The authoritative account of America’s most controversial war since Vietnam, a conflict in which “shock and awe” were not confined to the battlefield It was a war like no other the United States had ever fought. It began with the bombing of Saddam Hussein’s bunker and ended with statues of the Iraqi dictator being toppled in downtown Baghdad, and it marked a turning point in America’s relations with its enemies, its allies, and its sense of itself. Yet most Americans experienced the war as impressionistic and often confusing—the story of one battle here, one unit there, a report from one city, then another, without the larger context we so urgently needed. Each reporter had his “slice” of the war, it seemed, but no one had the whole story or the broad view. A Time of Our Choosing fills that gap brilliantly, drawing on the unparalleled resources and reportage of The New York Times. Todd S. Purdum, one of the paper’s most gifted storytellers, traces the war in Iraq from the first rumblings after 9/11, to the diplomatic recriminations at the United Nations, to the battles themselves and their aftermath. He deftly rolls out the whole canvas before our eyes, showing how the individual “slices” fit together into a single, gripping drama. Purdum also explores the complex legacy of America’s near-unilateral action. Since the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush has vowed that the United States would confront its enemies “at a time of our choosing,” and Purdum shows in vivid terms what this choice has meant for our now transformed world.

A Time of Our Choosing: America's War in Iraq

History

Purdum, Todd S.

The Staff of The New York Times

Americas

Times Books

"An indispensable guide to understanding the causes, conduct and consequences of the war in Iraq . . . A Time of Our Choosing can be read with profit by those on all sides of the debate." -The New York Times Book Review A Time of Our Choosing is the authoritative and dramatic account of the war in Iraq, America's most controversial war since Vietnam, drawing on the unparalleled resources and reportage of The New York Times. Todd S. Purdum, one of the paper's most gifted writers, deftly rolls out the whole canvas before our eyes, weaving together a single, gripping tale. Purdum traces the story of the war from the first rumblings after 9/11 to the diplomatic tussles at the United Nations, to the battles themselves and the violence that lasted well beyond the cessation of formal hostilities. And in a new afterword he recounts the high drama of the capture of Saddam Hussein and pursues the persistent questions regarding weapons of mass destruction, flawed intelligence, and preemptive war. President George W. Bush has vowed that the United States would attack its enemies at "a time of our choosing," and Purdum shows in vivid terms what this choice has meant for our now transformed world.

A top Washington journalist recounts the dramatic political battle to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the law that created modern America, on the fiftieth anniversary of its passage
It was a turbulent time in America―a time of sit-ins, freedom rides, a March on Washington and a governor standing in the schoolhouse door―when John F. Kennedy sent Congress a bill to bar racial discrimination in employment, education, and public accommodations. Countless civil rights measures had died on Capitol Hill in the past. But this one was different because, as one influential senator put it, it was "an idea whose time has come."
In a powerful narrative layered with revealing detail, Todd S. Purdum tells the story of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, recreating the legislative maneuvering and the larger-than-life characters who made its passage possible. From the Kennedy brothers to Lyndon Johnson, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Hubert Humphrey and Everett Dirksen, Purdum shows how these all-too-human figures managed, in just over a year, to create a bill that prompted the longest filibuster in the history of the U.S. Senate yet was ultimately adopted with overwhelming bipartisan support. He evokes the high purpose and low dealings that marked the creation of this monumental law, drawing on extensive archival research and dozens of new interviews that bring to life this signal achievement in American history.
Often hailed as the most important law of the past century, the Civil Rights Act stands as a lesson for our own troubled times about what is possible when patience, bipartisanship, and decency rule the day.

An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Two Presidents, Two Parties, and the Battle for the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Henry Holt and Co.

A revelatory portrait of the creative partnership that transformed musical theater and provided the soundtrack to the American Century
They stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play. Their songs and dance numbers served to advance the drama and reveal character, a sharp break from the past and the template on which all future musicals would be built.
 Though different in personality and often emotionally distant from each other, Rodgers and Hammerstein presented an unbroken front to the world and forged much more than a songwriting team; their partnership was also one of the most profitable and powerful entertainment businesses of their era. They were cultural powerhouses whose work came to define postwar America on stage, screen, television, and radio. But they also had their failures and flops, and more than once they feared they had lost their touch.
 Todd S. Purdum’s portrait of these two men, their creative process, and their groundbreaking innovations will captivate lovers of musical theater, lovers of the classic American songbook, and young lovers wherever they are. He shows that what Rodgers and Hammerstein wrought was truly something wonderful.

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution

Humor & Entertainment

Picador

[Read by the author - Todd S. Purdum] A revelatory portrait of the creative partnership that transformed musical theater and provided the soundtrack to the American Century They stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play. Their songs and dance numbers served to advance the drama and reveal character, a sharp break from the past and the template on which all future musicals would be built. Though different in personality and often emotionally distant from each other, Rodgers and Hammerstein presented an unbroken front to the world and forged much more than a songwriting team; their partnership was also one of the most profitable and powerful entertainment businesses of their era. They were cultural powerhouses whose work came to define postwar America on stage, screen, television, and radio. But they also had their failures and flops, and more than once they feared they had lost their touch. Todd S. Purdum's portrait of these two men, their creative process, and their groundbreaking innovations will captivate lovers of musical theater, lovers of the classic American songbook, and lovers in general. He shows that what Rodgers and Hammerstein wrought was truly something wonderful.

Blackstone Audiobooks

A revelatory portrait of the creative partnership that transformed musical theater and provided the soundtrack to the American CenturyThey stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma , Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play. Their songs and dance numbers served to advance the drama and reveal character, a sharp break from the past and the template on which all future musicals would be built.Though different in personality and often emotionally distant from each other, Rodgers and Hammerstein presented an unbroken front to the world and forged much more than a songwriting team; their partnership was also one of the most profitable and powerful entertainment businesses of their era. They were cultural powerhouses whose work came to define postwar America on stage, screen, television, and radio. But they also had their failures and flops, and more than once they feared they had lost their touch.Todd S. Purdum's portrait of these two men, their creative process, and their groundbreaking innovations will captivate lovers of musical theater, lovers of the classic American songbook, and lovers in general. He shows that what Rodgers and Hammerstein wrought was truly something wonderful.

A revelatory portrait of the creative partnership that transformed musical theater and provided the soundtrack to the American CenturyThey stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play. Their songs and dance numbers served to advance the drama and reveal character, a sharp break from the past and the template on which all future musicals would be built. Though different in personality and often emotionally distant from each other, Rodgers and Hammerstein presented an unbroken front to the world and forged much more than a songwriting team; their partnership was also one of the most profitable and powerful entertainment businesses of their era. They were cultural powerhouses whose work came to define postwar America on stage, screen, television, and radio. But they also had their failures and flops, and more than once they feared they had lost their touch. Todd S. Purdums portrait of these two men, their creative process, and their groundbreaking innovations will captivate lovers of musical theater, lovers of the classic American songbook, and lovers in general. He shows that what Rodgers and Hammerstein wrought was truly something wonderful

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein s Broadway Revolution

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Blackstone Pub

Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Simon&Schuster

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Purdum, Todd S.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Purdum, Todd S.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Purdum, Todd S.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A Time of Our Choosing: America's War in Iraq

A Time of Our Choosing: America's War in Iraq

An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Two Presidents, Two Parties, and the Battle for the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein s Broadway Revolution

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution

Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television