A “fascinating” (HuffPost) tour of the sometimes surprising ancient relics left behind in the modern world, from the Crown of Thrones at Notre Dame to the skeleton of a Roman martyr enshrined in a cathedral in Los Angeles. A finger, a lock of hair, a crucifix, a chalice—if such items belonged to a saint, they are considered to be relics and as such are venerated by the Catholic Church. Anyone who thinks that relics are remnants of the Middle Ages should log on to eBay. On any day of the week the online shopper will find a thriving business in the sale of these items, ranging from the dust from the tomb of Christ to splinters of the True Cross to bone fragments of countless holy men and women. In Saints Preserved: An Encyclopedia of Relics, author Thomas J. Craughwell takes us on an exhilarating journey through the life and death of more than three hundred saints and along the way enlightens us about the sometimes strange bits and pieces that the saints left behind. Including entries on the famous (Saint Peter, Saint Francis, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux) and the not so famous (Saint Foy, Saint Sicaire, Saint Chrysogonus), Saints Preserved also features information on such notable relics as the Holy House where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph lived; the Holy Grail; and the seven places that claim to possess the head of Saint John the Baptist—among them a mosque in Damascus. Moreover, this book includes major relics that are enshrined in the United States. From the extraordinary Aachen relics to the remains of Saint Zita, Saints Preserved is an indispensable compendium for spiritual seekers, history buffs, and anyone interested in deepening their understanding of the Catholic faith.

Saints Preserved: An Encyclopedia of Relics

History

Craughwell, Thomas J.

Ancient Civilizations

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In this fascinating account of the search for the remains of the world's first pope, none other than Peter, the chief apostle of Jesus, Thomas J. Craughwell takes us on one of the most exciting archaeological finds of the twentieth century. In 1448 a team of architects and engineers brought Pope Nicholas V unhappy news: the 1,100-year-old Basilica of St. Peter suffered from so many structural defects that it was beyond repair. The only solution was to pull down the old church--one of the most venerable churches in all of Christiandom--and erect a new basilica on the site. Incredibly, one of the tombs the builders paved over was the resting place of St. Peter. Then in 1939, while reconstructing the grottoes below St. Peter's Basilica, a workman's shovel struck not dirt or rock but open air. After inspecting what could be seen through the hole they'd made in the mausoleum's roof, Pope Pius XII secretly authorized a full-scale excavation. What lay beneath? The answer and the adventure await. In this riveting history, facts, traditions, and faith collide to reveal the investigation, betrayals, and mystery behind St. Peter's burial place.

St. Peter's Bones: How the Relics of the First Pope Were Lost and Found . . . and Then Lost and Found Again

Europe

Random House Publishing Group

Who Are You? is packed with 145 personality, IQ, and EQ quizzes to help you discover who you are, how you got that way, and what you can do to change your life for the better. Entertaining and enlightening, Who Are You? reveals your personality and emotions with quizzes that like"Are You Socially Anxious" to "Are You an Unbiased Voter?" to "Are You Over Your Ex?" as well as determining your numerical, linguistic, and spacial proficiency. Each quiz can be taken in just a few minutes and is easily scored. This attractive, take-anywhere, write-in quiz book will offer a daily dose of self-discovery no matter where you go!

Who Are You?

Humor & Entertainment

Didato PhD, Salvatore V.

Puzzles & Games

Black Dog Leventhal

Saints are not born, they are made. And many, as Saints Behaving Badly reveals, were made of very rough materials indeed. The first book to lay bare the less than saintly behavior of thirty-two venerated holy men and women, it presents the scandalous, spicy, and sleazy detours they took on the road to sainthood. In nineteenth- and twentieth-century writings about the lives of the saints, authors tended to go out of their way to sanitize their stories, often glossing over the more embarrassing cases with phrases such as, “he/she was once a great sinner.” In the early centuries of the Church and throughout the Middle Ages, however, writers took a more candid and spirited approach to portraying the saints. Exploring sources from a wide range of periods and places, Thomas Craughwell discovered a veritable rogues gallery of sinners-turned-saint. There’s St. Olga, who unleashed a bloodbath on her husband’s assassins; St. Mary of Egypt, who trolled the streets looking for new sexual conquests; and Thomas Becket, who despite his vast riches refused to give his cloak to a man freezing to death in the street. Written with wit and respect (each profile ends with what inspired the saint to give up his or her wicked ways) and illustrated with amusing caricatures, Saints Behaving Badly will entertain, inform, and even inspire Catholic readers across America.

Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men, and Devil-Worshippers Who Became Saints

Biographies & Memoirs

Leaders & Notable People

On the night of the presidential election in 1876, a gang of counterfeiters out of Chicago attempted to steal the entombed embalmed body of Abraham Lincoln and hold it for ransom. The custodian of the tomb was so shaken by the incident that he willingly dedicated the rest of his life to protecting the president's corpse. 
 In a lively and dramatic narrative, Thomas J. Craughwell returns to this bizarre, and largely forgotten, event with the first book to place the grave robbery in historical context. He takes us through the planning and execution of the crime and the outcome of the investigation. He describes the reactions of Mary Todd Lincoln and Robert Todd Lincoln to the theft—and the peculiar silence of a nation. He follows the unlikely tale of what happened to Lincoln's remains after the attempted robbery, and details the plan devised by the Lincoln Guard of Honor to prevent a similar abominable recurrence. 
 Along the way, Craughwell offers entertaining sidelights on the rise of counterfeiting in America and the establishment of the Secret Service to combat it; the prevalence of grave robberies; the art of nineteenth-century embalming; and the emergence among Irish immigrants of an ambitious middle class—and a criminal underclass. 
 This rousing story of hapless con men, intrepid federal agents, and ordinary Springfield citizens who honored their native son by keeping a valuable, burdensome secret for decades offers a riveting glimpse into late-nineteenth-century America, and underscores that truth really is sometimes stranger than fiction.

Stealing Lincoln's Body

Historical

Belknap Press

On the night of the presidential election in 1876, a gang of counterfeiters out of Chicago attempted to steal the entombed embalmed body of Abraham Lincoln and hold it for ransom. The custodian of the tomb was so shaken by the incident that he willingly dedicated the rest of his life to protecting the president's corpse. 
In a lively and dramatic narrative, Thomas J. Craughwell returns to this bizarre, and largely forgotten, event with the first book to place the grave robbery in historical context. He takes us through the planning and execution of the crime and the outcome of the investigation. He describes the reactions of Mary Todd Lincoln and Robert Todd Lincoln to the theft―and the peculiar silence of a nation. He follows the unlikely tale of what happened to Lincoln's remains after the attempted robbery, and details the plan devised by the Lincoln Guard of Honor to prevent a similar abominable recurrence.
Along the way, Craughwell offers entertaining sidelights on the rise of counterfeiting in America and the establishment of the Secret Service to combat it; the prevalence of grave robberies; the art of nineteenth-century embalming; and the emergence among Irish immigrants of an ambitious middle class―and a criminal underclass.
This rousing story of hapless con men, intrepid federal agents, and ordinary Springfield citizens who honored their native son by keeping a valuable, burdensome secret for decades offers a riveting glimpse into late-nineteenth-century America, and underscores that truth really is sometimes stranger than fiction.

Stealing Lincoln’s Body

50 STATES
 Bringing America to your fingertips, Fandex presents a field guide to the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. Which is the only state with a tropical rain forest? Which state sparked the civil rights movement? Which two states entered the Union on the same day, and which was bought from a single family for the bargain price of $6,000? Illustrated with full-color, custom-designed maps and featuring nicknames, capitals, mottoes, emblems, anecdotes and natural treasures, it's a rich mosaic of the United States.

Fandex Family Field Guides: 50 States

Children's Books

Workman Publishing Company

This&nbsp;in-depth history of our nation's 46 presidents is now fully revised and updated to include Donald Trump's eventful term in office, Joe Biden's presidency, and the results of the 2024 presidential election.&nbsp; The Presidents Fact Book&nbsp;is the complete compendium of all things presidential and a sweeping survey of American history through the biography of every president from George Washington to the current president. Organized chronologically by president, each entry covers the major accomplishments and events of the presidential term; cabinet members, election results, groundbreaking legislation, and Supreme Court appointments; personality and personal habits including hobbies, odd behaviors, and outlandish penchants; a behind-the-scenes look at wives, families, friends, and foes; and much more. Major moments from administrations - from the Bill of Rights and the Emancipation proclamation to the Civil Rights Era and the coronavirus pandemic - provide a glimpse into the crucial moments of America's storied past. &nbsp; Perfect for students, history buffs, and political junkies,&nbsp;The Presidents Fact Book&nbsp;is at once an expansive collage of the American presidency and a comprehensive view of American history.

The Presidents Fact Book: The Achievements, Campaigns, and Legacies of Every President

HARRIS, BILL.

Matuz, Roger

Everybody makes mistakes, but when an American President blunders the result can be catastrophic. This in depth look at presidential decision making processes gone wrong reveals the policies and courses of action that seemed promising at the time, but turned out to be the worst decisions American Presidents have made. The stories featured here altered the course of the nation's history, and in some cases changed the history of the world for the worse.

Failures of the Presidents: From the Whiskey Rebellion and War of 1812 to the Bay of Pigs and War in Iraq

Phelps, M. William

Crestline Books

Between 1861 and 1865, 7,000 Irishmen, virtually all of them immigrants, enlisted in the Irish Brigade, and 4,000 of them were killed or wounded. This book is the story of their heroism, sacrifice, and faith. Although most of the Irish in America were consigned to squalid slums, given only the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs, and almost universally looked down upon by native born Americans, they recognized that America promised freedom unknown in Europe and opportunities unimaginable in Ireland--and the men of the Irish brigade were willing to fight to defend those opportunities and that freedom.

The Greatest Brigade: How the Irish Brigade Cleared the Way to Victory in the American Civil War

Americas

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