Books published by publisher iUniverse

A collection of reviews for the 1,000 most important, popular, and influential movies of all time.While critiques of beloved Hollywood milestones from Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, and Orson Welles are all included, this book is notably a resource for the modern cinema buff and student. Nowhere else can one find this curated collection of reviews with such special features as lists of best films by category and year, as well as unique recommendations and sidebars for the modern viewer--including what to watch and how: from DVD and Blu-Ray to streaming platforms.In an era when most students and fans of film simply rely on the Internet for information, this category killer will prove its worth as a relevant and indispensable gift and reference.

TJ and Jonathan are teen-age friends and teammates on the JV baseball team. Like many young people growing up in America in the late sixties, they have heroes. For TJ, who is white, it is Mickey Mantle, the aging star of the New York Yankees. For Jonathan, who is black, it is Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the civil rights movement. Unfortunately, 1968 is a bad year for heroes and—America.Their friendship is strained to the breaking point when Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated. Jonathan, who is devastated by the murder, blames all white people, TJ included. TJ then has to struggle through the challenges of the JV baseball season in his racially-torn town, without the support of his friend. Is there anything that can repair their broken bond? Would it take still another American tragedy?

Will is gay and struggling with it. Belittled, ridiculed, and beaten down by his so-called friends, he is pushed to his breaking point. He must make a change. With his quirky aunt Nellie by his side, Will moves to the sunny town of Seaside City, where he embarks on a journey to reinvent himself, discover first love, and maybe find a little bit of happiness along the way.Hannah is Seaside Citys resident extrovertbut behind her faade of confidence, she is riddled with insecurities. When she meets Will, Hannah decides to take him under her wing and become his guide. For a girl who desperately needs to be heard and understood, Will just may be exactly the friend she needs. Daniel is Hannahs gorgeous twin brotherthe perfect combination of funny, charming, and intelligent. Even though he should be off limits, Will cannot help but fall for him. But will a devious girlfriend and the confusion of sexual identity come between them?The Big Summer is a witty and touching tale that explores the ups and downs of first love, the struggles of self-acceptance, the value of friendship, and the true meaning of happiness.

Numbering 4,000 select officers and men, Combat Team 370 was part of n Europe during World War II the 92nd Infantry Division, the only all-Negro division to fight in Europe during World War II. In Black Warriors: The Buffalo Soldiers of World War II, author Ivan J. Houston recounts his experiences, when, as a nineteen-year-old California college student, he entered the US Army and served with the 3rd Battalion, 370th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Division of the US Fifth Army from 1943 to 1945. Drawn from minute-by-minute records of the unit's activities compiled by Houston during his deployment in Italy, this account describes both the historic encounters and the achievements of his fellow black soldiers during this breakthrough period in American military history. It tells of how the Buffalo Soldiers fought alongside other American troops, including Japanese Americans and soldiers from Great Britain, Brazil, South Africa, and India. With photos and maps included, Black Warriors: The Buffalo Soldiers of World War II provides a compelling, firsthand account of the segregated Buffalo Soldiers' experiences while they fought not only the power of the Nazi war machine but also racism and the widely held belief they were not up to the task. Their achievements prove otherwise.

In early May 1961, a U.S. military aircraft taxied toward a well-guarded terminal building. The plane slowed to a halt; steps were maneuvered up to its side, and the door was pulled open. The tropical night air was heavy and dank, and the moon shone dimly through high thin clouds. On board the aircraft were ninety-two members of a specially selected team. The men were dressed in indistinguishable dark suits with white shirts and dark ties, and each man carried a new red U.S. diplomatic passport inside his breast pocket. The men held copies of their orders and records in identical brown Manila envelopes, and each mans medical records were stamped If injured or killed in combat, report as training accident in the Philippines.In such clandestine fashion, the first fully operational U.S. military unit arrived at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam. The unit was so highly classified even its name was top-secret. It was given a codename, a cover identity to hide the true nature of its mission. The units operation was housed in a heavily-guarded compound near Saigon, and within two days of its arrival, Phase I was implemented. Its operatives were intercepting Viet Cong manual Morse communications, analyzing it for the intelligence it contained and passing the information to the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group-Vietnam. The Army Security Agency was on duty.

It is 1979 and sixteen-year-old Judith’s survivalist father has never been so relaxed and cheerful since he returned from Vietnam with a debilitating case of PTSD. The eight years he and his family have spent hidden deep in the Kalmiopsis wilderness of Oregon have been good for him. Unfortunately none of them have any idea that disaster is about to strike.While camping away from their cabin, Judith and her younger sister, Kali, witness the murder of their parents and older brother.Afraid of being tracked down by the killers, the girls escape to their family’s isolated cabin, occupied by their grandmother. As Judith cares for a now mute Kali, the girls struggle to survive, especially after their Gramma dies. Throughout their trials, they often find comfort under the special tree that shelters their grandmother’s grave. But when a secretive visitor brings them aid, only time will tell if they will uncover the identity of their guardian angel and find a way to return to the outside world—or be alone forever.The Communing Tree is a novel about courage, persistence, and survival as two sisters are forced to face a perilous new life alone in the wilderness.

