Hardcover Nonfiction

by David McCullough · Simon & Schuster

Profiles John Adams, an influential patriot during the American Revolution who became the nation's first vice president and second president.

by Malika Oufkir and Michèle Fitoussi · Talk Miramax/Hyperion

Twenty years in a desert jail.

by Hampton Sides · Doubleday

by Tom Brokaw · Random House

A seventeen-year-old who enlisted in the army in 1941 writes to describe the Bataan Death March. Other members of the greatest generation describe their war — in such historic episodes as Guadalcanal, the D-Day invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, and Midway — as well as their life on the home front. In this beautiful American family album of stories, reflections, memorabilia, and photographs, history comes alive and is preserved, in people’s own words and through photographs and time lines that commemorate important dates and events. Starting with the Depression and Pearl Harbor, on through the war in Europe and the Pacific, this unusual book preserves a people’s rich historical heritage and the legacy of the heroism of a nation.

by George Carlin · Hyperion

"The thinking person's comic offers a hilarious new collection of razor-sharp observations ..."--Page 4 of cover.

by Laura Hillenbrand · Random House

by Mick Foley · ReganBooks/ HarperCollins

The elves were running everywhere--they were loud and brash and rude, and Tommy Top, the tallest elf, was running in the nude. The elves were throwing toys and games, and to make things even worse, Billy Bop, the smallest elf, was teaching them to curse... What does Santa do when things get out of hand in his North Pole castle? He brings in the World Wrestling Federation Superstars! Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos is a hilarious modern classic with all the heartwarming magic of a cherished tradition. Riotously illustrated by Jerry "The King" Lawler, this new Christmas story is sure to delight children, wrestling fans, and readers of all ages. Make room on the shelf next to The Night Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol, because this Yuletide tale has attitude! Mick Foley--number one New York Times bestselling author, Hardcore Legend, and Commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation--crafts a delightful tale of mischief, mayhem, and the true meaning of Christmas. When the elves revolt against Santa and refuse to make any toys and the reindeer gang up on Rudolph as though they've joined DX, Santa Claus gives up hope that anyone these days has the true Christmas spirit. When the situation looks its bleakest, Mrs. Claus calls in the cavalry--Kane, Jericho, Val Venis, Jerry Lawler, Kurt Angle, Edge, an the rest of the Federation Superstars! How the wrestlers misbehave--making things even worse--and how one unexpected and unassuming person saves Christmas for the whole world is an unforgettable and uplifting story that will add good cheer to your holiday season year after year. Perfect for reading out loud near a crackl8ing fire or while tucked in at bedtime, Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos is sure to become a family tradition in your home.

by Joseph J. Ellis · Knopf

An illuminating study of the intertwined lives of the founders of the American republic--John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. During the 1790s, which Ellis calls the most decisive decade in our nation's history, the greatest statesmen of their generation--and perhaps any--came together to define the new republic and direct its course for the coming centuries. Ellis focuses on six discrete moments that exemplify the most crucial issues facing the fragile new nation: Burr and Hamilton's deadly duel, and what may have really happened; Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison's secret dinner, during which the seat of the permanent capital was determined in exchange for passage of Hamilton's financial plan; Franklin's petition to end the "peculiar institution" of slavery--his last public act--and Madison's efforts to quash it; Washington's precedent-setting Farewell Address, announcing his retirement from public office and offering his country some final advice; Adams's difficult term as Washington's successor and his alleged scheme to pass the presidency on to his son; and finally, Adams and Jefferson's renewed correspondence at the end of their lives, in which they compared their different views of the Revolution and its legacy. In a lively and engaging narrative, Ellis recounts the sometimes collaborative, sometimes archly antagonistic interactions between these men, and shows us the private characters behind the public personas: Adams, the ever-combative iconoclast, whose closest political collaborator was his wife, Abigail; Burr, crafty, smooth, and one of the most despised public figures of his time; Hamilton, whose audacious manner and deep economic savvy masked his humble origins; Jefferson, renowned for his eloquence, but so reclusive and taciturn that he rarely spoke more than a few sentences in public; Madison, small, sickly, and paralyzingly shy, yet one of the most effective debaters of his generation; and the stiffly formal Washington, the ultimate realist, larger-than-life, and America's only truly indispensable figure. Ellis argues that the checks and balances that permitted the infant American republic to endure were not primarily legal, constitutional, or institutional, but intensely personal, rooted in the dynamic interaction of leaders with quite different visions and values. Revisiting the old-fashioned idea that character matters, Founding Brothers informs our understanding of American politics--then and now--and gives us a new perspective on the unpredictable forces that shape history.

