Author: Stacie Burke
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773553819
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 376
Book Description
In 1882, Robert Koch identified tuberculosis as an infectious bacterial disease. In the sixty years between this revelation and the discovery of an antibiotic treatment, streptomycin, the disease was widespread in Canada, often infecting children within their family homes. Soon, public concerns led to the establishment of hospitals that specialized in the treatment of tuberculosis, including the Toronto sanatorium, which opened in 1904 on the outskirts of the city. Situated in the era before streptomycin, Building Resistance explores children’s diverse experiences with tuberculosis infection, disease, hospitalization, and treatment at the Toronto sanatorium between 1909 and 1950. This early sanatorium era was defined by the principles of resistance building, recognizing that the body itself possessed a potential to overcome tuberculosis through rest, nutrition, fresh air, and sometimes surgical intervention. Grounded in a rich and descriptive case study and based on archival research, the book holistically approaches the social and biological impact of infection and disease on the bodies, families, and lives of children. Lavishly illustrated, compassionate, and informative, Building Resistance details the inner dimensions and evolving treatment choices of an early modern hospital, as well as the fate of its young patients.
Building Resistance
Author: Stacie Burke
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773553819
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 376
Book Description
In 1882, Robert Koch identified tuberculosis as an infectious bacterial disease. In the sixty years between this revelation and the discovery of an antibiotic treatment, streptomycin, the disease was widespread in Canada, often infecting children within their family homes. Soon, public concerns led to the establishment of hospitals that specialized in the treatment of tuberculosis, including the Toronto sanatorium, which opened in 1904 on the outskirts of the city. Situated in the era before streptomycin, Building Resistance explores children’s diverse experiences with tuberculosis infection, disease, hospitalization, and treatment at the Toronto sanatorium between 1909 and 1950. This early sanatorium era was defined by the principles of resistance building, recognizing that the body itself possessed a potential to overcome tuberculosis through rest, nutrition, fresh air, and sometimes surgical intervention. Grounded in a rich and descriptive case study and based on archival research, the book holistically approaches the social and biological impact of infection and disease on the bodies, families, and lives of children. Lavishly illustrated, compassionate, and informative, Building Resistance details the inner dimensions and evolving treatment choices of an early modern hospital, as well as the fate of its young patients.
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773553819
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 376
Book Description
In 1882, Robert Koch identified tuberculosis as an infectious bacterial disease. In the sixty years between this revelation and the discovery of an antibiotic treatment, streptomycin, the disease was widespread in Canada, often infecting children within their family homes. Soon, public concerns led to the establishment of hospitals that specialized in the treatment of tuberculosis, including the Toronto sanatorium, which opened in 1904 on the outskirts of the city. Situated in the era before streptomycin, Building Resistance explores children’s diverse experiences with tuberculosis infection, disease, hospitalization, and treatment at the Toronto sanatorium between 1909 and 1950. This early sanatorium era was defined by the principles of resistance building, recognizing that the body itself possessed a potential to overcome tuberculosis through rest, nutrition, fresh air, and sometimes surgical intervention. Grounded in a rich and descriptive case study and based on archival research, the book holistically approaches the social and biological impact of infection and disease on the bodies, families, and lives of children. Lavishly illustrated, compassionate, and informative, Building Resistance details the inner dimensions and evolving treatment choices of an early modern hospital, as well as the fate of its young patients.
