Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art

Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art Review

Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art Feature

• ISBN13: 9780143117407
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Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art Overview

The true story of one of the twentieth century's most audacious art frauds

Filled with extraordinary characters and told at breakneck speed, Provenance reads like a well-plotted thriller. But this is most certainly not fiction. It is the astonishing narrative of one of the most far-reaching and elaborate cons in the history of art forgery. Stretching from London to Paris to New York, investigative reporters Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo recount the tale of infamous con man and unforgettable villain John Drewe and his accomplice, the affable artist John Myatt. Together they exploited the archives of British art institutions to irrevocably legitimize the hundreds of pieces they forged, many of which are still considered genuine and hang in prominent museums and private collections today.

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A Secret Gift: How One Man's Kindness--and a Trove of Letters--Revealed the Hidden History of the Great Depression

A Secret Gift: How One Man's Kindness--and a Trove of Letters--Revealed the Hidden History of the Great Depression Review

A Secret Gift: How One Man's Kindness--and a Trove of Letters--Revealed the Hidden History of the Great Depression Feature

• ISBN13: 9781594202704
• Condition: New
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A Secret Gift: How One Man's Kindness--and a Trove of Letters--Revealed the Hidden History of the Great Depression Overview

An inspiring account of America at its worst-and Americans at their best-woven from the stories of Depression-era families who were helped by gifts from the author's generous and secretive grandfather.

Shortly before Christmas 1933 in Depression-scarred Canton, Ohio, a small newspaper ad offered , no strings attached, to 75 families in distress. Interested readers were asked to submit letters describing their hardships to a benefactor calling himself Mr. B. Virdot. The author's grandfather Sam Stone was inspired to place this ad and assist his fellow Cantonians as they prepared for the cruelest Christmas most of them would ever witness.

Moved by the tales of suffering and expressions of hope contained in the letters, which he discovered in a suitcase 75 years later, Ted Gup initially set out to unveil the lives behind them, searching for records and relatives all over the country who could help him flesh out the family sagas hinted at in those letters. From these sources, Gup has re-created the impact that Mr B. Virdot's gift had on each family. Many people yearned for bread, coal, or other necessities, but many others received money from B. Virdot for more fanciful items-a toy horse, say, or a set of encyclopedias. As Gup's investigations revealed, all these things had the power to turn people's lives around- even to save them.

But as he uncovered the suffering and triumphs of dozens of strangers, Gup also learned that Sam Stone was far more complex than the lovable- retiree persona he'd always shown his grandson. Gup unearths deeply buried details about Sam's life-from his impoverished, abusive upbringing to felonious efforts to hide his immigrant origins from U.S. officials-that help explain why he felt such a strong affinity to strangers in need. Drawing on his unique find and his award-winning reportorial gifts, Ted Gup solves a singular family mystery even while he pulls away the veil of eight decades that separate us from the hardships that united America during the Depression. In A Secret Gift, he weaves these revelations seamlessly into a tapestry of Depression-era America, which will fascinate and inspire in equal measure.

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Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black & White

Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black & White Review

Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black & White Overview

Setting the Record Straight is a unique view of the religious and moral heritage of black Americans, with an emphasis on the untold yet significant stories from our rich political history. The material presented is ground-breaking and revolutionary, leaving viewers amazed and inspired.

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The Days of our Lives: The True Story of One Family's Dream and the Untold History of Days of our Lives

The Days of our Lives: The True Story of One Family's Dream and the Untold History of Days of our Lives Review

The Days of our Lives: The True Story of One Family's Dream and the Untold History of Days of our Lives Feature

• ISBN13: 9781402242229
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

The Days of our Lives: The True Story of One Family's Dream and the Untold History of Days of our Lives Overview

On a November day almost forty-five years ago, the first episode of Days of our Lives appeared on the NBC Network, NBC's first color soap opera broadcast. Eleven thousand episodes later, millions excitedly tune in every weekday to watch one of the 260 original one-hour episodes produced each year. What few know though is that the show started as the dream of one family, the Corday family, who still owns and runs the show to this day. These are the days of their lives.

The Days of our Lives is the first insider account of the history behind one of our most beloved soap operas. It is about the family who believed in it, conceived it, and sometimes seemed to live it along with millions of viewers, as they struggled to emerge from nowhere to create and produce one of the most successful and enduring television shows in history.

Ken Corday reveals the triumphs and tragedies behind the scenes over the years, a moving personal story of a family facing everything from death to mental illness, the ever-looming threat of cancellation, and the struggle to keep their dream alive. It is also the story of an extended family-actors, producers, and crew-who formed a bond of love that went beyond just creating a show to establishing a legacy.

