Charles River

*Includes pictures *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "I think the secret is really observation. Well, if you observe what's going on and try to figure out how people are thinking, I think you can always write something that people will understand." - Sam Cooke 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. If Sam Cooke, one of the greatest African-American soul singers in the genre's history, had been Irish, he might have kept company with the likes of the great balladeer and classical tenor John McCormack. If he had been born Italian, he might have starred in the refined, lyrical Mozart opera roles usually reserved for those with an extreme musical sensitivity. Such was the level of excellence in Cooke's inner understanding of his own voice, which was capable of exquisite classical precision and a finesse in phrasing that lay far beyond the norm. He could have prospered and attained greatness in any genre of his choice, but considering the timing of the American audience, and his African-American heritage, Sam Cooke instead pioneered a new genre and became its greatest practitioner by blending black musical traditions that incorporated all the refinement and beauty of European classical genres yet still spoke from the heart of his rural American roots. The timing of Cooke's appearance was perfect, coming as it did at a historical intersection where blues, jazz, country, gospel, and numerous traditional black forms met on the verge of transforming into new musical blends that included rock and new variant forms of jazz. In this genre, soul music, Cooke, above all others, had what it took to lead its ascent in the American pop music industry. As a masterful singer of any of the stylistic blends that went into soul, bringing the older forms along with him, and as both a songwriter and entrepreneur, Cooke would prove to be "one of the most influential black vocalists of the post-World War II period." Sam Cooke's legacy can be found both within the musical and in the inner workings and procedures of his industry, after dozens of high-profile African American artists followed his lead, and obtained new freedom and profit from their own work. As a singer who sold ten million copies as a crossover artist, he set a high vocal bar for all those who came after, and his artistic personality and "suave, sophisticated image set the style of soul crooners for the next decade. A number of artists in the following generation who were either directly launched by his musical influence, mentorship, or producing skills, included many of the newly-emerging stars, such as Smokey Robinson, James Taylor, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, his prot g Bobby Womack, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and James Brown." American Legends: The Life of Sam Cooke looks at the life and career of one of America's most influential musicians. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Sam Cooke like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts of the construction of the Hagia Sophia and its appearance *Includes a bibliography for further reading "So the church has been made a spectacle of great beauty, stupendous to those who see it and altogether incredible to those who hear of it... Its breadth and length have been so fittingly proportioned that it may without impropriety be described as being both very long and extremely broad. And it boasts of an ineffable beauty, for it subtly combines its mass with the harmony of its proportions, having neither any excess nor any deficiency, inasmuch as it is more pompous than ordinary buildings] and considerably more decorous than those which are huge beyond measure; and it abounds exceedingly in gleaming sunlight. You might say that the interior] space is not illuminated by the sun from the outside, but that the radiance is generated within, so great an abundance of light bathes this shrine all round." - Procopius The Hagia Sophia, built from 532-537, is inarguably the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture and one of the greatest buildings ever constructed. Upon its completion, the Hagia Sophia remained the largest enclosed space in the world for nearly a thousand years, a reign that only ended after the rebuilding of St. Peter's in Rome. Fittingly, the rebuilding of St. Peter's was partly inspired by the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque in 1453. The building of Hagia Sophia itself was shocking and transformational. Beginning with Procopius of Caesarea, Justinian's court historian, visitor after visitor noted that the giant dome seems to hover on air, and it's unquestionably true that the arches, vaults, semidomes, and domes add up for an otherworldly, ethereal effect. The surfaces are enriched by colored marble and elaborate mosaics, and when viewing from the aisles and galleries, looking into the nave is dramatic thanks to all the interconnecting layered spaces and repeating, complex curved forms. Interestingly, however, the brick exterior of the building was left unadorned, representing a shell that houses a magnificent interior. The Hagia Sophia examines the history of one of the world's most famous religious sites and analyzes the religion and politics that shaped its fate.

