New Book Releases

Using techniques from hypnosis, neurolinguistic programming, the Bible, and the greatest salespeople in history, Hogan empowers you to improve all areas of your life.

Now in paperback! A secret American Army unit made up of actors, writers, artists, and set designers and relying on dummy equipment played a key role in the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Known as the Ghost Army and trained in the art of military deception, the Twenty-third Headquarters Special Troops launched its unique mission in France shortly after the Normandy invasion. Its goal: to confuse, mislead, and deceive the German Army.

Using top-secret government files declassified in 1996 and extensive interviews with many of the participants, author Jack Kneece recounts in these pages this remarkable story of military boldness and ingenuity—all carried out under the strictest secrecy.

A contingent of only 1,100 men, the Twenty-third regularly assumed the identities of much larger, more heavily armed units in its effort to confound the enemy by simulating large concentrations of men and materiel. It did so by using dummy tanks, trucks, and artillery, fake aircraft, and even cast-iron paratroopers. Phony radio traffic and convincing sound effects added to the illusion.

German soldiers referred to the unit as “the Phantom Army,” noting that at one moment it might be poised in front of them, and minutes later it could be attacking from the flank or the rear. It was, in a word, deception—skillful, calculated deception on a grand military scale.

ABA Pick of the List title and a Storytelling World Honor Award Honoree

Now in paperback, this beloved anthology for the whole family consists of five original tales, each linked to an important Jewish holiday and featuring the prophet Elijah. In each tale, Elijah comforts those who are generous, wise, and fair while challenging those who are faithless.

“In this fascinating book, you will learn about a part of our country’s history that has not been thoroughly documented. I guarantee you will be proud of what these ‘grandmas’ did to serve America in a time of great need. In so doing, they carved a path that other women for many generations have since benefitted from. I include myself in that very grateful group of women who today stand on the shoulders of these awe-inspiring pioneers.” —Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger, USAF (ret), first female four-star general in the Air Force, chairperson of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services

Contributors to this unique memorial include the family of military women and those who preserve their history. A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to Honor Flight Dayton, an Ohio chapter of the Honor Flight Network, Inc. The cover art is by aviation artist Craig Kodera.

During the Great Upheaval of 1755, the British forced the Acadians to leave their homes in the Canadian provinces and later the American colonies. Fourteen-year-old Marie Landry joins her family and friends on a mass exodus from Maryland to Louisiana 10 years later, where land awaits them. Along the way, she notes her feelings of despair and hope through candid diary entries.

A beast of a tale, for true!

Twelve-year-old Hatcher Hampton eagerly embarks on his first “men’s” fishing trip, a family tradition. He accompanies Grampa Grump and his older brother Hunter to the Big Fish Fishing Rodeo on Bayou Vivré. The $500 prize is just enough to save his family from eviction. Hatch is determined to show up his brother and win the cash reward.  Misadventure soon unfolds in the bayou backcountry. The Hamptons go up against the one-armed man Lazarre and discover a legend of the swamp. Hatch comes face-to-face with his greatest fear and learns important lessons about self and family. This middle-reader is a rollicking and offbeat tale that will surely delight the boy in everyone.

Now Including Donald J. Trump's 2025 Inaugural Address

This is an updated edition of The Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States, Volume Two, beginning with the first inaugural address of Theodore Roosevelt in 1905, and concluding with the January 20, 2025 address of Donald J. Trump. Outlining the life of a nation through its most famous speeches, United States presidential vision and policy is seen here through the addresses of the Presidents. Included are the inaugural addresses of Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Richard Milhous Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, William Jefferson Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack H. Obama, Joseph R. Biden Jr., and Donald J. Trump.

Puzzle your way across Route 66 from Illinois to California or California to Illinois!

Travel the Mother Road through this 100-puzzle puzzle book in the best-selling Great American Road Trip series. Start in Chicago (or work backwards) through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, ending at Santa Monica Pier. The word finds and other puzzles for all the iconic sites along the way will be sure to entertain, educate and whet your appetite for a real or armchair journey across America's Main Street.

Puzzle your way through the Golden State

Discover the Great State of California through this 100-puzzle puzzle book in the best-selling Great American Road Trip series. Eureka! You've found it. From Avenue of the Giants to Zzyzx Road & Mineral Springs in Baker, the word finds and other puzzles will be sure to entertain, educate and whet your appetite for a real or armchair journey through the Golden State.

Over 100 illustrations describe the building styles of each historical era and highlight some 60 buildings of particular importance.

On November 5, 1976, twenty-seven-year-old Dorothy Milliken left her rural home in Sabattus, Maine, to go to an all-night laundromat. The following morning, her body was found slumped against the outside wall.

Despite various leads, there were no arrests for her murder. Dorothy Milliken became a name typed on an index card filed at state police headquarters, her crime scene displayed in grainy black-and-white photos in the evening newspapers. Nearly five decades later, author Sharon Kitchens examines the cold case, interviewing more than forty people, including Dorothy’s family, friends, former neighbors, law enforcement and forensic specialists. Who was Dorothy? Why has her killer never been found? Did she know her murderer, or was her death due to a random, frenzied attack?

A portion of the profits from the sale of the book are being donated to the Forensic Anthropology Identification and Recovery (FAIR) Lab at the University of New Hampshire. The FAIR Lab trains students to excavate, recover and identify human remains.

Acclaimed author June Hersh presents the iconic dishes, fascinating stories and mouthwatering history behind Upstate New York’s culinary heritage, featuring delicious recipes of reinvented classics.

The heart of New York State’s food culture isn’t found on busy Manhattan avenues—it exists within the country kitchens, historic farms and neighborhood spots beyond the environs of New York City. Chicken riggies, salt potatoes and beef on weck aren’t just local foods—they reveal the vibrant Italian, Irish and German immigrant histories that shaped the region. From the Borscht Belt to the Finger Lakes, New York’s Upstate has diverse and exciting flavors all its own. The Empire State’s picturesque apple orchards, Concord grape vineyards and dairies have been feeding the nation for centuries.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book benefit the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum.

In the early twentieth century, an interconnected web of men and women, led by Dr. V.E. Vivian, fought for a better future in Whitesbog Village, a forgotten town in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. And they won.

Before their heroic efforts, air, land and sea were riddled with pollution, with few protections. Hope for a better tomorrow seemed unlikely. When they were done, the 1.1 million acres of the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve became the largest protected and preserved open space on the East Coast.

With the help of numerous color images dedicated to Dr. Vivian, author William J. Lewis chronicles and celebrates the educators and historians who started New Jersey’s conservation movement and successfully crusaded for a better, cleaner world.

Searing Heat and Torrents of Rain

As the nation’s future hung in the balance, the Weather Gods delivered a wrath of fury on Union and Confederate forces throughout the Gettysburg Campaign. First, record-breaking heat and humidity wore down the warring armies during ungodly forced marches. Next, relentless storms plagued the soldiers with resultant muddy slogs on nearly impassable roads. As the armies met in mortal combat, soul-crushing heat turned the bucolic fields of Gettysburg into a sanguinary and barren expanse. Finally, torrential rains haunted the Confederate retreat and narrow escape across a swollen Potomac River. Authors Jeffrey J. Harding and Jon M. Nese present firsthand accounts, harrowing narratives and groundbreaking meteorological research that reshapes how we view the Civil War’s Gettysburg Campaign.

Gone but not Forgotten in the Electric City

The unrelenting passage of time inevitably brings dramatic physical change. Thus, many of Great Falls’ iconic figures and landmarks persist only in memory. Internationally famous “cowboy artist” Charles M. Russell favored socializing at the Mint and Silver Dollar Saloons. The Ozark Club broke down racial barriers, where African American businessman Leo LaMar presented the hottest jazz acts touring the West. Mark Twain and other luminaries graced the Grand Opera. City-sanctioned brothels littered the infamous 10th Alley South. The Big Stack, once the world’s tallest structure, stood as a testament of industry and progress. Award-winning historian Ken Robison turns back the clock for a nostalgic tour of the city’s lost architectural, social and cultural heritage.

Lost in the Flames

On October 21, 1836, a bustling crowd gathered at the docks in Saint John, New Brunswick, to witness an extraordinary spectacle. The steamship Royal Tar was embarking on yet another voyage from New Brunswick to Portland, Maine, laden with a cargo of peculiar passengers. For this fateful voyage, the Royal Tar had been transformed into a circus ship. Onlookers watched as cages slowly rolled past—exotic birds in one, two lionesses in another and the regal striped Bengal tiger in a third. Then the star of the show slowly made his way across the gangplank. Mogul, the mighty Asian elephant, took his spot on the upper deck of the ship as it steamed out of the port.

