FREE/BARGAIN - Non-Fiction - 2016

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

The following three ebooks are provided as free downloads by a company in England, called Harmatan and Oakridge Leathers 2008 Ltd. They are a manufacturer of fine goatskins and calfskin bookbinding leathers (remember those? ha).

You may notice that the copyright date, of 1905, is given on two of the books (I couldn't find a date for the third one, but it is old, too). You may be wondering why I'm posting these. They are well out of copyright? Right? Well, apparently they aren't, because they were copyrighted in England and/or the U.K., which have different copyright laws than in the U.S. In each one of the pdfs below, there is a statement relating to the fact that the books are copyrighted and not to be reused without permission.

{...}

The links below are all direct links to the pdfs.
Leather for Libraries.
Leathers for Bookbinding & Upholstery.
The Wonderful Story of Leather.

It was quite unusual for a British book to have a copyright notice before about 1955.

But yes, if the author was still alive in 1946, Life+70 means it's still in copyright in the UK.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

It was quite unusual for a British book to have a copyright notice before about 1955.

Interesting . . . . I'm wondering why (not).

If I'm not mistaken (and that's a big "if"), having a copyright notice in a book in the U.S. is not necessary for a copyright to exist/be valid/be in effect for that book.

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

But yes, if the author was still alive in 1946, Life+70 means it's still in copyright in the UK.

Thanks for the additional information.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

If I'm not mistaken (and that's a big "if"), having a copyright notice in a book in the U.S. is not necessary for a copyright to exist/be valid/be in effect for that book.

It isn't necessary any more. But before 1st January 1978, anything published in the US "under the copyright owner’s authority" without a copyright notice automatically fell into the public domain.

As for "Leather for Libraries", the first one of the authors I checked, Edward Wyndham Hulme, died in 1951, and so the book is in copyright until at least 2022 in the UK. I suspect it is public domain in the US.

I notice that the chapters seem to be attributed to single authors, and so each individual chapter might be considered to have a different length of copyright.

[issybird]

Behind the Scenes: or, Thirty years a slave, and Four Years in the White House, by Elizabeth Keckley, is, according to one blurb:

An autobiographical narrative, BEHIND THE SCENES traces Elizabeth Keckley's life from her enslavement in Virginia and North Carolina to her time as seamstress to Mary Todd Lincoln in the White House during Abraham Lincoln's administration. It was quite controversial at the time of its release--an uncompromising work that transgressed Victorian boundaries between public and private life, and lines of race, gender, and society.

It's obviously public domain and there are several options; I've linked to a Kindle edition that's ordinarily 99¢ but is currently free.

[ATDrake]

X-link to the DRM-free thread for the new Humble Bundle:

Humble Book Bundle LGBTQ exploring Pride Month contains at the $1 minimum level a non-fiction audiobook from National Public Radio, a National Book Award-winning memoir from the late author and poet Paul Monette (Wikipedia), and a Lonely Planet travel guide.

At the $15 top tier, there's also two Eisner Award nominated non-fiction overviews about various LGBTQ comics and manga creators.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

<snip>
As for "Leather for Libraries", the first one of the authors I checked, Edward Wyndham Hulme, died in 1951, and so the book is in copyright until at least 2022 in the UK. I suspect it is public domain in the US.

I'm still fuzzy on one thing. I have been under the impression that if a book is in copyright in another country, it is off limits to people in every other country also. Is that impression incorrect, then?

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I notice that the chapters seem to be attributed to single authors, and so each individual chapter might be considered to have a different length of copyright.

Ack! I do wish that copyright laws would be simplified, and on an international basis, at that, so that there is single standard for all of them (that's probably like wishing for an end to all wars and and end to poverty. ha).


Genuine thanks for the clarifications and additional facts. There is such a repository of knowledge by MobileReaders! It's awesome.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

I'm still fuzzy on one thing. I have been under the impression that if a book is in copyright in another country, it is off limits to people in every other country also. Is that impression incorrect, then?



