Background
Sproxton, David was born in 1954 in England.
( From the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning history T...)
From the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning history The Dead Hand comes the riveting story of a spy who cracked open the Soviet military research establishment and a penetrating portrait of the CIA’s Moscow station, an outpost of daring espionage in the last years of the Cold War While driving out of the American embassy in Moscow on the evening of February 16, 1978, the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station heard a knock on his car window. A man on the curb handed him an envelope whose contents stunned U.S. intelligence: details of top-secret Soviet research and developments in military technology that were totally unknown to the United States. In the years that followed, the man, Adolf Tolkachev, an engineer in a Soviet military design bureau, used his high-level access to hand over tens of thousands of pages of technical secrets. His revelations allowed America to reshape its weapons systems to defeat Soviet radar on the ground and in the air, giving the United States near total superiority in the skies over Europe. One of the most valuable spies to work for the United States in the four decades of global confrontation with the Soviet Union, Tolkachev took enormous personal risks—but so did the Americans. The CIA had long struggled to recruit and run agents in Moscow, and Tolkachev was a singular breakthrough. Using spy cameras and secret codes as well as face-to-face meetings in parks and on street corners, Tolkachev and his handlers succeeded for years in eluding the feared KGB in its own backyard, until the day came when a shocking betrayal put them all at risk. Drawing on previously secret documents obtained from the CIA and on interviews with participants, David Hoffman has created an unprecedented and poignant portrait of Tolkachev, a man motivated by the depredations of the Soviet state to master the craft of spying against his own country. Stirring, unpredictable, and at times unbearably tense, The Billion Dollar Spy is a brilliant feat of reporting that unfolds like an espionage thriller.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385537603/?tag=2022091-20
(On the Tweedy farm it's no great secret that any hen who ...)
On the Tweedy farm it's no great secret that any hen who fails to lay an egg in the morning will be on the chopping block that night. Ginger, a clever hen desperate for freedom and the feel of green grass under her feet, hatches escape plan after escape plan, only to be foiled by the sinister Farmer and Mrs. Tweedy. Then one day, her savior arrives in the form of Rocky, the Flying Rooster, a handsome escapee from the local circus. Convinced that Rocky--also known as "The Lone Free Ranger"--can teach all the chickens on Tweedy's farm to fly, Ginger and her fellow hens plot their best, and final, plan to bust loose. Based on the new clay animation film from the makers of the popular Wallace and Gromit series, Chicken Run is a touching, offbeat story of a hen house full of plucky chickens who exhibit admirable courage in the face of daunting odds. Humorous and irreverent (budding vegetarians will love this story of chickens refusing to become meals for humans), the book takes readers on a wild, imaginative ride of near misses, tender romance, and nerve-wracking adventure. Will the Tweedys' new pie-making machine make dinner of everyone? Will the chickens ever get off the ground? And what is Rocky's shameful secret? In the end you'll find what Ginger has known all along--you can't keep a good hen down. (Ages 5 to 9) --Marianne Painter
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525464204/?tag=2022091-20
(When writer David McFadden sets out on a tour of Ireland,...)
When writer David McFadden sets out on a tour of Ireland, he is determined to so do in a relatively innocent state. Using as a guide only In Search of Ireland, a 1930 title by travel writer H. V. Morton, he plans to follow the same route, to try to determine how things have changed and how they have remained the same. This he proceeds to do – at least at first. But soon he is wandering more and more erratically around the country, poking into any corner and musing over any sight that takes his fancy – from a cozy guest house in Kilcullen to the legendary Hill of Tara, from the south-coast pub run by twin sisters to the windswept reaches of the Ballaghbeama Gap. And increasingly he is drawn to the prehistoric monuments of ancient Ireland. As he goes, he records his very personal impressions in a clear-eyed and wryly humorous way. Wisely, McFadden also lets the many characters he meets speak for themselves; he loves a good chat and he gives ample space to the various loquacious barmen, shopkeepers, hoteliers, and passersby along the way. And of all the eccentric and appealing characters that he encounters, one of the most intriguing is his travelling companion, the mysterious Spanish chambermaid and poet Lourdes Brasil. Amusing, quirky, compassionate but unsentimental, An Innocent in Ireland is a treat for any armchair traveller.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0771055277/?tag=2022091-20
( From the creators of Shrek and Wallace & Gromit comes a...)
