The H.L. Hunley, The Secret Hope of the Confederacy, Tom Chaffin

On the evening of February 17, 1864, the Confederacy's H.L. Hunley sank the Union's formidable sloop of war the USS Housatonic and became the first submarine in world history to sink an enemy ship. Not until World War I, half a century later, would a submarine again accomplish such a feat. But also perishing that moonlit night, vanishing beneath the cold Atlantic waters over Charleston, South Carolina, was the Hunley and her entire crew of eight, three more men than had gone down with the Housatonic. For generations, searchers prowled Charleston's harbor, looking for the Hunley. And as they hunted, the legends surrounding the boat and its demise continued to grow. Even after the submarine was definitely located in 1995 and recovered five years later, these legends, those barnacles of misinformation, have only thickened.

Now, in a tour de force of document sleuthing with insights gleaned from the excavation of this remarkable vessel, the distinguished Civil War Era historian Tom Chaffin presents the most thorough possible telling of the Hunley's story. Of panoramic breath, this saga begins long before the submarine was ever assembled and follows the tale into the boat's final hours and through its recovery in 2000. Beyond his exhaustive survey of period documents related to the submarine, Chaffin, to complete his portrait of this technological wonder, also conducted extensive interviews with Maria Jacobsen, senior archaeologist at Clemson University's Warren laseh Conservation Center, where the Hunley is now being excavated. What emerges is a narrative that casts compelling doubts on many long held assumptions, particularly those concerning the boats' final hours. The H.L. Hunley provides the definite account of a fabled craft

Flawless, Inside The Largest Diamond Heist in History, Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell

The Antwerp Diamond Center is one of the most secure buildings in the world. With hundreds of millions of dollars worth of diamonds stored in its subterranean vault, it had to be. Located in the heart of Belgiums ultra secure Diamond District, it benefited from two police stations, armed patrols, extensive video surveillance, and vehicle barriers securing an area around 80 percent of the world's diamonds traded hands.

But on February 15, 2003, a band of skilled Italian thieves, fronted by the charming Leonardo Notarbartolo, who spent more than two years clandestinely casing the building, subverted every one of the Diamond Center's defenses and made off with a record amount of loot. Experts estimate they got away with nearly a billion dollars in diamonds, cash, and other valuables.

The thieves did it with stealth and smarts, no one was hurt or even threatened during what was quickly labeled the largest diamond heist in history. The bandits, members of a group of professional thieves known as "The School of Turin," used cunning in lieu of violence, successfully evading security cameras, thwarting an array of electronic sensors, and penetrating a vault protected by a double-locked foot thick steel door.

Even when the police zeroed in on who committed the crime, how it was done remained a mystery.

Flawless is a fast paced global scavenger hunt uncovering the truth behind the daring Valentine Day weekend heist. Tracking clues, sources, and documents throughout Europe, from seedy cafes in Italy to sleek diamond offices in Belgium, authors Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell retrace Notarbartolos careful discovery of the buildings flaws. They recreated the heist and its aftermath detailing how the thieves brilliantly neutralized each element of the security protecting the Diamond Center's vault while inviting readers into the world of diamonds and diamond dealing. The result is a thrilling ride through the better than fiction heist of the century.

The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook, Erin Chase

Feed your family for $5 or less--

200 recipes for quick, delicious and nourishing meals that are easy on the budget and a snap to prepare.

You'll never spend more than $5 on a dinner again --

While some of these food prices may have gone up in price, its all still a bargain --

See you at Rylander!