Detective stories existed for centuries before the concept of the detective himself--amateur or professional--was fully formulated, and tales of mystery and intrigue have been thrilling readers since ancient times.
The Lock & Key Library is the classic overview of the history of the genre, at once a rousing read for fans of the unsolved and unknown as well as an essential literary resource for anyone who seeks to understand the roots of modern pulp fiction.
Here adventurous readers will find tales from ancient times, the first detective story of modern literature (it's by Voltaire, and it's in Volume IV), and classic and beloved--but often hard-to-find--writings by the likes of Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson, and other luminaries of fiction. Classic North European, German, French, American, and Mediterranean mystery stories are now right at your fingertips with this series.
Assembled and edited by American author and journalist Julian Hawthorn (1846-1934), son of writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, and first published in 1909, this 10-volume mystery collection will delight armchair detectives and readers of the classics alike. Also great as a gift to build up one's private library.
The paperback retail list price for this two-volume set is: $132.90, but now our price is: $109.99 (you save $22.91 or a 17 percent discount) and free shipping.
The hardcover retail list price for this two-volume set is: $229.90, but now our price is: $184.99 (you save $44.91 or a 20 percent discount) and free shipping.
"He's full of spirit and very expressive", those were the words Danny Schechter's mother, Ruth, wrote when he was still a toddler. Everyone who knew Danny Schechter as a journalist, filmmaker and author, will attest to this early and accurate description in his life: he was always full of spirit and never stopped expressing himself till his untimely death on March 17, 2015.
Last Saturday, June 27 - which was also Danny's birthday - my wife and I attended a celebration of his life in Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. The church was packed with friends and family from around the country and around the world, who had known Danny during one or more of his many chapters in life.
The celebration was kicked off with, for some, a bit of unusual music, the South African National Anthem, honoring Danny's close friendship with that country and his active role in its struggle against Apartheid, and was followed by an impressive number of speakers, such as his younger brother Bill who spoke about their childhood in the Bronx and their colorful family background as grandchildren of Russian immigrant grandparents. Other speakers who followed spoke about his fight for civil rights - from the US civil rights movement to South Africa and beyond -; his unique role at Boston radio station WBCN during the 1970s where he became known as "Danny Schechter, the News Dissector"; his multiple media activities with ABC and CNN, and later on independently as part of Globalvision with his longtime friend and business partner Rory O'Connor; and his role as loving son of his parents and father to his daughter Sarah.
A brief own view of his life was presented in this video, "Danny Schechter - In His Own Words"
In between the tributes, his friend Nenad Bach, a Croatian performer and peace activist, performed the following song, " Everything is Forever"
As I come closer to the end of this post, let me dedicate two memorable songs to Danny Schechter. The first is "Sun City", performed by Artists United Against Apartheid founded by Steven Van Zandt in 1985. Danny Schechter, who had met Van Zandt at that time and became instrumental in the production of "Sun City", had suggested the song to be different from "We are the World" to be "about change, not charity, freedom, not famine"
Then the last song is "Danny Boy" performed by Roy Orbison, a song Danny had selected to be part of a compilation he created with his musical partner, Polar Levine, in January of this year. This is what he then wrote for this collection:
"When I was diagnosed with a serious cancer in 2014, one of my first purchases was a new turntable to find comfort in some of the music that made up the soundtrack for a life now at risk. I realized how important it was to me.........I wanted to give something back - to my many friends - by sharing some of the many songs that influenced me, kept me dancing and echoed my joy and outrage........These are the tracks of my hope. Danny Schechter, January 2015 "
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During this celebration service, two ways to honor Danny Schechter were presented. I call upon readers of this blog, of Danny's books, and followers of his films and other work to consider donating to one or both of these causes to honor his work, his life and his legacy:
A Civil Right Memorial and History Project at Cornell University A Civil Rights Memorial at
Cornell University to preserve the memory of Michael Schwerner, James
Chaney and Andrew Goodman and the commitment of the Cornell students,
like Danny, who went south before or during the Freedom Summer in 1964.
