November Book of the Month: Trauma Room One by Charles A. Crenshaw

This November, we are presenting Trauma Room One: The JFK Medical Coverup Exposed by Charles A. Crenshaw with a foreword by Oliver Stone, as our Book of the Month.

In this gripping account, Dr. Charles Crenshaw, one of the several Dallas surgeons who worked on JFK in Trauma Room One, shares what really happened within those walls.

In November of 1963, the doctors who tried to save President John F. Kennedy at Parkland Hospital agreed---either out of respect or fear---not to publish what they have seen, heard, or felt. But in 1990, Charles Crenshaw stepped forward and decided that the American people ought to know the truth.

In 1992, when the first edition of this book was published under JFK: Conspiracy of Silence, Crenshaw revealed what he never had the opportunity to tell the Warren Commission. Crenshaw states, "The wounds to Kennedy's head and throat that I examined were caused by bullets that struck him from the front, not the back, as the public has been lead to believe."

Shortly after publication, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) called Crenshaw's book a fabrication. But in court, the claim did not hold up, and Crenshaw subsequently prevailed in a defamation suit against JAMA. In the process, a number of new medical disclosures have emerged on the startling medical cover-up of the JFK assassination.

Cosimo offers this title in both hardcover and paperback at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble and Amazon, as well as in eBook format.

Learn More about the Life and History of Christopher Columbus

Celebrate Columbus Day (or Indigenous Peoples Day as some people prefer to call it these days) by learning more about the explorer Christopher Columbus, with these Classics from Cosimo and decide for yourself how controversial he was.

The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (Two Volumes in One) by Washington Irving

Inspired by the then-recent unearthing of original documents and letters of Christopher Columbus, the American writer Washington Irving set about, in the 1820s, to create the first unlimited and complete account of the great explorer and his journeys. This is that account, sweeping in its scope, as intimate as a novel, as thrilling as a grand adventure story. Originally written in two volumes but presented here in a combined edition, The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus tells of Columbus' three journeys to the New World, shipwrecks and mutinies, encounters with natives, and his establishment of military outposts in the Americas. With a dedication to historical accuracy combined with a flair for engaging storytelling, Irving bestows upon us one of the classic works of history of the Age of Exploration. 

Voyages and Discoveries of the Companions of Columbus by Washington Irving

As a follow-up to his History of Columbus, this 1831 work by Washington Irving details the voyages of the men who accompanied Columbus and followed in his wake, fulfilling his dream of further exploring the land he had encountered. The dashing tales of Alonzo de Ojeda, Vincente Pinzon, Diego de Nicuesa, and Vasco Núñez de Balboa are presented here for readers as both historical records and adventurous entertainment. History buffs will be delighted to learn about the lives of these important explorers.

Life of Columbus by Arthur Helps

The Life of Columbus has been called the cornerstone of the history of the American continent. The first issue of this edition, which appeared in 1910, vividly recreates the moral and intellectual atmosphere of Columbus's world. A lasting biography of thoughtfulness and scope, it encompasses Columbus's formative years including his life in Spain and a fascinating account of his earliest voyages of discovery. In addition, Sir Arthur Helps examines Columbus's role as the courageous "Discoverer of America" in light of his devoted and unwavering support of the Catholic Church in Spain and its flourishing influence in the Americas.

August Series of the Month: Abraham Lincoln: A History by John M. Hay

We are showcasing Abraham Lincoln: A History by John M. Hay as our Series of the Month this August in honor of the late President's letter to Joshua Speed opposing slavery (written in August of 1855).

Considered one of the best treatments of the presidency of Abraham Lincoln of its time, this 10-volume portrait of the man and his administration of the United States at the moment of its greatest upheaval is both intimate and scholarly.

Written by two private secretaries to the president and first published in 1890, this astonishingly in-depth work is still praised today for its clear, easy-to-read style and vitality. This new replica edition features all the original illustrations.


About the Authors 
American journalist and statesman John Milton Hay (1838-1905) was only 22 when he became a private secretary to Lincoln. A former member of the Providence literary circle when he attended Brown University in the late 1850s, he may have been the real author of Lincoln's famous "Letter to Mrs. Bixby." After Lincoln's death, Hay later served as editor of the New York Tribune and as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom under President William McKinley.

American author John George Nicolay (1832-1901) was born in Germany and emigrated to the U.S. as a child. Before serving as Lincoln's private secretary, he worked as a newspaper editor and later as assistant to the secretary of state of Illinois.


