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  Race Across the Atlantic -...

  Colin Higgs, Bruce Vigar

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  “Reveals their race across the Atlantic in stunning pictures . . . includes a first-hand account from Captain Brown of his world-first flight.” —Daily Mail Online   It was Tuesday, 15 July 1919 and for the residents of Clifden on Ireland’s west coast this was not to be a normal day. Just before 08.40 hours, descending out of the gloom, came a large, twin-engine airplane lining up for final approach. After a flight lasting 16 hours and 28 minutes, Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten-Brown had won the race to be the first to fly nonstop across the Atlantic—and the prize of £10,000, roughly equivalent to $1,000,000 in today’s money, offered by Lord Rothermere, aviation philanthropist and owner of the Daily Mail.   Illustrated by many unique photographs this book tells the story of the race, delayed for almost six years by the First World War. Many aircraft would be entered but few would even get off the ground. The teams faced great difficulties in preparing for the challenge of crossing one of the most hostile stretches of ocean on Earth.   The authors not only reveal tales of failures and technical difficulties, but of the intense frustration of waiting for the perfect weather-window. And even when finally airborne, Alcock and Brown’s flight almost ended in disaster on several occasions as weather conditions almost conspired to cast them down into the grey, cold waters of the Atlantic and almost certain death.   “Right from the first page, you’ll be hooked . . . you’re in the cockpit with Alcock and Brown and every dump and dive of the flight across the Atlantic.” —Vintage Airfix

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  The Unknown World of the Mobile...

  John Fraser Hart, Michelle J...

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  An in-depth look at the history and culture of mobile homes in the United States. 
   
  In American popular imagination, the mobile home evokes images of cramped interiors, cheap materials, and occupants too poor or unsavory to live anywhere else. Since the 1940s and ‘50s, however, mobile home manufacturers have improved standards of construction and now present them as an affordable alternative to conventional site-built homes. Today one of every fourteen Americans lives in a mobile home. 
   
  In The Unknown World of the Mobile Home authors John Fraser Hart, Michelle J. Rhodes, and John T. Morgan illuminate the history and culture of these often misunderstood domiciles. They describe early mobile homes, which were trailers designed to be pulled behind automobiles and which were more often than not poorly constructed and unequal to the needs of those who used them. During the 1970s, however, Congress enacted federal standards for the quality and safety of mobile homes, which led to innovation in design and the production of much more attractive and durable models. These models now comply with local building codes and many are designed to look like conventional houses. As a result, one out every five new single-family housing units purchased in the United States is a mobile home, sited everywhere from the conventional trailer park to custom-designed “estates” aimed at young couples and retirees. Despite all these changes in manufacture and design, even the most immobile mobile homes are still sold, financed, regulated, and taxed as vehicles. 
   
  With a wealth of detail and illustrations, The Unknown World of the Mobile Home provides readers with an in-depth look into this variation on the American dream. 
   
  “A clear, concise, and innovative look at the history, the economics, and the politics of the mobile home. The authors reveal the inner workings of mobile home living by drawing upon a wide variety of sources, from industry data to interviews conducted at mobile home parks across the country. Further, they explore new types of mobile home communities—those assembled for workers at meat-processing centers in southwest Kansas, for example—that complicate the familiar image of the mobile home park as retirement village. The ideas presented in this book provide a solid starting point for many detailed studies on this important topic.” —Karl Raitz, University of Kentucky, author of The National Road

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  New York City Coffee - A...

  Erin Meister

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  This colorful history explores New York’s coffee culture from the brew’s initial arrival in the 1600s to today’s artisanal connoisseurs.   The coffee industry was made for New York: complex, diverse, fascinating and full of attitude. Since arriving in seventeenth-century New Amsterdam, coffee held patriotic significance during wartime, fueled industrial revolution and transformed the city's foodways. The New York Coffee Exchange opened tumultuously in the Gilded Age. Alice Foote MacDougall founded a 1920s coffeehouse empire. In the same decade, Brooklyn teenager William Black started Chock Full o’Nuts with $250 and a dream.   Today, third wave coffeeshops like Joe and Ninth Street Espresso offer single origin pour overs and push the limits of latte art. Through stories, interviews and photographs, author and coffee professional Erin Meister shares Gotham’s caffeinated past and explores the coffee-related reasons why the city never sleeps.

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  The Amateur Emigrant

  Robert Louis Stevenson

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  In July 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson left Scotland to meet his future wife in her native California. Leaving by ship from Glasgow, Scotland, he determined to travel in steerage class to see how the working classes fared. At the last minute he was convinced by friends to purchase a ticket one grade above the lowest price, for which he was later thankful after seeing the conditions in steerage, but he still lived among the 'lower' classes. His comments on the experience make interesting reading. His father however was so shocked at the thought of his son associating with people 'beneath him' that the work was not published for a number of years, (Summary by annise)

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  The Thinking Beekeeper - A Guide...

  Christy Hemenway

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  A beginner’s complete guide to keeping bees in top bar hives, and why. What’s the buzz about the growing popularity of backyard beekeeping? Providing habitat for bees, pollinating your garden, and producing honey for your family are some of the compelling reasons for taking up this exciting hobby. But conventional beekeeping requires a significant investment and has a steep learning curve. The alternative? Consider beekeeping outside the box.The Thinking Beekeeper is the definitive do-it-yourself guide to natural beekeeping in top bar hives. Based on the concept of understanding and working with bees’ natural systems as opposed to trying to subvert them, the advantages of this approach include:·      Simplicity, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness ·       Increased safety due to less heavy lifting and hive manipulation ·       Chemical-free colonies and healthy hives Top bar hives can be located anywhere bees have access to forage, and they make ideal urban hives. Emphasizing the intimate connection between our food systems, bees, and the well-being of the planet, The Thinking Beekeeper will appeal to the new breed of beekeeper who is less focused on maximizing honey yield, and more on ensuring the viability of the bee population now and in the coming years.Mother Earth News Books for Wiser Living Recommendation“You’ll find information you need here that’s not available anywhere else. Both you and your bees will benefit from Christy’s approach, advice, and philosophy.” —Kim Flottum, editor, Bee Culture Magazine“A unique and exceptional resource for the beginning beekeeper.” —Marty Hardison, top bar beekeeper, educator and international developmental beekeeping consultant

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  A Beginner's Guide to Home...

  Gloria Nicol

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  Bring a beautiful hand-crafted touch to your home with this amazing guide.
  
  Learn everything you need to know to make all sorts of amazing and exciting projects to brighten up every room in the house! Written for beginners, this inspiring handbook guides you through 50 exciting ideas that are simple and easy to complete, including curtains, bed linens, cushion covers and so much more. Each project includes a list of materials, fool-proof step-by-step illustrated instructions, and creative variations on each project.
  Complete with a 13-page techniques section, A Beginner's Guide to Home Sewing reveals the secrets behind choosing and using the right fabrics and equipment. Gloria clearly explains basic hand-sewing stitches—both decorative and functional—as well as how to use a sewing machine, making sure you get a professional-looking finish every time.

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