The Book of Courage

by John Thomson Faris

1920 · Binker North

The Book of Courage is a self-help classic about overcoming fear by John Thomson Faris.

The Spirit of Vengeance

by John V. Baiamonte, Jr.

1999 · LSU Press

In May, 1921, Joseph Rini and five other men of Italian descent drove from New Orleans to Independence, Louisiana, in a stolen car to attempt the late-night robbery of an Independence bank. During the confused events of that night, a local businessman was shot by an unknown assailant, and the six men were shortly thereafter captured and charged with murder, largely on the basis of circumstantial evidence. They were found guilty. When this verdict was appealed and the state supreme court reversed it on a technicality, a second trial in May, 1922, ended with an identical decision and sentence. A series of fruitless appeals followed, and on May 9, 1924, the prisoners were hanged in Amite City—the nation’s only execution of six men for the murder of one. Using court transcripts, newspaper accounts, and interviews, John Baiamonte recounts the dramatic and often moving story of these six men and their trial, which in its day was to become a national and international cause célèbre. He explores the social prejudices of the day, particularly the popular assumption that any criminal activity involving Italians was part of a plot by the Mafia. Fear of Italian gangsters, especially from a tightly organized Mafia, had been rampant in southern Louisiana since the 1890s, as was prejudice against the hardworking law-abiding Sicilian immigrants who had settled in large numbers in Tangipahoa Parish, where these events took place. “Bloody Tangipahoa” had long been notorious for violence, particularly against minorities. Moreover, the parish judicial system at that time, the trial judge, and the state Board of Pardons, which reviewed the Italians’ appeal, were thought to be involved with the Ku Klux Klan. Even the governor, John M. Parker, was one of the leaders of a mob that murdered eleven Italians suspected of Mafia affiliation in New Orleans in 1891. Baiamonte also examines the mood of the courtroom, the pressures put upon the lawyers, the jury, and the witnesses to convict the six—despite the fact that the prosecution’s only witness to the shooting failed to identify any of the defendants and no witness could place the defendants closer than three miles from Independence on the night of the murder. Everyone became a participant in the courtroom, even the spectators. They applauded when new evidence against the defendants was introduced. In cameos of each of the convicted men, Baiamonte describes moods and actions. Joseph Bocchio, one of the condemned, read Shakespeare and wrote poems, which were published in the local paper. Spirit of Vengeance affords an intriguing view of a tumultuous period in Louisiana history, and the six men whose vain struggle to survive brought them international attention.

The Reformed Presbyterian and Covenanter

by Thomas Sproull, Sproull John W.

2023 · BoD – Books on Demand

Reprint of the original. The publishing house Anatiposi publishes historical books as reprints. Due to their age, these books may have missing pages or inferior quality. Our aim is to preserve these books and make them available to the public so that they do not get lost.

Broadway Musicals, 1943-2004

by John Stewart

2012 · McFarland

On March 31, 1943, the musical Oklahoma! premiered and the modern era of the Broadway musical was born. Since that time, the theatres of Broadway have staged hundreds of musicals--some more noteworthy than others, but all in their own way a part of American theatre history. With more than 750 entries, this comprehensive reference work provides information on every musical produced on Broadway since Oklahoma's 1943 debut. Each entry begins with a brief synopsis of the show, followed by a three-part history: first, the pre-Broadway story of the show, including out-of-town try-outs and Broadway previews; next, the Broadway run itself, with dates, theatres, and cast and crew, including replacements, chorus and understudies, songs, gossip, and notes on reviews and awards; and finally, post-Broadway information with a detailed list of later notable productions, along with important reviews and awards.

The ‘Ukulele

by Jim Tranquada, John King

2012 · University of Hawaii Press

Since its introduction to Hawai‘i in 1879, the ‘ukulele has been many things: a symbol of an island paradise; a tool of political protest; an instrument central to a rich musical culture; a musical joke; a highly sought-after collectible; a cheap airport souvenir; a lucrative industry; and the product of a remarkable synthesis of western and Pacific cultures. The ‘Ukulele: A History explores all of these facets, placing the instrument for the first time in a broad historical, cultural, and musical context. Drawing on a wealth of previously untapped sources, Jim Tranquada and John King tell the surprising story of how an obscure four-string folk guitar from Portugal became the national instrument of Hawai’i, of its subsequent rise and fall from international cultural phenomenon to “the Dangerfield of instruments,” and of the resurgence in popularity (and respect) it is currently enjoying among musicians from Thailand to Finland. The book shows how the technologies of successive generations (recorded music, radio, television, the Internet) have played critical roles in popularizing the ‘ukulele. Famous composers and entertainers (Queen Liliuokalani, Irving Berlin, Arthur Godfrey, Paul McCartney, SpongeBob SquarePants) and writers (Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, P. G. Wodehouse, Agatha Christie) wind their way through its history—as well as a host of outstanding Hawaiian musicians (Ernest Kaai, George Kia Nahaolelua, Samuel K. Kamakaia, Henry A. Peelua Bishaw). In telling the story of the ‘ukulele, Tranquada and King also present a sweeping history of modern Hawaiian music that spans more than two centuries, beginning with the introduction of western melody and harmony by missionaries to the Hawaiian music renaissance of the 1970s and 1980s.