Search results for ""Crown""

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY TARAN KHAN, author of Shadow CityTRANSLATED FROM BENGALI BY NAZES AFROZAn intrepid traveller and true cosmopolitan, legendary Bengali writer Syed Mujtaba Ali spent a year and a half teaching in Kabul from 1927 to 1929. Curious to explore Afghan society, Mujtaba Ali had access to a cross-section of Kabul's population, and in In a Land Far from Home he chronicles his experiences with a keen eye and a wicked sense of humour.Mujtaba Ali's travels coincided with a critical point in Afghanistan's history: when the reformist King Amanullah tried to steer his country towards modernity by encouraging education for girls and giving them the choice of removing the burqa. Branded a 'kafir', Amanullah was overthrown by the bandit leader Bacha-e-Saqao. With striking parallels to twenty-first century events in the region, In a Land Far From Home is the only first-hand account of this tumultuous period by a non-Afghan.Providing a unique perspective, Mujtaba Ali's fascinating account is brought to life by contact with a colourful cast of characters at all levels of society -- from the garrulous Pathan Dost Muhammed and the gentle Russian giant Bolshov, to his servant, Abdur Rahman and his partner in tennis, the Crown Prince Enayatullah.

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Robert the Bruce is a detailed account of the life and times of the Scottish hero and monarch. It covers his life from childhood to death, looking at the political, social and military life of Scotland before, during and after the time of Robert the Bruce. The book looks at the relationship between The Bruce and people like Edward I and Edward II of England, William Wallace and the other contenders for the Scottish crown. The main thrust of the book is a chronological account of how The Bruce clawed his way to power, his struggles and battles and his eventual victory which gave Scotland independence and freedom from an acquisitive and warlike neighbour. It looks in detail at the murder of John Comyn, of which The Bruce stood accused, and the political ramifications of the killing. Robert the Bruce was no saint. He was a ruthless, cunning warrior, a man of his times, dedicated to what he saw as his mission in life. Flawed he may have been but he was also a great King, a worthy warrior and a man who deserves to emerge from the shadow of William Wallace - a position to which he has been relegated ever since the film Braveheart.

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This is the second book in the popular Gentleman Spy Mysteries — read this as a standalone or look for the first book, The Innkeeper's Daughter! Sir Henry, secret agent to the crown, must marry a lady above reproach to afford his illegitimate daughter entrance into society. After narrowly escaping marriage to a highborn bigot, he takes an assignment in Brighton, leading him to an abandoned abbey full of dark whispers, and a sinister secret society, the very one Henry has been investigating for three years. Isabella is as beautiful as she is talented, but falling in love isn't part of her plans. She only wants to paint, forget her painful past, and keep her overbearing mother at bay. But gaining one's independence isn't easy for a woman in 1823, so Isabella embarks on a fake courtship with Sir Henry. Soon, love and a painting career no longer seem so utterly incompatible. But when the man Isabella fears most kidnaps her, all appears lost. Realizing the kidnapper is part of the same organization he is investigating, Henry chases after them. Entrapped in a web of secrets, both Henry and Isabella must face old enemies, and fight for their happily ever after. The third book in the The Gentleman Spy Mysteries, The Memory of Her, is coming in April 2022.

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Jacob Abbott was one of the most prolific American writers of history in the nineteenth century, writing many biographies on the world’s most influential leaders in a clear and exciting style. This comprehensive volume, first published in 1849 and part of Abbott’s Illustrated Histories series, details the remarkable and fascinating life of William the Conqueror, the first Norman King of England. The king’s life is researched and recorded thoroughly, chronicling the years from his illegitimate birth to his calamitous burial. Born in Normandy and promised the throne of England by King Edward, William decided to invade the country after another contender for the crown took the throne. Abbott recounts the famous Battle of Hastings in great detail, and with an enthralling narrative captures the young conqueror’s struggles, ambition, and aspirations during his time in power. William the Conqueror’s reign in England significantly transformed the country, whose residents resented being ruled by a foreigner who relied entirely upon his army to keep the country in subjugation and who suppressed their many revolts. With a brief history of the Saxon and Danish kings of England and the dukes of Normandy, and original engravings, this book is great for anyone interested in the political struggles of the Middle Ages, and is a valuable addition to any history buff’s library.

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The first comprehensive history of the Aboriginal First World War experience on the battlefield and the home front. When the call to arms was heard at the outbreak of the First World War, Canada's First Nations pledged their men and money to the Crown to honour their long-standing tradition of forming military alliances with Europeans during times of war, and as a means of resisting cultural assimilation and attaining equality through shared service and sacrifice.Initially, the Canadian government rejected these offers based on the belief that status Indians were unsuited to modern, civilized warfare. But in 1915, Britain intervened and demanded Canada actively recruit Indian soldiers to meet the incessant need for manpower. Thus began the complicated relationships between the Imperial Colonial and War Offices, the Department of Indian Affairs, and the Ministry of Militia that would affect every aspect of the war experience for Canada's Aboriginal soldiers. In his groundbreaking new book, For King and Kanata, Timothy C. Winegard reveals how national and international forces directly influenced the more than 4,000 status Indians who voluntarily served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force between 1914 and 1919 - a per capita percentage equal to that of Euro-Canadians - and how subsequent administrative policies profoundly affected their experiences at home, on the battlefield, and as returning veterans.

