Charles River

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of Kristallnacht written by eyewitnesses *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "It did not take long before the first heavy grey stones came tumbling down, and the children of the village amused themselves as they flung stones into the many coloured windows. When the first rays of a cold and pale November sun penetrated the heavy dark clouds, the little synagogue was but a heap of stone, broken glass and smashed-up woodwork." - Eric Lucas' description of the destruction of a synagogue during Kristallnacht On the 40th anniversary of Kristallnacht, Germany's night of broken glass, then chancellor of Germany Helmut Schmidt spoke of its legacy, "The German night, whose observance after the passage of forty years has brought us together today, remains a cause of bitterness and shame. In those places where the houses of God stood in flames, where a signal from those in power set of a train of destruction and robbery, of humiliation, abduction and incarceration- there was an end to peace, to justice, to humanity. The night of 9 November 1938 marked one of the stages along the path leading down to hell." The hell that Schmidt spoke of was the persecution and attempted elimination of the Jewish people from Europe itself as envisioned by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi leadership he brought to power in Germany during the 1930s. On the night of November 9, 1938, an organized show of force against Jewish businesses and private homes occurred throughout German cities and recently annexed territories in Austria and the Sudetenland. This night would mark a turning point in the lives of not only Jews but all people of the time, marking a clear new path of violence, destruction, and persecution for Jews throughout Europe in the years to follow. Though German Jews had been discriminated against in many forms for as long as the German nation existed, Kristallnacht is widely viewed as the key point in the chronology of Jewish persecution, and many historians consider it to be the beginning of the Holocaust itself. With the condoned and even coordinated violence of Kristallnacht, a new and unprecedented era of anti-Jewish sentiment and action began. The name Kristallnacht is in itself controversial. The origin of the term, which translates as the night of crystal or the night of broken glass, is unknown. There has been conjecture that the Nazi propaganda minister, Josef Goebbels himself, coined the term, but there is now considerable concern in Germany over anything that might seem to make light of or minimize the events of the Holocaust, so the name Kristallnacht is not favored. Instead, the November Pogrom or Reich Pogrom is the preferred term amongst German historians. As Walter Pehle, German professor of Nazi history, warns, "It is clear that the term Crystal Night serves to foster a vicious minimalizing of its memory, a discounting of grave reality: such cynical appellations function to reinterpret manslaughter and murder arson and robbery, plunder, and massive property damage, transforming these into a glistening event marked by sparkle and gleam." Rabbi Benjamin Blech sees the acceptance of the term as a way to "verbally embrace the very heresy that abetted the Holocaust" and likens it to "murder by euphemism." In fact, the Nazis themselves referred to the attacks as the "Jew Action". Though they would describe the event as a spontaneous response of good Germans who could no longer stand the intrigues of the Jews in their midst, Reichskristallnacht, or the November pogrom, was not only allowed but fueled and encouraged by Nazi leaders in an effort to remove the Jews politically, economically, socially, and even physically from German life and culture. Kristallnacht: The History and Legacy of Nazi Germany's Most Notorious Pogrom analyzes one of the most controversial events in pre-war Germany.

*Includes pictures*Includes accounts of the expedition written by members*Includes a bibliography for further reading*Includes a table of contents "No matter how much forethought may be exercised these thoughts have never so strongly suggested themselves as at this time when we find ourselves in the broad Atlantic with our ship's trial pointed at the North star and every revolution of our propeller speeding us nearer our inhospitable destination and further from home and friends. We retire at a late hour to be lulled to sleep by the motion of the ship, which has not yet become unpleasant, and dream of icebergs and polar bears." - Sergeant George RiceIt is the dreamland of most children in Europe and the Americas, and the mysterious home of the mythical Santa Claus, his devoted wife Mrs. Claus, the reindeer and the many elves who make Christmas toys each year. In many ways, the North Pole is the first geographical location many kids learn, if only because children over the age of 3 can manage to tell any interested adult that Santa Claus lives there. In reality, of course, the North Pole proved to be as elusive for many brave explorers as jolly old Santa has been for children who wait up at night by the chimney. The biggest problem, of course, is the North Pole's unforgiving location, far from sunshine or any sort of natural warmth. Another problem, one that would only became obvious in the 20th Century, was that it is located not on any piece of stable land but in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, usually covered by ever shifting ice floes. Finally, without modern technological advances, it was nearly impossible to tell when one had actually reached the planet's northernmost spot. Nonetheless, explorers were undeterred from traveling north, including the expedition led by Adolphus Greely in the 1880s. Greely's team was sent north to conduct all sorts of scientific research, including gathering astronomical data and measure the pole's magnetic data. As it turned out, the expedition would partially accomplish certain feats over several years, including reaching the farthest point north up to that time, it would go down in history for the problems the team experienced. Like many who had headed toward the Arctic in the past, Greely's expedition had to contend not just with the elements but the tough navigation that went with it, and as fate would have it, they would have to deal with limited supplies. Once the team was all but marooned, they had to hope for rescue attempts that were made difficult if not impossible by the climate and changing seasons. As a result, an expedition that started in 1881 was only saved by a comprehensive rescue effort in 1884, and by then, most of the team had succumbed. Rumors flew that the survivors had resorted to cannibalism, and while the team always denied that, they certainly resorted to desperate measures, including Greely shooting one man who tried to steal rations. The International Polar Expedition chronicles the ill-fated voyage that became one of the most harrowing sea stories of the 19th century. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Greely expedition like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the tsunami written by survivors *Includes a bibliography for further reading "Whenever an earthquake or tsunami takes thousands of innocent lives, a shocked world talks of little else." - Anne M. Mulcahy In the Christian world, December 25 is a time of great rejoicing and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is by far the most festive time of year, marked by parties, church services and giving gifts. It is also a popular vacation time, as families use the breaks given by offices and schools to travel, often to exotic destinations. That is why so many of those who witnessed the Great Tsunami of 2004 were not native to the areas struck but had traveled there to enjoy the sun during the dead of winter. Most of them slept soundly on Christmas night and woke up the following morning with plans to enjoy a fun day playing along white beaches or exploring dense jungles. For many, it was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime, but for everyone in the region, it would instead become a fight for survival. Around 8:00 a.m. on December 26, a massive earthquake registering a 9.1-9.3 on the Richter Scale struck off of Sumatra, Indonesia, making it the 3rd strongest earthquake ever recorded by seismographs. On top of that, the earthquake shook for nearly 10 minutes and generated incredibly strong tsunami waves, some of which topped out at over 100 feet tall as they crashed inland in places like Thailand, India, and Indonesia. Given the great distances traveled, some of the tsunami waves didn't reach shore until 7 hours after the earthquake, but thanks to the element of surprise, people in the region had virtually no warning of what was coming. With more energy than that generated by every weapon and bomb used during World War II combined, the tsunami waves pulverized entire towns and swept away hundreds of thousands of people across Southeast Asia, in addition to displacing more than a million people. Given how calamitous the events were, a massive outpouring of humanitarian support was sent to the affected areas, and over $10 billion was poured into relief efforts. Not surprisingly, a better tsunami detection system was also designed to prevent against any similar occurrence, even though it's believed that the last similar event in that region took place over 500 years earlier. The 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami: The Story of the Deadliest Natural Disaster of the 21st Century chronicles the incredibly powerful earthquake and the deadly tsunami waves it triggered in Southeast Asia. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the 2004 earthquake and tsunami like never before, in no time at all.