After four days of stormy weather, a devastating fire engulfed the ship. The ensuing chaos left thirty-two people dead, and many of the animals were pushed overboard into the frigid waters of Penobscot Bay in a last-ditch effort to save them. The rest died in their cages. Jane Parks Gardner reveals how this tragic event left an indelible mark on Maine’s maritime history.

This final posthumous publication from beloved regional poet, naturalist and writer George Ellison presents lovely poetry from an icon of the Smokies alongside gorgeous paintings and photography from Elizabeth Ellison and Quintin Ellison.

As Western North Carolina rebuilds in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, these ruminations and scenes from life at the edge of the Smoky Mountains will take readers on an inspirational, hopeful and artistic journey into the heart of the Blue Ridge.

Nestled outside Bryson City, on the doorstep of the Great Smoky Mountains, lies the home of George and Elizabeth Ellison. For more than forty years, their permanent camp was more than a homestead—it was the inspiration for a world of beauty found within their poems and paintings. In this posthumous tribute to George, the legacy of his poetry is presented alongside special galleries of Elizabeth’s breathtaking paintings and daughter Quintin Ellison’s stunning photography. As the region continues to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, these ruminations on living among the Smokies, depictions of Western North Carolina culture and interpretations of its untamed natural domain reveal life in the land of blue shadows through the work of some of the region’s most cherished artists.

Kelsi's fifth-grade year takes unexpected turns with new friends, a mysterious egret, and surprising adventures

After a summer of adventures with her lamb Dopey and best friend Ampara, Kelsi Fairgate looks forward to fifth grade. She seems destined for disappointment from the moment she arrives at school and finds a boy named Toby in her favorite seat by the tall window.

Back at the ranch, a great egret makes one of his unexpected appearances just as Toby’s family shows up for lunch. At first Kelsi is dismayed, but she soon learns why Toby had wanted that quiet back window. Kelsi and Ampara seek out the mysterious white bird, along with the ways they can help their new friend. 

Cajun chef Jude Theriot has compiled what he considers the core recipes of Cajun cuisine. From boiled crawfish, crabmeat au gratin, and shrimp gumbo to chicken �touff�e, Chef Theriot has distilled the essence of Cajun cooking with his signature easy-to-follow, hearty recipes.

Now in paperback!

Substitute teacher Victor Kennedy begins a middle-school American history class by writing one word on the chalkboard: Tuskegee. Over the next several days, the elderly veteran teaches students about the Tuskegee Airmen, brave men who fought racism and prejudice to fly more than 1,500 missions during World War II. The students learn about segregation and how the victories of the Tuskegee Airmen helped move the United States on a path toward racial equality. In Tuskegee Airmen: American Heroes, exciting battles against evil abroad and at home come alive for a new generation.

Ghostly adventures await! Dive into your favorite, SPINE-TINGLIEST tales from America's Great Lakes region!

Welcome to the Ghostly Great Lakes! In this thrilling anthology, spooky stories and ghostly tales bring the Great Lakes region to life! Discover haunted lighthouses, ghost ships, and creepy forests filled with secrets! From the spooky shores of Michigan and Wisconsin to the haunted hills of Ohio and New York, each tale will take you on a chilling adventure pulled right from history, changing the way you see the Great Lakes region forever.

Whether you’re a brave ghost hunter or just curious about the supernatural, the GHOSTLIEST TALES anthologies from ACB’s bestselling Spooky America series will give you goosebumps . . . and have you sleeping with the lights on! 

Guardian Dams. Today, most people remember Johnstown for a cataclysmic flood, but the city was also once known for steel.

From the early 1900s through much of the 1970s, millions of gallons of water per day were necessary to keep the city’s main industry alive. This is the story of the dams that didn’t fail, safely keeping the people of Johnstown and its steel industry prosperous for decades. It is also the story of transformation, for the dams built by an extinct steel company still stand and now safeguard areas of great natural resources and ecological importance in the highlands of Northern Appalachia. Surveying more than a century of wars, labor strife and economic catastrophe, author Joshua Penrod interweaves the story of these dams with the history of Johnstown itself.