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts written by some of the workers *Describes the design and construction of the ship, including its safety features, exterior, and first class amenities *Includes a bibliography for further reading "I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel." - Captain Edward J. Smith "The appearance of safety was mistaken for safety itself." - Walter Lord, author of A Night to Remember Just before midnight on April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, the largest ship in the world, hit an iceberg, starting a chain of events that would ultimately make it history's most famous, and notorious, ship. In the over 100 years since it sank on its maiden voyage, the Titanic has been the subject of endless fascination, as evidenced by the efforts to find its final resting spot, the museums full of its objects, and the countless books, documentaries, and movies made about the doomed ocean liner. The Titanic was neither the first nor last big ship to sink, so it's clear that much of its appeal stems from the nature of ship itself. Indeed, the Titanic stands out not just for its end but for its beginning, specifically the fact that it was the most luxurious passenger ship ever built at the time. In addition to the time it took to come up with the design, the giant ship took a full three years to build, and no effort or cost was spared to outfit the Titanic in the most lavish ways. Given that the Titanic was over 100 feet tall, nearly 900 feet long, and over 90 feet wide, it's obvious that those who built her and provided all of its famous amenities had plenty of work to do. The massive ship was carrying thousands of passengers and crew members, each with their own experiences on board, and the various amenities offered among the different classes of passengers ensured that life on some decks of the ship was quite different than life on others. Thanks to the dramatization of the Titanic's sinking and the undying interest in the story, millions of people are familiar with various aspects of the ship's demise, and the nearly 1,500 people who died in the North Atlantic in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. The sinking of the ship is still nearly as controversial now as it was over 100 years ago, and the drama is just as compelling. However, while the sinking of the Titanic will always be a compelling story, the construction of the Titanic is often overlooked, despite being an amazing story itself, and one that combined both comfort and raw power with the world's foremost technological advances. Building the RMS Titanic examines the history behind the origins of the ship, the construction of the boat, and a look at the rooms and amenities it held. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the construction of the Titanic like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the earthquake and aftermath by people across the Bay Area, including policemen, firefighters, and people at the World Series *Includes a bibliography for further reading "I'll tell you what-we're having an earth-" - Al Michaels broadcasting the World Series on ABC as the earthquake struck and before the feed went out "Well folks, that's the greatest open in the history of television, bar none " - Al Michaels after the ABC feed was restored On October 17, 1989, millions of Americans tuning in to watch the Oakland Athletics face the San Francisco Giants in the World Series watched the cameras suddenly start to shake violently for several seconds. The national broadcast had just caught an earthquake registering a 6.9 on the Richter scale striking the Bay Area, and by the time the earthquake and the resulting fires were over and dealt with, over 60 people were dead, making it San Francisco's deadliest earthquake since the 1906 earthquake and fire. The damage and devastation across the Bay Area was widespread, despite the precautions and changes that the region had made in the wake of the 1906 calamity. After that disaster, San Francisco began the process of reinforcing new buildings and seismic retrofitting of old ones to help structures brace for earthquakes, but even in the 1980s they were still more concerned about potential fires resulting from an earthquake. Furthermore, after the earthquake in 1906, San Francisco created an Auxiliary Water Supply System that could distribute water to any section of the city, and the city built it with stringent codes in the event of an earthquake. In fact, just a few years before 1989, San Francisco created a Portable Water Supply System and upgraded the fire departments. San Francisco's water supply systems worked perfectly, quickly allowing firefighters to put out a fire in the Marina District before it spread, but this time the biggest problem was "liquefaction," in which saturated soil literally melted away as it was unable to hold any more liquid. The shaking of the earthquake then created cracks in the liquefied soil, and attempts to protect buildings from the violent movements could not safeguard them from the