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What Really Sank the Titanic: New Forensic Discoveries
by Jennifer Hooper McCarty
from Citadel
On the starry night of April 14, 1912, at the dawn of a century charged with human ingenuity and hope, the largest and most advanced passenger ship in the world struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the frigid North Atlantic. In the decades that followed, despite numerous official inquiries and the eventual discovery of the wreck itself, key questions have gone unanswered: Why did the double-bottomed, 46,000-ton RMS Titanic, built above and beyond the most exacting specifications, sink in less than three hours? Was the iceberg alone responsible for the tragedy? Or did other factors contribute to the collision's deadly toll? A conclusive explanation has not been given--until now.
With the same methodology used by forensic scientists in crime-scene investigations, researchers Jennifer Hooper McCarty and Tim Foecke applied new tools to the century-old mystery. By analyzing step by step how the ship was designed and constructed, what vulnerabilities were overlooked, and how this marvel of modern engineering may have been a disaster waiting to happen, they build a compelling new scenario.
We are vividly taken into a bygone era, when luxury ocean travel and ruthless business competition fueled ever mightier ship construction projects built by Belfast shipyard workers, some mere children, laboring in unsafe, exhausting conditions. With Britain, the shipbuilders, and an entire industry caught up in a mad dash to build the greatest vessel ever, shocking lapses went unnoticed. Using modern microscopic techniques, the authors reveal those failures and show how they doomed the lives of at least 1,500 of the Titanic's passengers and crew.
Grippingly written, What Really Sank the Titanic is illustrated with fascinating period photographs and modern scientific evidence. It includes little-known Titanic facts and lore, colorful portraits of the ship's designers, builders, and crew, eyewitness accounts, and a dramatic timeline of the ship's last hours. In an age when forensics can catch killers, this book does what no other book has before: fingers the culprit in one of the greatest tragedies ever.
Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well
by David L. Hough
from BowTie Press
Reading Proficient Motorcycling can significantly reduce risks by teaching people how to ride safer and smarter.
Transit Maps of the World
by Mark Ovenden
from Penguin (Non-Classics)
Transit Maps of the World is the first and only comprehensive collection of historic and current maps of every rapid-transit system on earth. Using glorious, colorful graphics, Mark Ovenden traces the history of mass transit-including rare and historic maps, diagrams, and photographs, some available for the first time since their original publication. Transit Maps is the graphic designerÂ’s new bible, the transport enthusiastÂ’s dream collection, and a coffee-table essential for everyone whoÂ’s ever traveled in a city.
The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips
by Robert J. Dolezal
from Reader's Digest
Taking a drive in the country has been popular since horse-and-buggy days. But while the road trip itch is as strong as ever, scenic drives get scarcer year by year. The answer is a collection of the 120 loveliest drives in the U.S., providing maps and tours (with sites along the way itemized and lovingly described), trip length, when to go, nearby attractions, and local information sources. Free time is at a premium these days; rather than waste your leisure time in highway gluts, it's worth taking directions to some of the most beautiful drives the country still has to offer.
A one-of-a-kind trip planner, a superb on-the-road reference, and an album of 400 photographs. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, here are 120 outstanding drives that show the magnificence of America-each with detailed, easy-to-follow maps.
How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive 19 Ed: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot
by John Muir
from Avalon Travel Publishing
FAR/AIM 2008: Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual (FAR/AIM series)
by Federal Aviation Administration
from Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.
Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon D80 (Magic Lantern Guides)
by Simon Stafford
from Lark Books
MAGIC LANTERN GUIDES: NIKON D80, Simon Stafford, A Lark Photography Book Simon Stafford's photographs have been used widely in newspapers, books, calendars, and magazines. Completely self-taught, he has built up a wealth of experience over the past twenty years with both film and digital cameras. Throughout his photographic career he has used the Nikon system extensively, and is now the Technical Editor to the Nikon Owners' Club International's Nikon Owner magazine. The new, mid-priced Nikon D80 replaces the Nikon D70s/D70 which was the subject of the best-selling Magic Lantern Guide ever! This model features a 10 megapixelsensor, up-sized 2.5" LCD monitor, and 4.5 fps capability.
Auto Repair For Dummies
by Deanna Sclar
from IDG Books Worldwide
Most of us don’t know the first thing about the machines we’re licensed to drive – and this can turn a ticket to freedom into a ticket to trouble. If you’re like most people, you probably tend to drive around until something goes wrong with the car. You then incur the expense of replacing worn and burnt-out parts (or the entire engine) when low-cost, regular maintenance could have kept your wheels turning for a long time.
Auto Repair For Dummies is indispensable for anyone who is tired of nodding and smiling at the incomprehensible mutterings of your mechanic, only to end up shelling out money for repairs that you neither fully understand nor always need. This easy-to-understand guide is also for you if you
- Don't have the vaguest idea of how a car works.
- Can't identify anything you see under the hood of your vehicle.
- Are tired of other people assuming (especially if you’re a teenager or a woman) that you aren’t capable of handling repairs yourself.
- Don't want to feel helpless in an emergency.
- Are tired of being ripped off because of your own ignorance.
This book shows you how your car works; what it needs in the way of tender loving care; and how to keep from being overcharged if you need to entrust repairs to someone else. Auto Repair For Dummies also gives you the scoop on these topics and more:
- What makes your vehicle go (and how and why)
- A program of "preventive medicine" to avoid trouble
- Shopping for tools and knowing how to use them
- Diesel engines and alternatively powered cars
- How to keep your car looking its best
- Dealing with on-road emergencies
- Checking your tires, alignment, and steering
By handling the simple maintenance and tune-ups and being able to diagnose trouble and perform the less complex repairs yourself, you’ll save some serious money. Once you break the ice (or crack open the hood), the heady sense of power will carry you through basic car repair and maintenance with confidence and ease.
Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques
by Lee Parks
from Motorbooks
McQueen's Machines: The Cars and Bikes of a Hollywood Icon
by Matt Stone
from Motorbooks
From the 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback he drove in Bullitt (in the greatest car chase of all time) to his Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow in "The Thomas Crown Affair", from the Triumph motorcycle of "The Great Escape" to the Gulf-Porsche 917K he actually raced in "Le Mans", the cars and bikes that McQueen made famous in films make another appearance here.
The book also features the cars, motorcycles, and even airplanes that McQueen owned over the years, including two motorcycles that fetched record prices at a recent auction: a 1937 Crocker "Hemi-head" V-Twin and a 1920 Indian Powerplus Daytona. Among notable cars profiled in the book are a 1959 Porsche Speedster bought new by McQueen, a 1957 Jaguar XKSS, a 1963 Ferrari 250 Lusso, a 1953 Siata 208S, a 1965 Ferrari 275 NART Spyder, and a 1969 "Le Mans" Porsche 911S.
With a foreword by Steve's son, Chad McQueen, and a wealth of details about the stars amateur racing career, his movie stunt work, and his car and motorcycle collecting, McQueens Machines draws a fascinating picture of one outsized mans driving passion.
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