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In this ground-breaking study of the medieval parliament, Roland Tanner gives the Scottish Parliament a human face by examining the actions and motives of those who attended. In the past, the Scottish Parliament was seen as a weak and ineffective institution – damned because of its failure to be more like its English counterpart. But Roland Tanner shows that the old picture of weakness is far from accurate. In its very different way, the Scottish Parliament was every bit as powerful as the English institution. The ‘Three Estates’ (the clergy, nobility and burgh representatives who attended Parliament) were able to wield a surprising degree of control over the Crown during the fifteenth century. For instance, they threatened to lock James I’s taxation in a box to which he, the king, would have no access, made James II swear not to alter acts of Parliament, and prevented him from using his own lands and wealth as patronage for his supporters, and forbade James III to leave the country. Roland Tanner has avoided a dry constitutional approach. Instead he has sought to bring Parliament to life through the people who attended, the reasons why they attended, and the complex interactions which occurred when all the most wealthy, powerful and ambitious people in the kingdom gathered in one place.

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A dream is never just a dream! The gatewalkers’ quest for answers reaches its exciting conclusion when they return to the spooky town of Ruwido for a reunion with their cryptic employer, the eminent researcher Dr. Ritalson. The occasion turns sour, however, when the characters discover that matters at home have been far from quiet. The final leg of the party's quest to unravel their memory gaps and fulfill Sakuachi's destiny takes them to the Crown of the World, where ice-rimed temples, dream-devouring monsters, and ancient alien evils await. “Dreamers of the Nameless Spires” is a Pathfinder adventure for four 8th-level characters. This adventure concludes the Gatewalkers Adventure Path, a three-part monthly campaign in which a team of paranormal investigators unravel the mystery behind a mass amnesic episode which left them with lost memories and strange powers. This adventure also includes an article about the mysterious elven goddess of twilight, Findeladlara; new rules options perfect for paranormalist adventurers; and strange new creatures to befriend or bedevil your players. Each monthly full-color softcover Pathfinder Adventure Path volume contains an in-depth adventure scenario, stats for several new monsters, and support articles meant to give Game Masters additional material to expand their campaign. Pathfinder Adventure Path volumes use the Open Game License and work with both the Pathfinder RPG and the world’s oldest fantasy RPG.

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An Observer, Guardian, Financial Times, Sunday Times South Africa, Irish Times, Irish Independent, Big Issue and Strong Words Pick of the Year An Irish Times and The Times Summer Reading Pick Shortlisted for the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year Award Shortlisted for the London Magazine Debut Fiction Prize 2020 Longlisted for HWA Debut Crown 2020 ‘Beautifully written and emotionally devastating’ Daily Mail A beautiful and heart-breaking story set in South Africa where two mothers - a century apart - must fight for their sons, unaware their fates are inextricably linked. Orange Free State, 1901. At the height of the Boer War, Sarah van der Watt and her six-year-old son Fred can only watch as the British burn their farm. The polite invaders cart them off to Bloemfontein Concentration Camp promising you will be safe here. Johannesburg, 2010. Sixteen-year-old Willem is an outsider who just wants to be left alone with his Harry Potter books and Britney, his beloved pug. Worried he’s turning out soft, his Ma and her new boyfriend send him to New Dawn Safari Camp, where they ‘make men out of boys.’ Guaranteed. The red earth of the veldt keeps countless secrets whether beaten by the blistering sun or stretching out beneath starlit stillness. But no secret can stay buried forever.

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The British monarchy has been through turbulent times of late. Rocked by scandal and strife, and without it seems a clear plan for the future following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, we have been left wondering: what happens next? Nothing seems certain. Will the monarchy survive with its continuing echoes of an Imperial past? Will young people - disenchanted with the political status quo - find the ritual and practice of the monarchy quite so mesmerising as previous generations have done? What might a republican Britain look like? Ed Owens argues that the monarchy must embrace reform and transform itself radically. No more private jets while preaching about the importance of the environment; no more secrecy obscuring royal influence in high places; and no more hangers on enjoying grace-and-favour homes. A major slimming down is essential. And it's time the family archives were opened. All these issues will have a direct effect on the common good of the nation as it tries to reinvent itself as a modern working democracy, and endeavours to equip itself for the coming decades. Ed Owens situates this critical moment of royal transition in its historical context in order to set out a vision for monarchy that is future-proof, but which would also see the crown play an integral role in the evolution of 21st-century Britain.

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Bound to the queen of Chandela by a forbidden soul bond that saved her when she was a child, Katyani has never fallen short of what’s expected of her — becoming the best guardswoman the Garuda has ever seen and an advisor to the crown prince when he ascends to the throne. But when the latest assassination attempt against the royals leaves them with a faceless body and no leads to the perpetrator, Katyani is unwillingly shipped off to guard the Chandela princes in Acharya Mahavir’s esteemed monastic school in Nandovana, a forest where monsters have roamed unchecked for generations. Katyani wants nothing more than to return to her duties, especially when the Acharya starts asking questions about her past. The only upside of her stay are her run-ins with Daksh, the Acharya’s son, who can’t stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes her feel like he can see into her soul. But when Katyani and the princes are hurriedly summoned back to Chandela before their training is complete, tragedy strikes and Katyani is torn from the only life she has ever known. Alone and betrayed in a land infested by monsters, Katyani must find the answers to her past so she can save what she loves and forge her own destiny. Bonds can be broken, but debts must be repaid.

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From the 1950s until his death in 1994, Menachem Mendel Schneerson--revered by his followers worldwide simply as the Rebbe--built the Lubavitcher movement from a relatively small sect within Hasidic Judaism into the powerful force in Jewish life that it is today. Swept away by his expectation that the Messiah was coming, he came to believe that he could deny death and change history. Samuel Heilman and Menachem Friedman paint an unforgettable portrait of Schneerson, showing how he reinvented himself from an aspiring French-trained electrical engineer into a charismatic leader who believed that he and his Lubavitcher Hasidic emissaries could transform the world. They reveal how his messianic convictions ripened and how he attempted to bring the ancient idea of a day of redemption onto the modern world's agenda. Heilman and Friedman also trace what happened after the Rebbe's death, by which time many of his followers had come to think of him as the Messiah himself. The Rebbe tracks Schneerson's remarkable life from his birth in Russia, to his student days in Berlin and Paris, to his rise to global renown in New York, where he developed and preached his powerful spiritual message from the group's gothic mansion in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. This compelling book demonstrates how Schneerson's embrace of traditionalism and American-style modernity made him uniquely suited to his messianic mission.

