Phyllis R. Fenner

A well-told narrative of US participation in the most godawful and useless of modern wars. In 1917, on the eve of its entry into WWI, the US was without a single army division. Nineteen months later, the nation’s armed and naval forces had grown to 4 million people, and their deployment had tipped the balance of war in Europe against the Central Powers. Farwell, a vivid chronicler of military forces, generals, and wars (Armies of the Raj: From Mutiny to Independence, 1989, etc.), here describes that extraordinary build-up of American armed might and what it wrought. It’s hard to imagine a better, and better-written, tale of the US’s first military venture on European soil. What the book lacks in fresh insights or perspective it makes up for in compactness, comprehensiveness, balance, and style. Perhaps never before have so many topics about this Great War been covered with such economy and to such effect. We learn of storied generals and unknown doughboys, preparedness and weaponry, trench warfare and African-Americans in battle, and campaigns and peace maneuvers—as well as the horrors of the battlefront. And we learn of them always with an apt story, a telling statistic, or a sharp portrait’such as of the fabled Sergeant Alvin York or the “Lost Battalion.” It’s regrettable, however, that little of the stupidity and absurdity of war (so brilliantly brought to life in the works of Paul Fussell) finds its place in Farwell’s account.Nevertheless, someone looking for an introduction to this part of American history will find the basics of what should be known in this book. A fine place to go for a narrative history of its subject.

Ten stories about the lives of baseball players. Includes The Unpredictable Dodgers by John Tunis and How Babe Got His Name by Babe Ruth as told to Bob Considine.

Squirrel, a stray puppy, tells her life story, from her nurturing mother and brother to making her own way in the world, facing busy highways, changing seasons, and humans both gentle and brutal.

Original verses to "Yankee Doodle" depict such events from the American Revolution as the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's ride, and the battle of Saratoga. Includes the traditional version of the song.

Stories about hunting as a sport or way of life: The Woods-Devil, by P. Annixter; The Last Charge, by E. Marshall; The Mystery of Keesh, by J. London; A Master for Psalmsinger, by D. Henderson; The Claws of the Cat, by S. Cloete; The Wolf of Thunder Mountain, by D. Henderson; Old Jasper and the Fox Teller, by P. Annixter; The Blazing Star, by M. Kantor; The Killer of Hourglass Lake, by R. Murphy; The Most Dangerous Game, by R. Connell.

Seventeen stories, including both folk tales and a few original stories, about various creatures of fantasy, including Baba Yaga, King Stork, Jack the Giant Killer, and The Terrible Olli.

A selection of forty-four true stories and anecdotes from the fields of science, history, biography, and adventure.

A collection of 10 short stories by well-known authors which explore such popular science fiction themes as space exploration, time travel, and alien visitors.

Ten adventure stories of illegal transport by land, sea, and air.

Seventeen stories celebrating such holidays and special days of the year as Halloween, a rainy day, Christmas, Lincoln's birthday, and April Fool's Day.

Sketches based on personal experience with the life and people of a traveling circus.