Famed as a classic naval duel, a one-on-one clash between two sailing frigates offered the victor immeasurable fame and glory. During the War of 1812, the Royal Navy and United States Navy squared off in four such duels, the most famous that between the USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere. Ships and tactics between the two nations varied enormously, with the American navy favouring a revolutionary design of frigate, with twenty-four pounder guns and heavy structural timbers, while the British, used to fighting the French and Spanish navies, relied on smaller, eighteen-pounder frigates. Through first-hand accounts of these four single-ship actions and fascinating comparisons of artillery, crew ability and tactical achievements, this book offers an unparalleled insight into the ruthless reality of frigate battles in the War of 1812.

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Patrick Huber - Linthead Stomp, The Creation of Co untry Music in the Piedmont South (2008).jpg

This title presents the urban and industrial roots of American country music.Contrary to popular belief, the roots of American country music do not lie solely on southern farms or in mountain hollows. Rather, much of this music recorded before World War II emerged from the bustling cities and towns of the Piedmont South. No group contributed more to the commercialization of early country music than southern factory workers. In "Linthead Stomp", Patrick Huber explores the origins and development of this music in the Piedmont's mill villages.Huber offers vivid portraits of a colorful cast of Piedmont millhand musicians, including Fiddlin' John Carson, Charlie Poole, Dave McCarn, and the Dixon Brothers, and considers the impact that urban living, industrial work, and mass culture had on their lives and music. Drawing on a broad range of sources, including rare 78-rpm recordings and unpublished interviews, Huber reveals that the country music recorded between 1922 and 1942 was just as modern as the jazz music of the same era. "Linthead Stomp" celebrates the Piedmont millhand fiddlers, guitarists, and banjo pickers who combined the collective memories of the rural countryside with the upheavals of urban-industrial life to create a distinctive American music that spoke to the changing realities of the twentieth-century South.

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Patrick Huber - Linthead Stomp, The Creation of Co untry Music in the Piedmont South (2008).pdf

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Peter R. Orszag, Ivo H. Daalder, I. M. Destler, Da vid L. Gunter, Robert E. Litan, James B. Steinberg , Michael E. O'Hanlon - Protecting the American Ho meland, A Preliminary Analysis (2002).jpg

USA Books - Peter R. Orszag, Ivo H. Daalder, I. M. Destler, David ...ng the American Homeland, A Preliminary Analysis 2002.jpg

The September 11 attacks forcefully brought home the need to better protect the U.S. homeland. But how can this be accomplished most effectively? Here, a team of Brookings scholars offers a four-tier plan to guide and bolster the efforts under way by the Bush administration and Congress.
There has been some progress in making our homeland more secure. But the authors are concerned that the Bush administration may focus too narrowly on preventing attacks like those of the recent past and believe a broader and more structured approach to ensuring homeland security is needed. Given the vulnerability of our open society, the authors recommend four clear lines of direction. The first and last have received a good deal of attention from the Bush administration, though not yet enough; for the other two, a great deal remains to be done:
Perimeter defense at the border to prevent entry by potential perpetrators and the weapons and hazardous materials they may use
Prevention by detecting possible terrorists within the United States and securing dangerous materials they might obtain here
Identification and defense of key sites within the county: population centers, critical economic assets and infrastructure, and locations of key political or symbolic importance
Consequence management to give those directly involved in responding to an attack that may nevertheless occur the tools necessary to quickly identify and attack and limit its damage Included are specific recommendations on how much more to spend on homeland security, how much of the cost should be borne by the private sector, and how to structure the federal government to make the responsible agencies more efficient in addressing security concerns. Specifically, the authors believe that annual federal spending on homeland security may need to grow to about $45 billion, relative to a 2001 level of less than $20 billion and a Bush administration proposed budget for 2003 of $38 billion. They also discuss what burden state, local, and private-sector actors should bear in the overall national effort. Finally, the authors conclude that rather than creating a homeland security superagency, Tom Ridge, the director of the Office of Homeland Security, should have enhanced authority.

