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Adult Programs
The Rise and Fall of Empires with Dr. Stanley Carpenter / Kingston Free Library
Wednesday, November 30, 6:30 PM
PART I: THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR
Join us as Dr. Stanley Carpenter visits to kick off his four-part lecture series about the rise and fall of various empires throughout history. Part I addresses the Franco-Prussian War.
This lectured addresses the rise of Imperial Germany as a result of three short conflicts- the Prusso-Danish War (1864), the Austro-Prussian War (1866), and the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, known as "The Iron Chancellor," the architect of German unification and the new German Empire, is highlighted as well as the Prussian General Staff system that made the Prussian Army the most effective in the world. The rise of an Imperial German Navy at the turn of the century and the resultant Anglo-German naval rivalry, a key cause of World War I, is also addressed.
Dr. Stanley D.M. Carpenter is Emeritus Professor of Strategy and Policy at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He retired in 2020 after 22 years and served as Strategy and Policy Department Head, where he taught and administered the Strategy and War nonresident programs and served as the Naval War College Command Historian.
To register, please email Britta at bobertello@skpl.org or call 783-8254 ext. 4304.
A Readable Feast: A Cookbook Book Group / Kingston Free Library
Thursday, December 8, 6:30 PM
Please note that the meeting this month is on the SECOND Thursday of the month instead of our usual third Thursdays.
Participants bring a dish to share prepared from that month's cookbook. There is a discussion about the book while we sample all the dishes. This month we will be reading and cooking from these French cookbooks:
- A Table: recipes for cooking + eating the French way / Rebekah Peppler (2021)
- Dinner in French: my recipes by way of France: a cookbook / Melissa Clark (2020)
Registration is required; we are unable to accomodate walk-ins. Contact Britta at bobertello@skpl.org or 783-8254 ext. 4303 for more information.
Author Visit with Jane McCarthy / Kingston Free Library
Saturday, December 10, 2:00 PM
Join us at the Kingston Free Library as Jane F. McCarthy visits to discuss her new book. Jane is a RI author who lives in Narragansett. Her second novel, The Faces of War, brings a rare perspective to the personal losses of World War II as seen through the eyes of an American GI and a young German civilian.
Drafted at eighteen, John Conway, wounded by a sniper and unable to move, lies next to his dead buddy and moans his loss. Karl Baum and his father find him and drag him to their home in Southeast Germany to heal.
Jane will discuss this historical novel of friendship, betrayal, loss, guilt, and forgiveness. McCarthy's characters bring alive an extraordinary time in history.
Prior to becoming a writer, Jane was a Registered Nurse working in many capacities during her career. You can find more about Jane on her website, www.JaneFMcCarthy.com.
For more information or to register, please email Britta at bobertello@skpl.org, or call 783-8254 ext. 4303.
The Rise and Fall of Empires with Dr. Stanley Carpenter / Kingston Free Library
Wednesday, December 28, 6:30 PM
PART II: 1918 AND THE FALL OF THE GERMAN EMPIRE
Join us at the Kingston Free Library as Dr. Stanley Carpenter continues his four-part lecture series about the rise and fall of various empires throughout history. Part II addresses 1918 and the Fall of the German Empire.
The lecture addresses the final years of the First World War that ended the German Empire as the Allied powers forced an armistice and eventual peace treaty at Versailles in 1919. Major events leading up to 1918 are highlighted, including the outbreak of the war in 1914, the Battles of the Somme, Verdun, and Jutland, the German 1918 offensives on the Western Front, the United States' intervention as an Allied Power, and the Hundred Days Campaign that finally forced German capitulation. Dynamics of warfare in the period such as naval power, emerging military tactics and doctrine, and new technology are discussed.
Dr. Stanley D.M. Carpenter is Emeritus Professor of Strategy and Policy at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He retired in 2020 after 22 years and served as Strategy and Policy Department Head, where he taught and administered the Strategy and War nonresident programs and served as the Naval War College Command Historian.
For more information or to register, email Britta at bobertello@skpl.org or call 783-8254 ext. 4303.
Ocean State Libraries E-Zone: downloadable books, audiobooks, movies. Any valid Ocean State Libraries card will work, and you can download up to 8 items at a time.
Hoopla: downloadable books, audiobooks, movies, tv series, comics, and music. You need a South Kingstown Public Library card for Hoopla, and you get 3 checkouts per month.
Ongoing
If you have a tech and/or reference question, or would like to learn a new skill, email our reference librarian Britta at bobertello@skpl.org to set up an appointment. Please put "Tech Help" in the subject line of the email and let us know what project or skill you need help with.
We have options for you at each of our 3 locations! - Many of these are now being held virtually!
Peace Dale Library: Evening Book Group, meets 1st Tuesdays at 6:30 PM
Peace Dale Library: Afternoon Book Group, meets 2nd Fridays at 2 PM
Kingston Free Library: Brown Bag Book Group, meets 1st Thursdays, 12:15-1:15
Kingston Free Library: Beyond Words Book Group, meets 2nd Wednesdays at 7 PM, except July and August
Kingston Free Library: A Readable Feast, meets 3rd Thursdays, 6:30 PM
Robert Beverly Hale Library: Bookmarks, meets last Thursday of the month, September--May