by Melissa Etheridge with Laura Morton · Villard

ln the ten years since she burst on to the international music scene, Melissa Etheridge has released six albums that have sold more than 25 million records worldwide, garnering not only public adoration for her uncompromising honesty but numerous critical awards, including two Grammys and the prestigious ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award. She has given the world unforgettable hits such as "Bring Me Some Water," "Similar Features," "Come to My Window," and "I'm the Only One," with lyrics that touch on a universal nerve and the deeply human side of relationships. Her personal journey has been captured over the years through her music, transforming her voice and musicianship into inspiring messages of love, consciousness, hope, longing, desire, and pure passion. The Truth Is ... is a bold and unflinching account of an extraordinary life, described as only Melissa can: from her Kansas roots through her early love of music to her brilliant rise to stardom, becoming a female superstar in a male-dominated rock world. Melissa will openly discuss the massive impact of her public coming-out, a revelation that only increased her popularity and made her a highly visible spokesperson for the gay and lesbian community. The Truth Is ... shares Melissa Etheridge's fascinating story—sometimes shocking, always inspiring—with unprecedented candor and insight. Filled with personal insights, the stories behind the music and lyrics, and never-before-seen personal photographs, The Truth Is ... is a poignant, thoughtful, sometimes difficult expression of who Melissa Etheridge has been, who she is, and who she hopes to become.

by Yogi Berra with Dave Kaplan · Hyperion

For: Ralph E. Glass.

by Doug Stanton · Holt

A harrowing, adrenaline-charged account of America's worst naval disaster -- and of the heroism of the men who, against all odds, survived. On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact; close to 900 sailors were cast into the Pacific Ocean, where they remained undetected by the navy for nearly four days and nights. Battered by a savage sea, they struggled to stay alive, fighting off sharks, hypothermia, and dementia. By the time rescue arrived, all but 317 men had died. The captain's subsequent court-martial left many questions unanswered: How did the navy fail to realize the Indianapolis was missing? Why was the cruiser traveling unescorted in enemy waters? And perhaps most amazing of all, how did these 317 men manage to survive? Interweaving the stories of three survivors -- the captain, the ship's doctor, and a young marine -- journalist Doug Stanton has brought this astonishing human drama to life in a narrative that is at once immediate and timeless. The definitive account of a little-known chapter in World War II history, In Harm's Way is destined to become a classic tale of war, survival, and extraordinary courage.

by Mitch Albom · Doubleday

by Barbara Ehrenreich · Metropolitan/Holt

Donation.

by Suzanne Finstad · Harmony

Born Natasha Zakharenko, Natalie Wood continues to haunt us 20 years after her tragic and mysterious death. Her dark hypnotic beauty and passionate performances made her a movie star legend, appearing in over fifty films including West Side Story and Rebel Without a Cause for which she was Oscar nominated. The story of her life is tinged with tragedy and drama. Pushed by her domineering, frustrated mother - an alcoholic determined to make her child a star at whatever cost, Natalie grew up fast - lonely and a misfit, uncertain of her identity. At fifteen she had embarked on an affair with a director 30 years her senior, she was brutally raped by a leading Hollywood star when she was sixteen -an attack which her mother forbade her to report. Her leading men frequently became her lovers including Elvis Presley, James Dean , Warren Beatty and the real love of her life, Robert Wagner whom she eventually married twice. Her fear of being alone and the years of exploitation and abuse led to an addiction to sleeping pills and several suicide attempts and for the first time, this book looks at evidence, yet to be published, surrounding her premature and controversial death - drowning at the age of 43. Suzanne Finstad has spent 3 years researching this, the first substantive biography of Natalie Wood, conducting over 400 interviews with friends, family, lovers, co-stars and the police officials who investigated her death.

by Alan M. Dershowitz · Oxford University Press

Millions of Americans were baffled and outraged by the U.S. Supreme Court's role in deciding the presidential election of 2000 with its controversial ruling in Bush v. Gore. The Court had held a unique place in our system of checks and balances, seen as the embodiment of fairness and principle precisely because it was perceived to be above the political fray. How could it now issue a decision that reeked of partisan politics, and send to the White House a candidate who may have actually lost the election? In Supreme Injustice, best-selling author and legal expert Alan M. Dershowitz addresses these questions head-on, at last demystifying Bush v. Gore for those who are still angered by the court's decision but unclear about its meaning. Dershowitz--himself a former Supreme Court clerk--argues that in this case for the first time, the court's majority let its desire for a particular partisan outcome have priority over legal principles. As in his other bestselling books, Dershowitz clarifies complex legal issues, explaining concepts such as "equal protection" and "irreparable harm." Digging deeply into their earlier writings and rulings, Dershowitz proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the justices who gave George W. Bush the presidency contradicted their previous positions to do so. The most egregious ruling since the Dred Scott Decision, Bush v. Gore has shattered the image of the Supreme Court as a fair and impartial arbiter of important national issues. The resulting loss of the American people's respect, Dershowitz concludes, has severely compromised the Court's role in national affairs. And yet Dershowitz sees some benefit emerging from this constitutional crisis--if we understand its lessons and take action to prevent it from happening again.

by Peter Mayle · Knopf