Historische & politische Biographien

Following the discovery of the decapitated corpse of Arthur Rochford Manby in his nineteen-room mansion in Taos, New Mexico, there quickly arose two schools of thought as to the event. One sect accepted that he was gruesomely murdered, while the second held to the belief that he had staged his death and left behind the cadaver of a stranger. The case was a bizarre enigma wrapped in riddles, confusion, betrayal and greed. Finally for posterity, and as relief to the guilty, it was labeled an unsolved crime. Today it is referred to as the "e;Manby Mystery of Taos."e; This book contains very little mystery. Rather, it is the tragic account of Manby and his 35-year career in manipulation, extortion, high-grading and murder. Arriving in New Mexico from England in 1883, the 24-year-old Manby began his personal odyssey for El Dorado: the dream of building a vast empire in the Southwest. He finally does so in 1913 when becoming the owner of the 61,000 acre Martinez Grant of Taos. But after three years it slips from his grasp and he is left nearly penniless. In his last years he gradually decays mentality and emotionally. Looked upon as an eccentric, no one realizes how ill he has become. Finally having a falling out with a quartet of compatriots, in July, 1929, he is murdered and decapitated.

This book is a classic narrative of modern exploration; a story of adventure, enterprise and patient scientific exploration, illustrated by photographs taken on the expedition.The Simpson is a sand-ridge desert extending 200 miles (322 km) west to east, the ridges running parallel from north to south at roughly quarter-mile (0.4 km) intervals, some reaching as high as 100 feet (30 m). Madigan planned a ground crossing in the winter of 1939. A party of nine, including a biologist, a botanist, a photographer and a radio operator, with nineteen camels, made the exhausting crossing from Andado station in the Northern Territory to Birdsville in twenty-five days. It verified Madigan's previous conclusions that the area was a wasteland. This last classic Australian exploration adventure pioneered the use of mobile radio communication; national broadcasts were made through the Australian Broadcasting Commission from desert camps. The scientific results were published and also a popular accound, Crossing the Dead Heart (Melbourne, 1946). He saw the 'Dead Heart' as a land of everlasting sand-ridges and salt-encrusted clay-pans; while his conclusions seemed correct then, within twenty years the area was criss-crossed by petroleum explorers.- Australian Dictionary of Biography

This biography of Jack Maurice Nissenthall, written by his daughter, Linda Nissen Samuels, draws heavily on Jack's own writings: The Wizard War, an unpublished autobiographical account of his part in the development of radar before and during WW2 and its impact on the eventual outcome, and original letters and photos. Through them, we hear this Unsung War Hero telling his own story in his own words.At the heart of Jack's story is the written order that he accepted, as the anonymous "RDF (Range and Direction Finding, an early term for radar) expert" - that he was to be "adequately protected" by bodyguards from the South Saskatchewan Regiment because "under no circumstances" was he to be allowed to fall into enemy hands. Effectively, this meant that ten Canadian soldiers specifically tasked to assist him, were also, in Jack's own words, "a sort of negative safeguard", "my execution squad". That he was not captured and did indeed survive was due partly to his physical fitness and the "cheerful and resourceful courage that shows in this book." (From the Foreword to Jack's own manuscript- written by Prof R. V. Jones, Britain's Assistant Director of Air Intelligence in World War II.)This present book answers the question: what made him do it?It also recounts many episodes which demonstrate how Jack's whole life exemplifies dictionary definitions of a hero - as a person of high moral integrity, resourceful, passionate and patient, energetic, courageous, confident and caring who willingly takes risks and makes sacrifices for others. But Jack is not a common-or-garden, rough, tough hero. You'll be charmed to read how, as a love-struck twenty-something, he wears his heart on his sleeve, writing to his girlfriend Dally about their first kiss.Why is it then, that this exceptional person was undervalued and overlooked by the powers-that-be at the end of World War II? And why was he not decorated for bravery? Indeed, an article proposes that he is "The VC that never was."This book gives an insight into why, nearly eighty years later, Jack Nissenthall's extraordinary war service is still largely unknown and unsung (except in Canada), and why there are still so many unanswered questions about it.But in the end, readers will surely acknowledge this hero's modest and cheerful embodiment of integrity - and want to sing his well-deserved praises.