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5,8 MB
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Peter R. Orszag, Ivo H. Daalder, I. M. Destler, Da vid L. Gunter, Robert E. Litan, James B. Steinberg , Michael E. O'Hanlon - Protecting the American Ho meland, A Preliminary Analysis (2002).pdf

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Richard H. Lacey - The Montana Militia, A History of Montana's Volunteer Forces 1867-1976 (1976).jpg

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ARMY NATIONAL GUARD HISTORY

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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81,4 MB
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Richard H. Lacey - The Montana Militia, A History of Montana's Volunteer Forces 1867-1976 (1976).pdf

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Shane Christensen - Frommer's Grand Canyon Nationa l Park (2010).jpg

Completely updated every other year, Frommer's Grand Canyon National Park features detailed information on the sights and experiences that await you.
More than 4 million people visited the Grand Canyon in 2008. Our author lets you know where in the park you can escape the crowds, whether you have a full week or just a few hours.
Detailed information on hiking and adventures, including helicopter tours, mule rides, and rafting trips along the Colorado. Plus, our hotel reviews and campground guide breaks down the best sites to spend the night, both in the park and nearby.

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Shane Christensen - Frommer's Grand Canyon Nationa l Park (2010).pdf

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Terry Bouton - Taming Democracy, The People, the F ounders, and the Troubled Ending of the American R evolution (2006).jpg

USA Books - Terry Bouton - Taming Democracy, The People, the Found...d the Troubled Ending of the American Revolution 2006.jpg

This is a rare book—scholarly yet written with verve, readable for pleasure as well as for knowledge. It reasserts what historians have long argued: that the American gentry during the period from 1776 to roughly 1800 succeeded at stunting the meaning and practice of democracy for ordinary white men. Bouton's familiar arguments about thwarted popular ideals are drawn only from Pennsylvania. That's because the Keystone State, having gone through the most democratic revolution in 1776 and written the most democratic constitution, had turned by about 1790 and, under its second constitution, fell back under the control of the elite. Yet even if distinctive, Pennsylvania was decently representative of much of the early nation. Up to a point, therefore, Bouton's argument is convincing. What's more, he relates this disappointing history partly through the stories of individuals, like the Black Boys and Jimmy Smith, who'll be unknown even to most scholars. But like so many historians, he applauds the common people acting their democratic part while implicitly condemning the gentry for acting like gentry. This inconsistency mars an otherwise fine book.

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Thomas B. McAffee, Jay S. Bybee, A. Christo Bryant - Powers Reserved for the People and the States, A History of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments ( 2006 ).jpg

USA Books - Thomas B. McAffee, Jay S. Bybee, A. Christo Bryant - P...tes, A History of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments 2006.jpg

American judges and legal scholars have long misunderstood the intended meaning of the Ninth Amendment and its relationship to the Tenth. Because of misinterpretation, the Ninth and Tenth Amendments have not been used to fulfill their original purposes. The limited and unlimited powers of the federal government have been shaped greatly by that error. In this book the authors clarify the actual meaning of the Ninth Amendment and its connection to the Tenth Amendment in order to provide a clear understanding of the full potential of the two amendments. Historical and contemporary details are included to provide an appreciation of the intended purpose of the amendments.

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10,6 MB
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Thomas B. McAffee, Jay S. Bybee, A. Christo Bryant - Powers Reserved for the People and the States, A History of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments ( 2006 ).pdf

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David M. Henkin - The Postal Age. The Emergence of Modern Communications in Nineteenth-Century Ameri ca (2006).jpg

USA Books - David M. Henkin - The Postal Age. The Emergence of Mod...dern Communications in Nineteenth-Century America 2006.jpg

Americans commonly recognize television, e-mail, and instant messaging as agents of pervasive cultural change. But many of us may not realize that what we now call snail mail was once just as revolutionary. As David M. Henkin argues in The Postal Age, a burgeoning postal network initiated major cultural shifts during the nineteenth century, laying the foundation for the interconnectedness that now defines our ever-evolving world of telecommunications.
This fascinating history traces these shifts from their beginnings in the mid-1800s, when cheaper postage, mass literacy, and migration combined to make the long-established postal service a more integral and viable part of everyday life. With such dramatic events as the Civil War and the gold rush underscoring the importance and necessity of the post, a surprisingly broad range of Americans—male and female, black and white, native-born and immigrant—joined this postal network, regularly interacting with distant locales before the existence of telephones or even the widespread use of telegraphy. Drawing on original letters and diaries from the period, as well as public discussions of the expanding postal system, Henkin tells the story of how these Americans adjusted to a new world of long-distance correspondence, crowded post offices, junk mail, valentines, and dead letters.
The Postal Age paints a vibrant picture of a society where possibilities proliferated for the kinds of personal and impersonal communications that we often associate with more recent historical periods. In doing so, it significantly increases our understanding of both antebellum America and our own chapter in the history of communications.