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Poet, philosopher, and sensitive misanthrope, a spectacular fly in the ointment of the refined eleventh-century Andalusian-Jewish elite, Solomon Ibn Gabirol comes down to us as one of the most complicated intellectual figures in the history of post-biblical Judaism. Unlike his worldly predecessor Shmuel HaNagid, the first important poet of the period, Ibn Gabirol was a reclusive, mystically inclined figure whose modern-sounding medieval poems range from sublime descriptions of the heavenly spheres to poisonous jabs at court life and its pretenders. His verse, which demonstrates complete mastery of the classicizing avant-garde poetics of the day, grafted an Arabic aesthetic onto a biblical vocabulary and Jewish setting, taking Hebrew poetry to a level of metaphysical sophistication and devotional power it has not achieved since. Peter Cole's selection includes poems from nearly all of Ibn Gabirol's secular and liturgical lyric genres, as well as a complete translation of the poet's long masterwork, "Kingdom's Crown." Cole's rich, inventive introduction places the poetry in historical context and charts its influence through the centuries. Extensive annotations accompany the poems. This companion volume to Peter Cole's critically acclaimed Selected Poems of Shmuel HaNagid presents the first comprehensive selection of Ibn Gabirol's verse to be published in English and brings to life an astonishing body of poetry by one of the greatest Jewish writers of all time.

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The Grinch is BACK and ready to prove to the residents of Who-ville that he's changed. This heartwarming sequel is written and illustrated in the style of Dr. Seuss's beloved holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Grinch had been patiently waiting all year,To celebrate Christmas and bring the Whos cheer,And to show every Who he was DIFFERENT now. “I’ve changed!” thought the Grinch, “And I’ll prove it! But HOW?” A year has passed since the Grinch stole Christmas from Who-ville. Now eager to prove to the Whos that his heart has grown to LOVE the holiday, the Grinch devises a plan to win Who-ville's Christmas Crown by making the largest, most spectacular Christmas tree the Whos have ever seen! But when things don't go as planned, the Grinch's heart turns ice cold, and he threatens to leave Who-ville for good...until one small, special Who reminds him that Christmas is NOT about winning.Grow your heart three sizes MORE with this sequel to the timeless picture book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Featuring a foil-enhanced jacket and full-color illustrations rendered in the iconic style of the original, this new story makes a splendid gift and a must-have addition to the libraries of Grinch fans of all ages!

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Book two in the New York Times bestselling series called "Beautiful, brutal, heart-stopping, and epic" (Laini Taylor)! Two queens, separated by thousands of years, connected by secrets and lies, must continue their fight amid deadly plots and unthinkable betrayals that will test their strength-and their hearts.Rielle Dardenne has been anointed Sun Queen, but her trials are far from over. The Gate keeping the angels at bay is falling. To repair it, Rielle must collect the seven hidden castings of the saints. Meanwhile, to help her prince and love Audric protect Celdaria, Rielle must spy on the angel Corien-but his promises of freedom and power may prove too tempting to resist.Centuries later, Eliana Ferracora grapples with her new reality: She is the Sun Queen, humanity's long-awaited savior. But fear of corruption-fear of becoming another Rielle-keeps Eliana's power dangerous and unpredictable. Hunted by all, racing against time to save her dying friend Navi, Eliana must decide how to wear a crown she never wanted-by embracing her mother's power, or rejecting it forever.Praise for Furyborn:A BuzzFeed Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018A Goodreads Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018A Bustle Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018"A must-read." -Refinery29"A series to watch." -Paste magazine"Visionary." -Bustle magazine"One of the biggest new YA fantasies." -Entertainment Weekly"Empowering." -BuzzFeed

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'I have always abhorred to draw in question the title of the crown, so many disputes have been already touching it in the mouths of men . . . so long as I live, I shall be queen of England; when I am dead, they shall succeed that has most right.’ – ELIZABETH IWhen Elizabeth I died in 1603, James VI of Scotland – son of the executed Mary, Queen of Scots – succeeded her as king of England. According to the last will and testament of Henry VIII, however, there was another candidate with ‘most right’ to succeed Elizabeth: Edward Seymour, son of Lady Katherine Grey.During the early years of Elizabeth’s reign, Katherine – sister of the ill-fated Jane – was regarded by many at court as heir presumptive. However, Katherine incurred Elizabeth’s lasting displeasure when she secretly married Edward Seymour, earl of Hertford, and bore him two sons. The couple were first imprisoned in the Tower of London, then later separately placed under house arrest, never to see one another again. A commission declared their marriage unlawful and their sons illegitimate. Heartbroken, Katherine died at the age of 27.Katherine was not simply a tragic figure, but a leading candidate to succeed Elizabeth and thus a figure of national and international significance. In Lady Katherine Grey, her dynastic importance is brought to the forefront.

