Bøger af Bill Fawcett

An engrossing and fact-filled compendium of timeless lessons we keep forgetting—over and over and over . . .It is said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And so we have. Time and again humankind has overcome great turmoil only to ignore hard-earned wisdom at the very worst moment. Borrowing more from Groundhog Day than D-day, Bill Fawcett illuminates some of the predicaments, both infamous and obscure, that have vexed us for centuries—and just may explain many of today's global conflicts. Through fourteen chapters, Doomed to Repeat is chock-full of trivia, historical oddities, and fascinating insights into our most popular mistakes.Learn about: What really stops terrorists How inflation and recession helped set the stage for the Nazis to take power What really ended the Great Depression and whether it could work today What history predicts for the final results of the Arab Spring Swine flu, bird flu, and the chances of another worldwide plague

An all-star tribute to Gene Wolfe, featuring the work of Neil Gaiman, David Brin, Nancy Kress, and othersPerhaps no living author of imaginative fiction has earned the awards, accolades, respect, and literary reputation of Gene Wolfe. His prose has been called subtle and brilliant, inspiring not just lovers of fantasy and science fiction, but readers of every stripe, transcending genre and defying preconceptions.In this volume, a select group of Wolfe's fellow authors pay tribute to the award-winning creator of The Book of the New Sun, The Fifth Head of Cerberus, Soldier of the Mist, The Wizard Knight and many others, with entirely new stories written specifically to honor the writer hailed by The Washington Post as "one of America's finest."Shadows of the New Sun features contributions by Neil Gaiman, David Brin, David Drake, Nancy Kress, and many others, plus two new short stories by Gene Wolfe himself.

Every four years Americans go to the polls to elect a leader, someone serious, distinguished, respectable, with perfect sobriety and moral standing who will serve as a paragon for the rest of us. But presidents and their families are people too-with quirks and character flaws like everyone else . . . and they have plenty of skeletons rattling around in their closets. Oval Office Oddities is a grand compendium of fascinating, sometimes embarrassing presidential facts, gaffes, and oddball behaviors-available in plenty of time for Election Day!Mary Todd Lincoln had an endearing little clothing fetish . . . and once purchased 300 pairs of gloves in a single month!No Commander in Chief bothered to visit neglected California until Rutherford B. Hayes did in 1880.Crazy Jack: Many prominent leaders were absolutely convinced that John Adams was stark raving bonkers!Oval Office Oddities is jam-packed with amusing anecdotes and offbeat information presented in a way that makes our nation''s history accessible, relevant, and entertaining.

Throughout the annals of history, the best of intentions--and sometimes the worst--have set in motion events with a vastly different outcome than originally intended. In this entertaining, fact-filled chronicle, William Forstchen and Bill Fawcett explore the watersheds of history that began as the best of ideas and ended as the worst of fiascoes.A Holy War--The Medieval Crusades for religious liberation become centuries of slaughter and destruction.Sibling Rivalry--Leif Erikson spares his sister's life and delays the discovery of the New World for five hundred years.Big Guns--Emperor Constantine XI refuses to buy a new supercannon that would let him dominate his enemies, so its creator sells the cannon to the Turks, who then crush Constantinople.With casual wit and subtle insight, It Seemed Like a Good Idea...tucks tongue in cheek and rides out the fiascoes of history.

A fascinating, fun, and fact-filled compendium of the greatest lies, deceptions, propaganda, and frauds ever perpetratedThroughout history--from the dawn of man to the War on Terror--governments, corporations, historians, and high-level braggarts of every stripe have freely engaged in the time-honored pastime of lying for fun and profit. You Said What? is an endlessly entertaining and outrageously edifying look at some of the biggest whoppers of all time, chock-full of deceptions, trickery, and incredible untruths both infamous and obscure.The press conspiracies that protected FDR's legs, as well as JFK's sex addiction and failing healthLies that caused the Knights Templar fall, the Salem witch trials, and the Black DeathBig lies that changed history: Vietnam's Gulf of Tonkin, the Cuban missile crisis, the "Polish" raid that kicked off WWII . . . and remember the Maine?The self-made, self-serving myths we still believe today of Davy Crockett, Lawrence of Arabia, and NapoleonPlus our own personal pick for History's #1 Biggest Liar . . . and much more!The lies will out! You Said What? is an indispensable treasure trove of true falsehoods, and an irreverent introduction to the world's greatest lies and the liars who told them.

Synopsis coming soon.......

With more than 35 chapters of military disasters, both famous (infamous) and obscure, this title is chock of trivia, history, and looks at the world's greatest seafaring military defeats.

The great arched train sheds of Victorian Britain are often seen as the nineteenth-century equivalent of medieval cathedrals: once specific railway buildings became necessary around 1830 British architects seized the opportunity with both hands, designing some of the great buildings of their age. This book tells the story of railway architecture.

Few events in American history loom as large or changed the country as profoundly as the conflict between the Union and Confederacy. This title chronicles the history of the many disastrous decisions made by both sides.

Introduces the catastrophic missteps in World War II, including: Poland's lack of preparation for the Nazi invasion; Germany's failure to take Britain out of the war at Dunkirk; Russia playing Goliath to Finland's David; allied forces getting trapped for four months on the beaches of Anzio; and, Germany wasting its costly development of jet power.

Includes military, scientific, commercial, and infrastructure disasters such as: The Lead water pipes of Rome; Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse; Edison's electrical folly; Betamax; Concorde crash; Hubble - A $2 billion telescope that didn't work; the Mars probe failures due to simple math mistakes; Cold Fusion; and, Ford Pinto.

Features military blunder miscellany, from Ancient Greece to modern-day, including such ill-fated plans as: Xerxes' defeat in Greece at Marathon; Alexander's invasion of India; Napoloeon's occupation of Spain; the French humiliation by Prussia in 1870; and, Islanwanda, massacre of a British army by the spear armed Zulus.

From the ancient Crusades to the modern age of chemical warfare and smart bombs, history is littered with horribly bad military ideas. This compendium of great military disasters and ill-advised battle plans highlights the worst military decisions throughout history and the world.

Presents a fascinating compilation of historical disasters, bad ideas, follies, and poor decisions, including the Trojan Horse, the construction of a community on Love Canal, the introduction of rabbits to Australia, and many more. Original.