Most Popular Books by Susan Williams

In the 1940s, the brightest minds of the United States and Nazi Germany raced to West Africa with a single mission: to secure the essential ingredient of the atomic bomb -- and to make sure nobody saw them doing it Albert Einstein told President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 that the world''s only supply of uniquely high-quality uranium ore -- the key ingredient for bomb -- could be found in the Katanga province of the Belgian Congo at the Shinkolobwe Mine. Once the US Manhattan Project was committed to developing atomic weapons for the war against Germany and Japan, the rush to procure this uranium became a top priority -- one deemed "vital to the welfare of the United States." But covertly exporting it from Africa posed a major risk: the ore had to travel via a spy-infested Angolan port or 1,500 miles by rail through the Congo, and then be shipped by boats or Pan Am Clippers to safety in the United States. It could be poached or smuggled at any point on the orders of Nazi Germany. To combat that threat, the US Office of Strategic Services sent in a team of intrepid spies, led by Wilbur Owings "Dock" Hogue, to be America''s eyes and ears and to protect its most precious and destructive cargo. Packed with newly discovered details from American and British archives, this is the gripping, true story of the unsung heroism of a handful of good men -- and one woman -- in colonial Africa who risked their lives in the fight against fascism and helped deny Hitler his atomic bomb.

"Susan Williams reveals there was huge popular support for King Edward and that many ordinary people were happy for him to marry Wallis - even though Prime Minister Baldwin claimed that public opinion would never allow it. She shows how the king was rushed into abdicating, against the good advice of his loyal champion, Winston Churchill. We find out who fomented the crisis and why neither parliament nor the people were consulted. We discover, too, the continuing repercussions within the Royal Family of an event so momentous that it changed the face of the British monarchy."--BOOK JACKET.

One of the outstanding mysteries of the twentieth century, and one with huge political resonance, is the death of Dag Hammarskjold and his UN team in a plane crash in central Africa in 1961. Just minutes after midnight, his aircraft plunged into thick forest in the British colony of Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), abruptly ending his mission to bring peace to the Congo. Across the world, many suspected sabotage, accusing the multi-nationals and the governments of Britain, Belgium, the USA and South Africa of involvement in the disaster. These suspicions have never gone away. British High Commissioner Lord Alport was waiting at the airport when the aircraft crashed nearby. He bizarrely insisted to the airport management that Hammarskjold had flown elsewhere - even though his aircraft was reported overhead. This postponed a search for so long that the wreckage of the plane was not found for fifteen hours. White mercenaries were at the airport that night too, including the South African pilot Jerry Puren, whose bombing of Congolese villages led, in his own words, to ''flaming huts ...destruction and death''. These soldiers of fortune were backed by Sir Roy Welensky, Prime Minister of the Rhodesian Federation, who was ready to stop at nothing to maintain white rule and thought the United Nations was synonymous with the Nazis. The Rhodesian government conducted an official inquiry, which blamed pilot error. But as this book will show, it was a massive cover-up that suppressed and dismissed a mass of crucial evidence, especially that of African eye-witnesses. A subsequent UN inquiry was unable to rule out foul play - but had no access to the evidence to show how and why. Now, for the first time, this story can be told. Who Killed Hammarskjold follows the author on her intriguing and often frightening journey of research to Zambia, South Africa, the USA, Sweden, Norway, Britain, France and Belgium, where she unearthed a mass of new and hitherto secret documentary and photographic evidence. At the heart of this book is Hammarskjold himself - a courageous and complex idealist, who sought to shield the newly-independent nations of the world from the predatory instincts of the Great Powers. It reveals that the conflict in the Congo was driven not so much by internal divisions, as by the Cold War and by the West''s determination to keep real power from the hands of the post-colonial governments of Africa. It shows, too, that the British settlers of Rhodesia would maintain white minority rule at all costs.

Similar to the previous 99 Jumpstarts to Research but designed for younger students, this book helps teachers and librarians to teach basic research and information literacy skills to children. To help them master the research process and narrow the limitless array of sources available on commonly researched topics in elementary and middle schools, students are taught a basic note-taking process and given specific source ideas and subject headings for each topic discussed. This book will be an invaluable tool to help school librarians and teachers broach the difficult task of beginning to teach the research process. Grades 3-8.

