Turner Publishing Company

Luther: A Giant Among Leaders

When called to account for himself in front of the emperor and representatives of the people—a single assembly embodying the greatest political and religious powers of the day—Luther defended his writings and pronouncements. Facing excommunication and execution, he was given a last chance to recant. He refused, replying that his conscience was bound by the Word of God. The nearly five centuries that have passed since that trial still reverberate with his final declaration to those powerful dignitaries: "Here I stand." This book focuses on that place where all of us must stand if we want to lead others to a better community, a better society, a better world. 

Theodore Roosevelt: Hero

"Every great nation owes to the men whose lives have formed part of its greatness not merely the material effect of what they did, not merely the laws they placed upon the statute books or the victories they won over armed foes, but also the immense but indefinable moral influence produced by their deeds and words themselves upon the national character." —Theodore Roosevelt, American Ideals

Before his fiftieth birthday, Teddy Roosevelt had served as a state legislator in New York, undersecretary of the navy, police commissioner of New York City, governor of New York, and two terms as Vice President and then president of the United States. He also had run a cattle ranch in the Dakota Territories, had worked as a journalist and editor, conducted scientific expeditions o four continents, raised five children, and enjoyed a fulfilling marriage with his wife. No wonder he continues to capture our imaginations as he did the loyalty and respect of his own time.

In The Courage and Character of Theodore Roosevelt, George Grant explores the life and character of one of the most remarkable men of the twentieth century. In doing so, he defines the qualities that made Roosevelt such an extraordinary leader, the exploits that made him so famous, and the spiritual values and faith that he affirmed with such vigor as he walked the world stage with an impact generated by few men in his time.

As full as a Christmas stocking, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Memory Book takes you behind the snowy scenes of Frank Capra’s magi-cal film starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore to make the story come alive in a new way. The film premiered in December 1946 and was nominated for five Academy Awards. Today, it sparkles as one of Hollywood’s most brilliant ornaments, a treasured gift for generations of movie lovers to eagerly unwrap each year. Indeed, it has become as much a part of the holiday season as the man in the red suit himself.

Featuring a feast of stories from cast members—including the two men who played George Bailey as a young boy and as an adult—this extraordinary memory book explores the fascination we have with this dark tale of Bedford Falls. Commentary from director Frank Capra, Karolyn Grimes (“Zuzu”), Todd Karns (“Harry Bailey”), Sheldon Leonard (“Nick” the bartender), and many more, give the story a new sense of immediacy. There are rare unpublished photographs, including some in full color, and recently discovered images depicting scenes that were cut from the movie, including Capra’s brilliant “lost ending.” As Clarence the guardian angel warned George Bailey, “You’ll see a lot of strange things from now on.”

After Capone is the first book-length work to present the complete, never-before-told story of Frank "the Enforcer"Nitti—born Francesco Raffele Nitto—the driving force behind the Chicago mob's operations in the years that followed Al Capone's imprisonment. Beginning with Nitti's Italian origins, Mars Eghigian traces the Enforcer's entry into and subsequent rise inside Chicago's underworld, his near-fatal shooting by city detectives, his strange death, and the ultimate downfall of all who were associated with him.
Based on years of research and supported by original sources from state and federal archives, After Capone is the definitive reference on Nitti's violent life and times. The result is a comprehensive and arousing portrait of the cunning mob boss, his life experiences, the people around him, and organized crime in Chicago in the post-Capone era. In addition to dispelling such popular notions as that Natti followed Capone to Chicago and that he was Scarface's cousin, Eghigian provides an all-encompassing view of Nitti's criminal activities, which stretched farther beyond Chicago than those of any other organized crime family until that time.
The driving force that expanded the Chicago mob's operations, Nitti led the mob away from the illegal booze that had been its mainstay during Prohibition into the legitimate distribution of alcohol after the repeal of Prohibition, labor union racketeering, and the mob's attempts to control illicit gambling from coast to coast. After Capone is a fascinating and chilling account of the ability of mob power to adapt to the constantly shifting nature of American culture.

* Flavorful: Lots of delicious favorites and family recipes presented, including favorites like oatmeal cookies, baked french fries, and seven-layer dips.

