Tales from the Great Divide is a story of challenge, of change but mostly of hope. It is the story of an immigrant Italian family and their first American born progeny living in the chaotic years of the middle part of the Twentieth Century. With humor, courage and grit they struggle to be American as the definition of American changes. In the end they come to define America as does every generation of immigrants who weave the brilliant threads of their ethnicity into the tapestry of this great nation.

Following the attacks of September 11th, New York Governor George Pataki witnessed a truly United States of America rise like the mythological phoenix. People came together regardless of their generational, ethnic, situational, or cultural background, and he stated, “On that terrible day, a nation became a neighborhood. All Americans became New Yorkers.” These words echo today with a hollow ring, and a bitter sting. The economic and emotional fallout post-9/11 was devastating. The political toll was even worse, bringing us to where we are today, a society as divided as it’s been in more than a hundred years, separated by political tribes that demand ideological purity coupled with blind loyalty. In looking at America and its divide, Pataki asks a bold question: Did the terrorists win? This is a question no sitting politician or pundit from either side of the political spectrum will dare address. Along with President George W. Bush and Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Pataki was one of only three people directly involved in, commanding, and making life or death decisions during 9/11. Few have the experience or depth to even begin to dive into this subject; as a result, Pataki’s answers might surprise you. In sharing his perspective of where we were and where we are today, he hopes to shed light on what he calls the great divide. It’s a divide not just between left and right or Republicans and Democrats, but between the American people and their government. This division has fostered anger and resentment toward Washington, and toward each other, in a cultural separation that is likened to that of the Civil War. Now, almost twenty years since the deadliest attack on American soil, Americans have reached another critical moment: will we unite again, or this time get lost in the divide? Drawing on Pataki’s memories, notes, crises, and critical events, The Great Divide gives an unprecedented, shocking, heart-pounding inside view into what happened before, during, and after 9/11. The Governor reflects on where our country is today and how we can rebuild a common future and perhaps return to a time when a nation became a neighborhood.

For Paul Howard, who has ridden the entire Tour de France route during the race itself—setting off at 4 am each day to avoid being caught by the pros—riding a small mountain-bike race should hold no fear. Still, this isn’t just any mountain-bike race. This is the Tour Divide. Running from Banff in Canada to the Mexican border, the Tour Divide is more than 2,700 miles—500 miles longer than the Tour de France. Its route along the Continental Divide goes through the heart of the Rocky Mountains and involves more than 200,000 feet of ascent—the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest seven times. The other problem is that Howard has never owned a mountain bike—and how will training on the South Downs in southern England prepare him for sleeping rough in the Rockies? Entertaining and engaging, Eat, Sleep, Ride will appeal to avid and aspiring cyclers, as well as fans of adventure/travel narrative with a humorous twist.

Estrangement is at the heart of this closely knit collection of short stories. Roberts interweaves tales of a group of acquaintences, all of them brought together and divided, hence the metaphor in the book's title -- The Great Divide.

Fifteen-year-old Will Crump, his family, and the slave of a friend are drawn into the conflict of the Civil War. Will their family, love and faith survive? He follows John Morgan through his famous raid. His father, sisters, and young love support the North. WillÆs sister Albinia helps Luther and his family to freedom on the Underground Railroad.

This book is a collection of written ballads as a small poetic tribute to the natural beauty that surrounds us. From the author's desk, "In 1969 three friends and I booked a big-game hunt with a guide and outfitter in Montana. This hunting area lay astraddle the Continental Divide in the Bob Marshal Wilderness. None of us had ever been that far West. From the outfitter's ranch, it was two days in on horseback. We rode through flower-covered meadows, riparian valleys with crystal clear streams, verdant timber, unbelievable rock formations, and towering canyon walls. I was instantly addicted to Mother Nature's artistry. Two years later, I packed up the family, left Ohio, and headed West."