Ack! I do wish that copyright laws would be simplified, and on an international basis, at that, so that there is single standard for all of them (that's probably like wishing for an end to all wars and and end to poverty. ha).


Genuine thanks for the clarifications and additional facts. There is such a repository of knowledge by MobileReaders! It's awesome.

Yes, you are incorrect.
That is why it is always said to check copyright for your country.

[sufue]

Another title by Ernle Bradford has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle US. I have read and quite enjoyed his book about the siege of Malta, and am partway through and enjoying his book about Gibraltar. This one is a biography of Lord Nelson: Nelson: The Essential Hero.

link: https://www.amazon.com/Nelson-Essent.../dp/B00J48FCSY

Spoiler:

A gripping biography of Admiral Nelson, Napoleonic War hero and one of Britain’s greatest naval tacticians.

As a naval commander, Admiral Nelson was an inspiring hero, honored to this very day as the essence of bravery. In his private life, he was a cad, conducting a scandalous openly adulterous affair with Lady Emma Hamilton and humiliating her cuckold husband.

In victories at sea and in the boudoir, Horatio Nelson was an indomitable conqueror deserving of his immortal reputation. He was the sworn enemy of Napoleon and the French, and considered himself a failure if a single enemy ship escaped destruction. His strategies to achieve this end are still studied and marveled at.

Ernle Bradford, an enthusiastic sailor and expert in navel topics, brilliantly recounts the events of Nelson’s life and details the high-seas warfare of this thrilling period in British history.

[Little.Egret]

Charles River Editors, free

The Internment of Japanese Americans during World War II: The History of the Controversial Decision to Relocate Citizens Across the West Coast

Puma Punku: The History of Tiwanaku's Spectacular Temple of the Sun

Operation Paperclip: The History of the Secret Program to Bring Nazi Scientists to America During and After World War II

The Battle of Leyte Gulf: The History and Legacy of World War II's Largest Naval Battle

The Most Famous Ships of the Confederacy: The History of the Merrimac, CSS Alabama, and CSS Hunley

see all


https://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search...+river+editors

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?url=sear...+river+editors
https://www.amazon.ca/s/?url=search-...+river+editors

[GtrsRGr8]

I ran across this several months ago, and was tempted to post it then. What stopped me is the fact that it's not a markdown. But it is a bargain, IMHO, and when I ran across it again today, I decided that I really should post it because of that.

By comparing the print list price and the price of this Kindle ebook, I think that you will see why I call it "a bargain"--the print list price is $20.95; the Kindle ebook is $1.49.

This book will give you a great overview of the time period of the rise of the republic, AD 14-193, in the history of the ancient civilization and empire of Rome. But the publisher, Osprey, to my mind, sets itself apart by its graphics. This book has numerous color maps related to the rise of the Roman republic that are enjoyable to view and are very helpful.

This ebook could almost go on the "Christian Interest" thread. During the period of AD 14-193, Rome controlled all of the geographical areas (that I can think of) mentioned, to any extent, in the New Testament. And during that time period Jesus did his ministry and some 150 years of the history of the church transpired.

The Rise of Imperial Rome AD 14-193 (Osprey Guide to... Series). By Duncan C. Campbell. Rated 4.7 stars, but from only 3 reviews at Amazon; rated 3.33, but from only 9 ratings at GoodReads. Print list price $20.95; digital list price $1.49; Kindle price now $1.49. Osprey Publishing, publisher. 96 pages. https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Imperial.../dp/B00KSG04G6.

Book Description
In this book Duncan Campbell explores the course of the wars that ensued as successive emperors sought to extend the empire, from Claudius’ conquest of Britannia, Domitian’s campaigns on the Rhine and the Danube, through Trajan’s Dacian Wars and Parthian War, to Marcus Aurelius’ Marcomannic Wars, as well as the Jewish Wars, ending with the consolidation of the Roman frontiers along the Rhine and Danube.

