Charles River

*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts and descriptions of the cult *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading European and American scholars are fascinated by her. She is exotic; they look at her with the romantic look of the anthropologist and the sociologist; she is Mexican, colorful, and third-worldly (not to mention that she is a fantastic reason to get funding from their universities). Many see in her, correctly, a prodigious syncretism, so common in the troubled history of Latin America. The Catholic hierarchy, the predominant religion in Mexico, is horrified; the church calls her a satanic cult figure, associated with organized crime. Similarly, governmental authorities watch cautiously, deny official recognition to her "churches," and destroy her solitary shrines in northern Mexico, in roads riddled with crime. However, among her followers -besides prisoners, drug traffickers and many well-meaning men and women seeking other spiritual alternatives- there are some working on the side of the law, especially soldiers and police officers. Enter La Santa Muerte, the "Holy Death", a skeletal figure dressed like a Catholic saint, whom her faithful raised to the altars without asking anyone for permission. From her followers, she gets not only candles, prayers and petitions, as any other saint; they also call her loving names that to the outside observer would seem to be a joke: beautiful, skinny, cute girl, little mother, and at the height of the confusion, "virgin". What then is the Santa Muerte movement? As a practice, it has borrowed extensively from Catholicism, Santeria and even New Age, depending on the leader of the moment and the region, from Central America to Chicago. In the variety most similar to Catholicism, people find images of the skeleton dressed in a green robe with stars and golden borders, with rays of light coming out of her head: a negative image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. "It's our little mother, our skinny, she always takes care of us," says an anonymous woman who refers to Santa Muerte in the same way Mexican Catholics refer to The Virgin. Although fleshless, Santa Muerte is, without a doubt, a female figure (in the Spanish language, "death" is a feminine noun). But the garments of the Virgin of Guadalupe are not the only thing that the "white girl" borrowed. In fact, one of the main features of this cult is its extraordinary elasticity. It will adapt to anything. Anyone can dogmatize. Everybody contributes according to his or her feelings and experiences. Young cholos (street punks) prefer a version more reminiscent of some Iron Maiden albums, and the elderly of the Tepito neighborhood, another more similar to those found at small town churches, with flowers in her hair, and a robe with embroidery. Therefore, for the casual observer watching the candles, the flowers, listening to the murmur of prayers and noticing the insistence on receiving miracles, Santa Muerte is like another Catholic saint, despite the fact the cult of the Holy Death is not only not approved by any Christian denomination but is not even tolerated. This is the story of Santa Muerte, the so-called cult of crisis, a red-hot combo of a kermesse (Mexican carnival), Catholicism and New Age; a hedonist practice but involving bodily sacrifice too. It is an expression of economic, psychological and social forces, bigger than perhaps any of her acolytes suspect. The Santa Muerte: The Origins, History, and Secrets of the Mexican Folk Saint looks at the folk saint and the manner in which her cult grew. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Santa Muerte like never before.

*Includes pictures. *Includes Abbott and Costello's own quotes about their lives and careers. *Includes a transcript of "Who's on First?" *Includes a bibliography for further reading. "You never heard of a comedy team that didn't fight, did you? But for twenty years as a professional team, Lou and I were closer than man and wife." - Bud Abbott "A husband is what's left of a sweetheart after the nerve has been killed." - Lou Costello 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. Ironically, one of America's most famous comedy duos, and the performers of the country's most famous skit, came together in part because Lou Costello had already failed to cut it in the film industry. In fact, Costello had appeared in a Laurel & Hardy film in 1927 before meeting his partner, Bud Abbott, on the burlesque circuit in New York City. In fact, the two first performed together in 1935 only because Abbott filled in for Costello's usual partner, who happened to be ill one fateful day. Over time, Abbott & Costello perfected their routine, which typically consisted of Abbott playing the straight man while his dimwit partner acted foolishly and interrupted his plans. It was a shtick that also did well on radio, albeit one that required Costello to modify his voice with a higher pitch that not only differentiated his from Abbott but also made him sound appropriately dumber. By 1940, they were not only successful on the radio but also among America's most popular movie stars, a status they held almost consistently throughout the decade and into the early 1950s. The legendary comedy duo performed together for decades, and like similar acts, their popularity began to wane over time, but Abbott & Costello are still household names today. While all of their material is still in syndication and watched by many, they are best known today for "Who's on First", the famous routine in which Abbott's answers about the names of baseball players at various positions on the field sound like questions and completely confuse Costello. Although the skit was pieced together from various others, it was immortalized by Abbott & Costello and helped popularize not only the duo but some of their subsequent material. American Legends: Abbott & Costello examines the lives and careers of one of America's most famous comedy teams. