The definitive biography of the beloved—often controversial—co-creator of many legendary superheroes, A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee presents the origin of "Stan the Man," who spun a storytelling web of comic book heroic adventures into a pop culture phenomenon: the Marvel Universe."[Fingeroth's] intimate yet balanced account, highlights Lee's humanity, humor and even humility. But it doesn't ignore how his canny self-promotion at ...

Uncover the Enigma of a Nation's Trauma: The Life of Jack RubyDelve into the perplexing story of Jack Ruby, the man who forever altered American history by assassinating Lee Harvey Oswald on live television. As the sixtieth anniversary of JFK's assassination approaches, explore the ambiguities surrounding Ruby's motives and the events that led him to that fateful moment.Cultural historian Danny Fingeroth dissects the dual nature of Ruby, presenting evidence...

Collects Avengers (1963) #304-318 and Annual #18, And Avengers West Coast #53-55. Villains assemble! A new era begins for the Avengers with a fresh approach and a revamped roster including Quasar, She-Hulk and the Black Panther! But the team is soon pushed to its limits when the Lava Men attack! And when the Eternals' home of Olympus vanishes, the trail leads to the Negative Zone. Can Sersi help the Avengers save Gilgamesh and locate her people? Then, a host of Marvel's biggest bads join f...

Stark Enterprises has unleashed the Infinite Engine, which promises to be an energy source unlike anything ever seen before. But saboteurs from both A.I.M. and Hydra have set their sights on the engine as well—along with Dr. Doom. When a respected scientist is killed and the Engine taken over, Spiderman and Iron Man join forces to safeguard the Infinite Engine—and all of humanity.

In this insightful and provocative book, comics-industry veteran Danny Fingeroth explores the backgrounds of the most well-known superheroes and their creators—largely young American Jewish men from Eastern European backgrounds. These innovators include Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Will Eisner, and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.Jewish Identity has historically been about the push and pull toward and away from that very identity. As immigrants with a history of persecution, Jews came to ...

Why are so many of the superhero myths tied up with loss, often violent, of parents or parental figures? What is the significance of the dual identity? What makes some superhuman figures “good” and others “evil”? Why are so many of the prime superheroes white and male? How has the superhero evolved over the course of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries? And how might the myths be changing?Why is it that the key superhero archetypes—Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-...

Jack Ruby changed history with one bold, violent action: killing accused presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV two days after the November 22, 1963, murder of President John F. Kennedy. But who was Jack Ruby—and how did he come to be in that spot on that day? As we approach the sixtieth anniversaries of the murders of Kennedy and Oswald, Jack Ruby’s motives are as maddeningly ambiguous today as they were the day that he pulled the trigger. The fascinating yet frustrating thing...

**This program is read by the author.The definitive biography of the beloved—often controversial—co-creator of many legendary superheroes, A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee presents the origin of “Stan the Man,” who spun a storytelling web of comic book heroic adventures into a pop culture phenomenon: the Marvel Universe.**Stan Lee was the most famous American comic book creator who ever lived.Thanks, especia...

Overshadowed by his fellow Founders, David O. Stewart restores James Madison to his proper place as the most significant framer of the new nation, through his successive partnerships with mentor George Washington, co-author Alexander Hamilton, political ally Thomas Jefferson, successor James Monroe, and his wife, Dolley. Stewart makes a compelling case for Madison's centrality and tells an absorbing story if his friendships with most influential men of his times. David O. Stewart is an awa...

**NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"Nathaniel Philbrick is a masterly storyteller. Here he seeks to elevate the naval battles between the French and British to a central place in the history of the American Revolution. He succeeds, marvelously."--The New York Times Book ReviewThe thrilling story of the year that won the Revolutionary War from the New York Times bestselling author of In the Heart of the Sea and Mayflower.**In the ...

Dominion, the fifth volume in Peter Ackroyd’s masterful History of England, begins in 1815 as national glory following the Battle of Waterloo gives way to a post-war depression and ends with the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901.Spanning the end of the Regency, Ackroyd takes listeners from the accession of the profligate George IV, whose government was steered by Lord Liverpool, whose face was set against reform, to the “Sailor King” William IV, whose reign saw the m...

A behind-the-scenes chronicle of a beloved American media empire and the men behind it, including Martin Goodman, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby.A New York Times–Bestseller"A definitive portrait of comics in American culture." — The Wall Street JournalIn the early 1960s, a struggling company called Marvel Comics presented a cast of brightly costumed characters distinguished by smart banter and compellingly ...