This book provides a summary of the strengths, limitations and evolving character of the Roman army during the first two centuries AD, as well as those of the forces of Rome’s enemies across the Rhine and Danube in Germany and Romania, and in the East, in the form of the Parthian empire of Iraq/Iran. This is the epic story of the wars waged by a succession of emperors during the period in which Imperial Rome reached its zenith.

[BetterRead]

Also posted in the Science Fiction, Fantasy thread.

Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Films of the Fifties, 21st Century Edition by Bill Warren is currently $3.99 at Amazon US.

Bill Warren's Keep Watching the Skies! was originally published in two volumes, in 1982 and 1986. It was then greatly expanded in what we called the 21st Century Edition, with new entries on several films and revisions and expansions of the commentary on every film.

In addition to a detailed plot synopsis, full cast and credit listings, and an overview of the critical reception of each film, Warren delivers richly informative assessments of the films and a wealth of insights and anecdotes about their making. The book contains more than 270 photographs (many rare, some in color), has seven useful appendices, and concludes with an enormous index.

[ATDrake]

X-link to the DRM-free thread for a new bundle:

Humble Bundle Electronics presented by Make: is full of DIY how-to and reference books and topical magazine issues for the home hobbyist, with stuff like basic reference on electronics components, and projects for making your own interactive wearables, toys, games, gadgets, etc.

[GtrsRGr8]

UPDATE: I have just now had a chance to access this website myself and play around with it. Here are some observations. First, it looks like the most common language of the items is French. Second, the books are heavily skewed toward the subject of art. Third, and this is disappointing to me, I did a spot-check and all of the books that I checked were located at the Internet Archive! I see little use for this portal because of that.


In commemoration of its fourth anniversary, the Getty Research Portal "unveiled a new design and a total volume count surpassing 100,000. 'In assembling a virtual corpus of digitized texts on art, architecture, material culture, and related fields from numerous partners, the Portal aspires to offer a more expansive collection than any single library could provide,' writes project content specialist Annie Rana at the Getty’s blog The Iris. “Furthermore, with these freely downloadable materials, scholars and researchers can now be in possession of copies of rare books and other titles without having to travel to far-flung locales.” --from OpenCulture.com.

Access it here.

[Little.Egret]

Charles River Editors, free

Operation Bodyguard: The History of the Allies' Disinformation Campaign Against Nazi Germany Before D-Day

The Democratic National Convention: The History of the Democratic Party's Presidential Candidates and Platforms

The Grand Old Party: The History of the Republican Party

see all


https://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search...+river+editors

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?url=sear...+river+editors
https://www.amazon.ca/s/?url=search-...+river+editors

[GtrsRGr8]

It is just short of amazing to me how someone could find/compile this book of lists from so many people, even famous people. You've got to see the preview of the book!

The markdown is 89% from the digital list price of $27.99.

The ebook is the #2 seller in two Kindle store "reference" categories: "curiosities and wonders" and "rhetoric."

The deal expires June 30.

Lists of Note: An Eclectic Collection Deserving of a Wider Audience. By Shaun Usher. Rated 4.5 stars, but from only 13 reviews at the present moment, at Amazon; rated 3.95, from 220 ratings, at GoodReads. Print list price $40.00; digital list price $27.99; Kindle price now $2.99. Chronicle Books LLC, publisher. 327 pages. https://www.amazon.com/Lists-Note-Ec...dp/B00UBELJFK/.

Book Description
Lists of Note curates 125 unputdownable entries from a list of names that are as eclectic and intriguing as its contents, which include myriad reasons given by ancient Egyptians for missing work, Albert Einstein's demands of his estranged wife, F. Scott Fitzgerald's extensive conjugation of "to cocktail," and many more. Rarely intended for the public eye, these lists reveal hopes, priorities, and musings in a most engaging and entertaining way. Each transcript is accompanied by an artwork, most a captivating facsimile of the list itself. Richly visual and irresistibly readable, Lists of Note is a testament to the human urge to bring order to, poke fun at, and find meaning in the world around us—and is a gift of endless enjoyment and lasting value.