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Abbott & Costello like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes historic descriptions of Niagara Falls written over the centuries *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "All trembling, I reached the Falls of Niagara, and oh, what a scene My blood shudders still, although I am not a coward, at the grandeur of the Creator's power; and I gazed motionless on this new display of the irresistible force of one of His elements." - John James Audubon "It's Niagara Falls. It's one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world. Who wouldn't want to walk across it?" - Nik Wallenda North America is full of natural wonders, but few inspire as much awe as Niagara Falls, the continent's most famous waterfalls. Comprised of three separate waterfalls (Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls), Niagara's falls can boast of the fastest flow rate in the world, dropping 6 million cubic feet of water every minute from as high as 185 feet. Situated on the border between the United States and Canada, Niagara Falls is not just a prime tourist spot but a source of hydroelectric power that attracted scientists like Nikola Tesla who hoped to harness the waterfalls' energy. In fact, Niagara Falls is so powerful that it is eroding the ground under it, to the extent that it will cease to exist in about 50,000 years. Niagara Falls is a byproduct of glaciers receding about 10,000 years ago, and it has been amazing people for as long as the area has been inhabited. It's widely believed Niagara is a word derived from the Mohawk tribe, but the most famous people now associated with the waterfalls are those who have dared to ride down the falls one way or another. The falls have seen both amateurs and professional stuntmen ride over it in barrels, some successfully and others fatally, and a local museum has even preserved some of the barrels used in the attempts. Just as daringly, others have tried to walk tightropes across the falls. Niagara Falls: The History of North America's Most Famous Waterfalls traces the history of the region and its establishment as a park. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Niagara Falls like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Explains how the genre was formed and theories regarding real life origins of popular fairy tales *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Dense forests, evil stepmother, beautiful girl, dwarfs in mines, a prince and, eventually, poisoning (in that order). Sound familiar? Most will recognize the basic plot of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, one of the most popular fairy tales in history. Even if the passing of time (and Disney) embellished it with a thousand details, in particular the happy ending, this and other tales reflect the Sitz im Leben or setting in life in which fairy tales emerged. The stories, which were transmitted orally during the Middle Ages, are like fogged windows to the way of life, the kind of people and social conditions of the regions where they took their final shape. In some instances, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, they may be echoing historical facts. And the poisoned apple? Sander thinks that the lethal fruit was added later, during the stage of oral transmission, in remembrance of a man who really existed in Germany and was arrested for giving poisoned apples to children because he thought they were stealing from him. For centuries, beautifully illustrated fairy tale volumes have rested innocently on kids night tables around the world, long ago relegated to the dubious honor of being branded as "children's literature." But every story is a file packed with information, and Cinderella, Snow White, Puss in Boots and Bluebeard have always intimated that perhaps they have more to tell besides "beautiful" stories, the same ones that animated the minds of several generations of children. Whether or not they had peaceful dreams is another matter, because even in their current versions, sterilized and with their original contents doctored, classic fairy tales are far from innocent stories for five year old children. It was only later, with the arrival of illustrators and then cinema, that they began to become the virtually exclusive domain of underage readers. Like in the secret room where Bluebeard kept his dead wives bodies, or the enchanted forest one should not venture into, fairy tales conceal not only historical events and the depiction of the hard lives of people in the Middle Ages, but according to psychoanalysts, they are also a mirror of truth where people's desires, fears, illicit appetites and flaws are encoded. Snow White's stepmother had a good reason to be so upset when the mirror finally told her who she really was. This classic moment in literature is an excellent metaphor of what fairy tales are as a genre. Until recently they were still relegated to the book shelves of the youngsters; lately they have been studied seriously by scholars of the most prestigious universities in the world, successfully exploited by the entertainment industry, and even banned in some schools. Fairy Tales: The Origins, History, and Interpretations of the World's Most Famous Fairy Tales is an invitation to peek into the history of fairy tales and see humanity reflected in them. The image they throw back may not always be the most satisfactory, but for better or worse, it ll be the one societies have to face. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the history of fairy tales like never before.

