Strange And Obscure Stories Of Washington Dc

Author : Rowland, Tim
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1510722793
Total Pages : 999 pages
Book Rating : 4.98/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Strange and Obscure Stories of Washington, DC written by Rowland, Tim and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-03-20 with total page 999 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Strange and Obscure Stories of Washington, DC is a collection of wild but true tales about our nation’s capital. Starting in the early days of the republic and reaching into modern times, the book recounts odd and humorous events that didn’t make their way into the history books. Along the way the book introduces a host of memorable characters: • Land speculators James Greenleaf and Robert Morris, whose financial shenanigans almost took down the Federal City before it was even established • Civil War madam Mary Ann Hall, who ran the city’s most upstanding brothel and died with an estate valued at $2 million • The “Treasury Girls—the first wave of female workers, hired to cut individual bills from printed sheets of cash (with scissors), who prompted a government investigation into immoral behavior in the workplace • The NSA’s secret staff of African Americans who went to work in code rooms after Harry Truman desegregated the federal workforce • The 1960s activist who drew attention to a rat problem in poor neighborhoods by shuttling them in his station wagon to the toniest parts of Georgetown Readers will also find out how a hurricane saved the city in 1812, how a demonstration of the world’s largest naval gun nearly killed the president, and about the tree at Washington Cathedral whose origins trace back to the Holy Land at the time of Joseph of Arimathea. With Strange and Obscure Stories of Washington, DC in hand, the city will never seem the same again.

Author : Sharon Pendana
Publisher : Editions Jonglez
ISBN 13 : 9782361950965
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.60/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Secret Washington D.C. written by Sharon Pendana and published by Editions Jonglez. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Darth Vader grotesque on a church, a giant chair, the longest escalator in the western hemisphere, a faithful replica of the Holy Land for those who cannot make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a fence forged from War of 1812 muskets, a yet uncracked cryptographic sculpture ... Far from the crowds and the usual clichés, Washington D.C. is a reserve of well-concealed treasures only revealed to those who know how to wander off the beaten track, whether residents or visitors. An indispensable guide for those who thought they knew Washington D.C. well, or who would like to discover the hidden face of the city.

Author : J. D. Dickey
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1493013939
Total Pages : 325 pages
Book Rating : 4.37/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Empire of Mud written by J. D. Dickey and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2014-09-02 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Washington, DC, gleams with stately columns and neoclassical temples, a pulsing hub of political power and prowess. But for decades it was one of the worst excuses for a capital city the world had ever seen. Before America became a world power in the twentieth century, Washington City was an eyesore at best and a disgrace at worst. Unfilled swamps, filthy canals, and rutted horse trails littered its landscape. Political bosses hired hooligans and thugs to conduct the nation's affairs. Legendary madams entertained clients from all stations of society and politicians of every party. The police served and protected with the aid of bribes and protection money. Beneath pestilential air, the city’s muddy roads led to a stumpy, half-finished obelisk to Washington here, a domeless Capitol Building there. Lining the streets stood boarding houses, tanneries, and slums. Deadly horse races gouged dusty streets, and opposing factions of volunteer firefighters battled one another like violent gangs rather than life-saving heroes. The city’s turbulent history set a precedent for the dishonesty, corruption, and mismanagement that have led generations to look suspiciously on the various sin--both real and imagined--of Washington politicians. Empire of Mud unearths and untangles the roots of our capital’s story and explores how the city was tainted from the outset, nearly stifled from becoming the proud citadel of the republic that George Washington and Pierre L'Enfant envisioned more than two centuries ago.

Author : Joseph Barry
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 254 pages
Book Rating : 4.28/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Strange Story of Harper's Ferry written by Joseph Barry and published by . This book was released on 1903 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author : Tim Rowland
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1634509722
Total Pages : 188 pages
Book Rating : 4.25/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Strange and Obscure Stories of the Revolutionary War written by Tim Rowland and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-11-10 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Astonishing Events from the American Revolution That They Don’t Teach in School! We all know about Washington’s crossing of the Delaware and Betsy Ross’s stitching together the Stars and Stripes, but how about a little-known, valid reason for the war itself and why General George was able to survive a plague that wiped out many of his fellow countrymen? History buff Tim Rowland provides an entertaining look at happenings during and surrounding the Revolutionary War that you won’t find in history books. He digs into the war’s major events and reveals the unknown, bizarre, and often wildly amusing things the participants were doing while breaking away from Great Britain. For example, conventional wisdom says that “no taxation without representation” was an important reason for the revolution, but not in the way we’ve been told. Colonists paid the wages of common-court judges, who were reluctant to rule against the men who paid their salaries. Therefore, duties on molasses (the key ingredient in rum) were generally unenforced until the British cut the tariff in half. Strange but true, the spark that touched off the revolution was in fact a tax cut. During the French and Indian War and then again in the first year of the revolution, the British were accused of biological warfare, infecting blankets with smallpox and then concealing them in Indian camps. So feared was the disease that soldiers began to illegally inoculate themselves before widespread vaccination was finally ordered for the army. Washington himself was immune, thanks to a Caribbean trip taken as a young man when his brother Lawrence sought a cure for tuberculosis. Lawrence wasn’t cured, but George was infected with smallpox in Barbados. As a young man in a warm climate, he survived. As an older man in a northern winter, however, the story of the father of our country might have had a different ending. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Author : Frank J. Finamore
Publisher : Gramercy
ISBN 13 : 9780517218594
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.93/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Washington, D.C. Trivia Fact Book written by Frank J. Finamore and published by Gramercy. This book was released on 2001 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covering every aspect of Washington, D.C. from history to monuments, the presidents, politics, events, and much more, this book is a fascinating look at the seat of international power and one of the world's most popular tourist spots. Included is a four-color photo insert highlighting some of the city's most famous buildings that are covered in the text.