The hardcover retail list price for the series is $449.90, but now: our price: $359.99 (you save $90 or a 20 percent discount)

The paperback retail list price: $279.90, but now: our price: $229.99 (you save $50 or a 18 percent discount)

December eBook of the Month: George Washington’s Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior

In the spirit of giving during this holiday season, we are highlighting George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior as our eBook of the month.

The history of George Washington’s Rules of Civility &Decent Behavior is a bit unusual and unclear; scholars seem to agree that Washington’s 110 rules are the result of a penmanship exercise, in which a teenage Washington copied a set of maxims originally compiled by French Jesuits in the 1590s. Somehow the translated text found its way to Virginia, and somehow it was assigned to a young Washington as an educational exercise. The result is a collection of maxims (with either Washington’s or his instructors’ additions) that dictate the behavior of a young man in civil society.

Washington’s Rules of Civility were part of his personal papers, purchased by Congress and now housed in the Library of Congress. Many historians consider this document a sort of “foundational  document” that details the tenets which later governed Washington's behavior as an adult. Indeed, Washington was known for his kindness and deportment, though it is mere speculation that the Rules contained in this penmanship exercise are the root of Washington's civility.

Statesman or no, George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior is a fascinating and informative historical text detailing the rules of behavior for a bygone era—many of which are still pertinent today. Rules dictates the behavior of one in company, emphasizing kindness, conscience, and cleanliness. While today’s reader may not need reminding to keep their feet away from “the fire, especially if there be meat before it,” many of the Rules hold true today.

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November Organization of the Month: The Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum

In honor of the author of our November Series of the Month, we have selected The Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum as our Organization of the Month!

Nestled in the heart of the New York Fingerlakes region, the museum is located in Dresden, the birthplace and home of Ingersoll.

Period furniture and replica rooms are open and available for tours; see where Ingersoll was born, learn about his war service, and his law career.

The museum is open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5pm, and a $5 donation is suggested.

Get a sneak peak in this short video from the museum before you plan your trip!

** Please take note, the museum is currently closed until Memorial Day 2019

November Series of the Month: The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll

We are shining the spotlight on this controversial election month, midterms, and America politics, by reading The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll as our Series of the Month.

Ingersoll was a notorious radical whose uncompromising views on religion and slavery (they were bad, in his opinion), women's suffrage (a good idea, he believed), and other contentious matters of his era made him a wildly popular orator and critic of 19th-century American culture and public life. 

Legendary as a speaker—he memorized his speeches and could talk for hours without notes—and as a proponent of freethought, Ingersoll is an American original whose words still ring with truth and power today. His most important works are gathered in this 12-volume collected edition, first published posthumously in 1901.

Go out and vote! Not sure where you stand? Check out this handy tool here.

The paperback retail list price for this series is: $215.88, but now our price is: $174.99 (you save $40.89 or a 19 percent discount)

The hardcover retail list price for this series is: $407.88, but now our price is: $324.99 (you save $82.89 or a 20 percent discount)

August Quote of the Month: Ulysses S. Grant's biography is the most remarkable work of its kind

"Ulysses S. Grant's biography is the most remarkable work of its kind."

— Mark Twain

In honor of our Classic of the Month, Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant, we are highlighting this famous quote from Mark Twain this August.

18th president of the United States and the Union general who led the North to victory in the Civil War. Though Grant opens with tales of his boyhood, his education at West Point, and his early military career in the Mexican-American war of the 1840s, it is Grant's intimate observations on the conduct of the Civil War, which make up the bulk of the work, that have made this required reading for history students, military strategists, and Civil War buffs alike.

This unabridged edition features all the material that was originally published in two volumes in 1885 and 1886, including maps, illustrations, and the text of Grant's July 1865 report to Washington on the state of the armies under his command.

About the AuthorUlysses S. Grant (1822-1885), 18th president of the United States and the Union general who led the North to victory in the Civil War. Though Grant opens with tales of his boyhood, his education at West Point, and his early military career in the Mexican-American war of the 1840s, it is Grant's intimate observations on the conduct of the Civil War, which make up the bulk of the work, that have made this required reading for history students, military strategists, and Civil War buffs alike.

August Classic of the Month: Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

In honor of the inauguration of Grant as United States Secretary of War in August 1867, we are highlighting Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant as our Classic of the Month for August.