In addition to the memorial, Danny helped create a fund to provide
financial support to students who volunteer to do social justice work.
The Danny Schechter Global Vision Award for Journalism The Global Center, a non-profit educational foundation dedicated to developing informative and socially responsible media and a new type of journalism in which the reporting of events and conditions is done in conjunction with those most affected by those events, is pleased to announce the creation of an annual award honoring the life and work of the late journalist, filmmaker and “News Dissector” Danny Schechter. The Danny Schechter Global Vision Award for Journalism will be given annually to a reporter who best emulates Schechter's practice of combining journalism with social activism and/or whose work is deserving of greater recognition and wider impact.
In addition to the award itself, which will be announced and promoted each year on or about Schechter's birthday of June 27th, each recipient will receive a check in the amount of $3000 to support future reporting. Recipients will be chosen by a panel including daughter Sarah Schechter and business partner Rory O'Connor.
An anonymous donor has already contributed $15,000 to ensure that the award is fully funded for its first five years. Those interested in contributing further can make tax-deductible donations to The Global Center, an IRS-certified 501 (c) (3) foundation that is acting as fiscal sponsor for the award.
Today marks the 200th anniversary of The Battle of Waterloo. The battle was fought on Sunday, June 18 1815, near Waterloo in what is now called Belgium. A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated, ending Napoleon's rule as Emperor of the French, and marking the end of his Hundred Days return from exile. For those who wish to learn more about French history, The Battle of Waterloo, and Napoleon himself, Cosimo has a few great titles to offer:
Compiled herein are the thoughts and quotes of Napoleon on everything from women ("A beautiful woman pleases the eye, a good woman pleases the heart; the first is a jewel, the second a treasure") to the reason to wage war ("We must either strike or be stricken") to humanity itself ("Humanity is grateful to those who astonish her").
Within the reign of Napoleon still in the living memory of some, American author J. T. Headley took on the daunting task of rehabilitating the names and deeds of the emperor's right hand men, virtuoso military strategists and men of dauntless action eclipsed only by the brilliance of their leader. Gathered from essays that appeared in magazines in 1846, this striking two-volume work offers an extraordinary and unparalleled look at Napoleon's most trusted generals, including Berthier, Lannes, Murat, Brune, and Bernadotte, among others.
Napoleon: The Last Phaseby Lord Rosebery
In this monograph, first published in 1900, Lord Rosebery looks at Napoleon's final years and the legacy he left behind, expounding upon the previous writings about the French emperor, especially with regards to his doubts about their veracity and completeness, and offering his thoughts on Napoleon's life in exile, the question of what title he should be afforded, Napoleon's impact upon democracy, and much more. This curious volume of 19th-century history will intrigue students of Napoleon and of historical commentary alike.
In this exceptional biography, John Gibson Lockhart examines the life and career of the man who became France's foremost military leader and, in the process, gained the love of his people.
With Contact in the Desert fresh in our minds with its conclusion of panels and speakers last month, Cosimo is proud to present the June Classic of the Month, The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects: The Original 1956 Edition by Edward J. Ruppelt with an introduction by UFO expert and investigative writer Colin Bennett.
It was in June of 1947 (67 years ago on the 24th!) that the phrase "flying saucer" gained national attention when a pilot named Kenneth Arnold reported seeing nine unidentified objects flying in formation near Mount Rainier in Washington State.
The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects was the first serious, unbiased account written about UFOs by anyone connected with the official government investigations of UFO phenomena. Ruppelt, who coined the term "unidentified flying objects" and headed Project Blue Book from 1951 to 1953, includes his personal investigations and findings in his extensive research on UFOs. He discusses both well-publicized UFO sightings and lesser-known accounts, as well as the inner workings of Air Force UFO research. About the Author Edward J. Ruppelt (1923-1960) served at the Air Technical Intelligence Center, where he took over Project Grudge, a formal investigation by the U.S. military with the goal of debunking extraterrestrial and UFO activity. Under Ruppelt's supervision, the project, later named Blue Book, experienced its most fruitful years, when investigations were properly conducted without judgment or disdain. For more books by Colin Bennett or other UFO titles, please visit our UFO webpage or our UFO bookshelf.
In honor of Cinco de Mayo and the celebration of Mexican ethnicity, Cosimo is happy to announce The Conquests of Mexico and Peru as our Series of the Month.
With its vivid language and bold strokes, the magnificent History of the Conquest of Peru two volume set, first published in 1847, is one of historian William Prescott's landmark works. A masterly study of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro's overthrow of the Inca Empire, this astonishing chronicle is considered a classic of Latin American history.
Perhaps the most important work of Latin American history, it is "one of the most brilliant examples which the English language possesses of literary art applied to historical narration," raves Prescott biographer Harry Thurston Peck. "All the chief actors of his great historic drama not only live and breathe, but they are as distinctly differentiated as they must have been in life."
Also available from Cosimo Classics: History of the Conquest of Peru, Prescott's companion volume about Pizarro's subjugation of the Incans.
About the Author
Historian, writer, and scholar William Hickling Prescott (1796-1859) was born in Salem, Massachusetts. A regular contributor to the prestigious Boston literary journal North American Review, he also authored numerous books of history, including 1837's The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic, a critical and popular success in both America and Europe.
The paperback retail list price for this two-volume set is: $31.98, but our current price is: $24.99 (you save $6.99 or a 22 percent discount) and for a limited time, enjoy free shipping!
With spring finally here, Cosimo is proud to present Letters to a Friend by John Muir as our classic of the month.
Perhaps the most important of the founders of the modern conservation movement and an immense influence on animal-rights philosophies, John Muir was a champion of the preservation of unspoiled wilderness. His studies and surveys of Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountains in the late 19th century-and his love of their untamed beauty-led directly to federal protection of vast ranges of virgin Western lands. This collection of letters Muir wrote as a university student in the 1860s and '70s to his "spiritual mother," botanist Mrs. Ezra Carr, offer a fascinating look at the legendary naturalist as a young man. Dispatched mostly from Yosemite Valley, where he was working as a sheepherder, they reveal the shaping of the philosophies that would later dominate Muir's work. A legend of the American West and the careful guardianship of the environment––as well as the freedom the natural world represents––Muir's writings are a must read for anyone who appreciates the wild splendor of our planet.
Letters to a Friend is available in hardcover and paperback at leading online bookstores, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. About the Author: Scottish-American naturalist, explorer, and writer JOHN MUIR(1838-1914) helped found the Sierra Club in 1892, and served as its first president. He wrote numerous articles for such publications as Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, and the New York Tribune; among his many books are The Mountains of California (1894), Our National Parks (1901), The Yosemite (1912), and Travels in Alaska (1915).
Armenian Prisoners, Kharper, Armenia, Ottoman Empire
April, 1915 (Wikimedia)
Today marks the day that hundred years ago, over 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire. According to most historians this was a genocide, i.e. the systematic destruction of all or a significant part of a racial, ethnic, religious or national group - according to Wikipedia, which lists as examples of genocides, the Holocaust, the Rwandan and Bosnian Genocides, and the Armenian Genocide. Turkey, however, does not want to call this tragic episode a genocide.
"Persecution of Armenians assuming unprecedented proportions. Reports from widely scattered districts indicate systematic attempts to uproot peaceful Armenian populations and through arbitrary arrests, terrible tortures, wholesale expulsions and deportations from one end of the Empire to the other accompanied by frequent instances of rape, pillage, and murder, turning into massacre, to bring destruction and destitution on them. These measures are not in response to popular or fanatical demand but are purely arbitrary and directed from Constantinople in the name of military necessity, often in districts where no military operations are likely to take place."
Morgenthau went on, explaining the shocking reasons behind the violence:
"The Moslim and Armenian populations have been living in harmony but because Armenian volunteers, many of them Russian subjects, have joined the Russian army in Caucasus and because some have been implicated in armed revolutionary movements and others have been helpful to Russians in their invasion... terrible vengeance is being taken. Most of the sufferers are innocent and loyal to the Ottoman government."
