Historische & politische Biographien

Geneology and memories of the Bucklands and Weikles of West Virginia

Als 1977 »Sonjas Rapport« erschien, staunte der 35-jährige Sohn der Autorin nicht schlecht: Seine Mutter war eine Spionin, Deckname Sonja, im Rang eines Oberst der Roten Armee. Ihr Lebensweg: als Ursula Kuczynski in Berlin geboren, geht sie 1930 mit ihrem Mann nach Shanghai, lernt den Top-Spion Richard Sorge kennen, der sie nach Moskau zur Ausbildung als Funkerin schickt. Sie sendet für Stalin aus der Mandschurei, aus Polen, der Schweiz, dann aus England, wo sie die Kontaktperson des Physikers Klaus Fuchs ist, der ihr den Bauplan der Atombombe übergibt. Als Fuchs 1949 enttarnt wird, siedelt sie nach Ostberlin über, scheidet aus dem Geheimdienst aus - und schreibt Kinderbücher! Schließlich ihre Autobiografie »Sonjas Rapport«, die ein sensationeller Erfolg wird. Was sich wie ein Thriller liest, berichtet über tatsächliche Ereignisse von geschichtlicher Tragweite, die den Verlauf des 20. Jahrhunderts beeinflussten. Der Akteur: eine nette, bescheidene Frau und Mutter dreier Kinder. Aus Rücksicht auf den zur Zeit der Buchveröffentlichung noch lebenden Klaus Fuchs hatte Ruth Werner zunächst auf das spannende Kapitel der Atomspionage verzichtet, das in diese Ausgabe aufgenommen wurde. Abgedruckt ist auch ein Interview aus dem Jahr 2006, in dem sich die drei Kinder erstmals gemeinsam über ihre Mutter äußerten.

Immerse yourself in the timeless legacy of Augustin Hippone through a succinct summary of 'The Confessions of Saint Augustine,' a monumental spiritual autobiography that revolutionized Christian literature.Summary:Augustin Hippone's "The Confessions of Saint Augustine" is a riveting autobiographical work that explores the intricacies of faith, human frailty, and the pursuit of divine truth. Penned in the late 4th century by Saint Augustine of Hippo, an influential theologian, this magnum opus remains a cornerstone in Christian literature and Western philosophy.¿The Confessions¿ is framed as a series of earnest dialogues with God, chronicling Saint Augustine's journey from a tumultuous youth to his profound conversion to Christianity. His soul-searching narrative delves into an array of themes including the nature of time, memory, and the human soul, as well as the redemptive power of faith.This masterwork's candid introspection and the portrayal of spiritual transformation have cemented its status as a paradigm for modern spiritual autobiographies. Readers across ages find resonance with Saint Augustine¿s personal struggles and epiphanies, making "The Confessions" an enduring source of inspiration and solace for those on their own spiritual quests.In the contemporary realm, Augustin Hippone's ¿The Confessions¿ serves as a gateway to understanding the historical and theological landscape of early Christianity, and remains an invaluable resource for scholars, theologians, and spiritual seekers alike.

" Anton Reiser wurde 1785 veröffentlicht und ist wohl der bedeutendste Roman des deutschen 18. Jahrhunderts. Als Zeitgenosse von Goethes Werther (1774) erlangte es schnell Berühmtheit, was ihm Übersetzungen in Italien und in angelsächsischen Ländern einbrachte ¿ und sogar in Frankreich, wo es jedoch seit dem ersten Kaiserreich nicht mehr nachgedruckt wurde.Es handelt sich um einen autobiografischen Bericht, der, so der Autor, ¿das von der Bourgeoisie unterdrückte Gefühl¿ beschreibt. Zu diesem soziokulturellen Thema kommen jedoch noch weitere Elemente hinzu ¿ der hypochondrische Charakter der zärtlich geliebten Mutter, das Unverständnis und die Härte des Vaters usw. _ ebenso wichtig, dem Anton Reiser seinen Ruf als erster deutscher ¿psychologischer¿ Roman verdankt. Beseelt von dem unnachgiebigen, schmerzhaften, ¿masochistischen¿ Wunsch, sich ohne Verkleidung zu präsentieren (Einfluss von Rousseaus ¿Bekenntnisse¿), sucht der Held von Karl Philipp Moritz in der Kunst, insbesondere im Theater, einen Zufluchtsort gegen seine Qualen und seinen Narzissmus."