"Captur 46 ciudades ... mediante la consolidaci n de rampas para levantar carneros, ataques de infanter a, minas, brechas y motores de asedio." - Senaquerib Cuando los estudiosos estudian la historia del antiguo Cercano Oriente, a menudo se destacan varias guerras que tuvieron consecuencias extremadamente brutales (al menos para los est ndares modernos). La eliminaci n forzada de poblaciones enteras, los asedios que diezmaron ciudades enteras y la destrucci n il cita de propiedades fueron t cticas utilizadas por los diversos pueblos del antiguo Cercano Oriente unos contra otros, pero los asirios fueron los primeros en hacer de la guerra una ciencia. Cuando se menciona a los asirios, las im genes de guerra y brutalidad son las primeras que vienen a la mente, a pesar de que su cultura prosper durante casi 2.000 a os. Como una serie de antiguos individuos e imperios en esa regi n, la percepci n negativa de la antigua cultura asiria fue transmitida a trav s de relatos b blicos, e independientemente de la exactitud de la descripci n de la Biblia de ciertos eventos, los asirios desempe aron claramente el papel de adversario para los israelitas . De hecho, Asiria (el Shinar b blico) y el pueblo asirio desempe aron un papel importante en muchos libros del Antiguo Testamento y se mencionan por primera vez en el libro del G nesis: "Y el principio de su reino fue Babel, Erec, Acab y Calne, en la tierra de Sinar. De aquella tierra sali hacia Asiria y edific N nive, Rehobot Ir, Cala." (G nesis 10: 10-11). Aunque los relatos b blicos de los asirios est n entre los m s interesantes y son a menudo corroborados con otras fuentes hist ricas, los asirios eran mucho m s que s lo los enemigos de los israelitas y brutales matones. Entre todas las ciudades que prosperaron en el antiguo Cercano Oriente, pocos pueden igualar la opulencia y la ostentaci n de N nive, la capital del Imperio asirio durante gran parte del siglo VII a. C. Durante ese tiempo se hizo conocido por sus poderosas ciudadelas, grandes palacios, hermosos jardines, e incluso sus parques zool gicos. De hecho, la belleza de N nive, especialmente sus jardines, impresion tanto a los escritores posteriores que designaron sus jardines como una de las Siete Maravillas del Mundo, excepto que por desgracia para la memoria de N nive, la ubicaci n fue colocada en Babilonia. La confusi n que asign una de las maravillas del mundo a Babilonia en lugar de N nive es de hecho parte de la historia de N nive - era una gran ciudad durante su tiempo, pero la guerra incesante llev a la metr polis al olvido y eventualmente su historia fue olvidada o distorsionada. Examinando N nive se demuestra que en muchos sentidos fue v ctima de la gente que la construy . Cuando N nive estaba en su apogeo, controlaban un imperio que abarcaba Egipto, Anatolia, Mesopotamia y partes de Ir n. Finalmente, los asirios se extendieron demasiado y sus enemigos los derrocaron y destruyeron gran parte de sus ciudades. N nive se perdi durante siglos, s lo siendo mencionada en fragmentos por los historiadores griegos cl sicos, pero los m todos arqueol gicos modernos fueron capaces de traer la ciudad perdida de vuelta a la vida en el siglo XIX. Hoy, a trav s de una combinaci n de informes arqueol gicos, relatos griegos cl sicos y antiguas inscripciones cuneiformes, la cronolog a de N nive puede ser reconstruida. Un examen revela que N nive desempe un papel vital en la historia religiosa y pol tica del antiguo Cercano Oriente y a pesar de sufrir un da o inmenso a manos de los enemigos de los asirios, sigui funcionando como una ciudad importante durante varios siglos despu s de que el Imperio asirio se derrumbase. N nive: la historia y el legado de la antigua capital asiria traza la historia y el legado de una de las ciudades m s influyentes de la antig edad. Junto con fotos de personas importantes, lugares y eventos, aprender s sobre la historia de

*Includes pictures of the sites and depictions of important people and events. *Explains the history of the sites and the theories about their purpose. *Describes the layout of the ancient cities, their important structures, and the theories about the buildings' uses. *Includes footnotes and bibliographies for further reading. Chichen Itza was inhabited for hundreds of years and was a very influential center in the later years of Maya civilization. At its height, Chichen Itza may have had over 30,000 inhabitants, and with a spectacular pyramid, enormous ball court, observatory and several temples, the builders of this city exceeded even those at Uxmal in developing the use of columns and exterior relief decoration. Of particular interest at Chichen Itza is the sacred cenote, a sinkhole was a focus for Maya rituals around water. Because adequate supplies of water, which rarely collected on the surface of the limestone based Yucatan, were essential for adequate agricultural production, the Maya here considered it of primary importance. Underwater archaeology carried out in the cenote at Chichen Itza revealed that offerings to the Maya rain deity Chaac (which may have included people) were tossed into the sinkhole. Why Maya cities were abandoned and left to be overgrown by the jungle is a puzzle that intrigues people around the world today, especially those who have a penchant for speculating on lost civilizations. In 1911, American historian Hiram Bingham publicized the finding of what at the time was considered a "lost city" of the Inca. Though local inhabitants had known about it for century, Bingham documented and photographed the ruins of a 15th century settlement nestled along a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, placed so perfectly from a defensive standpoint that it's believed the Spanish never conquered it and may have never