"Popular progressive radio host and New York Times bestselling author Thom Hartmann reveals how and why attempts to establish affordable universal healthcare in the United States have been thwarted and what we can do to finally make it a reality"--

The Albany Post Road was the vital artery between New York City and the state capital in Albany in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It saw a host of interesting events and colorful characters, though these unusual and extraordinary stories, as well as their connection to the thoroughfare, are oft forgotten. Revolutionary War spies marched this path, and anti-rent wars rocked Columbia County. Underground Railroad safe houses in nearby towns

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"It was September 1776 and the American colonies had just declared independence from the British. But General George Washington knew things were not going the Americans' way. When Gen. Washington needed someone to spy on the British, only one young man volunteered. That man was Nathan Hale, an early American hero."--

"There were many real-life female fighters who wowed the ancient and modern worlds with their bravery and skills. This exciting book dives into the history of women who bravely fought--some to the death! Read about Cynane, the half-sister of Alexander the Great, who became the super-slayer of the ancient Greeks, and the rebel fighters Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, who repelled a stronger army and ruled Vietnam for three years."--

Today's travelers between New York City and Albany are more familiar with the Thruway than with the old Albany Post Road. But for centuries, this was the main highway between the Big Apple and the capital, and many exciting events occurred along its path in the Lower Hudson Valley. The Dutch Philipse family of Sleepy Hollow engaged in piracy, and tales of such misdeeds from the region inspired Washington Irving to write some of his most beloved stories....

"No one expected Rose Greenhow to be a war hero. But when the American Civil War split the nation apart, this beautiful and popular hostess played an important role in the Confederate South's most important battle victory."--

Bordered by the Hudson River and the Berkshire Mountains, Columbia County is part of the famously picturesque Hudson Valley region. But look beyond the rolling hills to discover the secrets of Columbia County. A mastodon tooth rolled down a farmer's hill in Claverack, changing the world's understanding of prehistoric times. President Martin Van Buren lost his wife, Hannah, in Kinderhook and hardly mentioned her again. Hudson's gallows were the scene...

Thom Hartmann, the most popular progressive radio host in America... looks at the real history of guns in America and what we can do to limit both their lethal impact and the power of the gun lobby... Hartmann examines how guns have played important roles throughout American history, from early European settlement to the Revolutionary War and Manifest Destiny, through the use of Slave Patrols in the Deep South (which became the "well-regulated militias"...

Highlights 12 inventions, and tells the sometimes surprising stories behind their development.

"Brings to light 12 of history's secret groups including The Knights Templar whose purpose was to protect travelers to holy sites after the Crusades; The Freemasons, one of the world's oldest secret societies that performs chartiy work; The Molly Maguires who began in Ireland in the 1840s as a secret society that stood up against landlords and bosses who treated them poorly; and more. The book features historic photos, interesting sidebars, and thought-provoking...