"The real purpose of the deportation was robbery and destruction; it really represented a new method of massacre. When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and, in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact." Not only historians and eyewitnesses believe that a genocide took place. By now twenty-four countries have recognized it as "genocide", including countries such as Russia, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and recently Austria and the European Parliament, Still, the Turkish government maintains that it wasn't genocide and it is even illegal in Turkey to discuss what happened to the Armenians during that era. As further evidence this contentious issue is not close to any resolution, was the response by the Turkish government whenPope Francis described the atrocities against the Armenians "as the first genocide of the 20th century." Turkey then recalled its own ambassador to the Holy See.
In the U.S., foreign policy interests, i.e. the relationship with Turkey color its approach. On the one hand, forty-three states of the U.S. have recognized the events as genocide, on the other hand President Obama, who made statements to the contrary as a senator and as a Presidential campaigner, will not use the word "genocide" in today's commemorations of this anniversary. While future historians will show which political leaders and religious leaders were on the right side of this issue, our readers should make up their own mind by doing their homework and read historic witness accounts such as those of Henry Morgenthau's or of current experts such as Thomas de Waal. See also the following articles:
With spring officially here, the trees growing greener, the flowers starting to bloom, and the weather starting to warm up, it is once again time for Earth Day!
The purpose of Earth Day is to bring awareness to the environmental issues that continue to have an impact on the health of our Earth. Climate change, sustainability, living green, waste production (and not to mention the water shortages and restrictions currently happening in California), are all things to think about tomorrow, April 22. Visit the Earth Day website for more information on how you can get involved, donate, spread the word, or find a group of local Earth Day lovers at an event near you. 2015 marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day, so in celebration, we at Cosimo would like to highlight all of our Earth related books.
"Civilization And The Transformation Of Power is an absorbing, provocative, scintillating account of the interiors of western history. Jim Garrison is one of the great visionaries of our time, and his account not only traces the rise of western culture, it points beyond it to a more integral, gracious, compassionate world, drawing on the best of East and West, feminine and masculine, to paint a picture of a more caring tomorrow." --Ken Wilbur, author of "A Brief History Of Everything"
The human species is in a rather precarious situation. Poverty, the energy and financial crises, and above all the challenge of climate change mean that our civilization has come to a dangerous edge. Our safety nets-on both collective and individual levels-have been removed. Can we create a future that allows for a dignified society and a peaceful world? With a change of consciousness and a new spirituality, we may.
"In this book Allerd describes his convincing views on desalination solutions for local and urban clean water shortages as well as his deeply felt findings on the spiritual meanings of water, all assembled on a 20 years' journey on which I was lucky to travel along." -- Leonor Lindner
As climate change continues to threaten the earth and as the global financial crisis lingers, governments and communities need to take charge of their own and global monetary systems. Sustainability sociologist Frans Verhagen proposes a solution-the Tierra Solution-to repair the present global monetary, financial, and economic systems that enrich the few, impoverish the many, and imperil the planet. Verhagen calls for transformational changes in order to advance climate-resilient economic development.
As Earth Day brings awareness to the environmental issues facing us all, so does the Fanack
organization bring us awareness about one of the biggest environmental issues being faced in the Middle East: the scarcity of water. "Fanack Water Files: Water Challenges and Solutions in Jordan, with a Special Report on the Red Sea-Dead Sea Project" is the first publication of the Fanack Water Files. It deals in depth with the water situation in Jordan, a critical country in the region bordering Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Israel. For more information about Fanack and water, see also here.
For more books by these authors, or to expand your knowledge of all things Earth related, visit our website. Have a happy Earth Day!
It's with deep sadness that I have to announce that Danny Schechter, journalist, filmmaker, television producer, Cosimo author and friend died on March 19, 2015 after a battle with cancer.
