Charles River

*Includes pictures. *Includes Lee's own quotes about his life, martial arts, and philosophy. *Includes a bibliography for further reading. "When you're talking about fighting, as it is, with no rules, well then, baby you'd better train every part of your body " - Bruce Lee "The slender, swift Bruce Lee was the Fred Astaire of martial arts, and many of the fights that could be merely brutal come across as lightning-fast choreography." - Pauline Kael's review of Enter the Dragon 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. It would be nearly impossible for someone to pack more action into 32 years than Bruce Lee, whose name remains practically synonymous with martial arts excellence and kung fu movies. He was undoubtedly the forerunner to martial arts stars who came in his wake, including Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan, a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that he grew up as a sickly child. His upbringing was simultaneously one of great privilege and hardship, which had a huge impact on his career down the road; even when he began to fill out his skinny frame, trouble on the streets created a whirlwind set of circumstances that all but required Lee to move to America before he was 20. Despite being the most famous star of the genre and the man who almost singlehandedly popularized martial arts in the West, the films that helped make Lee a global icon were not even made in the United States but were instead shot and produced in Hong Kong, after which they received large-scale international distribution. Furthermore, for all of his fame, none of Bruce Lee's movies are commonly regarded as masterpieces, and they have always been viewed more as popular entertainment than as significant artistic achievements. Some might be able to name the short list of movies in which he starred and may know that Enter the Dragon (1973) is his most iconic picture, but his movies were never among those considered for Academy Award nominations. Nonetheless, Bruce Lee has not been neglected by serious scholars of cinema, a fact that attests to the cultural significance of his films and his own star image. That Lee was able to become an international icon is all the more remarkable in light of the fact that he died suddenly and unexpectedly before the age of 33, leaving many to reasonably argue that he had yet to even reach the pinnacle of his career. As it was, the list of accomplishments speaks to his relentless work schedule and unparalleled drive. Bruce Lee was arguably the greatest martial artist who ever lived, but he's also remembered today for being spiritual and philosophical. In addition to writing at length about those topics, Lee considered those elements essential to his physical fitness and training. In reference to a form of martial arts that came to bear his name, he explained, "Too much time is given to the development of skill and too little to the development of the individual for participation... Jeet Kune Do] ultimately is not a matter of petty techniques but of highly developed spirituality and physique." In the process of becoming so famous, Lee played an outsized part in changing the representation of Asians on screen and in pop culture, even though Lee was both a product of his cultural background and someone who broke away from his background and challenged cultural conventions. American Legends: The Life of Bruce Lee examines the life and career of the world's most famous martial artist. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Bruce Lee like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures. *Includes Dylan's quotes about his life and career. *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading. "I have dined with kings, I've been offered wings. And I've never been too impressed." - Bob Dylan In the space of just a few years, Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, rose from the obscurity of a small Minnesota town to a position of royalty atop the folk music landscape of the 1960s, with a universal esteem and status on a par with Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Not content to remain for long within that niche, however, he went on to conquer rock with elements of blues, jazz, pop, country, Gospel, rockabilly and ethnic music of the British Isles, not to mention authoring several books, working in film soundtracks, acting, and holding international art exhibits of his work along the way. He even developed a fondness for old school rap, such as Public Enemy. In the 1960s, "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are A' Changing" "became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements," but long after the transition from the '50s to the late '60s and '70s was accomplished, the initially baffling young folk singer who appeared out of nowhere was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for "his profound impact on popular music, and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power." Over the span of his career, he has received Grammy Awards, Golden Globes, Academy Award Oscars, and he has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, not to mention the Pulitzer Prize and Presidential Medal of Freedom. Like other artists who depended on the skill of their texts, ideas or vocal interpretation, such as Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin, Dylan never possessed a conventionally beautiful voice, and as a pure vocalist, he did nothing out of the ordinary, as he once admitted, "Nothing can affect my voice, it's so bad." However, in an era of pure vocal timbres, lilting phrases and a throwback to the quasi-classical genres brought from the British Isles during the British Invasion, he overcame and broke down the universal idea of the voice being the first priority with the music and text coming second. Even for those in the audience that did not follow such a belief, the works of Bob Dylan could be heard anywhere within the industry at the height of his fame, and his charisma and mythologized image did the rest. Numerous friends and colleagues made his songs famous, and well into his career, over 3,000 artists have undertaken them on stage and recording, with over 100 covers of "Blowin' in the Wind" alone. Included among the many artists who enjoyed hits with Dylan songs are Sonny and Cher, The Hollies, and Herman's Hermits. Throughout a thriving and energetic career that has continued into his 70s, the man who served as "the voice of a generation," "the voice of protest," and "the Bard" during the years of the American youth revolution has refused to remain where fans, colleagues and record companies can easily identify and market him, and he has similarly defied becoming an artist confined to the nostalgia of one generation. Through the decades, Dylan has found himself on more than one side of the youth movement; with an intense drive to explore and produce, he has, at times, rebelled against the rebellion, and he refuses to be commanded by his present audience or industry, even if it alienated many along the way. American Legends: The Life of Bob Dylan examines the life and career of America's most famous folk artist and one of its most iconic musicians. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Dylan like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes Graham's quotes about his life and work *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith." - Billy Graham 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 the 21st century, Americans are intimately familiar with televangelists and preachers with a national reputation, and their shows are ubiquitous, but in the middle of the 20th century, the phenomenon was popularized by the most famous evangelist in American history: Billy Graham. As biographer Grant Wacker put it, "By the middle 1960s, he had become the 'Great Legitimator'. ... His presence conferred sanctity on events, authority on presidents, acceptability on wars, desirability on decency, and] shame on indecency.... By the middle 1970s, many deemed him 'America's pastor.'" By his mid-20s, Graham was a Baptist pastor in the Midwest, and throughout the 1940s, he began traveling across the country to spread his ministry and message through large gatherings that he termed "crusades." In time, these crusades would take place in nearly 200 nations and attract hundreds of millions of people, helping catapult him to international prominence and making him a household name. In the process, Graham became a figure of political importance, not only for his outspoken stances on issues like civil rights and other social issues but because he was close to political leaders like Dwight D. Eisenhower. At the same time, he was controversial among some, including Harry Truman, who was quoted as saying "I hadn't ought to say this, but he's one of those counterfeits I was telling you about. He claims he's a friend of all the Presidents, but he was never a friend of mine when I was President. I just don't go for people like that. All he's interested in is getting his name in the paper." When President Nixon's tapes were declassified, some of Graham's anti-Semitic comments to the president about Jews controlling the media were also made public, further tarnishing his image. Nonetheless, Graham continues to be a popular figure, and it's estimated that his message has reached more than 2 billion people through radio, television, and other media. In conjunction with that, it's believed that he has converted millions of people to Christianity. American Legends: The Life of Billy Graham examines the life and career of America's most famous evangelist. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Billy Graham like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures of Clinton and important people, places and events in his life. "Sometime in my sixteenth year, I decided I wanted to be in public life as an elected official. I loved music and thought I could be very good, but I knew I would never be John Coltrane or Stan Getz. I was interested in medicine and thought I could be a fine doctor, but I knew I would never be Michael DeBakey. But I knew I could be great in public service." - Bill Clinton 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. It would be impossible to sum up the life and legacy of Bill Clinton in one sentence or even one paragraph, as the former president represents many different things to many different people. Indeed, the yin and yang of Clinton's life and career are inescapable. Widely hailed as the greatest politician of his era, Clinton proved to be his own worst enemy, creating unnecessary scandals through his womanizing. Clinton was one of the first politicians to truly connect with young adults, yet in the process he provided ludicrous soundbytes like "I did not inhale." Long considered the Democratic Party's greatest spokesman and surrogate, Clinton's presidency was defined by centrist "triangulation". And though he is still publicly popular and considered a great president, Clinton became just the second president to be impeached in the House of Representatives. Regardless of what Americans think of him, one thing Clinton does represent is the American Dream. Born to a single mother in Hope, Arkansas, Clinton used his ambition, hard work and intelligence to become a Rhodes scholar. As a teenager, a meeting with President Kennedy helped drive him toward politics, which he pursued after getting his law degree at Yale, where he met future wife Hillary Rodham. Clinton ran for the U. S. House of Representatives in 1974 but was defeated, which spurred him into state politics in Arkansas, where he climbed the ladder from Attorney General to Governor at just 32 years old. He spent most of the 1980s as Arkansas' governor and a prominent voice in the more centrist wing of the Democratic Party, favoring welfare reform and smaller government. In 1992, Clinton truly became "The Comeback Kid", managing to win the Democratic primaries after losing the first two primaries, and going on to defeat incumbent President George H. W. Bush. After a failed healthcare reform initiative and huge Republican gains in the midterm elections of 1994, Clinton moved to the middle, governing as a centrist. And as the first president with a full term in the wake of the Soviet Union's dissolution, Clinton was widely responsible for charting a new foreign policy course for the U. S., which was now the world's sole superpower. His foreign interventions in places like Bosnia and Somalia greatly influenced future projections of American power and global events. Clinton left office with budget surpluses and a high approval rating, despite the never-ending controversies swirling around him, and he has since doubled as a political surrogage and global ambassador for his country. American Legends: The Life of Bill Clinton chronicles Clinton's life and career, including all of its famous highs and infamous lows, as well as the controversies and legacy he left in his wake. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about The Comeback Kid like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes Holliday's quotes *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "Don't threaten me with love, baby, let's just go walking in the rain" - Billie Holiday 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 Billie Holiday wanted to become a jazz singer, she chose the best of all eras in which to attempt it. A wave of great jazz and jazz/pop crossover artists swept over the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s, generating a golden age for the genre. This wondrous jazz era was well represented by both black and white master artists, men, women, vocalists, and instrumentalists, and Billie Holiday has stood the test of time as well as any, despite struggling with an environment that easily could have doomed such aspirations. Emerging from such a powerful group of talented vocalists was not easy. The woman who has come to represent a model of great, instinctive jazz singing came from nowhere, had nothing, and virtually had no one who was truly helpful in her background. She was raw and untrained but went forward regardless, with limited and quirky vocal gifts, the likes of which had never been heard in the highest circles of jazz. This especially was true among women, where perfection of phrasing and a smooth style of delivery stood as the unspoken guidelines of vocal success. No female counterpart of Louis Armstrong, one of Holiday's idols, was ever going to survive in the female jazz world for long, except perhaps as a novelty. It was not only hard-headed persistence that made Holiday "a preeminent female jazz vocalist" but a self-education, with the core belief that to sound like another singer was to not make music at all. Singing only from her deepest instinct and accepting no one as a literal model, she magically "changed the paradigm for jazz singing" by refusing to do anything the way it was expected to be done, or by swinging in any way that did not come authentically from her own artistry. Holiday "rewrote the rules" of jazz singing by using her voice not to imitate other singers, but by taking on the style of movement and sound common to jazz instruments. On top of that, she took the moderately employed practice of singing off the beat and brought it to the rhythmic forefront of virtually everything she sang. Holiday could "subtly twist the] rhythm" in a way never before heard, "in the manner of an instrumental soloist." Grateful to Louis Armstrong as a model, any song she took up was transformed rhythmically, tonally, and emotionally, with her "light and untrained" instrument, which despite its clarity could wield "a wounded poignancy" . Listeners were astonished to hear the human female voice so hauntingly able to reflect the sounds and styles of familiar instruments. Holiday's comment on the phenomenon suggested that although she used instruments as models of vocal production and movement, she would not directly imitate anything - "I don't think I'm singing. I feel like I'm playing a horn...like Louis Armstrong or someone else I admire... but] I can't even copy me" . American Legends: The Life of Billie Holiday looks at the life and career of one of America's most famous singers. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Billie Holiday like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures of Davis and important people, places, and scenes. *Includes Davis' own quotes about her upbringing, films and relationships. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Even the most inconsiderable film ... seemed temporarily better than they were because of that precise, nervy voice, the pale ash-blond hair, the popping, neurotic eyes, a kind of corrupt and phosphorescent prettiness ... I would rather watch Miss Davis than any number of competent pictures." - English critic Graham Greene, 1936 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. Bette Davis presided over Hollywood at a time in which the film industry was at its most influential. Every actress from Katharine Hepburn to Ingrid Bergman and Ginger Rodgers, themselves now considered among Hollywood's greatest icons, lived in the shadow of Bette Davis. Not only was Davis a box office sensation and commercial success - she became the highest paid actress in 1938 - but she garnered more critical acclaim than any other actress during the time period, as evidenced by the fact that she was the first actress to be nominated for 10 Academy Awards. Even more than two decades after her death, Davis remains popular, and films of hers, most notably All About Eve (1950) and Now, Voyager (1942), are routinely viewed by the public and continue to be taught in college film classes. Recently, her place in history was cemented when she was named as the second greatest actress of the 20th century by the American Film Institute behind only Katharine Hepburn (AFI 100 Years...100 Stars). Her legacy remains unbroken, not only because of her own film performances but also due to the influence she had on subsequent actresses. While no one would question Bette Davis' importance in American film history, it is impossible not to acknowledge that her persona carries a novelty highly distinct from that of other actresses. Davis admittedly never possessed the glamour of Marlene Dietrich, Ingrid Bergman, or other such stars of the time period. Even Katharine Hepburn, another eccentric contemporary of hers, was considered far more capable of playing a romantic lead than Davis. As a result, Davis was relegated to appearing in roles that were less glamorous, unfortunate or even unsympathetic. At the same time, there were benefits that went along with the limitations; Davis was denied the opportunity to appear as attractive as possible before the audience, but she was also able to achieve a unique niche and receive roles that were in many respects more interesting than the one-dimensional characters portrayed by her contemporaries. In this regard, it was her "otherness" that paved the way for Bette Davis to receive the roles that would give her more wealth and critical acclaim than any actress that had come before her. American Legends: The Life of Bette Davis profiles the life and career of one of America's most iconic actresses. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Bette Davis like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures*Includes Streisand's quotes about her life and career*Includes a bibliography for further reading"I was a personality before I became a person - I am simple, complex, generous, selfish, unattractive, beautiful, lazy and driven." - Barbra Streisand"I arrived in Hollywood without having my nose fixed, my teeth capped, or my name changed. That is very gratifying to me." - Barbra StreisandA 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. It should come as no surprise that Barbra Streisand allegedly once declared that she never had any idols as a child, because given how unusual her career has been, it's hard to determine who might have served as her inspiration (Mann). And as the star once put it herself, "I guess if you have an original take on life, or something about you is original, you don't have to study people who came before you. You don't have to mimic anybody. You just have a gut feeling inside, an instinct that tells you what's right for you, and you can't do it in any other way." To be sure, strong-willed women had populated both cinema and popular culture before Streisand, like Katharine Hepburn and Joan Crawford, but Streisand was unique in her ability to appeal to diverse groups in America. She also arrived at a time when acting roles for women were generally less flexible than they would become by the end of the century, and making her story all the more compelling is that Streisand never met conventional standards of American beauty or acting style, leading biographer William Mann to declare that "Barbra had to believe she was special since no one else did." Clearly, there is no denying that if Barbra Streisand possesses considerable talents as a singer and actress, both supported by unshakeable confidence, yet there are also ways in which Streisand has always been insecure, a quality that Stacy Wolf noted when she wrote, "Streisand is gossiped about...as an egomaniacal, control-freak perfectionist on the set (particularly when directing) and as a frail, anxious slip of a girl who solicits opinions from anyone and everyone and still longs for conventional beauty and the approval of a father who died when she was still a small child." As a result, there is an apparent contradiction between Streisand's unbounded confidence and her persistent need to receive praise from others. She may be bold enough to resist fashioning her image in ways that emulate her predecessors, but it's just as necessary to acknowledge that she was prone to the stresses of anxiety. Any complete portrait of the famous star must reconcile the two poles of Streisand, with Streisand the fearless individualist and Streisand the nervous performer forever joined at the hip. American Legends: The Life of Barbra Streisand explores her life and career, and the way in which her confidence and fragility shaped both. As a star who has succeeded in music and film, Streisand's singing and film acting are discussed in detail, all with an eye toward explaining the cultural importance of a singer whose voice Glenn Gould referred to as "one of the natural wonders of the age." Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Barbra Streisand like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures.*Includes Stanwyck's quotes about her own life and career.