You will discover for the first time the true  stories behind the show, a story of living a dream and raising a family while things all around you, even fate, seem to conspire against you-and succeeding against all odds.

(20100510)

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A Short History of England

A Short History of England Review

Gilbert Keith Chesterton is certainly one of the most entertaining, and important, authors in the English language. This particular volume covers quickly, yet completely, the history of England from early Roman times to the time of the Great War, World War I. Chesterton is a man, I suspect, who would have been very hard to dislike. Though brilliant, he always approached his many opponents with a keen sense of fun and empathy. But he is certainly a writer who, though sometimes challenging, is always enjoyable.

This wonderful, short, and thoroughly readable book can really be seen as a layman's philosophical representation of the great arc of English history. To grasp Chesterton's wit and wisdom entirely, it is probably important to have at least a nodding familiarity with English history before reading the book. But, so armed, the reader will be delighted with G.K.'s retelling of the great events of England, together with his insightful commentary relative to their import.

Particularly poignant is Chesterton's rendering of the martydom of Saint Joan of Arc. He avers that, at one time or another, perhaps all British soldiers would have traded places with the common British infantryman who broke his spear to make a cross for the dying Saint. This section alone is worth the price of the entire book.

A Short History of England Overview

I. INTRODUCTION II. THE PROVINCE OF BRITAIN III. THE AGE OF LEGENDS IV. THE DEFEAT OF THE BARBARIANS V. ST. EDWARD AND THE NORMAN KINGS VI. THE AGE OF THE CRUSADES VII. THE PROBLEM OF THE PLANTAGENETS VIII. THE MEANING OF MERRY ENGLAND IX. NATIONALITY AND THE FRENCH WARS X. THE WAR OF THE USURPERS XI. THE REBELLION OF THE RICH XII. SPAIN AND THE SCHISM OF NATIONS XIII. THE AGE OF THE PURITANS XIV. THE TRIUMPH OF THE WHIGS XV. THE WAR WITH THE GREAT REPUBLICS XVI. ARISTOCRACY AND THE DISCONTENTS XVII. THE RETURN OF THE BARBARIAN

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The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History

The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History Review

"The Greatest Trade Ever" does a terrific job of showing how John Paulson realized in 2006 that the housing market and the value of subprime mortgages were grossly inflated and headed for a major fall. Paulson figured out a way to wager against housing by buying credit default swaps (CDS). In 2007 the markets began to implode and by the end of the year Paulson had pulled off the greatest trade in financial history, earning more than BILLION for his firm. What he did may be entirely legal, but I don't find it particularly admirable.

I wish the author would have provided the following information:
-How much money did Paulson pay for his entire CDS coverage and which firms sold the CDS certificates to Paulson?
-Would Paulson have been able to get the billion for his CDS coverage if the US Government hadn't bailed out so many firms?
-If the US Government had let more firms go bankrupt, would Paulson have received anything?
-Are the US tax payers the people who are actually paying for the billion Paulson received?

The book describes a few other men attempting to do the same thing as Paulson, but no one else did as well. None of them tried to warn the US government of the coming meltdown. Apparently none of those profiting from the crash have done anything with their money except satisfy their own desires.

Ultimately, Paulson was able to get billion because of combinations of greed, incompetence, and dishonesty of the following: people lying to qualify for subprime loans, people encouraging unqualified people to get subprime loans, subprime loans being bundled and rated as safer than they really were, politicians looking the other way as Fannie and Freddie were used to provide subprime loads to all kinds of unqualified people, and the rest of us for trusting all of those listed above.

It is interesting to compare "The Greatest Trade Ever" with a book I am currently reading, "The Dam Busters" by Paul Bricknill (first published in 1951 and again in 1979).

"The Dam Busters" and "The Greatest Trade Ever" describe two completely different groups of men. "The Greatest Trade Ever" men appear to be addicted to acquiring money, without any concern for anyone or anything but themselves. The men in "The Dam Busters" were a squadron of hand-picked fliers who destroyed two of Germany's major dams in the most daring and successful raid of WWII. They put their lives on the line on a regular basis and demonstrated incredicle devotion, self-sacrifice and courage. Most of them lost their lives while they were protecting others and defeating Hitler.

After reading "The Greatest Trade Ever" I felt sad about all the rotten people and policies that contributed to the latest meltdown in the US that damaged almost all of us, but "The Dam Busters" reminded me that there are courageous, honorable men and women whose focus is on helping to defeat evil.

