The Strange Secret of Kickapoo Crossing


Book Description

An old Indian blessing which becomes a curse, shadows Bryce Harrington’s early life during summer stays at his stepmother’s family farm at Kickapoo Crossing in northeast Iowa. The blessing of the Kickapoo Indians follows him as a young U.S. Navy intelligence officer serving in the Soviet Union and France during World War II. But the Kickapoo blessing urns into a curse by careless actions of a 4-F guitar-playing bootlegger at Kickapoo Crossing while Bryce Harrington is gone, and destroys virtually the entire family who nurtured him in his youth. But Bryce Harrington is protected by a special talisman given him by his dying Grandma Susie; and, following his return to the U.S. for further education, he learns of the colossal Russian blunder of not recycling precious palladium pellets used in fertilizer production by former Soviet munitions make Azurite Fertilizer Works. He returns there as a businessman and also as an undercover agent for the U.S. Pentagon to learn new secret Soviet methods with codes that were shutting down U.S. surveillance of Russian military operations. Bryce Harrington’s success in this endeavor and subsequently in business, and his resolution of the Kickapoo curse, follow in a thrilling, mysterious conclusion.




Hymn to the Sun


Book Description

Historically accurate Hymn To The Sun traces three lives through some of ancient Egypt's most turbulent and transitional years: The Pharaoh Akhenaten, the world's first monotheist, whose belief in one God in Egypt's polytheistic society caused a revolution over three thousand years ago and produced his world-classic literary masterpiece Hymn To The Sun that formed the basis for his worship ceremonies to the Aten; Queen Nefertiti, Akhenaten's beautiful and beloved wife who grew up with him and, until the very last, stood by her beleaguered husband; And Aye, the power behind the thrones of four Pharaohs and who helped develop what museums today exhibit as treasured reminders of that era. Successful in various arts, war, politics and power struggles, Aye marched in youth from a poor stonecutter's home in Athribis to become Pharaoh of Egypt and custodian of Akhenaten's and Tutankhamon's treasures. This novel answers questions historians have been asking for centuries: What happened to the Pharaoh Akhenaten? How did he die? And why? What happened after his death to the one-God religion Akhenaten founded? What happened to Nefertiti? And their daughters? Why was the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamon so full of treasure when it was discovered?




Crossing the Border with the 4th Cavalry


Book Description

The cavalry action described here was carefully planned and executed by Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie. His regiment, the 4th, provided six handpicked companies of experienced Indian campaigners. Also included were the famous Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts, a detachment of which was commanded by Lieutenant John L. Bullis. Carefully chosen by the President, because of the reputation of the regiment and its commander, a secret mission into Mexico was made to punish a band of hostile Kickapoo and Lipan's who had rendered life and property on the Texas frontier untenable.




American Prospects (2023)


Book Description

The definitive edition of Joel Sternfeld's seminal American Prospects, featuring new photographs, and a revised format and cover First published in 1987 to critical acclaim, the seminal American Prospects has been likened to Walker Evans' American Photographs and Robert Frank's The Americans in both its ability to visually summarize the zeitgeist of a decade and to influence the course of photography following its publication. This definitive edition of American Prospects contains 12 new pictures, most of which have neither been published nor exhibited. Freed from the size constraints of previous editions, Sternfeld includes portraits and portraits in the landscape that elucidate the human condition in America. The result is a more complex and rounded view of American society that strongly anticipates Sternfeld's Stranger Passing series (1985-2000) and links the two bodies of work. A major figure in the photography world, Joel Sternfeld was born in New York City in 1944. He has received numerous awards, including two Guggenheim fellowships, a Prix de Rome and the Citibank Photography Award. Sternfeld's books published by Steidl include American Prospects (2003), Sweet Earth (2006), Oxbow Archive (2008), First Pictures (2012) and Landscape as Longing (2016) with Frank Gohlke.




