National Network for Equitable Library Service

This authoritative and definitive work contains the first formal history of antique trays every published. Each of its six chapters is written by a different authority.

Behind the glossy facade of modern Japan there survive remnants-some of them surprisingly well preserved-of the country's feudal past, of warlords and fighting samurai, of shoguns and sequestered emperors, of princes and peasants.

This book of Geisha culture and history features beautiful antique photographs and a wealth of information. Geisha have the odd distinction of being both legendary and real, and this book helps clarify those differences. Myth by nature is monolithic, transcending history and individuals, whereas the reality is a variety of geisha communities in different areas of Japan, Status hierarchies among communities in the same city, and of course differences among individual geisha.

The horror film reveals as much, if not more, about the British psyche as the heritage film or the social realist drama. But like a mad relative locked in the attic, British horror cinema has been ignored and maligned. Even when it has been celebrated, neglect is not far behind and what studies there have been have been have concentrated largely on the output of Hammer, the best-known producers of British horror. But that is only part of the story.

In its heyday, Colorado had more than 175 ski areas operating on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains, and while many of those resorts have shut down, their runs still shelter secret stashes of snow. Pristine slopes await backcountry powder hounds out to discover these chutes and steeps, bunny hills and bumps. Chronicling the history of more than 36 of these "lost resorts," Powder Ghost Towns provides the beta for how to ski and board these classic runs today, with comprehensive information on trailheads, where to skin up, and the best descents.

Based on previously unavailable information and nearly two decades of research, Crime Incorporated reveals for the first time all the unsavoury facts of the Mob's bloody evolution from a gang of uncouth, bumbling killers into the highly organized, smoothly running 'corporation' it is today. William Balsamo, great-nephew of the first godfather, Don Guiseppe - 'Battista' - Balsamo, and George Carpozi, Jr.

In a riveting narrative of daredevils and eccentrics, Fergus Fleming gives us the breathtaking story of some of history's greatest explorers as they conquer the soaring peaks of the Alps. Fleming recounts the incredible exploits of the men whose centuries-old fear of the mountain range turned quickly to curiosity, then to obsession, as they explored Europe's frozen wilderness.

When award-winning journalist Dave Jamieson's parents sold his childhood home a few years ago, he rediscovered a prized boyhood possession: his baseball card collection. Now was the time to cash in on the "investments" of his youth. But all the card shops had closed, and cards were selling for next to nothing online. What had happened' In Mint Condition, his fascinating, eye-opening, endlessly entertaining book, Jamieson finds the answer by tracing the complete story of this beloved piece of American childhood.

A 2013 CASEY Award Finalist for Best Baseball Book of the Year When baseball swept America in the years after the Civil War, independent, semipro, and municipal leagues sprouted up everywhere. With civic pride on the line, rivalries were fierce and teams often signed ringers to play alongside the town dentist, insurance salesman, and teen prodigy. In drought-stricken Bismarck, North Dakota during the Great Depression, one of the most improbable teams in the history of baseball was assembled by one of the sport's most unlikely champions.

In 2010, the New York Mets were in trouble. One of baseball's most valuable franchises, they had recently suffered an embarrassing September collapse and two bitter losing seasons. Their GM had made costly mistakes. And their principle owners were embroiled in the largest financial scam in American history. To whom did they turn' Sandy Alderson, a former marine who served in Vietnam and graduated from Harvard Law. In 1981, Alderson started in baseball with Oakland, where he led a revolution in the sport.