In recent years, Social Epistemology has emerged as a captivating and dynamic field of study, revolutionizing our understanding of knowledge and its acquisition within social contexts. As societies continue to become increasingly interconnected through technology and communication, the significance of social factors in shaping beliefs, justifications, and disseminating information has become more evident.Social Epistemology focuses on how collective agents, such as communities, institutions, and cultures, generate, transmit, and validate knowledge. The field delves into how social interactions, norms, trust, and shared beliefs impact individual cognition and contribute to forming communal knowledge structures.The ascent of Social Epistemology promises to bring many benefits to diverse disciplines. By illuminating the interplay between individual epistemic agents and social systems, this field enriches our comprehension of knowledge production, scientific progress, and the dynamics of belief formation. It also offers insights into misinformation, knowledge polarization, and epistemic injustices plaguing modern societies.As researchers delve deeper into Social Epistemology, the prospects of its ascent seem promising. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, incorporating insights from cognitive science, sociology, and philosophy, and utilizing advanced analytical tools, Social Epistemology holds the potential to reshape the way we perceive knowledge, truth, and rationality in the interconnected world of tomorrow. Darby Roy's exploration of this burgeoning domain encourages a thoughtful examination of the complex interplay between individuals and societies, enriching our epistemic landscape for years to come.

While living in Denver in the early 1890s, Francis Schlatter, a poor immigrant cobbler from Alsace-Lorraine, heard a voice inside his head that told him to put down his tools and go outside and walk east. For several years Schlatter, a deeply pious man, had been aware that he possessed the potential to cure people of their afflictions if he could only muster enough faith; the time to test that faith had arrived. So began a grueling two-year journey on foot that took him as far east as Hot Springs, Arkansas, then back across the Southwest to San Diego, north to San Francisco, then east to Arizona and New Mexico. In the summer and fall of 1895, first in Albuquerque then in Denver, he began to treat hundreds of people a day. Word of his miraculous power ran like wildfire all over the Southwest. Appalled by the carnival atmosphere he encountered in Denver, Schlatter slipped away into the wilds of New Mexico, finally into Old Mexico, where he died under mysterious circumstances in the spring of 1897. Charlatan or saint? Healer or fraud? The question remains. Even his detractors acknowledged the genuine compassion that people felt in his presence. Most telling was the fact that he never took a dime for the therapies he performed. A hundred years ago Francis Schlatter was one of the best-known figures in the Southwest; since then he has literally fallen off the map. In this gripping and powerful narrative, based on contemporary newspaper accounts and a memoir that Schlatter dictated to a friend before he died in Mexico, Conger Beasley, Jr. reconstructs the life and times of this remarkable man.

Ein noch nie da gewesener Blick hinter die Kulissen der russischen Außenpolitik: Wie arbeitet das russische Außenministerium? Was sind das für Leute und wie denken sie, was veranlasst sie zu handeln? Wie entwickelte sich die russische Außenpolitik bis hin zum Ukrainekrieg, was trieb sie an und welche Mächte waren im Spiel? Boris Bondarew war einer von sehr wenigen, die aus Protest gegen den Angriffskrieg auf die Ukraine den russischen Staatsdienst unter Teilnahme der Öffentlichkeit quittierten. Über zwanzig Jahre war er in verschiedenen Funktionen im russischen Außenministerium und im diplomatischen Dienst tätig und erlebte die Obrigkeitshörigkeit, Korruption und Inkompetenz in den russischen Behörden. Er ist Russe und Demokrat, seit seiner Kündigung lebt er unter strengen Sicherheitsvorkehrungen im Exil, und er will zurück - in ein anderes Russland ohne Putin. Mit einem klaren Blick auf die Gegenwart und scharfer Kritik an der grausamen russischen Aggressionspolitik liefert er hier auch seinen Beitrag zu dem, was jetzt wichtig wird: die richtigen Überlegungen anzustellen, bereit zu sein, Russland und vor allem die russische Bevölkerung auf dem Weg zurück zu einer demokratischen Ordnung zu unterstützen.

