biography

"A . . . look at growing up on one of the most secretive weapons installations on earth, by a young woman who came of age with missiles. The China Lake missile range is located in a huge stretch of the Mojave Desert, about the size of the state of Delaware. It was created during the Second World War, and has always been shrouded in secrecy. But people who make missiles and other weapons are regular working people, with domestic routines and everyday dilemmas, and four of them were Karen Piper's parents, her sister, and--when she needed summer jobs--herself . . . Piper sketches in the belief systems--from Amway's get-rich schemes to propaganda in The Rocketeer to evangelism, along with fears of a Lemurian takeover and Charles Manson--that governed their lives. Her memoir is also a search for the truth of the past and what really brought her parents to China Lake with two young daughters . . ."--Provided by publisher.

Explains how the Revolutionary War began, describes George Washington's leadership of the Continental Army, and discusses the war's end.

Profiles Scottish-American sailor John Paul Jones, discussing his accomplishments in the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War and his later years in Paris and as a member of the Russian Navy.

Captain Benjamin Tupper spent a year in Afghanistan in an Embedded Training Team, tasked with training, leading in combat, and mentoring the Afghan Army to victory against the brutal Taliban. Writing and recording from a remote outpost, Tupper's dispatches were posted on the blog The Sandbox and broadcast on NPR, bringing vivid snapshots of America's longest ongoing war to a wide audience back home. Here, he takes us inside the intricacies of the war, opening up a unique and multifaceted view of both Afghan culture and the daily life of an American soldier. From the rush of gunfire to surreal, euphoric moments of cross-cultural understanding, this emotional and thought-provoking narrative is rich with humor, eloquence and contradiction. Deeply personal and darkly funny, Tupper illuminates the challenges of the war, bringing to life both the mundane and the extraordinary and seeking a way forward.--From publisher description.

"Offers readers an inside look into the life of Hillary Clinton and and how she influenced the nation as First Lady. Learn all about her road leading up to the White House and how her successful political career after her tenure as First Lady led to accomplishments in improving health care for women and children."--Amazon.com.

"An autobiographical picture book of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor"--Provided by publisher.

A biography of the Marquis de Lafayette.

Explores the true story of the group of African American female mathematicians recruited by the U.S. government during World War II to fill labor shortages and work at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. Their jobs involved being "human computers," using pencils, slide rulers, and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would allow rockets and astronauts to be launched out of the atmosphere.