Fern dreams of riding on a wild horse''s back, as fleet as the wind. She makes pets of small animals and watches the bison herds as they pound over the endless grasses of the steppe. Chafing at the inequality of being female, she longs for the freedom her twin brother enjoys to run free in the wilderness. One day in early spring, Fern secretly rescues a young horse mired in the bog, names her Thunder, and tames her enough to ride. But the people of her tribe are distrustful of her bond with nature. Is she a witch? Fern''s future looks bleak until a silent man in a rival tribe, known only as The Nameless One, teaches her about patience—and love. Susan Williams''s lyrical prose makes this journey to prehistoric western Asia at once inspiring and heart wrenching.

This third entry in the Jumpstarts series focuses on Science topics for upper elementary and middle school students. Maintaining the 99 Jumpstarts format of the two previous books, 99 Jumpstarts for Kids Science Research is divided into ten broad topical sections. Each topic is arranged in alphabetical order under its section. Topics include Body Parts, Energy, Animals, Heavens, Weather, Matter, Medicine, Technology, Environment, and Geology. This pathfinder approach aides students in the research process, helping them define important terms, offer beginning questions to help narrow their topic, furnish source ideas and some fun activities to explore each topic. Grades 4-8.

This practical, research-based guide provides a wealth of tools and strategies for implementing social skills training in school or clinical settings. Numerous case examples illustrate common social difficulties experienced by children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and Asperger syndrome; the impact on peer relationships, school performance, and behavior; and how social skills training can help. Chapters delve into the nuts and bolts of teaching and reinforcing core skills in classroom, small-group, or individual contexts, emphasizing ways to tailor interventions to each individual''s needs. Reproducible forms and worksheets can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

The third verse of “Silent Night” describes God’s interaction with us as being like “radiant beams from Thy holy face.” He’s constantly giving us amazing little touches that make a big difference in our lives. I call those “radiant beams” and put them into story form. Hope you like! When the solution to a problem drops out of nowhere . . . when you “hear” a still, small voice speaking to your heart . . . when a coincidence leaves you laughing and shaking your head . . . that’s God. Let’s celebrate the joy of living, blessed by the sweetness and love of the Light of the World. ~ Susan Darst Williams, Mount Laundry, Nebraska

In a world where every child runs into problems now and then, it''s nice to know that they can rely on their very own superhero—themselves! One Saturday morning, Dora wakes up to find that everything is going wrong. There’s no pancake mix to make her favourite breakfast, and it’s started to rain outside. Dora makes the most of her day and settles into her cozy closet hideout—a place filled with her favorite things. When she falls asleep reading a superhero book, she has all kinds of adventures. A lost kitten stuck in a tree, friendly magpies, and of course superhero capes! But is her dream only a dream? No More Scaredy Cats is sure to warm your heart, and remind you that even children need their own little superheroes.

Building on the success and maintaining the 99 Jumpstarts format of the two previous books, 99 Jumpstarts for Kids'' Social Studies Reports is divided into broad topical sections. Each topic is arranged in alphabetical order under its section. Topics are all new to this title and include the Ancient World, Historic World Events, State and Local History, US History, Government and Citizenship, Sociology, Culture and Economics. The book includes the following sections in each Jumpstart: A cited quote about the topic, Related Jumpstarts, New Words, You are There, Topics to Consider, Books, Internet, For the Teacher, and a relevant activity. Each Jumpstart provides a helpful pathfinder that enables students to efficiently access information and learn new information literacy skills as they research topics of personal interest or gather information for school reports. Grades 3-8.

This book provides research assistance for 99 current and provocative issues students can use to write a brief argumentative paper. In 2030, it is projected that 65 percent of the population will be over 65. The U.S. Government Census Bureau reveals that over an adult''s working life, college graduates typically earn close to $1 million more than high school graduates. About 43 percent of American families spend more than they earn each year. These three factoids represent a tiny fraction of the potential research subjects contained in 99 Jumpstarts to Research: Topic Guides for Finding Information on Current Issues, Second Edition, a completely revised follow-up to the original edition. Every jumpstart—each focused upon a current, timely issue—contains ideas for narrowing the topic, research keywords, suggested best books and databases, and Internet sites. This book supports both faculty and students in identifying compelling topics, effectively evaluating and selecting resources in today''s information-overload world, and deriving enjoyment from the research and writing process.