* Fast: Most of the recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

* Friendly: Recipes are presented in plain English with easy-to-follow instructions. The equipment needed is also listed for each recipe.

* Fresh: Where possible, fresh ingredients and spices are used. The recipes call for very few processed or canned items, and the authors encourage the use of fresh ingredients such as basil, cheese, nuts, fresh vegetables, and fruits.

Quickies for Couples provides a little zest to any meal, making cooking healthy, quick, fun, and rewarding.

Dishing Hollywood is a delightful and naughty romp through some of the biggest scandals that have rocked Hollywood - from the earlier part of the twentieth century to the present. Some of the stories appear here for the first time. Some you might think you've heard, but you haven't heard it all! To add a little spice to the story, the author includes a recipe with each "scoop" - favorite dishes, cocktails of choice, even some last meals, including...

- Inger Stevens: C'mon, who kills herself while in the middle of snaking her favorite sandwich, a BLT with avocado?

Mama Cass: That ham sandwich? Baloney!

Robert Blake: His favorite restaurant named a dish after him to capitalize on his troubles.

Debbie Reynolds: What did she fix her kids for dinner (on a budget) after that rat fink Eddie Fisher threw her over for Liz Taylor?

Bobby Darin: He learned how to make his "Special Spinach" from his mother... or was that his grandmother?

Many more stories are inside, each more scandalous and shocking than the next. So quit stallin - pull up a chair and check out the menu. And don't forget to tip the waitress.

Discovered and dusted off thirty yers after Larry Fine's death, his personal notes, clippings, interviews, and career memorabilia provide a portrait of his life and the lives of the other Stooges. The result is an unparalleled visual history of the most prolific comedy trio in entertainment annals.

Like them or not, the Three Stooges remain unique motion picture icons of the greatest renown. This is their story as revealed by Larry, in his own words, augmented by fascinating anecdotes from family members and friends. Behind his comic mask was a life that blended fame and fortune, bad luck and tragedy. This tumultuous trip through Larry Fine's years in film is based on his memoirs, now published for the first time, along with his astonishing collection of rare photographs—including fifty images in full color.

Thirteen Hundred Years of Christian Praise

This collection of Christian poetry in English is compiled from a spectrum of poets who span thirteen centuries. Beginning with Caedmon (ca. 658–680), the poetry is from the ancient, medieval, Reformation, and modern church periods and from Anglican, Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox poets, as well as mainline and evangelical traditions. Because poetry is a vehicle of praise and exhortation, mediation and understanding, these selections include every form and style of reflection and psalm, from private, personal devotion to hymns and epic forms with godly themes.

We who speak English have thirteen centuries of Christian poetry behind us. It is a deep and broad stream of praise, frequently poured out by men and women who died for the faith in the midst of persecution. While the glory of God may have been diminished by sectarian motives at times, the channel of the stream has always been the faith and an unbroken succession of men and women who have praised God in verse.

What did it mean to cross the bar"? What did it mean "to see the elephant" or "to go South"? Why did the armies have so-called ninety-day men and hundred-day men? What were soldiers supposed to do when their commander shouted, "Let her go, Gallagher"? How did one "pay tribute to Neptune"? What was a "picket pin"? Could one make a passable meal of "possum beer" and "secession bread"? How did one "vibrate the lines, " and why would anyone want to attempt such a maneuver?

To address this need, Webb Garrison has pored over his notes from more than thirty years of research and study to produce this dictionary and encyclopedia of words and phrases (including nicknames and slang) commonly used during the war. Where appropriate, examples and anecdotes are included to illustrate meanings. Often overlooked naval terms and esoteric formal and informal military expressions are addressed as well as short descriptions of oceangoing vessels and river craft.

More than 2,500 entries and 250 illustrations cover the terms, equipment, and organization of the three million soldiers who fought in the war."