The Wild River and the Great Dam
Author: Simon Boughton
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
ISBN: 0316380954
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 287
Book Description
★ "In this detailed and informative work, Boughton chronicles the construction of the Hoover Dam via compellingly comprehensive text." —Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ "This well-written narrative is bound to become the authority on this modern American marvel." —Booklist, starred review Discover the complicated history behind the construction of Hoover Dam—one of the country’s most recognizable and far-reaching landmarks—and its lasting political and environmental effects on the Colorado River and the American West. At the time of its completion in 1936, Hoover Dam was the biggest dam in the world and the largest feat of architecture and engineering in the country—a statement of national ambition and technical achievement. It turned the wild Colorado River into a tame and securely managed water source, transforming millions of acres of desert into farmland while also providing water and power to the fast-growing population of the Southwest. The concrete monolith quickly became a symbol of American ingenuity; however, its history is laden with contradiction. It provided work for thousands, but it was a dangerous project that exploited desperate workers during the Depression. It helped secure the settlement and economies of the Southwest, but at the expense of Indigenous peoples and the environment; and it created a dependency on the Colorado River’s water, which is under threat from overuse and climate change. Weaving together elements of engineering, geography, and political and socioeconomic history, and drawing heavily from unpublished oral histories taken from dam workers and their families, Simon Boughton’s thoughtful and compelling debut—featuring historical photographs throughout—follows the construction and impact of Hoover Dam, and how its promise of abundance ultimately created a river in crisis today. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection "A fascinating history of the building of the Hoover Dam…. A great addition to nonfiction collections covering dams, ecology, and history of the Southwest." —School Library Journal "A fascinating blend of social and environmental history and engineering." —Kirkus Reviews "Truly breathtaking. This is a powerful story and like the water slowly rising behind that concrete barrier, it becomes more powerful with each page turn." —David Macaulay, two-time recipient of the Caldecott Medal and creator of the bestselling The Way Things Work "An exciting mix of research, storytelling, and an astounding true story—one that’s still unfolding today." —Steve Sheinkin, three-time National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honor author of Bomb
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
ISBN: 0316380954
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 287
Book Description
★ "In this detailed and informative work, Boughton chronicles the construction of the Hoover Dam via compellingly comprehensive text." —Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ "This well-written narrative is bound to become the authority on this modern American marvel." —Booklist, starred review Discover the complicated history behind the construction of Hoover Dam—one of the country’s most recognizable and far-reaching landmarks—and its lasting political and environmental effects on the Colorado River and the American West. At the time of its completion in 1936, Hoover Dam was the biggest dam in the world and the largest feat of architecture and engineering in the country—a statement of national ambition and technical achievement. It turned the wild Colorado River into a tame and securely managed water source, transforming millions of acres of desert into farmland while also providing water and power to the fast-growing population of the Southwest. The concrete monolith quickly became a symbol of American ingenuity; however, its history is laden with contradiction. It provided work for thousands, but it was a dangerous project that exploited desperate workers during the Depression. It helped secure the settlement and economies of the Southwest, but at the expense of Indigenous peoples and the environment; and it created a dependency on the Colorado River’s water, which is under threat from overuse and climate change. Weaving together elements of engineering, geography, and political and socioeconomic history, and drawing heavily from unpublished oral histories taken from dam workers and their families, Simon Boughton’s thoughtful and compelling debut—featuring historical photographs throughout—follows the construction and impact of Hoover Dam, and how its promise of abundance ultimately created a river in crisis today. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection "A fascinating history of the building of the Hoover Dam…. A great addition to nonfiction collections covering dams, ecology, and history of the Southwest." —School Library Journal "A fascinating blend of social and environmental history and engineering." —Kirkus Reviews "Truly breathtaking. This is a powerful story and like the water slowly rising behind that concrete barrier, it becomes more powerful with each page turn." —David Macaulay, two-time recipient of the Caldecott Medal and creator of the bestselling The Way Things Work "An exciting mix of research, storytelling, and an astounding true story—one that’s still unfolding today." —Steve Sheinkin, three-time National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honor author of Bomb
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
Author: Lillian Hoddeson
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262552647
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
The first full-length biography of a brilliant, self-taught inventor whose innovations in information and energy technology continue to shape our world. The Economist called Stanford R. Ovshinsky (1922–2012) “the Edison of our age,” but this apt comparison doesn't capture the full range of his achievements. As an independent, self-educated inventor, Ovshinsky not only created many important devices but also made fundamental discoveries in materials science. This book offers the first full-length biography of a visionary whose energy and information innovations continue to fuel our post-industrial economy. In The Man Who Saw Tomorrow, Lillian Hoddeson and Peter Garrett tell the story of an unconventional genius with no formal education beyond high school who invented, among other things, the rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries that have powered everything from portable electronics to hybrid cars, a system for mass-producing affordable thin-film solar panels, and rewritable CDs and DVDs. His most important discovery, the Ovshinsky effect, led to a paradigm shift in condensed matter physics and yielded phase-change memory, which is now enabling new advances in microelectronics. A son of the working class who began as a machinist and toolmaker, Ovshinsky focused his work on finding solutions to urgent social problems, and to pursue those goals, he founded Energy Conversion Devices, a unique research and development lab. At the end of his life, battered by personal and professional losses, Ovshinsky nevertheless kept working to combat global warming by making solar energy “cheaper than coal”—another of his many visions of a better tomorrow.
