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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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  Inner Revolution Poetry 6 - Key...

  Yashomatinandana Dasa

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  Inner Revolution Poetry: 108 Poems of Spiritual Change is a heartfelt collection of devotional poetry by Yaśomatīnandana Dāsa (Jan Wolter), disciple of His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami. Spanning a decade of spiritual journeys across Europe, India, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, these poems weave together personal reflections, Vedic wisdom, and the transformative power of Bhakti-yoga. 
  Structured in six parts—from Mayavada to Prabhupada, Time for Surrender, and Devotional Service to Beyond Birth & Death—the work traces a seeker’s path from questioning and searching to surrender, service, and divine love. Each poem is accompanied by contemplations that ground mystical experiences in the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. 
  This is not merely poetry but a spiritual companion—an invitation to join a journey of awakening, to reflect, chant, and live with greater simplicity, humility, and joy. Whether you are new to Bhakti or already walking the path, these verses open a window into the eternal quest for truth, love, and harmony. 
  Perfect for readers of spiritual literature, yoga practitioners, seekers of inner peace, and lovers of devotional poetry.

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  Sing Memory - The Remarkable...

  Makana Eyre

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  In October 1942, SS guards at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp violently disbanded a rehearsal of a secret Jewish choir led by conductor Rosebery d'Arguto. Many in the group did not live to see morning, and those who survived were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Only one of its members survived the Holocaust. Yet their story survives, thanks to Aleksander Kulisiewicz. An amateur musician, he was not Jewish, but became friends with d'Arguto in Sachsenhausen. D'Arguto tasked him with a mission: to save the musical heritage of the victims of the Nazi camps. 
   
   
   
  In Sing, Memory, Makana Eyre recounts Kulisiewicz's transformation from a Polish nationalist into a guardian of music and culture from the Nazi camps. Aided by an eidetic memory, Kulisiewicz was able to preserve for posterity not only his own songs about life at the camp, but the music and poetry of prisoners from a range of backgrounds. They composed symphonies, organized clandestine choirs, and gathered to perform for one another. For many, music enabled them to resist, bear witness, and maintain their humanity in some of the most brutal conditions imaginable. 
   
   
   
  After the war, Kulisiewicz returned to Poland and assembled an archive of camp music, which he went on to perform in more than a dozen countries. He dedicated the remainder of his life to the memory of the Nazi camps.

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  Revolution & Counter Revolution

  Friedrich Engels

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  Revolution and Counter-Revolution is an account of what happened in Prussia, Austria, and other German states during 1848, describing the impact on both middle-class and working-class aspirations and on the idea of German unification. Events in Austria and Prussia are discussed, along with the role of the Poles and Czechs and Panslavism, which Engels was against. 
   
  Friedrich Engels (German: (28 November 1820 – 5 August 1895) was a German social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx.

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  Ur and Uruk: The History and...

  Editors Charles River

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  In southern Iraq, a crushing silence hangs over the dunes. For nearly 5,000 years, the sands of the Iraqi desert have held the remains of the oldest known civilization: the Sumerians. When American archaeologists discovered a collection of cuneiform tablets in Iraq in the late 19th century, they were confronted with a language and a people who were at the time only scarcely known to even the most knowledgeable scholars of ancient Mesopotamia. The exploits and achievements of other Mesopotamian peoples, such as the Assyrians and Babylonians, were already known to a large segment of the population through the Old Testament and the nascent field of Near Eastern studies had unraveled the enigma of the Akkadian language that was widely used throughout the region in ancient times, but the discovery of the Sumerian tablets brought to light the existence of the Sumerian culture, which was the oldest of all the Mesopotamian cultures.  
  	Although the Sumerians continue to get second or even third billing compared to the Babylonians and Assyrians, perhaps because they never built an empire as great as the Assyrians or established a city as enduring and great as Babylon, they were the people who provided the template of civilization that all later Mesopotamians built upon. The Sumerians are credited with being the first people to invent writing, libraries, cities, and schools in Mesopotamia, and many would argue that they were the first people to create and do those things anywhere in world. Indeed, a close examination of Sumerian culture and chronology reveals that the Sumerians set the cultural tone in Mesopotamia for several centuries in the realms of politics/governments, arts, literature, and religion. The Sumerians were truly a great people whose legacy continued long after they were gone.

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  Appalachian Trail The: The...

  Editors Charles River

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  A sizeable body of literature is available on the east-west pathways of the American continent, including the famous wagon train trails that helped to colonize the nation to the shores of the Pacific. Any study of these routes ranging from footpaths to early American highways is accompanied by an equally vibrant collection of popular literature. In the perception of the American history buff, the continent was fully peopled by the advent of the 20th century, and the American mystique began to shrink with the absence of unexplored land. 	However, those enamored of the primeval American experience can find comfort in a system of north-south trails designed to recapture the natural wonders of the continent, and to provide an escape from commercialism and the inherent noise of the city. The Pacific Crest Trail travels in one form or another from Canada to Mexico, while the Continental Divide Trail lies nearer the center of the county, following some of the highest points of the Rocky Mountains.  
  	Most iconic of the major American pathways is the Appalachian Trail that completes the “triple crown” of the national hiking experience. Covering a range from central Maine to Georgia at a distance of 2,193 miles, it is the longest of the three, following the crest of the Alleghenies and Blue Ridge Mountains through 14 states. All in all, it encompasses 465,000 feet in elevation and hosts three million visitors each year for at least a part of the total distance. On an annual basis, approximately 4,000 hikers begin a south to north trek beginning at Springer Mountain, Georgia, with the goal of hiking all the way to Maine. The northerly direction is greatly preferred, in part because of the weather calendar and because the northern terminus closes in mid-October, creating a difficulty for slow travelers.

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