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Daisy discovers fresh blood in a tower infamous through history for dark deeds...Now the mother of two-month-old twins, Daisy decides to resume her journalistic career by writing a piece for a new magazine on the Tower of London. On her visit she's not only given a tour of the Crown Jewels, she's also introduced to the Raven Master and the Yeoman Warders - and most importantly, she's been invited to attend the Ceremony of the Keys ritual, which involves spending the night in the haunted Bloody Tower.Having survived the night, Daisy can't wait to get away the next morning and in her eagerness to leave, trips over the body of a yeoman warder. Daisy instantly realises that this is murder most foul on account of the halberd sticking out of his back. And with her husband assigned to investigate the case, Daisy one again finds herself enmeshed in a case of an unexplained murder at the Tower...Praise for the Daisy Dalrymple series:'Cunning... appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece.' Publishers Weekly'As always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above the average British cosy. This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries.' Booklist'For fans of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels' Library Journal

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'A writer who seems to set the rule for the genre' - Waterstones Books Quarterly'Miller is clearly a very talented writer: her characterisation is a masterclass in nuance and sensitivity, and she has a visceral way with action' - SFXPrince Gar now has the magic for weatherworking and is able to keep his enemies at bay, while Asher has become the most powerful Olken in the history of Lur. Peace and prosperity seem assured for the two of them. But Morg, the evil sorcerer mage, remains trapped inside a shattered body. He knows his time is running out and that desperate measures are called for.Unwittingly, Gar and Asher become caught up in a dangerous deception which threatens to tear apart the kingdom and destroy the fragile balance between Olken and Doranen.And no one, not even Dathne and her secret Circle, is prepared for the consequences when the Innocent Mage is revealed at last . . .Following The Innocent Mage, this is the second and concluding volume in the bestselling Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series - a wildly fast-paced fantasy brimming with action and adventure.Books by Karen Miller:Kingmaker, Kingbreaker SeriesThe Innocent MageThe Awakened MageA Blight of MagesGodspeakerEmpress of MijakThe Riven KingdomThe Hammer of GodFisherman's ChildrenThe Prodigal MageThe Reluctant MageTarnished CrownThe Falcon ThronePrince of Glass

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In this 37th volume of Research in Economic History, editors Christopher Hanes and Susan Wolcott assemble a group of lead experts to showcase new historical data, analyses of historical questions, and an investigation of historians’ networks. The volume covers a wide range of ideas, beginning with an examination of the sharp decline in school attendance among white children in the Southern US after the Civil War, followed by a study on the fiscal administration of an experimental parliamentary subsidy on English knight’s fees and income from 1431. A third paper assembles new county-level, household-level, and individual-level data, including new complete-count IPUMS microdata databases of the 1830-1880 censuses, to evaluate different theories for the nineteenth-century American fertility decline. The volume then pivots to deal with the development of banking in the Crown of Aragon from the end of the 13th century through the establishment of money changers. Finally, the volume summarizes in detail the content of Pieter Stadnitski’s revolutionary 1787 report An Explanatory Message Concerning the Funds, analyzing its arguments with the context of Dutch archival materials including deeds, newspaper reports, and letters, as well as congressional records from American sources. This new volume presents fascinating new areas of enquiry and analysis for all scholars in the field of economic history, including economists, historians and demographers.

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A fascinating and dramatic investigation into the events that led to Winston Churchill becoming Prime Minister against the odds.‘A gripping story of Churchill’s unlikely rise to power’ Observer London, May 1940. Britain is under threat of invasion and Neville Chamberlain’s government is about to fall. It is hard for us to imagine the Second World War without Winston Churchill taking the helm, but in Six Minutes in May Nicholas Shakespeare shows how easily events could have gone in a different direction. It took just six minutes for MPs to cast the votes that brought down Chamberlain. Shakespeare moves from Britain’s disastrous battle in Norway, for which many blamed Churchill, on to the dramatic developments in Westminster that led to Churchill becoming Prime Minister. Uncovering fascinating new research and delving into the key players’ backgrounds, Shakespeare gives us a new perspective on this critical moment in our history.‘Totally captivating. It will stand as the best account of those extraordinary few days for very many years’ Andrew Roberts ‘Superbly written… Shakespeare has a novelist’s flair for depicting the characters and motives of men’ The Times ‘Utterly wonderful… It reads like a thriller’ Peter Frankopan SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA NON-FICTION CROWN 2018*** Selected as a 2017 Book of the Year in the Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Observer and The Economist ***

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‘A tale of arson, loot and murder’ was how one source described the events that would befall Cork city on the night of 11–12 December 1920. In a scene of almost unprecedented destruction, members of the British forces bent on revenge for the ambushes at Kilmichael and Dillon’s Cross set fire to both the commercial and the civic heart of the city. One side of Patrick Street and the area surrounding it were razed to the ground, while City Hall and the neighbouring Carnegie Library were gutted as Auxiliaries and Black and Tans shot at Cork’s firemen and cut their hoses in an effort to ensure maximum damage. Then, to add insult to injury, as the smoke cleared the British government tried to blame Cork’s own citizens for the devastation. Using eyewitness accounts and contemporary sources, and illustrated with exceptional images from the period, Cork Burning tells the story of the events before, during and after that infamous night. It covers such topics as Cork City before December 1920, the Black and Tans, Auxiliaries and K Company, Republican Cork, a timeline of events before the burning of Cork City, early fires and arson by crown forces in Cork, the Kilmichael Ambush, the Dillon’s Cross Ambush, premises destroyed, official investigations into the causes, compensation and rebuilding.