Capturing Montana’s Most Elusive Fugitive

During an intense spring blizzard in 1951, affable Clarence Pellett picked up a teenaged hitchhiker along Montana’s Hi-Line. Soon, blood from seven bullet holes in Pellett’s back stained the snow-covered prairie. Following a brief manhunt and confession, a heated debate ensued over capital punishment as Communist attorneys swooped in “to save this poor friendless boy.” Frank Dryman, twice sentenced to hang, escaped the noose when a sympathetic Montana Supreme Court stayed each execution. The “permanently insane and mentally deficient” killer was paroled into the custody of his brother in California after serving thirteen years of a life sentence. Eighteen months later, he vanished. Using a series of aliases, Dryman hid in plain sight for forty years despite state and federal warrants. Clem Pellett recounts the enthralling twists and turns of his hunt for his grandfather’s absconded murderer—the longest in state history.

The Saga of a Brutal Murder

Janet Siclari, a beautiful 35-year-old visitor to the Outer Banks, was found raped and fatally stabbed on the early morning of August 28, 1993, behind the iconic Carolinian hotel at Nags Head. After a long and intriguing probe, two investigators ultimately charged a suspect, thanks to advances in DNA testing. Defense attorneys, trying to save that defendant’s life, argued another suspect could have killed Janet. In this moving narrative, based on exclusive interviews with case insiders, investigative author John Railey reveals for the first time all the twists and turns that led to the killer’s conviction.

Though originally hailing from the East, twenty-two revolutionaries moved to Jackson County in their sunset years.

These brave men made various and sometimes surprising contributions to the war effort. Thomas Swartout served as a spy for George Washington, and Jabez Mosher Jr. drove cattle across New England to feed hungry Continental troops. Swift Woodworth got his first taste of combat at the famous Battle of Bunker Hill. Logging enough war experience for many men, John Wall fought in major battles with the militia, participated in raids as a ranger, helped capture British vessels as a sailor and was a prisoner of war.

Exploring the lives of these men before and after this pivotal conflict, local authors Linda Hass and David Van Hoof tell the surprising stories of these unsung heroes.

The vast mountains and deserts of Arizona hide a multitude of buried treasures and forgotten mines just waiting to be rediscovered.

The Aztecs reportedly hid gold and other valuables worth millions across the Southwest to keep it from the Spaniards hundreds of years ago, but nothing has ever been recovered. The famous Lost Dutchman mine has captured attention and claimed multiple lives since its discovery in the Superstition Mountains, and it’s just one of many mines lost to history and shifting landscapes. More recently, rumors spread that more than $1 million in cash from the 1977 robbery of Marjorie Jackson is still hidden somewhere north of Phoenix.

Author W. Craig Gaines maps out the potential paths leading to lost fortunes.

Beatrice, Nebraska, was founded in 1857 along the Big Blue River. Known for its rich farming and manufacturing, Beatrice was marketed by the early settlers as the “Queen City of the Blue.”

Beatrice is home to the first homestead claimed after the passage of the Homestead Act of 1862. After the first railroad line came through Beatrice in 1871, the city’s population exploded. At the turn of the 20th century, Beatrice was home to six self-made millionaires, remarkable for the time. Over the years, Beatrice’s population has remained steady—around 12,000—thanks to the help of nationally known industries like Dempster Mill Manufacturing and Beatrice Foods. Today, industries such as eXmark, Beatrice Bakery Company, and Ratigan-Schottler Manufacturing provide products that reach beyond Nebraska.

Gage County Historical Society and Museum strives to preserve the county’s history, including Beatrice, Nebraska. Its mission is “to preserve, enhance, and showcase the unique history of Gage County by connecting our stories to develop appreciation throughout the wider community.” The museum is housed in the 1906 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy passenger depot in downtown Beatrice. Covering the first 100 years of Beatrice’s history, this book features never-before-published photographs gathered from a variety of sources, including images from the society’s collection.

 A Town and its People

Bennington was the first town chartered in Vermont and has played a vital role in both the American Revolution and the founding of the state of Vermont. The town was also home to some very unique individuals who shaped the Green Mountain State.

Ethan Allen, Robert Frost, Grandma Moses, Norman Rockwell, Shirley Jackson and William Lloyd Garrison have all called this area home at one time or another. The economic base of the town is rooted in the mills that once lined the banks of its rivers. Bennington pottery became one of the most popular styles of early American ceramics and is revered by antiquarians to this day. The Kiddie Car was invented and built in Bennington, and a large percentage of the stereoscopes used in every home a century ago came from factories in the area. A car beautiful enough to be driven by Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford was designed and built in town. Even one of the victims of the tragic Titanic disaster was a local man.

