Champagne Charlie

Machine generated contents note: List of Illustrations -- Introduction -- Chapter One: The First Sip -- Chapter Two: Young Charles -- Chapter Three: Discovery of the New World -- Chapter Four: Reading the Stars -- Chapter Five: The Panic -- Chapter Six: The Lion of New York -- Chapter Seven: Southern Comfort -- Chapter Eight: "It's War" -- Chapter Nine: The Beast -- Chapter Ten: Into the Jaws -- Chapter Eleven: "We Are Not in Venice" -- Chapter Twelve: The Homecoming -- Chapter Thirteen: The Man Who Never Forgot -- Chapter Fourteen: "War Seems to Follow Me" -- Chapter Fifteen: The Denver Miracle -- Epilogue -- Bibliography -- Notes -- Index.

Champagne Charlie tells the history of champagne and the thrilling tale of how the go-to celebratory drink of our time made its way to the United States, thanks to the controversial figure of Charles "Champagne Charlie" Heidsieck.

THE STORY: It's a very special day at the racetrack, where Champagne Charlie, a race-track regular, has had a race named in his honor. A dreamer and teller of tall tales, Charlie is accompanied by his wife of fifty-three years, Mary Lee, an incur

Hungover aristocrat Edward "Charlie" Decharles awakens in the back of a steam-cab, only to discover that the driver has been murdered. Unused to feeling responsible for anything, he feels compelled to find the killer. As he investigates, he meets "The Amazing" Gladys Dunchurch, a stage magician's assistant whose employer has disappeared – and not in a good way. They form an alliance – Charlie will help Gladys with his considerable resources and Gladys will help Charlie with her even more considerable brains. Soon they discover that their respective mysteries are not only connected to each other, but related to other seemingly unrelated strangeness transpiring in London – the murder of an astronomer, an attack on a patent medicine factory, a mysterious cult in an idyllic town, and reports of deadly creatures in the London sewers. Charlie and Gladys find themselves pitted against dead-eyed assassins, murderous pirates, wingless flying machines, and perhaps even creatures from beyond this Earth. And lurking behind it all lies a sinister cabal that knows the secret origin of the steam-powered society that powers their world. Can our heroes save the day, or will the fallout from that secret destroy two worlds? Champagne Charlie and the Amazing Gladys is a fun, witty Steampunk adventure yarn, featuring a cast of eccentric characters.

Charlie Magri is one of the most popular boxers ever to have stepped into the ring. The exuberance and energy of the former WBC Flyweight Champion earned him a core of dedicated fans and, throughout his career, his determination and his ability to overcome adversity inspired all those who watched him. At last, one of boxing's most deserving legends has decided to tell all about his amazing life in this, his own true story. As a young boy Magri's exceptional promise as a boxer became apparent when he fought for Stepney's Arbour Youth Club. His impressive start as a Junior ABA Champion earned Charlie a reputation and, when he became a fully fledged senior fighter, he experienced what he describes as the best two years of his life. In 1974, he was unbeaten domestically, he won the ABA and then he took home the silver medal in the European Under-21 Championships. These victories cemented his determination to remain a winner. It was only a matter of time before Magri turned professional and, with legendary manager Terry Lawless as his mentor, he went on to become the British Flyweight Champion. Having secured the European crown, Magri set his sights on conquering the world. In March 1983, he entered the ring at Wembley and defeated Eleoncio Mercedes inside seven rounds to become the WBC World Flyweight Champion...and the legend of 'Champagne Charlie' was born. In this exciting and revealing autobiography, Charlie Magri tells of his childhood, growing up on a tough estate in the East End of London. He describes how his height and his name made him stand out from the crowd at school and how, from an early age, he learned to defend himself with his fists. He tells of the early days of his career and how his passion for boxing kept him off the street and out of the local gangs. He speaks of his amazing triumphs and, conversley, his heart-breaking defeats and how he has struggled to come to terms with life after boxing. What shines through his whole story is Charlie's enthusiasm for life, sense of humour nad genuine concern for others. This heart-warming tale of a man's passion for his sport and desire to win is a must read for any boxing fan and will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.

