Books about Springfield from Amazon.com

WAS HE A LOVING, PROTECTIVE HUSBAND? OR A COLD, CALCULATING KILLER?

TV's 48 Hours Mystery unravels the lethal secrets inside a seemingly perfect marriage -- and behind a chilling double homicide.

"My wife is dying on the floor! Please, please come help!" The frantic 911 call sent emergency units racing to a tidy brick home in suburban Springfield, Illinois. Beautiful, vivacious Donnah Winger had been bludgeoned to death by a male intruder; her attacker was fatally shot by Donnah's husband, Mark. In the aftermath of the horrific home invasion, family and friends rallied around Mark, a wellliked and respected nuclear scientist, and the infant daughter he and Donnah had just adopted; some even called him a hero.

But one rookie detective didn't buy Mark Winger's version of the grisly events of that August afternoon. After four years of relentless investigation, a closed case is reopened, and fragments of truth -- including shocking new witness testimony -- come together to reveal how Mark Winger turned a chance meeting with a troubled young man into the almost seamless killing of his own wife, with an Invitation To A Murder..
Price: $4.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

On the night of the presidential election in 1876, a gang of counterfeiters out of Chicago attempted to steal the entombed embalmed body of Abraham Lincoln and hold it for ransom. The custodian of the tomb was so shaken by the incident that he willingly dedicated the rest of his life to protecting the president's corpse.

In a lively and dramatic narrative, Thomas J. Craughwell returns to this bizarre, and largely forgotten, event with the first book to place the grave robbery in historical context. He takes us through the planning and execution of the crime and the outcome of the investigation. He describes the reactions of Mary Todd Lincoln and Robert Todd Lincoln to the theft—and the peculiar silence of a nation. He follows the unlikely tale of what happened to Lincoln's remains after the attempted robbery, and details the plan devised by the Lincoln Guard of Honor to prevent a similar abominable recurrence.

Along the way, Craughwell offers entertaining sidelights on the rise of counterfeiting in America and the establishment of the Secret Service to combat it; the prevalence of grave robberies; the art of nineteenth-century embalming; and the emergence among Irish immigrants of an ambitious middle class—and a criminal underclass.

This rousing story of hapless con men, intrepid federal agents, and ordinary Springfield citizens who honored their native son by keeping a valuable, burdensome secret for decades offers a riveting glimpse into late-nineteenth-century America, and underscores that truth really is sometimes stranger than fiction.

(20070215).
Price: $11.29 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Dubbed the "White Queen of Soul," singer Dusty Springfield became the first British soloist to break into the U.S. Top Ten music charts with her 1964 hit "I Only Want To Be With You"--a pop classic followed by many others, including "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Son of a Preacher Man." Today she is usually placed within the history of the Beatles-led "British Invasion" or seen as a devoted acolyte of Motown. In this penetrating look at her music and career, Annie J. Randall shows how Springfield's contributions transcend the narrow limits of those descriptions and how this middle-class former convent girl became perhaps the unlikeliest of artists to achieve soul credibility on both sides of the Atlantic.
Randall reevaluates Springfield's place in sixties popular music through close investigation of her performances as well as interviews with her friends, peers, professional associates, and longtime fans. As the author notes, the singer's unique look--blonde beehive wigs and heavy black mascara--became iconic of the mid-sixties postmodern moment in which identity scrambling and camp pastiche were the norms in swinging London's pop culture. Randall places Springfield within this rich cultural context, focusing on the years from 1964 to 1968, when she recorded her biggest international hits and was a constant presence on British television. The book pays special attention to Springfield's close collaboration and friendship with American gospel singer Madeline Bell, the distinctive way Springfield combined US soul and European melodrama to achieve her own musical style and stage presence, and how her camp sensibility figured as a key element of her artistry..
Price: $12.47 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In this amusing and informative appreciation of The Simpsons, sociologist Tim Delaney looks at the many ways America's longest-running sitcom and animated TV program reflects American culture. For more than fifteen years, the Simpsons have touched upon nearly every aspect of the American social scene--from family dynamics and social mores to local customs and national institutions. With over four hundred episodes aired so far, Delaney finds a goldmine of insights couched in parody on any number of perennial topics:

· On television's influence on American culture, Krusty the Clown says, "Would it really be worth living in a world without television? I think the survivors would envy the dead."

· On New Age religion, Homer says, "To think, I turned to a cult for mindless happiness when I had beer all along."

· On the thorny issue of gun ownership and home security, Homer purchases a pistol at "Bloodbath and Beyond" and then tells Marge, "I don't have to be careful, I got a gun."

· On the theme of community spirit, Bart thoughtlessly signs up with a local Boy Scout troop while on a sugar rush from eating a "Super-Squishee." The next day he realizes what he has done: "Oh, no. I joined the Junior Campers!" To which his sister, Lisa, responds: "The few, the proud, the geeky."

Delaney finds many more episodes relevant to major sociological issues such as environmentalism, feminism, romance and marriage, politics, education, health, aging, and more. Students of popular culture and laypersons alike will learn basic sociological concepts and theories in a refreshing, jargon-free work that offers plenty of entertainment..
Price: $8.62 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The Model 1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations by Joe Poyer Edited by Ed Furler, Jr.

The Model 1903 Springfield Rifle was perhaps the most famous and popular of all U.S. military rifles. First issued in 1903, it served in two world wars and the Korean War and numerous smaller military actions around the globe between in the first half of the 20th Century. It even saw limited service during the War in Vietnam. Today, it is an extremely popular and sought-after military rifle by collectors. A modification of the famous Mauser bolt action, The Model 1903 Springfield was legendary for its accuracy in the hands of a well-trained rifleman. A variation of the rifle developed especially for match shooting held the crown in the National Matches longer than any other rifle. The National Matches have been conducted annually on a nationwide basis since 1873—except in wartime—and involved both civilian and military shooters competing on an equal basis. The matches exerted a great deal of influence on the design of American military rifles and marksmanship training.

