In October 1869, as America stood on the brink of becoming a thoroughly modern nation, workers unearthed what appeared to be a petrified ten-foot giant on a remote farm in upstate New York. The discovery caused a sensation. Over the next several months, newspapers devoted daily headlines to the story and tens of thousands of Americans—including Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the great showman P. T. Barnum—flocked to see the giant on exhibition. In the colossus, many saw evidence that their continent, and the tiny hamlet of Cardiff, had ties to Biblical history. American science also weighed in on the discovery, and in doing so revealed its own growing pains, including the shortcomings of traditional education, the weaknesses of archaeological methodology, as well as the vexing presence of amateurs and charlatans within its ranks. A national debate ensued over the giant's origins, and was played out in the daily press. Ultimately, the discovery proved to be an elaborate hoax. Still, the story of the Cardiff Giant reveals many things about America in the post-Civil War years. After four years of destruction on an unimagined scale, Americans had increasingly turned their attention to the renewal of progress. But the story of the Cardiff Giant seemed to shed light on a complicated, mysterious past, and for a time scientists, clergymen, newspaper editors, and ordinary Americans struggled to make sense of it. Hucksters, of course, did their best to take advantage of it. The Cardiff Giant was one of the leading questions of the day, and how citizens answered it said much about Americans in 1869 as well as about America more generally.

On November 8, 1937, a tourist from California named L. E. Hammond walked onto the campus of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, carrying a 21-pound rock he had accidentally stumbled upon in North Carolina. The barely-legible inscription on the rock appeared to be a lengthy message from Eleanor Dare, mother of Virginia Dare, and it was dated 1591. The inscription told of the trials and tribulations endured by the English colonists after their departure from Roanoke Island in 1587. The authenticity of that stone, commonly referred to as the Chowan River Dare Stone, has remained an open question since its appearance in 1937. Carefully researched and documented, this book finally provides conclusive evidence that the Chowan River Dare Stone is a clever 20th century fraud. In doing so, the book also tells the fascinating story of the Dare Stone and exposes the orchestration of the hoax and its shadowy perpetrators.

When a 10-foot tall purported "petrified man" is unearthed from a backyard in upstate New York in 1869, the discovery immediately turns into a spectacle of epic proportions. News of the giant spreads like wildfire, and well over a thousand people come to view him in the first five days alone!Everyone has their own idea of his true origin: Is he an ancient member of the local Onandaga Indian tribe? Is he a biblical giant like Goliath? Soon the interests of world-renowned scientists and people from around the globe are piqued as arguments flare over who he is, where he came from, and if he is real--or just a hoax. In a riveting account of how the Cardiff Giant mystery snowballed into one of America’s biggest money-making spectacles--and scams--Jim Murphy masterfully explores the power of 19th-century media and the unexpected ripple effect that a single corrupt mastermind can produce when given a stage.

THEIR WORLD HAS BEEN STOLEN! But the virtuals have no idea of what exactly has been done. To find out, Esmeralda, BC and Caesar undertake a mission in the human world - carrying weapons with License To Kill! Despite being desperately concerned for the safety of Sabine and Louis, who have argued their way into this extremely dangerous mission, the virtual operatives have no option but to penetrate the King’s palace in the desert, to get to the bottom of the mystery regarding Sagan and Gales, the human duo inducted into Screenside, and now missing without trace. The plan is a bit complex, as Caesar and his girlfriend, Rosa, move separately, with intent to kidnap and forcibly implant a microchip into a security colonel’s head, to possess him for cover to enter the heavily-guarded palace. These virtual-operated humans now have warrior installs that make them more capable and more dangerous than any human on earth! While they don’t give a damn for the colonel, whose body Caesar will use, their fear is for the safety of Sabine and Louis, in whom Esmeralda and BC move physically, because the humans can die if shot or caught. This is an action-packed adventure, in which three virtuals go deep into danger, fighting and killing their way through to unravel the plot. And it is terrible news. A group of extremely vile humans has acquired eternal life in an isolated and well-protected system. The question is this. How powerful can they become, and which world is going to be their target - the virtual one or the physical one? Or is it going to be both?

In Beyond Chutzpah, Norman Finkelstein moves from an iconoclastic interrogation of the new anti-Semitism to a meticulously researched expos of the corruption of scholarship on the Israel-Palestine conflict, especially in the work of Alan Dershowitz. Pointing to a consensus among historians and human rights organizations on the factual record, Finkelstein argues that so much controversy continues to swirl around the conflict because apologists for Israel contrive it. This paperback edition includes a new preface examining recent developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict and the misuse of anti-semitism, and a new chapter analysing the controversy surrounding Israel's construction of the West Bank wall.

Saddle the horses and round up the posse -- it's time for another ride through the Old West with four more great western novels! Here are: Sudden Bill Dorn, by Jackson Gregory... They were made for fighting and loving: Bill Dorn, hard-bitten cowman facing the loss of his ranch to a friend turned outlaw, and Lorna Kent, a stranger in Nacional, wanted for murder yet claiming to be the heiress to a deserted ranch... Border Ambush, by Walker A. Tompkins... Seeking to avenge a murder and destroy an outlaw empire, Doug Redding scoured the wastelands in search of a hidden canyon where a notorious rustler holed up between raids! Killers Two (aka "Keep Off My Ranch"), by Allan K. Echols... A lone rancher pits his guts against the fast guns of two rustlers! Bullet Range, by Will Cook... "A tough, gutsy tale of a range that lived by the gun. Top flight!" -- Real Magazine If you enjoy this ebook, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see more of the 260+ volumes in this series, covering adventure, historical fiction, mysteries, westerns, ghost stories, science fiction -- and much, much more!