The Underground Railroad, an often misunderstood antebellum institution, has been viewed as a simple combination of mainly white "conductors" and black "passengers." Keith P. Griffler takes a new, battlefield-level view of the war against American slavery as he reevaluates one of its front lines: the Ohio River, the longest commercial dividing line between slavery and freedom. In shifting the focus from the much discussed white-led "stations" to the primarily black-led frontline struggle along the Ohio, Griffler reveals for the first time the crucial importance of the freedom movement in the river's port cities and towns. Front Line of Freedom fully examines America's first successful interracial freedom movement, which proved to be as much a struggle to transform the states north of the Ohio as those to its south. In a climate of racial proscription, mob violence, and white hostility, the efforts of Ohio Valley African Americans to establish and maintain communities became inextricably linked to the steady stream of fugitives crossing the region. As Griffler traces the efforts of African Americans to free themselves, Griffler provides a window into the process by which this clandestine network took shape and grew into a powerful force in antebellum America.

WINNER OF THE TEMPLER MEDAL BOOK PRIZE 2020 A SPECTATOR, FINANCIAL TIMES AND DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 'A stunning achievement' Max Hastings, Sunday Times Part Two of Daniel Todman's epic history of the Second World War opens with one of the greatest disasters in British military history - the fall of Singapore in February 1942. Unlike the aftermath of Dunkirk, there was no redeeming narrative available here - Britain had been defeated by a far smaller Japanese force in her grandly proclaimed, invincible Asian 'fortress'. The unique skill of Daniel Todman's history lies in its never losing sight of the inter-connectedness of the British experience. The agony of Singapore, for example, is seen through the eyes of its inhabitants, of its defenders, of Churchill's Cabinet and of ordinary people at home. Each stage of the war, from the nadir of early 1942 to the great series of victories in 1944-5 and on to Indian independence, is described both as it was understood at the time and in the light of the very latest historical research. Britain's War is a triumph of narrative, empathy and research, as gripping in its handling of individual witnesses to the war - those doomed to struggle with bombing, rationing, exhausting work and above all the absence of millions of family members - as of the gigantic military, social, technological and economic forces that swept the conflict along. It is the definitive account of a drama which reshaped our country. 'I cannot recommend this history highly enough' Keith Lowe, Literary Review

“A compelling, spellbinding examination of a pivotal event in civil rights history . . . a highly readable and dramatic account of a major turning point.” —Journal of African-American History Black Americans in the Jim Crow South could not escape the grim reality of racial segregation, whether enforced by law or by custom. In Freedom’s Main Line: The Journey of Reconciliation and the Freedom Rides, author Derek Charles Catsam shows that courtrooms, classrooms, and cemeteries were not the only front lines in African Americans’ prolonged struggle for basic civil rights. Buses, trains, and other modes of public transportation provided the perfect means for civil rights activists to protest the second-class citizenship of African Americans, bringing the reality of the violence of segregation into the consciousness of America and the world. Freedom’s Main Line argues that the Freedom Rides, a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, were a logical, natural evolution of such earlier efforts as the Journey of Reconciliation, relying on the principles of nonviolence so common in the larger movement. The impact of the Freedom Rides, however, was unprecedented, fixing the issue of civil rights in the national consciousness. Later activists were often dubbed Freedom Riders even if they never set foot on a bus. With challenges to segregated transportation as his point of departure, Catsam chronicles black Americans’ long journey toward increased civil rights. Freedom’s Main Line tells the story of bold incursions into the heart of institutional discrimination, journeys undertaken by heroic individuals who forced racial injustice into the national and international spotlight and helped pave the way for the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

An examination of the moral and political aspects of the philosophical work of Jan Patočka, one of the most influential Central European philosophers of the twentieth century.

Over the Mountains to Freedom tells the tale of real men who fought in the Revolutionary War. Lewis T. Rich brings to you the exciting tale of a young man, Major Jonathan Tipton, who fought desperately to protect his family and prevailed in key battles in the fight for freedom and independence.