*Includes a bibliography for further reading." Career is too pompous a word. It was a job, and I have always felt privileged to be paid for what I love doing." - Barbara StanwyckIn the 1940s, film noir was at its peak, and Hollywood was churning out dark, mysterious, exotic and erotic classics like The Big Sleep and To Have and Have Not, which helped turn some of the industry's sultry actresses into superstars. But in 1944, the premiere femme fatale was Barbara Stanwyck, who was the highest paid woman in America that year, thanks to roles like Double Indemnity (1944), in which she uses her persuasive powers to convince a man to commit murder. That film would earn Stanwyck 1 of her 4 Academy Award nominations, and after a nearly 60 year career in acting, the American Film Institute would recognize her as the 11th greatest female screen legend of the 20th century. If anything, Stanwyck's reputation for being a femme fatale obscured the fact that she played strong women that made her seem modern instead of traditional, and not just in noir films. In the comedy Ball of Fire, she played a strong woman that one viewer described as "the kind of woman that makes whole civilizations topple." Her versatility also led to roles in all kinds of genres, including Westerns and traditional dramas, but that should come as no surprise because she was legendary around Hollywood for being a consummate professional that everyone on set loved to work with. Frank Capra noted, "She was destined to be beloved by all directors, actors, crews and extras. In a Hollywood popularity contest she would win first prize hands down." Stanwyck's career was all the more remarkable because she suffered a tough childhood, especially once she was orphaned at the age of 4. Naturally, her rags to riches story made her appreciate the ability to climb the ladder in America and also instilled her with the belief that "hard work with the prospect of rich reward was the American way." This also influenced her political beliefs during the mid-20th century, a contentious time that witnessed the rise of McCarthyism and the Red Scare during the 1950s. American Legends: The Life of Barbara Stanwyck examines the life and career of one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Barbara Stanwyck like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes Aretha's quotes *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well." - Aretha Franklin 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. A certain inevitability characterizes the rise to fame of Aretha Franklin. Indeed, while it is true that neither of her parents were pop singers, they were each talented vocalists-Aretha's father, C. L., was a particularly famous preacher, with a voice so melodic that his sermons effectively doubled as musical performances. Moreover, in an age in which economic opportunities were particularly limited for African-Americans, Aretha was fortunate enough to grow up in a household of relative comfort. Not only was she exposed to music on a daily basis in her household, but her father was a savvy enough businessman to orchestrate her career during its nascent stages, helping her navigate the challenges of entering the music industry. To be certain, in many respects, Aretha Franklin was from an early age the beneficiary of opportunities that are simply unavailable to most aspiring vocalists. At the same time, it is also clear that in quite obvious ways, Aretha Franklin diverted from her parents and, indeed, important aspects of her racial and cultural heritage. Where her father's musical performances were directly related to his faith, Aretha was a pop singer rather than a gospel one. Her musical style was heavily influenced by the musical traditions of gospel, but she also incorporated aspects of rock and other more popular idioms, an important decision that granted her a far wider audience than she could otherwise have hoped to acquire. As much as Franklin's family upbringing prepared her for a career as a vocalist, her decision to break away from the musical tradition that defined her youth also positions her as something of a maverick. Further, while she certainly enjoyed a far greater audience than her father, this also carried its own challenges in a tumultuous era that saw first the Civil Rights Movement and then Second Wave Feminism. More than just someone who was prepared for success from an early age, Aretha Franklin became very much her own person, a socially- and politically-committed individual invested in promoting social change. American Legends: The Life of Aretha Franklin 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 Aretha Franklin like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures of Reagan, Thatcher, and important people, places, and events in their lives. *Includes an in depth analysis of both leaders' political philosophies and records. *Includes a Bibliography on Reagan for further reading. "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" - Ronald Reagan "Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't." - Margaret Thatcher Kindred Spirits. Cold Warriors. Conservative Icons. In the 1980s, U. S. President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher forged a strong bond that shaped the destinies of the United States, the United Kingdom, and all of Europe, banding together to bring about the end of the Soviet Union. While their geopolitical successes earned them a place in history, it was their similar political philosophies that continue to greatly influence the politics of their respective nations over 20 years after they left office. In a story that could have come straight out of Hollywood, golden actor Ronald Reagan rose through California politics to become California governor and eventually the 40th President. The former actor then went on to have one of the most consequential presidencies of the 20th century, unquestionably making him one of the most influential men of the last 50 years. And his name is still as relevant in American politics today, with every politician with an R next to his or her name trying to claim Ronald Reagan's conservative mantle. In the Republican presidential nomination debates in 2011, Reagan's name was invoked an average of over 5 times per debate, more than every other president combined. Meanwhile, Americans of all stripes continue to debate the merits of "Reaganomics" more than 30 years after Reagan was elected. Sir Winston Churchill is often cited as Britain's greatest prime minister for leading the United Kingdom against Hitler's Nazi war machine during World War II, and indeed he was the idol of the one person who many think might have surpassed him: Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher not only became Britain's first female prime minister, she also became its longest serving prime minister. The political precedents Thatcher set as a woman would be enough of a legacy in its own right, but Thatcher effectively wielded her power in a way that made a lasting contribution both to geopolitics and the perception of female politicians in general. Thatcher is widely credited, along with Ronald Reagan, as one of the principal Cold Warriors who brought about the demise of the Soviet Union, whose leaders gave her the famous nickname "Iron Lady". And of course, Thatcher was recently in the spotlight again with the release of the critically acclaimed movie The Iron Lady, starring Meryl Streep. Conservative Icons looks at the private lives of the two leaders, highlights their political accomplishments and conservative philosophies, and analyzes their ongoing political legacies. Along with pictures of Reagan, Thatcher and other important people and events in his life, you will learn about these Conservative Icons like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures of Tesla and important people, places, and events in his life. *Includes a list of some of Tesla's most inspirational and controversial quotes. *Examines the relationship and rivalry between Tesla and Edison. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Throughout space there is energy. Is this energy static or kinetic If static our hopes are in vain; if kinetic - and this we know it is, for certain - then it is a mere question of time when men will succeed in attaching their machinery to the very wheelwork of nature." - Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla was one of history's greatest scientists, and though he is best known for his pioneering work with electricity, the fact that he is mostly remembered solely for that actually does a disservice to his legacy. Born a Serb in the Austrian Empire, Tesla came to the United States and worked in a laboratory for none other than the Wizard of Menlo Park, Thomas Edison. It was through his work on behalf of Edison that Tesla flourished and became a well-known figure in his own right. His work there helped him establish financial backing for his own projects, particularly the design of AC (alternating current) as a system for supplying electricity. This later put him at odds with Edison, who championed DC (direct current), but Tesla's model would come out on top as the 19th century came to a close. Having established AC as an electrical supply system, Tesla became a global celebrity, and his devices and inventions fascinated people. Tesla tinkered with everything from X-rays to wireless communications and even attempted a primitive form of the radio. While Tesla was not able to successfully execute the devices and concepts he foresaw, his forward thinking in fields like wireless communication certainly proved prescient, and his futuristic devices and his later reputation for eccentricity helped create the "mad scientist" image that still remains a pop culture fixture. Tesla seemed to have come to grips with this aspect of his legacy late in life, noting, "The scientific man does not aim at an immediate result. He does not expect that his advanced ideas will be readily taken up. His work is like that of the planter - for the future. His duty is to lay the foundation for those who are to come, and point the way." Legendary Scientists: The Life and Legacy of Nikola Tesla profiles the life and legacy of the famous scientist, while examining his inventions and work. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Tesla like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes a table of contents The United States has one of the most technically sound criminal justice systems in the world. Mostly derived from English common law, the U. S. Constitution explicitly lays out when and how a citizen can be searched and arrested, as well as their other rights to trial. But, as with many of the Constitution's powers, the experiences of the colonists at the hands of the British shaped our legal system's criminal procedure laws. Like most of American jurisprudence, American criminal law is rooted in the early American settler's experience with British law. In fact, when Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence and listed the "repeated injuries and usurpations" of the British monarchy, he named no less than five alleged offenses implicating the criminal justice system. Jefferson noted the King had "refus ed] his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers," and he had "made judges dependent on his will alone." Jefferson also accused the British of conducting "mock trials" to protect their own soldiers who had committed crimes against the colonists, while depriving colonists of the rights to a trial by jury of their own peers. Criminal procedure is a subset of constitutional law that focuses on the procedures by which authorities investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate crimes. Criminal procedure rules frame the behavior of police, prosecutors, and judges when they seek to apprehend, charge, and convict those suspected of committing a crime to ensure that the suspect's constitutional rights are protected. After the colonists won the American Revolution, the Framers set about creating a Constitution that addressed all of these issues. Most of them are addressed in the 4th-8th Amendments of the Constitution. The 4th Amendment prohibits practices such as the writs of assistance by requiring probable cause for warrants, while the 6th and 7th Amendments protect against mock trials by requiring impartial juries and other trial rights. The Constitution also grants defendants the right of habeas corpus, which allows anyone charged with a crime to demand that the evidence against him be produced. However, time and circumstances change. In the 18th century, the Framers rode carriages to Philadelphia, not cars. Authorities had less reason to worry about dangerous weapons that could be hidden in coat pockets. As a result, American courts have had to apply the Constitution to new technology and circumstances beyond what the Framers could have possibly envisioned while drafting the Constitution. Today Americans are familiar with many of the Constitution's protections because they have been inundated with television shows about crime dramas. Many people can state the "Miranda Warning" by memory, a warning totally alien to the Framers. This book comprehensively covers the history and evolution of criminal law and procedure in America.

*Includes pictures. *Explains the campaigns that led to the battles and their aftermath. *Includes accounts of the fighting by some of the battles' participants. *Includes bibliographies for further reading. "England expects that every man will do his duty." - Admiral Horatio Nelson before the Battle of Trafalgar "Believe me, nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won." - Duke of Wellington, at Waterloo Over the course of its history, England has engaged in an uncountable number of battles, but a select few have been celebrated like the Battle of Trafalgar, one of the most important naval battles in history. Before the battle, Napoleon still harbored dreams of sailing an invasion force across the English Channel and subduing England, but that would be dashed on October 21, 1805 by a British fleet that was outnumbered and outgunned. That morning, Admiral Horatio Nelson's fleet, 27 strong, bore down on the Franco-Spanish fleet, approaching at right angles in two columns. By the time the Battle of Trafalgar was finished, Nelson had scored arguably the most decisive victory in the history of naval warfare. The British took 22 vessels of the Franco-Spanish fleet and lost none, but as fate would have it, the man most responsible for the victory in one of history's most famous naval battles did not get to enjoy his crowning experience. The impact of Trafalgar cannot be overstated, as it literally set the stage for the rest of the Napoleonic Era. Unable to invade England, Napoleon was limited to conducting war on the European continent, and while he spent the better part of a decade frustrating the British and their allies, he was eventually undone at Leipzig and then Waterloo nearly a decade after Nelson's victory at Trafalgar. It is late in the evening of 18th June, 1815. The scene is a coaching inn on the road between Charleroi and Brussels, a few miles south of the village of Mont St. Jean, in what is now Belgium. The inn is located on a crossroad, and for 100 yards either side of it men are strewn, dead or dying. These are elements of Napoleon's elite Imperial Guard, three battalions of which had retreated towards the inn at the end of the battle. With the rest of the Armee du Nord streaming past him, Napoleon had taken personal command. Yet before long even these grizzled veterans had joined the rout. Now he too has left the field, fated to head for Paris, captivity, exile and an early death. Waterloo is the most famous battle in modern history if not all of history, and appropriately so. Gathering an army of 100,000 men, Napoleon marched into what is now Belgium, intent on driving his force between the advancing British army under the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian forces under Marshal Blucher. It was the kind of daring strategy that only Napoleon could pull off, as he had at places like Jena and Austerlitz. At Waterloo, however, it would end disastrously, as Napoleon's armies were unable to dislodge Wellington and unable to keep the Prussians from linking up with the British. The battle would end with the French suffering nearly 60% casualties, the end of Napoleon's reign, and the restructuring of the European map. Simply put, the next 200 years of European history can be traced back to the result of the battle that day in 1815. Trafalgar and Waterloo comprehensively covers the entire campaigns, analyzes the decisions made by the battles' most important leaders, and explains the aftermath of the two crucial English victories. Along with bibliographies, maps of the battle, and pictures of important people and places, you will learn about the Trafalgar and Waterloo like you never have before.

