Alabama and its people played a conspicuous role in World War II. Not only were thousands of servicemen trained at military facilities in the state but Axis prisoners of war were interned in camps on Alabama soil, most notably at Aliceville and Opelika. More than 45,000 Alabama citizens were killed in combat or died as POWs, some came home injured, and many labored in war factories at home.

An inspiring narrative history of the oldest congregation of Benedictine monasteries in the United States. Commissioned by the American-Cassinese Benedictine Congregation, Schools for the Lord’s Service is a comprehensive narrative history of the oldest congregation of Benedictine monasteries in the United States. In vivid detail, it describes how monasteries of the American-Cassinese Congregation initiated monastic life in North America according to the Rule of St. Benedict and how, in doing so, they have engaged for nearly 170 years with the American Catholic Church, the global Benedictine Order, the Holy See, and American society. Following a Benedictine tradition that stretches back to the early Middle Ages, American-Cassinese monks spread out from Pennsylvania to establish monasteries throughout the United States. Led by Boniface Wimmer, a visionary monk from the Bavarian abbey of Metten, the Benedictines introduced monastic observance according to the Rule of St. Benedict in these monasteries, and from them they founded missions, parishes, and schools where they continue to carry on pastoral, educational, and missionary apostolates in the service of the people of God. Comprised of twenty-five monasteries located in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, and Taiwan, the legacy and spirit of the American-Cassinese Benedictines continues to reinforce and complement the words of Abbot Boniface Wimmer who constantly exhorted his Benedictine brothers and sisters, “Forward, always forward.”

A history of the first 400 years of Catholic life in Canada.

With tractor historian Robert N. Pripps, take a close look at some of the most collectible vintage tractors from the United States, the UK, Germany, Holland, France, and other countries. Vintage farm tractors are revered throughout the world as the source of mechanical labor, allowing the revolution of farming to take place in the twentieth century. Some of the most interesting tractors are also the rarest, since they were produced in very small quantities. These include one-of-a-kind modified models; very, very old machines; and models produced by one of the many companies that made tractors for only a short time. The Tractor Factor is a richly illustrated book that reveals what makes a tractor collectible, showcases the rarest models, gives a history of the marque, and details specific finds. Robert N. Pripps, a leading tractor historian, covers models from the United States, the UK, Germany, Holland, France, and other countries. Pripps' expertise, paired with the stunning photography of Ralph W. Sanders and Andrew Morland, makes The Tractor Factor a book no fan of these paradigm-changing machines will want to miss!