Texas Folklore Society: 1909-1943


Book Description

This is a society that you join because you want to. The purpose of the society is to collect and make known to he public sons and ballads, superstitions, games, plays, and proverbs.




The Wehrmacht Retreats


Book Description

Throughout 1943, the German army, heirs to a military tradition that demanded and perfected relentless offensive operations, succumbed to the realities of its own overreach and the demands of twentieth-century industrialized warfare. In his new study, prizewinning author Robert Citino chronicles this weakening Wehrmacht, now fighting desperately on the defensive but still remarkably dangerous and lethal. Drawing on his impeccable command of German-language sources, Citino offers fresh, vivid, and detailed treatments of key campaigns during this fateful year: the Allied landings in North Africa, General von Manstein's great counterstroke in front of Kharkov, the German attack at Kasserine Pass, the titanic engagement of tanks and men at Kursk, the Soviet counteroffensives at Orel and Belgorod, and the Allied landings in Sicily and Italy. Through these events, he reveals how a military establishment historically configured for violent aggression reacted when the tables were turned; how German commanders viewed their newest enemy, the U.S. Army, after brutal fighting against the British and Soviets; and why, despite their superiority in materiel and manpower, the Allies were unable to turn 1943 into a much more decisive year. Applying the keen operational analysis for which he is so highly regarded, Citino contends that virtually every flawed German decision-to defend Tunis, to attack at Kursk and then call off the offensive, to abandon Sicily, to defend Italy high up the boot and then down much closer to the toe-had strong supporters among the army's officer corps. He looks at all of these engagements from the perspective of each combatant nation and also establishes beyond a shadow of a doubt the synergistic interplay between the fronts. Ultimately, Citino produces a grim portrait of the German officer corps, dispelling the longstanding tendency to blame every bad decision on Hitler. Filled with telling vignettes and sharp portraits and copiously documented, The Wehrmacht Retreats is a dramatic and fast-paced narrative that will engage military historians and general readers alike.




The Insider's Guide to U.S. Coin Values, 21st Edition


Book Description

America’s #1 consumer advocate for coin hobbyists, collectors, and investors is Scott Travers. Now he has created a guide that provides comprehensive facts on all U.S. coins and a complete listing of the fair market value for your coins today. Plus, he teaches you how to play the lucrative global game of coin collecting and investing by including: • How to identify valuable coins that are hiding in pocket change • Secrets of how to grade, trade, and preserve coins like the experts • Current trends in the coin market and how to profit from trading coins • The most complete coin price guide on the market today!




Ghosts and Legends of Hollywood


Book Description

Cursed awards, haunted estates, and deadly sets. Hollywood is supposed to be the place where dreams come true, but it's also where nightmares come to life. Spirits haunt the halls of renowned studios, legendary cafes, and lavish estates, while rumors of curses lurk in the shadows of the rich and famous. It's said that stars like James Dean, Carrie Fisher, and Prince once predicted their own deaths, while slain screenwriter Paul Bern tried in vain to warn Sharon Tate about her own fate. Ghosts reportedly linger in the corners of the El Coyote Café and the Falcon Lair boasts sightings of Rudolph Valentino long after his death. Join author and paranormal historian Brian Clune for a star-studded tour of the dark side of Hollywood.




Aces


Book Description

Aces is an illustrated history of the brave World War II fighter pilots who earned the title of ace, with archival and modern photos of their aircraft.




The First Nazi


Book Description

"The authors deliver a chilling, well–researched biography that opens a whole new window on the world wars and the German psyche at the time."—Kirkus Reviews "A brilliant tactician and an abysmally poor politician and strategist, Ludendorff summed up the strengths and weaknesses of the German General Staff. His is a fascinating story of talent, discipline, obsession, and denial."—Professor Isabel Virginia Hull, PhD, Cornell University One of the most important military individuals of the last century, yet one of the least known, Ludendorff not only dictated all aspects of World War I, he refused all opportunities to make peace; he antagonized the Americans until they declared war; he sent Lenin into Russia to forge a revolution in order to shut down the Russian front; and in 1918 he pushed for total military victory, in a slaughter known as "The Ludendorff Offensive." Ludendorff created the legend that Germany had lost the war only because Jews had conspired on the home front. He forged an alliance with Hitler, endorsed the Nazis, and wrote maniacally about how Germans needed a new world war, to redeem the Fatherland. He aimed to build a gigantic state to dwarf even the British Empire. Simply stated, he wanted the world.




The Insider's Guide to U.S. Coin Values, 20th Edition


Book Description

America’s #1 consumer advocate for coin hobbyists, collectors, and investors is Scott Travers. Now he has created a guide that provides comprehensive facts on all U.S. coins and a complete listing of the fair market value for your coins today. Plus, he teaches you how to play the lucrative global game of coin collecting by including: • A breakdown of valuable varieties of coins that are hiding in pocket change • Secrets of how to grade, trade and preserve coins like the experts • Current trends in the coin market and how to capitalize with your own collection • The most complete and current price guide on the market today! “If you’re buying just one price guide to see what your coins are worth, this is the obvious choice.” –COINage magazine




Too Good to Be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends


Book Description

"If you enjoy these too-good-to-be-true tales, Brunvand's new book will give you hours of pleasure."—Chicago Tribune A fabulously entertaining book from the ultimate authority on those almost believable tales that always happen to a "friend of a friend." Alligators in the sewers? A pet in the microwave? A tragic misunderstanding of the function of cruise control? No, it didn't really happen to your friend's sister's neighbor: it's an urban legend. And no matter how savvy you think you are, you are sure to find in this collection of over 200 tales at least one story you would have sworn was true. Jan Harold Brunvand has been collecting and studying this modern folklore for over twenty years. In Too Good to Be True he captures the best stories in their best retellings, along with their latest variations and examples of how the stories have changed as they move from person to person and place to place. To help you find your favorite, Brunvand has arranged the tales thematically. "Bringing Up Baby" is full of episodes of child-rearing gone wrong, including the grisly tale of the drugged out baby-sitter who mistakes the kid for a turkey. "Funny Business" showcases stories of infamous lapses in customer service, such as the story of the shockingly expensive chocolate chip cookie recipe. And "The Criminal Mind" features both brilliant --if they were real --scams, as well as the purported antics of the less mentally gifted. Whether you want to become an expert debunker or just have plenty of laughs, this book will surprise and entertain you. Illustrated throughout. "Informative and entertaining.... Brunvand has collected more than 200 of the most-repeated and best-known examples of modern folk-myth."—Tampa Tribune "[N]ot only an entertaining anthology, but an excellent introduction to the study of folklore itself."—Publishers Weekly "A fun read... . All the classics are here from the killer upstairs to the Kentucky Fried Rat."—New City "Resonant stories that express our hidden anxieties ... make us laugh, [or] arouse our fascinated horror."—San Francisco Chronicle Book Review "Informative and entertaining... . Brunvand has collected more than 200 of the most-repeated and best-known examples of modern folk-myth."—Tampa Tribune "[N]ot only an entertaining anthology, but an excellent introduction to the study of folklore itself."—Publishers Weekly




We Will Stand by You


Book Description

This view of the war from the mess deck of a fleet tug is far different from those written from a flag bridge vantage. A Navy radio man, Ted Mason recalls his years of action in the Pacific with candor and humor, offering perceptive evaluations of shipmates and exhibiting cool skepticism toward his leaders. The USS Pawnee rescued many ships during her 25-month tour of the South and Western Pacific, and this story of the heroics performed by her crew makes intriguing reading.




The Liberator Legend


Book Description