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A myth-busting biography of Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, which retells the dramatic story of the civil war from her perspectiveA TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE ELIZABETH LONGFORD PRIZEHenrietta Maria, Charles I's queen, is the most reviled consort in British history. Condemned as the 'Popish brat of France' and a 'notorious whore', she remains in popular memory the woman who turned the king Catholic - so causing a civil war - and a cruel and bigoted mother.Leanda de Lisle unpicks these myths to reveal a very different queen. We meet a new bride who enjoyed annoying her uptight husband, who was a passionate advocate for the female voice in public affairs and who, when civil war came, proved crucial to Charles's campaign. The image of the Restoration queen as an irrelevant crone is replaced with Henrietta Maria as an influential 'phoenix queen'. It is time to look again at this despised queen and judge if she is not in fact one of our most remarkable.'Brilliantly written, mesmerising, superb scholarship and totally immersive... A total game changer' KATE WILLIAMS, author of Rival Queens'This is revisionist history at its absolute best' ANDREW ROBERTS author of Churchill'Beautifully written and endlessly fascinating' ALEXANDER LARMAN author of The Crown in Crisis'Popular history of the finest kind' RONALD HUTTON author of The Witch

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Edinburgh has a literary tradition like no other. In 2004, the capital became the first ever UNESCO City of Literature and its book festival is the largest public celebration of the written word on the planet. But that is merely scratching the surface. For centuries, work written, set and published in the city, or directly influenced by Edinburgh, has changed the face of the world. A Treatise of Human Nature by David Hume, The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith, The Encyclopaedia Britannica, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Peter Pan, Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter are just a few of the many books and stories that owe their inspiration to Edinburgh or were created in the city and to these could be added the city’s influential literary journals or the other incredible achievements of its authors. Walter Scott, for instance, found the lost Scottish crown jewels, invented the historical romance, helped create tartan and turned the highlands into a tourist destination. He is also credited with uniting the highlands and lowlands and kick-starting the American Civil War. Edinburgh's Literary Heritage seeks to redress that. Covering authors, books, journals, ideas, festivals, attractions and landmarks, it tells the fascinating history of Edinburgh’s astonishing literary legacy, as well as being a guide to the locations where that legacy can still be found.

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On a diplomatic mission in France, Sir Baldwin and Simon encounter more than they bargained for... Baldwin and Simon uncover a deadly assassination plot in The King of Thieves, a gripping mystery in Michael Jecks' hugely popular medieval crime series. Perfect for fans of Paul Doherty and Susanna Gregory. 'Complicated, well-populated, written with cross-cutting gusto, and accompanied by scholarly extras' - Ellery Queen Magazine1325: Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and his friend Simon Puttock are in France guarding King Edward's son on his perilous journey to meet the French king, Charles IV. But they are unaware that King Edward's wife Isabella is disaffected and plotting her revenge...What first appears a simple diplomatic mission is fast becoming lethally dangerous. Meanwhile, two murders in Paris are causing alarm. Is there a connection between the killings and the shadowy 'King' of thieves? Simon and Baldwin know the future of the English crown is at risk. And in order to protect it they must put their own lives in jeopardy. What readers are saying about The King of Thieves: 'Fast pace, intricate plot, well-drawn characters and good period feel make this a must for all fans of this genre''I cannot praise Michael Jecks' writing highly enough, his books always keep me guessing right to the end''Fantastic read - five stars'

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Discover master story-teller Terry Pratchett’s incredible Discworld in this first book in the Tiffany Aching series . . .Tiffany Aching wants to be a witch when she grows up . . .A proper one, with a pointy hat. And flying, Tiffany has always dreamed of flying (though it's cold up there, and you have to wear really thick pants, two layers).And as the twentieth granddaughter of her Granny Aching: shepherdess extraordinaire, and protector of the land, Tiffany knows the most important thing a real witch can do is protect others with their magic. So, when the monsters of Fairyland kidnap her brother, Tiffany decides it’s up to her to defend her home, even if she’s only armed with a frying pan and her common sense.Luckily she has some very unusual help: the local Nac Mac Feegle – a.k.a the Wee Free Men – a clan of fierce, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men. Together they must face headless horsemen, ferocious grimhounds, terrifying dreams come true and ultimately the sinister Queen of the Elves herself . . .This edition includes a special introduction from Rhianna Pratchett.'If you've never read a Discworld novel, what's the matter with you?' Guardian'Quite, quite brilliant' StarburstDISCOVER THE FULL TIFFANY ACHING SERIES, THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO DISCWORLD:The Wee Free MenA Hat Full of Sky Wintersmith I Shall Wear Midnight The Shepherd’s Crown

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE AUTHOR'S CLUB FIRST NOVEL AWARD, THE RSL CHRISTOPHER BLAND PRIZE and THE HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD'A new classic' SARA COLLINS, author of THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON'Impassioned. Lyrical and affecting' GUARDIAN_____________Brixton 1981. Sixteen-year-old Michael is already on the wrong side of the law. In in his community, where job opportunities are low and drug-running is high, this is nothing new. But when Michael falls for Ngozi, a vibrant young immigrant from the Nigerian village of Obowi, their startling connection runs far deeper than they realise.Narrated by the spirit of an African woman who lost her life on a slave ship two centuries earlier, her powerful story reveals how Michael and Ngozi's struggle for happiness began many lifetimes ago.Through haunting, lyrical words, one unforgettable message resonates: love, hope and unity will heal us all._____________'A searing, rhapsodic novel. Filled with beauty, devastation and the power of ancestral connections that ripple through the ages' IRENOSEN OKOJIE, author of NUDIBRANCH'A gorgeous book' ALEX WHEATLE, author of BRIXTON ROCK_____________Readers love THE BOOK OF ECHOES:'A powerful and honest debut which is going to stay with me for a long time' *****'You can feel Amaka's passion rising off the page' *****'BRILLIANT, thoughtful and masterfully crafted' *****'Oh my goodness, the book itself is even more beautiful and haunting than the cover' *****

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Once, I'd chosen my mate instead of freedom.For weeks, we retraced our steps back to Mistfell and the lingering shadow of the Veil at the boundary between realms. Traveling through the kingdom, I denied the evidence in front of me, unable to fathom that I wasn't the lost princess of Faerie. Instead, it is Fallon who must fear the consequences of her heritage. Which leaves me with a single, unanswered question.Then, I awoke, caged high above the throne of the Queen of Air & Darkness.Mab is the Queen who keeps all of Alfheimr held squirming within her clawed grasp. She uses the children of Faerie to sustain the magic granted to her by the cursed gem atop her crown, which has carved her from the girl she once was into a dark vessel, obsessed with power. She thrives on cruelty, and wields our love as an instrument for pain.Now, I'll play the games of the Fae.I'm a curiosity, my presence an enigma that was never foreseen. I may not be Mab's daughter, yet she still keeps me close, as she forges me into a weapon against humans and Fae alike. Mab may not own me yet, but she controls the life of the man I love. There is nothing I wouldn't do to see him freed.Even if I have to become the villain to do it.

