Russell Shorto

An endlessly entertaining portrait of the city of Amsterdam and the ideas that make it unique, by the author of the acclaimed Island at the Center of the World
Tourists know Amsterdam as a picturesque city of low-slung brick houses lining tidy canals; student travelers know it for its legal brothels and hash bars; art lovers know it for Rembrandt's glorious portraits.
But the deeper history of Amsterdam, what makes it one of...

"Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a city "in its brawny postwar prime," is where "Little Joe" Regino and Russ Shorto build a local gambling empire on the earnings of factory workers for whom placing a bet--on a horse or pool game, pinball or "tip seal"--is their best shot at the American dream. Decades later, Russell Shorto grew up knowing that his grandfather...

A biography of the President who led the country through the stormy years of the Civil War.

Includes interviews with people who hold such varied careers as animal illustrator, pet store owner, dairy farmer, and zoo biologist, telling what they do, how they got started, and the necessary preparation for each job.

Recounts the life story of the Apache chief who led one of the last great Indian uprisings.

Traces the life and achievements of the Virginian who wrote the Declaration of Independence and served as the third president of the United States.