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  James Monroe - A Republican...

  Brook Poston

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  Despite serving his country for fifty years and being among the most qualified men to hold the office of president, James Monroe is an oft-forgotten Founding Father. In this book, Brook Poston reveals how Monroe attempted to craft a legacy for himself as a champion of American republicanism.Monroe's dedication to the vision of a modern republic built on liberty began when he joined the American Revolution. His devotion to the cause further developed under his apprenticeship to Thomas Jefferson. These experiences spurred him to support the virtues of republicanism during the French Revolution, when he tried to create an alliance between the United States and the French republic despite ire from the US Federalist party. As he climbed the political ranks, Monroe's achievements began to add up: he played a significant role in the Louisiana Purchase, helped lead the fight against Great Britain in the War of 1812, oversaw the acquisition of Florida from Spain, and created the Monroe Doctrine to protect the Americas from the influence of European monarchies.

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  Joan of Arc - A History

  Helen Castor

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  Helen Castor tells afresh the gripping story of the peasant girl from Domremy who hears voices from God, leads the French army to victory, is burned at the stake for heresy, and eventually becomes a saint. But unlike the traditional narrative, a story already shaped by the knowledge of what Joan would become and told in hindsight, Castor's Joan of Arc: A History takes us back to fifteenth century France and tells the story forwards. Instead of an icon, she gives us a living, breathing woman confronting the challenges of faith and doubt, a roaring girl who, in fighting the English, was also taking sides in a bloody civil war. We meet this extraordinary girl amid the tumultuous events of her extraordinary world where no one-not Joan herself, nor the people around her-princes, bishops, soldiers, or peasants-knew what would happen next.

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  Out of Sight Out of Mind - Why...

  John Podmore

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  At the heart of his book is his conclusion that prison simply does not work, failing on three fundamental levels. The view of the popular media is that when prisoners are locked up they cannot commit crime. This is not true. Podmore shows how crime actually proliferates in prison, how serious organised crime is allowed to flourish there through bad management, and how the UK's prisons are a multi-million pound investment bank for the black economy. The public sees prison as a deterrent. This book shows that whilst it may deter the white, middle classes, for the majority of those behind bars it is merely a social tax, or as Norman Stanley Fletcher was told in Porridge, 'an occupational hazard'. It shows that for many across the spectrum of social exclusion it is a place of safety and preferable to life on the streets. Also, whatever spin is put on the figures it is clear that the majority of those leaving prison will quickly reoffend. OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND is a remarkable book that seeks to ignite a debate across society about a vital subject we ignore at our peril.

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  A Tramp Across the Continent

  Charles Fletcher Lummis

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  Adventurous author, pioneering reporter, workaholic newspaper editor, passionate Indian rights activist, librarien, poet, anthropologist and archeologist, Charles Fletcher Lummis was a great colorful individualist who explored and popularized the American Southwest.  In 1884, with a job offer to become City Editor of the Los angeles Times, Lummis determined to walk to his new job from Ohio, covering over 3,500 miles through 8 states and territories. He witnessed and documented the end of the old American West and the beginnings of the modern age which picked new winners and new losers.  Travel with him and hear in his own words this extraordinary adventure. The Listen2Read American Adventure Library is a series of historic first person accounts of extraordinary adventures by Americans or by visitors to America. The entire series can be previewed at Listen2Read.com

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  Earth Boy

  Bill Thompson

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  In this unforgettable book, Billy Thompson shares the story of a life driven by compassion and care for all creatures. Having had an affinity for animals his entire life, Billy has found that animals needing help have somehow found him over the years – beginning with feral cats, unwanted dogs and even a pony brought to safety on a bus. 
  
  While working in many different jobs, Billy continued to rescue animals in need, from the domestic to the exotic, his rescue efforts taking him all over the world. This book tells some of those hundreds of stories, including tricky situations, unlikely friendships and many, many rescues, all driven by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Above all, this is a story about how, whoever you are and whatever you are doing, you can always help an animal in need.

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  Coming Ashore - A Memoir

  Catherine Gildiner

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  Picking up her story in the late ’60s at age 21, Cathy Gildiner whisks the reader through five years and three countries, beginning when she is a poetry student at Oxford. Her education extended beyond the classroom to London’s swinging Carnaby Street, the mountains of Wales, and a posh country estate.After Oxford, Cathy returns to Cleveland, Ohio, which was still reeling from the Hough Ghetto Riots. Not one to shy away from a challenge, she teaches at a high school where police escort teachers through the parking lot. There, she tries to engage apathetic students and tussles with the education authorities.In 1970, Cathy moves to Canada. While studying literature at the University of Toronto, she rooms with members of the FLQ (Quebec separatists) and then with one of the biggest drug dealers in Canada. Along the way, she falls in love with the man who eventually became her husband and embarks on a new career in psychology.Coming Ashore brings readers back to a fascinating era populated by lively characters, but most memorable of all is the singular Cathy McClure. This BackLit bonus edition includes a reader’s guide, Q&A with the author, and more.

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