Nathanael Greene was the strategist of the American Revolution. His role in the War for Independence was second only to General George Washington. Born and reared a Quaker, with no military experience, he was promoted from private to brigadier general over night. Greene quickly became Washington's confidant and close friend. He was chosen by the Commander to lead the Continental Army should Washington be killed, injured, or taken captive. Nathanael's vivacious wife Caty, a favorite of the Washingtons, added brightness to the dark, dreary existence of camp life. She proved to be a source of joy and comfort to her husband throughout the war--as well as a heartache and challenge. It was General Nathanael Greene who pulled the Continental Army from the throes of death at Valley Forge. It was General Greene who petitioned Congress for a Declaration of Independence. It was Nathanael Greene who was given the desperate task of commanding the Southern Department of the Continental Army after other commanders had failed. It was Greene who drove British General Cornwallis to surrender at Yorktown. Unable to participate or witness the victorious battle, he was forced to immediately return South with his troops, and subdue the remaining British forces. Greene led his troops in battle and laid siege for a year after the victory at Yorktown. His persistence finally forced the British to evacuate the South. George Washington and Nathanael Greene were the only general officers who served in that position throughout the war. Greene led his men in more battles than any other general officer, including Washington. Moreover, it was Greene who was constantly harassed by Congress, and ultimately forsaken by them. Three years after the official end of the war, Nathanael Greene was dead. His premature death was not only a result of the intense hardships of war, but the hardships and cruelty inflicted on him by the United States Congress. Janet Uhlar was born in Quincy, Massachusetts--the hometown of John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John Hancock, and Josiah Quincy, Jr. Through her works of biographical-fiction, she hopes to present the extraordinary stories of forgotten heroes of the American Revolution. Janet firmly believes that when the private lives and unique personalities of historical figures are presented, and the dynamics between these characters brought out, history becomes much more than cold black print on a stark white page. History takes on a life of its own, with true flesh and blood individuals whose acts of courage, indifference, or cowardice shaped the world we live in today. This living history helps us relate to those who have gone before--offering inspiration, courage, and a sense of determination. Janet is also the author of Liberty's Martyr: The Story of Dr. Joseph Warren. She lives on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Hongkongers’ Fight for Freedom: Voices from the 2019 Anti-extradition Movement documents this momentous episode in the history of Hong Kong through the voices of its participants. Drawing on the interviews of 56 participants, this book portrays how normally acquiescent Hongkongers joined the Movement en masse, driven by government intransigence, police brutality and flagrant injustice. It also conveys the deep emotions and strong sense of commitment and identity which evolved in the process. The Movement was a courageous effort by its citizens to defend their freedoms, but sadly, it also marked the beginning of the city’s sharp descent into Chinese tyranny. While a curtain of silence now enshrouds Hong Kong, it is imperative that these voices of resistance be preserved and heard.

Will to Freedom is an eyewitness account of the social and political upheaval that shook Eastern Europe from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s. As an underground resistance fighter, political prisoner, fugitive, and Communist Party official, Egon Balas charts his journey from idealistic young Communist to disenchanted dissident. Attracted by its anti-Nazi stance, Balas joined the Hungarian Communist Party in 1942, after Hungary had entered the war on Hitler’s side. He helped organize work stoppages and distributed antiwar leaflets. In his memoir, he offers a compelling account first of his eventual imprisonment and ordeal under torture and then of his escape and life in hiding. Later, Balas rose to high positions in postwar Romania. Arrested again, this time by the Communist authorities, he spent two years in solitary confinement. Unbroken, he was released after Stalin's death but was never forgiven for his refusal co cooperate in the staging of a show trial. Disenchanted with the regime, Balas started a new life as a self-educated applied mathematician and, after several unsuccessful attempts, was finally able to leave Romania as a Jewish emigrant in the mid-sixties.

During World War One over 4000 Australian servicemen were taken prisoner. Yet the prisoner of war experiences of the Anzacs are frequently forgotten, treated as mere footnotes in the proliferation of the literature of Australian military history. Where individual stories have been told they are often from the perspective of life as a POW. It could be assumed that the Australian POWs of WWI passed quietly into captivity. The opposite was in fact the case. Many of the Anzacs attempted escape, with over 40 successfully making their way to England or across the battlefields of Western Europe to allied lines – to ultimately score home-runs! Crawl to Freedom is a collection of stories of those successful home-runs. From enlistment to capture, the journeys and efforts of the escapees are forensically explored as the Anzacs fight for their freedom. The astonishing stories tell of mateship, courage and determination in the face of adversity, these soldiers succeeded in overcoming their hardships to fulfill their ingenious endeavours to escape. Crawl to Freedom combines meticulous research with a forensic analysis to tell these astonishing stories of daring, perseverance and endurance ... stories crying out to be told for over 100 years!