If our society ever has a major breakdown due to some catastrophic event, I think that most of us would prefer to join in survival efforts with people like those described in "The Dam Busters". I suspect that most of us would be afraid that "The Greatest Trade Ever" types would focus on how they could personally benefit from the disaster and not focus on how to help anyone survive.

What do you think?

The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History Feature

• ISBN13: 9780385529914
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History Overview

In 2006, hedge fund manager John Paulson realized something few others suspected--that the housing market and the value of subprime mortgages were grossly inflated and headed for a major fall.  Paulson's background was in mergers and acquisitions, however, and he knew little about real estate or how to wager against housing.  He had spent a career as an also-ran on Wall Street. But Paulson was convinced this was his chance to make his mark. He just wasn't sure how to do it.  Colleagues at investment banks scoffed at him and investors dismissed him.  Even pros skeptical about housing shied away from the complicated derivative investments that Paulson was just learning about.  But Paulson and a handful of renegade investors such as Jeffrey Greene and Michael Burry began to bet heavily against risky mortgages and precarious financial companies. Timing is everything, though. Initially, Paulson and the others lost tens of millions of dollars as real estate and stocks continued to soar. Rather than back down, however, Paulson redoubled his bets, putting his hedge fund and his reputation on the line.
     In the summer of 2007, the markets began to implode, bringing Paulson early profits, but also sparking efforts to rescue real estate and derail him. By year's end, though, John Paulson had pulled off the greatest trade in financial history, earning more than billion for his firm--a figure that dwarfed George Soros's billion-dollar currency trade in 1992.  Paulson made billions more in 2008 by transforming his gutsy move.  Some of the underdog investors who attempted the daring trade also reaped fortunes. But others who got the timing wrong met devastating failure, discovering that being early and right wasn't nearly enough.
     Written by the prizewinning reporter who broke the story in The Wall Street Journal, The Greatest Trade Ever is a superbly written, fast-paced, behind-the-scenes narrative of how a contrarian foresaw an escalating financial crisis--that outwitted Chuck Prince, Stanley O'Neal, Richard Fuld, and Wall Street's titans--to make financial history.

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Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations and History of the Tuscarora Indians

Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations and History of the Tuscarora Indians Review

Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations and History of the Tuscarora Indians Overview

BY ELIAS JOHNSON, A NATIVE TUSCARORA CHIEF. INTRODUCTION. "A book about Indians!"—who cares anything about them? This will probably be the exclamation of many who glance on my little page. To those who know nothing concerning them, a whole book about Indians will seem a very prosy affair, to whom I can answer nothing, for they will not proceed as far as my Preface to see what reasons I can render for the seeming folly. But to those who are willing to listen, I can say that the Indians are a very interesting people, whether I have made an interesting book about them or not. The Antiquarian, the Historian, and the Scholar, have been a long time studying Indian character, and have given plenty of information concerning the Indian, but it is all in ponderous volumes for State and College libraries, and quite inaccessible to the multitude—those who only take up such book as may be held in the hand, sitting by the fire,—still remain very ignorant of the Children of Nature who inhabited the forests before the Saxon set his foot upon our shores. There is also a great deal of prejudice, the consequence of this ignorance, and the consequence of the representations of your forefathers who were brought into contact with the Indians, under circumstances that made it impossible to judge impartially and correctly. The Histories which are in the schools, and from which the first impressions are obtained, are still very deficient in what they relate of Indian History, and most of them are still filling the minds of children and youth, with imperfect ideas. I have read many of the Histories, and have longed to see refuted the slanders, and blot out the dark pictures which the historians have wont to spread abroad concerning us. May I live to see the day when it may be done, for most deeply have I learned to blush for my people. I thought, at first, of only giving a series of Indian Biographies, but without some knowledge of the government and religion of the Iroquois, the character of the Indians could not be understood or appreciated. I enter upon the task with much distrust. It is a difficult task at all times to speak and to write in foreign language, and I fear I shall not succeed to the satisfaction of myself, or to my readers. My title will not be so attractive to the American ears, as if it related to any other unknown people. A tour in Arabia, or Spain, or in India, or some other foreign country, with far less important and interesting material, would secure a greater number of readers, as we are always more curious about things afar off. I might have covered many pages with "Indian Atrocities," but these have been detailed in other histories, till they are familiar to every ear, and I had neither room nor inclination for even a glance at war and its dark records.

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The American Promise: A History of the United States, Volume I: To 1877

The American Promise: A History of the United States, Volume I: To 1877 Review

I bought this book for my sister, and
she loves it!
Thank GOD for helping me pick this history book
for her!!! She loves it so much, and
she has started reading it already!
It is packed with detail information!

I hope this convinces you to buy it too!
Thanks for reading!

