Books with author David H. Clark

Ermine Stone’s life has never been easy. His most desperate wish in the whole world, to know his real name, seems destined never to be granted. His master, the permanently disgruntled, magician Harold Halfdan seems determined to stop him learning any magic at all. Yet some talents cannot be denied, and Ermine’s magic has a habit of breaking out despite his master’s displeasure.Although Ermine doesn’t know it, his master Harold has been given a mission, by a witch who died days after Ermine was born. He knows that he must take his apprentice to London, to the Guild of Magicians. It is a journey which brings both of them into peril for their lives. Set in an England which is not as it was, but as it might have been had Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon had a son, David Clark’s, taut, exciting story is a must-read and re-read for fantasy lovers of all ages. The clever use of chapter headings brings the world of the book to life, and gives it a real depth of texture. This epic magical adventure is the first in the Ermine Stone series.

Renowned historian David A. Clary studies George Washington’s early military career as a young colonel during the French and Indian War, and how those campaigns influenced his leadership and strategy as a general during the Revolutionary War and as the first president of the newly formed United States of America.The searing, formative military adventures of the inexperienced boy colonel of the French and Indian War who grew up to become one of the great soldier-statesmen of his age. George Washington wasn’t born a military leader. He became one the hard way—through trial and error and perseverance at a very early age and in the most trying circumstances imaginable. From the massacre of a French diplomatic party by soldiers under his command (thereby starting a world war), to his surrendering of Fort Necessity to the French, to his leading a harrowing retreat of British troops under fire, we see Washington learn the lessons of command. George Washington’s First War is a story told in vivid language, combining dramatic depictions of battle with the anxieties and frustrations of an adolescent who’s not yet a great man. Readers learn of harrowing ordeals in the wilderness, the hitherto little explored role played by the Indian nations whose continent this was, and the epic clash of empires that all combined to turn the young Washington into the great commander and president of his age.

Generations ago, gambling in America was an illicit activity, dominated by gangsters like Benny Binion and Bugsy Siegel. Today, forty-eight out of fifty states permit some form of legal gambling, and America’s governors sit at the head of the gaming table. But have states become addicted to the revenue gambling can bring? And does the potential of increased revenue lead them to place risky bets on new casinos, lotteries, and online games? In Gangsters to Governors, journalist David Clary investigates the pros and cons of the shift toward state-run gambling. Unearthing the sordid history of America’s gaming underground, he demonstrates the problems with prohibiting gambling while revealing how today’s governors, all competing for a piece of the action, promise their citizens payouts that are rarely delivered. Clary introduces us to a rogue’s gallery of colorful characters, from John “Old Smoke” Morrissey, the Irish-born gangster who built Saratoga into a gambling haven in the nineteenth century, to Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate who has furiously lobbied against online betting. By exploring the controversial histories of legal and illegal gambling in America, he offers a fresh perspective on current controversies, including bans on sports and online betting. Entertaining and thought-provoking, Gangsters to Governors considers the past, present, and future of our gambling nation. Author's website (http://www.davidclaryauthor.com)

2 sound discs : digital ; 4 3/4 in. Note Compact disc. Contents Disc 1: Intro & blessing -- We are the water -- Preface -- And the hawk flew -- Standing where Otis stood -- Intro. of Mr. Jacobs & Mr. Pepcheck -- The story of the great deluge -- Imagine -- the characters -- How Hezekiah fits in -- Mr. Rabbit finds his match at last -- Fun -- House of your heart -- The fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow -- Revival hymn -- Handshake. Disc 2: Handshake -- Jesus loves me -- TV -- Possums & geography -- Why Mr. Possum love peace -- Mr. Rabbit nibbles up the butter -- Thanks to the crew -- Banner dedication -- The star spangled banner -- We are a society that is stuck -- The wonderful tar baby -- Time goes by turns -- The rescue mission -- Put a little love intro -- Put a little love in your heart -- Mr. Eagle's message -- Will the circle be unbroken. Note Recorded live at the Douglass Theatre, April 25, 2003.