*Includes pictures of important people and places. *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading. "For the valley was nothing less than an enclosed paradise of amazing fertility, in which the vertical difference of a few thousand feet spanned the whole gulf between temperate and tropical" - James Hilton, Lost Horizon (1933) In 1933, British author James Hilton introduced the world to a new destination for journeys of the imagination: the hidden valley of Shangri-La. In doing so, Hilton built upon pre-existing fantasies, stereotypes and archetypes, many of which were centuries old, but Hilton also created something new in the form of a vision which captured the imagination of his contemporaries and has remained ever since. In Hilton's novel, Lost Horizon, Shangri-La is a valley high in the north of the Himalayas where a monastery (more accurately, a "lamasery," as the inhabitants were lamas not monks) dedicated to peace and study exists. The precipitously steep valley is also home to a rich variety of flora, and its inhabitants are renowned for their longevity. The Western myth of Shangri-La is part and parcel of a long-term fascination with Tibet, which even today is still seen as a land of mystery, ancient wisdom and spiritual purity on the roof of the world, all of which stands in contrast to the Western world. Even when Lost Horizon was published in 1933, Shangri-La was inseparable from the anxieties of its Western audiences, particularly given the damage done by World War I and the looming World War II. That said, this does not mean that there are not authentic Tibetan roots for the legend. There is no historical legend of Hilton's "Shangri-La", since the ending "la" means "valley" and "shangri" is a word of Hilton's own invention, but there is a relevant piece of Tibetan mythology: the story of Shambhala. This legendary kingdom exists outside (to the north) of Tibet and represents the "pure land" of Buddhist and harmonious living. The story of Shambhala may have influenced Hilton's original work, but it has undoubtedly had an influence on later writing and imaginations of the place. Tibet and Shangri-La: The Search for a Hidden Paradise explores the history of Tibet and legend of Shangri-La from the mists of Tibetan pre-history and traces the history of the idea as it became fused with Buddhism and was tied to the idea of a Pure Land. This book also looks at the West's encounter with Tibet in the early 20th century, including both expeditions and literature that described and popularized Shangri-La in Romantic poems, pulp novels and popular esoteric mysticism. Finally, the book traces the way in which Tibetan culture has moved west and influenced the globe. Along with footnotes, a bibliography and pictures, you will learn about Tibet and Shangri-La like you never have before, in no time at all.

Diferentes ramas de la misma religi n son la excepci n m s que la regla, y han tenido un profundo impacto en la historia. El cisma entre las iglesias ortodoxa y cat lica influy en las relaciones entre las naciones de toda Europa, y la intolerancia religiosa basada en diferentes creencias cristianas llev a la persecuci n y la violencia por todo el continente durante siglos. La Reforma Protestante dividi el cristianismo a n m s, y los resultados culminaron en la incre blemente destructiva Guerra de los Treinta A os en el siglo XVII. Hoy, la divisi n religiosa m s importante es entre los sunitas y los chi es (chi tas) dentro del Islam. A diferencia de las divisiones en otras religiones (entre jud os conservadores y ortodoxos o cat licos y cristianos protestantes) la divisi n entre los sunitas y los chi es ha existido desde hace tanto como la propia fe, y surgi r pidamente de las tensiones creadas por la crisis pol tica despu s de la muerte del Profeta Mahoma. En cierto sentido, lo que ahora son dos formas diferentes de Islam inicialmente comenz como facciones pol ticas dentro del cuerpo unificado de creyentes musulmanes. En los ltimos siglos, los cristianos han sido en su mayor a capaces de vivir junto a sus correligionarios, pero la divisi n entre los sunitas y los chi es es todav a tan pronunciada que muchos adherentes de cada rama se ven con desd n o incluso como ap statas o no creyentes La divisi n religiosa es quiz s la l nea de falla m s importante en el turbulento Medio Oriente de hoy, con naciones sunitas como Egipto y Arabia Saudita en desacuerdo con naciones chi es como Ir n. En niveles inferiores, grupos no estatales como el Estado Isl mico y Hezbollah est n luchando entre s en formas que cruzan l neas estatales en lugares como L bano, Irak y Siria. Aunque t cnicamente es una divisi n en la religi n, la divisi n ha tenido ramificaciones globales sustanciales durante d cadas, y parece que no hay fin a la vista. La historia de la divisi n sun y chi traza los or genes de la divisi n y los efectos hist ricos de la divisi n principal dentro del Islam. Junto con fotos de personas importantes, lugares y eventos, aprender s sobre la historia de los sunitas y chi es como nunca antes, en muy poco tiempo.

*Includes paintings and busts depicting important people, places, and events. *Discusses both common legends and little known facts about the lives of each conqueror. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. Over the last 2,000 years, ambitious men have dreamed of forging vast empires and attaining eternal glory in battle, but of all the conquerors who took steps toward such dreams, none were ever as successful as antiquity's first great conqueror. Leaders of the 20th century hoped to rival Napoleon's accomplishments, while Napoleon aimed to emulate the accomplishments of Julius Caesar. But Caesar himself found inspiration in Alexander the Great (356-323 B. C.), the Macedonian King who managed to stretch an empire from Greece to the Himalayas in Asia at just 30 years old. It took less than 15 years for Alexander to conquer much of the known world. As fate would have it, Alexander died of still unknown causes at the height of his conquests, when he was still in his early 30s. Although his empire was quickly divided, his legacy only grew, and Alexander became the stuff of legends even in his own time. Alexander was responsible for establishing 20 cities in his name across the world, most notably Alexandria in Egypt, and he was directly responsible for spreading Ancient Greek culture as far east as modern day India and other parts of Asia. In a world fascinated by men like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan is one of history's greatest and most famous conquerors. No man, before or since, has ever started with so little and gone on to achieve so much. From a noble family but raised in poverty that drove him to the brink of starvation, Genghis Khan rose to control the second-largest empire the world has ever known (the largest being, arguably, the British Empire of the 18th and 19th centuries), and easily the largest empire conquered by a single man. And while many empires disintegrate upon the death of an emperor, like Alexander the Great's, Genghis Khan's empire endured and was actually enlarged by his successors, who went on to establish dynasties that in some cases lasted for centuries. Though history is usually written by the victors, history was largely written by those who Genghis Khan and Saladin vanquished, and while Genghis was reviled, Saladin became celebrated. Saladin is widely considered one of the greatest generals in history and one of the most famous leaders of the Middle Ages, but he remains a paradox, both in personal and in historical terms. A military genius, he first served other generals and was overshadowed, late in life, by his greatest rival, Richard I of England. He was far more admired by his Christian enemies, who extolled his chivalry, than some of his Muslim rivals, who fought him for control of Egypt and Syria in the 12th century. His Christian enemies continued his name long after it was forgotten in the Middle East, only to spark a revival of his reputation in Arab culture in the 20th century. Revered as the flower of Arab culture, he was really a Kurd who nearly destroyed it. Taught to Egyptian children as a native born Egyptian hero, he was, in fact, Egypt's conqueror, the man who destroyed its native dynasty and suppressed the local Shi'ite sect. Having united almost all of the Levant under one rule, he left it as divided as before. He founded a dynasty that was eventually destroyed by slaves. Conquering the Middle East chronicles the amazing lives and conquests of each conqueror, while looking at the legends and myths surrounding each man's legacy. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Alexander, Saladin and Genghis Khan like you never have before.