Professional, formalized training for police in the United States is a relatively new concept. Formal police training programs didn't begin appearing until the latter part of the 19th century, and the NYPD, considered one of the best trained police forces in the world, did not establish a meaningful training program until 1909. The NYPD quickly recognized the relationship between training and professionalism, and two police commissioners during the early 20th century also recognized the correlation between education and professionalism. Their efforts led to increased levels of technical police training, as well as an effort to elevate the level of police education to the status of an institution on higher learning, like a college. In fact, for a brief period of time their efforts became reality with the establishment of a police college. This is the story of that institution-the rise and fall of the New York Police College.

Alfred Fredrick John Knight was born in Yeovil to his mother Amelia and father George. When Alfred was three years old, George his father left Amelia telling her that he was taking their son Alfred with him. George took Alfred and in secret eloped with his lover to Wales. Alfred was later adopted and lived with his adopted family talking to the family about emigrating to Canada. He told his family that he wanted to stay in England and try and find his birth mother. He left home and went back to Yeovil, but there was no trace of his mother, he did manage to find his grandmother Mary, who was still alive. While looking for a job, he saw a sign which read, 'YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU!' Alfred then decided that he wanted to become a soldier and join the British Army. After joining up with Prince Albert's light infantry, the Somerset Light Infantry was sent out to India to fight the rebellion. Will Alfred ever find his birth mother?

David, Betsy, and Sammy Berman were nine, six, and four years old in May 1943 when the U.S. Army sent their father, Dr. Reuben Berman, to Europe. Over the next two and a half years, the children regularly gathered around their mother, Isabel, in their Minneapolis home while she typed exactly what they wanted to say to their father. This collection of more than 340 letters, selected from more than a thousand exchanged by the Berman family via V-mail, captures the anxiety and loss that children experienced when their fathers left for war.

When his parents expressed the desire for them to help his sibling and the next generation, he accepted that as a mission of his life. They developed a plan that was incentive based and lasted for over 25 years. They refused to hand out freebees, that will make a dependent class out of them. Hence the title of the book. They now have 150 plus family members who benefitted from the plan. The family includes many physicians, engineers, MBAs, other professionals and business owners. Read how two people achieved all of this.

What if, by eight years old, children could possess the mechanism to disrupt prejudicial tendencies? That is an argument posited by Jane Elliott for more than five decades. She initially made the claim the day after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.-first with elementary school students in Riceville, Iowa, then with adults in seminar rooms full of corporate, correctional, educational, and military personnel. Elliott is famous for placing learners of all ages into a manufactured society of hate, oppression, and in-group synchrony. In Shades of Brown, historian Todd M. Mealy offers a fascinating, never-before-told reconstruction of Elliott's life as a child on a Depression-era farm in Iowa to her rise as one of the world's leading voices on the anatomy of prejudice.Loved and despised by millions, this schoolteacher invested most of her life trying to expose the root cause of bigotry: ignorance. Racism is not new. It will likely never end. However, in 1968, Elliott discovered a method to mitigate racist inclinations. She calls it the "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise," a controversial role-play on discrimination that separates learners by the color of their eyes. Elliott contends that a short period of discomfort and alienation will teach her central lesson that we are one race.Based on rarely tapped sources, especially never discovered family documents, Shades of Brown offers the full context of the origin, use, and implications of the Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise.

Today, residents of the Borough of Queens are fortunate enough to be protected by the New York City Police Department - but that wasn't always the case. There was a time when Queens County was not a part of New York City, and the towns and villages provided their own law enforcement through an assortment of constables, marshals, special officers, and watchmen. What happened to these Queens lawmen when the county was pulled into the Greater City of New York? This is the story of the policemen of the independent county of Queens and their fight to keep their jobs when Queens became a Borough in the City of New York.

