James Baldwin was beginning to be recognized as the most brilliant black writer of his generation when his first book of essays, Notes of a Native Son, established his reputation in 1955. No one was more pleased by the book’s reception than Baldwin’s high school friend Sol Stein. A rising New York editor, novelist, and playwright, Stein had suggested that Baldwin do the book and coaxed his old friend through the long and sometimes agonizing process of putting the volume together and seeing it into print. Now, in this fascinating new book, Sol Stein documents the story of his intense creative partnership with Baldwin through newly uncovered letters, photos, inscriptions, and an illuminating memoir of the friendship that resulted in one of the classics of American literature. Included in this book are the two works they created together–the story “Dark Runner” and the play Equal in Paris, both published here for the first time. Though a world of difference separated them–Baldwin was black and gay, living in self-imposed exile in Europe; Stein was Jewish and married, with a growing family to support–the two men shared the same fundamental passion. Nothing mattered more to either of them than telling and writing the truth, which was not always welcome. As Stein wrote Baldwin in a long, heartfelt letter, “You are the only friend with whom I feel comfortable about all three: heart, head, and writing.” In this extraordinary book, Stein unfolds how that shared passion played out in the months surrounding the creation and publication of Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son, in which Baldwin’s main themes are illuminated. A literary event published to honor the eightieth anniversary of James Baldwin’s birth, Native Sons is a celebration of one of the most fruitful and influential friendships in American letters.

An anthropologist explores the politics and society of Kyrgyzstan through a study of one influential man’s life. A pioneering study of kinship, patronage, and politics in Central Asia, Blood Ties and the Native Son tells the story of the rise and fall of a man called Rahim, an influential and powerful patron in rural northern Kyrgyzstan, and of how his relations with clients and kin shaped the economic and social life of the region. Many observers of politics in post-Soviet Central Asia have assumed that corruption, nepotism, and patron-client relations would forestall democratization. Looking at the intersection of kinship ties with political patronage, Aksana Ismailbekova finds instead that this intertwining has in fact enabled democratization—both kinship and patronage develop apace with democracy, although patronage relations may stymie individual political opinion and action. “This book is an important contribution to a growing literature on Central Asian politics and society, and by complicating dominant narratives about the dangers of weak state institutions, Ismailbekova has much to offer to the broader research project on democratization and clientelism.” —Europe-Asia Studies

First published, 1940. Novel about a young Negro who is hardened by life in the slums and whose every effort to free himself proves helpless

Friendship. Loyalty. Charity. These are the values of the Native Sons of the Golden West, the organization that, since 1875, has dedicated itself to the mission of preserving the physical vestiges of California history. Through the years, this group has helped to save, memorialize, and restore such treasures as Sutter's Fort, the Monterey Custom House, the Vallejo Petaluma Adobe, and many of the California missions. Starting out in San Francisco, the Native Sons now has 75 "parlors," or chapters, statewide. With nearly 9,000 history-minded members, the Native Sons are known worldwide for their pageantry, pomp, and parades, as they keep alive the traditions of history.

Reggie Jackson (Wyncote). Roy Campanella (Philadelphia). Pat Kelly (also Philadelphia). From the most famous to the little known, 350 major league baseball players came from the Philadelphia area. Now, for the first time, celebrated baseball historian Rich Westcott brings these "native sons" home. In this short book, Westcott offers profiles of some of the most celebrated, talented, and often just hardest-working athletes to ever lift a bat and glove in major league baseball. He tells of the athletes like Mr. October, who were born here and went away, and others, like Kensington-born Jimmie Wilson, who became a star in his own hometown. ThroughoutNative Sons, Westcott recounts the startling careers of some incredible players, and recreates for readers the magical place they all called home. Rich Westcott's Philadelphia All-Star Team: Reggie Jackson (Wyncote) Goose Goslin (Salem, NJ) Del Ennis (Philadelphia) Mickey Vernon (Marcus Hook) Eddie Stanky (Philadelphia) Jimmy Dykes (Philadelphia) Buck Weaver (Pottstown) Roy Campanella (Philadelphia) Bucky Walters (Philadelphia) Herb Pennock (Kennett Square) Ray Narleski (Camden, NJ) Eddie Miksis (Burlington, NJ) Author note:Rich Westcottis a lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, and has known or covered many of the players in this book. His own undistinguished baseball career came to an inglorious conclusion when he flunked a trial with the Philadelphia Athletics (remember them?). Westcott has been a writer and editor for more than forty years, and is the founder and former editor and publisher ofPhillies Report. He is the author of thirteen other books, including twelve on baseball.

Gettysburg Rebels is the gripping true story of five young men who grew up in Gettysburg, moved south to Virginia in the 1850s, joined the Confederate army - and returned "home" as foreign invaders for the great battle in July 1863. Drawing on rarely-seen documents and family histories, as well as military service records and contemporary accounts, Tom McMillan delves into the backgrounds of Wesley Culp, Henry Wentz and the three Hoffman brothers in a riveting tale of Civil War drama and intrigue.