"Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound . . . It's Superman!" Bending Steel examines the historical origins and cultural significance of Superman and his fellow American crusaders. Cultural historian Aldo J. Regalado asserts that the superhero seems a direct response to modernity, often fighting the interrelated processes of industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and capitalism that transformed the United States from the early nineteenth century to the present. Reeling from these exciting but rapid and destabilizing forces, Americans turned to heroic fiction as a means of explaining national and personal identities to themselves and to the world. In so doing, they created characters and stories that sometimes affirmed, but other times subverted conventional notions of race, class, gender, and nationalism. The cultural conversation articulated through the nation's early heroic fiction eventually led to a new heroic type--the brightly clad, super-powered, pro-social action heroes that first appeared in American comic books starting in the late 1930s. Although indelibly shaped by the Great Depression and World War II sensibilities of the second-generation immigrants most responsible for their creation, comic book superheroes remain a mainstay of American popular culture. Tracing superhero fiction all the way back to the nineteenth century, Regalado firmly bases his analysis of dime novels, pulp fiction, and comics in historical, biographical, and reader response sources. He explores the roles played by creators, producers, and consumers in crafting superhero fiction, ultimately concluding that these narratives are essential for understanding vital trajectories in American culture.

"Whether making a delicate violin, a pair of skis or a graceful armchair, you'll need to bend wood. This text presents the basic methods and trade secrets from the experts."--Amazon.com.

This antiquarian volume contains a complete manual of the art of angling for roach, with comments on methodology, equipment, tactics, and other information useful to the roach fisherman. Written in simple, plain language and including much in the way of practical instructions and useful tips and hints, this text will prove invaluable to the roach fisherman, and makes for a great addition to collections of angling literature. The chapters of this book include: The Roach, Descriptive, Statistical, Roach Waters, The Roach Fisherman, Baits and Ground-Baits, Major Tactics and Major Considerations, Methods and Styles, Odds and Ends In Lighter Vein, and Hempseed Fishing for Roach. We are republishing this antiquarian volume now complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on the history of fishing.

Includes the institute's Proceedings.