Books with author Chris Townsend

The author's engaging account of his solo hike along the Arizona Trailfrom the Mexican border to Utah.Crossing Arizona takes us on an extraordinary journey across some of the harshest, most remote, and arguably most beautiful natural terrain in the Lower 48. Long-distance hiker Chris Townsend, inspired by the writings of Edward Abbey and Colin Fletcher, set out alone to explore the desert landscape that inspired them. The rough, still-evolving Arizona Trail he hiked runs 800 miles from desert floor, through grasslands, through mountain forests, all the way from the Mexican border to Utah. Along this distinctly American path, Townsend's uniquely British sensibility ensures an entertaining read. Crossing Arizona is both an account of Townsend's adventure, and a chance to experience a truly unique corner of the world. This ultimate Lower 48 adventure describes some of the most beautiful and remote wilderness in the states. 20 black and white photographs 1 map Index

Francesca Woodman has become one of the most talked about, studied and influential of late twentieth-century photographers. She started taking photographs when she was barely thirteen, and in less than a decade created a body of work that has now secured her reputation as one of the most original American artists of the 1970s. Woodman brought an understanding of Baroque painting, modernist art and contemporary post-Minimalist practice to her haunting, sensual, images. Both in her work with models and in her sometimes disturbing self-portraits, she made a thoroughgoing challenge to the certainties of photography.Interested in how people relate to space, and how the three-dimensional world can be reconciled with the two dimensions of the photographic image, Woodman played complex games of hide-and-seek with her camera. One of the enduring appeals of her work is the way in which she constructs enigmas that trap our gaze. She depicts herself seemingly fading into a flat plane, merging with a wall under the wallpaper, dissolving into the floor, or flattening herself behind glass. She constantly compares the fragility of her own body with the physical environment around her. Fascinated by transformation and the permeability of seemingly fixed boundaries, Woodman conjures in her work the precarious moment between adolescence and adulthood, between presence and absence.This comprehensive monograph includes over 200 of Woodman's works - some of which have never been exhibited or published before - as well as previously unseen extracts from her journals, selected and introduced by her father, George Woodman. There are examples of her large-scale 'blue-prints', and reproductions of her artist's books, including Some Disordered Interior Geometries, which was published in 1981, the year she took her own life. An extensive text by Chris Townsend examines the influences of Gothic literature, Surrealism, feminism and post-Minimalist art on Woodman's photographs, as well as placing her in relation to her contemporaries, such as Cindy Sherman and Richard Prince. This book confirms Woodman's position as one of America's most talented and important artists since 1970, with a legacy lasting well beyond her own time.

The most comprehensive monograph on one of the most enigmatic photographers of the 20th century - now in paperback"Woodman's pioneering style and technique have made her one of America's most notable and well-respected photographers of the late 20th century." —AestheticaThe precocious and brilliant American artist Francesca Woodman, is one of post-war photography's most original figures. This important book includes a major review of her life's work based on research by art historian Chris Townsend, together with extracts and facsimile pages from Francesca's personal journals edited and curated by her father, George Woodman. This unique and much-admired book is now available for the first time in paperback.

The National Security Agency was founded in secrecy after World War II. Sometimes it is even jokingly called "No Such Agency" because nearly everything the agency does is kept secret. The NSA's real work came to light after Edward Snowden exposed some of its biggest secrets in 2013. This book explores the secrets of the NSA, from how it keeps Americans safe from hackers to how it collects information about us and what it does with all that data. Students will learn about the puzzles and codes that make up the biggest and least-understood agency in the American intelligence community.

ISIS claims to have reinstated the glorious caliphate of old: a time when Islam was at the center of the world, and Islamic law was the law of the land. Many of their practices are considered barbaric by modern standards, but followers of the Islamic State claim their ways are prescribed by righteous ancestors, passed down orally and in written records. Daily life under the caliphate has been turned upside down for those caught in the path of ISIS. Students will learn how ISIS enforces a 1,500-year-old body of laws, what daily life is like for followers of the Islamic State, and what it's like to live under the caliphate for those forced to endure the rule of ISIS.

On July 5, 2014, after the stunning seizure of Mosul, Iraq, a relatively unknown man in black stepped into an Iraqi mosque and declared the reestablishment of The Caliphate, an Islamic body of governance not seen since the early days of the religion. Large swathes of Iraq and Syria have been swept under a medieval wave of violence, and groups as far away as Nigeria and Indonesia have pledged their loyalty to the Islamic State, waging their own campaigns of violence. This book charts the group's violent history, from the first signs of an emerging new jihadist group to the official declaration of the Caliphate, and tracks their use of violence as they seek power and dominance over the world's 1.5 billion Muslim practitioners.

In August 2014, ISIS surged onto the global stage with the horrific killing of a journalist who had been held hostage by the group. The gruesome video was followed by several others as ISIS sought to capture and maintain the attention of the world media and encourage recruits to join them. ISIS's treatment of hostages has led some to take their own lives instead of being captured. But not all hostages are equal under the Islamic State. This book will explore to role of hostages under ISIS, from those who are killed or forced to fight to those who are used for their value as propaganda or their ability to generate income, in the form of bribes, for the Islamic State.

America is a representative democracy. This means that voters choose people to represent them in government. Some are chosen to lead government. Others are chosen to make laws. Some states even allow for judges to be elected. This allows the people to choose who interprets the law. There are office holders at every level of government from City Hall to the White House. How do these people get elected? What do they do once they are elected? This book explores the civic role of office holder using an inquiry and fact-based exploration within the C-3 Framework.

"Members of the Armed Forces come from all over the United States. These citizens choose to serve their country by fighting for it. Some are sailors on the high seas. Some fly airplanes. Others fight on the ground with tanks and guns. But there is much more to service than just fighting. This book looks at the civic responsibility of service where ordinary men and women sign up to defend their country. Using an inquiry based approach, students will learn the facts about military service and understand this important civic service in a format aligned with C3 standards."--Provided by publisher.

On July 5, 2014, after the stunning seizure of Mosul, Iraq, a relatively unknown man in black stepped into an Iraqi mosque and declared the reestablishment of The Caliphate, an Islamic body of governance not seen since the early days of the religion. Large swathes of Iraq and Syria have been swept under a medieval wave of violence, and groups as far away as Nigeria and Indonesia have pledged their loyalty to the Islamic State, waging their own campaigns of violence. This book charts the group's violent history, from the first signs of an emerging new jihadist group to the official declaration of the Caliphate, and tracks their use of violence as they seek power and dominance over the world's 1.5 billion Muslim practitioners.

The National Security Agency was founded in secrecy after World War II. Sometimes it is even jokingly called "No Such Agency" because nearly everything the agency does is kept secret. The NSA's real work came to light after Edward Snowden exposed some of its biggest secrets in 2013. This book explores the secrets of the NSA, from how it keeps Americans safe from hackers to how it collects information about us and what it does with all that data. Students will learn about the puzzles and codes that make up the biggest and least-understood agency in the American intelligence community.

In August 2014, ISIS surged onto the global stage with the horrific killing of a journalist who had been held hostage by the group. The gruesome video was followed by several others as ISIS sought to capture and maintain the attention of the world media and encourage recruits to join them. ISIS's treatment of hostages has led some to take their own lives instead of being captured. But not all hostages are equal under the Islamic State. This book will explore to role of hostages under ISIS, from those who are killed or forced to fight to those who are used for their value as propaganda or their ability to generate income, in the form of bribes, for the Islamic State.