Danny Schechter was a unique personality, in person and professionally. His media background started in the 1970s on the radio as "The News Dissector" at WBCN-FM in Boston, where he informed his listeners about the news infused with his typical sense of humor. In 1980, he joined CNN, the cable news network that just had been founded by Ted Turner, and later on he was a producer with the ABC News magazine 20/20, where he won two Emmy Awards. Independent-minded as he was, in 1988 he co-founded the production company Global Vision together with Rory O'Connor, where they produced many documentaries, including "South Africa Now", an award winning public television series.
Danny's passion always was on the crossroads of media and human rights: he reported on how the mass media informed or rather misinformed on many topics. He had maintained that the media were critical to a well-run democracy, but over the years realized that the media were no longer a solution to the problems in the world, but part of the problem. Danny also covered some of the major issues of our times: from the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and the civil war in Bosnia, to civil rights in the U.S., the debt crisis in this century with his film "In Debt We Trust: America before the Bubble Burst" and the Occupy Wall Street movement.
I met Danny early this century during a conference, where I was impressed with his freshness of views on the media landscape in the U.S., and when he criticized the news media had become entertainment rather than information gathering entities. To me what made Danny so credible in his media criticism was that he had seen it all as an insider of the corporate media, and as an independent media pioneer. In 2004, I interviewed Danny in The Media: Weapons of Mass Deception. Re-reading that interview today shows both how visionary Danny was in his views on the state of the media and the state of democracy and also how eleven years later, things have hardly improved, to the contrary.
Danny Schechter was unique and nearly peerless, in that he bridged the experience of corporate and independent media. He combined his experience of a professional journalist with the passion and rebelliousness of an activist. He also bridged the era of when the networks were still all-important, which he understood so well, to the current times of new and social media, which he embraced wholeheartedly. This unique combination is rare among other leading journalists, and for that alone he will be sorely missed. On a more personal note, Danny lived in Chelsea, around the corner of our Cosimo office, and over the years I frequently met him for lunch or for a drink at the end of the day. We discussed the latest news and how mainstream media again failed to inform their audiences on what happened and why did it happen. We at Cosimo will miss Danny's writings and personal engagement with his publishing projects, and I personally will miss our conversations and his insights. He had so many ideas and observations: he died too soon.
See here for Facebook memorial page for Danny Schechter.
A few years ago Cosimo joined the "1 % for the Planet" network of businesses dedicated to supporting the environment. Among the organizations Cosimo is proud to support is EcoHealth Alliance, and we are happy to announce that it is our Organization of the Month for March.
EcoHealth Alliance is a global, nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation, wildlife protection, and the control and prevention of disease. Using research, education, training, policy initiatives, and global partnerships, EcoHealth Alliance fights the effects of damaged ecosystems and human-wildlife interaction. Headquartered in New York, the organization works in more than 20 countries worldwide.
Upcoming Event
A Journey to the Far East, a Benefit for EcoHealth Alliance
Thursday, April 23 2015, at 6:30pm
Gustavino's
409 East 59th Street
New York City
Festive Attire Requested
This year's event will include some very special wildlife ambassadors who will welcome guests to a cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, award ceremony and a seated dinner, all to benefit the EcoHealth Alliance.
For more information about the event, the organization, or to buy tickets, please visit EcoHealth Alliance's website.
About 1% for the Planet 1% for the Planet's mission is to build, support and activate an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet.
"Lord Dorchester, however, did not leave his daughter alone, and when a more complaisant suitor with a handsomer income offered himself, briefly commanded her to marry him. To disobey such an order was then the height of undutiful conduct; yet so great was the disgust which Lady Mary entertained for the gentleman proposed that she ventured to write to her father, offering not to marry at all rather than to unite with him. The furious parent sent for his daughter, and told her that she must marry him at once, or consent to pass the rest of her days, while he lived, in retirement in a remote part of the country."