South Sudan became independent in 2011, but the hope for a peaceful future was short-lived. By 2013, the world's youngest nation was engulfed in a brutal civil and tribal war.Deployed as a Military Liaison Officer as part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, John Vintar recounts the harsh realities of how the United Nations conducts peacekeeping operations in Africa.With stories that are descriptive, shocking, and at times poetic, Vintar illustrates humanity at its best and its worst, in a war waged with impunity.Experience the dangers, frustrations, and sense of isolation that come with serving in a UN mission, and the difficulty returning home to a country indifferent to the suffering in South Sudan.

On December 7, 1941, Bonnie Byde and her husband Eric woke to explosions. Their children slept in the next room. They had heard the news of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, but assured themselves that they would be safe in the Philippines. If trouble did come, the Americans would take care of it.Bravery in Bits and Pieces is Bonnie Byde's account of her family's day-to-day life in the Santo Tomas Japanese internment camp. Bonnie risked her life to journal her family's story. Written on scraps of paper and hidden in the bottom of the children's mattresses, Bonnie kept a record so that her family back in Australia would know her fate.Bonnie's daughter, Ann, preserved her mother's memoir for over 45 years. Bravery in Bits and Pieces is a chronicle of frustrations and horrors of the prison camp. It is also a rare first-person account of a mother and wife's wartime experience.

Immanuel Kant es una esclarecedora exploración de la vida, las ideas y el impacto duradero de una de las figuras más significativas de la filosofía occidental. Immanuel Kant, filósofo alemán nacido en Königsberg (Prusia), dejó una huella indeleble en el panorama intelectual con sus revolucionarias obras sobre epistemología, metafísica, ética y estética. El sistema filosófico de Kant, a menudo denominado idealismo trascendental, cuestionaba las nociones convencionales de espacio, tiempo y los límites del conocimiento humano. En su influyente obra Crítica de la razón pura, sostuvo que el espacio y el tiempo son estructuras fundamentales que conforman nuestra percepción y comprensión del mundo, mientras que la verdadera naturaleza de las cosas sigue siendo en última instancia incognoscible. Basándose en la analogía de la revolución copernicana, Kant propuso que nuestras facultades cognitivas participan activamente en la formación de nuestra experiencia, lo que conduce a una forma única de conocimiento a priori. Además de sus revolucionarias ideas epistemológicas, Kant se adentró en los ámbitos de la ética y la estética. Postuló que la razón sirve de fundamento a la moral, subrayando la importancia de los principios morales derivados del pensamiento racional. Además, exploró la naturaleza de la belleza y la facultad del juicio desinteresado en su obra sobre estética. El libro también arroja luz sobre las complejas opiniones religiosas de Kant, que se entrelazaron con su teoría moral. Aunque la naturaleza exacta de sus creencias sigue siendo objeto de debate, su enfoque filosófico influyó mucho en su perspectiva de la fe y su conexión con la ética. Más allá de sus actividades académicas, Kant tenía una visión optimista de un orden mundial armonioso. Preveía la paz perpetua mediante el establecimiento de una federación internacional de Estados republicanos y la colaboración entre las naciones. Al tiempo que reconoce las importantes contribuciones de Kant a la filosofía, el libro aborda la controversia en torno a sus opiniones sobre el racismo científico. Explora la evolución de sus creencias al respecto, revelando un cambio en su postura durante los últimos años de su vida. Este libro ofrece a los lectores un relato exhaustivo y atractivo de la vida, las ideas y el legado de Kant. Proporciona una comprensión matizada de su sistema filosófico, su impacto en los pensadores posteriores y los debates actuales que rodean sus contribuciones. Este libro es una lectura esencial para cualquier persona interesada en profundizar en las filosofías de Immanuel Kant y la época de la Ilustración.

