The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home
The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home
A New York Times bestseller with an "engaging narrative and array of detail” (The Wall Street Journal), the “intimate and sweeping” (Raleigh News & Observer) untold, true story behind the Biltmore Estate—the largest, grandest private residence in North America, which has seen more than 120 years of history pass by its front door.The story of Biltmore spans World Wars, the Jazz Age, the Depression, and generations of the famous Vanderbilt family, and features a captivating cast of real-life characters including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, Teddy Roosevelt, John Singer Sargent, James Whistler, Henry James, and Edith Wharton. Orphaned at a young age, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser claimed lineage from one of New York’s best known families. She grew up in Newport and Paris, and her engagement and marriage to George Vanderbilt was one of the most watched events of Gilded Age society. But none of this prepared her to be mistress of Biltmore House. Before their marriage, the wealthy and bookish Vanderbilt had dedicated his life to creating a spectacular European-style estate on 125,000 acres of North Carolina wilderness. He summoned the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to tame the grounds, collaborated with celebrated architect Richard Morris Hunt to build a 175,000-square-foot chateau, filled it with priceless art and antiques, and erected a charming village beyond the gates. Newlywed Edith was now mistress of an estate nearly three times the size of Washington, DC and benefactress of the village and surrounding rural area. When fortunes shifted and changing times threatened her family, her home, and her community, it was up to Edith to save Biltmore—and secure the future of the region and her husband’s legacy. This is the fascinating, “soaring and gorgeous” (Karen Abbott) story of how the largest house in America flourished, faltered, and ultimately endured to this day.
- ASIN: 1476794057
- ISBN: 1476794057
- Brand: Atria Books
- Manufacturer: Atria Books
Educated: A Memoir
Educated: A Memoir
- ASIN: B072BLVM83
- Manufacturer: Random House
Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island
Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island
#1 International BestsellerRegina’s Calcaterra memoir, Etched in Sand, is an inspiring and triumphant coming-of-age story of tenacity and hope. Regina Calcaterra is a successful lawyer, former New York State official, and foster youth activist. Her painful early life, however, was quite different. Regina and her four siblings survived an abusive and painful childhood only to find themselves faced with the challenges of the foster-care system and intermittent homelessness in the shadows of Manhattan and the Hamptons. A true-life rags-to-riches story, Etched in Sand chronicles Regina’s rising above her past, while fighting to keep her brother and three sisters together through it all. Beautifully written, with heartbreaking honesty, Etched in Sand is an unforgettable reminder that regardless of social status, the American Dream is still within reach for those who have the desire and the determination to succeed.
- ASIN: 0062218832
- ISBN: 0062218832
- Brand: Brand: William Morrow Paperbacks
- Manufacturer: William Morrow Paperbacks
Brief Answers to the Big Questions
Brief Answers to the Big Questions
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The world-famous cosmologist and author of A Brief History of Time leaves us with his final thoughts on the biggest questions facing humankind.“Hawking’s parting gift to humanity . . . a book every thinking person worried about humanity’s future should read.”—NPRNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Forbes • The Guardian • Wired Stephen Hawking was the most renowned scientist since Einstein, known both for his groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology and for his mischievous sense of humor. He educated millions of readers about the origins of the universe and the nature of black holes, and inspired millions more by defying a terrifying early prognosis of ALS, which originally gave him only two years to live. In later life he could communicate only by using a few facial muscles, but he continued to advance his field and serve as a revered voice on social and humanitarian issues.Hawking not only unraveled some of the universe’s greatest mysteries but also believed science plays a critical role in fixing problems here on Earth. Now, as we face immense challenges on our planet—including climate change, the threat of nuclear war, and the development of artificial intelligence—he turns his attention to the most urgent issues facing us. Will humanity survive? Should we colonize space? Does God exist? These are just a few of the questions Hawking addresses in this wide-ranging, passionately argued final book from one of the greatest minds in history. Featuring a foreword by Eddie Redmayne, who won an Oscar playing Stephen Hawking, an introduction by Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne, and an afterword from Hawking’s daughter, Lucy, Brief Answers to the Big Questions is a brilliant last message to the world.Praise for Brief Answers to the Big Questions “[Hawking is] a symbol of the soaring power of the human mind.”—The Washington Post “Hawking’s final message to readers . . . is a hopeful one.”—CNN ... [Read More]
- ASIN: B07D6BBGKL
- Manufacturer: Bantam
I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair
I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair
2018 ECPA Christian Book Award Winner2018 Christopher Award WinnerTwo best friends, 500 miles, one wheelchair, and the challenge of a lifetime.Friendship takes on new meaning in this true story of Justin and Patrick, born less than two days apart in the same hospital. Best friends their whole lives, they grew up together, went to school together, and were best man in each other’s weddings. When Justin was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease that robbed him of the use of his arms and legs, Patrick was there, helping to feed and care for him in ways he’d never imagined. Determined to live life to the fullest, the friends refused to give into despair or let physical limitations control what was possible for Justin.So when Justin heard about the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile trek through Spain, he wondered aloud to Patrick whether the two of them could ever do it. Patrick’s immediate response was: “I’ll push you.”I’ll Push You is the real-life story of this incredible journey. A travel adventure full of love, humor, and spiritual truth, it exemplifies what every friendship is meant to be and shows what it means to never find yourself alone. You’ll discover how love and faith can push past all limits―and make us the best versions of ourselves.