known about it. Today, of course, Machu Picchu is one of South America's best tourist spots, and the ruins have even been voted one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. But even though Machu Picchu is now the best known of all Incan ruins, its function in Incan civilization is still not clear. Some have speculated that it was an outpost or a frontier citadel, while others believe it to be a sanctuary or a work center for women. Still others suggest that it was a ceremonial center or perhaps even the last refuge of the Incas after the Spanish conquest. One of the most theories to take hold is that Machu Picchu was the summer dwelling of the Inca's royal court, the Inca's version of Versailles. As was the case with the renaming of Mayan and Aztec ruins, the names given to various structures by archaeologists are purely imaginary and thus not very helpful; for example, the mausoleum, palace or watchtower at Machu Picchu may have been nothing of the sort. Mexico City is now easily the largest city in the Western Hemisphere, trailing only Tokyo internationally, but unlike the other great cities of the Americas, Mexico City is not a new place. Mexico City instead has much in common with cities like London, Delhi or Cairo in the East in that it is an ancient city dating back centuries before the arrival of Columbus in Hispaniola. For, while much (including the name) has changed, Mexico City is the mighty Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire and the great American metropolis of the Spanish Empire. There has been no break in occupation, and despite much devastation in the Conquest, the city was never fully destroyed. What the conquistadores encountered in Tenochtitlan was entirely unexpected: one of the world's greatest cities, teeming with over 200,000 people, built on an island on a lake and connected to the shore by a number of long, broad stone causeways. On the water itself were remarkable floating gardens, on surrounding shorelines were sprawling suburbs, and behind them was a dramatic wall of mountain peaks.

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of Mount Vernon and its construction written by George Washington *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "I can truly say I had rather be at Mount Vernon with a friend or two about me, than to be attended at the Seat of Government by the Officers of State and the Representatives of every Power in Europe." - George Washington, letter to David Stuart, June 15, 1790 Every American is taught a pristine narrative of the life and legacy of George Washington and can easily recite the highlights of the "Father of Our Country". The remarkable Virginian led an under-resourced rag-tag army to ultimate victory in the American Revolution before becoming the nation's first president, setting it on its path toward superpower status. He may not have actually chopped down a cherry tree or tossed a silver dollar across the Potomac, but his contemporaries considered his character above reproach. When Washington voluntary resigned as commander of the armies, he stunned the world. Everyone in the colonies and the world realized that Washington, at the head of the last army standing in the colonies, could have made himself king of the new United States on the spot, and it would have been a move supported by his rank and file soldiers. Instead, Washington became the first Westerner to voluntarily demobilize his army, ensuring civilian control of the new nation. King George III called Washington "the greatest character of the age" for making that decision. As President from 1788-1796, Washington set every precedent for the executive branch of the new government, from forming a "Cabinet" to limiting himself to two terms. He even set precedents with his farewell address, which helped guide the policies of subsequent presidents. Put simply, Washington did more than any other man to ensure the success of the American Revolution and the safe passage of the new United States from fledgling nation to budding power, For about as long as Washington has been famous, so has his most famous residence, the spacious Virginian plantation known as Mount Vernon. Washington lived in a smaller structure on the land as a teen, and ironically, tradition and inheritance suggested that George would never be the one to own the land. Of course, fate would intervene, and Washington would not only come into possession of the 10,000 acres in 1761 but build and renovate the property to create one of the most famous private residences in the nation. Washington would live at Mount Vernon before the Revolution and retire there after the war and after his presidency. Indeed, he would die there and be buried there as well. By 1760, Washington was one of Virginia's wealthiest and most influential citizens, in large measure due to Mount Vernon's success as a tobacco plantation. However, to make that happen, Washington used hundreds of slaves, and though he mandated that his slaves be freed upon his death, the estate continued to employ slave labor until his widow's death years later. Thus, while Mount Vernon remains a hallowed tourist spot, it also underscores the most divisive and controversial issue of the post-Revolution era. Mount Vernon: The History of George Washington's Famous Plantation tells the story of the residence most associated with the first president, and the controversial nature of the slave labor used there. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Mount Vernon like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes excerpts from the apocrypha *Includes a list of the apocrypha, online resources, and a bibliography for further reading Between 50 and 90 CE, the various writings that comprise the New Testament were written, including the Four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of Paul, and other letters to more general communities of the early Church. But what is recognized as the 26 books of the New Testament today, in literally hundreds of English translations, actually took several more centuries to be determined as "canonical" by the Church. In fact, it was not until a synod in Rome in 382 that the Church in the West formally adopted a list of the canonical books of the New Testament. For the intervening three centuries, there was much discussion among different writers over the many manuscripts circulating among the early Christian communities. Many of the manuscripts were anonymously authored by members of early heretical groups of Christians who shaped supposedly inspired writings to provide support for their doctrinal positions. Many more had the veneer of inspired texts because they were attributed to one of the Twelve Apostles or Mary, the mother of Jesus; they claimed to offer details of Jesus' life not covered in depth in the Four Gospels (such as his infancy and childhood), or the activities of the named apostle, or doctrinal teachings. The process of determining the Canon of the New Testament was a long one. It involved numerous scholars directed by the teachings of the Church sifting through numerous manuscripts with various attributed authorships. The 29 that made it into the canon were those that passed muster in terms of apostolic authorship and conformity to orthodox Church teaching. Most of those that did not make it in failed on those two accounts. Others were not included because they were judged not to have been written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Whatever the reason they were excluded, the writings that comprise the New Testament Apocrypha, while not inspired Scripture, do show something of the context in which the early Church developed its doctrines and its writings. Even today, not every branch of the Christian church agrees on which writings should be regarded as "canonical" and which are "apocryphal", even though some apocryphal texts often have noticeable links with books regarded as "canonical". Regardless, the New Testament Apocrypha refers to texts written by early Christians that were not included in the Bible used by the main branches of Christianity today. These texts vary in subject matter, with some being accounts of Jesus, others being about the nature of God, and still others being accounts and teachings of Jesus' apostles. What makes them fascinating is not just the history behind why they are considered non-canonical, but what they tell us about the early Church and early Christianity. Moreover, they offer insight into what sources were used to write them, and whether they shared the same sources as the texts that comprise the Bible today. Given their historical and religious importance, there is still a fierce debate over the authenticity of many of these texts. The Apocryphal Gospels: The History of the New Testament Apocrypha Not Included in the Bible looks at some of the famous texts that were kept out of the Bible. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the apocryphal books like never before.

*Includes pictures *Includes Tate's own quotes about her life and career *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "When I was in school, I dreamed about becoming a psychiatrist or a ballerina. Like most girls I would dream about being a movie star too. But those dreams are the impossible kind, the kind you don't really set your heart on." - Sharon Tate "It's weird. I always had the premonition that Sharon belonged to me just for a little while." - Roman Polanski 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. In 1969, things were looking up for one of Hollywood's most marketable actresses. After appearing as a model in fashion magazines and having bit parts on shows during the early part of the decade, Sharon Tate was a star in the making. That summer, she was pregnant with her first child by director Roman Polanski, who had just recently become her husband, and a few months earlier, she had just finished filming The Thirteen Chairs, co-starring Orson Welles. Tragically, superstardom would never come, and even today, over 45 years later, most details of Sharon's life and career are completely overlooked by people who continue to be morbidly curious about her murder at the hands of the Manson Family on August 9, 1969. The murders committed by Charlie Manson's followers transfixed America, and Tate has been inextricably linked to one of 20th century America's most notorious criminals. As if that wasn't bad enough, focus on her relationship with Roman Polanski also became more complicated shortly after her death when her widowed husband posed for photographs in the room where she had been murdered. On top of that, Polanski was accused of sexually assaulting a teenager in 1977, but he avoided being sentenced by fleeing to France and, despite being controversial and having been subjected to extradition requests by the American government, remains free and occasionally directs films. In his autobiography, Polanski wrote glowingly of his wife, "Sharon was more than just stunning to look at. She wasn't naive or stupid or a clich starlet. What had impressed me most about her, quite apart from her exceptional beauty, was the sort of radiance that springs from a kind and gentle nature; she had obvious hang-ups yet seemed completely liberated. I'd never met anyone like her before." American Legends: The Life of Sharon Tate examines the life and career of one of America's most famous actresses. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Sharon Tate like never before, in no time at all.