From the creators of Shrek and Wallace & Gromit comes a madcap animated comedy set on and beneath the streets of London. The story of a pampered, uptown rat named Roddy who is flushed down the toilet in his penthouse apartment and ends up in the London sewers. In the city of Ratropolis, he meets the lovely Rita, who might-or might not-help him to return home. But first, he must confront the villainous Toad and his henchfrogs who plan to take over Ratropolis. Roddy must learn a different way of life if he's to survive and save the world.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439900778/?tag=2022091-20
( WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE The first full account of...)
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE The first full account of how the Cold War arms race finally came to a close, this riveting narrative history sheds new light on the people who struggled to end this era of massive overkill, and examines the legacy of the nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons that remain a threat today. Drawing on memoirs, interviews in both Russia and the US, and classified documents from deep inside the Kremlin, David E. Hoffman examines the inner motives and secret decisions of each side and details the deadly stockpiles that remained unsecured as the Soviet Union collapsed. This is the fascinating story of how Reagan, Gorbachev, and a previously unheralded collection of scientists, soldiers, diplomats, and spies changed the course of history.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307387844/?tag=2022091-20
(When writer David McFadden sets out on a tour of Ireland,...)
When writer David McFadden sets out on a tour of Ireland, he is determined to so do in a relatively innocent state. Using as a guide only In Search of Ireland, a 1930 title by travel writer H. V. Morton, he plans to follow the same route, to try to determine how things have changed and how they have remained the same. This he proceeds to do – at least at first. But soon he is wandering more and more erratically around the country, poking into any corner and musing over any sight that takes his fancy – from a cozy guest house in Kilcullen to the legendary Hill of Tara, from the south-coast pub run by twin sisters to the windswept reaches of the Ballaghbeama Gap. And increasingly he is drawn to the prehistoric monuments of ancient Ireland. As he goes, he records his very personal impressions in a clear-eyed and wryly humorous way. Wisely, McFadden also lets the many characters he meets speak for themselves; he loves a good chat and he gives ample space to the various loquacious barmen, shopkeepers, hoteliers, and passersby along the way. And of all the eccentric and appealing characters that he encounters, one of the most intriguing is his travelling companion, the mysterious Spanish chambermaid and poet Lourdes Brasil. Amusing, quirky, compassionate but unsentimental, An Innocent in Ireland is a treat for any armchair traveller.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0771055277/?tag=2022091-20
( The bestselling autobiography of the legendary Louis Za...)
The bestselling autobiography of the legendary Louis Zamperini, hero of the blockbuster Unbroken A modern classic by an American legend, Devil at My Heels is the riveting and deeply personal memoir by U.S. Olympian, World War II bombardier, and POW survivor Louis Zamperini. His inspiring story of courage, resilience, and faith has captivated readers and audiences of Unbroken, now a major motion picture directed by Angelina Jolie. In Devil at My Heels, his official autobiography (co-written with longtime collaborator David Rensin), Zamperini shares his own first-hand account of extraordinary journey—hailed as “one of the most incredible American lives of the past century” (People). A youthful troublemaker, a world-class NCAA miler, a 1936 Olympian, a WWII bombardier: Louis Zamperini had a fuller life than most. But on May 27, 1943, it all changed in an instant when his B-24 crashed into the Pacific Ocean, leaving Louis and two other survivors drifting on a raft for forty-seven days and two thousand miles, waiting in vain to be rescued. And the worst was yet to come when they finally reached land, only to be captured by the Japanese. Louis spent the next two years as a prisoner of war—tortured and humiliated, routinely beaten, starved and forced into slave labor—while the Army Air Corps declared him dead and sent official condolences to his family. On his return home, memories of the war haunted him nearly destroyed his marriage until a spiritual rebirth transformed him and led him to dedicate the rest of his long and happy life to helping at-risk youth. Told in Zamperini’s own voice, Devil at My Heels is an unforgettable memoir from one of the greatest of the “Greatest Generation,” a living document about the brutality of war, the tenacity of the human spirit, and the power of faith.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062118854/?tag=2022091-20
("For readers addicted to histories or novels about the Ci...)
