Partnering in Latin America’s Defense

April 27, 2011

Anyone reading the international news these days knows about the turmoil currently engulfing a number of nations in the Middle East. In fact, for the past decade, it’s hard to think of a time when the headlines weren’t about some hot spot or another in that volatile part of our world. This wouldn’t surprise the Latin Americanists among us; it sometimes seems that the Southern Hemisphere is terra incognita for the media.

That’s one reason why Partnership for the Americas: Western Hemisphere Strategy and U.S. Southern Command is so refreshing. This new book from the National Defense University, written by Admiral James G. Stavrides, formerly in charge of the Southern Command, focuses on the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean as if they are more than just “America’s backyard” – a phrase that the author dislikes intensely. He sees this area as “our shared home” – shared with nations that take enormous pride in their histories and cultures and sometimes view their large North American co-tenant with some misgivings. Partly this is due to another misconception: “all the countries down there are pretty much the same.” Partnership for the Americas is adamant that the diverse languages and cultures in the hemisphere all deserve greater study and respect.

In this post-Cold war era, concerns about subversion have been replaced by what the book sees as the real issues – gangs, drugs, and crime. After citing some appalling statistics about the international drug trade as it affects the Southern hemisphere, it points to developments in trafficking that require more than a local or even regional response. Take, for instance, the SPSS, or self-propelled semi-submersible (left). These drug-transporting vessels, about 60 to 80 feet long, transport tons of cocaine, are almost invisible from any distance, and  designed to be scuttled at their destination or if intercepted by any military or police vessels. It’s easy to see how the Navy might be helpful here!

Partnership for the Americas also focuses on the need to be aware of human rights issues, the role of Southern Command personnel in health care and humanitarian relief efforts, and innovation in the way the military interacts with other nations to accomplish mutually desirable aims. It’s a thoughtful book that policymakers, members of the military, and anyone interested in this part of the world could benefit from reading. You can browse through it here, get a copy here, or locate it in a library.

6 Comments | National Defense University | Tagged: , , | Permalink
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The History and Legacy of the Space Shuttle

April 25, 2011

Did you know that Rush and Judy Collins both wrote songs about the Space Shuttle? That excess Shuttle propellant is used in a small device that burns through and safely ignites the explosives within land mine casings? That Varicella-Zoster virus, the causative agent of chicken pox and shingles, appeared in the saliva of asymptomatic astronauts while in space, leading to development of a rapid, sensitive test that doctors could use to diagnose shingles and facilitate early antiviral therapy? These are just a few of the remarkable facts packed into a spectacular new book from NASA: Wings in Orbit: Scientific and Engineering Legacies of the Space Shuttle. Published to coincide with the ending of the Space Shuttle program, Wings in Orbit is a beautifully illustrated and information-filled collection of essays on just about every aspect of this long-lived and amazingly productive scientific and technical achievement.

After a through review of the history of the Shuttle program, including the Challenger and Columbia accidents and the role of the Shuttle in national security, Wings in Orbit goes on to cover its engineering aspects, scientific discoveries, social, cultural, and educational legacies, industries and spin-offs), and testimonies from the famous and not so famous about the Shuttle and its role in human spaceflight.

I’m not a real space buff, but I found this book totally absorbing. Also, it’s profusely illustrated with color photos and diagrams, although the photo that most intrigued me was totally monochromatic – a shot of Mt. St. Helens just after the colossal eruption of May 18, 1980. Absent the caption, I would have supposed it to be a photo of the moon or Mars – a striking tribute to the power of nature and the unblinking eye of the Space Shuttle.

You can get a taste of Wings in Orbit here, purchase a copy here (and I understand that at least one major book chain may be stocking it), and browse in a copy at a library.

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West Side Story Project Toolkit: Crime Prevention on a New Stage

April 20, 2011

Guest blogger Jana Sabol looks at how police and kids can find common ground on the stage of a classic American musical

Many of us are familiar with the plot of West Side Story, the award-winning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Set inNew York City in the mid-1950s, the story revolves around the rivalry between the Jets, a white working-class gang, and the Sharks fromPuerto Rico. The rival gangs battle for territory and respect as a romance forms between a Jet and the sister of a Shark.

