George Black

A Story of War, Peace, and Redemption in Vietnam

Long Reckoning

Journey along one of the world’s greatest rivers and catch a glimpse into the lives and cultures of the people who live along its banks The Ganges flows through northern India and Bangladesh for more than 1,500 miles before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. It is sacred to Hindus who worship Ganga, the river goddess. But it has also long been a magnet for foreigners, some seeking to unravel its mysteries and others who have come in search of plunder. In On the Ganges, George Black, who chronicled the exploration of the American West and the creation of Yellowstone National Park in Empire of Shadows, takes readers on an extraordinary journey from the glaciers of the Himalayas to the sacred city of Varanasi to the “hundred mouths” of the Ganges Delta. On the Ganges, parts of which originated from a New Yorker article published last year, introduces us to a vivid and often eccentric cast of characters who worship the river, pollute it, and flock to it from all over the world in search of enlightenment and adventure. Black encounters those who run the corrupt cremation business, workers who eke out a living in squalid factories, religious fanatics, and Brits who continue to live as if the Raj had never ended. By the end of his journey, Black has given us a memorable picture of the great river, with all its riddles and contradictions, both sacred and profane, giving the last word to a man scavenging for the gifts left by pilgrims: "There are good days and there are bad days. It all depends. Everything is in the hands of our mother, Ma Ganga."

Encounters with Saints and Sinners on India's Mythic River

On the Ganges

Documents the exploration of an uninhabited Yellowstone region after the Civil War, evaluating the roles of key contributors while covering the pioneer era, the American Indian Wars, and efforts to "civilize" the frontier.

The Epic Story of Yellowstone

Empire of Shadows

Contemporary Stage Directing

Middle East Watch (Organization)

Human Rights Watch. Middle East Watch Committee

Middle East Watch Staff

The Anfal Campaign Against the Kurds

Genocide in Iraq

This major reference work, first published in 1946, is a fully documented, alphabetical listing of over 8,000 Scottish family and personal names. Black's definitive guide includes spelling variations, an abundance of fascinating historical specifics, and a glossary of obsolete Scot words. This classic reference provides fascinating biographical and geographical details for anyone interested in Scottish names. The Surnames of Scotland is an invaluable source of information especially for historians, in addition to genealogists and families interested in their Scottish ancestry. Dr. George Fraser Black (1866-1948), a noted bibliographer and historical scholar on the staff of the New York Public Library from 1896 to 1931, spent almost half a century on the research of this volume. Miss Mary Elder Black, who assisted her father in the preparation of the main text, supplied the amendments and additions included as an appendix.

Their Origin, Meaning and History

The Surnames of Scotland

Any one with a vision for anything is an entrepreneur. Life becomes a real adventure for those who, act on their vision and seize opportunity!Max North, a recent college graduate, is an assistant to an assistant at a large, grain processing operation in Salina, Kansas. Even so, he would prefer to chart his own course rather than be a part of another person¿s vision. So, he pursues his entrepreneurial itch.On July 10, 1941, Max writes a letter to a billionaire in New York City: Mr. A, whom he hopes could be an entrepreneurial sage. Max asks a simple question. Surprisingly, Mr. A responds creating more questions in Max and launching him on an authentic adventure he never imagined, that includes a World War.Throughout their 5 year correspondence Mr. A shares his secrets as an entrepreneur and life wisdom. Ultimately, Mr. A guides Max through his greatest secret: a strategic process called The Next Level Navigator¿.In Dear Mr. A, George Black invites readers to join Max in discovering more about themselves, their passions and purpose by applying the same sage advice Max receives. Included in the text, these applications set the foundation for any successful endeavor, because true success begins with one¿s true self! In addition, readers can develop The Next Level Navigator for their own personal Next Level or for their startup or for their ongoing business, as Max develops his.Ignite your passions, overcome obstacles, and reach your Next Level with Max and Mr. A !

Dear Mr. a ~ Letters Revealing the Secrets of an Entrepreneur

Looks at the history of U.S. relations with Central America, discusses the political situation, and assesses U.S. foreign policy

How the United States Wrote the History of Central America and the Caribbean

The Good Neighbor

Originally published in 1946 by The New York Public Library.

: Their Origin, Meaning and History

Thirty-five million Americans–one in eight–like to go fishing. Fly fishers have always considered themselves the aristocracy of the sport, and a small number of those devotees, a few thousand at most, insist upon using one device in the pursuit of their obsession: a handcrafted split-bamboo fly rod. Meeting this demand for perfection are the inheritors of a splendid art, one that reveres tradition while flouting obvious economic sense and reaches back through time to touch the hands of such figures as Theodore Roosevelt and Henry David Thoreau. In Casting a Spell, George Black introduces readers to rapt artisans and the ultimate talismans of their uncompromising fascination: handmade bamboo fly rods. But this narrative is more than a story of obscure objects of desire. It opens a new vista onto a century and a half of modern American cultural history. With bold strokes and deft touches, Black explains how the ingenuity of craftsmen created a singular implement of leisure–and how geopolitics, economics, technology, and outrageous twists of fortune have all come to focus on the exquisitely crafted bamboo rod. We discover that the pastime of fly-fishing intersects with a mind-boggling variety of cultural trends, including conspicuous consumption, environmentalism, industrialization, and even cold war diplomacy. Black takes us around the world, from the hidden trout streams of western Maine to a remote valley in Guangdong Province, China, where grows the singular species of bamboo known as tea stick–the very stuff of a superior fly rod. He introduces us to the men who created the tools and techniques for crafting exceptional rods and those who continue to carry the torch in the pursuit of the sublime. Never far from the surface are such overarching themes as the tension between mass production and individual excellence, and the evolving ways American society has defined, experienced, and expressed its relationship to the land. Fly-fishing may seem a rarefied pursuit, and making fly rods might be a quixotic occupation, but this rich, fascinating narrative exposes the soul of an authentic part of America, and the great significance of little things. George Black’s latest expedition into a hidden corner of our culture is an utterly enchanting, illuminating, and enlightening experience.

George Black

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