Автор: Charles River Editors Название: American Legends: The Life of Jerry Lewis ISBN: 1497331447 ISBN-13(EAN): 9781497331440 Издательство: Неизвестно Цена: 1248.00 р. Наличие на складе: Есть у поставщика Поставка под заказ.
Описание: *Includes pictures. *Includes Lewis' quotes about his own life and career. *Includes a bibliography for further reading.
"I've had great success being a total idiot." - Jerry Lewis
A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.
Jerry Lewis has been in show business for over 7 decades, a multi-talented entertainer known for comedy, acting, singing, and producing and directing films to match. In many ways, his versatility is unprecedented even today, an era in which stars routinely alternate between film and musical careers, and Lewis has enjoyed it, as he once happily noted, "I get paid for what most kids get punished for." He has been paid in several ways, including with too many lifetime awards to count, and he remains a household name today.
At the same time, however, Lewis remains best known for his work with Dean Martin, and in that sense, he remains overshadowed by his more famous partner. There's no doubt part of this was due to the stark contrast between their images, as Martin was suave and traditionally masculine while Lewis was a bundle of frantic energy. Although the circumstances that initiated their partnership are unusual and purely coincidental, the natural contrasts between the two ensured a perfect and complementary comedic fit. Working as "Martin and Lewis", the team became the most popular nightclub act in America, commanding huge fees for their appearances all across the country.
Perhaps the most ironic aspect of their success is that Dean Martin was not a comedian in any real sense of the word, and even during their act, he essentially served as the straight man to Jerry Lewis. The routine ensured that critics took more notice of Jerry Lewis, who intentionally came across as an awkward figure with a brand of bodily humor that was borrowed from a lineage of Yiddish humor predicated on physical slapstick. And just as Martin benefited from Lewis' comedic skills, Lewis also further developed a singing career thanks to the more famous Martin's crooning.
American Legends: The Life of Jerry Lewis profiles the life and career of one of America's most famous entertainers. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Jerry Lewis like never before, in no time at all.
Автор: Charles River Editors Название: American Legends: The Life of Marvin Gaye ISBN: 1500704458 ISBN-13(EAN): 9781500704452 Издательство: Неизвестно Цена: 1248.00 р. Наличие на складе: Есть у поставщика Поставка под заказ.
Описание: *Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the trial and testimony *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "This death sentence is not surprising. It had to be. There had to be a Rosenberg case, because there had to be an intensification of the hysteria in America to make the Korean War acceptable to the American people. There had to be hysteria and a fear sent through America in order to get increased war budgets. And there had to be a dagger thrust in the heart of the left to tell them that you are no longer gonna get five years for a Smith Act prosecution or one year for contempt of court, but we're gonna kill ya " - Julius Rosenberg In 1947, President Truman had tried to assure Americans, "I am not worried about the Communist Party taking over the Government of the United States, but I am against a person, whose loyalty is not to the Government of the United States, holding a Government job. They are entirely different things. I am not worried about this country ever going Communist. We have too much sense for that." Nonetheless, shortly after World War II, Congress' House Committee on Un-American Activities began investigating Americans across the country for suspected ties to Communism. The most famous victims of these witch hunts were Hollywood actors, such as Charlie Chaplin, whose "Un-American activity" was being neutral at the beginning of World War II, but at the beginning of the Cold War, America was gripped by the Red Scare. The Red Scare would reach a fever pitch after Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy made waves in 1950 by telling the Republican Women's Club in Wheeling, West Virginia that he had a list of dozens of known Communists working in the State Department. The political theater helped Senator McCarthy become the prominent anti-Communist crusader in the government, and McCarthy continued to claim he held evidence suggesting Communist infiltration throughout the government, but anytime he was pressed to produce his evidence, McCarthy would not name names. Instead, he'd accuse those who questioned his evidence of being Communists themselves. The case of Alger Hiss and the rise of McCarthyism were undoubtedly instrumental in the way that one of the most notorious cases in American history unfolded in the early 1950s. After years of keeping tabs on Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, the two Communist sympathizers were indicted on charges of treason and conspiracy to commit espionage for passing off secrets about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. In the context of the Cold War and the Korean War, there could hardly be more serious charges, but the couple strenuously asserted their innocence, even after they were implicated by Ethel's own brother, David Greenglass. Throughout the trial and its aftermath, many Americans believed the Rosenbergs were innocent and/or were facing an unduly harsh death sentence. Indeed, authorities had hoped to wring confessions out of the two by threatening them with the chair, but they held steadfast all the way up until their executions on June 19, 1953. In the over 60 years since, there has been plenty of debate over whether the two of them were guilty, and, if so, what the extent of their espionage was. While historians have used declassified documents and memoirs of involved individuals to reach the widespread belief that Julius Rosenberg did commit espionage, there is still a lot of doubt regarding Ethel's involvement, and scholars still debate just what Julius may have sent the Soviets. The mystery and intrigue still surrounding the case, trial, and executions continue to fascinate people and generate plenty of ongoing speculation. The Case of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: The History of America's Most Controversial Espionage Trial chronicles the events that led to the infamous trial and execution of the Rosenbergs.
