New Releases by Anthony Galvin

A shocking exploration of America’s preferred method of capital punishment. In early 2013, Robert Gleason became the latest victim of the electric chair, a peculiarly American execution method. Shouting Póg mo thóin (“Kiss my ass” in Gaelic), he grinned as electricity shot through his system. When the current was switched off, his body slumped against the leather restraints, and Gleeson, who had strangled two fellow inmates to ensure his execution was not postponed, was dead. The execution had gone flawlessly—not a guaranteed result with the electric chair, which has gone horrifically wrong on many occasions. Old Sparky covers the history of capital punishment in America and the “current wars” between Edison and Westinghouse that led to the development of the electric chair. It examines how the electric chair became the most popular method of execution in America before being superseded by lethal injection. Famous executions are explored, alongside quirky last meals and poignant last words. The death penalty remains a hot topic of debate in America, and Old Sparky does not shy away from that controversy. Executions have gone spectacularly wrong, with convicts being set alight or needing up to five jolts of electricity before dying. There have been terrible miscarriages of justice, and the death penalty has not been applied even-handedly. Historically, African Americans, the mentally challenged, and poor defendants have been likely to get the chair, an anomaly which led the Supreme Court to briefly suspend the death penalty. Since the resumption of capital punishment in 1976, Texas alone has executed more than five hundred prisoners, and death row is full. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

In 1910 Roald Amundsen set off from Oslo toward the North Pole but soon received word that two Americans—Frederick Cook and Robert Peary—each claimed to have reached the Pole ahead of him. Devastated, Amundsen famously went south. For years Cook and Peary tried to convince the world of their claims. Finally the National Geographic Society endorsed Peary, and the matter seemed settled. In May 1926 an American airman, Richard Byrd, flew north in a three-engine plane, and returned with a log showing that he had flow exactly over the geographical North Pole, becoming the third man to reach that mythical spot. National Geographic again supported the claim. However, it is now obvious that Peary claimed distances he could not possibly have achieved, and it is doubtful that Cooke, who had a history of fraud, ever got even close to the pole. Byrd flew further north than anyone before, but he did not have the fuel to have made the journey he claimed—his log was falsified. Just three days after Byrd’s flight, Amundsen reenters the story on an airship traveling across the pole from Svalbard to Alaska, unknowingly passing directly over the pole, becoming the true first to reach it—just as he had been the first at the South Pole. The Great Polar Fraud explores the history of the three men who claimed the pole, their claims, and the subsequent doubts of those claims, effectively rewriting the history of polar exploration and putting Amundsen center stage as the rightful conqueror of both poles. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

More people are afraid of public speaking than of dying. Yet with proper preparation giving a speech is not difficult. Anyone can learn to speak effectively. This guide lets you in on the secrets of writing a good speech, and unlocks the power of body language. You will learn how to prepare your speech, and how to deliver it with power and conviction. You will also find advice on how to control your nerves and overcome your fears. Whether you are Best Man, delivering a sales pitch, or just saying a few words at a meeting, it pays to be well prepared. You will discover how to deliver your message in a powerful way, using humour, your own personal stories, and targeted research to support your ideas. No matter what your level of experience you will find useful hints and helpful information in this essential guide to public speaking. Chapter headings: First Steps Structuring Your First Speech Opening and Closing Body of the Speech Presentational Skills Visual Aids and Other Gimmicks Humour Nuts and Bolts Memorising Weddings Work Speeches Other Speeches Taking it Further This guide lets you in on the secrets of writing a good speech, and unlocks the power of body language. You will learn how to prepare your speech, and how to deliver it with power and conviction. You will also find advice on how to control your nerves and overcome your fears. Whether you are Best Man, delivering a sales pitch, or just saying a few words at a meeting, it pays to be well prepared. You will discover how to deliver your message in a powerful way, using humour, your own personal stories, and targeted research to support your ideas. No matter what your level of experience you will find useful hints and helpful information in this essential guide to public speaking. Author: Anthony Galvin

Richard Harris was a giant who oozed charisma on screen. But off screen he was troubled and addicted to every pleasure life could offer. Coming from a repressed Irish Catholic background, he was forced by a teenage illness to abandon his beloved rugby, but not his macho appetites. Discovering theatre saved him. He had found his calling. Despite marrying the daughter of a peer, he never tried to fit in. He was always a hell-raiser to the core, along with legendary buddies Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole. But he was more; he was a gifted poet and singer. He was an intelligent family man who took great interest in his craft, a Renaissance man of the film world. Every time his excesses threatened to kill his career – and himself – he rose magnificently from the ashes, first with an Oscar-winning performance as Bull McCabe in The Field, then in the Harry Potter franchise.