Savory Suppers and Fashionable Feasts offers a delightfully flavorful tour of dining in America during the second half of the nineteenth century. Susan Williams investigates the manners and morals of that era by looking at its eating customs and cooking methods. As she reveals, genteel dining became an increasingly important means of achieving social stability during a period when Americans were facing significant changes on a variety of fronts--social, cultural, intellectual, technological, and demographic. Focusing on the rapidly expanding middle class, Williams not only examines mealtime rituals, but she looks at the material culture of Victorian dining: the furniture, the furnishings, and the growing array of accouterments--from asparagus tongs to sardine servers and lace doilies--that supported genteel expectations for table side behavior. She also explores changing ideas about meals--how they fit into the daily schedule and what kinds of food and drink came to characterize specific meals and menus. Complementing Williams'' analysis and descriptions is a lavish array of illustrations, as well as a rich sampling of recipes from the diaries and cookbooks of the era. The result is at once an informative look at life in Victorian America and a sumptuous celebration of a key moment in the country''s culinary experience. For this new paperback edition, Williams has updated the bibliography and included a new introduction that summarizes trends and advances in the study of dining since the book''s first publication in 1985.

Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., will forever be linked to the historical 2008 presidential campaign of then-Senator Barack Obama. Although unwillingly thrust into the spotlight, the media attention could never overshadow Wright’s prophetic teachings, nor does it define his life and ministry. "The Book of Jeremiah" examines the man, an African American, a patriot who served his country, a scholar, a prophet, and a pastor. The relevance of his ministry reaches far beyond his pastorate at Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago. Wright''s ministry has transcended to a global stage with a message of liberation and justice. Smith provides the most comprehensive picture of the Rev. Wright, and as a close confidante, sheds light on his upbringing, teaching and preaching influences, and the far-reaching effects of his ministry on Barack Obama and the world.

Two earnest but not very well informed friends attempt to find and incubate moose eggs so that Moose can have some youngsters to raise. No surprise that they are not successful. The characters are bumbling but well-intentioned fellows who get themselves into scrapes that all work out okay in the end. This is a charmingly imaginative explanation of how Moose got his big, flat antlers; droopy nose; and wide hooves.

"How to Find God in the 21st Century" is a book for all people, regardless of your belief or unbelief. Fulton and Williams explain faith in simple easy to understand terms. The reader is drawn in quickly and is compelled to keep reading. It contains little known truths and gems of wisdom. This book confronts faith in God in a very personal way. Drawing from their experiences in life, they report of the victories and their losses, misery and joy, giving us all something to relate to. This book can lead you to a new life.

Cultural Writing. This pamphlet calls for the principled, Trotskyist overthrow of the Chinese Communist Party and such other neo-Capitalist organs of the Chinese state as the People''s Liberation Army (now the world''s largest corporation). These events will necessarily follow the worker''s revolution in America and elsewhere in the West.

"The Missing Shoe" is a cute little picture book about a little girl and her mommy getting ready to go to the park to play. Their trip is delayed as they discover that they can only find one shoe! They look and look for the shoe, all over until they find it in an unlikely place.

Women’s participation in parliaments, high courts, and executive offices worldwide has reached record high numbers, but this global increase in women’s representation masks significant variation among different democratic political systems. For example, in December of 2009, Rwanda’s legislature contained 56% women, while the U.S. Congress contained only about 17% and the Japanese Diet had only 11%. Since 2000, only twenty-seven women have achieved executive office worldwide. Contagious Representation is a comprehensive look at women’s participation in all aspects of public life in the main democratic political institutions—the executive, the judiciary, the legislature, and within political parties. Moving beyond studies of single countries and institutions, Contagious Representation presents original data from 159 democratic countries spanning 50 years, providing a comprehensive understanding of women in democracies worldwide. The first volume to offer an analysis on all avenues for women’s participation for such a lengthy time period, Contagious Representation examines not only the causes of women’s representation in the main democratic political institutions but also how women’s representation in one institution affects the others. Each chapter contains case studies and examples of the change in women’s participation over time from around the world. Thames and Williams definitively explain the rise, decline, or stagnant levels of women’s political participation, considering how representation is contagious across political institutions and gaining a better understanding of what factors affect women’s political participation.