" Retour de l'U.R.S.S. est un récit de voyage d'André Gide publié en novembre 1936 aux éditions Gallimard. Gide publie Retouches à mon « Retour de l'U.R.S.S. » en juin 1937 qui se veut une réponse aux critiques et aux injures1 dont il a été victime à la suite de la parution de Retour de l'U.R.S.S."

He lived with a box in a closet for five decades. A box he told them not to touch.During those years their lives were consumed with the tragedies of death, mental illness, a house fire, the Great Depression, war. In this true story, Author Karin Wargel delves into the life-time of the strong, talented genius who was the father of twelve children and her grandfather, Paul Schultetus. She discovers how they were able to carry on; by teaching the constellations from blankets in the yard on starry nights; by teaching a foreign language at breakfast; by having the rare library and radio in the neighborhood; and by making home-made ice cream in an old sorghum can. The family was still able to find much joy and the happiness that was provided every day by hard-working, loving parents.Karin also visited Germany and acquaints herself with the lives of her ancestors and the well-known historical events they surmounted. They fled France during the routing of the Huguenots. They lived under the scourge of Communism. Her greatest discovery was the genes they possessed and sent to America that affected the lives of their descendants. What secrets does the mysterious box hold? Who finally has the strength to go against their beloved father and look inside this box after fifty years?

Der zweite Band der Memoiren des einstigen Staatschefs der DDR führt direkt in den Inner Circle der Staatsführung und in jene Phase, die mittels Wandel durch Annäherung die friedliche Koexistenz sichern soll. Krenz richtet sein Augenmerk auf die Zeit nach der diplomatischen Anerkennung der DDR, auf die neue Ostpolitik der SPD-Regierung und das ständigen Schwankungen unterliegende Verhältnis zu Moskau. Er berichtet über offizielle Ereignisse und gibt den Blick frei auf so manchen noch immer nicht erhellten Hintergrund. Inzwischen vom Westen als »Honeckers Kronprinz« aufmerksam beäugt, ist er involviert in politische Entscheidungsprozesse und zugleich ein sensibler Beobachter der Akteure in Ost und West, schließlich auch der ambivalenten Entwicklungen, die Gorbatschows Perestroika in der Sowjetunion und den Bruderstaaten auslöst. Was angesichts der 89er Ereignisse hinter den Kulissen zwischen Berlin, Bonn und Moskau ablief, berichtet der Staatschef, der eine Wende einzuleiten sein Amt antrat und nach 50 Tagen demissionieren musste. Krenz berichtet faktenreich und selbstkritisch und reflektiert von heutigem Erkenntnisstand aus differenziert die Ereignisse, ohne seine Vorstellungen von einer besseren Gesellschaft zu relativieren.

Seit fast zwanzig Jahren besucht Uwe Kräuter von Peking aus regelmäßig Nordkorea. Sein Buch gibt den Lesern Einblick in ein Land, das in den Nachrichten wegen seiner Atomraketen ständig präsent, ansonsten aber ein weißer Fleck auf der Landkarte ist. Das nicht nur als merkwürdig, sondern als gefährlich gilt. Das in der Welt isoliert dasteht. Ist die Isolation überwindbar? Kräuter sagt ja. Vertraut mit asiatischer Lebenssicht, fand er Zugang nicht nur zu offiziellen Institutionen, er war in Wohnungen zu Gast, sprach mit jungen Menschen auf der Straße, mit Künstlern und Intellektuellen, mit Bauern und Arbeitern. Er ist ein aufmerksamer Zuhörer und sensibler Beobachter, der das immer noch lastende Trauma des Koreakriegs ebenso zu ergründen sucht wie das Leben des modernen Nordkoreas. Sein Reise-Bericht liefert unbekannte Fakten und spannende Aufschlüsse über das Land und seine Menschen.