Following on the heels of the successful first volume of this series, the stories in this stellar field include:

"Final Rites" by Doug Allyn • "Don't Kill a Karate Fighter" by William Chambers • "Entrapped" by Harlan Coben • "Yellow Gal" by Michael Collins • "Together" by Jeffrey Deaver • "The Rough Boys" by Harlan Ellison • "Tole My Cap'n" by Joe Gores • "Layover" by Ed Gorman • "A Bunch of Mumbo-Jumbo" by Jan Grape • "The Cure" by David Handler • "Till Tuesday" by Jeremiah Healy • "Village of the Dead" by Edward D. Hoch • "Chalk" by Evan Hunter • "It's a Wise Child Who Knows" by Stuart Kaminsky • "Who Killed Cock Robin?" by H. R. F. Keating • "Medford & Son" by Dick Lochte • "Thieves' Honor" by John Lutz • "Not All Brides Are Beautiful" by Sharyn McCrumb • "Manslaughter" by Joyce Carol Oates • "You Don't Know What It's Like" by Bill Pronzini • "The Disappearance of Penny" by Robert J. Randisi • "A Victim Must Be Found" by Henry Slesar • "Blue Rose" by Peter Straub • "A Bad Night For Burglars" by Lawrence Block

Churchill: A Giant Among Leaders

According to Henry Kissinger, “Our age finds it difficult to come to grips with Churchill. The political leaders with whom we are familiar generally aspire to be superstars rather than heroes. The distinction is crucial. Superstars strive for approbation; heroes walk alone. Superstars crave consensus; heroes define themselves by the judgment of a future they see it as their task to bring about. Superstars seek success in a technique for eliciting support; heroes pursue success as the outgrowth of their inner values.”

Winston Churchill is a hero. 

In this incisive look at his leadership in action, we see what it was that enabled him to do what few others have ever accomplished in the long annals of history: stand for principle and prevail.

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slaver? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

These compelling words embodied the patriotic spirit of Patrick Henry—a brilliant orator whose love of liberty, won at any cost, fueled the fire of the American Revolution.

Patrick Henry was a hero.

Int his incredible look at his leadership in action, we see why Henry's love of liberty gave him the courage to stand int he face of tyranny and prevail.

The fall of Atlanta was not just one more Union victory. It was pivotal to the outcome of the entire Civil War and also to Lincoln's reelection. With the fall of Atlanta, Confederate morale plummeted. The South's most significant manufacturing center was destroyed, and its primary railroad connections were cut. The destruction of Atlanta was not just a Union victory over one city, but a key to the end of the war.

Fields of Glory traces the story of the campaign from the Tennessee border through the heart of Georgia to Jonesboro. Included is a series of driving tours that enable readers to see firsthand the battlefields and important sites of the campaign.

Also included are more than 85 illustrations, 25 original maps, a lively history of the campaign, fascinating tours of the battlefields, articles on military strategy, biographies of generals, the chronology of key battles and important events, sources for additional travel information, a bibliography, and an index.

"In General Sherman's mind, " Jim Miles explains, "before the Civil War could be brought to a victorious conclusion, Atlanta had to be destroyed and the Confederacy denied its products. From that day, Atlanta was a doomed city.""

Just in time to join the fortieth anniversary celebration of the classic television sitcom, The Beverly Hillbillies is filled with all the hillbilly country corn anyone could expect. Updated and expanded from the first edition, published in 1988, it is the ultimate TV book. Readers will also find hundreds of photographs, including 16 pages of color, fascinating trivia, behind-the-scenes stories, exclusive contributions from Paul Henning, the show's creator, a list of Granny's fixin's, the story of the popular theme song, Elly May's critters, Jethro's "Double-Naught" secrets, and an introduction by 93-year-old Buddy Ebsen, who played Jed Clampett in the series. Also included are a complete episode guide, cast biographies with all the inside scoop, and highlights from guest stars (John Wayne, Gloria Swanson, Sammy Davis Jr., and others).

The Beverly Hillbillies is still shown every day on cable television's Nick at Night. This fortieth anniversary edition of the book will become a collector's item for all who loved and love the show. There's more here than you can shake a possum at. Sit a spell."