land melting away from under it. The most noteworthy damage occurred to several sections of highways in the Bay Area that did not hold up during the earthquake, despite the fact the earthquake in 1906 was much more powerful. A section of the Bay Bridge collapsed, and the double-decker I-880 collapsed at the Cypress Street Viaduct, killing more than 40 people in Oakland. As with the earthquake in 1906, the 1989 earthquake brought about changes in an effort to make the region safer. One immediate reaction by Bay Area leaders was to do away with double-decker highways; while highways like the Bay Bridge were seismically reinforced and retrofitted, I-880 was demolished, as was I-280 and the Central Freeway. Over the next several years, the Bay Area rebuilt and rerouted these highways, which cost billions of dollars. The unfinished double-decker Embarcadero Freeway, which had been approved over 30 years before the earthquake despite stiff resistance, was also demolished. The 1989 Bay Area Earthquake: The Story of San Francisco's Second Deadliest Earthquake chronicles one of the most notorious natural disasters in California's history and one of the most important seismic events on record. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the 1989 Bay Area earthquake like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes quotes from the leaders about each other and their lives *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading Gamal Abdel Nasser has been called many things. The father of modern-day Egypt. The founder of Arab nationalism. The leader of the Egyptian Revolution. The second president of the Egyptian Republic. The creator of his own brand of political and social governance - Nasserism. Anthony Eden, the former British Prime Minister, called him the "Mussolini of the Nile." Nasser was all of these things and much more. Indeed, he led the revolution that overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and subsequently shaped and led the new Egyptian government. He became a prominent regional and world leader, playing a significant role in the Non-Alignment Movement that he co-founded, formed during the midst of the Cold War. He led his country toward modernization and industrialization, implementing social and economic reforms focused on strengthening the nation and improving the lives of the people. Yet, Nasser's legacy goes beyond state governance and policies; his name, to this day, evokes great emotion among Egyptians and much of the Arab world. His funeral in 1970 drew millions of mourners and an outpouring of genuine grief across the Arab world. In addition to working to carve a path for a new Egypt, Nasser aimed to help the rest of the Arab nations of the Middle East by uniting the historically uncooperative Arab countries and encouraging them to act as a united front. Nasser was not the first to see that Arab countries more often than not had much in common, including resources, political policies, and social structures, but he was the first to take action and work to get the Arab countries to work together. The concept of pan-Arabism that Nasser furthered during his presidency had lasting impact on the region that continued decades after his death. Nasser continues to remain an iconic figure in the region, symbolizing Arab dignity, pride, and unity. A significant figure in his own right, Sadat was determined to set himself apart, but he was often compared to his good friend and predecessor Gamal Abdel Nasser. However, this was a man who was passionate about more than just peace; he fought diligently for the stabilization and growth of his country, for the implementation of a wide-reaching open-door economic policy, and for the strengthening of the Egyptian culture, spirit, and nation. Though he was often seen as the prot g of Nasser, and he certainly was, he proved to be much more than that as he made a significant effort to emerge from his predecessor's shadow. As with many historic moments that inspired significant change, not everyone was supportive of Sadat's peace efforts. Only two years after the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty, President Sadat was assassinated by members of an Islamic fundamentalist group, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, in October 1981. As a president who succeeded the revolutionary Gamal Abdel Nasser and was succeeded by the long-reigning Hosni Mubarak, Sadat and his legacy are often overshadowed by the forceful prowess and authoritative legacies of Nasser and Mubarak, his presidency reduced to the peace treaty and the subsequent Nobel Prize he received. In fact, Sadat appeared to have suffered from a misrepresented image for much of his military and political career. Over three decades since the death of Sadat, the Middle East and the world still wonder, discuss, and debate his legacy. Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat chronicles the life and legacy of one of Egypt's two famous presidents. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Nasser and Sadat like never before.

