From beanballs to basebrawls, the most important rules governing the game of baseball have never been officially written down—until now.They have no sanction from the Commissioner, appear nowhere in any official publication, and are generally not posted on any clubhouse wall. They represent a set of time-honored customs, rituals, and good manners that show a respect for the game, one's teammates, and one's opponents. Sometimes they contradict the official rulebook. The fans general...

"A must-read book that explores a vital pre-war effort [with] deep research and gripping writing." — Washington TimesIn The rise of the G.I. Army, 1940–1941, Paul Dickson tells the dramatic story of how the American Army was mobilized from scattered outposts two years before Pearl Harbor into the disciplined and mobile fighting force that helped win World War II.In September 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland and initiated World War II, ...

Baseball has always had its share of colorful characters, and over the years they have expressed themselves in eminently quotable ways. In this treasury of more than 5,000 quotations, noted baseball writer and observer Paul Dickson has captured the flavor of the game, in the words of its most important participants and onlookers.They are all here—from Aaron (Estella, Hank's mother) to Zoldack ("Sad Sack" Sam), and everyone in between. From the players, sportswriters, and politician...

The perfect pocket guide for anyone who ever needs to give a toast.Paul Dickson's Rising to the Occasion is the ideal pocket reference for any moment when one might need to raise a glass. Organized by category, it contains sayings famous and profound, suitable and sentimental, created by the likes of Groucho Marx, Mark Twain, and Willard Scott alongside equally engaging anonymous toasts. Covering births, weddings, graduations, holidays, and many other event...

Miracle in Kigali 2019 edition, marking the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, tells the amazing story of Illuminà©e Nganemariya and her baby son Roger Nsengiyumva's survival in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, during the 1994 Genocide and subsequent life in Norwich.Miracle in Kigali was first published in 2007. This new edition updates Illuminà©e and Roger's story, including Roger's developing film and TV acting career. Roger was most recently seen on TV as Dadir Hassan in th...

The language of American World War II military service began to evolve with the first draftees of 1940. Their emerging vocabulary was irreverent, creative, and often obscene, influenced by the worlds of music, jazz, swing, jive, and the nation's fascination with occupational slang. The massive Army maneuvers in Tennessee during the spring of 1941 gave rise to a host of profane acronyms, including SNAFU, FUBAR, SOL, and others. A vibrant new American war slang took shape, b...

By a seeming miracle, Illuminee Nganemariya, a young Tutsi bride and her newborn son Roger survived the 1994 attempt by Rwanda's Hutu extremists to wipe their Tutsi neighbours from the face of the earth. Illuminee existed for 100 days in the living hell of Kigali, Rwanda's capital, after watching her husband being dragged away to be killed by friends who had celebrated their wedding with them a month earlier. Then she embarked on a horrific journey through the Genocide with Roger strapped ...

America's first successful attempt at unmanned lunar exploration, Project Ranger culminated in close-up television images of the moon's surface. Sponsored by NASA and executed by the Jet Propulsion Lab, the project ran from 1959 to 1965 and produced management techniques, flight operating procedures, and technology employed by later space missions.This official NASA publication presents the complete history of the nine Project Ranger missions. Author R. Cargill Hall, the historian o...

The 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) was the first joint U.S.-Soviet space flight, in which teams from the two nations met in orbit to test an international docking system and conduct both collaborative and independent studies. Although primarily a symbol of international goodwill, the mission provided useful experience for future cooperative ventures between the two nations. This authorized NASA history features many fascinating interviews with participants as well as firsthand obser...

Although it was only designed for a ninety-day surface mission, the Viking 1 lander ultimately transmitted science messages to Earth for seven years. This authoritative history chronicles the remarkable achievements of the Viking program during its first three decades. Commissioned by NASA, it recounts the events surrounding the first planetary landing on Earth's closest neighbor and the first on-site search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. It also portrays a human drama in ...

Amusing and thought-provoking, this A-to-Z compendium outlines common oral and written gaffes. Ambrose Bierce, a celebrated literary wit, assembled his informative compilation in 1909 from many years of observations and notes. He advocates precision in language, offering alternatives to grammatical lapses and inaccurate word choices.Moneyed for Wealthy: "The moneyed men of New York." One might as sensibly say, "The cattled men of Texas," or, "The lobstered men of t...

The official record of America's first space station, this thorough and highly readable book from the NASA History Series chronicles the Skylab program from its planning during the 1960s through its 1973 launch and its conclusion in 1979. Its definitive accounts examine the project's goals and achievements as well as the use of discoveries and technology developed during the Apollo program.This three-part survey begins with the background against which post-Apollo planning unfolded,...