Author : Don Aines
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1510746862
Total Pages : 204 pages
Book Rating : 4.62/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Strange and Obscure Stories of World War II written by Don Aines and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-10-06 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here are overlooked or forgotten tales from the world's greatest conflict. These are stories of courage, daring, and stupidity, some of which would challenge the imaginations of Hollywood scriptwriters. Some of the many true tales that author Donald Aines recounts include: • He would never be cast as a dashing war hero, but a cast member of "The Addams Family" television show volunteered for one of the most dangerous jobs the Army Air Force had to offer. • The US Navy's deadliest submarine claimed an unexpected victim with its last torpedo, and led to one of the war's most harrowing tales of survival. • Bob Hoover's escape from a German stalag would have made a great movie. • British commando "Mad Jack" Churchill earned his nickname, arming himself to fight a 20th century war with a 15th century attitude and weapons. • The Germans and Japanese wasted precious resources developing weapons more dangerous to the users than their enemies. • The GI who stole the voices of his victims, and other Allied and Axis serial killers. Within the pages of Strange and Obscure Stories of World War II,the reality of war trumps fiction.

Author : Judy Cox
Publisher : Scholastic Paperbacks
ISBN 13 : 9780439219426
Total Pages : 80 pages
Book Rating : 4.26/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Weird Stories from the Lonesome Cafe written by Judy Cox and published by Scholastic Paperbacks. This book was released on 2001-10-01 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sam moves to Nevada with his uncle to run a cafe in the middle of nowhere, and although Uncle Clem insists that nothing ever happens there, his clientele consists of a number of strange characters, including Dorothy and Toto, Elvis, and Bigfoot.

Author : Tim Rowland
Publisher : Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1510700137
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.30/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Strange and Obscure Stories of New York City written by Tim Rowland and published by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2016-04-05 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 1948 crime film The Naked City (later a television show) ended with this iconic line “There are eight million stories in the naked city.” Things have not changed either before or since: every era and neighborhood is full of true tales and legends about which even residents are likely to be unaware. Strange And Obscure Stories Of New York City takes the reader on a breathtaking tour of the five boroughs in search of these accounts. Some are eerily fascinating in their own right while others explain how the city became the great metropolis that it is. Before the World Trade Center 9/11 tragedy, the aftermath of a fire aboard the steamboat General Slocum in the East River was the city’s greatest disaster. The 1904 event occurred during an outing for a church group. The loss of life—1,021 out of the 1,358 passengers—devastated the German-America community that inhabited Manhattan’s East Village. To escape bad memories, they relocated to the Upper East Side’s Yorkville, the reason why that neighborhood became celebrated for its German restaurants, stores, and breweries. On July 23, 1886, not long after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, a 23-year-old named Steve Brodie announced that he survived a 150-foot drop from that span into the East River. (A liquor dealer offered to back a saloon that Brodie wanted to open but only if he took the risk). Although there were no witnesses, news of the alleged jump made headlines, with The New York Times supporting Brodie’s claim, and the phrase “pull a Brodie,” meaning to try a dangerous stunt, entering popular parlance. Then too are the unsolved murders, ghost stories, urban legends (are there indeed alligators living in the sewers?), and hidden histories that are all part of this lively and captivating chronicle of the world’s greatest city. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Author : Matthew Lake
Publisher : Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1402739060
Total Pages : 268 pages
Book Rating : 4.64/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Weird Maryland written by Matthew Lake and published by Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.. This book was released on 2006 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: GET WEIRD! “Best Travel Series of The Year 2006”—Booklist What’s weird around here? Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman asked themselves this question for years. And it’s precisely this offbeat sense of curiosity that led the duo to create Weird N.J. and the successful series that followed. The NOT shockingly result? EveryWeirdbook has become a best seller in its region! ((Series Sales Points)) This best-selling series has sold more than one million copies…and counting Thirty volumes of the Weird series have been published to great success since Weird New Jersey's 2003 debut