Hillary Clinton es una biografía exhaustiva que explora la extraordinaria trayectoria de una de las figuras más influyentes y controvertidas de la política estadounidense moderna. Desde sus primeros años en Illinois hasta su histórica candidatura a la presidencia, este libro ofrece una visión en profundidad de la vida y la carrera de Hillary Clinton. Nacida el 26 de octubre de 1947, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ha sido una figura destacada de la política estadounidense durante décadas. Como miembro del Partido Demócrata, fue Secretaria de Estado de Estados Unidos bajo la presidencia de Barack Obama de 2009 a 2013, representando a la nación en la escena mundial y realizando importantes contribuciones a la política exterior y la diplomacia. La carrera política de Clinton comenzó como Primera Dama de Arkansas, donde defendió causas como la reforma sanitaria y los derechos de la infancia. Durante su mandato como Primera Dama de Estados Unidos, de 1993 a 2001, desempeñó un papel activo en la formulación de políticas y la defensa de la igualdad de género. Sus esfuerzos por aprobar una reforma sanitaria integral se enfrentaron a dificultades, pero perseveró y siguió luchando por el bienestar de los niños y las familias. En 2000, Clinton hizo historia al convertirse en la primera mujer elegida senadora por Nueva York. Su paso por el Senado puso de manifiesto su dedicación a cuestiones como la sanidad, la educación y el apoyo a los primeros intervinientes afectados por los atentados del 11 de septiembre. Sin embargo, su apoyo a la autorización de la guerra de Irak y su posterior oposición al aumento de tropas en 2007 suscitaron tanto elogios como críticas. El libro también profundiza en las innovadoras campañas presidenciales de Clinton, en particular su histórica nominación como primera mujer candidata por un gran partido político estadounidense en las elecciones de 2016. A pesar de ganar el voto popular, finalmente fue derrotada por Donald Trump en el Colegio Electoral. Se analizan las consecuencias de la elección y sus reflexiones sobre la experiencia, arrojando luz sobre su resistencia y determinación. Escrito con una meticulosa investigación y un análisis equilibrado, este libro ofrece a los lectores una comprensión exhaustiva de una figura compleja e influyente en la política estadounidense. Explora sus logros, desafíos y las controversias que han rodeado su carrera. Este libro es una lectura esencial para los interesados en la historia de Hillary Clinton y su impacto en el panorama político de Estados Unidos.

En esta biografía exhaustiva y meticulosamente investigada, profundice en la vida y la presidencia de George W. Bush, el 43º Presidente de los Estados Unidos. Desde sus primeros días como joven piloto en la Guardia Nacional Aérea de Texas hasta sus tumultuosos ocho años en la Casa Blanca, este libro ofrece una exploración detallada del hombre detrás de la figura política. Nacido en el seno de una familia profundamente arraigada en la política, George W. Bush se labró su propio camino hacia el poder. Tras una exitosa carrera en la industria petrolera y ser copropietario de los Texas Rangers, Bush entró en la arena política como Gobernador de Texas. Durante su mandato defendió importantes reformas en educación, justicia penal y energías renovables. Sin embargo, fueron las elecciones presidenciales de 2000 las que definirían su legado. A pesar de perder el voto popular, Bush salió victorioso tras un polémico recuento en Florida. Al tomar posesión de su cargo a principios de 2001, se enfrentó a retos inmediatos, como los devastadores atentados terroristas del 11 de septiembre. Este acontecimiento reconfiguró su presidencia, dando lugar al inicio de la guerra contra el terrorismo, la invasión de Afganistán y la creación del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional. A lo largo de su presidencia, Bush tomó importantes decisiones políticas que darían forma al futuro de la nación. Desde la firma de importantes recortes fiscales y proyectos de reforma educativa hasta la autorización de la vigilancia de presuntos terroristas a través de la Ley Patriota, persiguió su visión de unos Estados Unidos más seguros y fuertes. Sin embargo, la presidencia de Bush no estuvo exenta de polémica. La decisión de invadir Irak basándose en la creencia de la existencia de armas de destrucción masiva sería posteriormente muy criticada. Además, su gestión del huracán Katrina y el despido de fiscales estadounidenses durante su segundo mandato fueron objeto de un intenso escrutinio. A partir de una gran cantidad de fuentes primarias y entrevistas, este libro ofrece un examen perspicaz y equilibrado de la presidencia de George W. Bush. Explora sus éxitos, sus fracasos y las complejas decisiones que tuvo que tomar durante su mandato. Con una narración convincente y un análisis que invita a la reflexión, esta biografía arroja luz sobre un periodo crucial de la historia de Estados Unidos y sobre el liderazgo de uno de sus presidentes más controvert