The third volume in The Tennessee Frontier Trilogy, The Canebrake Men is a saga of adventure set in the period from 1785 to 1800. In it Cameron Judd paints a portrait of the unforgettable men and women whose vision, passion, and pain gave rise to the new nation, such as:
-- Joshua Coulter, who had made a life amid the dangers of the rugged frontier and had been tamed by the Tennessee Wilderness, only to discover again a deep restlessness that stirred in his heart
-- Owen Killefer, who set out for the Chickamauga country as a boy to avenge a bloody crime
-- Emaline Killefer, who was torn from her family in a bloody raid by a British deserter and taken to live among the Chickamauga as his unwilling wife
-- John Sevier, the frontiersman who led raids against the Indians and was named governor of a would-be state the federal government never recognized
-- Andrew Jackson, a brash young lawyer with a fiery temper, who first met Joshua Colter as an opponent in a brawl but soon became a strong ally and loyal friend

In the midst of fraud and deception, murder and betrayal, Darcy battles a legal system that seems more adept at administering injustice than in protecting the innocent.

Sometimes a simple plea bargain is not what it appears to be, as criminal defense attorney Darcy Cole learns when he takes the case of Harry Feigler, a Chicago attorney who specializes in expunging the records of men who have been caught soliciting prostitutes. Sometimes also, Darcy reminds his associate Kathy Haddon, when a husband regularly comes home in the evening smelling like a bar and claiming to have been out with "friends," there may be no cause for alarm. Sometimes, too, a black man accused of murder in an apparently open-and-shut drug case has been set up and is innocent, and a beautiful, apparently distraught young woman who reports the disappearance of her boyfriend to the police is lying to distract attention from a real crime.

Sometimes even a middle-aged police officer whose life is spiraling toward disaster discovers the inner qualities of character that attracted him to law enforcement in the first place, and the luck of the draw in emergency room physicians brings together a disenchanted lawyer and an overworked doctor in a romance that sizzles from the moment they first meet. These story lines, which at first glance appear to have no connection to one another, come together with high drama and humor in Plea Bargain. Nothing, it seems, is as it appears, and Darcy must sift through the illusions and deceptions to come to the actual truth. 

Roy is a good husband, Penny reminds herself, but he can pinch a nickel until Thomas Jefferson hollers "Uncle!" A hard, dominating man, he bristles when Penny offers to roll the coins—no wife of his needs to waste time rolling mere pennies.

Penny has never kept a secret from her husband, but as her hoard of castaway change grows, she discovers that having money of her own gives her the power to make her own decisions. Beginning with something as small as a furtive trip to a fast-food restaurant in a Georgia town, she finds that small change can eventually lead to big changes.

Thirty-four years later, Roy finds a check for $1,500 drawn on an account bearing only Penny's name. He is bewildered, wondering how his wife, who has never worked outside their home in her entire life, managed to come by so much money. His quest to unravel this mystery leads him to other discoveries about the woman he thought he knew so well. Roy learns just how many lives Penny has touched and just how well his wife had known his secrets all those years—and her example shows him how to begin life anew.

Small Change is a deceptively simple story that explores the human condition in a rich emotional portrait. A remarkable tale of an ordinary housewife who leaves an extraordinary legacy, it reminds us of the true spirit of charity, the effects of poverty, and the tragic self-silencing that limits the richness of far too many women's lives.

In this eighth volume of the ten-volume Civil War Battle Series, the action returns to northern Virginia and Culpeper County. The long absent Titus Brannon returns home on Christmas Day, 1863, just over a year since his disappearance during the battle of Fredericksburg. As much as his family is startled to learn that he is alive, he is surprised to find that his wife, Polly, is now married to his brother Henry. And she is pregnant.

Unwilling to accept Polly and Henry's marriage, Titus insists that Polly is still his wife, and a judge agrees. He refuses to divorce her, and later Polly's body is found at her father's plantation. The evidence points to Titus, and he is arrested and jailed.

As spring approaches, Will Brannon recuperates from his Gettysburg wound and returns to his regiment. In the meantime, a new commander leads the Union army into northern Virginia—U.S. Grant. To block Grant's march on Richmond, Robert E. Lee attacks. Grant, however, does not retreat after this surprise engagement but marches on. The two armies clash again and again, maneuvering ever closer to the Rebel capital.

Will throws himself into the battles with abandon. At last his pain ends at the portentously named crossroads, Cold Harbor.

After Titus's innocence is proven, he joins the partisan rangers of John S. Mosby. This guerrilla-style warfare suits his nature, and the rangers so effectively harass the Federals in the rich farmland of the Shenandoah that Grant dispatches a special force to squash Mosby. This unit adopts a policy of total war in the valley so as to undercut Mosby's support.