"For readers addicted to histories or novels about the Civil War, a common challenge is the lack of adequate maps. This excellent volume satisfies that need, once and for all: It's the clearest, fullest collection of strategic and tactical maps available, a fine volume on its own and an indispensable aid to understanding many another book. Few works truly are 'must-haves' for a Civil War collection, but this one's essential." --Ralph Peters, author of Cain at Gettysburg and Hell or Richmond The Civil War: The Story of the War with Maps combines the colorful, detailed maps of an atlas with the vivid storytelling of the best narratives to piece together the nation-spanning jigsaw puzzle of the American Civil War. See the conflict develop from a few small armies into total war engulfing the whole South. • The campaigns and battles are all here, with maps zooming in on the maneuvering and attacking armies: Bull Run, Shiloh, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, the Wilderness, Atlanta, and more. • The nationwide perspective--absent from so many other books and shown here on full-page maps--connects these dots into a cohesive story of the entire war, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, from Pennsylvania to the Gulf of Mexico. • Distilling events into their essentials, the text focuses on the military history of the conflict and its cast of colorful commanders--Lee, Grant, Sherman, McClellan, and Stonewall Jackson. • Captures all the war's intensity and human drama, its epic sweep from Sumter to Appomattox. The result is a unique book that educates, enlightens, and entertains. An ideal introduction for newcomers, refresher for buffs, and companion to other books during the war’s 150th anniversary and beyond.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811714497/?tag=2022091-20
(In 1995, David W. McFadden published An Innocent in Irela...)
In 1995, David W. McFadden published An Innocent in Ireland: Curious Rambles and Singular Encounters, a quirky and affectionate account of his travels around Ireland. In undertaking the trip, he chose as his guide H. V. Morton, the prolific travel writer of the 1920s and 1930s, whose In Search of Ireland (part of Morton’s famous In Search of... series) had been familiar to him since childhood. Now, setting out to explore Scotland, his family’s ancestral home, McFadden plans to use the same technique: to follow Morton’s route around the country, observing how things have changed and in what ways they remain the same. As in An Innocent in Ireland, however, his own inquiring mind and engaging personality take over, and Morton appears less and less as McFadden becomes increasingly absorbed by the landscape – and particularly by the people. Starting in the Lowlands, he travels through Burns country (examining verses that Burns is alleged to have inscribed on a Dumfries window with his diamond ring) and up the east coast to the Highlands. There he lingers by Loch Ness (spotting nothing but tourists), before heading over to the west coast and falling in love with it – particularly with the islands of Mull and Iona. Through the entire trip, McFadden charts an erratic course, led only by H. V. Morton and his own acute eye and very lively curiosity. As he does so, he records his extremely personal impressions, which are wry, amused – and often more astute than he lets on. The reader won’t find many of the traditional Scottish tourist sites in this account. Rather, as in An Innocent in Ireland, McFadden loves a good chat, and he wisely lets the many characters he meets speak for themselves. He gives generous attention to a variety of talkative barmen, hoteliers, shopkeepers, as well as to passersby that he encounters in the course of his travels. Their conversations, ranging from the instructive or humorous to the eccentric and even surreal, give a thoroughly entertaining view of a Scotland the guidebooks never reveal. Still quirky, affectionate, always ready to be intrigued or amused, David McFadden makes an ideal companion for any armchair traveller.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0771055285/?tag=2022091-20
("For readers addicted to histories or novels about the Ci...)
