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In 1784, Thomas Jefferson struck a deal with one of his slaves, 19-year-old James Hemings. The Founding Father was traveling to Paris and wanted to bring James along “for a particular purpose”—to master the art of French cooking. In exchange for James’s cooperation, Jefferson would grant his freedom.

Thus began one of the strangest partnerships in U.S. history. As James apprenticed under master French chefs, Jefferson studied the cultivation of French crops (especially grapes for winemaking) so they might be replicated in American agriculture. The two men returned home with such marvels as pasta, French fries, champagne, macaroni and cheese, crème brûlée, and a host of other treats. This narrative nonfiction book tells the fascinating story behind their remarkable adventure—and includes 12 of their original recipes!

THOMAS J. CRAUGHWELL is the author of several nonfiction books, including Stealing Lincoln’s Body (Harvard University Press, 2007), which was adapted into a documentary by the History Channel. He lives in Bethel, Connecticut.

A pocket-sized gift book packed with patriotic facts for ordinary Americans and history buffs alike.
 
This handbook is the perfect patriotic present for any engaged United States citizen. Who played the first game of baseball? What’s a bicameral congress? Where did Mount Rushmore come from? Who is Geronimo and why do we yell his name when we jump? Plus:

•  All about the Declaration of Independence
•  Ten Books Every American Should Read
•  Assassination Attempts on U.S. Presidents
•  The History of the Statue of Liberty
•  How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie

With more than 100 different spreads to envision, design, and draw, Fill in the Blank invites you to create new houses, cars, skyscrapers, cereal boxes, wine labels, roller coasters, topiary, and much, much more!

Part doodling book, part sketchbook, and part design-inspiration workbook, Fill in the Blank offers everything you need to jump-start your imagination. Want to design a tattoo? Here’s a body. Want to build a new castle on a cliffside? Here’s the landscape. These exercises are guaranteed to make you think outside the box. Inspirational and fun for all ages, Fill in the Blank makes a wonderful gift for creative thinkers of all colors and stripes.

Vahram Muratyan and Elodie Chaillous are founders of ViiiZ, an art direction and graphic design studio created in 2005 in Paris. They graduated from the acclaimed Parisian design school ESAG-Penninghen

As Seen on Today with Hoda & Jenna

“A genre-defying blend of crime writing and science fiction.” –Alexandra Alter, The New York Times

Winner of the 2013 Edgar® Award for Best Paperback Original!

What’s the point in solving murders if we’re all going to die soon, anyway?

Detective Hank Palace has faced this question ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. There’s no chance left. No hope. Just six precious months until impact.

The economy spirals downward while crops rot in the fields. Churches and synagogues are packed. People all over the world are walking off the job—but not Hank Palace. He’s investigating a death by hanging in a city that sees a dozen suicides every week—except this one feels suspicious, and Palace is the only cop who cares.

The first in a trilogy, The Last Policeman offers a mystery set on the brink of an apocalypse. As Palace’s investigation plays out under the shadow of 2011GV1, we’re confronted by hard questions way beyond “whodunit.” What basis does civilization rest upon? What is life worth? What would any of us do, what would we really do, if our days were numbered?

Here are 100 ready-to-frame political campaign posters from the annals of American history! The candidates range from Andrew Jackson (“Defender of Beauty and Booty”) and William Henry Harrison (“Have Some Hard Cider!”) to Richard Nixon (“He’s the One!”), Barack Obama (“Hope”), and many, many more. The posters are backed with colorful historical commentary and additional artwork; best of all, they’re bound with clean microperforated edges so they can be removed, framed, and displayed.

Presidential Campaign Posters is the perfect gift for political junkies of all ages!

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS has been the guardian of the nation’s memory for more than two centuries. The writers and editors in its publishing office collaborate with curators, reference librarians, and subject specialists to produce books and other materials that open its ever-growing collections and activities to the nation and the world.