Sir Seretse Khama, the first President of Botswana and heir apparent to the kingship of the Bangwato people, brought independence and great prosperity to his nation after colonial rule. But for six long years from 1950, Seretse had been forced into exile in England, banned from his own country. His crime? To fall in love and marry a young, white English girl, Ruth Williams. Delving into newly released records, Susan Williams tells Seretse and Ruth''s story - a shocking account of how the British Government conspired with apartheid South Africa to prevent the mixed-race royal couple returning home. But it is also an inspiring, triumphant tale of hope, courage and true love as with tenacity and great dignity Seretse and Ruth and the Bangwato people ovecome prejudice in their fight for justice.

A feminist approach to first amendment law.

The true story of a love which defied family, Apartheid, and empire - the inspiration for the major new feature film A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike London, 1947. He was the heir to an African kingdom. She was a white English insurance clerk. When they met and fell in love, it would change the world. This is the inspiring true story of Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams, whose marriage sent shockwaves through the establishment, defied an empire - and, finally, triumphed over the prejudices of their age. ''Reading the book, I realised that I had never seen an African love story of this cinematic scope. It spoke to me as an African, as a man, as a romantic'' David Oyelowo ''A story of forgiveness and healing ... as relevant today as when the whole drama was being played out'' Alexander McCall Smith ''Unmissable ... A love story for the ages ... One of the best films of the year'' Daily Mail ''Irresistible storytelling'' Guardian ''Genuinely moving ... Fascinating and timely'' Time Out

African Independence movements from former colonial powers were unsuccessful governments. But not because they lacked the skills. They were systematically undermined by one nation: the US. This is the sweeping history of how, over a few vital years, African Independence was strangled at birth. In 1958 in Accra, Ghana, the Hands Off Africa conference brought together the leading figures of African independence in a public show of political strength and purpose, inspired by the example of Ghana itself which, under the charismatic leadership of Kwame Nkrumah, had just thrown off the British colonial yoke - the first African nation to do so. It was moment heady with promise for independence movements across Africa, and for all those who believed colonialism was a moral aberration. Among the supporters of African independence were some of the leading figures of the American Civil Rights movement. Malcolm X was in Accra and Martin Luther King used Nkrumah''s speech as the basis for his own "Free At Last" speech, so clear were the parallels between their own struggle for political equality in the US with that of the African Nations. W. E. B. Du Bois moved to Ghana, inspired by the future of independent Africa. Yet among the many official messages of support received by the conference one nation was conspicuously quiet, despite its historic and public opposition to colonialism. America had vowed to dismantle the British Empire. Yet it was strangely silent about Hands Off Africa. Vice President Nixon did attend the celebrations in Ghana and asked a group of black people, "How does it feel to be free?"They answered: "We wouldn''t know. We''re from Alabama". The conference was also attended by a slew of strange societies, most promising support for African independence. They, however, were not all they seemed. Many were fronts, and behind them was the CIA. The CIA was in favor of the end of the British Empire but much less sure about what it wanted to replace it. A pan-African independence movement, one susceptible to Soviet entreaties, looked like a security threat. So the agency prepared to move in as Africa''s colonizers moved out. Their baleful influence would be felt from South Africa (they tipped off the apartheid regime so that Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962) to Congo (where the firebrand prime minister Patrice Lumumba was murdered, one of any Africa leaders who died prematurely).

An outcast boy and a young wolf against an Ice Age winter . . . Kai burns to become a hunter and to earn a rightful place among his people. But that can never be. He was born with a club foot. It is forbidden for him to use or even touch a hunter''s sacred weapons. Shunned by the other boys, Kai turns to his true friends, the yellow wolves, for companionship. They have not forgotten the young human they nurtured as an abandoned infant. When Kai discovers a motherless cub in the pack, he risks everything to save her, bringing her back to live with him. But as winter draws near, Kai''s wolf grows ever more threatening in the eyes of the People. When the worst happens, Kai knows that they must leave for good. Together, they embark on a journey into the north???a place of unimaginable danger???that tests the power of friendship and the will to survive. Award-winning author Susan Williams Beckhorn delivers a tale set in Paleolithic times. Inspired by modern discoveries, Susan''s careful research creates a vivid picture of a time when the first wolves came to live with humans and forged a bond that lives on to this day.

Maps on inside of front and back covers.