The history of animals and humans as seen through barbed wire.

Traces the late-nineteenth-century invention of barbed wire and explores the historical role of this cheap, mass-produced technology that allowed control and confinement of large amounts of open space, explaining the significance of barbed wire in terms of the mass warfare, political conquest, and genocide of the modern era. 12,500 first printing.

How could an ordinary fence shape a nation's history? Before the 1870s, much of the American West was an uninterrupted expanse of plains, where native tribes followed buffalo herds for hundreds of miles and cowboys ran cattle wherever water and grass led them. After the Homestead Act of 1862, settlers pouring into the West to stake their claims found that farming was not easy in cattle country, where the Law of the Open Range dictated that the needs of the herds-and their owners-came first. Then, seemingly overnight, everything changed. The invention and mass production of barbed wire made it possible for homesteaders to fence off millions of acres, creating a violent clash of cultures. In this engaging history, the struggles of cattlemen, farmers, Indians, inventors, and outlaws are brought to life for history buffs and curious readers alike. Enhanced by historic photos, maps, and a handy chronology, Barbed Wire: The Fence That Changed the West reveals the fascinating account of how a simple twist of wire transformed a country's landscape and ushered in a new way of life.

Hard as nails and hot as hell, badass bounty hunter Barb Wire rides the meanest streets of America's toughest town: Steel Harbor, USA. Barb tracks gangsters who can punch through walls and crush cars like beer cans, but it's nothing personal, just business. It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it! The bitch is back! The comic book that inspired the motion picture, Barb Wire returns with pedal-to-the-metal action and full-metal-jacket girl power! Written by series creator Chris Warner and drawn by Catwoman and Spider-Girl artist Patrick Olliffe.

As a boy, Kenichi “Zeni” Zenimura dreams of playing professional baseball, but everyone tells him he is too small. Yet he grows up to be a successful player, playing with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig! When the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor in 1941, Zeni and his family are sent to one of ten internment camps where more than 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry are imprisoned without trials. Zeni brings the game of baseball to the camp, along with a sense of hope. This true story, set in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, introduces children to a little-discussed part of American history through Marissa Moss’s rich text and Yuko Shimizu’s beautiful illustrations. The book includes author and illustrator notes, archival photographs, and a bibliography.

This powerful debut thriller from "a major new talent" (Kirkus) set in a poor, rural community where loyalty is everything, "packs an emotional punch" (Lisa Gardner) as the daughter of a meth kingpin is forced to choose between family, or freedom. Never cut the drugs--leave them pure. Guns are meant to be shot--keep them loaded. Family is everything--betray them and die. Harley McKenna is the only child of North County's biggest criminal. Duke McKenna's run more guns, cooked more meth, and killed more men than anyone around. Harley's been working for him since she was sixteen, dreading the day he'd deem her ready to rule the rural drug empire he's built. Her time's run out. The Springfields, her family's biggest rivals, are moving in. And they're coming for Duke's only weak spot: his daughter. Duke's raised her to be deadly -- he never counted on her being disloyal. But if Harley wants to survive and protect the people she loves, she's got to take out both Duke's operation and the Springfields. Blowing up meth labs is dangerous business, and getting caught will be the end of her, but Harley has one advantage: She is her father's daughter. And McKennas always win.

After winning Philadelphia's SportsRadio 94WIP's Wing Bowl in January 1999, competitive eater Bill "El Wingador" Simmons became an overnight celebrity and helped inspire food-obsessed gluttons across the nation. However, despite winning four more Wing Bowl championships, and participating in numerous television commercials and public appearances across the country, there was much more going on behind the scenes in the life of this six-foot-five, larger-than-life character than what appeared on his plate. Personal setbacks soon forced Simmons down a devastating and destructive road, leading to his subsequent arrest and jail sentence. A series of near-death experiences while in prison inspired Simmons to take control of his life, and his newfound path has helped him regain the love and respect of legions of fans. With a foreword by two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee and iconic Philadelphia sports radio personality Angelo Cataldi (Angelo Cataldi and the WIP Morning Show- SportsRadio 94WIP), Snow On The Barbwire offers a no-holds-barred look at the life and times of one of the most charismatic, recognizable and colorful personalities to ever conquer the eating world. The book is co-written with close friend and confidant Joe Vallee, co-founder of the website Philly2Philly.com and co-author of A Snowball's Chance: Philly Fires Back Against the National Media, and 'No Curveballs: My Greatest Sports Stories Never Told, ' the autobiography of long-time sports journalist Bill Werndl. 'Snow On The Barbwire' is more than just the story of a man eating chicken wings. It is the candid, compelling tale of a man whose random participation in one of the world's biggest eating competitions led to fame, fortune, and some rather unintended consequences. It inspires all of us to rise up against adversity and never give up on life-no matter how dire the consequences may seem.