Titus vows vengeance on the Yankees for this wanton destruction, but even he knows that there is little chance that the tide will be stemmed. Both the Confederacy and the Brannons have suffered much in the year 1864. Now even the hotheaded Titus begins to wonder if the nation and his family will survive into 1865.

On Monday, March 30 in the year 1220, the day after Easter, in a field outside the town of Hexham in northern England, the body of a young child, Alfred, is discovered -- murdered. Lord Godwin, Bailiff of Hexham and in the service of the Archbishop of Canterbury, is summoned to the scene. Alfred has been strangled, but even more shocking are the wounds marking his body: his palms bear puncture wounds, as if iron nails had been drive through them, and his left side has been pierced with a knife. Godwin reckons that Alfred died on Good Friday.

Why would someone kill a child on Good Friday? And why would his body be marked in imitation of the crucifixion of Christ? Soon a rumor begins to spread that the Jews had murdered young Albert, and a mob seizes all the Jews in Hexham, an extended family of nine. Godwin's first task is to prevent the Jews' murder by the mob, his second to find the person guilty of the horrible murder.

A disillusioned and battle-weary ex-Crusader, Godwin sets out to find the murderer as a means of atoning for his part in the crusade -- and for coming back when his dearest friend and kinsman Aidan did not. Will he be successful? Will the Jews' lives be spared? Will the murderer be exposed? And will Lord Godwin ever discover -- wherever -- the forgiveness he seeks for failing to protect the life of Aidan?

For many of those who are even familiar with his name, George Whitefield is thought of as a preacher, a man connected with the Great Awakening in the 1700s. While this is true, it is only part of the story. As a student at Oxford University, he experienced a spiritual awakening under the influence of John Wesley's Methodists and immediately began tending to prisoners, caring for the poor, and preaching the Christian gospel. He met with astounding success, in time speaking to larger crowds than had ever gathered in the history of England. Whitefield became the most famous man of his age. 

His impact upon the American colonies, however, may have been his most lasting gift. In seven tours of the colonies, Whitfield preached from Georgia to Maine, calling the colonists to spiritual conversion and challenging them in their sense of national destiny. He befriended men like Benjamin Franklin, converted men like Patrick Henry, and inspired men like George Washington. Furthermore, when he learned that England intended to tighten her control over the colonies, Whitefield warmed his American friends in sermon after sermon and even accompanied Benjamin Franklin to make the American case in the Court of Saint James. Many of the colonists considered him the father of their revolution. 

Forgotten Founding Father captures the early struggles and international successes of this amazing leader. The result is a portrait of a gifted but flawed human who yielded himself as a tool in the hands of a sovereign God. Also portrayed is how important Whitfield was to the American cause and how much Americans today owe to him -- a story that will inspire a new generation with a past vividly and truthfully retold.

The narrative of Chancellorsville begins in Mississippi and the situation on the western front. Before reaching Vicksburg, Cory Brannon stumbles into a campsite where all is not well and briefly encounters a cautious Confederate patrol. A veteran of the battles of Forts Henry and Donelson and Shiloh, but not a soldier in the Confederate army, h continues to search for Lucille Farrell, the daughter of his late employer. When he finds her, he also discovers that he may have a role to play in supplying the South with the food, weapons, and ammunition being brought in through Texas by blockade-runners. The path, however, is strewn with renegades and outlaws, and on the horizon there may be a rival for Lucille’s affections.

Meanwhile, Cory’s brothers, Will and Mac, enjoy a brief visit with the family members still in Culpeper. Will is greatly relieved that his mother, Abigail, who had banished him from the farm in the weeks before the war, now welcomes him with open arms. Brother Titus’s marriage to Polly Ebersole comes as a surprise to the two brothers in gray, but their presence stirs a sense of obligation and duty in the hotheaded Titus. Shortly after the two return to their units—Will to the Shenandoah with Jackson and Mac with Stuart near Richmond—the Confederate cause claims another Brannon, this one a gifted rifleman.