Completed just days before his death and hailed by Mark Twain as "the most remarkable work of its kind since the Commentaries of Julius Caesar," this is the now-legendary autobiography of Ulysses Simpson Grant.

18th president of the United States and the Union general who led the North to victory in the Civil War. Though Grant opens with tales of his boyhood, his education at West Point, and his early military career in the Mexican-American war of the 1840s, it is Grant's intimate observations on the conduct of the Civil War, which make up the bulk of the work, that have made this required reading for history students, military strategists, and Civil War buffs alike.

This unabridged edition features all the material that was originally published in two volumes in 1885 and 1886, including maps, illustrations, and the text of Grant's July 1865 report to Washington on the state of the armies under his command.

About the Author
Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), 18th president of the United States and the Union general who led the North to victory in the Civil War. Though Grant opens with tales of his boyhood, his education at West Point, and his early military career in the Mexican-American war of the 1840s, it is Grant's intimate observations on the conduct of the Civil War, which make up the bulk of the work, that have made this required reading for history students, military strategists, and Civil War buffs alike.

Happy Birthday Harriet Beecher Stowe!

Today, we are celebrating the birthday of Harriet Beecher Stowe (born on this day in 1811!) and her best-selling anti-slavery novel that catapulted her into the spotlight. Uncle Tom's Cabin helped influence anti-slavery movement in the northern parts of the United States as well as Britain, while simultaneously sparking anger in the southern parts of America.

It is the best known book about American slavery, and was so incendiary upon its first publication in 1852 that it actually ignited the social flames that led to Civil War less than a decade later. 

What began as a series of sketches for the Cincinnati abolitionist newspaper The National Era scandalized the North, was banned in the South, and ultimately became the bestselling novel of the 19th century. Today, controversy over this melodramatic tale of the dignified slave Tom, the brutal plantation owner Simon Legree, and Stowe's other vividly drawn characters continues, as modern scholars debate the work's newly appreciated feminist undertones and others decry it as the source of enduring stereotypes about African Americans. 

As one of the most influential books in U.S. history, it deserves to be read by all students of literature and of the American story. 

About the Author
American abolitionist and author Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was born in Connecticut, daughter of a Congregationalist minister and sister to abolitionist theologian Henry Ward Beecher. She wrote more than two dozen books, both fiction and nonfiction.

We are pleased to offer the this great Classic title in both a practical paperback and attractive hardcover.

December Series of the Month: History of the American People

"What with adventurers who were ungovernable and men of industry and ability who wished to be let alone, it was not an easy or a promising place in which to set up the authority of proprietors who were in England and had done nothing to help the men whom they meant to govern. Sir William Berkeley, nevertheless, being himself one of the proprietors, took the first step towards making good the rights of the new masters in 1664, when, by the authority of his associates, he commissioned William Drummond to act as governor among the people at Chowan and Perquimans."
       —from Chapter VIII: “New Jersey and Carolina”

Cosimo is lighting the birthday candles this month for Woodrow Wilson, born on December 28th, 1856! Help us in wishing him a happy birthday by picking up our December Series of the Month, A History of the American People.

It was during his tenure at Princeton that Wilson penned this five-volume history of the United States, and it reflects many of his ideas and biases he later brought to national politics. This beautiful replica of the 1902 first edition features all the original halftone illustrations. Students of Wilson and of the ever-changing lens through which history is told and retold will find this an enlightening and illuminating work.


About the Author: 

Before he served as the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921, before he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919, Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) was a lawyer and an academic: a university professor of history and politics, and president of Princeton University.

Cosimo offers Wilson's impressive series by individual volume at various online bookstores or as a full set in hardcover or paperback, especially of interest to collectors, readers who like to expand their personal library or professional librarians. If you are interested in purchasing the full set, please contact us.

The hardcover retail list price for the series is $154.95, but now:our price: $119.99  (you save $35 or a 22 percent discount)The paperback retail list price: $64.95, but now: our price: $49.99 (you save $15 or a 23 percent discount) including free shipping.

September Classic of the Month: Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States

President Donald Trump's inaugural address at 1,433 words and 15 minutes was the shortest since President Carter in 1977 and second-shortest since President Kennedy in 1961. Still, it was far longer than the shortest-ever address by the first president of the United States, George Washington, in his second inaugural address on March 4, 1793, with just 135 words. On the other hand, will we remember President Trump's address or any of his quotes as we do with President Franklin Roosevelt's quote in 1933: "Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself, nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance," or President John Kennedy's quote in 1961: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country?" Time will tell.