Описание: *Includes a full length biography of Ayn Rand that examines her life, works, philosophy, and legacy. *Includes a primer on Atlas Shrugged that will quickly bring readers up to speed on the plot, characters, themes, symbols, and philosophy of Rand's classic novel. *Includes pictures of Rand and important people in her life. *Includes many of Rand's most famous quotes from Atlas Shrugged and other works. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Government 'help' to business is just as disastrous as government persecution... the only way a government can be of service to national prosperity is by keeping its hands off." - Ayn Rand Ayn Rand was born in St. Petersburg, Russia to Jewish parents on February 2, 1905 as Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum, and she lived through the turbulence and transformation of early 20th century Russia. Her first exposure to reading came after she taught herself how to read at age six, and she decided at nine years old to become a writer after a chance encounter with the books of Victor Hugo, the writer she admired most. The seminal events in the young would-be writer's life came just a few years later, when she witnessed firsthand the Bolshevik Revolution and the ultimate Communist victory as a teenager. Rand's experience with the maelstrom of this revolutionary zeal and cultural breakdown greatly contributed toward the formation of Rand's philosophy of objectivism, individualism and anti-religious ideas. During her last year of high school, she was introduced to the history of the United States and immediately decided to make America her model of what an ideal society should look like. Rand came to the United States as a young woman for a visit in 1925, and, as fate would have it, she never returned to Russia. In middle age, Rand continued trying to write in some capacity as a profession, but she had also formed her personal philosophy of integrating ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, politics, economics, and sexuality into what came to be called Objectivism, or as she called it, "a philosophy for living on earth." Rand began writing Atlas Shrugged, her enormous three part major novel, each with ten chapters, in 1946. Nearly 10 years after it was begun she finished what ultimately became her greatest achievement, and she poignantly dramatized her unique philosophy. Though Atlas Shrugged had been a popular title when Ayn Rand published it in 1957, it's quite possible that the only reference to it that many Americans heard before 2009 came from the hit series Mad Men. However, this staple of conservative and libertarian reader took on new life as the new Obama Administration sought to use government resources to fix financial problems. In 2009, with the global economy hemorrhaging jobs, and Western governments pouring hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money to "bail out" troubled financial firms and large companies, frustrated people and political analysts turned to a book written over 50 years earlier as a guide out of the abyss. Conservative politicians like Ron Paul (who named his son after Rand) and commentators like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh publicly praised Rand and her works, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas labeled Atlas Shrugged one of his favorite novels. By January 2009, one article in the Wall Street Journal was titled, ""Atlas Shrugged From Fiction to Fact in 52 Years." Over the last few years, Rand has become a household name and her works have seen their sales spike. Rand and her work are now some of the most influential and relevant works in America today. Ayn Rand & Atlas Shrugged chronicles the life, ideology and writings of the most famous Libertarian writer, and it examines her seminal book in detail. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Ayn Rand and her magnum opus like you never have before.
