American Fencer

American Fencer PDF

Author: Tim Morehouse

Publisher:

Published: 2012-03-07

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780984733330

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"Olympic medalist and U.S. National Champion Tim Morehouse's memoir is a story of teamwork and individualism, monastic dedication and high-stakes competition-- the difference between a dream and its demise separated by 120 milliseconds at the tip of a sword."--Page 4 of cover.

Proud

Proud PDF

Author: Ibtihaj Muhammad

Publisher: Hachette Books

Published: 2018-07-24

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0316518956

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THE FIRST FEMALE MUSLIM AMERICAN TO MEDAL AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES NAMED ONE OF TIME'S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE Growing up in New Jersey as the only African American Muslim at school, Ibtihaj Muhammad always had to find her own way. When she discovered fencing, a sport traditionally reserved for the wealthy, she had to defy expectations and make a place for herself in a sport she grew to love. From winning state championships to three-time All-America selections at Duke University, Ibtihaj was poised for success, but the fencing community wasn't ready to welcome her with open arms just yet. As the only woman of color and the only religious minority on Team USA's saber fencing squad, Ibtihaj had to chart her own path to success and Olympic glory. Proud is a moving coming-of-age story from one of the nation's most influential athletes and illustrates how she rose above it all.

They Called Us Enemy - Expanded Edition

They Called Us Enemy - Expanded Edition PDF

Author: George Takei

Publisher: Top Shelf Productions

Published: 2020-08-26

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1684068827

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The New York Times bestselling graphic memoir from actor/author/activist George Takei returns in a deluxe edition with 16 pages of bonus material! Experience the forces that shaped an American icon -- and America itself -- in this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love. George Takei has captured hearts and minds worldwide with his magnetic performances, sharp wit, and outspoken commitment to equal rights. But long before he braved new frontiers in STAR TREK, he woke up as a four-year-old boy to find his own birth country at war with his father's -- and their entire family forced from their home into an uncertain future. In 1942, at the order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, every person of Japanese descent on the west coast was rounded up and shipped to one of ten "relocation centers," hundreds or thousands of miles from home, where they would be held for years under armed guard. THEY CALLED US ENEMY is Takei's firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, the terrors and small joys of childhood in the shadow of legalized racism, his mother's hard choices, his father's tested faith in democracy, and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future. What does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide? George Takei joins cowriters Justin Eisinger & Steven Scott and artist Harmony Becker for the journey of a lifetime.

The Encyclopedia of the Sword

The Encyclopedia of the Sword PDF

Author: Nick Evangelista

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 1995-05-23

Total Pages: 716

ISBN-13: 0313369739

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From the gruff, sword-toting swashbucklers of the Middle Ages to modern adventure epics like The Princess Bride, the aura surrounding the sword is one that is both romantic and pragmatic. Thoughts of this weapon bring to mind images of the Knights of the Round Table, Zorro, the Three Musketeers—the things daydreams are made of. Historically, the fate of the empires revolved around the sword; nations rose and fell based on the power of their swordsmen. For centuries it was the weapon of choice in settling personal disputes. Today, the art of sword fighting has been incarnated as the dynamic, chess-like sport of fencing. It has also played an important part in the history of theatre and film, and it has been part of literature for as long as there have been books. In its varied guises, the sword has for centuries figured in the world's varied cultures, myths, and politics. Yet, there has never been a comprehensive volume on the subject of the sword until the publication of this encyclopedia. For the first time, in a single volume one can locate information on the history of sword types and styles around the world; techniques of combat sword use; techniques and styles of modern sport fencing; names and descriptions of various fencing implements and weapon types; swashbuckler films and the fencing masters who influenced the genre; significant individuals who have taught sword use; the sword at the Olympics; the literature in which the rapier, foil, or broadsword has figured; and much, much more. Essential reading for fencing and military history enthusiasts.