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262552647
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
The first full-length biography of a brilliant, self-taught inventor whose innovations in information and energy technology continue to shape our world. The Economist called Stanford R. Ovshinsky (1922–2012) “the Edison of our age,” but this apt comparison doesn't capture the full range of his achievements. As an independent, self-educated inventor, Ovshinsky not only created many important devices but also made fundamental discoveries in materials science. This book offers the first full-length biography of a visionary whose energy and information innovations continue to fuel our post-industrial economy. In The Man Who Saw Tomorrow, Lillian Hoddeson and Peter Garrett tell the story of an unconventional genius with no formal education beyond high school who invented, among other things, the rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries that have powered everything from portable electronics to hybrid cars, a system for mass-producing affordable thin-film solar panels, and rewritable CDs and DVDs. His most important discovery, the Ovshinsky effect, led to a paradigm shift in condensed matter physics and yielded phase-change memory, which is now enabling new advances in microelectronics. A son of the working class who began as a machinist and toolmaker, Ovshinsky focused his work on finding solutions to urgent social problems, and to pursue those goals, he founded Energy Conversion Devices, a unique research and development lab. At the end of his life, battered by personal and professional losses, Ovshinsky nevertheless kept working to combat global warming by making solar energy “cheaper than coal”—another of his many visions of a better tomorrow.
Oral History Index
Author: Meckler Publishing
Publisher: Westport : Meckler
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 456
Book Description
Publisher: Westport : Meckler
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 456
Book Description
Hoover Dam
Author: Joseph E. Stevens
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN: 0806173971
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 337
Book Description
In the spring of 1931, in a rugged desert canyon on the Arizona-Nevada border, an army of workmen began one of the most difficult and daring building projects ever undertaken—the construction of Hoover Dam. Through the worst years of the Great Depression as many as five thousand laborers toiled twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to erect the huge structure that would harness the Colorado River and transform the American West. Construction of the giant dam was a triumph of human ingenuity, yet the full story of this monumental endeavor has never been told. Now, in an engrossing, fast-paced narrative, Joseph E. Stevens recounts the gripping saga of Hoover Dam. Drawing on a wealth of material, including manuscript collections, government documents, contemporary newspaper and magazine accounts, and personal interviews and correspondence with men and women who were involved with the construction, he brings the Hoover Dam adventure to life. Described here in dramatic detail are the deadly hazards the work crews faced as they hacked and blasted the dam’s foundation out of solid rock; the bitter political battles and violent labor unrest that threatened to shut the job down; the deprivation and grinding hardship endured by the workers’ families; the dam builders’ gambling, drinking, and whoring sprees in nearby Las Vegas; and the stirring triumphs and searing moments of terror as the massive concrete wedge rose inexorably from the canyon floor. Here, too, is an unforgettable cast of characters: Henry Kaiser, Warren Bechtel, and Harry Morrison, the ambitious, headstrong construction executives who gambled fortune and fame on the Hoover Dam contract; Frank Crowe, the brilliant, obsessed field engineer who relentlessly drove the work force to finish the dam two and a half years ahead of schedule; Sims Ely, the irascible, teetotaling eccentric who ruled Boulder City, the straightlaced company town created for the dam workers by the federal government; and many more men and women whose courage and sacrifice, greed and frailty, made the dam’s construction a great human, as well as technological, adventure. Hoover Dam is a compelling, irresistible account of an extraordinary American epic.
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN: 0806173971
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 337
Book Description
In the spring of 1931, in a rugged desert canyon on the Arizona-Nevada border, an army of workmen began one of the most difficult and daring building projects ever undertaken—the construction of Hoover Dam. Through the worst years of the Great Depression as many as five thousand laborers toiled twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to erect the huge structure that would harness the Colorado River and transform the American West. Construction of the giant dam was a triumph of human ingenuity, yet the full story of this monumental endeavor has never been told. Now, in an engrossing, fast-paced narrative, Joseph E. Stevens recounts the gripping saga of Hoover Dam. Drawing on a wealth of material, including manuscript collections, government documents, contemporary newspaper and magazine accounts, and personal interviews and correspondence with men and women who were involved with the construction, he brings the Hoover Dam adventure to life. Described here in dramatic detail are the deadly hazards the work crews faced as they hacked and blasted the dam’s foundation out of solid rock; the bitter political battles and violent labor unrest that threatened to shut the job down; the deprivation and grinding hardship endured by the workers’ families; the dam builders’ gambling, drinking, and whoring sprees in nearby Las Vegas; and the stirring triumphs and searing moments of terror as the massive concrete wedge rose inexorably from the canyon floor. Here, too, is an unforgettable cast of characters: Henry Kaiser, Warren Bechtel, and Harry Morrison, the ambitious, headstrong construction executives who gambled fortune and fame on the Hoover Dam contract; Frank Crowe, the brilliant, obsessed field engineer who relentlessly drove the work force to finish the dam two and a half years ahead of schedule; Sims Ely, the irascible, teetotaling eccentric who ruled Boulder City, the straightlaced company town created for the dam workers by the federal government; and many more men and women whose courage and sacrifice, greed and frailty, made the dam’s construction a great human, as well as technological, adventure. Hoover Dam is a compelling, irresistible account of an extraordinary American epic.