Working off the theme of West Side Story, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) has created a toolkit to address youth violence and youth-police relations. Schools across the country perform their own adaptations of the class West Side Story every year, so it seems like a great next step to bring these tool kits into schools and communities to help address the issues of gang prevention, youth–police relations, and cultural conflict. For those unfamiliar with the musical, the toolkit not only provides the tools to reduce conflict, solve problems, and build relationships but also the opportunity to experience musical theatre.

The West Side Story Project Toolkit: Crime Prevention on a New Stage consists of a set of 5 booklets, a CD, and a DVD. Incidentally, GPO’s own Creative Services group designed and developed the toolkit brand/logo and created a kit folder for the training and guidance materials. It’s a great opportunity to get a community involved in collaboration with kids, police, and local arts groups to curb youth-violence and improve youth-police relations, while at the same time introducing live musical theater to those who previously were unacquainted with it. You can get your copy here or find it in a library.

5 Comments | Department of Justice | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
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All-American Ethnic Music: Reels, Polkas, Klezmer, Cajun, and More

April 18, 2011

Several years ago, I was standing in line to pay for some books at a used book sale. A man ahead of me had one of those two-wheeled folding shopping carts full of LPs. He was explaining to another person in the line that he was a musicologist and most of the records in the cart were for his colleagues. He then said that his own specialty was Jewish music of South America. It was a revelation to me that there was such a musical niche, although I don’t know why I was so surprised. After all, I’m ethnic myself – Scottish on my father’s side and Polish on my mother’s – and all of my grandparents were born overseas. I never heard much Scottish music growing up, except bagpipes, but my hometown and surrounding areas of northern New Jersey had enough Polish-American communities to support at least some Polish-language programming, including plenty of polka music, and not just “Who Stole the Kishka?”

Maybe my own ethnic roots explain my interest in Ethnic Recordings in America: A Neglected Heritage, a Library of Congress American Folklife Center gem from the Government Book Talk out-of- print horde. This pioneering effort in the field includes an introduction to recorded ethnic music beginning in the 1920s, both major labels (Victor,Columbia, and Edison) and independents (including Gaelic [Irish], Italianstyle [Italian], Panhellion [Greek], La Patrie [French-Canadian], and Macksoud [Arabic], and many more). It also traces ethnic recording history in the U.S. After the big bust of the Great Depression, ethnic records boomed again in the later 1930s through the mid-1940s before becoming marginalized by assimilation, changing tastes, and the hard economics of the recording business. Yet pockets of traditional music, whether Tex-Mex, Cajun, or Finnish, still persist, and musicians now produce CDs or mp3s instead of vinyl records. Ethnic music even attracts non-ethnic musicians, who ring new changes on Balkan, Hawaiian, and Latino melodies – maybe even more so now than was the case in 1982, when this book was published.

Ethnic Recordings in America also features essays on Irish records, the great Mexican-American singer Lydia Mendoza, and yes, “The Sajewski Story: Eighty Years of Polish Music in Chicago.” Each essay is illustrated by rare photos of record labels, sheet music, and musicians of many ethnicities. Checklists and discographies also provide reference resources for those interested in probing deeper into the music and record collections of the Library of Congress and other archives. I didn’t have any luck finding the text via the Internet, but you can find copies through various used book sites, or in a library. As for me, it’s time to get in touch with my roots – but which roots? – Alex Beaton or Frankie Yankovic? Only in America!

7 Comments | Library of Congress (LOC) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
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Planning a Vacation? How About a Place Less Frequented?

April 15, 2011

Guest blogger Tina Perantonakis likes to check out lesser-known national parks – and some of them are free!

Growing up as a native Washingtonian, my knowledge of our national parks was limited to the sites in and surrounding the National Mall, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. As I started traveling more throughout the United States, I had the opportunity to visit some of the most popular national parks, including Yellowstone, Redwood, and Golden Gate, but I gained the most pleasure in discovering and exploring those that are lesser known. Most recently, I visited Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.  Mesa Verde houses arguably the most impressive cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people. 
 