In December 1862 a new Union commander launches another campaign to claim the Southern capital, and Ambrose Burnside brings the Federal army to Fredericksburg. With him marches the conscience-driven Nathan Hatcher. When the battle breaks loose, Will and Mac are on the right side of the Confederate line, and Titus is on the left. After the terrible bloodletting of the Federal defeat, news comes that Titus has been lost. The brothers carry the information back to Culpeper, where the aloof Polly surprisingly grieves over the loss of Titus, her husband. She reaches out to the Brannon family and finds a comforting response from the people she has tried to keep at arm’s length.

In early 1863 a fitful calm pervades the Virginia front until yet another Union commander is named. Joe Hooker leads his army into the wooded wilderness of the Rappahannock again and confidently stakes his fortunes to an encounter with Robert E. Lee near the roadside inn at Chancellorsville. As the battle rushes toward them, Will and Mac witness the boldest move a field commander can make and the greatest loss the Confederacy can struggle to bear.

Chancellorsville is the fourth book in a series of historical novels spanning the Civil War.

Readers enthralled by the works of great mystery and crime writers will find something new in Opening Shots. This collection offers not only the first published short stories of twenty prominent writers, but also features each author’s recollections of the trials and thrills of making that unforgettable first sale. 

Opening Shots humanizes legendary writers and revisits the cutting-edge work from which raw talents broke through in bold and sometimes experimental fashion. Joan Hess’s “Death of a Romance Writer” offers a nifty and humorous literary twist—an inside joke—that Hess describes as “a dollop of revenge for all the abused heroines of romantic fiction.” But there’s nothing funny about James Sallis’s “Jim and Mary G,” a disturbing story with a sad conclusion that can be interpreted in more than one way. Says Sallis, “I was just starting to try and write stories that might be read in several ways, or on several levels, simultaneously.” 

Between its wide variety of stories and styles and its candid personal reflections from the authors themselves, Opening Shots is a compelling anthology that entertains and offers a glimpse beyond the page and into the mind of the writer. 

Vicksburg is the fifth volume in a series of historical novels spanning the Civil War featuring the Brannon family of Culpeper County, Virginia. The focus turns to the west and the Southern stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi, where Cory Brannon is working to keep the town supplied by wagon train and railroad from Texas.

Vicksburg is the key to the Mississippi River and the future of the Confederacy, and Abraham Lincoln wants to put that key in his pocket. For almost a year the Federal army and navy have tried to dislodge the Confederates, but they have gained nothing. Finally, Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the hero of the battles at Forts Henry and Donelson and the battle of Shiloh, is dispatched to take the town.

Cory and the woman he loves, Lucille Farrell, are working with her uncle, Col. Charles Thompson, and a small contingent of dedicated Southerners. In the spring of 1863, as the Union army begins to close in, Cory must abandon that venture to take on a vital mission for Confederate Gen. John Pemberton, the commander in charge of Vicksburg's defenses. At the end of Cory's journey, however, is an even more dangerous foray into Western Tennessee and over the border into Kentucky with the horse soldiers of Nathan Bedford Forrest, Cory's mentor from the battle of Shiloh. To help save Vicksburg, Cory becomes both a cavalry raider and even a spy.

Yet his efforts cannot prevent the inevitable as the Yankees eventually surround and lay siege to Vicksburg. With the Northern army set to seize the city, Lucille must also cope with additional challenges as she encounters a returning friend with secret plans of his own. The Federal bombardment, illness, injury, and starvation all take their toll on the defenders of Vicksburg, forcing Cory and Lucille to face decisions that threaten not only their love but their very lives.

Ness went on to enjoy a successful law enforcement career in Cleveland, ridding the city of corrupt cops and organized crime figures.

You've heard the legend; now learn the REAL STORY.

Criminal defense attorney Darcy Cole has his hands full. In the middle of one of the biggest cases of his distinguished career, an unsatisfied former client puts out a contract on his life. To make matters worse, Darcy is suffering through a midlife crisis. Although he is a successful attorney, he feels old and lost and weary, and during his frequent sleepless nights he wonders just what he has to show for his life.

Darcy’s beautiful, self-centered client, Lynne Tobias, has been charged with arranging the murder of her wealthy husband for the insurance money. Her flamboyant behavior creates problems for her defense, and the suspense mounts as Darcy duels with a brilliant female prosecutor who matches his courtroom strategies trick for trick. When justice finally prevails, the verdict is as unpredictable as the ending.