To all appearances, Kerry is an idyllic tourist destination. Yet scratch beneath its scenic surface and the sordid secrets of the county known as 'the Kingdom’ flow free like blood . . . Some of the most notorious murders in the history of Ireland have taken place in Kerry, including a two-day orgy of slaughter perpetrated by state forces during the Civil War. Another is the case of two farmers fighting over a patch of land not big enough to accommodate a picnic blanket, resulting in a killing that inspired the play and film The Field. The county’s most infamous case was the discovery of a baby stabbed to death on a beach, with another infant’s body found during the subsequent investigation. To this day, the identities of the children, their mothers and the murderer remain a mystery, but the case led to the government setting up a tribunal to investigate the Gardaí and how they had handled the inquiry. In Ring of Death, true-crime writer Anthony Galvin explores the bloody history of Kerry and the many fascinating murder cases that have occurred in the county over the past century.

Starting with the Thames in London, this title is set out in a distinctive magazine-style format with sub-heads, bullets and box-outs. It will explore the tragedies and enforced changes on and along the Thames, including fires, ships sinking, wartime bombs and buildings destroyed.

Limerick is known as the Treaty City, commemorating the site where peace was made during one of Ireland’s bloody wars. However, since the 1980s the city’s reputation has been tainted by gang feuds, earning it the infamous nickname ‘Stab City’. In Blood on the Streets, Anthony Galvin explores the many notorious murders that have been perpetrated in the city over the years, including the case of Deborah Hannon, who, along with her father’s lover, Suzanne Reddan, hacked her best friend to death with a Stanley knife. Galvin recounts the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe, shot by the IRA during a botched armed robbery, and the story of the last man hanged in Ireland following his conviction of the rape and murder of a nurse on a quiet suburban road. Blood on the Streets also spotlights the city’s hit men, including the only hit man in the country to have been convicted of murder twice, and delves into some of the most notorious of the recent gangland killings.

Nothing epitomises the vicious side of the crime wave that has engulfed Ireland in recent years more than the shadowy figure of the hitman - a murderer for hire. This text looks at several cases of hitmen and their targets.

Whether you are a budding magician wanting to discover the basics of modern magic or an experienced hobbyist wanting to develop further, this book will enable you to quickly and easily master extraordinary magic tricks and skills that will astound and enthrall your audience. Using everyday objects to perform mind-boggling illusions, you will be able to become a confident and competent magician. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the authors' many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of magic tricks. FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

Anthony Galvin examines the chilling cases of Irish women who have committed gory, unthinkable crimes.

THIS IS THE STORY of how it all began. 1978 and a double-murder that Gardai could not solve - the murder no one saw. It was a busy evening in Kiely's Bar when two members of the McNamara clan attacked Anthony Kelly with knives. In the ensuing struggle he wrestled the knives from both assailants. When he walked from the bar he left two dead men, and a bitterness that prevails to this day. THIS IS THE STORY of what followed: Vicious interfamily feuding, coupled with a thriving drug trade and petty crime, giving the city a name for mindless violence - 'stab city', best seen through the rear-view mirror of your car. THIS IS THE STORY of the detectives who have tried to contain the problem. Over three decades the weapons seized have changed - Stanley knives have been replaced on the streets by AK47s, pump action shotguns, and grenades. THIS IS THE STORY of a gang leader who became an alderman on the city council and brought the attitude of the streets to the council chamber. Michael Kelly's sights were set on the Dail before a CAB investigation derailed his ambitions. He is currently appealing an eight-year prison sentence. THIS IS THE STORY of a city which waits in fear for reprisals following the latest killing. Everyone says they don't want revenge. Everyone knows that's not true. The feuds go on. This is the story of Limerick, it's gangs, the men who have tried to stop them, and the innocent people who have endured twenty five years of fear, thuggery and intimidation.