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“The Civil War defined us as what we are and it opened us to being what we became, good and bad things…. It was the crossroads of our being, and it was a hell of a crossroads: the suffering, the enormous tragedy of the whole thing.”- Shelby Foote, from The Civil War

  When the illustrated edition of The Civil War was first published, The New York Time hailed it as “a treasure for the eye and mind.” Now Geoffrey Ward’s magisterial work of history is available in a text-only edition that interweaves the author’s narrative with the voices of the men and women who lived through the cataclysmic trial of our nationhood: not just Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Robert E. Lee, but genteel Southern ladies and escaped slaves, cavalry officers and common foot soldiers who fought in Yankee blue and Rebel gray.

     The Civil War also includes essays by our most distinguished historians of the era: Don E. Fehrenbacher, on the war’s origins; Barbara J. Fields, on the freeing of the slaves; Shelby Foote, on the war’s soldiers and commanders; James M. McPherson, on the political dimensions of the struggle; and C. Vann Woodward, assessing the America that emerged from the war’s ashes.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Quick: Whatâ??s the leading dog breed in the world? Well, of course, it isnâ??t a â??breedâ? at all. The top dog, in terms of the numbers, is the humble mutt. And muttsâ??in their infinitely quirky, oddball, all-mixed-up varietyâ??have a very special place in all our hearts.

Even so, muttsâ?? contributions to dogdomâ??and to the millions of human beings whose lives they share and enrichâ??have tended to remain uncelebrated. With Mutts, pet photographer Sharon Montrose aims to elevate these beloved but underappreciated companionsâ?? status through a series of 60 portraits that unleash the intelligence, cockiness, loyalty, energy, good looks, and sheer irresistibility of the mixed-breed dog.

Itâ??s a job to which Montrose brings a substantial professional pedigree (so to speak). In her four previous hit books for STC, she lovingly trained her cameraâ??s eye on purebred puppies, chihuahuas, dachshunds, and labs. Now, in this beautifully photographed and impeccably designed book, she accords mutts the same V.I.P. (Very Important Pooch) treatment. No matter what the mixâ??cocker spaniel/poodle, terrier/chihuahua, poodle/labrador, or heeler/corgiâ??Montroseâ??s gentle pack of adorable mongrels is guaranteed to charm. Like each of its subjects, Mutts makes a one-of-a-kind addition to any dog loverâ??s life.
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Perpetual sunshine, palm trees, miles of unbroken beaches, yachts, cliff-top mansions, millionaires these are the images of Orange County that come to mind for many people, and there is much truth in this depiction, for Orange County is a place of boundless natural wonders that attracts more than 25 million tourists a year. However, the full story of Orange County is far more complex. It s a story of Juaneno Indians, conquistadors, Franciscan padres, rancheros, wildcatters, artists, and filmmakers. Historic Photos of Orange County offers some 200 images drawn from the county’s fascinating past, from the mission ruins of San Juan Capistrano, to the turn-of-the-century celery fields of Westminster, to the eye-popping fantasia of a young Disneyland. By East Coast standards, Orange County is a relative baby just over a century old and tiny compared to most California counties; but its population is second only to neighboring Los Angeles County and growing every day. This volume captures the story of Orange County’s evolution from a sleepy backwater suburb of Los Angeles to an international tourist destination.
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Sleek and shiny, Airstream trailers have been turning heads on the highways since they first started caravanning across America in the 1930s. These “aluminum skinned, gleaming silver bullets” are currently enjoying a revival in popularity. Praised for their clean lines and timeless aesthetic, movie stars and design buffs are snapping up these vintage beauties. Airstreamequal parts travelogue, cultural history, and biography of Wally Byam, Airstream’s charismatic inventorcelebrates the trailer’s enduring appeal as an icon of simple, aerodynamic living. A dazzling array of images tell the story of how Byam, the father of modern trailer travel, created less a product than an entire culture. From the Eiffel Tower to the pyramids of Giza, from the Acropolis to the Golden Gate Bridge, Airstream caravans continue to travel to the far reaches of the earth. Amazing photographs from the Airstream archives document this metallic nomad’s significant place in the history of design, from its streamlined origins to its current vogue. Airstream has always been synonymous with the freedom of the open road. Today the dream lives on.
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“Any surfer will tell you with unquestionable passion that surfing is the only life there is-the rest is just fill-in between one swell and the next. Stoked perfectly captures the spirit of this lifestyle that resolves around the whims of the sea.” –Gerry Lopez, Pipeline Master.
“Drew Kampion is a master at decoding the wonderful machinations of that tribe of watermen and waterwomen called surfers, who live for the ride. Stoked is the anthem of their lifestyle and their dance.” –Steve Pezman, publisher of The Surfer’s Journal
“Drew mixes his micro/macro surf soup, entertaining us with perceptions and word artistry. He always leaves you with a bigger picture and provides a great ride getting there.”
–John Severson, artist and found of Surfer magazine

“Witty, incisive, and original. No one ever had a better perspective on the unique surfing life we all love than Drew Kampion. This is a fascinating and beautiful book.”
–Greg MacGillivray, filmmaker, director of Five Summer Stories, The Living Sea, and Everest.
“Stoked is fun and accurate! If anyone is qualified to write this book, it’s Drew Kampion. Drew was an authority 25 years ago, and he still is today.”
–Jeff Hakman, Mr. Sunset
“Drew Kampion is the only American surf writer who kept my interest during the period when I was World Champion-what everyone else was saying made me just want to look at the pictures. Drew’s writing has always been an excellent barometer on the state of our tribe.”

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The Doors are rock royalty. Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore reinvented rock ‘n’ roll in the 60s, and their influence can be felt even today. Now, for the first time, the living members of the band are opening up their personal archives to their fans, telling their story in their own words. This book is filled with untold anecdotes and never-before-seen photos from their private collections. Fans can learn first-hand what really went on in America’s most enigmatic and mythical band.
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Like a great family photo album for Long Beach Island, Island Album is a delightful oversize hardcover that will be poured over and shared by the ”family” of this New Jersey barrier island resort. Here is Long Beach Island in the days of pound fishing and great hotels, but here, too, are individual fishermen showing off their catches and a gaggle of summer waitresses posing for a group picture in their brief spare time. Children of every decade personify summer as they romp on beaches and mess about in boats. Teenagers are teenagers, recognizable at work and play. Houses evolve from simple shanties into Victorian ”cottages” and finally modern structures with walls of glass. But all are home to the families gathered for the camera on porch and dock. The text, drawn from a series of remarkable interviews taped over a ten-year period, combines descriptions of life on the Island with what the Island represents to those who have known it well. This fragile strip of land between bay and ocean captures the imagination today as much as ever, and this loving evocation of its past will delight those who know, and those who have just discovered, this place apart.
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Best review for Island Album: Photographs & Memories of Long Beach Island