No wonder that writers like Bernard Malamud and Dorothy Canfield Fisher were proud to spend their lives creating wonderful books here. Authors Bill Morgan and Tom Fels reveal the stories behind the names.

A Town Like No Other

Once called the “wicked city of the Plain,” Plainville grew from underestimated beginnings to become a robust manufacturing center by the twentieth century. It is one of the United States’ earliest railroad junctions and was once a major port along the Farmington Canal. The town was home to unique characters and creations, including ornate carriages, a “Flying Governor” and the beginnings of ESPN. Discover the forgotten railroad feud that led to Plainville’s incorporation in 1869 and nearly united it as a single town with Forestville. Meet the people who have called this town home, including inventors, bootleggers and the Blue Devils. Remember lost town landmarks like Trask School, Appell Drug and Plainville Stadium.

Join local historian Todd Jones as he explores the rich history of this Connecticut town.

A portion of this book’s royalties will go to the Plainville Historical Society.

Taking a stand for equality in the Land of Enchantment

Veterans returning to New Mexico after World War II found a home altered by more than just the explosion of the first atomic bomb. Former ranchers were forced to eke out a living in zinc mines, leading to protests of conditions that were memorialized in the movie Salt of the Earth, which both the film industry and the government tried to suppress. As the civil rights movement swept across the country in the 1960s, New Mexico found its own champions in activists like Reies López Tijerina, who denounced the widespread mistreatment and abuse of the helpless. Ray John de Aragón follows the heritage of protest in New Mexico, from folk heroes like Padre Don Antonio José Martínez to more contemporary battles against racism and prejudice.

Travel back in time on more than thirty thoughtfully curated hiking routes in the Blue Ridge Mountains, chosen for their rich natural and human history as well as their beauty.

Ascend to the state’s highest point, surrounded by ancient forests and historical controversies. Explore the ruins of homesteads and isolated cemeteries of former settlers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and honor the legacy of the Cherokees and their connection to the land. Encounter sweeping vistas at one of the four routes that lead to lookout towers and marvel at thundering waterfalls featured in major films such as The Last of the Mohicans and The Hunger Games.

Local author and experienced hiker Nancy East includes helpful maps and comprehensive information about each route, ensuring adventures that are both safe and enjoyable.

Ghost stories from North Carolina's Haunted Coast have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery! 

Welcome to the spooky shores of the North Carolina coast!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know that ghost ships and their undead crews stalk the waters along North Carolina's coast? Or that a mysterious "Gray Man" appears on the windswept shores of Cape Hatteras just before deadly storms strike? Can you believe that the restless spirit of Blackbeard himself haunts the shadowy paths of Springer's Point . . . in search of his missing head?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see the haunted North Carolina coast forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on!

Author Dave Westrick shares the forgotten stories of the defenders, invaders and all the people caught in the middle. On a hot, humid August morning in 1794, an army representing fifteen quarreling states met an alliance of Native American tribes at a place called Fallen Timbers. The battle lasted less than two hours, with fewer than one hundred killed. For the United States, it was the beginning of greatness and the birth of a proud military tradition. For the Native Americans, it was the end of the life they had led for thousands of years.

Those who Saved South Carolina

In May 1780, Charlestown surrendered to the British army, and an ominous, dark cloud descended over the spirit of independence in South Carolina. More than five thousand Patriots of the Continental army and militias conceded their arms and declared an oath as true and faithful subjects to His Majesty, the king of Great Britain, or otherwise faced prison or exile. That left the volunteers of the state’s militia as the best line of defense for the state. More than two hundred skirmishes and battles in the state provide testament to the passion and dedication with which South Carolinians defended their state. Brian Eleazer details the behind-the-scenes story of how South Carolina survived.

Newly found images from the extensive collections of the Agawam Historical Association and the author fill Around Agawam and Feeding Hills, the third volume to visually document the town's residents and the places they lived, worked, and played.

Calla Shasta, Riverside Park, the Agawam Fire Department, schools, agriculture, and 75th and centennial anniversary celebrations are among the subjects depicted within and accompanied by informative text. News photographs from the last half of the 20th century connect readers to the town's recent history, making Around Agawam and Feeding Hills a must-have addition for anyone interested in Agawam's fascinating story. All royalties from the sale of his book benefit the Agawam Historical Association.