In this “dazzling” (John Irving) memoir, acclaimed New Yorker staff writer Tad Friend reflects on the pressures of middle age, exploring his relationship with his dying father as he raises two children of his own. “How often does a memoir build to a stomach-churning, I-can’t-breathe climax in its final pages? . . . Brilliant, intensely moving.”—William Finnegan, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Barbarian Days ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker Almost everyone yearns to know their parents more thoroughly before they die, to solve some of those lifelong mysteries. Maybe, just maybe, those answers will help you live your own life. But life doesn’t stop to wait. In his fifties, New Yorker writer Tad Friend is grappling with being a husband and a father as he tries to grasp who he is as a son. Torn between two families, he careens between two stages in life. On some days he feels vigorous, on the brink of greatness when he plays tournament squash. On others, he feels distinctly weary, troubled by his distance from millennial sensibilities or by his own face in the mirror, by a grimace that’s so like his father’s. His father, an erudite historian and the former president of Swarthmore College, has long been gregarious and charming with strangers yet cerebral with his children. Tad writes that “trying to reach him always felt like ice fishing.” Yet now Tad’s father, known to his family as Day, seems concerned chiefly with the flavor of ice cream in his bowl and, when pushed, interested only in reconsidering his view of Franklin Roosevelt. Then Tad finds his father’s journal, a trove of passionate confessions that reveals a man entirely different from the exasperatingly logical father Day was so determined to be. It turns out that Tad has been self-destructing in the same way Day has—a secret each has kept from everyone, even themselves. These discoveries make Tad reconsider his own role, as a father, as a husband, and as a son. But is it too late for both of them? Witty, searching, and profound, In the Early Times is an enduring meditation on the shifting tides of memory and the unsteady pillars on which every family rests.

In 1835, Texas offered young men like John C. Duval a chance for action and glory. That year he and his brother, Burr, the sons of a former governor of Florida, organized a volunteer company called the "Mustangs." Like Davy Crockett, they were fired up "to give the Texans a helping hand on the road to freedom" from Mexican rule. The first chapters of Early Times in Texas lead up to the Goliad Massacre on Palm Sunday 1836, in which Burr (referred to as Captain D?) was killed. John was luckier. After a hair-raising escape from Goliad, he wandered across the countryside, dodging the Mexicans and living by his wits.ø ø The diary that Duval kept during these exciting months was the basis for Early Times in Texas, which was published more than fifty years later, in 1892. In the intervening years he was a Ranger known as "Texas John" and later was recognized as one of Texas's first men of letters, the author of The Adventures of Big-Foot Wallace

"A fascinating history of…[a craft] that preceded and made possible civilization itself." —New York Times Book Review New discoveries about the textile arts reveal women's unexpectedly influential role in ancient societies. Twenty thousand years ago, women were making and wearing the first clothing created from spun fibers. In fact, right up to the Industrial Revolution the fiber arts were an enormous economic force, belonging primarily to women. Despite the great toil required in making cloth and clothing, most books on ancient history and economics have no information on them. Much of this gap results from the extreme perishability of what women produced, but it seems clear that until now descriptions of prehistoric and early historic cultures have omitted virtually half the picture. Elizabeth Wayland Barber has drawn from data gathered by the most sophisticated new archaeological methods—methods she herself helped to fashion. In a "brilliantly original book" (Katha Pollitt, Washington Post Book World), she argues that women were a powerful economic force in the ancient world, with their own industry: fabric.

Compiles semi-autobiographical exerpts from the books of the popular nineteenth-century English novelist.

A complete guide to all high-quality American whiskeys now available, with descriptions and tasting notes, plus a detailed account of the important distilleries and colorful personalities--past and present--who have made American whiskey such a superb and distinctive contribution to our culture.

Originally published between 1920-70,The History of Civilization was a landmark in early twentieth century publishing. It was published at a formative time within the social sciences, and during a period of decisive historical discovery. The aim of the general editor, C.K. Ogden, was to summarize the most up to date findings and theories of historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and sociologists. This reprinted material is available as a set or in the following groupings: * Prehistory and Historical Ethnography Set of 12: 0-415-15611-4: £800.00 * Greek Civilization Set of 7: 0-415-15612-2: £450.00 * Roman Civilization Set of 6: 0-415-15613-0: £400.00 * Eastern Civilizations Set of 10: 0-415-15614-9: £650.00 * Judaeo-Christian Civilization Set of 4: 0-415-15615-7: £250.00 * European Civilization Set of 11: 0-415-15616-5: £700.00

David Hume's 'The History of England: From the Britons of Early Times to King John' is a comprehensive account of England's early history, written in a clear and concise style that reflects Hume's philosophical background. Hume's approach to history is marked by his skepticism and critical analysis, making this work a valuable resource for understanding the political and social dynamics of early English society. This volume covers a wide range of topics, including the Roman conquest of Britain, the Anglo-Saxon era, and the Norman invasion, providing readers with a detailed overview of the country's formative years. David Hume, a prominent Scottish philosopher of the 18th century, was deeply interested in politics and history, which is reflected in his decision to undertake this ambitious historical project. His unique perspective as a philosopher allows him to offer insightful commentary on the events and figures that shaped England's history, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in the subject. I highly recommend 'The History of England' to readers who are looking for a scholarly and engaging introduction to the early history of England. Hume's meticulous research and critical analysis make this work a valuable addition to any history enthusiast's library.

This book was originally published in 1966. This detailed study of the history of South West AFrica up to the date of Maharero's death in 1890 was originally published in German and appeared in an English version for the first time in 1938 when it was recognised as the first standard work on the subject. The author's extensive ethnological and linguistic studies made him especially well equipped to give a detailed account of the country and its people, and of the customs and languages of the different tribes. A considerable part of the book deals with the gradual colonization of the country by European pioneers whose various adventures are recorded in a mass of 'old notes, letters, reports and diaries'; and the historical side is supplemented by an ethological account of the native tribes. This is a scholarly work which, with its regard for folklore and tribal tradition as well as for the facts of history, must recommend itself to all lovers of South West Africa.