*Includes pictures *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading "Our path to Palestine will not be covered with a red carpet or with yellow sand. Our path to Palestine will be covered with blood... In order that we may liberate Palestine, the Arab nation must unite, the Arab armies must unite, and a unified plan of action must be established." - Nasser Gamal Abdel Nasser has been called many things. The father of modern-day Egypt. The founder of Arab nationalism. The leader of the Egyptian Revolution. The second president of the Egyptian Republic. The creator of his own brand of political and social governance - Nasserism. Anthony Eden, the former British Prime Minister, called him the "Mussolini of the Nile." Nasser was all of these things and much more. Indeed, he led the revolution that overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and subsequently shaped and led the new Egyptian government. He became a prominent regional and world leader, playing a significant role in the Non-Alignment Movement that he co-founded, formed during the midst of the Cold War. He led his country toward modernization and industrialization, implementing social and economic reforms focused on strengthening the nation and improving the lives of the people. Yet, Nasser's legacy goes beyond state governance and policies; his name, to this day, evokes great emotion among Egyptians and much of the Arab world. His funeral in 1970 drew millions of mourners and an outpouring of genuine grief across the Arab world. Nasser continues to remain an iconic figure in the region, symbolizing Arab dignity, pride, and unity. In addition to working to carve a path for a new Egypt, Nasser aimed to help the rest of the Arab nations of the Middle East by uniting the historically uncooperative Arab countries and encouraging them to act as a united front. Nasser was not the first to see that Arab countries more often than not had much in common, including resources, political policies, and social structures, but he was the first to take action and work to get the Arab countries to work together. The concept of pan-Arabism that Nasser furthered during his presidency had lasting impact on the region that continued decades after his death. As such, Gamal Abdel Nasser made a significant mark on the regional and global politics of the 20th century. Though not many were his supporters, and fewer were his friend, all were aware of his influence and capabilities. Many of the other Arab leaders of the region feared him for his eloquence and his ability to inspire millions using only words, whether written or spoken; they were afraid he would incite their own populations to revolt. In other areas of the world, the British sought ways to reestablish their dominance over the Egyptian government, the Soviets worried that their friendship with Nasser had a deadline, and the Americans worried that Nasser would turn all of the Middle East against them. And the greatest anxiety over Egypt was held by the Israelis, who feared that Nasser was the one leader who could truly unite the Arab nations against them. But everyone, from his friends and supporters to his enemies, acknowledged and respected his bravery, idealism, and devotion to his country and people. Gamal Abdel Nasser: The Life and Legacy of Egypt's Second President examines the life and legacy of one of the Middle East's most influential leaders, from his early life and military career to his role in the 1952 revolution. This book also explores his turbulent presidency and his lasting legacy. Along with a bibliography and pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Nasser like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures*Includes passengers' accounts of the ship's last day and its sinking*Includes a bibliography for further reading"Barrels and chairs were being thrown overboard. Then suddenly, when we still seemed very near, we saw the ship was sinking rapidly. I was in the bow of the boat with my daughter and turned to see the great ship take a plunge toward the bow, the two forward funnels seemed to lean and then she seemed to break in half as if cut with a knife, and as the bow went under the lights went out; the stern stood up for several minutes, black against the stars, and then that, too, plunged down, and there was no sound for what seemed like hours, and then began the cries for help of people drowning all around us, which seemed to go on forever." - Emily RyersonJust before midnight on April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, the largest ship in the world, hit an iceberg, starting a chain of events that would ultimately make it history's most famous, and notorious, ship. In the over 100 years since it sank on its maiden voyage, the Titanic has been the subject of endless fascination, as evidenced by the efforts to find its final resting spot, the museums full of its objects, and the countless books, documentaries, and movies made about the doomed ocean liner. The Titanic was neither the first nor last big ship to sink, so it's clear that much of its appeal stems from the nature of ship itself. Indeed, the Titanic stands out not just for its end but for its beginning, specifically the fact that it was the most luxurious passenger ship ever built at the time. In addition to the time it took to come up with the design, the giant ship took a full three years to build, and no effort or cost was spared to outfit the Titanic in the most lavish ways. Given that the Titanic was over 100 feet tall, nearly 900 feet long, and over 90 feet wide, it's obvious that those who built her and provided all of its famous amenities had plenty of work to do. The massive ship was carrying thousands of passengers and crew members, each with their own experiences on board, and the various amenities offered among the different classes of passengers ensured that life on some decks of the ship was quite different than life on others. Thanks to the dramatization of the Titanic's sinking and the undying interest in the story, millions of people are familiar with various aspects of the ship's demise, and the nearly 1,500 people who died in the North Atlantic in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. The sinking of the ship is still nearly as controversial now as it was over 100 years ago, and the drama is just as compelling. The Sinking of the RMS Titanic chronicles the ship's final hours and the tragedy that ensued, explaining what happened. It also documents different passengers' accounts of that fateful night. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the sinking of the Titanic like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes passengers' accounts and testimony from the investigations *Explains the different investigations' findings and the changes made *Includes a bibliography for further reading Just before midnight on April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, the largest ship in the world, hit an iceberg, setting in motion a chain of events that would ultimately make it history's most famous, and notorious, ship. In the over 100 years since it sank on its maiden voyage, the Titanic has been the subject of endless fascination, as evidenced by the efforts to find its final resting spot, the museums full of its objects, and the countless books, documentaries, and movies made about the doomed ocean liner. Thanks to the dramatization of the Titanic's sinking and the undying interest in the story, millions of people are familiar with various aspects of the ship's demise, and the nearly 1,500 people who died in the North Atlantic in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. The sinking of the ship is still nearly as controversial now as it was over 100 years ago, and the drama is just as compelling. The Titanic was neither the first nor last big ship to sink, so it's clear that much of its appeal stems from the nature of ship itself. Indeed, the Titanic stands out not just for its end but for its beginning, specifically the fact that it was the most luxurious passenger ship ever built at the time. In addition to the time it took to come up with the design, the giant ship took a full three years to build, and no effort or cost was spared to outfit the Titanic in the most lavish ways. Given that the Titanic was over 100 feet tall, nearly 900 feet long, and over 90 feet wide, it's obvious that those who built her and provided all of its famous amenities had plenty of work to do. The massive ship was carrying thousands of passengers and crew members, each with their own experiences on board, and the various amenities offered among the different classes of passengers ensured that life on some decks of the ship was quite different than life on others. Much has been made through the years about the failures of those designing the Titanic to take proper safety precautions, and how these failings led to the disaster and huge loss of life. In fact, the number of lives lost was so great that it can be hard to believe that the death toll might have been higher. Nonetheless, it's true that many more would have died without the courageous efforts of those on the ships who responded to the Titanic's distress calls and sailed through the same dangerous conditions that brought down the "unsinkable" ship itself. The drama involved with the sinking of the Titanic often obscures the important aftermath of the disaster, particularly the several investigations conducted on both sides of the Atlantic that sought to figure out not only why the Titanic sank but future changes that could be made in order to protect ships and passengers in the future. In fact, the course of the investigations was interesting in itself, especially since the British and Americans reached wildly different conclusions about what went wrong and led to the ship's demise. Investigating the Sinking of the Titanic chronicles the immediate aftermath of the tragedy and the investigations and changes that followed. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the investigations like never before.

*Includes pictures *Includes quotes from Muslim Brotherhood leaders like Sayyid Qutb *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading In 2011, Egypt quickly became one of the most active countries during the Arab Spring, with Tahrir Square in Cairo becoming the focal point of both violent protests and peaceful political demonstrations. Inspired by the protesters in Tunisia, beginning in January 2011, Egyptians rallied to the square and in the streets by the thousands, marching, protesting, and calling for the fall of then-President Hosni Mubarak. Throughout the next several months until the overthrow of Mubarak in February 2011, millions of protesters from a wide range of socio-economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds demanded a regime change across Egypt. As significant as it was for the Egyptian people, the Egyptian Arab Spring was a key turning point for the Muslim Brotherhood - Egypt's largest and long-oppressed opposition group. The Brotherhood played a key role in organizing demonstrations, pitting the Egyptian and world media against the Mubarak regime, and orchestrating violent riots and clashes between civilian protesters and the Egyptian security forces, further portraying the regime in a negative light. But it was after the revolution that the Brotherhood truly reaped its rewards; it formed a legal political party and ran in the subsequent