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Fairyland’s future lies in doubt . . .The enchanted island of Janda Baik, in the Malay Archipelago, has long been home to witches. And Muna and her sister Sakti wake on its shores under a curse, which has quite stolen away their memories. Their only hope of salvation lies in distant Britain, where the Sorceress Royal runs a controversial academy for female magicians. But the pair travel via the formidable Fairy Queen’s realm, where Sakti simply disappears.To save her sister, Muna must learn to navigate Regency London’s high society and trick the English into believing she’s a magical prodigy. But when the Sorceress Royal’s friends become accidentally embroiled in a plot – involving the Fairy Queen’s contentious succession – Muna is drawn right in. She must also find Sakti, break their curse and somehow stay out of trouble. But if fairyland’s true queen does finally return, trouble may find her first . . .The True Queen is Zen Cho's spelling binding second book. It's set in a sparkling version of Regency London, with a fairy tale twist. And although it's set in the same world as her award-winning novel, The Sorcerer to the Crown, this reads as a standalone. ‘A sheer delight from beginning to end'Samantha ShannonA joyous mash-up of Jane Austen and high fantasy’M. R. Carey

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First printed edition of a hugely significant source of knowledge of a turbulent period in England's history. Archbishop Simon Sudbury's register is something of a rarity. Of the eleven archbishops of Canterbury in the fourteenth century the registers of only seven have survived, and of these only two have been published: a portion of theregister of Robert Winchelsey (1295-1313) and the register of the brief episcopate of Simon Langham (1366-68). Sudbury became archbishop of Canterbury in 1375 while England was at war with France and while the church was about to split in two by schism. His register reveals all of this, but much more. There is the day-to-day administration of the church: clergy ordained, parishes filled, disputes settled, wills proved and much else. It shows Sudburyas a conscientious pastor animarum and an able administrator, as well as a skilled canon lawyer, who tried to steer a smooth course against the monetary demands of the crown, which were to lead to the Peasants' Revolt and to his own assassination on Tower Hill. This volume is a calendar edition of Archbishop Sudbury's register: it contains an English-language summary of each entry, including every place name and personal name and date. An introduction records the making of the register and a summary of its contents; notes elucidate particular points; and a full index allows easy access to references.

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Discourse of Legitimacy in Early Modern England is a study of the structures of authority in England between the beginning of the English Reformation in 1529 and the outbreak of the Civil War of the 1640s. These structures, both secular and sacred, were profoundly affected by the creation of a national Protestant church governed by the crown; by the emerging sense of national consciousness and providential destiny that followed in its wake; by the development of a legal culture that defined and sometimes contested the parameters of authority; by an urban state that articulated a new civic culture and reflected broad political, social, and religious tensions; and by the growing sophistication and assertiveness of Parliament, the capstone both of elite interest and popular legitimacy, and ultimately the site of resistance to claims of unfettered royal and ecclesiastical power. Together, these elements constituted the discourse of legitimacy through which the daily transactions of power in Tudor and early Stuart England were disputed, mediated, and sometimes resisted. They both expressed and contained the tensions of a rapidly changing society, and were finally the theaters on which its irreconcilable conflicts were enacted as social and political consensus broke down. The Discourse of Legitimacy presents a wide-ranging, synoptic view of England's political culture and its conflicts in the crucial period between its two greatest revolutions.

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Edited by his son Christopher Sorrentino, this is Gilbert Sorrentino’s final novel, completed just before his death in 2006. As Christopher writes, “Among his last words to me, when I visited him in the hospital the night before he died, were, `I’m sick of this bullshit.’” And it’s no wonder. Sorrentino spent his whole career fighting the bullshit that had crept into American writing. Along the way he gathered some enemies (his obituary in the New York Times quoted at length from a ancient critical attack), but he is still a hero to many writers and readers. As the San Francisco Chronicle says, ““Of the elder generation of postmodernists, only Thomas Pynchon and Sorrentino remain truly dangerous.” And as Bookforum assserts, “One of [Brooklyn]’s most intriguing and authentic homegrown talents, Sorrentino’s Bay Ridge deserves to be appreciated alongside Malamud’s Crown Heights, Arthur Miller’s Coney Island, Henry Miller’s and Betty Smith’s Williamsburg, Hamill’s and Auster’s Park Slope, and Lethem’s Boerum Hill.” In this novel, Sorrentino again proves that there is no place like the Brooklyn of his imagination—a city lost in time between the Depression era and some fraudulent bohemia of the present. Familiar, caustically funny, and cathartic, all his usual characters are here, too, including some we’ve met in previous books—aging artists, miserable couples, crackerjack salesmen, drunken soldiers, tyrannical white-collar supervisors, and avariciously stupid book reviewers.