The Life of William Faulkner
Author: Carl Rollyson
Publisher: University of Virginia Press
ISBN: 0813944414
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 631
Book Description
By the end of volume 1 of The Life of William Faulkner ("A filling, satisfying feast for Faulkner aficianados"— Kirkus), the young Faulkner had gone from an unpromising, self-mythologizing bohemian to the author of some of the most innovative and enduring literature of the century, including The Sound and the Fury and Light in August. The second and concluding volume of Carl Rollyson’s ambitious biography finds Faulkner lamenting the many threats to his creative existence. Feeling, as an artist, he should be above worldly concerns and even morality, he has instead inherited only debts—a symptom of the South’s faded fortunes—and numerous mouths to feed and funerals to fund. And so he turns to the classic temptation for financially struggling writers—Hollywood. Thus begins roughly a decade of shuttling between his home and family in Mississippi—lifeblood of his art—and the backlots of the Golden Age film industry. Through Faulkner’s Hollywood years, Rollyson introduces such personalities as Humphrey Bogart and Faulkner’s long-time collaborator Howard Hawks, while telling the stories behind films such as The Big Sleep and To Have and Have Not. At the same time, he chronicles with great insight Faulkner's rapidly crumbling though somehow resilient marriage and his numerous extramarital affairs--including his deeply felt, if ultimately doomed, relationship with Meta Carpenter. (In his grief over their breakup, Faulkner—a dipsomaniac capable of ferocious alcoholic binges—received third-degree burns when he passed out on a hotel-room radiator.) Where most biographers and critics dismiss Faulkner’s film work as at best a necessary evil, at worst a tragic waste of his peak creative years, Rollyson approaches this period as a valuable window on his artistry. He reveals a fascinating, previously unappreciated cross-pollination between Faulkner’s film and literary work, elements from his fiction appearing in his screenplays and his film collaborations influencing his later novels—fundamentally changing the character of late-career works such as the Snopes trilogy. Rollyson takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the composition of Absalom, Absalom!, widely considered Faulkner’s masterpiece, as well as the film adaptation he authored—unproduced and never published— Revolt in the Earth. He reveals how Faulkner wrestled with the legacy of the South—both its history and its dizzying racial contradictions—and turned it into powerful art in works such as Go Down, Moses and Intruder in the Dust. Volume 2 of this monumental work rests on an unprecedented trove of research, giving us the most penetrating and comprehensive life of Faulkner and providing a fascinating look at the author's trajectory from under-appreciated "writer's writer" to world-renowned Nobel laureate and literary icon. In his famous Nobel speech, Faulkner said what inspired him was the human ability to prevail. In the end, this beautifully wrought life shows how Faulkner, the man and the artist, embodies this remarkable capacity to endure and prevail.