“The Model 1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations” provides a detailed examination of this famous military rifle on a part-by-part basis. Every variation in every part is documented and matched to the serial number range of its use. Thirty-one different variations of the rifle were developed over the 41 year course of its production and all are described and identified.

Twelve different variations of the rifles were developed as sniper rifles beginning in 1907. All are discussed and described as are the telescopic sights used on each. The rifle was produced for civilian shooters by the Springfield national armory as well. Several variations of .30 caliber rifles were developed and sold through the Director, Civilian Marksmanship Program and the National Rifle Association for target shooting and hunting. A range of .22 caliber rimfire rifles was also developed for both low cost military and civilian marksmanship training in the 1920s and 1930s.

During World War II, to meet the needs of a 12 million man military force, the Remington Arms Company and the Smith Corona Typewriter Company produced more than 1.8 million Model 1903A3 rifles including the Remington-manufactured Model 1903A4 sniper rifle.

Appendices provide additional information on serial numbers, production numbers, ammunition, inspection procedures and markings, lists of military and civilian inspectors and their markings, the National Match rifle and the rare and highly classified Pedersen device that converted this bolt action rifle to a semiautomatic rifle during World War I with never-before published original factory photos. A thorough bibliography completes the text.

“The Model 1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations,” is the fifteenth book in the North Cape Publication’s “For Collectors Only” series for beginning and advanced firearm’s collectors and the twenty-third book on their list. This book is a complete compilation and discussion of all variations of this famous rifle.

“The Model 1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations” is 456 pages long with six color plates and hundreds of black and white drawings and photos. Format is perfect bound, 8.5 x 5.5 inches. Every part is illustrated in detail either in a drawing or photo. As the book covers the entire range of the Model 1903 rifle from the rod bayonet to the M1903A4 sniper rifle..
Price: $19.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The lifetime work of the rifle's premier authority. Exhaustive research has taken Brophy into some of the rarest collections in existence .
Price: $49.59 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Dusty Springfield is a pop music legend. Goddess of the sixties, reluctant recluse of the seventies, enigmatic icon of the eighties and nineties, she attracted a passionate following that has remained loyal to this day. She crossed the line into soul music, her first love, but never turned her back on pop music. A perfectionist in her work, she was a shy, awkward girl off stage. Misunderstood and misquoted, that was Miss Springfield. She had a lifestyle to envy, was the original 'IT' girl and achieved, many believed, the height of decadence. But who really knew her? Who was the real lady behind the black mascara and backcombed hair? This is the story that she never had the chance to tell herself because, nearly two years after her first battle with breast cancer, the disease returned to take her life in 1999.When the end finally came, the music business descended into mourning, tributes flooded in from all over the world, "The Daily Telegraph" front page announced 'Dusty Springfield dies on day she was to get OBE' and her Majesty The Queen was reported to be 'deeply saddened'. Dusty Springfield was the very heart and soul of British music. Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant, who was responsible for her return to chart success in 1987, believed that 'she was the very essence of fabness'..
Price: $21.38 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This 4th revised and expanded edition provides a part-by-part review of all models of the Springfield .45-70 Trapdoor rifle, carbine and cadet rifle. Every part from buttplate to front sight of every model is discussed in terms of dimensions, use, markings, finish and changes to that part by serial number range. A new serial number list is included with serial number ranges listed by production years. This new list includes serial numbers not previously included by other authors. This book makes it possible for the collector to determine whether or not a particular rifle, carbine or cadet rifle is original as manufactured. The collector must keep in mind that not only was the .45-70 Springfield Trapdoor used by the Army, but also by the Navy, Marines, National Guard and various state militias from 1873 to well into the 20th Century. The trapdoor was still being issued as late as World War I to militia units for guard duty. During this more than forty-year period of service, the trapdoor went through several model changes and even more frequent parts upgrades. So a rifle manufactured in 1879 may have undergone as many as twenty parts changes by 1889, all of which are considered valid, original manufacturing changes. The problem the collector, museum director, gunsmith, author and shooter faces is determining which changes were made officially by the Ordnance Department while in service and which were made by surplus dealers, resellers and previous non-military owners. "The .45-70 Springfield" provides answers to all these questions and more. With this book in hand, it is possible to assess every part and using the serial number stamped on the receiver, determine first in what year the arm was manufactured, then on a part-by-part basis, decide whether or not each part is the correct and original part for that arm. If some parts are found to have been manufactured later, then the book will tell you whether or not those parts were installed by military armorers according to regulation. Why is this important? First, the .45-70 Springfield is a tangible piece of the history of our nation. And as such, it deserves to be correct. Secondly, the .45-70 Springfield's value depends in large part on how original it is. Parts that are incorrect can be replaced, returning the arm to both its historical and economic value. The book also provides a historical overview of the .45-70's development and use during the latter part of the 19th Century and into the 20th. Also included are assembly/disassembly instructions, cleaning and maintenance, glossary and bibliography..
Price: $18.89 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Ideal workshop reference for stripping & assembly with exploded parts drawings, specifications, service accessories, historical information and recommended reading references. And ideal workbook for shooters and collectors alike. The binding is triple saddle-stitched with a durable plastic laminated cover..
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Covers the formation and rise to stardom of Buffalo Springfield..
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