Portfolio 2 Columns

George Washington was America’s foremost political leader, military general, statesman and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. He commanded Patriot forces in the new nation’s vital American Revolutionary War and led them to victory over the British. Washington also presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which established the new federal government. For his manifold leadership during the American Revolution, for all of this and more he has been called the “Father of His Country”. 

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was a uniquely American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher and lecturer. Among his novels are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the latter often called “The Great American Novel”. We know the work but what about the great man behind it? In this well told audiobook Twain speaks about particulars of his turbulent life and times. A must have addition to all university and school systems.

The great Henry Ford was the unforgettable American captain of industry and unequalled business magnate who founded the Ford Motor Company and the unequalled force behind th development of the assembly line technique of mass production. Here, in this unique and very accessible audiobook, Ford tells his own story. A must for businessmen everywhere and a lauded addition to all school and university systems. A true audio treasure!

George Washington was America’s foremost political leader, military general, statesman and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. He commanded Patriot forces in the new nation’s vital American Revolutionary War and led them to victory over the British. Washington also presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which established the new federal government. For his manifold leadership during the American Revolution, for all of this and more he has been called the “Father of His Country”. 

Benjamin Franklin was an American polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was also a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, humorist, civic activist, statesman and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, among other great inventions. He founded many civic organizations, including the Library Company, Philadelphia’s first fire department and the University of Pennsylvania. His colorful life and legacy of scientific and political achievement, and his status as one of America’s most influential Founding Fathers, 

George Armstrong Custer, a flamboyant American military leader first came to the world’s attention as a cavalry commander for the Union army during the American Civil War and in the opening of the Western territories. The influx of whites into American Indian lands angered the Sioux nation, thus a war resulted between them and the United States. In 1876, Custer was instructed to help drive the Sioux and Cheyenne onto their reservations. On June 25, 1876, however, as the Seventh Cavalry approached the Little Big Horn River, the soldiers encountered an Indian village and Custer took to the offensive. The Sioux warriors however, greatly outnumbered Custer and his men and Custer and his forces were wiped out. This is the real story of one of America’s most legendary, and ultimately, unfortunate military hero.

The media ran exaggerated accounts of his bravado and colorful personality, styling him as a Robin Hood figure. In response, J. Edgar Hoover, then director of the Bureau of Investigation, used Dillinger and his gang as his campaign platform to evolve the BOI into the Federal Bureau of Investigation, developing more sophisticated investigative techniques as weapons against organized crime. After evading police in four states for almost a year, Dillinger was wounded and returned to his father’s home to recover. He returned to Chicago in July 1934 and sought refuge in a brothel owned by Ana Cumpănaș, who informed police and federal agents of his whereabouts. On July 22, 1934, the police and the Division of Investigation] closed in on the Biograph Theater. Federal agents, led by Melvin Purvis and Samuel P. Cowley, moved to arrest Dillinger as he exited the theater. He drew a Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket and attempted to flee. The gun battle that led to his death occurred on July 22nd 1934. He was 32 years old. This is his story.

Mary A. Hamilton gives a British person’s perspective on the 16th President of the United States. A glowing tribute to “Honest Abe”, the author traces Lincoln’s ancestral roots and recounts his birth in Kentucky, his youth in Indiana, his adult life in Illinois and his years in the White House. She also provides a good background on the causes and course of the American Civil War. Hamilton is not always historically precise. For example, she erroneously names Jefferson Davis as the Southern Democratic candidate for president running against Lincoln and Douglas in 1860 rather than John C. Breckinridge. However, overall “The Story of Abraham Lincoln” is a good summarization and interesting account of the life, values and politics of Lincoln.