602 Reasons To Be Ticked Off

Don't you hate it when you tell some ignoramus you're from a certain city and they say, "Oh, do you know my friend Henry?" Or, lousy gift givers who say, "I kept the receipt, if you want to return it," so instead of a gift you end up with an extra errand? Well, so does stand-up comedian Paul Nardizzi. 602 Reasons to Be Ticked Off is his pointed response to the Things to Be Happy About series. Categorized by topic, the book features more than 600 quick-hit anecdotes on things that people do that grate on our collective nerves. Like smokers who blow smoke in your face because they know they're damaging their lungs, so why not bring along a few hostages? Whether it's a type of person-such as police officers, postal workers, or the elderly-or an annoying circumstance-like driving, air travel, marriage, or job interviews-Nardizzi has had it up to here (place hand palm-down six inches over head). The book offers a hilarious mix of proven-funny lines from his stand-up act as well as original material on the above subjects-and then some. This laugh-out-loud-funny gift book of PG-13 humor is sure to be enjoyed by anyone from kids in their early teens on up to old people dying in nursing homes.

Don't you hate it when you tell some ignoramus you're from a certain city and they say, "Oh, do you know my friend Henry?" Or, lousy gift givers who say, "I kept the receipt, if you want to return it," so instead of a gift you end up with an extra errand? Well, so does stand-up comedian Paul Nardizzi. 602 Reasons to Be Ticked Off is his pointed response to the Things to Be Happy About series. Categorized by topic, the book features more than 600 quick-hit anecdotes on things that people do that grate on our collective nerves. Like smokers who blow smoke in your face because they know they're damaging their lungs, so why not bring along a few hostages? Whether it's a type of person-such as police officers, postal workers or the elderly — or an annoying circumstance — like driving, air travel, marriage or job interviews — Nardizzi has had it up to here (place hand palm-down six inches over head). The book offers a hilarious mix of proven-funny lines from his stand-up act as well as original material on the above subjects-and then some. This laugh-out-loud-funny gift book of PG-13 humor is sure to be enjoyed by anyone from kids in their early teens on up to old people dying in nursing homes.

An award–winning, “deeply researched and thoroughly analyzed” account of the Confederate cavalry’s mistakes that turned Chickamauga into a Pyrrhic victory (Eric J. Wittenberg, award-winning author of The Battle of Brandy Station). Tales of the Confederate cavalry’s raids and daring exploits create a whiff of lingering romance about the horse soldiers of the Lost Cause. Sometimes, however, romance obscures history. In August 1863 William Rosecrans’ Union Army of the Cumberland embarked on a campaign of maneuver to turn Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee out of Chattanooga, one of the most important industrial and logistical centers of the Confederacy. Despite the presence of two Southern cavalry corps—nearly 14,000 horsemen—under legendary commanders Nathan Bedford Forrest and Joe Wheeler, Union troops crossed the Tennessee River unopposed and unseen, slipped through the passes cutting across the knife-ridged mountains, moved into the narrow valleys, and turned Bragg’s left flank. Threatened with the loss of the railroad that fed his army, Bragg had no choice but to retreat. He lost Chattanooga without a fight. After two more weeks of maneuvering, skirmishing, and botched attacks, Bragg struck back at Chickamauga, where he was once again surprised by the position of the Union army and the manner in which the fighting unfolded. Although the combat ended with a stunning Southern victory, Federal counterblows that November reversed all that had been so dearly purchased. David A. Powell’s Failure in the Saddle is the first in-depth attempt to determine what role the Confederate cavalry played in both the loss of Chattanooga and the staggering number of miscues that followed up to, through, and beyond Chickamauga. Powell draws upon an array of primary accounts and his intimate knowledge of the battlefield to reach several startling conclusions: Bragg’s experienced cavalry generals routinely fed him misleading information, failed to screen important passes and river crossings, allowed petty command politics to routinely influence their decision-making, and on more than one occasion disobeyed specific and repeated orders that may have changed the course of the campaign. Richly detailed, Failure in the Saddle offers new perspectives on the role of the Rebel horsemen in every combat large and small waged during this long and bloody campaign and, by default, a fresh assessment of the generalship of Braxton Bragg. This judiciously reasoned account includes a guided tour of the cavalry operations, several appendices of important information, and original cartography. Winner of the Civil War Round Table of Atlanta’s Richard Harwell Award

Chickamauga, according to soldier rumor, is a Cherokee word meaning ñRiver of Death.î It certainly lived up to that grim sobriquet in September 1863 when the Union Army of the Cumberland and Confederate Army of Tennessee waged bloody combat along the banks of West Chickamauga Creek. Long considered a two-day affair, award-winning author David Powell embraces a fresh approach that explores Chickamauga as a three-day battle, with September 18 being key to understanding how the fighting developed the next morning. The second largest battle of the Civil War produced 35,000 casualties and one of the last, clear-cut Confederate tactical victories„a triumph that for a short time reversed a series of Rebel defeats and reinvigorated the hope for Southern independence. At issue was Chattanooga, the important ñgateway to the Southî and logistical springboard into Georgia. Despite its size, importance, and fascinating cast of characters, this epic Western Theater battle has received but scant attention. Powell masterfully rectifies this oversight with The Chickamauga Campaign„A Mad Irregular Battle: From the Crossing of the Tennessee River Through the Second Day, August 22 _ September 19, 1863. The first of three installments spanning the entire campaign, A Mad Irregular Battle includes the Tullahoma Campaign in June, which set the stage for Chickamauga, and continues through the second day of fighting on September 19. The second installment finishes the battle from dawn on September 20 and carries both armies through the retreat into Chattanooga and the beginning of the siege. The third and last book of the series includes appendices and essays exploring specific questions about the battle in substantially greater detail. PowellÍs magnificent study fully explores the battle from all perspectives and is based upon fifteen years of intensive study and research that has uncovered nearly 2,000 primary sources from generals to private, all stitched together to relate the remarkable story that was Chickamauga. Here, finally, readers will absorb the thoughts and deeds of hundreds of the battleÍs veterans, many of whom they have never heard of or read about. In addition to archival sources, newspapers, and other firsthand accounts, Powell grounds his conclusions in years of personal study of the terrain itself and regularly leads tours of the battlefield. His prose is as clear and elegant as it is authoritative and definitive. The Chickamauga Campaign„A Mad Irregular Battle is PowellÍs magnum opus, a tour-de-force rich in analysis brimming with heretofore untold stories. It will surely be a classic must-have battle study for every serious student of the Civil War.