To commemorate National Park Week, which is April 16-24, 2011, I am highlighting a book published by the National Park Service: The National Parks: Index 2009-2011. This book has become indispensable in my travel planning, as it contains listings of National Park System areas by state, in addition to National Heritage Areas, National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and the National Trails System. Although the Index is not intended to be a guidebook, nor does it contain standard guidebook information such as visiting hours, trails, and campground locations, it does provide the administrative addresses and brief descriptions of the sites – and these descriptions often include interesting facts.  Did you know that there is a national park in American Samoa devoted to protecting tropical rainforests, coral reefs, and fruit bats?  I certainly did not – until I read the entry in the National Parks Index.

This year, the National Park Service will be offering several fee-free days at more than 100 parks that usually charge an entrance fee.  I plan to take advantage of the fee-free days by visiting several Civil War historical sites, including Antietam National Battlefield  in Maryland and Appomattox Court House National Historical Park inVirginia.

For more information on National Parks Week, visit here. To take advantage of the National Park Service free entrance days, visit here.  To purchase a copy of The National Parks: Index 2009-2011, visit here.  You can also find it in a library.

6 Comments | National Park Service | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
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The First Collection of President Obama’s Public Papers

April 13, 2011

I think that the Public Papers of the Presidents is one of the Federal Government’s most distinguished series of publications – and not just because my name once appeared in one of its volumes. Each President since Herbert Hoover (except Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose papers were published privately prior to the inauguration of the official series) has had his papers and speeches printed in these imposing and austerely handsome volumes, usually issued twice a year by the National Archives and Records Administration’s Office of the Federal Register.

I bring this up because the first volume of President Barack Obama’s Public Papers has just hit the Government Book Talk main desk (at 1,030 pages, plus an extensive index, it hit with great impact, too.) Every President gets his own binding color, and President Obama’s is a navy blue, with the usual cool gold stamping. In addition to the text, it includes a few color photographs of the President and First Lady – in all, a fine example of GPO’s expertise in traditional printing even as it continues to innovate in the digital arena. (The President gets his own special leather-bound copy personally delivered by the Public Printer of the United States – and as he points out, we don’t do many of those!) To see how GPO does it, click here.

Well, it’s great that these are such beautiful books, but what about the content? It shows that Presidents turn up everywhere, from the Tonight show (page 301) to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (page 759) to a town hall meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin (page 802). The topics of his speeches, interviews, and news conferences are as diverse as the duties of America’s Chief Executive – health care, foreign relations, economic crises, and even history, as shown by his visit to the Buchenwald concentration camp (page 781). I was particularly touched by his brief statement regarding the victims of a horrendous 2009 Metro subway crash here in DC (page 873) – it happened not long after I rode the same subway line home from work that day.

Perhaps no book better conveys the range of responsibility our Presidents must shoulder every day of their terms. It’s a volume for browsing, revisiting the issues of President Obama’s first six months in office, and wondering how any President deals with the myriad demands on his time, energy, and intellect. You can do your own browsing here or add a copy to your personal library from here. For other volumes in this fine series, you can visit GPO’s Federal Digital System for those issued since 1991 or check our online bookstore by searching under “public papers” to see which ones are still in print.

9 Comments | National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
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“Uncivilized Warfare”: Defeating the Kaiser’s U-Boats

April 8, 2011

I’ve been on a bit of a World War I binge lately. In addition to my own at-home reading (most recently a book on naval battles of the First World War and a biography of Colonel Edward M. House, Woodrow Wilson’s closest foreign policy advisor during and immediately after the war), in recent weeks I’ve blogged about World War I aerial reconnaissance, Army nurses, and Stars and Stripes, the doughboys’ newspaper. Maybe it’s because of the recent death of Frank Buckles, the last American veteran of the Great War, or because in another three years we’ll be hearing about the centennial of the war’s outbreak. Given that “the war to end all wars” kicked off what many historians view as one war that lasted from 1914 to 1945 with a 20-year intermission, that its repercussions still echo today, and that it was fought on or near every continent, I find the subject to be one of endless, multifaceted interest.