“I heard the bullets whistle, and, believe me, there is something charming in the sound.” So said the young George Washington, something no veteran soldier would say. He had not been the target of enemy fire. Instead, he was papering over the fact that his men and Indian allies had just massacred a diplomatic party, setting off the French and Indian War of 1754–63. He had violated international law, something else he would not admit. Washington could, after all, tell a lie. That is but one revelation that acclaimed military historian and Washington expert David A. Clary offers in George Washington’s First War. Washington spent his adolescence in military service, starting as a colonel in command at the age of twenty-two. He came from a society without a military tradition, and had no training or battle-wise sergeants to keep him out of trouble. He was a young glory hound thrust into circumstances he was not prepared to handle by elders who should have known better. Leading reluctant amateur soldiers against French professionals, when he took command he was on his own. Accordingly, Washington survived a five-year ordeal unlike that endured by any other Founding Father. He emerged from it not yet the steady supreme commander of the Revolution, but he had started on the road that led him to become the great soldier and statesman of his age. How he began his life’s journey is what George Washington’s First War is about. It is a dramatic story of frontier warfare played out against the anxieties and resentments of an ambitious adolescent. Here are accounts of harrowing ordeals in the wilderness, the decisive part played by the Indian nations whose continent this was, and the epic clash of empires. Others have looked at Washington’s activities during the French and Indian War without recognizing that he played his part in that history during his painful transition from boy to man. His repeated blunders and defeats arose from his youthful impetuosity and inexperience and weak support from his government. Clary has a sound understanding of eighteenth-century wilderness warfare, and his descriptions of battles are vivid, exciting, and laced with horrifying details. Brought to dramatic life are Washington’s harrowing wintertime journey into the wilderness to order the French to leave the territory, the Jumonville Massacre, his bloody defeat at Fort Necessity, his heroism at the Battle of the Monongahela (Braddock’s Defeat), his years of frustration commanding the Virginia Regiment, the Forbes Expedition of 1758, his insubordination to civil and military superiors, and his resignation from the army. A revealing portrait of Washington during a crucial, formative period of his life, this is the indispensable backstory to the making of a great man.

Renowned historian David A. Clary studies George Washington’s early military career as a young colonel during the French and Indian War, and how those campaigns influenced his leadership and strategy as a general during the Revolutionary War and as the first president of the newly formed United States of America.The searing, formative military adventures of the inexperienced boy colonel of the French and Indian War who grew up to become one of the great soldier-statesmen of his age. George Washington wasn’t born a military leader. He became one the hard way—through trial and error and perseverance at a very early age and in the most trying circumstances imaginable. From the massacre of a French diplomatic party by soldiers under his command (thereby starting a world war), to his surrendering of Fort Necessity to the French, to his leading a harrowing retreat of British troops under fire, we see Washington learn the lessons of command. George Washington’s First War is a story told in vivid language, combining dramatic depictions of battle with the anxieties and frustrations of an adolescent who’s not yet a great man. Readers learn of harrowing ordeals in the wilderness, the hitherto little explored role played by the Indian nations whose continent this was, and the epic clash of empires that all combined to turn the young Washington into the great commander and president of his age.

Driving across the country in the early twentieth century was high adventure. In 1925 Willie Chester Clark and his family piled into a modified Chevrolet touring car, affectionately named Leaping Lena, and took off for the West. Clark’s account of the journey will acquaint readers with cross-country travel at a time when Americans were just inventing the road trip. Editor David Dary discovered a copy of Clark’s account among his grandfather’s personal papers. Dary introduces the tale of how Leaping Lena clocked some 12,000 miles in five months, starting from West Virginia and traveling to the Northwest, down the Pacific Coast to Southern California, through the Desert Southwest, and back home via the Southern Plains. Among the highlights of the trip were visits to Yellowstone, Yosemite, Mount Rainier, and Crater Lake. Writing while sitting on a camp stool, his typewriter resting on the car’s front bumper, W. C. Clark turned out lively descriptions of the family’s experiences with all the wit and panache of his later journalism career. Clark details road conditions, the quality of accommodations, the cost of gas and food, user fees at national parks, and the number and variety of fellow tourists his party encountered. He also describes the pitfalls of life on the road. Flat tires were a daily occurrence, mechanical breakdowns almost as frequent, and the crude, mostly unpaved roads were named but not yet numbered, and only intermittently marked. And if the Clarks were not lucky enough to stay with friends, they had to camp. Framed by an introduction and annotations that set the story in context, and illustrated with photographs of gas stations, roadside attractions, and roadsters typical of the day, Touring the West with Leaping Lena gives a firsthand glimpse into the early days of cross-country automobile trips. Readers will enjoy its historical detail even as they realize that when it comes to family road trips, some things haven’t changed.

When Timothy Collier finds a mark etched in his bedroom window that resembles a wizard with a pointy hat, his family concludes it's just one more thing to replace in their big old house. But when a book with blank pages begins to display magical items, one by one they appear in the house. Soon chaos erupts and the Collier family is face to face with an ancient wizard's greatest powers and deadliest enemies.

Did you know that humans are actually pretty slimy? Slide into the wonderful world of slippery, sticky slime! Learn about the important functions of slime, and how it is necessary for most living organisms. Slime helps with many important functions including eating, breathing, moving, and self-defense. Learn how many animals depend on slime—the number may surprise you!

Story Description To Save a unicorn©In the Kingdom of Char lived a savage kingHis loves were fighting and would drinkHe owned a hornFrom a UnicornIt gave him a magical linkHis fear was poison, death in his winePoured by an enemies handWith the unicorns cupHe could softly supKeeping a tight reign on his landA band of rebels stole the cupThe king away at warWhen he returnedHis fury was heardHe burdened the poor man’s lawHe dreamed of a glade where a unicorn grazedSending is trackers to findWith his best fighting menAnd his daughter to tendHis dreams so real and aliveA race between soldiers and rebels ensuredWas a unicorn destined to ceaseOr could the rebels saveWith their large hearts braveAnd in the Kingdom of Char bring peace