From Cool Runnings to World Superpower

From Cool Runnings to World Superpower PDF

Author: Igor Chirashnya

Publisher:

Published: 2019-05-24

Total Pages: 182

ISBN-13: 9781099911668

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Breathtaking. Unexpected. Deserved.Where has American fencing been and where is it going? This book will take you on a journey along with American fencing from the beginnings in the times of the Founding Fathers, all the way through the lackluster first decades of American competition in the Olympic Games, and on to today where American fencing stands poised to build on its success and become a major player on the world stage. It's been a complicated road for the United States, one that's intertwined with world politics and changing social structures. The American story is one of immigration and tenacity. For the better part of a hundred years, American fencing was the undisputed underdog. Over the last twenty years, that's changed. The United States stands at the ready to take on the most prominent fencing superpowers and to win. The wins have begun already, with American fencers rising to podiums in World Championships and Olympic Games, across weapons and across genders.Noticing the change is one thing, understanding why it happened is another. How have American fencers gone from being at the bottom of the fencing barrel to rising to the top? What is unique about the American fencing story in comparison to established European fencing powers? Where is American fencing going and how will the past inform the future?Going from a nobody to a somebody is a classic American story. Here we chronicle the influences that have pushed the United States through a breathtaking and unexpected rise to the top of world fencing. From Cold War politics to competitive structures, generational learning to innovative techniques, here you'll find the wandering and thrilling tale of how we got here. There's undoubtedly a long way yet to go, but learning the path here is key to taking American fencing forward towards that well-deserved success.

The Perfect Fence

The Perfect Fence PDF

Author: Lyn Ellen Bennett

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2017-11-15

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 1623495822

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Barbed wire is made of two strands of galvanized steel wire twisted together for strength and to hold sharp barbs in place. As creative advertisers sought ways to make an inherently dangerous product attractive to customers concerned about the welfare of their livestock, and as barbed wire became commonplace on battlefields and in concentration camps, the fence accrued a fascinating and troubling range of meanings beyond the material facts of its construction. In The Perfect Fence, Lyn Ellen Bennett and Scott Abbott explore the multiple uses and meanings of barbed wire, a technological innovation that contributes to America’s shift from a pastoral ideal to an industrial one. They survey the vigorous public debate over the benign or “infernal” fence, investigate legislative attempts to ban or regulate wire fences as a result of public outcry, and demonstrate how the industry responded to ameliorate the image of its barbed product. Because of the rich metaphorical possibilities suggested by a fence that controls through pain, barbed wire developed into an important motif in works of literature from the late nineteenth century to the present day. Early advertisements proclaimed that barbed wire was “the perfect fence,” keeping “the ins from being outs, and the outs from being ins.” Bennett and Abbott conclude that while barbed wire is not the perfect fence touted by manufacturers, it is indeed a meaningful thing that continues to influence American identities.

By the Sword

By the Sword PDF

Author: Richard Cohen

Publisher: Modern Library

Published: 2007-12-18

Total Pages: 562

ISBN-13: 030743074X

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“Like swordplay itself, By the Sword is elegant, accurate, romantic, and full of brio—the definitive study, hugely readable, of man’s most deadly art.”—Simon Winchester With a new Preface by the author Napoleon fenced. So did Shakespeare, Karl Marx, Grace Kelly, and President Truman, who as a schoolboy would practice fencing with Bess—his future wife— when the two of them returned home from school. Lincoln was a canny dueler. Ignatius Loyola challenged a man to a duel for denying Christ’s divinity (and won). Less successful, but no less enthusiastic, was Mussolini, who would tell his wife he was “off to get spaghetti,” their code to avoid alarming the children. By the Sword is an epic history of sword fighting—a science, an art, and, for many, a religion that began at the dawn of civilization in ancient Egypt and has been an obsession for mankind ever since. With wit and insight, Richard Cohen gives us an engrossing history of the world via the sword. Praise for By the Sword “Touché! While scrupulous and informed about its subject, Richard Cohen’s book is about more than swordplay. It reads at times like an alternative social history of the West.”—Sebastian Faulks “In writing By the Sword, [Cohen] has shown that he is as skilled with the pen as he is with the sword.”—The New York Times “Irresistible . . . extraordinary . . . vivid and hugely enjoyable.”—The Economist “A virtual encyclopedia on the subject of sword fighting.”—San Francisco Chronicle “Literate, learned, and, beg pardon, razor-sharp . . . a pleasure for practitioners, and a rewarding entertainment for the armchair swashbuckler.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)