Lifestyle and Hobbies

Enter this deliciously vintage universe of 500 patterns and add a touch of nostalgia to your stitchwork. Re-create designs from 1800s and 1900s fashion houses and milliners’ catalogs. Take your cross stitch on a bon voyage into the past with traveling motifs like trunk labels of exotic destinations and railroad advertising posters. Other sections of patterns feature tea and coffee motifs, and dail

The legendary SR-71 Blackbird spy plane was, and still is, the world’s only operational Mach 3 aircraft, and was designed, built, and tested by Lockheed’s famed “Skunk Works.” This new book covers all fifty Blackbirds built, from the first flight in 1962, to the last in 1999. As a replacement for the venerable U-2 spyplane, Lockheed went from contract signing to first flight in only thirty-two mon

Sempervivum have long fascinated gardeners and are useful plants for gardening situations in which other plants might fail. Many people are aware of only a single, rather uninteresting green cultivar, but selections from the wild and the work of hybridizers have resulted in over 7,000 cultivars with a range in size from 1/2 in. to over one foot in diameter and colors from gold to black. Clearly th

Take your seats, and by all means, fasten your seat belts! Come on a journey back in time to aviation’s most daring and innovative era. Travel back nine decades, when for the first time, airplanes determined the victors of global wars—a time that altered the course of the world.  Hear never-before-told true stories penned by still-living flight crew members and passengers. Learn about the remarkab

One of America's most famous aircraft, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress continues to form the backbone of the US nuclear deterrent, and it has also become the nation's principle heavy tactical bomber. It has filled this role since the the early years of the Cold War, the heavy bombing raids during the Vietnam War, and recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. The history of this iconic aircraft is presented

The Hawker Hurricane has rightly earned its place in military aviation annals. Although only preceding the Spitfire by four months in its prototypic launch, the Hawker machine was available in measurably greater numbers by the Battle of Britain, a very critical stage of WWII for Britain and its Empire. Its rugged qualities saw use in the Mediterranean and Far East Theaters, and on the Russia Front

Motorcycle riders from all walks of life—from Main Street to Wall Street, Hollywood to Washington, D.C.—are invited to peel back their “badass” masks and answer one simple question: What is the meaning of life? Their answers expose the motorcycle community’s lesser-known philosophical and charitable nature and help to smash the typical motorcycle-rider stereotype. Joining the “regular folks” inter

This book shows how to make 40 bags and miscellaneous goods with very simple, clear-cut instructions that even total beginners can follow. What makes this book special is that it has patterns with stitch marks at the end of the book. Leather is usually sewn after piercing holes for stitching, which means that punching the holes is the most important part. If the number of holes and their stitching

This guide to printmaking plunges you into dozens of ways to leave your mark on the world—and on your walls, tablecloths, garments, and every other surface imaginable. Emphasizing the joy and energy of printmaking, the 41 projects use everyday materials, and don't require any previous experience. Learn 15 main printmaking methods and their submethods, including relief printing, stamping, screen pr

Illustrated with more than 300 photos, this guide covers everything you need to know to begin working with glass. Learn the materials and tools needed, types of glass, and successful techniques, focusing on the copper foil method. While emphasizing the beauty and creativity that's easy to enjoy about this craft, the book offers detailed step-by-step photo instructions for tracing, cutting, grindin

This book presents a detailed look at the design and development of the legendary MiG-21, including its powerplant, armament, upgrades, and variants. The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 was the standard fighter/interceptor aircraft of the Warsaw Pact and it stood up to its western counterparts for decades. This single-engine, supersonic jet fighter entered service in 1959, and in addition to the Soviet Un

Using your creativity and the vibrant medium of alcohol inks, create these 20 beautiful representational paintings. With a broad range of painting subjects including florals, animals,landscapes, and more, these projects demonstrate a variety of approachesto alcohol ink painting to inspire and ignite creativity. Step-by-step photos make each project a learning opportunity. The projects are arranged

Handmade textiles are personal, no matter where in the world they're created, and these photos and explanations of 25 diverse world cultures' techniques vividly share the details. Take a voyage through these pages and see how today's artisans continue to create traditional fiber arts with age-old methods. Blending well-researched information, engaging style, and inspiration, the pages explore espa

Join Donald as he embarks on a journey to create his best reality by using his amazing golden crayon and, of course, the best words. Inspired by the classic Harold and the Purple Crayon and real quotes from the president’s first years in the Oval Office, this adult humor book is a must-have for any political junkie. Beginning with the most-important things, Donald starts by drawing his golf course

The first of two volumes on the legendary P.08 Luger (Pistole Parabellum), this illustrated book presents the design, manufacturing, and development of the various models from 1900 through the Weimar Republic period of the 1920s. Adopted by the Swiss in 1901 and then by the German army, the Luger would remain in service until the beginning of World War II and see use in the postwar East Germany, a

This book presents the evolution of one of the most famous French-made fighter aircraft of WWI—the fast, rugged Spad. From humble beginnings this airplane became the mount for such famous WWI aces as Frenchmen Georges Guynemer and René Fonck, American Eddie Rickenbacker, Italian Francesco Baracca, and many others. Illustrated with rare WWI-era photographs, this book examines how the Spad was conce

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, commonly nicknamed the "Warthog" due to its unusual and ungainly appearance, became the most effective close-air-support aircraft that has ever served for the US Air Force and Air National Guard. Designed around the GAU-8/A Avenger autocannon, the aircraft was a highly effective tank killer during Operation Desert Storm. The Warthog continues to serve, f

The concept of a twin-engine fighter that could accompany bomber formations and effectively drive off defending fighters was the rationale behind the creation of the Messerschmitt Bf 110. Initial operations during 1939–40 seemed to justify its existence, but the generally weak level of aerial opposition bred a false sense of security among the aircrews that was thoroughly blunted during the Battle

Among the iconic aircraft of World War II, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt not only was physically the biggest single-engine fighter, it also had an enormous impact on history. In terms of its combat effectiveness, P-47 fliers destroyed 7,067 hostile aircraft, with about half of those “kills” recorded during aerial combat. Thunderbolt pilots reported destroying 6,000 enemy tanks, 68,000 trucks, 86,0

As part of its rise as a regional South American power, Chile chose to emulate the highly successful Prussian military system in the last decades of the 19th century. Prior conflicts and the prospect of war with Argentina, which came to a head in the early 1890s, can be seen as the pretext for Chile’s purchase of "Prussian" military equipment, including Mauser rifles and Krupp cannons. This book s