'Der Kapitalismus als Privatraubwirtschaft hat die Natur verwüstet, die Wälder verheert, den Boden ausgesaugt und das Klima ver­schlechtert: Dürre und Überschwemmungen, grosse Hitze und starker Frost, dazu die schrecklichen Stürme und Hochgewitter. Und das alles nur um des Profits willen, um Privatreichtümer anzuhäufen.' Karl Bürkli, 1893

" 1425.En plein été.Le matin, Jeannette, la fille à Jacques d¿Arc, file en gardant les mou- tons de son père, sur un coteau de la Meuse. On voit au second plan, de la droite à la gauche, la Meuse parmi les prés, le village de Domremy avec l¿église, et la route qui mène à Vaucouleurs. À la gauche au loin le village de Maxey. Au fond les collines en face : blés, vignes et bois ; les blés sont jaunes.Jeannette a treize ans et demi ; Hauviette, son amie, dix ans et quelques mois.Madame Gervaise a vingt-cinq ans. (Jeannette continue de filer ; puis elle se lève ; se tourne vers l¿église ; dit le signe de la croix sans le faire.) JEANNETTEAu nom du Père ; et du Fi ; et du Saint-Esprit ; Ainsi soit-il.Notre Père qui êtes aux cieux ; que votre nom soit sanctifié ; que votre règne arrive ; que votre volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel. Donnez-nous aujourd¿hui notre pain de chaque jour ; pardonnez- nous nos offenses comme nous pardonnons à ceux qui nous ont offen- sés ; ne nous laissez pas succomber à la tentation ; mais délivrez-nous du mal. Ainsi soit-il.Je vous salue Marie, pleine de grâce ; le Seigneur est avec vous ; vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes ; et Jésus le fruit de vos entrailles est béni. Sainte Marie, mère de Dieu, priez pour nous pauvres pécheurs, maintenant et à l¿heure de notre mort. Ainsi soit-il.Saint Jean, mon patron ; sainte Jeanne, ma patronne ; priez pour nous ; priez pour nous.Au nom du Père ; et du Fi ; et du Saint-Esprit ; Ainsi soit-il.Notre père, notre père qui êtes aux cieux, de combien il s¿en faut que votre nom soit sanctifié ; de combien il s¿en faut que votre règne ar- rive.Notre père, notre père qui êtes au royaume des cieux, de combien il s¿en faut que votre règne arrive au royaume de la terre.Notre père, notre père qui êtes au royaume des cieux, de combien il s¿en faut que votre règne arrive au royaume de France.Notre père, notre père qui êtes aux cieux, de combien il s¿en faut que votre volonté soit faite ; de combien il s¿en faut que nous ayons notre pain de chaque jour.De combien il s¿en faut que nous pardonnions nos offenses ; et que nous ne succombions pas à la tentation ; et que nous soyons délivrés du mal. Ainsi soit-il."

" What hink ye of Christ, whose son is he?" Humane child of human parents, or divine Son of the Almighty God? When we consider his purity, his faith in the Father, his forgiving patience, his devoted work among the offscourings of society, his brotherly love to sinners and outcasts¿ when our minds dwell on these alone,¿we all feel the marvellous fascination which has drawn millions to the feet of this "son of man," and the needle of our faith begins to tremble towards the Christian pole. If we would keep unsullied the purity of our faith in God alone, we are obliged to turn our eyes some times¿however unwillingly¿towards the other side of the picture and to mark the human weaknesses which remind us that he is but one of our race. His harshness to his mother, his bitterness towards some of his opponents, the marked failure of one or two of his rare prophecies, the palpable limitation of his knowledge ¿ little enough, indeed, when all are told,¿are more than enough to show us that, however great as man, he is not the All-righteous, the All- seeing, the All-knowing, God."