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Donald Ritchie - The U.S. Congress, A Very Short I ntroduction (2010).jpg

Many scholars believe that the framers of the Constitution intended Congress to be the preeminent branch of government. Indeed, no other legislature in the world approaches its power. Yet most Americans have only a murky idea of how it works. In The U.S. Congress, Donald A. Ritchie, a congressional historian for more than thirty years, takes readers on a fascinating, behind-the-scenes tour of Capitol Hill-pointing out the key players, explaining their behavior, and translating parliamentary language into plain English. No mere civics lesson, this eye-opening book provides an insider's perspective on Congress, matched with a professional historian's analytical insight. After a swift survey of the creation of Congress by the constitutional convention, he begins to unscrew the nuts and pull out the bolts. What is it like to campaign for congress? To attract large donors? To enter either house with no seniority? He answers these questions and more, explaining committee assignments (and committee work), the role of staffers and lobbyists, floor proceedings, parliamentary rules, and coalition building. Ritchie explores the great effort put into constituent service--as representatives and senators respond to requests from groups and individuals--as well as media relations and news coverage. He also explores how the grand concepts we all know from civics class--checks and balances, advise and consent, congressional oversight--work in practice, in an age of strong presidents and a muscular Senate minority (no matter which party is in that position). In this sparkling addition to Oxford's Very Short Introduction series, Donald Ritchie moves beyond the cynicism and the platitudes to provide a gem of a portrait of how Congress really works.

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Ruthanna Puynam - The Cambridge Companion to Will iam James (1997).jpg

The essays in this Companion deal with the full range of his thought, including technical philosophical issues, religious speculation, moral philosophy and political controversies of his time. New readers and nonspecialists will find this the most convenient and accessible guide to James currently available. Advanced students and specialists will find a conspectus of recent developments in the interpretation of James.

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Anibal Gonzales - A Companion to Spanish American Modernismo (2007).jpg

Modernismo, a literary movement of fundamental importance to Spanish America and Spain, occurred at the turn of the nineteenth century, roughly from the 1880s to the 1920s. It is widely regarded as the first Spanish-language literary movement that originated in the New World and that became influential in the "Mother Country," Spain. Characterized by the appropriation of French Symbolist aesthetics into Spanish-language literature, modernismo's other significant traits were its cultural cosmopolitanism, its philological concern with language, literary history, and literary technique, and its journalistic penchant for novelty and fashion. Despite the splendor of modernista poetry, modernismo is now understood as a broad movement whose impact was felt just as strongly in the prose genres: the short story, the novel, the essay, and the journalistic crónica (chronicle). Conceived as an introduction to modernismo as well as an account of the current state of the art of modernismo studies, this book examines the movement's contribution to the various Spanish American literary genres, its main authors (from Martí and Nájera to Darío and Rodó), its social and historical context, and its continuing relevance to the work of contemporary Spanish American authors such as Gabriel García Márquez, Sergio Ramírez, and Mario Vargas Llosa. Anibal Gonzalez is Professor of Modern Latin American Literature at Yale University.

