A book that interrogates the idea of America--especially our westering, both historical and contemporary.

An expanded edition of one of the most original and provocative works of American history of the last decade, which documents the pioneering experiences and grit of American frontier women.

The book gives to the reader a glimpse into the life of a Jewish family in Czechoslovakia from the end of WW I, throughout the Nazi horrors of WW II, to the era of Communist dictatorship and finally to the freedom in the West. This non-fictional narrative is written in chronological order and ties in related political events that occurred during this time. The author's WW II survival is followed in detail, showing how the will to fight for life aided in the achievement of that vision. Full recognition is given to the good people who took risks, without which the author could not have survived the war. While liberation brought happiness and hope for a better life, there was also a cloud of sadness over the loss of his father, dear family members and friends that can never be eradicated from memory. Unfortunately, the freedom that came with the end of the war was short lived. The establishment of Communist dictatorship marred that gained freedom. Once again, the author's determination to live in a free society, guided him through an adventurous escape to the West, where he finally achieved his dream of freedom.

Anthony C. Yu’s translation of The Journey to the West,initially published in 1983, introduced English-speaking audiences to the classic Chinese novel in its entirety for the first time. Written in the sixteenth century, The Journey to the West tells the story of the fourteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Xuanzang, one of China’s most famous religious heroes, and his three supernatural disciples, in search of Buddhist scriptures. Throughout his journey, Xuanzang fights demons who wish to eat him, communes with spirits, and traverses a land riddled with a multitude of obstacles, both real and fantastical. An adventure rich with danger and excitement, this seminal work of the Chinese literary canonis by turns allegory, satire, and fantasy. With over a hundred chapters written in both prose and poetry, The Journey to the West has always been a complicated and difficult text to render in English while preserving the lyricism of its language and the content of its plot. But Yu has successfully taken on the task, and in this new edition he has made his translations even more accurate and accessible. The explanatory notes are updated and augmented, and Yu has added new material to his introduction, based on his original research as well as on the newest literary criticism and scholarship on Chinese religious traditions. He has also modernized the transliterations included in each volume, using the now-standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization system. Perhaps most important, Yu has made changes to the translation itself in order to make it as precise as possible. One of the great works of Chinese literature, The Journey to the West is not only invaluable to scholars of Eastern religion and literature, but, in Yu’s elegant rendering, also a delight for any reader.

While Henry David Thoreau's travels to the Maine Woods and Cape Cod were well documented and have been followed by "Thoreauvians" for decades, his 1861 "journey west" with Horace Mann, Jr.--which took the duo from Massachusetts to Minnesota and back--was left to be veiled in mystery. This book details this, the last, longest, and least-known of Thoreau's excursions. The story of two 19th-century men and the 21st-century woman who was determined to follow their 4,000-mile path, this account will intrigue history buffs as they follow in the footsteps of a popular American writer and naturalist.