*Explains the origins, history, religion, and social structure of the Mbuti *Includes ancient descriptions of pygmies and theories about their evolution. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. " T]heir eyes had an untameable wildness about them that struck me as very remarkable." - French-American explorer Paul du Chaillu, 1867 The indigenous Africans known as pygmies have interested outsiders for thousands of years. In the 2200s B. C., the Egyptian Pharaoh Pepi II referred to one as a "dancing dwarf of the god from the land of spirits", and the Ancient Greeks were also familiar with them. Homer makes mention of pygmies in The Iliad, and Herodotus recounted the experiences of a Persian explorer who encountered "dwarfish people, who used clothing made from the palm tree" on the western coast of Africa. In fact, the term pygmy comes from the Greek word for "dwarfish". Not surprisingly, foreigners' interest in pygmies has never waned. When medieval Europeans first traveled to Africa and parts of Asia, many of them were stunned when they encountered people who were considerably smaller than the average height. Perhaps the most famous account comes from the legendary Marco Polo, who was so confused about the people known as pygmies that he refused to believe they were actually human. In his famous account, Marco Polo wrote about seeing some of them in Indonesia, "I may tell you moreover that when people bring home pygmies which they allege to come from India, 'tis all a lie and a cheat...for nowhere in India nor anywhere else in the world were there ever men seen so small as these pretended pygmies." Marco Polo believed that the pygmies were actually monkeys that people manipulated and shaved to resemble smaller people. Today, of course, anthropologists know a lot more about the pygmies, a collective of indigenous groups in Africa who are still defined by the fact that they have an average height of less than 5 feet tall. But while their short height and their apparent evolutionary differences make for a source of fascination in modern times, their very visible physical differences made it that much easier for foreigners to justify military conquest. Scholars believe that prior to European invasion, the pygmies occupied a significant swath of land across and numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Ultimately, however, external forces have resulted in the groups dwindling in numbers and being dispossessed of much of their traditional homelands. In the 21st century, the Mbuti, one of the prominent groups of pygmy peoples, and who once numbered about 150,000, now number about 40,000 and are centralized primarily in the Ituri Forest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), a tropical rainforest covering less than 25,000 square miles. Civilizations of Africa: The History and Culture of the Mbuti (Pygmy) comprehensively covers the history and culture of the people, from their origins to the present time. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about the Mbuti like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures of the generals and important people, places, and events. *Includes maps of the generals' famous battles like Gettysburg, Antietam, and First Bull Run. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia had just two commanders during the Civil War, but they could not have more different legacies. The first commander of the army, and one of the South's most overlooked generals, was Joseph Johnston. And when he is remembered, fairly or not, it's for being overly cautious. During the Civil War, one of the tales that was often told among Confederate soldiers was that Joseph E. Johnston was a crack shot who was a better bird hunter than just about everyone else in the South. However, as the story went, Johnston would never take the shot when asked to, complaining that something was wrong with the situation that prevented him from being able to shoot the bird when it was time. The story is almost certainly apocryphal, but it was aptly used to demonstrate the Confederates' frustration with a man who everyone regarded as a capable general. Johnston began the Civil War as one of the South's senior commanders, leading the ironically named Army of the Potomac to victory in the Battle of First Bull Run over Irvin McDowell's Union Army. But Johnston would become known more for losing by not winning. Johnston was never badly beaten in battle, but he had a habit of strategically withdrawing until he had nowhere left to retreat. When Johnston had retreated in the face of McClellan's army before Richmond in 1862, he finally launched a complex attack that not only failed but left him severely wounded, forcing him to turn over command of the Army of Northern Virginia to Robert E. Lee. With the exception of George Washington, perhaps the most famous general in American history is Robert E. Lee (January 19, 1807 - October 12, 1870), despite the fact he led the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia against the Union in the Civil War. As the son of U. S. Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee III, and a relative of Martha Custis Washington, Lee was imbued with a strong sense of honor and duty from the beginning. And as a top graduate of West Point, Lee had distinguished himself so well before the Civil War that President Lincoln asked him to command the entire Union Army. Lee famously declined, serving his home state of Virginia instead after it seceded. Lee is remembered today for constantly defeating the Union's Army of the Potomac in the Eastern theater from 1862-1865, considerably frustrating Lincoln and his generals. His leadership of his army led to him being deified after the war by some of his former subordinates, especially Virginians, and he came to personify the Lost Cause's ideal Southern soldier. His reputation was secured in the decades after the war as a general who brilliantly led his men to amazing victories against all odds. Despite his successes and his legacy, Lee wasn't perfect. And of all the battles Lee fought in, he was most criticized for Gettysburg, particularly his order of Pickett's Charge on the third and final day of the war. Despite the fact his principle subordinate and corps leader, General James Longstreet, advised against the charge, Lee went ahead with it, ending the army's defeat at Gettysburg with a violent climax that left half of the men who charged killed or wounded. Commanders of the Army of Northern Virginia looks at the lives and records of the two generals, examining their generalship and their relationships with each other and Jefferson Davis. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Johnston and Lee like you never have before.

