Books with title Country Luck

A vivid and brutal reimagining of Homer's Iliad, set in the Troubles of the late 20th century. That was the start of it. A terrible business altogether. Oh, it was all kept off the news, for the sake of the talks and the ceasefire. But them that were around that part of the country remember every bit. Wait now till you hear the rest. Northern Ireland, 1996. After 25 years of conflict, the IRA and the British have agreed to an uneasy ceasefire, as a first step towards lasting peace. But if decades of savage violence are leading only to smiles and handshakes, those on the ground in the border country will start to question what exactly they have been fighting for. When an IRA man's wife turns informer, he and his brother gather their old comrades for an assault on the local army base. But the squad's feared sniper suddenly refuses to fight, and the SAS are sent in to crush this rogue terror cell before it can wreck the fragile truce and drag the whole region back to the darkest days of the Troubles. Inspired by the oldest war story of them all, this powerful new Irish novel explores the brutal glory of armed conflict and the bitter tragedy of those on both sides who offer their lives to defend the honour of their country.

Celebrating the dark origins of our most American music, Country reveals a wild shadowland of history that encompasses blackface minstrels and yodeling cowboys; honky-tonk hell and rockabilly heaven; medieval myth and musical miscegenation; sex, drugs, murder; and rays of fierce illumination on Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and others, famous and forgotten, whose demonology is America's own. Profusely and superbly illustrated, Country stands as one of the most brilliant explorations of American musical culture ever written.

The young man's departure was the occasion for quite a demonstration by the neighbors. Other young men of the vicinage had been to New York, but generally they were those whom their neighbors did not hope to see again; Phil, on the contrary, was a general favorite. His family intended that no one should know of the journey until Phil was fairly off, for they knew by experience, in which sometimes they had been the offenders, how insatiable is rural curiosity about any doings out of the ordinary.

Example in this ebookCHAPTER I.HOW IT CAME ABOUT.“Be sure to look us up when you come to the city.”This invitation was extended with that delightful affectation of heartiness that a man can assume when he believes that the person invited will never avail himself of the courtesy. Fortunately for the purpose of this story, Master Philip Hayn, whom Mr. Tramlay had asked to call, was too young and too unaccustomed to the usages of polite society to regard the remark in any but its actual sense.It would have seemed odd to any one knowing the two men and their respective stations in life. Tramlay was a New York merchant, well known and of fair standing in the iron trade; Hayn was son of the farmer at whose house the Tramlay family had passed the summer. When the Tramlays determined to exchange the late summer dust of the country for the early autumn dust of the city, it was Philip who drove the old-fashioned carryall that transported them from the farm to the railway-station. The head of the merchant’s family was attired like a well-to-do business-man; Philip’s coat, vest, and trousers were remnants of three different suits, none of recent cut. The contrast was made sharper by the easy condescension of the older man and the rather awkward deference of Philip, and it moved Mrs. Tramlay to whisper, as her husband helped her aboard the train,—“Suppose he were to take you at your word, Edgar?”The merchant shrugged his shoulders slightly, and replied, “Worse men have called upon us, my dear, without being made to feel unwelcome.”“I think ’twould be loads of fun,” remarked Miss Lucia Tramlay.Then the three, followed by smaller members of the family, occupied as many seats near windows, and nodded smiling adieus as the train started.Philip returned their salutations, except the smiles: somehow, the departure of all these people made him feel sober. He followed the train with his eyes until it was out of sight; then he stepped into the old carryall and drove briskly homeward, declining to rein up and converse with the several sidewalk-loungers who manifested a willingness to converse about the departed guests. When he reached the outer edge of the little village he allowed the horses to relapse into their normal gait, which was a slow walk; he let the reins hang loosely, he leaned forward until his elbows rested upon his knees and his hat-brim seemed inclined to scrape acquaintance with the dash-board, then he slowly repeated,—“ ‘Be sure to look us up when you come to the city.’ You may be sure that I will.”The advent of the Tramlays at Hayn Farm had been productive of new sensations to all concerned. The younger members of the Tramlay family had at first opposed the plan of a summer on a farm: they had spent one season at Mount Desert, and part of another at Saratoga, and, as Lucia had been “out” a year, and had a sister who expected early admission to a metropolitan collection of rosebuds, against a summer in the country—the rude, common, real country—the protests had been earnest. But the head of the family had said he could not afford anything better; trade was dull, a man had to live within his income, etc. Besides, their mother’s health was not equal to a summer in society: they would find that statement a convenient excuse when explaining the family plans to their friends.To be continue in this ebook...

Lucky Country was created with the assistance of students from the International Grammar School in Sydney and is a timely look at multi-cultural Australia, current global debates on the refugee crisis and the role the media plays in shaping public opinion. When a young refugee boy arrives at Cook Vale High School, he is given the name ‘Lucky’ by the enthusiastic and open-hearted principal of the school. Two boys in his class are not so open-hearted and their ‘special welcome’ of the new student triggers a chain of events which engulfs the whole community.

From its humble beginnings as a way to pass the time in the Appalachian Mountains to international acclaim and one of the most popular genres of music today, country music has a long and varied history. It is the base of most of the music we listen to today. Country Music will take you on a journey through nearly a hundred years of this genre, showing how it touches the hearts of people everywhere. The Evolution & Cultural Influences of Music series examines the history and development of popular musical genres. Books in this series provide young readers with a greater understanding of each musical genre, and how it has contributed to and shaped American popular culture over the past half-century.

American popular music reflects a rich cultural diversity. From Aaron Copland to Miles Davis to Elvis Presley to Muddy Waters, the United States has produced some of the most influential and beloved musicians and performers of the 20th century. The blues, jazz, and rock and roll - musical genres loved around the world - were born here, and American composers, producers, singers, and songwriters have crafted a unique heritage in other genres such as classical and folk. American Popular Music, a new eight-volume set, celebrates American music by presenting a wealth of information on seven major musical branches. Each comprehensive book provides the perfect, one-stop starting point for research in each musical field.

The roots of country run deep. This book charts the development of this uniquely American music form from the 1800s through to the present. It also shows how social, economic, and regional factors have all helped to shape country music over time, and, in turn, how this music has gone on to influence other genres, such as Blues, Folk, Rock, and Soul and R&B.