parliamentary elections, winning a large number of seats that were previously unavailable to them. Then, in June 2012, the Brotherhood made history in Egypt when it successfully managed to install its candidate Mohamed Morsi as president. Perhaps no group was surprised by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's swift and largely unopposed rise to power than the Brotherhood itself; for decades, the group had suffered a long history of severe oppression and internal crises, but in the political environment created by the Arab Spring, it only took less than two years for the Brotherhood to control the Egyptian government. As it turned out, it was Islamists who reaped the greatest advantages of the Arab Spring, not only in Egypt, but abroad as well. In Tunisia, the Islamist Nahda party won the largest majority in the post-revolution elections and went on to lead the new government in a country that had endured the dictatorship of President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali for five decades. Additionally, in other countries across the Arab world, Brotherhood-affiliated or Brotherhood-inspired parties won significant victories that would have been impossible a decade earlier; both the Brotherhood's Justice and Construction Party in Libya and the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria have made definitive gains in establishing political force and influence post-Arab Spring. Despite the gains the group finally made after the Egyptian Arab Spring, as of September 2014, the Brotherhood has reverted to its former position as a banned organization. Mohamed Morsi was toppled by a military coup in July 2013, and on December 25, 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood was officially declared by the Egyptian government a terrorist organization. In the following months, tens of thousands of alleged Brotherhood members and suspected supporters were arrested, tried for vague charges of involvement in violent protests and clashes, and sentenced to jail; in an unprecedented ruling, an Egyptian court went so far as to sentence several hundred to death for their participation in riots that turned violent. While the Muslim Brotherhood has always been centered in Egypt, its ideology and influence has been exported by many individuals and affiliated groups over the decades, to the extent that just about every radical Sunni group across the Middle East has its roots in the Brotherhood, from Hamas to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda. As a result, even as it remained a banned party in Egypt, it retained an outsized influence across the region.

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading "I never take any notice of reviews - unless a critic has thought up some new way of describing me. That old one about my lizard eyes and anteater nose and the way I sleep my way through pictures is so hackneyed now." - Robert Mitchum 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. If one assembled a list of the most iconic actors of the film noir genre, Robert Mitchum would surely rank at the top of the list. With his deadpan fa ade and slow, monotone verbal delivery, Mitchum encapsulated the disillusioned hero of the postwar crime genre. In many of his most famous movies from the postwar era, including Out of the Past (1947) and Angel Face (1952), Mitchum plays anti-heroes who are victims of circumstance, but even as he is placed in situations beyond his control, he maintains a cool, if dispassionate countenance. Mitchum was, in short, neither a hero nor a villain but someone who seemed to defy the often-simplistic distinctions between protagonist and antagonist, hero and villain. Even so, for someone who put on such a cool fa ade, Mitchum certainly experienced a great deal of hardship. From the death of his father, James, to his rough adolescence-much of which was spent traveling on railcars during the throes of the Great Depression-Robert Mitchum lived the part of the hard-luck antiheroes he portrayed onscreen. Up until his adult life, there was little indication that he would grow up to become anything more than a working-class factory worker, let alone a world-famous movie star. It is telling that Mitchum remained within the confines of the gritty noir and western genres; to imagine him acting in a romantic comedy would be antithetical to the reputation that he built. Mitchum was, to be sure, one of the premier A-list stars of the 1940s and 1950s, but he was a leading man in the hypermasculine mold of Humphrey Bogart rather than the more diverse skill set of Henry Fonda or Jimmy Stewart. In any event, one of the great mysteries of Robert Mitchum's career is that for all the poor luck that his characters experienced, he still was able to affect a debonair sensibility that made him identifiable-a man to which viewers were irresistibly attracted, even if his characters did not necessarily warrant such a response. This biography looks at the process that led from Robert Mitchum rising from impoverished Depression-era youth to leading Hollywood celebrity. Mitchum's harsh childhood, including the premature death of his father and his dangerous life on the road, are discussed, as well as the process that saw him ascend through the acting industry. Important themes from Mitchum's films are discussed (including postwar masculinity and the role of the antihero), as is the cultural climate in which he worked, which was to a large degree responsible for facilitating his rise to fame. American Legends: The Life of Robert Mitchum looks at the life and career of one of America's most famous film noir actors. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Robert Mitchum like never before, in no time at all.