*Includes pictures of the battles' important generals. *Includes several maps of the battles. *Includes accounts of the fighting written by important generals like Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Bragg, Rosecrans, Longstreet, George H. Thomas, D. H. Hill, and more. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "I know Mr. Davis thinks he can do a great many things other men would hesitate to attempt. For instance, he tried to do what God failed to do. He tried to make a soldier of Braxton Bragg." - General Joseph E. Johnston Americans have long been fascinated by the Civil War and its biggest battles, particularly Gettysburg, Antietam, and Shiloh, all of which involved Robert E. Lee or Ulysses S. Grant. But the second biggest battle of the entire war mostly gets overlooked among casual readers, despite the fact it represented the last great chance for the Confederates to salvage the Western theater. In mid-September, the Union Army of the Cumberland under General William Rosecrans had taken Chattanooga, but rather than be pushed out of the action, Army of Tennessee commander Braxton Bragg decided to stop with his 60,000 men and prepare a counterattack south of Chattanooga at a creek named Chickamauga. To bolster his fire-power, Confederate President Jefferson Davis sent 12,000 additional troops under the command of Lieutenant General James Longstreet, whose corps had just recently fought at Gettysburg in July. The Confederates nearly destroyed the Union army on September 20 during the battle of Chickamauga, when a Union blunder opened up a gap in front of a Confederate attack that sliced their army in two. As the Confederate assault continued, George H. Thomas led the Union left wing against heavy Confederate attack even after nearly half of the Union army abandoned their defenses and retreated from the battlefield, racing toward Chattanooga. Thomas rallied the remaining parts of the army and formed a defensive stand on Horseshoe Ridge, with more units spontaneously rallying to the new defensive line. Thomas and his men managed to hold until nightfall, when they made an orderly retreat to Chattanooga while the Confederates occupied the surrounding heights, ultimately besieging the city. Dubbed "The Rock of Chickamauga", Thomas's heroics ensured that Rosecrans' army was able to successfully retreat back to Chattanooga. In late September 1863, the Confederates began laying siege to the Union Army of the Cumberland around Chattanooga in what would be their last gasp for supremacy in the West. Having lost faith in Rosecrans after Chickamauga, Washington delegated Ulysses S. Grant with the task of lifting the siege by placing him in command of nearly the entire theater. Grant replaced Rosecrans with George H. Thomas, who had saved the army at Chickamauga, and ordered him to "hold Chattanooga at all hazards." Thomas replied, "We will hold the town till we starve." What followed were some of the most remarkable operations of the entire Civil War. Hooker and his reinforcements helped open up a vital supply line known as the "cracker line", effectively ensuring that enough supplies could reach Knoxville. With that, preparations turned to a pitched battle between the two sides, and in a series of actions in late November, Grant sought to lift the siege and drive back Bragg's Confederate army by attacking their positions on high ground. Although the Chattanooga Campaign was months long and involved several battles, it has become mostly remembered for the Battle of Missionary Ridge, one of the most remarkable and successful charges of the war. While Pickett's Charge, still the most famous attack of the war, was one unsuccessful charge, the Army of the Cumberland made over a dozen charges up Missionary Ridge and ultimately succeeded, winning the campaign for the Union. With this book, you'll learn about Chickamauga and Chattanooga like you never have before.

*Includes pictures of Churchill, Roosevelt, and important people, places, and events in their lives. *Includes full length biographies of both leaders woven together into one chronological narrative. *Explores the personal and professional relationship between Churchill & Roosevelt. *Includes a list of Churchill's greatest quotes. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made." - Franklin D. Roosevelt "Winston Churchill led the life that many men would love to live. He survived 50 gunfights and drank 20,000 bottles of champagne... And of course, by resisting Hitler, he saved Europe and perhaps the world." - Mark Riebling in "Churchill's Finest Hour". One has been considered America's greatest president of the 20th century. The other was voted the Greatest Briton of All Time by his own countrymen. Winston Churchill led an astonishing life as a soldier, world statesman, historian and Noble Prize Laureate. When he died at 90 in 1965, one of the most important figures in modern history had left the stage. From providing some of the 20th century's greatest soundbytes to successfully navigating Great Britain to victory in World War II against great odds, Churchill was at the forefront of global events for decades, becoming one of the most influential Britons in history. In 2002, he was named the Greatest Briton of All Time, and 40 years earlier he was the first person to be made an Honorary Citizen of the United States. The tenacious Bulldog was joined in the war effort by Roosevelt, America's most unique president if not the greatest. A well-connected relative of Theodore Roosevelt, FDR was groomed for greatness until he was struck down by polio. Nevertheless, he persevered, rising through New York politics to reach the White House just as the country faced its greatest challenge since the Civil War, beginning his presidency with one of the most iconic lines ever spoken during an inaugural address. For over a decade, President Roosevelt threw everything he had at the Great Depression, and then threw everything the country had at the Axis powers during World War II. Ultimately, he succumbed to illness in the middle of his fourth term, just before the Allies won the war. Although the two men are remembered as the erstwhile leaders of the Allies in World War II, their up-and-down relationship directed the Allied war effort in North Africa, Sicily, and ultimately D-Day. Churchill & Roosevelt analyzes their relationship during the war, but it also covers the rise of both men to their respective positions as heads of state, weaving their stories together into one narrative. This book also humanizes Britain's greatest Prime Minister and America's ongest serving president, one who had to overcome a stutter to become his century's most quotable speaker and the other who overcame polio to capture the presidency and defeat Depression and the Axis powers. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in their lives, you will learn interesting facts about FDR and Churchill you never knew, and you will learn about the men who saved the free world like you never have before.