Publisher: University of Virginia Press
ISBN: 0813944414
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 631
Book Description
By the end of volume 1 of The Life of William Faulkner ("A filling, satisfying feast for Faulkner aficianados"— Kirkus), the young Faulkner had gone from an unpromising, self-mythologizing bohemian to the author of some of the most innovative and enduring literature of the century, including The Sound and the Fury and Light in August. The second and concluding volume of Carl Rollyson’s ambitious biography finds Faulkner lamenting the many threats to his creative existence. Feeling, as an artist, he should be above worldly concerns and even morality, he has instead inherited only debts—a symptom of the South’s faded fortunes—and numerous mouths to feed and funerals to fund. And so he turns to the classic temptation for financially struggling writers—Hollywood. Thus begins roughly a decade of shuttling between his home and family in Mississippi—lifeblood of his art—and the backlots of the Golden Age film industry. Through Faulkner’s Hollywood years, Rollyson introduces such personalities as Humphrey Bogart and Faulkner’s long-time collaborator Howard Hawks, while telling the stories behind films such as The Big Sleep and To Have and Have Not. At the same time, he chronicles with great insight Faulkner's rapidly crumbling though somehow resilient marriage and his numerous extramarital affairs--including his deeply felt, if ultimately doomed, relationship with Meta Carpenter. (In his grief over their breakup, Faulkner—a dipsomaniac capable of ferocious alcoholic binges—received third-degree burns when he passed out on a hotel-room radiator.) Where most biographers and critics dismiss Faulkner’s film work as at best a necessary evil, at worst a tragic waste of his peak creative years, Rollyson approaches this period as a valuable window on his artistry. He reveals a fascinating, previously unappreciated cross-pollination between Faulkner’s film and literary work, elements from his fiction appearing in his screenplays and his film collaborations influencing his later novels—fundamentally changing the character of late-career works such as the Snopes trilogy. Rollyson takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the composition of Absalom, Absalom!, widely considered Faulkner’s masterpiece, as well as the film adaptation he authored—unproduced and never published— Revolt in the Earth. He reveals how Faulkner wrestled with the legacy of the South—both its history and its dizzying racial contradictions—and turned it into powerful art in works such as Go Down, Moses and Intruder in the Dust. Volume 2 of this monumental work rests on an unprecedented trove of research, giving us the most penetrating and comprehensive life of Faulkner and providing a fascinating look at the author's trajectory from under-appreciated "writer's writer" to world-renowned Nobel laureate and literary icon. In his famous Nobel speech, Faulkner said what inspired him was the human ability to prevail. In the end, this beautifully wrought life shows how Faulkner, the man and the artist, embodies this remarkable capacity to endure and prevail.
From Slave Ship to Harvard
Author: James H. Johnston
Publisher: Fordham Univ Press
ISBN: 0823239527
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 424
Book Description
“Part historical narrative, part genealogical detective work,” this is the true story of an African American family in Maryland over six generations (Library Journal). Using diaries, court records, legal documents, books, paintings, photographs, and oral histories, From Slave Ship to Harvard traces a family—from the colonial period and the American Revolution through the Civil War to Harvard and finally today—forming a unique narrative of black struggle and achievement. Yarrow Mamout was an educated Muslim from Guinea, brought to Maryland on the slave ship Elijah. When he gained his freedom forty-four years later, he’d become so well known in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC, that he attracted the attention of the eminent portrait painter Charles Willson Peale, who captured Yarrow’s visage in the painting on the cover of this book. Yarrow’s immediate relatives—his sister, niece, wife, and son—were notable in their own right. His son married into the neighboring Turner family, and the farm community in western Maryland called Yarrowsburg was named for Yarrow Mamout’s daughter-in-law, Mary “Polly” Turner Yarrow. The Turner line ultimately produced Robert Turner Ford, who graduated from Harvard University in 1927. Just as Peale painted the portrait of Yarrow, James H. Johnston’s new book puts a face on slavery and paints the history of race in Maryland, where relationships between blacks and whites were far more complex than many realize. As this one family’s experience shows, individuals of both races repeatedly stepped forward to lessen divisions, and to move America toward the diverse society of today.
Publisher: Fordham Univ Press
ISBN: 0823239527
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 424
Book Description
“Part historical narrative, part genealogical detective work,” this is the true story of an African American family in Maryland over six generations (Library Journal). Using diaries, court records, legal documents, books, paintings, photographs, and oral histories, From Slave Ship to Harvard traces a family—from the colonial period and the American Revolution through the Civil War to Harvard and finally today—forming a unique narrative of black struggle and achievement. Yarrow Mamout was an educated Muslim from Guinea, brought to Maryland on the slave ship Elijah. When he gained his freedom forty-four years later, he’d become so well known in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC, that he attracted the attention of the eminent portrait painter Charles Willson Peale, who captured Yarrow’s visage in the painting on the cover of this book. Yarrow’s immediate relatives—his sister, niece, wife, and son—were notable in their own right. His son married into the neighboring Turner family, and the farm community in western Maryland called Yarrowsburg was named for Yarrow Mamout’s daughter-in-law, Mary “Polly” Turner Yarrow. The Turner line ultimately produced Robert Turner Ford, who graduated from Harvard University in 1927. Just as Peale painted the portrait of Yarrow, James H. Johnston’s new book puts a face on slavery and paints the history of race in Maryland, where relationships between blacks and whites were far more complex than many realize. As this one family’s experience shows, individuals of both races repeatedly stepped forward to lessen divisions, and to move America toward the diverse society of today.