-- From Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
First published in 1861, The Queens of Societyby Katherine Byerley Thomson is a replica of the beautifully illustrated 1890 second edition. It will delight readers of aristocratic lives and fans of modern fabulosity. This charming two-volume collection is a collection of biographies of some of the most marvelous women of their day. This series will delight readers of aristocratic lives and fans of modern fabulosity and is perfect for those interested in history, women's rights, and of course, for those celebrating International Women’s Day this month.
A queen of society is a woman who, by force of her reputation, good management, abilities, manners, and even her rank and fortune commands a circle of persons of eminence, of fashion, and of celebrity. So say "Grace and Philip Wharton" -- a dual pseudonym for one writer, British author Katherine Byerley Thomson.
In Volume I we meet:
- Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough
- Madame Roland
- Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
- Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
- Letitia Elizabeth Landon
- Madame de Sévigné
- Sydney Lady Morgan
- Jane, Duchess of Gordon
In Volume II we meet:
- Lady Hervey
- Mrs. Thrale-Piozzi
- Lady Caroline Lamb
- Anne Seymour Damer
- La Marquise du Deffand
- Mrs. Elizabeth Montagu
- Mary, Countess of Pembroke
- La Marquise de Maintenon
- and many, many more!
About the Author Katherine Byerley Thomson (1797-1862) also wrote the three-volume Memoirs of the Jacobites of 1715 and 1745.
The paperback retail list price for this two-volume set is: $25.98, our price now is: $19.99 (you save $5.99 or a 23 percent discount) and free shipping.
In this book, Schechter describes the crucial role media played in anti-apartheid achieving worldwide recognition, which enabled outsiders to support the anti-apartheid movement. In Schechter's view, it were ultimately the joint efforts by leaders like the late Nelson Mandela, freedom fighters, activists and media that led to the downfall of apartheid in South Africa.
When South Africa Called, We Answered is an inspiring and educational read for those interested in the role of the media in historic world events, the history of South Africa, journalism, and activism that mobilizes people for the greater good.
About the Author
Danny Schechter is a writer, television producer, and independent filmmaker who also speaks about media and financial issues. He is the editor of Mediachannel.org and blogs daily as the News Dissector at NewsDissector.net. Schechter is the author of sixteen books and has produced and directed more than thirty documentaries and television specials. His blog was named the 2009 "Blog of the Year" by the Hunter College Media Department of the City University of New York.
Today is Saint Patrick’s Day, a day that has become associated with leprechauns, beer, and corned beef. However, this day is really a celebration of Saint Patrick who was responsible for bringing Christianity to Ireland. His technique of using the Shamrock to describe the Holy Trinity is well-known and one of the reasons he was chosen as the Patron Saint of Ireland. We are honored to present Life of St. Patrick and His Place in Historyby J.B. Bury as our Classic of the Month for March.
This renowned biography of the great Catholic saint, famous for converting Ireland to Christianity, is also a stunningly vivid portrait of life in the British Isles in the fifth century. Born in Britain as a Roman citizen and kidnapped by raiders to Ireland as a teenager, where he remained to do his holy work, Patrick's life encapsulates the themes of the era, as the new religion won out of paganism as the Roman Empire fell.
Almost as valuable as the biography itself are Bury's complex appendices, which comprise more than half the book, and include such important scholarly details as the author's notes on Patrick's own writings, the memoirs of the saint by other writers including Muirchu, an examination of other Irish source materials, and a look at the historical evidence for such events as the dates of Patrick's birth and captivity, his possible visit to Rome in 432, his consecration, the location of his burial, and much more.
About the Author
British historian John Bagnell Bury (1861-1927) was a professor of modern history at Cambridge. His writings, known for a readability combined with a scholarly depth, include History of the Later Roman Empire (1889), History of Greece (1900), and Idea of Progress (1920).
Cosimo is proud to offer Life of St. Patrick and His Place in History in hardcover and paperback formats at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (paperback andhardcover) and Amazon (paperback andhardcover).
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day from all of us at Cosimo!
Detective stories existed for centuries before the concept of the detective himself--amateur or professional--was fully formulated, and tales of mystery and intrigue have been thrilling readers since ancient times.
