David King

The Commissar Vanishes offers a chilling look at how Joseph Stalin manipulated the science of photography to advance his own political career and to erase the memory of his victims. On Stalin's orders, purged rivals were airbrushed from group portraits, and crowd scenes were altered to depict even greater legions of the faithful. For example, a 1919 photograph showing a large crowd of Bolsheviks clustered around Lenin, became, with the aid of the retoucher, an intimate portrait of Lenin and Stalin sitting alone, and then, in a later version, of Stalin by himself. In each case, the juxtaposition of the original and the doctored images yields a fascinating - and often terrifying and tragic - insight into one of the darkest chapters of modern history.

Since forming in 1888, the Texas League has produced some of the most beloved American baseball players and seen more than its fair share of colorful events. In 1931, Houston pitcher Dizzy Dean pitched and won both ends of a double-header in Fort Worth, throwing a three-hit shutout in the second game. In 1906, center fielder Tris Speaker pitched for Cleburne to beat Temple 10-3. In 1998, Arkansas' Tyrone Horne hit for the homer cycle" in San Antonio, finishing to a standing ovation. "The Texas League Baseball Almanac" delivers day by day the record-breaking events, personal triumphs and memorable games that helped to shape baseball in the region. Join authors David King and Tom Kayser on a nine-inning trip down one of minor-league baseball's most historic institutions, both in season and off. ."

Since forming in 1888, the Texas League has produced some of the most beloved American baseball players and seen more than its fair share of colorful events. In 1931, Houston pitcher Dizzy Dean pitched and won both ends of a double-header in Fort Worth, t

This is the first investigation of one of the main interests of astronomy in Islamic civilization, namely, timekeeping by the sun and stars and the regulation of the astronomically-defined times of Muslim prayer. The study is based on over 500 medieval astronomical manuscripts first identified by the author, now preserved in libraries all over the world and originally from the entire Islamic world from the Maghrib to Central Asia and the Yemen. The materials presented provide new insights into the early development of the prayer ritual in Islam. They also call into question the popular notion that religion could not inspire serious scientific activity. Only one of the hundreds of astronomical tables discussed here was known in medieval Europe, which is one reason why the entire corpus has remained unknown until the present. A second and third volume, also published by Brill, deals with astronomical instruments for timekeeping and other computing devices. (Volume 1)

The story of Ross Youngs, a hall of fame baseball player from the San Antonio, Texas area.

Though Ross Youngs has been enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 1972, few have given his remarkable career its due. Born in Shiner and raised in San Antonio, Youngs played his first game as a professional at the age of sixteen, and just three years later, his contract was purchased by the New York Giants, one of baseball's elite teams in the early twentieth century. Tragically, his promising career ended when he died from an illness at age thirty in 1927. Join author David King in a journey to discover the amazing Youngs as he was and the incredible legacy he left behind.

The sensational true story of the serial killer who stalked the streets of Nazi-occupied Paris.

Through an amazing array of posters, photographs, paintings, magazines, book jackets, advertisements, pamphlets and other rare ephemera, "Red Star Over Russia" tells the story of the Soviet Union, from the Russian Revolution to the death of Stalin. During this period Soviet citizens endured revolutionary upheavals, civil war, Nazi invasion, famine and appalling oppression. For countless millions, revolutionary dreams were transformed into unspeakable tragedy. Yet it was also a time of intense creativity, in which the hopes, aspirations and revolutionary fervour of a people were captured in an extraordinary outpouring of visual material. Universally acclaimed on its publication in 2009, David King's masterful book is the fruit of over 40 years of research. In it, he rescues many of the unsung heroes of the epic struggles that shaped the Soviet Union from obscurity and commemorates the talent of some of the most brilliant artists, photographers and designers of the twentieth century.

"Reads like a novel. A fast-paced page-turner, it has everything: sex, wit, humor, and adventures. But it is an impressively researched and important story."--David Fromkin, author of Europe's Last Summer Vienna, 1814 is an evocative and brilliantly researched account of the most audacious and extravagant peace conference in modern European history. With the feared Napoleon Bonaparte presumably defeated and exiled to the small island of Elba, heads of some 216 states gathered in Vienna to begin piecing together the ruins of his toppled empire. Major questions loomed: What would be done with France? How were the newly liberated territories to be divided? What type of restitution would be offered to families of the deceased? But this unprecedented gathering of kings, dignitaries, and diplomatic leaders unfurled a seemingly endless stream of personal vendettas, long-simmering feuds, and romantic entanglements that threatened to undermine the crucial work at hand, even as their hard-fought policy decisions shaped the destiny of Europe and led to the longest sustained peace the continent would ever see. Beyond the diplomatic wrangling, however, the Congress of Vienna served as a backdrop for the most spectacular Vanity Fair of its time. Highlighted by such celebrated figures as the elegant but incredibly vain Prince Metternich of Austria, the unflappable and devious Prince Talleyrand of France, and the volatile Tsar Alexander of Russia, as well as appearances by Ludwig van Beethoven and Emilia Bigottini, the sheer star power of the Vienna congress outshone nearly everything else in the public eye. An early incarnation of the cult of celebrity, the congress devolved into a series of debauched parties that continually delayed the progress of peace, until word arrived that Napoleon had escaped, abruptly halting the revelry and shrouding the continent in panic once again. Vienna, 1814 beautifully illuminates the intricate social and political intrigue of this history-defining congress-a glorified party that seemingly valued frivolity over substance but nonetheless managed to drastically reconfigure Europe's balance of power and usher in the modern age.

We all know that global warming is a problem, but the blizzard of information and misinformation on the subject makes it hard to know what to do. The Hot Topic is the first book to set out the problems and the solutions in a straightforward way - no hidden agenda, no breast-beating, no hair shirts. Science - how the climate is already changing and what the future is likely to bring Adaptation - preparing for the changes we can't stop Technological solutions - new, clean ways to live, travel and keep the lights on Political solutions - the inside track on what it will take to bring the whole world to the same negotiating table, and how to deal with the 'problem' countries - China, India, Russia and the US Personal and local solutions - what you can do and why it will make a difference

Essential grammar support for ESOL students.

Sorting through the vast array of information and misinformation surrounding the topic of global warming, a helpful study provides a definitive overview of the problem and potential solutions, discussing the science of climate change, cutting-edge technological solutons, and the national and global politics involved. Original.