Tag Archive: Giveaway
Who was Sam Ward? Scion of an honorable old family, brother of unassailably upright Julia Ward Howe, best friend of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, mathematician, linguist, California ’49er – and a spendthrift who squandered not one but several fortunes — Sam Ward was one of the most colorful men of an era crowded with larger-than-life personalities.
In an era when wave after wave of scandal uncovered congressmen who sold their votes and ruthless men who arrived in Washington with trunks full of cash with which to buy them, Sam Ward reigned unspotted as “King of the Lobby.” Author Kathryn Allamong Jacob’s thorough account shows how the “king” earned his crown through cookery and conversation at fabulous dinner parties and how this son of wealth and privilege helped to create a questionable profession in a city that then, as now, rested on power and influence. At his table the outlines of a new, modern lobby, a lobby easily recognizable today, took shape.
We at Wonders & Marvels have 5 copies of King of the Lobby as our giveaway. To enter, simply respond to this question by commenting before 11:59 p.m. January 26, 2010:
What pet cause would you lobby for?
Looking forward to your creative answers! Good luck. (Sorry, at this time, books can only be shipped to U.S. addresses. Don’t want to miss any giveaways? Just sign up here for email notifications each time we post a new one!
Don’t forget to check out our concurrent giveaway for Randi Hutter Epstein’s Get Me Out.
Martyrs and Murderers could be a title of an episode of dese guys you see in, you know, The Sopranos or something. But Stuart Carroll’s Martyrs and Murderers instead tells the story of the Guise: three generations of treacherous, bloodthirsty power-brokers.
One of the richest and most powerful families in sixteenth-century France, the House of Guise played a pivotal role in the history of Europe. Among the staunchest opponents of the Reformation, they whipped up religious bigotry throughout France. They overthrew the king, ruled Scotland for nearly 20 years through Mary Queen of Scots, plotted to invade England and overthrow Elizabeth I, and ended the century by unleashing the bloody Wars of Religion, before succumbing in a counter-revolution that made them martyrs for the Catholic cause. Never a dull moment with these characters! However, the story of the Guise family is sensational but true.
Stuart Carroll unravels the legends about this cultivated, charismatic, and violent dynasty, all the while challenging traditional assumptions about one of Europe’s most turbulent eras. And we at Wonders & Marvels are offering 1 copy of Martyrs and Murderers as our giveaway.
Enter by responding to this question by 11:59 p.m. January 19, 2010:
What dramatic-but-true tale remains indelibly on your mind? Could be a book you’ve read, or something in the National Enquirer – we want to know! Good luck!
(Sorry, at this time, books can only be shipped to winners with U.S. addresses.)
The area known as Dogtown – an isolated colonial ruin and surrounding 3,000-acre woodland in Gloucester, Massachusetts – has a history woven through with tales of witches, supernatural sightings, pirates, former slaves and drifters. Not to mention the many dogs Revolutionary War widows kept for protection and for which the area was named.
In Dogtown, author Elyssa East also examines a grisly 1984 murder that took place in the peculiar atmosphere of Dogtown (strewn with giant boulders, it has been compared even to Stonehenge.) In this first-person narrative, Dogtown’s enigmatic past is brought to life and is shown to be a place brimming with tragedy, eccentricity, and fascinating lore.
We at Wonders and Marvels have five copies available for a giveaway. To enter, simply respond to this question by placing a comment by 11:59 p.m. EST on January 9, 2010.
What storied place steeped in folklore would you like to visit (or have visited?)
Sorry, at this time, books can be mailed to U.S. addresses only. Don’t want to miss any giveaways? Just sign up here for email notifications each time we post a new one!
Good luck!
Time flies! The History of the Fairy Tale week at Wonders & Marvels has come to an end…but plenty of giveaways are still open. We have up to five copies of each title for the asking. We’ll be selecting winners sometime early this week (December 21). Don’t want to miss any give-aways? Just sign up here for email updates about the give-aways!
We here at W&M have been delighted and–at times–moved by the comments so many have left. We’re also tickled by the community that has been forming here on the website.
LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS about how we’re doing. What do you love about W&M? What would you love to see more of? How about some topics you’re super curious about?
We have many spare copies of books lying around. Let’s make this post a give-away too! Leave a comment here and/or here for a chance at There Once Lived a Woman….Scary Tales. We have a spare copy thanks to the book fairies (i.e., publicist contacts).
Here are the links for contests that are still open:
Happy Holidays everyone!
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