In this rich, imaginative survey of variety musical theater, Gillian M. Rodger masterfully chronicles the social history and class dynamics of the robust, nineteenth-century American theatrical phenomenon that gave way to twentieth-century entertainment forms such as vaudeville and comedy on radio and television. Fresh, bawdy, and unabashedly aimed at the working class, variety honed in on its audience's fascinations, emerging in the 1840s as a vehicle to accentuate class divisions and stoke curiosity about gender and sexuality. Cross-dressing acts were a regular feature of these entertainments, and Rodger profiles key male impersonators Annie Hindle and Ella Wesner while examining how both gender and sexuality gave shape to variety. By the last two decades of the nineteenth century, variety theater developed into a platform for ideas about race and whiteness. As some in the working class moved up into the middling classes, they took their affinity for variety with them, transforming and broadening middle-class values. Champagne Charlie and Pretty Jemima places the saloon keepers, managers, male impersonators, minstrels, acrobats, singers, and dancers of the variety era within economic and social contexts by examining the business models of variety shows and their primarily white, working-class urban audiences. Rodger traces the transformation of variety from sexualized entertainment to more family-friendly fare, a domestication that mirrored efforts to regulate the industry, as well as the adoption of aspects of middle-class culture and values by the shows' performers, managers, and consumers.

Developed from her tremendously popular blog, this book offers the inspiring and beautifully illustrated account of the author's experiences raising an orphaned coyote as a beloved pet. Full-color photographs throughout.

There’s never been a better time to get into Champagne! Both the region of Champagne and its wines have always been associated with prestige and luxury. Knowledgeable wine enthusiasts have long discussed top Champagnes with the same reverence they reserve for the finest wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. But everyday Americans usually keep Champagne way back on the high shelf. It’s for big celebrations, send-offs, and wedding toasts and, more often than not, is bought by the case. The good stuff costs plenty—and frankly, rarely seems worth the price. Today, though, Champagne is in the midst of a renaissance—no longer to be unjustly neglected. Over the past decade, an increasing number of wine enthusiasts have discovered the joys of grower Champagne—wines made by the farmers who grow the grapes. Thanks to a few key wine importers and America’s newfound obsession with knowing where food comes from, these shipments have been climbing steadily. In But First, Champagne, author David White details Champagne’s history along with that of its wines, explains how and why the market is changing, and profiles the region’s leading producers. This book is essential reading for wine enthusiasts, adventurous drinkers, foodies, sommeliers, and drinks professionals. With a comprehensive yet accessible overview of the region, its history, and its leading producers, But First, Champagne will demystify Champagne for all. From the foreword: "Smart, entertaining, and valuable . . . one of those rare wine books that should appeal to people just getting into Champagne and longtime Champagne obsessives." —Ray Isle, Executive Wine Editor, Food & Wine

Female-to-male crossdressing became all the rage in the variety shows of nineteenth-century America and began as the domain of mature actresses who desired to extend their careers. These women engaged in the kinds of raucous comedy acts usually reserved for men. Over time, as younger women entered the specialty, the comedy became less pointed and more centered on the celebration of male leisure and fashion. Gillian M. Rodger uses the development of male impersonation from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century to illuminate the history of the variety show. Exploding notions of high- and lowbrow entertainment, Rodger looks at how both performers and forms consistently expanded upward toward respectable—and richer—audiences. At the same time, she illuminates a lost theatrical world where women made fun of middle-class restrictions even as they bumped up against rules imposed in part by audiences. Onstage, the actresses' changing performance styles reflected gender construction in the working class and shifts in class affiliation by parts of the audiences. Rodger observes how restrictive standards of femininity increasingly bound male impersonators as new gender constructions allowed women greater access to public space while tolerating less independent behavior from them.