The American Promise: A History of the United States, Volume I: To 1877 Overview

The American Promise is more teachable and memorable than any other U.S. survey text. The balanced narrative braids together political and social history so that students can discern overarching trends as well as individual stories. The voices of hundreds of Americans — from Presidents to pipefitters, and sharecroppers to suffragettes — animate the past and make concepts memorable.

The past comes alive for students through dynamic special features and a stunning and distinctive visual program. Over 775 contemporaneous illustrations — more than any competing text — draw students into the text, and more than 180 full-color maps increase students’ geographic literacy. A rich array of special features complements the narrative, offering more points of departure for assignments and discussion. Longstanding favorites include Documenting the American Promise, Historical Questions, The Promise of Technology, and Beyond America’s Borders, representing a key part of our effort to increase attention paid to the global context of American history.

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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (The Bedford Series in History and Culture)

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (The Bedford Series in History and Culture) Review

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is one of the few books that every American should read and is also essential for anyone even remotely interested in American history, African Americans, or slavery's sad story. It is a fine piece of writing in itself and also of immense historical value - a true American classic.

The most obvious aspect is of course autobiographical. American literature has a long, prestigious autobiographical tradition, and this is one of the best entries. Douglass' account of his life is profoundly moving and immensely thought-provoking. He begins with his first memories and carries his story all the way to what was then the present. Needless to say, the inside look at slavery from a slave's perspective is the most valuable part; there are numerous such narratives, but this is surely preeminent. The story is heart-wrenching, vividly and unforgettably detailing humanity's inhumanity; we see what it was like to be a slave in regard to everything from food, clothing, and shelter to labor. Many of the incidents are almost painful to even read; actually living through them - or even being alive when such things happened - is now thankfully unimaginable. Douglass gives several examples of physical cruelty, but the most harrowing stories may well be those of psychological torture and simple denial of basic human feelings, as in the heartless breaking up of families. Such things are inherently moving, and this would be one of the most emotional works ever if it were fiction, but the stunning fact that it is not makes it all the more meaningful. The dread weight of its truth is particularly shocking when we realize that Douglass came from one of the areas where slavery was least harsh. The horrors here related are thankfully long past, but such books will always be immensely valuable as reminders of just how cruel people can be - and have been quite recently. We must never forget, lest they happen again.

Douglass in this way is more representative than individual, and he indeed took it on himself to speak for all slaves. The book was in this sense propagandistic and did its job better than anyone could have expected, laying slavery's evils bare to many who were previously unaware or unable - possibly unwilling - to believe. It was an abolitionist milestone and had a real effect in moving slavery toward its end. Yet Douglass' story is extremely interesting in itself; indeed, in many ways he was the spiritual successor of Benjamin Franklin, founder of the American autobiographical tradition. Franklin practically invented the American dream by showing how hard work and perseverance could raise one from humble beginnings to wealth, fame, and acclaim. Douglass had infinitely worse circumstances yet managed to rise far above them - not only teaching himself to read but becoming a genuine autodidact, not only escaping slavery but becoming a noted abolitionist, orator, writer, black leader, and racial authority with world fame and reverence. Few stories are more inspirational, and the work is thus on top of everything else the best kind of self-help book. Douglass unforgettably shows that it is possible to overcome even the most adverse circumstances and gives a good idea of how to do so.

One must not neglect to mention that, incredible as it is, Douglass is a premier prose stylist. Considering his circumstances, the fact that he was able to write at all is amazing; anyone would make great allowance for poor or even semi-literature writing. In fact, though, Douglass is a top-level writer; this is not only one of the very few autobiographies that is true literature but simply great writing per se. The writing is simple in the best sense; Douglass truly embodied Jonathan Swift's good style definition: "Proper words in proper places." He is admirably clear and concise. That said, he works himself up to a rhapsody when appropriate, reaching near-lyrical heights; the passage where he compares himself to the free is one of the most affecting and best-written I have seen in the hundreds or thousands of books I have read. That Douglass' Narrative has this totally unlooked for virtue in addition to all others is thoroughly impressive.

Simply put, anyone who has not read this should do so as soon as possible; few books are more important or memorable. Douglass is an American giant, and this is his enduring fame's base. No one who reads it can forget it, and that may be the highest praise of all.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (The Bedford Series in History and Culture) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780312257378
• Condition: New
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (The Bedford Series in History and Culture) Overview

This second edition of Douglass's Narrative reprints this classic document together with speeches and letters, all in a volume designed for undergraduate students. An extensive introduction places the Narrative in its historical and literary contexts with annotations on needed background.

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