William Hazelgrove Books

"One hundred and sixty minutes. That is all the time rescuers would have before the largest ship in the world slipped beneath the icy Atlantic. There was amazing heroism and astounding incompetence against the backdrop of the most advanced ship in history sinking by inches with luminaries from throughout the world. It is a story of a network of wireless operators on land and sea who desperately sent messages back and forth across the dark frozen North Atlantic to mount a rescue mission. More than twenty-eight ships would be involved in the rescue of Titanic survivors, along with four different countries. This is a detailed and all-encompassing look at the Titanic rescue mission"-- Provided by publisher

The winter of 1779-1780 at Morristown, New Jersey, presented George Washington and his army with unprecedented challenges, including severe suffering, starvation, and internal strife. As morale plummeted and threats from the British loomed, Washington faced the potential collapse of his forces. Despite these hardships, the arrival of Lafayette in the spring heralded a turning point, as he promised crucial French support that would ultimately lead to the British defeat in 1783. This period is marked as Washington's darkest hour yet pivotal for the Revolutionary War's outcome.

During the harsh winter of 1775-1776, Boston bookseller Henry Knox undertook a daring mission, commandeering an oxen train carrying sixty tons of cannons and artillery from Fort Ticonderoga. He and his men traversed roughly three hundred miles over treacherous, frozen terrain to supply George Washington for an assault on British troops in Boston. This effort culminated in the British surrender of the city, marking a significant victory for the Colonial Army. This remarkable yet lesser-known story of the American Revolution unfolds at a time when American rebels faced dire circumstances, with Washington’s army dwindling due to desertion and illness. Typhoid fever, typhus, and dysentery were ravaging the troops, and hope seemed lost against General Howe's 20,000 British soldiers. However, Knox's arrival with heavy artillery changed the tide. Positioned on Dorchester Heights, these cannons provided a crucial advantage, leading to a decisive turning point in the conflict. Driven by courage and determination, Knox's audacious act transformed a desperate situation into a monumental victory for independence. This compelling narrative highlights a pivotal moment in history marked by overwhelming odds and unwavering resolve.

She would appear in more than thirty films and be named after a Road Atlas by Cecil B Demille. A football play would be named after her. She would appear on To Tell the Truth. She would be arrested six times in one day for indecency. She would be immortalized in the final scene of The Right Stuff, cartoons, popular culture, and live on as the iconic symbol of the Chicago World's Fair of 1933. She would pave the way for every sex symbol to follow from Marilyn Monroe to Lady Gaga. She would die penniless and in debt. In the end, Sammy Davis Jr. would write her a $10,000 check when she had nothing left. Her name was Sally Rand. You can draw a line from her to Lana Turner, Marilyn Monroe, Raquel Welch, Ann Margret, Madonna, and Lady Gaga. She broke the mold in 1933, by proclaiming the female body as something beautiful and taking it out of the strip club with her ethereal fan dance. She was a poor girl from the Ozarks who ran away with a carnival, then joined the circus, and finally made it to Hollywood where Cecil B Demille set her on the road to fame with silent movies. When the talkies came her career collapsed, and she ended up in Chicago, broke, sleeping in alleys. Two ostrich feathers in a second-hand store rescued her from obscurity.

There have been many books on Theodore Roosevelt, but there are none that solely focus on the last years of his life. Racked by rheumatism, a ticking embolism, pathogens in his blood, a bad leg from an accident, and a bullet in his chest from an assassination attempt, in the last two years of his life from April 1917 to January 6, 1919, he went from the great disappointment of being denied his own regiment in World War I, leading a suicide mission of Rough Riders against the Germans, to the devastating news that his son Quentin had been shot down and killed over France. Suffering from grief and guilt, marginalized by world events, the great glow that had been his life was now but a dimming lantern. But TR’s final years were productive ones as he churned out several “instant” books that promoted U.S. entry into the Great War, and he was making plans for another run at the Presidency in 1920 at the time of his death. Indeed, his political influence was so great that his opposition to the policies of Woodrow Wilson helped the Republican Party take back the Congress in 1918. However, as William Hazelgrove points out in this book, it was Roosevelt’s quest for the “vigorous life” that, ironically, may have led to his early demise at the age of sixty. "The Old Lion is dead,” TR’s son Archie cabled his brother on January 6, 1919, and so, too, ended a historic era in American life and politics.

Focusing on Ernest Hemingway's life in Cuba between 1950 and 1952, this account delves into the personal and creative experiences that influenced the writing of The Old Man and the Sea. It explores the cultural and environmental backdrop of Cuba during this period, revealing how Hemingway's surroundings and interactions shaped his literary work. The narrative provides insights into the author's struggles and inspirations, offering a deeper understanding of one of his most celebrated pieces.