Because Americans tend to focus on such incidents as the sinking of the Lusitania, it’s easy to forget how deadly a weapon the German U-Boat was on an ongoing basis and how close it came to success. According to Defeating the U-boat: Inventing Antisubmarine Warfare, a new book from the U.S. Naval War College, after a meeting between U. S. Rear Admiral William Sims and the Royal navy’s Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Jellicoe in which the struggle against the U-boats was discussed, Sims cabled Washington to say “briefly stated, I consider that at the present moment we are losing the war.” A major part of the problem was England’s utter unpreparedness to fight an anti-submarine war. This was partly due to the belief that no “civilized” nation would engage in unrestricted submarine warfare, i.e. firing torpedoes at non-military vessels without warning and making no effort to aid or pick up survivors. After trying anti-submarine patrols,  “barrages” or barriers in the Strait of Dover, mines, and the employment of Q-ships (freighters and other civilian craft with concealed/camouflaged guns that could snag U-boats playing by the old “fair warning” rules), it was the development of the convoy system that proved most decisive. Yet such was the ambivalence of many officers (and even Winston Churchill) about the “defensive-mindedness” of convoys that even in World War II it took far too long for Allied navies, including the American navy, to use the convoy against Nazi U-boats.

In its concluding chapter, the author, Jan S. Breemer, reflects on the general tendency of large bureaucracies in general avoid decisions that involve risk.  It also makes the specific point that the Royal Navy in World War I viewed the protection of shipping and the sinking of U-boats as separate issues instead of the two parts of a strategic whole. In other words, combine sluggish bureaucracy and blinkered strategy and you come up with an almost lethal combination. As the great naval historian Arthur Marder put it, “sinking submarines is a bonus, not a necessity.” It took a long while for this lesson to sink in (excuse the pun!)

Defeating the U-boat is a neat little book that’s readable and furnishes a lot of useful information very concisely. It would be a great asset to any World War I buff’s collection. You can read it here, get that copy for your collection here, or seek it out at a library.

5 Comments | Naval War College, U.S. Navy | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
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A Closer Look at the FBI

April 7, 2011

Guest blogger Kelly Seifert has found a real page-turner of a Government book.

There’s something captivating about the inner workings and countless cases of the FBI. Who hasn’t thought about how interesting it must be to serve as an FBI agent? I think there’s something mysterious and fascinating about the professionals working around the globe to protect the Nation and its citizens.

In 2008, the FBI celebrated its 100 anniversary and, as part of that celebration, released, The FBI: A Centennial History, 1908-2008. This 130-page coffee table book features detailed accounts of more than 40 famous FBI cases; over 300 photographs, including many never before seen by the public; and abundant reference materials on fallen agents, FBI Directors, and more.

The book traces the FBI’s journey from fledgling startup to one of the most respected and recognized names in national security. It covers World War I and the early days of terrorism, the gangster era of the 1920s and 30s, World War II and the Cold War, the 60s and its civil rights movement, the Watergate years, the rise of global terror and crime, and the post 9/11 era.

Especially intriguing is the FBI’s transformation over time. The advances in technology and instruments the Bureau uses in protecting our national security, combined with its growth from 34 to 30,000 agents over the years, makes for an exciting and absorbing read. Find The FBI: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 online, get your own copy and settle in for a thrilling ride here, or investigate it at a library.

5 Comments | Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
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Raising and Preserving Native Plants

April 6, 2011

It’s been a cool and rainy spring so far, but my yard is starting to green up. I planted a native beautyberry bush (Callicarpa americana) last year and I’m anxious to see whether we’ll see the berries this time around. Since growing things – especially native plants – is on my mind, I naturally turned to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service for both inspiration and instruction.