"For readers addicted to histories or novels about the Civil War, a common challenge is the lack of adequate maps. This excellent volume satisfies that need, once and for all: It's the clearest, fullest collection of strategic and tactical maps available, a fine volume on its own and an indispensable aid to understanding many another book. Few works truly are 'must-haves' for a Civil War collection, but this one's essential." --Ralph Peters, author of Cain at Gettysburg and Hell or Richmond The Civil War: The Story of the War with Maps combines the colorful, detailed maps of an atlas with the vivid storytelling of the best narratives to piece together the nation-spanning jigsaw puzzle of the American Civil War. See the conflict develop from a few small armies into total war engulfing the whole South. • The campaigns and battles are all here, with maps zooming in on the maneuvering and attacking armies: Bull Run, Shiloh, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, the Wilderness, Atlanta, and more. • The nationwide perspective--absent from so many other books and shown here on full-page maps--connects these dots into a cohesive story of the entire war, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, from Pennsylvania to the Gulf of Mexico. • Distilling events into their essentials, the text focuses on the military history of the conflict and its cast of colorful commanders--Lee, Grant, Sherman, McClellan, and Stonewall Jackson. • Captures all the war's intensity and human drama, its epic sweep from Sumter to Appomattox. The result is a unique book that educates, enlightens, and entertains. An ideal introduction for newcomers, refresher for buffs, and companion to other books during the war’s 150th anniversary and beyond.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811714497/?tag=2022091-20
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1294556312/?tag=2022091-20
( This is the intriguing story of one of the world’s firs...)
This is the intriguing story of one of the world’s first conservationists, who served as the inspiration behind the Boy Scouts of America and dedicated his life to preserving nature and promoting outdoor youth education. Celebrated in text and visuals, Ernest Thompson Seton features more than 100 of Seton’s paintings and illustrations and will serve as the catalog for an exhibition (which opened May 23, 2010) on Seton at the New Mexico History Museum, which sees more than 100,000 visitors annually. David L. Witt is curator and director of the Seton Legacy Project for the Academy of the Love of Learning, an educational organization in Santa Fe. A lifelong naturalist, he lives in Taos, New Mexico. “Seton was a national figure who had a huge effect on the way people thought about the natural world in North America.” ―David Attenborough.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423603915/?tag=2022091-20
animator filmmaker film company executive
Sproxton, David was born in 1954 in England.
Graduate, Durham University.
Co-founder, managing director Aardman Animations, Bristol, England, since 1976.
( From the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning history T...)
( WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE The first full account of...)
( This is the intriguing story of one of the world’s firs...)
( The bestselling autobiography of the legendary Louis Za...)
(On the Tweedy farm it's no great secret that any hen who ...)
( From the creators of Shrek and Wallace & Gromit comes a...)
(When writer David McFadden sets out on a tour of Ireland,...)
(When writer David McFadden sets out on a tour of Ireland,...)
("For readers addicted to histories or novels about the Ci...)
("For readers addicted to histories or novels about the Ci...)
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
(In 1995, David W. McFadden published An Innocent in Irela...)
(28x21x1cm. Cartonné.)
Animator (television series) Take Hart, 1977-1983. Director: (television series) The Amazing Adventures of Morph, 1980-1981. Animation director (television series) Pee-wee's Playhouse, 1986-1991, executive producer, director The Morph Files, 1995, producer, director, cinematographer (films) On Probation, 1981, animator, cinematographer, writer, director Early Bird, 1983, animator, cinematographer, director Babylon, 1985 (Ottawa International Animation Festival Audience award, Award of Merit, 1986).
Cinematographer: (films) Creature Comforts, 1989, War Story, 1989. Executive producer, cinematographer (films) Adam, 1991, Loves Maine. Loves Me Not, 1992, executive producer, editor Never Say Pink Furry Die, 1992.
Executive producer: (films) Not Without My Handbag, 1993, Wallace & Gromit in The Wrong Trousers, 1993, Pib & Pog, 1994, Wallace & Gromit in A Close Shave, 1993, Wat's Pig, 1996, Humdrum, 1998, Swearing, Sneeze, Sex Educated, Road Hog, Queen's Speech, Love Bite, Headlights, Cotton Bud, Captain Thunderpants, Blood Juice, Barf, 1999, Wee Wee, Speed, Horror, Hoax Call, Hardface, Comfy, Bone, Backward Writing, Kidnap, 2000, Chicken Run, 2000, Chunga Chui Leopard Beware, 2001, Ernest, 2001, Tales for the Rest of Us, 2005, Ramble On, 2005. Producer: Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, 2005 (British Academy of Film and Television Arts Alexander Korda award for Best British Film, 2006), Flushed Away, 2006.