- ASIN: 1496421701
- ISBN: 1496421701
- Brand: Tyndale House Publishers
- Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife
Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife
The #1 New York Times bestselling account of a neurosurgeon's own near-death experience—for readers of 7 Lessons from Heaven. Thousands of people have had near-death experiences, but scientists have argued that they are impossible. Dr. Eben Alexander was one of those scientists. A highly trained neurosurgeon, Alexander knew that NDEs feel real, but are simply fantasies produced by brains under extreme stress.Then, Dr. Alexander’s own brain was attacked by a rare illness. The part of the brain that controls thought and emotion—and in essence makes us human—shut down completely. For seven days he lay in a coma. Then, as his doctors considered stopping treatment, Alexander’s eyes popped open. He had come back. Alexander’s recovery is a medical miracle. But the real miracle of his story lies elsewhere. While his body lay in coma, Alexander journeyed beyond this world and encountered an angelic being who guided him into the deepest realms of super-physical existence. There he met, and spoke with, the Divine source of the universe itself. Alexander’s story is not a fantasy. Before he underwent his journey, he could not reconcile his knowledge of neuroscience with any belief in heaven, God, or the soul. Today Alexander is a doctor who believes that true health can be achieved only when we realize that God and the soul are real and that death is not the end of personal existence but only a transition. This story would be remarkable no matter who it happened to. That it happened to Dr. Alexander makes it revolutionary. No scientist or person of faith will be able to ignore it. Reading it will change your life.
- ASIN: 1451695195
- ISBN: 1451695195
- Brand: Simon & Schuster
- Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
- ASIN: B00IC8VF10
- Manufacturer: Basic Books
THE ILLUSTRATED THEORY OF EVERYTHING: The Origin and Fate of the Universe
THE ILLUSTRATED THEORY OF EVERYTHING: The Origin and Fate of the Universe
- ASIN: B001B4374U
- Manufacturer: PHOENIX BOOKS, INC.
Spilled Milk: Based on a true story
Spilled Milk: Based on a true story
"Randis later would testify at a criminal trial against her father, who was sentenced to prison for his crimes. He was sentenced to up to 16 years in 2004. Her painful -- and ultimately triumphant -- story is recounted in Randis' first novel, "Spilled Milk." -Stacy Brown, Pocono Record Newspaper"I read this book in two days. I couldn't put it down." - Chelsea DeBoer, Teen Mom 2 "Spilled Milk is a story about resilience. The strength of the human mind and will power to live a better life." - The Weekly Sparkle"This book has changed lives." -Gabrielle Stone, Actress "The honest, raw openness of your writing style is compelling. Your story touched me deeply." - Juliet Pritner, Actress, Law & Order: SVU Brooke Nolan is a battered child who makes an anonymous phone call to social services about the escalating brutality in her home.When they jeopardize her safety, condemning her to keep her father's secret, it's a glass of spilled milk at the dinner table that forces her to speak about the cruelty she's been hiding. In her pursuit for safety and justice Brooke battles a broken system that pushes to keep her father in the home, and she risks losing the support of family, coming to the realization that some people simply do not want to be saved.Spilled Milk is a novel of shocking narrative, triumph and resiliency.Check out bestselling author K.L. Randis's much-anticipated THREE GRAY DOTS, now available for sale.
- ASIN: 0615835600
- ISBN: 0615835600
- Manufacturer: K.L Randis
The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World
The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World
“[A] well-judged and hugely readable book . . . few are as entertaining.”—Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times “A. J. Baime is a master. His reporting and storytelling are woven to hypnotic effect. This is history and humanity in lush, vivid color.”—Doug Stanton, author of The Odyssey of Echo Company Heroes are often defined as ordinary characters who get pushed into extraordinary circumstances, and through courage and a dash of luck, cement their place in history. Chosen as FDR’s fourth-term vice president for his well-praised work ethic, good judgment, and lack of enemies, Harry S. Truman was the prototypical ordinary man. That is, until he was shockingly thrust in over his head after FDR’s sudden death. The first four months of Truman’s administration saw the founding of the United Nations, the fall of Berlin, victory at Okinawa, firebombings in Tokyo, the first atomic explosion, the Nazi surrender, the liberation of concentration camps, the mass starvation in Europe, the Potsdam Conference, the controversial decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the surrender of imperial Japan, and finally, the end of World War II and the rise of the Cold War. No other president had ever faced so much in such a short period of time. The Accidental President escorts readers into the situation room with Truman during a tumultuous, history-making 120 days, when the stakes were high and the challenges even higher.
- ASIN: B01MQVT9TG
- Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt