A definitive chronicle of the 1871 Chicago Fire as remembered by those who experienced it—from the author of Chicago and the American Literary Imagination.Over three days in October, 1871, much of Chicago, Illinois, was destroyed by one of the most legendary urban fires in history. Incorporated as a city in 1837, Chicago had grown at a breathtaking pace in the intervening decades—and much of the hastily-built city was made of wood. Starting in Catherine and...

A city is more than a massing of citizens, a layout of buildings and streets, or an arrangement of political, economic, and social institutions. It is also an infrastructure of ideas that are a support for the beliefs, values, and aspirations of the people who created the city. In City Water, City Life, celebrated historian Carl Smith explores this concept through an insightful examination of the development of the first successful waterworks systems in Philadelphia, Boston, and C...

From an acclaimed historian, the full and authoritative story of one of the most iconic disasters in American history, told through the vivid memories of those who experienced it.Between October 8–10, 1871, much of the city of Chicago was destroyed by one of the most legendary urban fires in history. Incorporated as a city in 1837, Chicago had grown at a breathtaking pace in barely three decades, from just over 4,000 in 1840 to greater than 330,00...

The world is on the verge of an age of enlightenment. Generations have passed since mankind was last forced to contend with magic and monsters. Yet in the True North, unbeknownst to anyone, an embittered king has released his most fearsome and hated enemy. That loathsome creature is Moleb, the last giant.Now freed from isolation, the giant wanders south to find both healing and revenge. After haunting the borders of Russland for decades, Moleb is finally granted a chance for redemp...

Fully illustrated, including with battle maps, this account of the Battle of Chancellorsville features detailed coverage from experienced military writer Carl Smith.Following the debacle of the battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, Burnside was replaced as commander of the Army of the Potomac by General Joseph Hooker. Having reorganised the army and improved morale, he planned an attack that would take his army to Richmond and end the war.Although face...

A detailed, illustrated account of another Union failure early in the Civil War.In December 1862, things were still confused for the Union. Antietam had been a failure for both sides, and although the battle showed that the Union army could bring the Confederates to bay, it couldn't pin them in one place long enough to destroy them. In December 1862, General Burnside, newly appointed to command the Army of the Potomac, planned to seize and secure the town of Freder...

A revised edition of this highly illustrated account of the day, Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared, that would "live in infamy".December 7, 1941 was one of the single most decisive days of World War II - the day that brought the USA into the fight. Six Japanese aircraft carriers disgorged their full complements in two waves on the superior US Pacific Fleet as it lay slumbering in Pearl Harbor. Depending on opposing viewpoints, the attack was either a brilliant man...

In Sicily, Normandy, and in the frozen hills of the Ardennes, America's airborne warriors proved themselves some of the toughest and most determined soldiers of World War 2. What made these soldiers so special? How were they recruited, how did they learn to jump and fight? What special tactics and equipment did they use? This title looks at what it was like to be one of the United States' airborne elite, through the experiences of the soldiers themselves. It is the story of the men who inv...

A special extended edition of this compact, illustrated volume on Gettysburg, one of the most popular subjects of the American Civil War.The Confederate invasion of the Northern states was General Lee's last great gamble. By taking the war to the Union he hoped to force Lincoln into peace negotiations, or win support from the European powers who were watching events closely from across the Atlantic. Equally, Meade's Army of the Potomac needed to regain it's fightin...

"Sleep did not come easily for Irene. There was no story in her head that could make sense of this."Robert Frost wrote about two roads diverging in the woods, and after much thought he chose the road less traveled. He shared that when he looked back on his life, that choice made all the difference. Yogi Berra, in a lighter vein, advised if you come to a fork in the road take it. Just simply pick one.This account of Paul and Pauline's life is about their crossroads... their ...

Challenging Images of Women and the Media: Reinventing Women’s Lives, edited by Theresa Carilli and Jane Campbell, collects fifteen articles addressing the status of women through an examination of depictions of women in the media. This in-depth study shows how mixed messages from the media muddle attempts at breaking the “glass screen,” causing women to constantly question their role in global culture. With cake ads followed by diet commercials, the media’s depiction of women is both conf...

If you have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ, now reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ! Learn to think about your "new self" in Christ as God does. With a pastor's heart, Stuart C. Smith explains why the key to New Covenant sanctification is the important concept of biblical reckoning. Obedience to Paul's command in Romans 6:11 can transform your life. Reckoning is not something to do but something to think. So powerful is this thought that it inevitably lead...