There's probably a good chance that you've turned on your television, computer, or an appliance without giving much thought about the electric grid. But when there's a power outage, it's a different story. Suddenly, you're asking yourself questions such as: What is the electric grid and who owns it? Who controls the grid and how is it controlled? What causes a grid blackout? What is the future of the grid? William L. Thompson, who retired from Dominion Virginia Power after thirty-eight years in the electric business, answers those questions and many more in this book for anyone curious about the electric grid and how it works. In plain, simple language, he reveals what goes on behind the scenes at grid control centers across the country. He also explains how electricity is generated through renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. He also examines the causes behind the largest blackout in United States history and how global warming and technological developments could permanently change Living on the Grid.

In 2051, America is destroyed, separating into the Unity and the outands.Generations later, the Democratic Unity has become a Utopia with full employment, free healthcare, computerless-surfing and recreational drugs at quite reasonable prices. All citizens retire at forty before error and fatigue contaminate a society of youth, innovation, and vigor.The outlands, beyond the Rampart and savaged by the Scorching, are populated by savage creatures with strange blood-thirsty reputations.Seventeen-year-old, middle-aged Lt. Malila Chiu, a hero of the Unity, finds her career in tatters. Inexplicably she has been demoted and sent to repair a sensor installation at the very limits of Unity influence. Fortunately, the outlands look abandoned, and she sets her hands to restore the station and her reputation. Work is proceeding well when Malila, collapsing from fatigue, finally goes to bed. She awakens to find her entire platoon murdered and a knife at her throat, wielded by a disfigured, malicious and impossibly old savage. Jesse Johnstone, a lover of poetry, has made Malila--the Outland Exile.Stripped, bound and forced to walk hundreds of miles, Malila and Jesse survive the hostile wilderness, carnivorous plants, disease, slavers, blizzards, snipers, and each other's disdain to arrive at a new understanding.

An epic introduction to Norse mythology for students of all ages.Based on the research of the 19th century Swedish poet and scholar, Viktor Rydberg, Our Fathers' Godsaga retells the mythology of Northern Europe in chronological order from Creation to Ragnarök.These are tales told by Vikings, epic tales of gods and giants, elves and dwarves, and of how their interaction and wars affect the first generations of human beings in the North. Based on a comprehensive examination of the source material, including the Icelandic Eddas and Sagas, this is likely the way Germanic mythology looked at the end of the heathen era.Many will recognize themes found here in J.R.R. Tolkien's Silmarillion, particularly the tale of the elf-smith Völund and his quest for revenge against the Aesir, first detailed by Rydberg in his comprehensive Investigations into Germanic Mythology, 1886.This is an original translation of Viktor Rydberg's Fädernas Gudasaga, his own retelling of the complete Norse mythic epic, first published in 1887, and many times since. The text includes a complete catalog of mythic names & the original artwork, from the 1911 German translation, by renowned children's artist John Bauer (1882-1918).This classic Swedish text appears in English now for the first time.

With the same wit and perception that distinguished his stylish books on Paris, London, and Rome, M. Sasek pictures fabulous, big-hearted New York City in This Is New York, first published in 1960 and now updated for the 21st century. The Dutchman who bought the island of Manhattan from the Native Americnas in 1626 for twenty-four dollars' worth of handy housewares little knew that his was the biggest bargain in American history. For everything about New York is big -- the buildings, the traffic jams, the cars, the stories, the Sunday papers. Here is the Staten Island Ferry, the Statute of Liberty, MacDougal Alley in Greenwich Village, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Harlem, Chinatown, Central Park. The brass, the beauty, the magic, This Is New York!

It is not difficult to learn to play basketball. That's more, it can be really fun! Bball Basics for Kids is a step-by-step handbook featuring "Hoops" a playful, basketball-loving friend who shows kids of all ages the most important skills of the game. Coach Bobby Kaplan knows basketball. He applies his experience of having coached more than a thousand games to teach kids the basics of a sport that combines individual skills with the skills of teammates. For those who are just beginning to learn the game, Coach Kaplan shares practical tips on the fundamentals: Dribbling and passing; Shooting and rebounding; Playing defense; Improving footwork on the court Included is a history of the game, inspirational stories, warm up exercises, a glossary of basketball terms, and a sixty-minute self-improvement practice plan to help young players refine their skills. Bball Basics for Kids not only teaches the basics of a great game played by millions around the world, but also educates young players about the enduring values of cooperation, respect, trust, sacrifice, and perseverance. Bball Basics offers the unique opportunity for any basketball program to customize the handbook with their own personal photos