" Le jeudi 20 décembre 1848, l'assemblée constituante, entourée en ce moment-là d'un imposant déploiement de troupes, étant en séance, à la suite d'un rapport du représentant Waldeck-Rousseau, fait au nom de la commission chargée de dépouiller le scrutin pour l'élection à la présidence de la république, rapport où l'on avait remarqué cette phrase qui en résumait toute la pensée: «C'est le sceau de son inviolable puissance que la nation, par cette admirable exécution donnée à la loi fondamentale, pose elle-même sur la constitution pour la rendre sainte et inviolable»; au milieu du profond silence des neuf cents constituants réunis en foule et presque au complet, le président de l'assemblée nationale constituante, Armand Marrast, se leva et dit:«Au nom du peuple français, «Attendu que le citoyen Charles-Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, né à Paris, remplit les conditions d'éligibilité prescrites par l'article 44 de la constitution; «Attendu que, dans le scrutin ouvert sur toute l'étendue du territoire de la république pour l'élection du président, il a réuni la majorité absolue des suffrages; «En vertu des articles 47 et 48 de la constitution, l'assemblée nationale le proclame président de la république depuis le présent jour jusqu'au deuxième dimanche de mai 1852.» Un mouvement se fit sur les bancs et dans les tribunes pleines de peuple; le président de l'assemblée constituante ajouta: «Aux termes du décret, j'invite le citoyen président de la république à vouloir bien se transporter à la tribune pour y prêter serment.» Les représentants qui encombraient le couloir de droite remontèrent à leurs places et laissèrent le passage libre. Il était environ quatre heures du soir, la nuit tombait, l'immense salle de l'assemblée était plongée à demi dans l'ombre, les lustres descendaient des plafonds, et les huissiers venaient d'apporter les lampes sur la tribune. Le président fit un signe et la porte de droite s'ouvrit."

Lewis "Pat" Patteson is a WWII US Navy pilot and member of the "Blind Foxes" VP-135 who 1st flew the PV-1 Ventura aircraft from the Aleutian Islands. Pat also flew PBY's and PV-2 Harpoon aircraft. Pat is a veteran of several combat and reconnaissance missions and has some great stories and personal photographs in this book. Here's a short interview with Pat: "I'm Pat Patteson. I'm awaiting my 100th birthday. I was a Navy pilot and graduated with my gold wings from Corpus Christi, Texas, and was immediately sent to the Pacific and ended up in the North Pacific after training at Whidbey Island in a new airplane to the Navy. This time, instead of PBYs, they were going to introduce a land-based patrol plane, the Ventura, and we were formed into a 15 plane squadron and replaced most of the PBYs that had been on patrol in the Aleutian Islands. We were sent to that first, to the Aleutian Islands. It was Adak, then Amchitka, then Attu. And we flew photo reconnaissance. That was our job. Our intelligence people at the Pentagon had very little information about the Japanese forces in the Kuril Islands. They had just taken the islands of Kiska and Attu. This was six months after Pearl Harbor. I flew in three photo reconnaissance squadrons, all of them VPB-135. In 1943, I came back, reformed with new pilots and new planes; in 1944, better equipped with more photographic equipment and, finally, in 1945, in a PV-2 squadron formed again and trained at Whidbey Island. When the war was nearing its end on VJ Day, I was on Attu and most of us stayed inside our huts rather than get out where the celebrations were going on. I was one of the first to return and be separated from the Navy. I flew a plane all the way from -- with a copilot and a crew of other seamen and officers, back to the states. They had been eligible for discharge and I took them and dropped them off from Seattle to Burbank to Phoenix to El Paso and then into Abilene, Texas. So my war days were settled very quickly and I returned to school. I had been taken out of college after two years of credits and I got to civilian life and after my sojourn with the Navy. Thank you."

" ¿and Beaumarchais disait, prenant pour devise un hémistiche du Mahomet de Voltaire : « Ma vie est un combat, " il disait vrai, mais il ne disait pas assez. Sa vie fut tout ensemble un combat et un tourbillon enveloppant, entraînant, mêlant tout, dans un conflit de faits et de choses, qui est peut-être, et nous allons le prouver, le plus étrange, le plus ondoyant, le plus divers, qui ait jamais agité une existence humaine.Le caractère de l¿homme fut toutefois plus étonnant encore que sa vie par la façon dont il s¿y montra toujours, comme son Figaro, « supérieur aux événements ; " par sa ténacité, à l¿invincible sourire, car son intrépidité toute française avait un peu de celle du Béarnais, dont un poète a dit : « Son courage riait ; " par sa verve surtout et par son esprit, qui furent, sans faiblir un instant, la chaleur et la clarté de ce¿e fournaise ; enfin, par l¿aplomb infatigable et la multiplicité de ressources qui, en tant de circonstances, le dégagèrent de l¿imbroglio de sa vie, comme Figaro, son image et son reflet, bien plus encore que sa création, se dégage de l¿imbroglio de sa comédie."

