"The mid-seventeenth century witnessed an enormous wave of Jewish refugees and forced migrants from the wars of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, who spread across the Jewish communities of Europe and Asia. A series of wars that hit the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth-the Khmelnytsky uprising of 1648; the Muscovite invasion that begin in 1654; and the Swedish incursion from 1655 to 1660-all together forced many Jews out of their homes. Though not the direct targets of the combatants, within a short time many were deeply involved in the conflicts, some becoming victims of violence and some becoming arms-bearing participants. But most became refugees and forced migrants. These refugees posed a huge social, economic and ethical challenge to the Jewish world. In an unprecedented manner, the Jewish centers around Europe answered this challenge and, both individually and jointly, organized relief for the Polish-Lithuanian Jews in all the different places they now found themselves. The need for concerted action on behalf of the Polish Jewish refugees strengthened ties between communities across Europe, and significantly increased the range of communal co-operation. The book moves through the three different environments the refugees found themselves in. The first part looks at the refugees who remained within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, probing the local and regional policies of relief that would eventually prove so successful in helping them overcome the traumas of their past. The second examines the Jews who were brought to the slave markets of Constantinople, and then redeemed there by newly developed philanthropic systems that had raised the money to do so. The third examines the fate of the Jews who fled to Central and Western Europe, examining tensions that developed within the local Jewish populations between the need to help the refugees and a basic antipathy born of cultural difference. In each case, a web of inter-communal connections was created to help support the refugees-bringing different parts of the Jewish world into an extraordinary level of purposeful contact, and paving the way for similar organization in the future. As a result, the seventeenth century communities set in motion processes of change that would eventually be refashioned into the globalized Jewish world we know today"--

Explores the lives of survivors who were shipwrecked, banished, or abandoned during the past several centuries.

Essentials of Sea Survival contains original scientific research and investigations from two internationally recognized experts on cold-water survival. In addition to having practical personal experience with cold water immersion, Frank Golden and Michael Tipton regularly lecture at various international conferences about water survival, and they are frequently called on for expert commentary on television and radio. The majority of books on this subject are personal survival accounts; few relate to scientific studies. This book is different: Using reader-friendly language, two leading environmental physiologists present the facts and dispel the myths of surviving a sea accident. The book, thanks to the real-life stories and easy-to-read format, will appeal primarily to the layperson who works or plays on or near the water. The text will also be of interest to an academic audience, who will appreciate the original research and up-to-date physiological and medical information Essentials of Sea Survival is a compelling, informative, and comprehensive guide to open-water survival. Drawing from classic maritime disasters and personal accounts of near-miraculous survival, as well as carefully controlled laboratory experiments, it offers practical advice for avoiding as well as surviving a cold-water accident. It’s an important reference for anyone associated with open-air aquatic activities, such as members of the Coast Guard, Navy, and Marines; offshore oil rig employees; fishermen; divers; amateur and professional sailors; water safety instructors and life guards; water rescue personnel; boaters; water skiers; outdoor survival course instructors; and other recreational water sports enthusiasts.

FEATURING NEW EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT! Like Buffy or The Vampire Diaries but with tons more spice, a titillating fork-tongued demon, and a ritualistic monster cult, the edgy dark romance that set Tiktok on fire is now here as a special edition with bonus content for fans of Scarlett St. Claire, Penelope Douglas, and Katee Robert. The demon didn't just want my body. He wanted my soul. Leon: My reputation among magicians is unblemished. Killer, they call me; killing is what I’m best at. One wrong move and you’re dead. Except her. The one I was supposed to take, the one I should have killed. The cult that once controlled me wants her, but I’m not about to lose my new toy to them. Rae: I’ve always believed in the supernatural. Hunting for ghosts is my passion, but summoning a demon was never part of the plan. Monsters are roaming the woods, and something ancient—something evil—is waking up . . . and calling my name. I don’t know who I can trust, or how deep this darkness goes. All I know is my one shot at survival is the demon stalking me, and he doesn’t just want my body—he wants my soul.

Try it. Right now. Picture the lights going off in the room you're sitting in. The computer, the air conditioning, phones, everything. Then the people, every last person in your building, on the street outside, the entire neighborhood, vanished. With them go all noises: chitchat, coughs, cars, and that wordless, almost impalpable hum of a city. And animals: no dogs, no birds, not even a cricket's legs rubbing together, not even a smell. Now bump it up to 95 degrees. Turn your radio on and listen to 80 percent of your city drowning. You're almost there. Only twenty-eight days to go. Joshua Clark never left New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, choosing instead to band together with fellow holdouts in the French Quarter, pooling resources and volunteering energy in an effort to save the city they loved. When Katrina hit, Clark, a key correspondent for National Public Radio during the storm, immediately began to record hundreds of hours of conversations with its victims, not only in the city but throughout the Gulf: the devastated poor and rich alike; rescue workers from around the country; reporters; local characters who could exist nowhere else but New Orleans; politicians; the woman Clark loved, in a relationship ravaged by the storm. Their voices resound throughout this memoir of a unique and little-known moment of anarchy and chaos, of heartbreaking kindness and incomprehensible anguish, of mercy and madness as only America could deliver it. Paying homage to the emotional power of Joan Didion, the journalistic authority of Norman Mailer, and the gonzo irreverence of Tom Wolfe, Joshua Clark takes us through the experiences of loss and renewal, resilience and hope, in a city unlike any other. With lyrical sympathy, humility, and humor, Heart Like Water marks an astonishing and important national debut. A portion of the author's royalties from this book will go to the Katrina Arts Relief and Emergency Support (KARES) fund, which supports New Orleans-area writers affected by the storm.Visit www.NewOrleansLiteraryInstitute.com to find out how to make a direct and positive impact on the region.

An unforgettable true story, Two Souls Indivisible stirringly recounts the forging of a legendary, heroic bond between two soldiers. Fred Cherry and Porter Halyburton first met in their shared cell in a brutal POW camp in Vietnam. Cherry, an air force pilot, was badly injured after his plane crashed; he became the first black officer to be captured by the North Vietnamese. Halyburton, a young navy flier, was a naive white southerner thrown in as Cherry's cellmate. Their captors hoped close quarters would inflame American-bred racial tensions and break both men. Instead, American integrity and honor flourished, and as Cherry was nursed back to health, a friendship grew strong. The intense connection, powerfully reported by James S. Hirsch, would sustain both men through the war and throughout their lives. Inspiring, heartbreaking, remarkable, and never more timely, Two Souls Indivisible shows how good people can achieve greatness in the most hellish of circumstances.

Triggered by a long-forgotten past, Scott and Sandy Tremp's world suddenly collapses. What begins as a relatively normal day ends in disaster when Scott, walking into the kitchen expecting to find dinner, discovers Sandy on the floor, completely incoherent. Sandy's breakdown is the catalyst that opens Pandora's Box, unleashing chaos and destruction on their unsuspecting family. Compelling and inspirational, Surviving Life tells the true story of one family's heart-wrenching journey through an emotional and mental breakdown, abuse, betrayal, disappointment with God, financial devastation, and their fight to hold their family together. With a unique blend of humor and vulnerability, Scott and Sandy openly share their heartache and confusion as their family struggled to overcome insurmountable odds. Throughout their journey, Scott and Sandy discovered five survival skills, which, along with the strength they drew from God, eventually freed them from the bondage of their traumatizing experiences. Woven throughout their terrifying yet engaging life story are practical, step-by-step directions for moving beyond any painful circumstance and Surviving Life.