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Firefall is the omnibus edition of the novels Blindsight and Echopraxia. February 13, 2082, First Contact. Sixty-two thousand objects of unknown origin plunge into Earth's atmosphere – a perfect grid of falling stars screaming across the radio spectrum as they burn. Not even ashes reach the ground. Three hundred and sixty degrees of global surveillance: something just took a snapshot. And then... nothing. But from deep space, whispers. Something out there talks – but not to us. Two ships, Theseus and the Crown of Thorns, are launched to discover the origin of Earth's visitation, one bound for the outer dark of the Kuiper Belt, the other for the heart of the Solar System. Their crews can barely be called human, what they will face certainly can't. 'A tour de force, redefining the First Contact story for good' Charles Stross. 'If you only read one science fiction novel this year, make it this one!... It puts the whole of the rest of the genre in the shade... It deserves to walk away with the Clarke, the Hugo, the Nebula, the BSFA, and pretty much any other genre award for which it's eligible. It's off the scale... F**king awesome!' Richard Morgan. 'State-of-the-art science fiction: smart, dark and it grabs you by the throat from page one' Neal Ascher.

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From the beloved author of Amina’s Voice come the first three books in the humor-filled Zara’s Rules middle grade series starring a young Muslim girl with an endless list of hobbies and lots of big ideas for getting the most out of every situation—now together in a collectible paperback boxed set. Meet Zara Saleem, the queen of the neighborhood. Zara’s in charge of it all: she organizes the games, picks the teams, and makes sure everyone has a good time…and they always do. When a new family moves in across the street, suddenly Zara’?s reign is threatened by Naomi, who has big ideas of her own about how the neighborhood kids can have fun. To get everyone to notice her again, Zara decides she’s going to break a Guinness World Record—if her little brother Zayd doesn’t mess things up. But when she finds herself increasingly alone in her record-breaking quest, Zara starts to wonder if sharing the crown and making a new friend might end up being the best rule of all. Zara’s mishaps continue when her fundraising project for a new bike goes awry and her spring break isn’t shaping up to be what she hoped. This delightful paperback boxed set includes: Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun Zara’s Rules for Finding Hidden Treasure Zara’s Rules for Living Your Best Life

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The action manga bestseller returns, in 600-page editions featuring a remastered translation and new cover art by creator Hiroyuki Takei! Dive into the classic Shonen Jump adventure whose world of mystical spirits and bewitching battles inspired the classic anime. This volume corresponds to Vol. 4-6 of the original release, featuring updated translation and lettering, back in print more than 20 years after its initial release! In a world where shamans communicate with the dead and call forth the power of legendary spirits to defeat their enemies in both body and soul, Yoh is a teenager with the ultimate ambition: to become the Shaman King, the one and only shaman who may commune with the Great Spirit and help remake the world for the better. But the road to this pinnacle of spiritual power runs through the Shaman Fight, a gauntlet of battles with rival mediums who call forth dizzying powers from the world of the dead in their own bids for the crown. At Yoh's side is Anna, his coach, fiancée, and a powerful medium in her own right. Sure, it'd be nice if Yoh had a little more time to train and mature...but the Shaman Fight is only held once every 500 years, so he's going to have to grow up quick!

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2015 James Beard Award nominee 2015 Gourmand World Cookbook Award nominee An updated and redesigned edition of Charcutería: The Soul of Spain, the first and best book to introduce authentic Spanish butchering and meat-curing techniques to America. Charcutería features more than 100 traditional Spanish recipes, straightforward illustrations providing easy-to-follow steps for amateur and professional butchers, and gorgeous full-color photography of savory dishes, Iberian countrysides, and centuries-old Spanish cityscapes. Jeffrey Weiss has written an entertaining, extravagantly detailed guide on Spanish charcuterie, which is deservedly becoming more celebrated on the global stage. While Spain stands cheek-to-jowl with other great cured-meat-producing nations like Italy and France, the unique charcuterie traditions of Spain are perhaps the least understood of this trifecta. Too many Americans have most likely never tasted the sheer eye-rolling deliciousness that is cured Spanish meats: chorizo, the garlic-and-pimentón-spiked ambassador of Spanish cuisine; morcilla, the family of blood sausages flavoring regional cuisine from Barcelona to Badajoz; and jamón, the acorn-scented, modern-day crown jewel of Spain's charcutería legacy. Charcutería is a collection of delicious recipes, uproarious anecdotes, and time-honored Spanish cuisine and culinary traditions. The author has amassed years of experience working with the cured meat traditions of Spain, and this updated edition will continue to be a standard guide for both professional and home cooks.

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA NON-FICTION CROWN, THE ANDRÉ SIMON FOOD BOOK AWARDS AND THE FORTNUM & MASON BOOK AWARDS'Filled with hearty goodness and packed together with care, this will go down a treat' Evening Standard | 'Rich and compelling' Spectator | 'Extraordinary and very moving' Julian Fellowes | 'Beautifully written, carefully researched, wonderfully told' Danny WallaceThe fascinating history of an iconic East End institution from the bestselling author of Silvertown, Melanie McGrath. G Kelly's Pie and Mash has been run by the same family in the Roman Road in Bow for nearly a hundred years; an East End institution and the still point of a turning world. Outside its windows the Roman Road has seen an extraordinary revolution - from women's liberation and industrialisation to wars and immigration - and yet at its heart it remains one of the last traditional market roads of London.Pie and Mash down the Roman Road is the biography of that shop and of the people - customers, suppliers, employees, owners - who passed through it, and continue to do so. Through vivid tales of ordinary lives the book tells the extraordinary story of the community living around the oldest trading route in Britain, and the true heart of the East End.'Draws you right into the heart of the vibrant East End community' Rosie Hendry'Pacey and breath-taking . . . I loved every word' Carol Rivers

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'A unique insight into the isolated childhood of the future queen and her sister' YOU MAGAZINE, THE DAILY MAIL~The touching and ground-breaking stories of the Queen and Princess Margaret's childhoods told by their nanny, Marion Crawford. With a foreword by former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond, Marion reveals the royal family's life before The Crown.Now, more than ever, the Royal Family's private lives are the stuff of soap opera and it seems anyone who comes into contact with them sells their story to the magazines or to the newspapers. Marion Crawford, 'Crawfie', as she was known to the Queen and Princess Margaret, became governess to the children of the Duke and Duchess of York in the early 1930s, little suspecting she was nurturing her future Queen. Beginning at the quiet family home in Piccadilly and ending with the birth of Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace in 1948, Crawfie tells how she brought the princesses up to be 'Royal' whilst also exposing them to the ordinary world of underground trains, buses and swimming lessons. THE LITTLE PRINCESSES was published in 1950 to a furore we cannot imagine today. Crawfie was demonised by the press, and the Queen Mother - who had been a great friend and who had, Crawfie maintained, given her permission to write the account - never spoke to her again.