When we have the courage to be vulnerable and share our stories, both good and bad, even when they expose mistakes or weaknesses, our experience can help make other people better. - Kim "K.C." CampbellAuthor of Flying in the Face of Fear Sisters addresses life in the armed forces from a woman's perspective: the ups and the downs, from basic training to combat experiences. Many of these authors were groundbreaking in their career fields, making life better for the women who would follow. Learn how they thrived through challenging times by demonstrating courage and perseverance. Discover how each woman learned to believe in herself and harness her inner strength to achieve her goals. Apply their lessons learned to your life, and take strength from women who have paved the way. Whether they served a few decades or a few months, the lessons they learned shaped who they are today. They are strong, resilient, courageous, ambitious, inspirational, and committed women who want to share their stories with you. Don't let these powerful stories go unheard!

I'll probably worry any dinner guests when I excuse myself to take care of decanting the vegetables and elutriating my hands.The dictionary can be fun. Author Carol Joan Campbell has experienced that first-hand with her worn Webster's dictionary, and now you can find out what's Between Webster and Me. Working her way through the dictionary, Campbell artfully chose her words, from a through z, and crafted stories expressing the different facets of each word and its range of definitions and usages. Resplendent with humor and touches of wisdom, Between Webster and Me will leave you wanting a relationship with the dictionary of your very own.

Harold Holt was a pivotal prime minister in Australian history. Ambitious, modern and telegenic, he helped bring his party and nation into the late twentieth century, following the Menzies years. Nowhere was Holt's legacy more significant than in the 1967 referendum, and in helping to end the White Australia policy. At the same time, as the Vietnam War raged, Holt dramatically increased Australian troops, telling President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966 that Australia was 'all the way with LBJ'. In this evocative, intimate and deeply researched biography, Ross Walker captures the worlds in which Holt moved and the people who were close to him. He reveals a popular, gentle, yet at times self-destructive man, whose tendency to always go one step further would have fatal consequences. This is a strikingly original portrait of Australia's seventeenth prime minister.

I grew to realize that like all the others before them and all the immigrants to follow, my family wanted to find their future in America. Their sleepy little towns were beautiful and safe, but for these young adventurers, America was their destiny.

This is an intellectual biography of Benjamin Kidd, a leading Social Darwinist in the years before World War I.

This 1980 text was the first biography of William Wilkins, the regency architect whose reputation once rivalled that of Nash.

" On ne l'a pas assez remarqué, parce que Voltaire a tant fait, tant écrit; son activité s'est déployée de tant de côtés qu'on ne saurait prendre garde à tout, et qu'il est difficile d'attacher à chacune de ses ¿uvres une importance suffisante. Ainsi en est-il de la correspondance de Voltaire avec le grand Frédéric et encore avec Catherine II.Il me semble qu'on ne connaît pas une correspondance d'autant de va- leur entre un roi et un philosophe que celle dont nous allons nous occuper.Nous possédons les billets du jeune Marc Aurèle à son précepteur Fronton, ce sont d'aimables et tendres témoignages de respect, d'affection et de reconnaissance. Ces billets montrent combien était sensible et bonne l'âme du futur empereur. Mais ces relations ne pouvaient avoir l'importance de celles du prince royal de Prusse, âgé de vingt-quatre ans, et plus tard du roi avec Voltaire, ayant dix-huit ans de plus que son correspondant et déjà en possession d'une notoriété considérable par ses travaux littéraires et philosophiques."

The Extraordinary Journey of James Crocker; From Dreams To Reality is all about James Crocker the 15 year old Connecticut Native who at just 7 years old invented a revolutionary product to make schools safer and at just 13 founded a nonprofit named Letters for our Elders which is devoted to reducing loneliness in Senior Homes through sending letters of hope, joy, and congratulations to residents of said senior homes.Crocker's story is one like no other. And his tell-all autobiography is a must-read! It offers insight into his thought process, and how he has accomplished so much at just 15. This autobiography is rated E for everyone. Ages 6+

¿ "Drawing on his experience as the first executive director of the Human Rights Campaign Fund, Vic Basile has written a valuable addition to the story of one of the most consequential movements in post-World War II America..." -Congressman Barney Frank Bending Toward Justice chronicles the early years of a movement pressing for equal rights and lifesaving resources for LGBTQ people who for eons have been shunned by the ignorant, reviled by the so-called faithful, and shamed even by their own families. Vic Basile leads the Human Rights Campaign through the AIDS epidemic as it suffers too many lives lost, fights for essential funding for research, education and treatment, confronts ignorance and discrimination, and begins to shift the hearts and minds of Americans about equal treatment. These unsung heroes of the movement worked unobtrusively and bravely within the system to change the system. Some of them are still here, too many are gone. Every single one of them has a poignant, powerful story that must be told and that never should be forgotten. About the author: Vic Basile has enjoyed the rare opportunity and extraordinary privilege of a career of public service and social justice advocacy. A widely recognized national leader in the LGBT community, he lives in Maryland.

Some 600 young Australians served with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during the Great War, many losing their lives. One young fighter-pilot from Melbourne who gave his life was 2nd Lt Lyle Buntine MC, the son of the Principal of Caulfield Grammar School. Lyle's tragic accidental death, following gallant service as a fighter pilot during the Battle of the Somme, was notable in that his family preserved every letter, newspaper article, photograph and artefact associated with his life and active service. His extensive correspondence, which has never before been published, provides the basis for this book, which follows his life from his school days to active service in the fledgling RFC and to his untimely death. Lyle's letters trace his voyage to and travels around England, his life as an officer in the British Army, his training adventures on primitive RFC aircraft and his combat experiences on the Western Front, including surviving being shot down six times! These letters bring to us a forgotten voice from the past resounding with humility and humour, coupled with absolute fear. Also explored in this book is the manner in which his family and school mourned his death and marked his memory. His family's struggle to come to terms with the loss in war of their 'Empire's Noble Son,' was an echo of the deep grief manifest in the wider Australian society at the end of the Great War. 'Years May Pass On, But Memory Remains'(A line from the Caulfield Grammar School song)

Hertha Firnberg (1909-1994) war die zweite Frau, die in Österreich je einem Ministerium vorstand sowie jene Politikerin, die 1970 ein eigenständiges Wissenschaftsressort aufbaute und dieses 13 Jahre lang, während der gesamten Ära Kreisky, leitete. Maria Wirth rückt in ihrer Studie Hertha Firnberg als zentrale Akteurin in der österreichischen Wissenschaftspolitik in den Mittelpunkt. Sie beleuchtet die Biografie Firnbergs und ihre Tätigkeit als Wissenschaftspolitikerin mit einem Fokus auf die Universitäts- und Forschungspolitik sowie die Situation von Mädchen und Frauen im Bildungssystem und verortet beides im zeitgeschichtlichen Kontext. Der Bildungs-, Universitäts- und Forschungspolitik im 20. Jahrhundert kommt dabei - sowohl was das Leben Firnbergs betrifft als auch über das Biografische hinaus - eine große Beachtung zu. Hertha Firnberg (1909-1994) was the second female minister in Austria and the politician who established an independent Ministry of Science in 1970, which she headed throughout the whole Kreisky era until 1983. Maria Wirth's study focuses on Hertha Firnberg as a central player in Austrian science policy. She illuminates Firnberg's biography and her activities as a science politician with a focus on university and research policy as well as the situation of girls and women in the educational system and situates both in the context of contemporary history. Educational, university, and research policies in the 20th century are given a great deal of attention, both in terms of Firnberg's life and beyond her biography.

Leo Teohari was born in Constanta, Romania. Leo holds both a law degree and a degree in international economics.Leo defected from Communist Romania in 1980, and settled with his family in Toronto, Canada, where he became a businessman. Today he writes about his experiences and runs an international food trade business.In 2004 he published his first book, Hawala, based on a true story about a government cover-up and diversion related to the Romanian revolution in 1989.

Leo Teohari was born in Constanta, Romania. Leo holds both a law degree and a degree in international economics.Leo defected from Communist Romania in 1980, and settled with his family in Toronto, Canada, where he became a businessman. Today he writes about his experiences and runs an international food trade business.In 2004 he published his first book, Hawala, based on a true story about a government cover-up and diversion related to the Romanian revolution in 1989.