King Colt

A master storyteller of the American frontier presents a western about a town that could not be tamed—and the vicious things men will do for gold. Picket-Stake Hendry has spent thirty years roaming the Calico Mountains in search of gold. Finally, in a lonely little canyon far from civilization, he strikes the mother lode, and as soon as he gets home to register the claim, he’ll be a millionaire. But before he can make it to Cosmos, a bandit attacks him. Cosmos sheriff Johnny Hendry prefers playing cards to fighting crime, and he’s kept the peace in this rough-and-tumble western town by letting bandits do whatever they want. But when he hears that Pick, his adoptive father, has been murdered, he vows bloody vengeance. For the sake of the old prospector, he will clean up Cosmos—or die where he stands. This incredible story of frontier justice from author Luke Short, winner of a special Western Heritage Trustees Award and the Western Writers of America’s Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award, is a classic of the genre.

The fascinating story of the American inventor and manufacturer who perfected the revolver Samuel Colt (1814-1862) first patented his "Colt" revolver in 1835 and thereby redefined the architecture of handguns. This stunning book is the first to present in detail the evolution of his most famous invention and to document the unsurpassed Colt firearms collections held by the Wadsworth Atheneum. Colt designed his revolvers with an artistic sensibility--paying particular attention to form and beauty and juxtaposing colors and finishes to heighten the visual effects. He was also one of the first American manufacturers to secure celebrity endorsements and to commission paintings by renowned artists like George Catlin to promote his arms. Colt's standards for excellence, industrial foresight, and quest for market domination are explored in light of primary documents that reveal his constant battles to protect his patents. Essays discuss Colt's personal collection of historic firearms as well as the memorial collection of Colt-manufactured firearms, the relationship between art and commerce as they pertain to the inventor's career, and his international celebrity. Richly illustrated and beautifully produced, this volume presents the artistry of the firearms that Colt worked so diligently to perfect--as well as his promotional abilities that made a tremendous impact on American culture.

A donkey tells how he reluctantly played a part in Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday.

The diaries of 'Tommy' Lascelles - as featured in the Netflix hit THE CROWN 'Brilliantly entertaining and historically priceless' Spectator 'Fascinating ... as much a contribution to royal legend as to the history of the war' Daily Telegraph As Assistant Private Secretary to four monarchs, 'Tommy' Lascelles had a ringside seat from which to observe the workings of the royal household and Downing Street during the first half of the 20th century. These fascinating diaries begin with Edward VIII's abdication and end with George VI's death and his daughter Elizabeth's Coronation. In between we see George VI at work and play, a portrait more intimate than any other previously published. This compelling account also includes Princess Margaret's relationship with Peter Townsend, and throws an intriguing new light on the way in which King George VI and Winston Churchill worked together during the Second World War. Lascelles was a fine writer - like most of the best diaries his are a delight to read as well as being invaluable history.