"The 'coin of the realm' is, classically, the currency that for any culture most holds value. For art, as in life, poet Carl Phillips argues, that currency includes beauty, risk, and authority -- values of meaning and complexity that all too often go disregarded. In these impassioned and critical essays, Philipps attends to the life and art of poetry by examining traditions across literary and cultural histories, from the restiveness of the Psalms, the pleas and persuasions of George Herbert, and the identity politics of the Black Arts Movement, to the Classically inflected restraint and release of his own poetry. Together, these essays become an invaluable statement for the necessary, and necessarily difficult, work of the imagination and the will, even when, as Phillips begins his title essay, 'The last thing that most human beings seem capable of trusting naturally -- instinctively -- is themselves, their own judgment.' In its elegantly wrought prose, Coin of the Realm, along with seven critically acclaimed volumes of poetry, affirms Carl Phillips as one of our most important contemporary writers and now one of our most persuasive contemporary critics." -- Back cover.

In 1979, with El Salvador growing ever more unstable and ripe for revolution, the United States undertook a counterinsurgency intervention that over the following decade would become Washington’s largest nation-building effort since Vietnam. In 2003, policymakers looked to this “successful” undertaking as a model for US intervention in Iraq. In fact, Brian D’Haeseleer argues in The Salvadoran Crucible, the US counterinsurgency in El Salvador produced no more than a stalemate, and in the process inflicted tremendous suffering on Salvadorans for a limited amount of foreign policy gains. D’Haeseleer’s book is a deeply informed, dispassionate account of how the Salvadoran venture took shape, what it actually accomplished, and what lessons it holds. A historical analysis of the origins of US counterinsurgency policy provides context for understanding how precedents informed US intervention in El Salvador. What follows is a detailed, in-depth view of how the counterinsurgency unfolded—the nature, logic, and effectiveness of the policies, initiatives, and operations promoted by American strategists. D’Haeseleer’s account disputes the “success” narrative by showing that El Salvador’s achievements, mainly the spread of democracy, occurred as a result not of the American intervention but of the insurgents’ war against the state. Most significantly, The Salvadoran Crucible contends that the reforms enacted during the war failed to address the underlying causes of the conflict, which today continue to reverberate in El Salvador. The book thus suggests a reassessment of the history of American counterinsurgency, and a course-correction for the future.

". . . required reading for all presidents and White House aides to come . . . "--from the foreword by Richard E. Neustadt What did the president know, and when did he know it? Once again, only a dozen years after Watergate, the nation faced these troubling questions. Would we see another president forced to resign or be impeached? Could our democracy survive another presidential scandal so soon? As the Iran-Contra affair unfolded, the nation waited tensely for answers. At this crucial moment, advisors to President Ronald Reagan called home the Ambassador to NATO, David Abshire, to serve in the cabinet as Special Counselor. His charge: to assure that a full investigation of the sale of arms to Iran in exchange for freeing American hostages and the subsequent channeling of those funds to Nicaraguan rebels be conducted expeditiously and transparently, to restore the confidence of the nation in the shaken Reagan presidency. Two decades later, David Abshire for the first time reveals the full behind-the-scenes story of his private meetings with the president, how he and his team conducted this crucial process, his alliance with Nancy Reagan, the role of the Tower Board, and how the Reagan presidency was saved. Abshire's efforts helped Reagan fill the credibility gap created by revelation of the Iran-Contra scandal and thus restored the president's power to lead the nation and its allies toward the end of the Cold War. His unique recollections show the inner workings of the Reagan White House in this critical period: the conflicts with the powerful Chief of Staff Donald Regan, the politically astute First Lady, the involvement of CIA Director William Casey, and Reagan's triumph of personal character to overcome his indiscretion, a feat unmatched by Clinton or Nixon. Abshire's story casts new light on the episode and draws important lessons about how presidents should respond to unfolding scandals to limit the threat not only to their own reputations but also to national confidence in democratic institutions.

Moonbeam Children's Book Award WinnerAs children, Lily and her brother Jasper were captivated by tales of the Moon Realm, with its magical lunamancers, undersea merfolk, winged dragons, and Lily's favorite, the heroic Rinn.Their Uncle Ebb made it sound like he'd been there himself. "Tales, unlike stories, never lie. Would you like to hear one?"He made them sound so real--like place you could visit, like a place you could . . . touch.Illustrated by Carolyn Arcabascio. Volume One of the The Moon Realm Series.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1840.

"The Coin of the Realm is hard to categorize yet easy to love. On one level it's a gripping thriller with exotic locales, memorable characters, and a compelling romance; while just beneath the surface swirl mysteries of destiny, purpose, the intricate workings of fate, and the ultimate sources of meaning in life. The novel's transcendent themes will haunt the reader long after the 'thrill[er] is gone.' I recommend it most highly." -Roy Schoeman, author of Salvation is from the Jews and Honey from the Rock (Ignatius Press) "With its sure-handed style and literary polish, one is hard-pressed to accept that The Coin of the Realm is a first novel. This is pure adventure storytelling, yet intertwined with the eternal quest for truths that lie just beyond our grasp. Seagoing exploits aboard Caroline Coast, a ramshackle freighter, conjure passages of Patrick O'Brian-distinct praise indeed. But whether the scene is set in the Great Lakes, the Atlantic, Tunisia, or the Sahara, the author keeps the pace moving and the excitement high, using action and mystery to skillfully project us into the minds and hearts of his characters. Roger Dubin has proven he's a writer to watch." -Anthony Eglin, author of The Blue Rose, The Lost Gardens, Trail of the Wild Rose, The Water Lily Cross, and Garden of Secrets Past (St. Martin's Press)