A lush, photographic journey through the origins and cataclysms of one of America’s most enigmatic natural treasures. Carved and scoured by catastrophic floods at the end of the most recent ice age, the Channeled Scablands of eastern Washington State dazzle with their harsh beauty and the diversity of their natural features, including great waterfalls, sprawling canyons, and cinematic palisades. In this pictorial love letter to the region, writer and photographer Timothy Connor expertly combines stunning images, engaging field notes, historical narrative, and a touching personal sojourn. His photography captures the sweeping horizons, braided wetlands, and vibrant wildlife, while his words examine the once-mystifying landmarks of the area through the story of J Harlen Bretz, the geologist who, in the 1920s, first suggested that massive floods formed the Scablands’ epic cataracts and inexplicably deep lakes. Incorporating the poignant story of Connor’s own journey of grief, Beautiful Wounds offers a moving, visual tribute to the enduring power of nature and the healing power of time.

The land between Idaho and the Cascade Mountains is characterized by gullies, coulees, and deserts--in geologic terms, it is a wholly unique place on the earth. Legendary geologist J Harlen Bretz, starting in the 1920s, was the first to explore the area. Bretz, a former science teacher at Franklin High School in Seattle and then a professor at t...

CLICK HERE to download the intro and section on exploring "Lower Crab Creek" from Washington Channeled Scablands Explore Washington's canyons of Ice Age wonders -- great trails, stunning scenery, and amazing history * Comprehensive guide to a fascinating region rich with history and recreational access to camping, hiking, fishing, and more * The Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail was designated by the National Park Service in 2009. Once completed, the Trail will connect interpretive facilities, signage, and other tourism activities * Features regional maps and photos Often overlooked by those cruising on the highway to Spokane or the Tri-Cities area, more than 2,000 square miles of terrain in eastern Washington are home to a striking collection of sharp-edged coulees slicing through a crust of basalt. In this stunning landscape, deep lakes fill the depths of dramatic gorges flanked by steep walls of towering rock columns, labyrinthine channels, and wide tracts of scabby rock that give the region its name -- geologically, no other region in the world contains features like those found in the Channeled Scablands. Where-to guidebook and travel narrative come together in the Washington's Channeled Scablands Guide to offer a comprehensive and intimately knowledgeable tour of this one-of-a-kind region. Local writer and historian John Soennichsen is your guide to fascinating lore; snapshots of the unique towns connected by this singular landscape; descriptions of the unique geology; advice on how to explore whether by auto, horseback, canoe, bike, or on foot; and essential info like where to fuel up and stop for dinner. Take the family to scenic camping and fishing in Coffeepot Lake, and read out loud the legend of Old West outlaw Harry Tracey as you cruise along on a "Back Roads Auto Tour." Lace up your boots for a cross-country hike in the Juniper Dunes Wilderness Area or up Badger Mountain Trail. Explore the unearthly crater-like formations in the Telford-Crab Creek Tract, or set up with your camera for a stunning sunrise over Palouse Falls. Whether you're a boater looking for new waterways to explore, a naturalist interested in unique ecosystems, or just a curious traveler -- if you're seeking adventure and intrigue just a little off the beaten path, you'll find the keys to a whole new world of exploration with Washington's Channeled Scablands Guide.

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Winner of the John H. Dunning Prize, American Historical Association Winner of the Stuart L. Bernath Book Prize, Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations Winner of the James H. Broussard Best First Book Prize, Society for Historians of the Early American Republic Winner of the North Jersey Civil War Round Table Book Award Finalist for the Harriet Tubman Prize, Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery When the United States emerged as a world power in the years before the Civil War, the men who presided over the nation’s triumphant territorial and economic expansion were largely southern slaveholders. As presidents, cabinet officers, and diplomats, slaveholding leaders controlled the main levers of foreign policy inside an increasingly powerful American state. This Vast Southern Empire explores the international vision and strategic operations of these southerners at the commanding heights of American politics. “At the close of the Civil War, more than Southern independence and the bones of the dead lay amid the smoking ruins of the Confederacy. Also lost was the memory of the prewar decades, when Southern politicians and pro-slavery ambitions shaped the foreign policy of the United States in order to protect slavery at home and advance its interests abroad. With This Vast Southern Empire, Matthew Karp recovers that forgotten history and presents it in fascinating and often surprising detail.” —Fergus Bordewich, Wall Street Journal “Matthew Karp’s illuminating book This Vast Southern Empire shows that the South was interested not only in gaining new slave territory but also in promoting slavery throughout the Western Hemisphere.” —David S. Reynolds, New York Review of Books

In 1993 Margie Witt, a young Air Force nurse, was chosen as the face of the Air Force's "Cross into the Blue" recruitment campaign. This was also the year that President Clinton's plan for gays to serve openly in the military was quashed by an obdurate Congress, resulting in the blandly cynical political compromise known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Contrary to its intent, DADT had the perverse effect of making it harder for gay servicemen and -women to fight expulsion. Over the next seventeen years more than 13,000 gay soldiers, sailors, marines, coast guard, and airmen and -women were removed from military service. That is, until Margie Witt's landmark case put a stop to it. Tell is the riveting story of Major Margaret Witt's dedicated and decorated military career as a frontline flight nurse, and of her love and devotion to her partner-now wife-Laurie Johnson. Tell captures the tension and drama of the politically charged legal battle that led to the congressional repeal of the controversial law and helped pave the way for a suite of landmark political and legal victories for gay rights. Tell is a testament to the power of love to transform hearts and minds, as well as a celebration of the indomitable spirit of Major Witt, her wife Laurie, her dedicated legal team, and the brave men and women who came forward to testify on her behalf in a historic federal trial. "The name Margaret Witt may join the canon of US civil rights pioneers." -Guardian "Major Witt's trial provided an unparalleled opportunity to attack the central premise of [Don't Ask, Don't Tell] . . . and set an important precedent."- New York Times "A landmark ruling."-Politico

Based upon two decades of in-depth investigative reporting in Colombia's conflict zones, this explosive volume integrates text, photography, and design to communicate the horrors that paramilitary groups, such as the "United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia" (as well as the other sides of the conflict in response to the violence), inflicted and continue to inflict on Colombia. An instant classic of journalism and South American political history.