Russell Shorto

Before there were 13 colonies, there was New Netherland. Founded by the Dutch, this tiny community on the edge of the wilderness supported a staggering array of peoples. Surrounded by intolerant Puritans, the colony took its cue from Amsterdam, Europe's most liberal city. Inevitably the Dutch and English clashed--and a new nation was born.

"In his epic new book, Russell Shorto takes us back to the founding of the American nation, drawing on diaries, letters and autobiographies to flesh out six lives that cast the era in a fresh new light. They include an African man who freed himself and his family from slavery, a rebellious young woman who abandoned her abusive husband to chart her own course, and a certain Mr. Washington, who was admired for his social graces but harshly criticized...

A biography of the President who led the country through the stormy years of the Civil War.

"Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a city "in its brawny postwar prime," is where "Little Joe" Regino and Russ Shorto build a local gambling empire on the earnings of factory workers for whom placing a bet--on a horse or pool game, pinball or "tip seal"--is their best shot at the American dream. Decades later, Russell Shorto grew up knowing that his grandfather...

People working in a wide range of performing careers, including a trial lawyer, comedian, dancer, and anchorwoman, describe the daily routines, benefits, and drawbacks of their jobs and the education and training they received.

Includes interviews with people who hold such varied careers as tour consultant, literary agent, international lawyer, and foreign language textbook editor, describing what they do, how they got started, and the necessary preparation for each job.

A biography of the English author famous for the Hobbit, and the Lord of the rings.