I’m not quite ready to start my own nursery, but if I were, the Nursery Manual for Native Plants: A Guide for Tribal Nurseries would be a big help. Although this book had its origin in several meetings with tribal members to discuss their needs for native plants, facilities, and training, and it uses plants important to Native Americans as examples, anyone interested in the propagation of native species of plants can find a lot to interest them here.

Take seeds, for instance. Although there are commercial sources for some native plants, it’s obviously possible to head into the woods and gather your own – but would you know what to look for, and at what time of year? You need to know when plants flower (and for many species, that’s not so obvious) and the best timing to gather a given seed crop. Another essay in the book talks about how to get seeds to germinate. To propagate some species, you need to use scarification – disrupting an impermeable seedcoat so water and oxygen can enter dormant seeds. Some seeds need fire (there’s a section on smoking them as a technique), digestive acids in the stomachs of animals, or abrasion by blowing sand or ice. I guess I won‘t be trying this kind of thing at home, but it’s great for budding nursery growers and interesting to read about.

Because the Nursery Manual for Native Plants is filled with the wonderful common names of such species, occasionally you can find bits of “found poetry”, like this one:

Common Dioecious Plants

ash

buffaloberry

cottonwood

fourwing saltbush

joint fir

maple

silverberry

willow

Nursery Manual for Native Plants holds great charm for feeble home gardeners like me, as well as a trove of great information for Native Americans or anyone else with a serious commitment to propagating and harvesting America’s unparalleled herbaceous and woody wealth. You can browse through it here, get your own copy here, or find it in a library.

 

5 Comments | U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
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Rights to Safety

March 30, 2011

Guest blogger Ingrid Reyes-Arias reminds us that workplace safety is everyone’s concern.

As an employee, I rarely think about safety issues within my office.  Ever walk near a spill and seen a Caution sign? I have, plenty of times, but I’ve never thought about why it was there in the first place.  While working as a server for a restaurant, I took many falls due to wet floors and my non-stick shoes not working so well.  There were signs throughout the premises, but I never paid attention to them until a co-worker fell and broke his arm.  After this incident, I began to realize that there are many actions that employers and employees can take to prevent falls and other incidents.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a part of U.S. Department of Labor, has several publications and items that focus on different aspects of work, such as safety and employee rights, which help lead to greater awareness.  As part of its commitment to workers, OSHA provides safety training in the language you prefer: many of these documents are provided in three different languages: English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.  They are great tools to help communicate safety issues to all of us.  OSHA provides the public with Fact Sheets on different safety topics, including Asbestos, Avian Flu, Fire Safety, Flood Cleanup, Mold, and many more. If you find something applicable to your work place, take the opportunity to promote safety!

Safety information is also available as magnets to place around the office or home, as well as posters and pocket guides.  These materials can be used in a safety session or as fun facts to distribute to other employees.  Keep in mind that this information is made available to everyone. Ever have a question on safety? Don’t hesitate to visit OSHA here.  Learn from my experience and keep safe!

1 Comment | Occupational Safety and Health Administration | Tagged: , | Permalink
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GPO and the Stars and Stripes

March 28, 2011

Because this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Government Printing Office, I’ve been trying to highlight some of its history by featuring some unusual Government publications with a GPO connection. How’s this for unusual: a newspaper that was not printed through GPO, not printed in the United States, and staffed by a number of distinguished authors and critics as well as a future Public Printer.  It took advertising, had 526,000 readers at its peak, yet only stayed in business for about a year and a half. It was, gentle readers, the original Stars and Stripes, the paper of choice for the American doughboys of World War I. (Stars and Stripes currently is published as a non-Government, DoD-authorized newspaper: http://www.stripes.com/customer-service/about-us).

Thanks to the estimable American Memory project of the Library of Congress, the entire run of the U.S. Army’s Stars and Stripes, published in France from February 8, 1918 to June 13, 1919, is available online for browsing. A special American Memory presentation, “A Closer Look at The Stars and Stripes,” highlights the contributions of such luminaries as New Yorker founding editor Harold Ross, drama critic (“Old Vitriol and Violets”) Alexander Woollcott, literary critic John Winterich, sportswriter Grantland Rice, and columnist and “Information Please” radio show panelist Franklin P. Adams (greatly admired in his day and now sunk without trace – who now remembers “The Diary of our own Samuel Pepys”)?  The “Closer Look” also examines soldier-authored material, censorship, and other issues affecting Stars and Stripes. Some of the doughboys’ poetry even transcends doggerel, although not always by much.