Galileo Galilei: Biografía de un astrónomo, físico y padre de la ciencia moderna se adentra en la vida y los extraordinarios logros de una de las mentes más brillantes de la historia de la ciencia. Este libro ofrece una exploración en profundidad de las revolucionarias contribuciones de Galileo a la astronomía, la física y el método científico, así como su tumultuosa relación con la Iglesia católica. Nacido en Pisa, Italia, en 1564, la insaciable curiosidad y la destreza intelectual de Galileo Galilei le llevaron a desentrañar los misterios del universo. Desde sus primeros estudios sobre la velocidad y la gravedad hasta sus revolucionarias observaciones con el telescopio, Galileo revolucionó nuestra comprensión del cosmos. Mediante minuciosas observaciones, confirmó las fases de Venus, descubrió las cuatro lunas más grandes de Júpiter, examinó los enigmáticos anillos de Saturno y escudriñó los cráteres lunares y las manchas solares. Sin embargo, la adhesión de Galileo al modelo heliocéntrico copernicano, según el cual la Tierra gira alrededor del Sol, puso en tela de juicio la visión geocéntrica del mundo imperante, apoyada por la Iglesia católica. Su firme dedicación a la verdad científica le enfrentó a la Inquisición y a su rígida adhesión a las interpretaciones bíblicas. El libro narra vívidamente los dramáticos acontecimientos que rodearon el juicio de Galileo, en el que fue acusado de herejía y obligado a retractarse de sus opiniones bajo la amenaza de un severo castigo. A pesar de la opresión y el confinamiento, el genio de Galileo siguió brillando. Desde su arresto domiciliario, escribió su influyente obra "Dos ciencias nuevas", que exploraba la cinemática y la resistencia de los materiales. Las ideas de Galileo sentaron las bases de la física moderna y transformaron para siempre nuestra comprensión del mundo natural. "Galileo Galilei: Biografía de un astrónomo, físico y padre de la ciencia moderna" capta la esencia del espíritu pionero de Galileo, su inquebrantable búsqueda del conocimiento y su impacto en la revolución científica. Esta biografía, meticulosamente investigada, no sólo ilumina los extraordinarios logros de Galileo, sino que también ofrece un examen matizado de las fuerzas sociales y religiosas que configuraron su vida y su legado. Es un viaje cautivador a través de la vida de un genio visionario que desafió el statu quo y dejó una huella indeleble en el curso del conocimiento humano.

Appassionata e paziente opera di ricerca con la quale l'autore, combinando le testimonianze documentali e le evidenze genetiche, si è messo sulle tracce dei propri antenati, sottraendo dall'oblio e restituendo alla memoria collettiva le remote vicende e l'eroismo quotidiano di individui comuni dimenticati da secoli. Nel preservare il ricordo di questi uomini e donne, di cui egli è frutto, prende le mosse per tracciare l'evoluzione di un casale vesuviano, scenario di riferimento, dalle origini ai giorni nostri. Con l'ambizione di aver interpretato il pensiero del filosofo e storico Benedetto Croce secondo il quale "Ogni storia universale, se è davvero storia, è sempre storia particolare..., ogni storia particolare, se è davvero storia e dove è storia, è sempre necessariamente universale...".