Colossal Wonders


Book Description

Discover the awe-inspiring giants of our world in "Colossal Wonders: Exploring Earth's Largest Marvels." From the towering General Sherman Tree to the immense Great Barrier Reef, this eBook delves into the largest natural and man-made wonders on Earth. Perfect for nature enthusiasts and curious minds alike, embark on a journey through fascinating facts and stunning photographs that showcase the grandeur of these colossal marvels. Uncover the mysteries behind the biggest phenomena and structures that define our planet's magnificence.




Enlightening the World


Book Description

Conceived in the aftermath of the American Civil War and the grief that swept France over the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the Statue of Liberty has been a potent symbol of the nation's highest ideals since it was unveiled in 1886. Dramatically situated on Bedloe's Island (now Liberty Island) in the harbor of New York City, the statue has served as a reminder for generations of immigrants of America's long tradition as an asylum for the poor and the persecuted. Although it is among the most famous sculptures in the world, the story of its creation is little known. In Enlightening the World, Yasmin Sabina Khan provides a fascinating new account of the design of the statue and the lives of the people who created it, along with the tumultuous events in France and the United States that influenced them. Khan's narrative begins on the battlefields of Gettysburg, where Lincoln framed the Civil War as a conflict testing whether a nation "conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal... can long endure." People around the world agreed with Lincoln that this question—and the fate of the Union itself—affected the "whole family of man." Inspired by the Union's victory and stunned by Lincoln's death, Édouard-René Lefebvre de Laboulaye, a legal scholar and noted proponent of friendship between his native France and the United States, conceived of a monument to liberty and the exemplary form of government established by the young nation. For Laboulaye and all of France, the statue would be called La Liberté Éclairant le Monde—Liberty Enlightening the World. Following the statue's twenty-year journey from concept to construction, Khan reveals in brilliant detail the intersecting lives that led to the realization of Laboulaye's dream: the Marquis de Lafayette; Alexis de Tocqueville; the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, whose commitment to liberty and self-government was heightened by his experience of the Franco-Prussian War; the architect Richard Morris Hunt, the first American to study architecture at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris; and the engineer Gustave Eiffel, who pushed the limits for large-scale metal construction. Also here are the contributions of such figures as Senators Charles Sumner and Carl Schurz, the artist John La Farge, the poet Emma Lazarus, and the publisher Joseph Pulitzer. While exploring the creation of the statue, Khan points to possible sources—several previously unexamined—for the design. She links the statue's crown of rays with Benjamin Franklin's image of the rising sun and makes a clear connection between the broken chain under Lady Liberty's foot and the abolition of slavery. Through the rich story of this remarkable national monument, Enlightening the World celebrates both a work of human accomplishment and the vitality of liberty.




The “Nonsense” Papers


Book Description

The idea of aliens and UFOs has always played a crucial role in human history. Regardless of the ridicule this mind-set inspires in skeptics, the intense speculation and debate on this topic continues to intrigue around the world. Hundreds have shared detailed personal experiences of contact with these beings or crafts, recounting a wide variety of alien interaction with our world and its peoples. Yet the official explanationsswamp gas, weather balloons, and morejust dont match up with these reports. The Nonsense Papers anthology explores these controversial and contemporary issues, considering a wide variety of interrelated topics: UFOs Military black projects based on alien technology Former NASA missions (and the possible secrets they hold) An alternative view on organized religious cults (and how their origin by our creators from the stars) Environmental issues, including climate change Time travel Testimonies from those who offer insight on alien contact The future and fate of our planet after 2012 This collection also focuses on humanity and culture, examining where we are headed if we continue down our current path. It questions those who plan to save humanity by making exaggerated claims and impossible goals and challenges us to analyze and examine ourselves and our society as a whole. It implores humans to use common sense, rationality, and logic as our present life seems void of feelings, dreams, hopes, and desires. Overall, the only way humans can save these precious ideologies is in the discovery of ourselves.




The King Country


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Reproduction of the original: The King Country by J.H Kerry-Nicholls




Bulletin


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Young Michelangelo


Book Description

In this biography, the author of the acclaimed Caravaggio examines therelationships that shaped Michelangelo’s first thirty years. In this compelling account, renowned art historian John Spike paints a vivid portrait of one of the world’s greatest artists and the places and people—Lorenzo de’ Medici, Leonardo, Machiavelli—that inspired and defined his early life and career. Spike’s masterful text probes the thinking, evolution, and desires of a young man whose awareness of his exceptional talent never wavered. Michelangelo’s complex personality is revealed through lively examinations of the Pietà, the David, and all other major works. Drawing on a rich background of Italian Renaissance politics and culture, Spike deftly navigates the fiery Florentine master’s struggle to surpass da Vinci’s artistic mastery, and his troubled relationships with Julius II and other key figures of the era. Praise for Young Michelangelo “Spike, an art historian, curator and critic, has done some impressive research to flesh out the early years of the artist’s life, right up until his return to Rome in 1508 to focus on a commission in the Sistine Chapel. The young sculptor’s daunting talent and quest to earn as much money as possible are woven into the story of the Italian Renaissance and the outsized figures of the age.” —The Washington Post “Spike crystallizes historical detail into vivid, memorable imagery. . . . Alternating between accounts of the turbulent political atmosphere and details of Michelangelo’s most private moments in the sculpture studio, Spike creates a rich narrative that promises more intrigue than the best adventure novel.” —Publishers Weekly “Such a comprehensive account of the master’s early life and rise to fame amid the political upheaval in the Papal States and Florentine Republic.” —Art + Auction




The Mentor


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The King Country, Or, Explorations in New Zealand


Book Description

The author travelled through the King Country immediately it had been opened up for railway survey and construction. His journey with a Maori guide around central North Island is a valuable account.




New Voyages and Travels


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