Showing titles in North America

America’s tallest monument was never supposed to stand. So how did it rise? The Gateway Arch: How America Built the Impossible is a riveting, deeply researched history of the world-famous stainless steel arch that towers 630 feet over the Mississippi River. More than a tourist attraction, the Gateway Arch is a miracle of architecture, engineering, and sheer political will—built in defiance of public criticism, technical limits, and impossible odds. In the heart of St. Louis, what began as a controversial plan to revive a crumbling riverfront evolved into one of the most daring ...

Discover the untamed beauty and hidden mysteries of the Rocky Mountains—where every trail leads to wonder, and nature’s grandeur beckons at every turn. In Rocky Mountain Wonders: National Parks of the Rocky Mountain Region, Everett Wilder invites you on an extraordinary adventure through some of America’s most iconic and awe-inspiring landscapes. This isn’t just a travel guide—it’s your passport to the wild heart of the Rockies, from the soaring peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park to the explosive geysers of Yellowstone and the enigmatic presence of Devils Tower.

At 22, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State - and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone.

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself.

A few years after quitting his job to follow an ill-advised dream of becoming a guide on the Colorado River, Kevin Fedarko was approached by his friend, the National Geographic photographer Pete McBride, with a vision as bold as it was harebrained. Together, they would embark on an end-to-end traverse of the Grand Canyon, a journey that, McBride promised, would be “a walk in the park.” Against his better judgment, Fedarko agreed to the scheme. The ensuing ordeal, which lasted more than a year, revealed a place that was richer, and far more complex, than anything the two men had imagined.

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson selected his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead a voyage up the Missouri River, across the forbidding Rockies, and - by way of the Snake and the Columbia rivers - down to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and his partner, Captain William Clark, endured incredible hardships and witnessed astounding sights. With great perseverance, they worked their way into an unexplored West. When they returned two years later, they had long since been given up for dead.

The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America - majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaing guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way - and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).

This is a vastly expanded and revised edition of the 2001 classic, Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon, now updated after a decade, containing many gripping accounts of all known fatal mishaps in the most famous of the World's Seven Natural Wonders.

The silence in the deep woods is not always empty. Sometimes, it’s listening. The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,650-mile journey through the last great wildlands of the American West. Thousands walk it, seeking solitude and adventure. But they are not always alone. For decades, a steady drumbeat of testimony has emerged from these remote spaces—chilling, firsthand accounts of encounters with something that should not exist. This is not a book of folklore. It is a sober presentation of testimony from the people who know this wilderness best: seasoned thru-hikers, Forest Service employees, ...

If fresh water is to be treasured, the Great Lakes are the mother lode. No bodies of water can compare to them. One of them, Superior, is the largest lake on earth, and the five lakes together contain a fifth of the world's supply of standing fresh water. Their surface area of 95,000 square miles is greater than New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island combined. They are so vast that they dominate much of the geography, climate, and history of North America. In one way or another, they affect the lives of tens of millions.

THE ORIGINAL (with 2024 updates)“My Uncle Al would have loved this book.” – Deirdre Capone

Vegas like you’ve never seen, tales you’ve never heard – until now. Sizzling, behind-the-headlines stories about the men, the Mob, movie stars, and missing money that made ’50s and ’60s Vegas such a hot spot in the Nevada desert. Those were the days... When Frank Sinatra threw a chair at the casino boss of the Sands and stormed out. When all the Mob bosses decided to kill Bugsy Siegel and take over the Flamingo. Did you see the front cover? Look again.

One cabin. One impossible connection. One chance to rewrite the rules. Pia I came to the mountains to clear my head, finish my thesis, and maybe breathe for the first time in years. I didn’t expect him—my brother’s best friend, NHL golden boy, Liam Mitchell. Older. Brooding. Off-limits. He’s supposed to be a summer complication. A distraction. But then he touches me like I’m the only thing keeping him grounded. And I’m starting to wonder… maybe I am. Liam I came here to disappear. Anxiety, burnout, pressure I can’t explain—hockey used to be my escape. Now it’s my cage. ...

What really goes on ... inside the mysterious VIP Room? Find out first-hand, as career stripper Lacey Lane unlocks the doors to the secret sanctums at the center of the action in gentlemen's clubs across America. Confessions of a Stripper puts you in the middle of the VIP Room, where freaks, fetishists, scammers, and even normal guys match wits with the dancers. Here, outlandish fantasies are bought and sold, and almost nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. These true stories, culled from Lane's years of performing in dozens of clubs around the country, also provide the lowdown on the...

In their own words, recorded in the famous journals of Lewis and Clark, the members of the Corps of Discovery tell their story with an immediacy and power missing from secondhand accounts. All of their triumphs and terrors are here: the thrill of seeing the vast herds of bison, the fear the captains felt when Sacagawea fell ill, the ordeal of crossing the Continental Divide, the misery of cold and hunger, and the kidnapping and rescue of Lewis' dog, Seaman.

Creator of the global sensation “Humans of New York” and author of four #1 New York Times bestsellers, Brandon Stanton has shown us a unique side of our communities, our neighbors, and ourselves. Now, he takes us further and deeper than he’s ever gone before. Embracing all five boroughs, Dear New York is a book filled with contradictions, yet brimming with life. It is an unprecedented portrait of the world’s greatest city, and a personal tribute to the people who provide its soul.

Carlsbad, CA, Top Attractions and Tips for Families Vacationing with Kids is the ultimate guide for families planning an unforgettable getaway to this picturesque coastal city. Whether you're seeking the thrill of LEGOLAND, the serenity of Carlsbad's stunning beaches, or the adventure of exploring nature at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, this book has it all. Packed with insider tips, family-friendly lodging options, dining recommendations, and a curated list of must-see attractions, this guide ensures that your family vacation is both fun and stress-free. Discover hidden gems, enjoy local ...

Professor McCormac's first publication was White Servitude in Maryland, 1634-1820 (1904), an important investigation which has not been superseded. He followed this with an original and illuminating demonstration of Colonial Opposition to Imperial Authority during the French and Indian War (1911). By a curious coincidence, this investigation appeared at a moment when the State Senate was involved in discussion of "unpatriotic" teaching in the schools, and was heedlessly taken as an example of "false and disloyal history."

The centerpiece of a major national campaign to indentify and preserve forgotten history, Here Is Where is acclaimed historian Andrew Carroll’s fascinating journey of discovery in which he travels to each of America’s 50 states and explores locations where remarkable individuals once lived or where the incredible or momentous occurred.

In 2003, software engineer David Miller left his job, family, and friends to hike 2,172 miles of the Appalachian Trail. AWOL on the Appalachian Trail is Miller’s account of this thru-hike from Georgia to Maine. Listeners are treated to rich descriptions of the Appalachian Mountains, the isolation and reverie, the inspiration that fueled his quest, and the rewards of taking a less conventional path through life. While this book abounds with introspection and perseverance, it also provides useful passages about hiking gear and planning.

Are you about to move to South Louisiana and you want to get a feel for its famous culture? Or are you a lifelong dweller who wants a few nostalgic chuckles? Maybe you are neither, but instead are just curious about the crawfish-eating, hard-partying, swamp-dwelling denizens who call South Louisiana home? Look no further. Learn all you need to about the elusive South Louisiana Folks, from the Acadians to the Zydeco lovers, in this tongue-in-cheek guide. By the time you finish, you’ll know enough to blend in with the locals if you don’t already. And you may just have a few chuckles along...