Music, and folk music in particular, is often embraced as a form of political expression, a vehicle for bridging or reinforcing social boundaries, and a valuable tool for movements reconfiguring the social landscape. Reds, Whites, and Blues examines the political force of folk music, not through the meaning of its lyrics, but through the concrete social activities that make up movements. Drawing from rich archival material, William Roy shows that the People's Songs movement of the 1930s and 40s, and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s implemented folk music's social relationships--specifically between those who sang and those who listened--in different ways, achieving different outcomes. Roy explores how the People's Songsters envisioned uniting people in song, but made little headway beyond leftist activists. In contrast, the Civil Rights Movement successfully integrated music into collective action, and used music on the picket lines, at sit-ins, on freedom rides, and in jails. Roy considers how the movement's Freedom Songs never gained commercial success, yet contributed to the wider achievements of the Civil Rights struggle. Roy also traces the history of folk music, revealing the complex debates surrounding who or what qualified as "folk" and how the music's status as racially inclusive was not always a given. Examining folk music's galvanizing and unifying power, Reds, Whites, and Blues casts new light on the relationship between cultural forms and social activity.

‘While the men had the relaxed, confident air of athletes, the women radiated enthusiasm, high spirits and challenge; expressions of individuality. Jack Morgan watched both sets. He was an outsider here.’ Having made a dubious wager, Jack Morgan, a young, gifted American arrives in Oxford in 1923 determined to become a Rugby Blue. With the odds stacked against him and competition intense, his chances are further undermined when he meets Rose, a true English beauty. Unfortunately for Jack, Rose happens to be the rugby captain’s girl, who also plays for the Blues team. However, the captain also needs to win the Varsity Match against rival Cambridge if he is to fulfil his own sporting ambitions and hold onto Rose. Can Jack bag the Blue, get the girl and win the gold? Should Jack win a Blue, a place in the US Olympic rugby team awaits him and the chance of a gold medal at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. Set in both Oxford and London, Red, White and Blue follows Morgan on his quest. Red, White and Blue is an endearing adventure that will appeal to fans of romance and sporting novels alike. Readers with a love of rugby and the sporting world more widely will find themselves transported back to the 1920s as they follow Jack’s story to succeed.

A deep dive into how F. Scott Fitzgerald’s vision of the American Dream has been understood, portrayed, distorted, misused, and kept alive Renowned critic Greil Marcus takes on the fascinating legacy of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. An enthralling parable (or a cheap metaphor) of the American Dream as a beckoning finger toward a con game, a kind of virus infecting artists of all sorts over nearly a century, Fitzgerald’s story has become a key to American culture and American life itself. Marcus follows the arc of The Great Gatsby from 1925 into the ways it has insinuated itself into works by writers such as Philip Roth and Raymond Chandler; found echoes in the work of performers from Jelly Roll Morton to Lana Del Rey; and continued to rewrite both its own story and that of the country at large in the hands of dramatists and filmmakers from the 1920s to John Collins’s 2006 Gatz and Baz Luhrmann’s critically reviled (here celebrated) 2013 movie version—the fourth, so far.

Quilt Americana: Patriotic star quilts from Judy Martin Pay tribute to The Stars and Stripes with patriotic quilts in red, white, and blue! Fans of Judy Martin’s popular (and now out-of-print) Shakespeare in the Park pattern will delight in 16 quilt designs to honor the Land of the Free. You’ll piece 2- and 3-color star quilts that incorporate classic blocks, like the Rising and Evening stars. Whether you prefer small and simple throws or beautiful bed quilts, this cohesive collection has something for everyone. Honor Old Glory with 16 exciting star quilts in red, white, and blue Esteemed designer Judy Martin shares all-new quilts plus out-of-print favorites Create a bold collection of 2- and 3-color beauties for all skill levels

Winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Regional Award Chief Moses (Sulktalthscosum or Half-Sun) was chief of the Columbias, a Salish-speaking people of the mid Columbia River area in what is now the state of Washington. This award-winning biography by Robert Ruby and John Brown situates Moses in the opening of the Northwest and subsequent Indian-white relations, between 1850 and 1898. Early in life Moses had won a name for himself battling whites, but with the maturity and responsibilities of chieftainship, he became a diplomat and held his united tribe at peace in spite of growing white encroachment. He resisted the call to arms of his friend Chief Joseph of the Nez Percés, whose heroic campaign ended in defeat and exile to Indian Territory. Their friendship persisted, however, and after Joseph's return to the Northwest, the two lived out their lives on the reservation, sharing their frustrations and uniting their voices in complaint.

A positive legacy of the troubled Nixon administration--and one virtually unknown to the American public--is the extensive acquisition of valuable art and antiques for the White House and the redecoration of the executive mansion by Pat Nixon. With the help of an aggressive curator, Clement Conger, and a talented interior designer, Edward Vason Jones, the First Lady quietly erased much of the historic decor of Jacqueline Kennedy's Camelot and introduced an academic look to the State Rooms which endures to this day. Nixon marked his presidential territory with a complete renovation of the West Wing--a harbinger of the First Lady's plans. They implemented a massive fundraising campaign to bankroll the refurbishment, which resulted in one of the foremost collections of art, art objects, furniture, paintings and sculpture in America. This book presents the never before told story of the Nixons' remodeling of the White House, motivated by the approaching American Bicentennial and a desire to restore respect to the presidency through the arts.