In his travels around the globe, National Geographic photojournalist Steve Raymer has often been the first on the scene, recording unfolding events and revealing the connections that tie us together. Raymer's photography captures the magic of beautiful vistas, the joys and struggles of everyday people living everyday lives, and the chaos brought on by natural disasters. Beyond documenting tragedies like the devastating famines in Bangladesh and Ethiopia and exposing the massive corruption crippling the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, his work tells a complex and wide-ranging story about life and human nature. Now, for the first time, Somewhere West of Lonely reveals the stories behind the camera lens in a gorgeous, intimate tour of Steve Raymer's remarkable life and reporting. Bringing together 150 photographs from countries across the globe, this incredible book reveals our world and time as it is—everyday people caught up in life-changing events; acts of resilience and corruption; and, always, lingering moments of transcendence and beauty.

Twisted by the Wind is a collection of stories and words of wisdom, with a fair amount of humor added. It chronicles a philosophical spirit developed on the plains of Oklahoma, the Arizona desert, Nashville, and the wine country of California, honed through a lifetime of entrepreneurial endeavors and adventures. Tales of first flights, free meals in the park, car racing, life in a monastery, following a musical dream, and wisdom of the ages are all wrapped in a collection of quotes, short stories, poems, and personal revelations. Designed to be a catalyst to spark readers inspiration and creativity, you can open this book anywhere and find a fresh thought or idea to make life more enjoyable and to share with others.

Jim Mathews is a high school senior in a small town near Little Rock, Arkansas, and his future doesnt look bright. He works a variety of odd jobs to help support his mother. His grades arent exemplary, but at least he graduates. On a whim, he joins the US Marine Corps, and on the last day of August in 1940, he ships out to boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. At the time, talk of war is on the horizon, but Mathews has no idea of what he will eventually face. Brave Are the Lonely follows the course of his military careerfrom boot camp to advanced infantry training and Officers Candidate School Training at Quantico, Virginia, to tours of duty in four fierce, major battles, including Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima, where he is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. It also shares the story of his personal lifehow he meets his wife Helen and how he spends his postwar years crisscrossing the country on behalf of the government, recalling his retirement from the military and his life as an educator in a relatively obscure small town in Georgia. This historical novel provides insight into the battles in the Pacific during World War II and pays tribute to the men who gave their lives.

In a new and updated second edition, this book--first published in 1983--provides a detailed review of the end of the Vietnam War. Drawing on the author's eyewitness reporting and extensive research, the book relies on carefully reported facts, not partisan myths, to reconstruct the war's last years and harrowing final months. The catastrophic suffering those events brought to ordinary Vietnamese civilians and soldiers is vividly portrayed. The largely unremembered wars in Cambodia and Laos are examined as well, while new material in an updated final chapter points out troubling parallels between the Vietnam War and America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A collection of essays about the joys and struggles of being alone by 22 literary writers including: Lev Grossman, Jhumpa Lahiri, Lena Dunham, Jesmyn Ward, Yiyun Li, and Anthony Doerr If you’re feeling lonely or if you’ve ever felt unseen, if you’re emboldened by solitude or secretly longing for it: Welcome to The Lonely Stories. This cathartic collection of essays illuminates an experience that so few of us openly discuss. Some stories are heartbreaking, such as Jesmyn Ward’s reckoning with the loss of her husband and Dina Nayeri’s reflection on immigrating to a foreign country. Others are witty, such as Lev Grossman’s rueful tale of heading to the woods or Anthony Doerr’s struggles with internet addiction. Still others celebrate the clarity of solitude, like Claire Dederer’s journey toward sobriety and Lidia Yuknavitch’s sensual look at desire. Thoughtful and affirming, The Lonely Stories reveals the complexities of an emotion we’ve all felt—reminding us that we're not alone. Contributors include: Megan Giddings Claire Dederer Imani Perry Jeffery Renard Allen Maggie Shipstead Emily Raboteau Lev Grossman Lena Dunham Yiyun Li Anthony Doerr Helena Fitzgerald Maile Meloy Aja Gabel Jean Kwok Amy Shearn Peter Ho Davies Maya Shanbhag Lang Jhumpa Lahiri Jesmyn Ward Lidia Yuknavitch Dina Nayeri Melissa Febos

There is a particular flavor to the loneliness that comes from living in a city, surrounded by thousands of strangers. This roving cultural history of urban loneliness centers on the ultimate city: Manhattan, that teeming island of gneiss, concrete, and glass. How do we connect with other people, particularly if our sexuality or physical body is considered deviant or damaged? Does technology draw us closer together or trap us behind screens? Laing travels deep into the work and lives of some of the century's most original artists in a celebration of the state of loneliness.