Finally, a roster of Stars and Stripes staff reveals the name of Augustus E. Giegengack – a euphonious cognomen, to be sure (hmm – I must be channeling Alexander Woollcott) –   the future Public Printer to whom I referred above. Sergeant Giegengack is listed as working in Circulation, but he started out in charge of printing the paper and expanded his reach to various circulation, delivery, and other tasks. As a poem in Stars and Stripes put it:

“Mail, wrapping, typing, couriers – his duties are a score,

Whenever we can think of it we’ll give him twenty more;

I often wonder how one man can handle such a batch –

When does this great executive get time to stop and scratch?

Nothing neglected, nothing slack

In the department Giegengack.”

After his discharge from the Army, the sergeant returned to the printing industry until his nomination as Public Printer by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, following which he ran GPO from 1934 until 1948 – the longest serving Public Printer in GPO history. He’s also the only GPO chief ever to be profiled in the New Yorker – a three-parter in 1943. He seems to have been both a colorful character and a very efficient GPO chief executive, and the profile is well worth seeking out (New Yorker subscribers can access it online). Many libraries also have extensive runs.

The Stars and Stripes was not only a fine newspaper, but perusing its pages takes one back nearly 100 years to see how the soldiers of the day viewed the war, their situation, and their country. (I wonder if many of today’s soldiers write doggerel?). Even the ads are fun to read! A product of the well-managed “department Giegengack,” it’s a paper that’s still readable and thought-provoking today, when the last American World War I veteran has just left us for “Over There.”

8 Comments | Government Printing Office (GPO), U.S. Army | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
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A Civil War Battle of the Books and the Battle for Washington DC

March 18, 2011

For the third year in a row, GPO is doing its own version of the NCAA basketball playoffs. This year’s theme, appropriately enough, given that GPO opened for business shortly before Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, is the Civil War. Since I’m a minor Civil War buff myself, I’ve blogged about several of the “competitors,” including Clara Barton: Clara Barton National Historic Site, Battle of Ball’s Bluff and, just a week or so ago, Abraham Lincoln’s Journey to Greatness.

A couple of the books in this year’s tournament are National Park Service Cultural Resources Studies, which are detailed assessments of a particular park’s history, cultural landscape, and historical materials. Monocacy National Battlefield: Cultural Resources Study is meaningful to me because I’ve visited that Maryland park a number of times over the years, beginning when it first opened to the public. As a GPO employee, references to Jubal Early’s 1864 raid, which actually penetrated as far as Fort Stevens in Northwest Washington, DC, remind me that GPO employees actually were mustered into service for a day or two to help defend the city. If Early’s force had arrived a day earlier, it could have been a disaster for the Union, but the hastily assembled force at Monocacy commanded by General Lew Wallace provided just enough delay to ensure the safety of the capital. Wallace, who was criticized, not altogether fairly, for his generalship at Shiloh in 1862, was credited by General Grant for blocking Early at Monocacy. Later, Wallace had the last laugh by writing what is arguably one of the bestselling novels of his century – Ben Hur. To add to his fame, during his post-war career as governor of the New Mexico Territory, Wallace met Billy the Kid, which ensured his regular appearance in movies and TV westerns – giving him a great deal more fame than many more successful Civil War generals.

Monocacy is also a beautiful park, with a walking trail near the Monocacy River and a neat little visitor’s center. Now that spring is on the way, I’m ready to walk those trails again. You can read more about the park itself here, browse the cultural resources study here, or get your own copy via GPO. The study is also available in libraries.

Above all, don’t forget to vote for your favorites at the Civil War Super 16 Tournament. After 150 years, it’s time for a rematch!

4 Comments | National Park Service | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
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