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Anibal Gonzales - A Companion to Spanish American Modernismo (2007).pdf

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Bob Gulla - Icons of R&B and Soul, An Encyclopedia of the Artists Who Revolutionized Rhythm (2007).jpg

Drawn from a mosaic of influences, including folk, gospel, and blues, R&B represents both everything that came before and nothing that was heard before. This is the music that bridged the gap between audiences and helped, at the very height of racism in America, to dismantle racial barriers. So much of today's music is derived directly from the highly influential and critically important sounds of R&B that without it we would have never known the classic soul of the late '50s and '60s, the glory days of the genre. Similarly, rock n' roll as seen through the eyes of Bill Haley and Elvis Presley would have never evolved without the foundation laid by their R&B predecessors. Through substantial entries on the chief architects and innovators, Icons of R&B and Soul offers a vibrant overview of the music's impact in American culture and how it reflected contemporary society's politics, trends, and social issues. Numerous sidebars highlight Motown, prominent record labels, hit songs, related singers and songwriters, key events, and significant aspects of the music industry. Also included is a list of important print and Web resources, as well as a list of selected recordings. This encyclopedia will help to explore the historical and cultural framework of R&B and soul music through the musicians who have come to define the genre.

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Bob Gulla - Icons of R&B and Soul, An Encyclopedia of the Artists Who Revolutionized Rhythm (2007).pdf

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Jan Goggans, Aaron DiFranco - The Pacific Region The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional C ultures (2004).jpg

USA Books - Jan Goggans, Aaron DiFranco - The Pacific Region The...nwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures 2004.jpg

Robert Penn Warren once wrote West is where we all plan to go some day, and indeed, images of the westernmost United States provide a mythic horizon to American cultural landscape. While the five states (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawai'i) which touch Pacific waters do share commonalities within the history of westward expansion, the peoples who settled the regionâ€”and the indigenous peoples they encounteredâ€”have created spheres of culture that defy simple categorization. This wide-ranging reference volume explores the marvelously eclectic cultures that define the Pacific region. From the music and fashion of the Pacific northwest to the film industry and surfing subcultures of southern California, from the vast expanses of the Alaskan wilderness to the schisms between native and tourist culture in Hawa'ii, this unprecedented reference provides a detailed and fascinating look at American regionalism along the Pacific Rim.

The Greenwood encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures is the first rigorous reference collection on the many ways in which American identity has been defined by its regions and its people. Each of its eight regional volumes presents thoroughly researched narrative chapters on Architecture; Art; Ecology & Environment; Ethnicity; Fashion; Film & Theater; Folklore; Food; Language; Literature; Music; Religion; and Sports & Recreation. Each book also includes a volume-specific introduction, as well as a series foreword by noted regional scholar and former National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman William Ferris, who served as consulting editor for this encyclopedia.

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Jan Goggans, Aaron DiFranco - The Pacific Region The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional C ultures (2004).pdf

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Jessie Carney Smith - Encyclopedia of African Amer ican Business (Two Volumes) (2006).jpg

African Americans historically have played a role in shaping the economic development of their race and of the country, though only recently have they received attention in this regard. Current representation of African Americans in some of corporate America's top positions and as owners of technology companies reflect current trends in society and is a step toward closing the racial gap. This two-volume reference work provides students and general readers easy access to information on African American business leaders, companies, associations, and other business subjects. Written by more than 50 contributors, entries discuss both historical and contemporary figures and topics that help illustrate the occupations and businesses of blacks throughout history. Spanning the early 18th century to the present day, over 200 alphabetically arranged entries describe people and topics related to the history of African American business development, including: Berry O'Kelly, Advertising Agencies, Franklin Delano Raines, National Association of Black Women Entrepreneurs, Oprah Winfrey, Retail Industry, National Alliance of Market Developers, Kenneth Chenault, Spike Lee, Legal Defense and Education Fund, Myrtle Potter, Quincy Jones, Faith-Based Entrepreneurship, Credit Unions, Sylvia Woods, Eddie Murphy, Minority Enterprise Development Week, and more. Primary documents and statistical tables are also included to help display the numerous contributions of blacks in business.