Greater Freedom
Author: Charles Wesley McKinney
Publisher: University Press of America
ISBN: 0761852301
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 285
Book Description
This book offers a groundbreaking long-term study of Wilson County, North Carolina. Charting the evolution of Wilson's civil rights movement, McKinney argues that African Americans in Wilson created an expansive notion of freedom that influenced every aspect of life in the region and directly confronted the state's reputation for moderation.
Publisher: University Press of America
ISBN: 0761852301
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 285
Book Description
This book offers a groundbreaking long-term study of Wilson County, North Carolina. Charting the evolution of Wilson's civil rights movement, McKinney argues that African Americans in Wilson created an expansive notion of freedom that influenced every aspect of life in the region and directly confronted the state's reputation for moderation.
The Hidden White House
Author: Robert Klara
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1250022932
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 433
Book Description
The little-known story of the White House’s gutting and renovation during the Truman presidency: “Delightful and informative . . . plenty of entertaining drama.” —Publishers Weekly In 1948, President Harry Truman, enjoying a bath on the White House’s second floor, almost plunged through the ceiling of the Blue Room into a tea party for the Daughters of the American Revolution. A handpicked team of the country’s top architects conducted a secret inspection of the troubled mansion and, after discovering it was in imminent danger of collapse, insisted that the First Family be evicted immediately. What followed would be the most historically significant and politically complex home-improvement job in American history. While the Trumans camped across the street at Blair House, Congress debated whether to bulldoze the White House completely, and the Soviets exploded their first atomic bomb, starting the Cold War. Robert Klara reveals what has, until now, been little understood about this episode: America’s most famous historic home was basically demolished, giving birth to today’s White House. Leaving only the mansion’s facade untouched, workmen gutted everything within, replacing it with a steel frame and a complex labyrinth deep below ground that soon came to include a top-secret nuclear fallout shelter. The story of Truman’s rebuilding of the White House is a snapshot of postwar America and its first Cold War leader, undertaking a job that changed the centerpiece of the country’s national heritage. The job was by no means perfect, but it was remarkable—and, until now, all but forgotten. Includes photographs “Captivating . . . From bathtubs to bomb shelters, Klara leaves no piece of crumbling sandstone unturned and is as astute a storyteller as he is a dogged researcher.” —Denise Kiernan, New York Times–bestselling author of The Last Castle
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1250022932
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 433
Book Description
The little-known story of the White House’s gutting and renovation during the Truman presidency: “Delightful and informative . . . plenty of entertaining drama.” —Publishers Weekly In 1948, President Harry Truman, enjoying a bath on the White House’s second floor, almost plunged through the ceiling of the Blue Room into a tea party for the Daughters of the American Revolution. A handpicked team of the country’s top architects conducted a secret inspection of the troubled mansion and, after discovering it was in imminent danger of collapse, insisted that the First Family be evicted immediately. What followed would be the most historically significant and politically complex home-improvement job in American history. While the Trumans camped across the street at Blair House, Congress debated whether to bulldoze the White House completely, and the Soviets exploded their first atomic bomb, starting the Cold War. Robert Klara reveals what has, until now, been little understood about this episode: America’s most famous historic home was basically demolished, giving birth to today’s White House. Leaving only the mansion’s facade untouched, workmen gutted everything within, replacing it with a steel frame and a complex labyrinth deep below ground that soon came to include a top-secret nuclear fallout shelter. The story of Truman’s rebuilding of the White House is a snapshot of postwar America and its first Cold War leader, undertaking a job that changed the centerpiece of the country’s national heritage. The job was by no means perfect, but it was remarkable—and, until now, all but forgotten. Includes photographs “Captivating . . . From bathtubs to bomb shelters, Klara leaves no piece of crumbling sandstone unturned and is as astute a storyteller as he is a dogged researcher.” —Denise Kiernan, New York Times–bestselling author of The Last Castle
When the Sea Came Alive
Author: Garrett M. Graff
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 166802781X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 608
Book Description
This book explores the full impact of D-Day from the secret creation of landing plans by top government and military officials and organization of troops, to the moment the boat doors opened to reveal the beach where men fought for their lives and the future of the free world. These moments and more are seen in real time, through the eyes of those who experienced them
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 166802781X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 608
Book Description
This book explores the full impact of D-Day from the secret creation of landing plans by top government and military officials and organization of troops, to the moment the boat doors opened to reveal the beach where men fought for their lives and the future of the free world. These moments and more are seen in real time, through the eyes of those who experienced them