Some students who borrowed to keep up with rising costs face crushing debt repayments. Hari Sreenivasan travelled to Wisconsin to report on one group hoping to turn the state's student borrowers into a powerful voting bloc.

  Show book

• 

  Katharina and Martin Luther -...

  Michelle DeRusha

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Their revolutionary marriage was arguably one of the most scandalous and intriguing in history. Yet five centuries later, we still know little about Martin and Katharina Luther's life as husband and wife. Until now. 
   
  Against all odds, the unlikely union worked, over time blossoming into the most tender of love stories. This unique biography tells the riveting story of two extraordinary people and their extraordinary relationship, offering refreshing insights into Christian history and illuminating the Luthers' profound impact on the institution of marriage, the effects of which still reverberate today. By the time they turn the last page, readers will have a deeper understanding of Luther as a husband and father and will come to love and admire Katharina, a woman who, in spite of her pivotal role, has been largely forgotten by history. 
   
  Together, this legendary couple experienced joy and grief, triumph and travail. This book brings their private lives and their love story into the spotlight and offers powerful insights into our own twenty-first-century understanding of marriage.

  Show book