Описание: *Examines the lives, legends and legacies of the Caribbean's most famous and successful pirates. *Explains how the myths and legends of pirates like Blackbeard created the instantly recognizable pirate stereotypes today. *Includes pictures depicting the pirates and important people, places, and events in their lives. *Includes contemporary accounts of the pirates written by Captain Charles Johnson. *Includes Bibliographies Over the past decade, few movie franchises have been as successful as Pirates of the Caribbean, starring Johnny Depp as the stereotypical pirate Jack Sparrow, a flamboyant, colorful and cunning pirate of questionable morality. The popularity of the movies and the character Jack Sparrow demonstrate how the people who have lived outside the boundaries of normal societies and refused to play by the rules have long fascinated the world. Nowhere is this more evident than the continuing interest in the pirates of centuries past. As the subjects of books, movies, and even theme park rides, people continue to let their imaginations go when it comes to pirates, with buried treasure, parrots, and walking the plank all ingrained in pop culture's perception of them. While there is no question that the myths and legends surrounding history's most famous pirates are colorful, in some instances their actual lives made for even better stories. Before the Golden Age of Piracy, men like Sir Francis Drake straddled the line between pirate and privateer, and Drake was knighted for fighting the Spanish. While Captain Morgan's ruthless piracy has actually been overlooked due to his association with the spiced rum company using his name, he was a remarkably successful pirate, and one of history's best documented pirates. The Golden Age of Piracy generally refers to the era when history's most famous pirates roamed the seas of the West Indies from 1670-1720, and it is no coincidence that the beginning of it was marked by the rise of Henry Every. In his day Every was the "King of Pirates," and in addition to popularizing the famous skull and crossbones logo that would become the most famous pirate flag, Every conducted what is considered the most profitable pirate raid in history, leading to what is considered the first worldwide manhunt in history when the English put a large bounty on his head. It would be an understatement to say that pop culture's perception of piracy and pirates has been primarily influenced by Captain Edward Teach, known to the world as Blackbeard. Blackbeard is remembered today based more on myths than reality. People continue to let their imaginations go when it comes to Blackbeard, picturing a pirate who captured more booty than any other pirate, hid buried treasure, and lit his hair on fire before battle. People have long claimed that his ghost still haunts the Atlantic Ocean, and his contemporaries were so scared of him that they claimed to have seen his headless body swim around his pirate boat three times. Fittingly, some of history's most famous pirates sailed together. Black Bart Roberts is considered the most successful pirate in history, managing to capture about 500 ships before meeting his fate, but he learned the tricks of the trade from Howell Davis, whose cunning and courage led to some of the most spectacular acts of piracy in history. Then there are history's two most famous female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who actually sailed together on Calico Jack's pirate ship. Together the three became history's most famous pirate crew and had one of the most colorful years of the Golden Age of Piracy before being captured. Real Pirates of the Caribbean looks at all of these notorious pirates, examining their careers and analyzing their legacies. Along with pictures, contemporary accounts, bibliographies, and a Table of Contents, you will learn about these famous pirates like never before.
Автор: Charles River Editors, Harasta Jesse Название: The Mythology and Religion of the Aztec ISBN: 1544877463 ISBN-13(EAN): 9781544877464 Издательство: Неизвестно Цена: 1404.00 р. Наличие на складе: Есть у поставщика Поставка под заказ.
Описание: *Includes pictures *Includes Spanish accounts of the Aztec's human sacrifices *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading
"They strike open the wretched Indian's chest with flint knives and hastily tear out the palpitating heart which, with the blood, they present to the idols...They cut off the arms, thighs and head, eating the arms and thighs at ceremonial banquets. The head they hang up on a beam, and the body is...given to the beasts of prey." - Bernal Diaz, a Spaniard who described the Aztec's human sacrifice
From the moment Spanish conquistador Hernan Cort s first found and confronted them, the Aztecs have fascinated the world, and they continue to hold a unique place both culturally and in pop culture. Nearly 500 years after the Spanish conquered their mighty empire, the Aztecs are often remembered today for their major capital, Tenochtitlan, as well as being fierce conquerors of the Valley of Mexico who often engaged in human sacrifice rituals.
Ironically, and unlike the Mayans, the Aztecs are not widely viewed or remembered with nuance, in part because their own leader burned extant Aztec writings and rewrote a mythologized history explaining his empire's dominance less than a century before the Spanish arrived. While the Mayans are remembered for their astronomy, numeral system, and calendar, the Aztecs have primarily been remembered in a far narrower way, despite continuing to be a source of pride to Mexicans through the centuries. As a result, even though the Aztecs continue to interest people across the world centuries after their demise, it has fallen on archaeologists and historians to try to determine the actual history, culture, and lives of the Aztecs from the beginning to the end, relying on excavations, primary accounts, and more.
That said, more is known about Aztec religious practices than any other aspect of their culture, mostly because the major element in the public ceremonies was focused on human sacrifice. The rituals were apparently so gruesome that they horrified even the Spanish, who were not exactly known for their gentility when it came to war and religious fervor. A Spaniard named Bernal Diaz described what happened at one religious ceremony: "They have a most horrid and abominable custom which truly ought to be punished and which until now we have seen in no other part, and this is that, whenever they wish to ask something of the idols, in order that their plea may find more acceptance, they take many girls and boys and even adults, and in the presence of these idols they open their chests while they are still alive and take out their hearts and entrails and burn them before the idols, offering the smoke as sacrifice. Some of us have seen this, and they say it is the most terrible and frightful thing they have ever witnessed." Naturally, Cort s and other Spaniards depicted the Aztecs as savages greatly in need of conversion to Catholicism.
The Spanish used the Aztec's religious practices as a justification for Cort s' conquest, but even though the Spanish attempted to burn as much as they could, plenty of information about Aztec mythology also survived. The Mythology and Religion of the Aztec examines the history and legacy of the religion practiced by the famous Mesoamerican empire. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about Aztec religion and mythology like you never have before, in no time at all.