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Jessie Carney Smith - Encyclopedia of African Amer ican Business (Two Volumes) (2006).pdf

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Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Joseph N. Cappella - Echo Chamber, Rush Limbaugh and the Conservative Media Establishment (2008).jpg

USA Books - Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Joseph N. Cappella - Echo Cha...Limbaugh and the Conservative Media Establishment 2008.jpg

Rupert Murdoch's recent multibillion-dollar purchase of the Wall Street Journal made international news. Yet it is but one more chapter in an untold story: the rise of an integrated conservative media machine that all began with Rush Limbaugh in the 1980s. Now Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Joseph Cappella--two of the nation's foremost experts on politics and communications--offer a searching analysis of the conservative media establishment, from talk radio to Fox News to the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal. Indeed, here is the first serious account of how the conservative media arose, what it consists of, and how it operates. To show how this influential segment of the media works, the authors examine the uproar that followed when Senator Trent Lott seemed to endorse Strom Thurmond's segregationist past. Limbaugh called the remarks "utterly indefensible," but added that a "double standard" was in play.That signaled a broad counterattack by the conservative media establishment, charging the mainstream media with hypocrisy (yet using its reports when convenient), creating a knowledge base (a set of facts or allegations for partisans to draw upon), and fostering an in-group identity. By analyzing such cases, together with survey data, Jamieson and Cappella find that Limbaugh, Fox News, and the Wall Street Journal opinion pages create a self-protective enclave for conservatives, shielding them from other information sources, and promoting strongly negative associations with political opponents. Limbaugh in particular, they write, fuses the roles of party leader and opinion leader in a fashion reminiscent of the nineteenth century's partisan newspaper editors. The rise of conservative media has fundamentally changed American politics. This thoughtful study offers the most authoritative and insightful account of this revolutionary phenomenon available today.

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Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Joseph N. Cappella - Echo Chamber, Rush Limbaugh and the Conservative Media Establishment (2008).pdf

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Linda S. Cordell, Kent Lightfoot, Francis McManamo n, George Milner - Archaeology in America, An Ency clopedia (2008).jpg

USA Books - Linda S. Cordell, Kent Lightfoot, Francis McManamon, G... Milner - Archaeology in America, An Encyclopedia 2008.jpg

The greatness of America is right under our feet. The American past—the people, battles, industry and homes—can be found not only in libraries and museums, but also in hundreds of archaeological sites that scientists investigate with great care. These sites are not in distant lands, accessible only by research scientists, but nearby—almost every locale possesses a parcel of land worthy of archaeological exploration. Archaeology in America is the first resource that provides students, researchers, and anyone interested in their local history with a survey of the most important archaeological discoveries in North America. Leading scholars, most with an intimate knowledge of the area, have written in-depth essays on over 300 of the most important archaeological sites that explain the importance of the site, the history of the people who left the artifacts, and the nature of the ongoing research.

Archaeology in America divides it coverage into 8 regions: the Arctic and Subarctic, the Great Basin and Plateau, the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, the Midwest, the Northeast, the Southeast, the Southwest, and the West Coast. Each entry provides readers with an accessible overview of the archaeological site as well as books and articles for further research.

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Linda S. Cordell, Kent Lightfoot, Francis McManamo n, George Milner - Archaeology in America, An Ency clopedia (2008).pdf

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Mark Grossman - Political Corruption in America, A n Encyclopedia of Scandals, Power, and Greed, 2 Vo l. Set (2003).jpg

USA Books - Mark Grossman - Political Corruption in America, An En...lopedia of Scandals, Power, and Greed, 2 Vol. Set 2003.jpg

The complete scandal-filled history of American political corruption focusing on the infamous people and cases, as well as society's electoral and judicial reactions. America loves a good scandal. Since colonial times, there has been no shortage of politicians willing to take a bribe, skirt campaign finance laws, or act in their own interests. Corruption like the Whiskey Ring, Watergate, and whitewater cases dominate American life, making political scandal a leading U.S. industry. From judges to senators, presidents to mayors, Political Corruption In America discusses the infamous people throughout history that have been accused and implicated in crooked behavior. More than 250 A-Z entries explore the people, crimes, investigations, and court cases behind 200 years of American political scandals. This unbiased volume also delves into the issues surrounding Koreagate, the Chinese money scandal, and other ethical lapses. Relevant terms and statutes, including the Independent Counsel Act and impeachment as a tool of political punishment, are examined as well. Students and scholars following American history, political science, and ethics, plus other intrigued readers, will all appreciate this survey of a wide range of corrupting influences. This title focuses on how politicians of all stripes have fallen because of their greed and hubris. And how society has used electoral and judicial means against those who tested the accepted standards of political conduct.

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