Texas


Book Description

Insight Guides, the world's largest visual travel guide series, in association with Discovery Channel, the world's premier source of nonfiction entertainment, provides more insight than ever. From the most popular resort cities to the most exotic villages, Insight Guides capture the unique character of each culture with an insider's perspective.Inside every Insight Guide you'll find:.Evocative, full-colour photography on every page.Cross-referenced, full-colour maps throughout.A brief introduction including a historical timeline.Lively essays by local writers on the culture, history, and people.Expert evaluations on the sights really worth seeing .Special features spotlighting particular topics of interest.A comprehensive Travel Tips section with listings of the best restaurants, hotels, and attractions, as well as practical information on getting around and advice for travel with children




The Curse of Yig


Book Description

In 1925 I went into Oklahoma looking for snake lore, and I came out with a fear of snakes that will last me the rest of my life. I admit it is foolish, since there are natural explanations for everything I saw and heard, but it masters me none the less. If the old story had been all there was to it, I would not have been so badly shaken. My work as an American Indian ethnologist has hardened me to all kinds of extravagant legendry, and I know that simple white people can beat the redskins at their own game when it comes to fanciful inventions. But I can't forget what I saw with my own eyes at the insane asylum in Guthrie.I called at that asylum because a few of the oldest settlers told me I would find something important there. Neither Indians nor white men would discuss the snake-god legends I had come to trace. The oil-boom newcomers, of course, knew nothing of such matters, and the red men and old pioneers were plainly frightened when I spoke of them. Not more than six or seven people mentioned the asylum, and those who did were careful to talk in whispers. But the whisperers said that Dr. McNeill could shew me a very terrible relic and tell me all I wanted to know. He could explain why Yig, the half-human father of serpents, is a shunned and feared object in central Oklahoma, and why old settlers shiver at the secret Indian orgies which make the autumn days and nights hideous with the ceaseless beating of tom-toms in lonely places.




Myths of the Cherokee


Book Description

126 myths: sacred stories, animal myths, local legends, many more. Plus background on Cherokee history, notes on the myths and parallels. Features 20 maps and illustrations.




Every Root an Anchor


Book Description

In Every Root an Anchor, writer and arborist R. Bruce Allison celebrates Wisconsin's most significant, unusual, and historic trees. More than one hundred tales introduce us to trees across the state, some remarkable for their size or age, others for their intriguing histories. From magnificent elms to beloved pines to Frank Lloyd Wright's oaks, these trees are woven into our history, contributing to our sense of place. They are anchors for time-honored customs, manifestations of our ideals, and reminders of our lives' most significant events. For this updated edition, Allison revisits the trees' histories and tells us which of these unique landmarks are still standing. He sets forth an environmental message as well, reminding us to recognize our connectedness to trees and to manage our tree resources wisely. As early Wisconsin conservationist Increase Lapham said, "Tree histories increase our love of home and improve our hearts. They deserve to be told and remembered."




Hoosiers and the American Story


Book Description

A supplemental textbook for middle and high school students, Hoosiers and the American Story provides intimate views of individuals and places in Indiana set within themes from American history. During the frontier days when Americans battled with and exiled native peoples from the East, Indiana was on the leading edge of America’s westward expansion. As waves of immigrants swept across the Appalachians and eastern waterways, Indiana became established as both a crossroads and as a vital part of Middle America. Indiana’s stories illuminate the history of American agriculture, wars, industrialization, ethnic conflicts, technological improvements, political battles, transportation networks, economic shifts, social welfare initiatives, and more. In so doing, they elucidate large national issues so that students can relate personally to the ideas and events that comprise American history. At the same time, the stories shed light on what it means to be a Hoosier, today and in the past.




Missouri Landscapes


Book Description

"In this magnificent book, Oliver Schuchard provides more than sixty-five exquisite black-and-white photographs spanning his thirty-eight years of photography. In addition, he explains the aesthetic rationale and techniques he used in order to produce these photographs, emphasizing the profound differences between, yet necessary interdependence of, craft and content. Although Schuchard believes that craft is important, he maintains that the idea behind the photograph and the emotional content of the image are equally vital and are, in fact, functions of one another. The author also shares components of his life experience that he believes helped shape his development as an artist and a teacher. He chose the splendid photographs included in this book from among nearly 5,000 negatives that had been exposed all over the world, from Missouri to Maine, California, Alaska, Colorado, France, Newfoundland, and Hawaii, among many other locations. Approximately 250 negatives survived the initial review, and each of those was printed before a final decision was made on which photographs were to be featured in the book. The final choices are representative of Schuchard's work and serve to substantiate his belief that craft, concept, and self must be fully understood and carefully melded for a good photograph to occur. This amazing work by award-winning photographer Oliver Schuchard will be treasured by professional and amateur photographers alike, as well as by anyone who simply enjoys superb photography."--Publishers website.