This volume, Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States, with inaugural addresses from each of the nation's new leaders, and the subsequent inaugural words of re-elected Presidents, collects the thoughts of the first leader, President George Washington, entering office on April 30, 1789, through the forty-fifth leader, President Donald Trump on January 20, 2017. Their words set the tenor for their administrations, and this firsthand document of American history is vital for understanding their work in the White House and the legacy they left for the future.

About JCCICThe Joint Congressional Committee of Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) coordinates the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony of the President and Vice President of the United States, the traditional Inaugural luncheon that follows, and all other Inaugural activities at the U.S. Capitol. It is comprised of the Senate Majority Leader, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives.

This collection of historical documents is a must-read for any historian, an excellent reference tool for librarians and students, and an educational informant for all. Cosimo is proud to offer this title in both paperback and hardcover at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (hardcover, paperback) and Amazon (hardcover, paperback).

December Classic of the Month: George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, and in light of extreme differences that have arisen in the American public over the recent presidential election, we at Cosimo hope the American people will take our December Classic of the Month to heart.

The history of George Washington’s Rules of Civility &Decent Behavior is a bit unusual and unclear; scholars seem to agree that Washington’s 110 rules are the result of a penmanship exercise, in which a teenage Washington copied a set of maxims originally compiled by French Jesuits in the 1590s. Somehow the translated text found its way to Virginia, and somehow it was assigned to a young Washington as an educational exercise. The result is a collection of maxims (with either Washington’s or his instructors’ additions) that dictate the behavior of a young man in civil society.

Washington’s Rules of Civility were part of his personal papers, purchased by Congress and now housed in the Library of Congress. Many historians consider this document a sort of “foundational  document” that details the tenets which later governed Washington's behavior as an adult. Indeed, Washington was known for his kindness and deportment, though it is mere speculation that the Rules contained in this penmanship exercise are the root of Washington's civility.

Statesman or no, George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior is a fascinating and informative historical text detailing the rules of behavior for a bygone era—many  of which are still pertinent today. Rules dictates the behavior of one in company, emphasizing kindness, conscience, and cleanliness. While today’s reader may not need reminding to keep their feet away from “the fire, especially if there be meat before it,” many of the Rules hold true today. 

The Library of Congress' webpage features digital scans of Washington's notebook, available here. For more on the fascinating debate concerning the origin of the maxims Washington copied, check out the University of Virginia's page "The Papers of George Washington."

George Washington’s Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior is now available digitally, in paperback, and in beautiful hardcover.

About the Author 
George Washington (1732-1799) was an excruciatingly correct child with a passion for propriety. At the age of 14, he copied out 110 rules for elegant deportment from a work created by Jesuits in the 16th century as a guide for young gentlemen of quality, and through these rules, which he took greatly to heart, we can see the beginning of the man Washington would become taking shape.

   

September Classic of the Month: A School History of the United States

With classes back in session, Cosimo is excited to present A School History of the United States by John Bach McMaster as its Classic of the Month.A School History of the United States, first published in 1897, became a definitive textbook. It possessed simple language, straightforward ideas, and easy organization. All its attributes make it browsable and concisely informative.

From the discovery of the New World by Europeans to the war with Spain at the turn of the 20th century, it still serves as a quick and useful introduction to the formation of the United States. Handy historical maps abound, and useful appendices include the complete Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution of the United States as it stood at the beginning of the 20th century. 

A School History of the United States is of great interest to American history buffs, students of the history of education, librarians, and teachers.

A School History of the United States is available in paperback at leading online bookstores, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:
John Bach McMaster was an American historian.

After growing up in Brooklyn, NY, John went to college at the City of New York, where he graduated in 1872. After graduation, he worked as a civil engineer in 1873-1877, was an instructor in civil engineering at Princeton University in 1877-1883, and in 1883 became professor of American history in the University of Pennsylvania.

He is best known for his History of the People of the United States from the Revolution to the Civil War (1883 sqq.), a valuable supplement to the more purely political writings of James Schouler, Von Holst and Henry Adams. He began working on it in 1873, having collected material since 1870. His A School History of the United States (1897) was an extremely popular textbook for many years. Besides these books and numerous magazine articles, he wrote Life of Benjamin Franklin in the “Men of Letters” series (Boston, 1887).