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Shipwrecks and the Bounty of the Sea is a work of social history examining community relationships, law, and seafaring over the long early modern period. It explores the politics of the coastline, the economy of scavenging, and the law of 'wreck of the sea' from the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I to the end of the reign of George II. England's coastlines were heavily trafficked by naval and commercial shipping, but an unfortunate percentage was cast away or lost. Shipwrecks were disasters for merchants and mariners, but opportunities for shore dwellers. As the proverb said, it was an ill wind that blew nobody any good. Lords of manors, local officials, officers of the Admiralty, and coastal commoners competed for maritime cargoes and the windfall of wreckage, which they regarded as providential godsends or entitlements by right. A varied haul of commodities, wines, furnishings, and bullion came ashore, much of it claimed by the crown. The people engaged in salvaging these wrecks came to be called 'wreckers', and gained a reputation as violent and barbarous plunderers. Close attention to statements of witnesses and reports of survivors shows this image to be largely undeserved. Dramatic evidence from previously unexplored manuscript sources reveals coastal communities in action, collaborating as well as competing, as they harvested the bounty of the sea.

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‘History as it should be written’ Alison Weir, bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens seriesA groundbreaking and fascinating biography of England's most famous queen, viewed through the women who influenced her life.Elizabeth I is often portrayed as a ruthless 'man's woman', who derided her own sex – ‘I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman' – and loved to flirt with the young men at her court. Yet she was born into a world of women and it is her relationships with these women that provide the most fascinating insight into the character of this remarkable monarch. As a child Elizabeth was raised by her mother, governesses and stepmothers, while as an adult she was clothed, bathed and watched by her ladies of the bedchamber and her maids of honour. With them she was jealous, spiteful and cruel, as well as loyal, kind and protective. Among her family it was her female relations who had the greatest influence on her life: from her sister Mary, who distrusted and later imprisoned her, to her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, who posed a constant and dangerous threat to her crown for almost thirty years. It was these women – and many more – who brought out the best – and worst – in Elizabeth and reveal the woman behind the carefully cultivated image of the Virgin Queen.

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Amidst the glamour of high society, a tawdry secret will change Lily’s life forever…1958. The last year debutantes will be presented at court to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society. To appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nicholls agrees to debut and do the Season – a glittering and gruelling string of endless balls and cocktail parties.There she befriends two women: aloof Leana Hartford, whose apparent perfection hides a darker side, and ambitious Katherine Norman, who dreams of a career after helping her parents find their place among the elite.But the sparkle of the Season dims when Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family. Faced with a murky past, what will she choose for her future: her family legacy, or her own, uncertain happiness?A fast-paced and compelling historical novel for fans of Kate Morton and The Crown.Praise for The Last Dance of the Debutante "Between the crinkling of crinolines and the popping of champagne corks, Last Dance of the Debutante leads us on a glorious dance through the traditional glamour and suffocating expectations of a bygone era." Genevieve Graham, bestselling author of Letters across the Sea"Julia Kelly elegantly brings to life the last official presentation of debutantes at court with her exquisitely researched and beautiful written detail. This story was so decadent, I wanted to don silk and crinoline and read it with a glass of champagne." Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London"Refreshing, intriguing, oozing with elegance, and with three female leads who will keep you thoroughly engrossed, a charming gem of a novel which will delight fans of The Crown." Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter"An insightful and engaging look at this neglected subject … an unforgettable journey of a young woman's liberation." Piper Huguley, author of By Design: the story of Ann Lowe, Society's Best-Kept Secret"Peels back layers of lush glamour and the extraordinary expectations of the London Season to give us a glimpse into a world teetering on the brink of change and the choices facing those who navigated it. Woven with heartfelt emotion, this novel is a captivating, unforgettable story of one woman's journey to find love, truth, and, most importantly, herself." Kelly Bowen, author of The Paris Apartment"Kelly's descriptions of the glamorous, though long nights, are captivating. The pressure these young women feel to impress and make the right match is exhausting, and Kelly evokes compassion for her characters. The story is full of allure, society scandals, and the determination for these young women to eschew the dying traditions of the time." Booklist"The engrossing narrative dishes out the right amount of tension while moving the plot forward at a satisfying pace... Kelly succeeds at bringing a bygone world to life." Publishers Weekly

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"A gritty, steamy series opener full of dark twists and hot trysts." – Grace Burrowes, New York Times bestselling author"An immersive and suspenseful Regency romance" – Publishers Weekly*One of the most requested romance books on NetGalley* In the twilight of a November evening, Sir Henry March, a man of wealth and charm — and a secret agent for the Crown — comes across a badly beaten Eliza Broad, desperate to escape her cruel stepfather. Knowing she has nowhere to go, Sir Henry takes her to his home to recover, and introduces her to a world of culture, art, and literature she never knew existed. But Eliza's brutal world follows her to London, where elite aristocratic salons coexist with the back alleys of the criminal underworld. As romance blossoms between them, Eliza unearths an old secret that leads them into the dark, sadistic world of sex trafficking, and allows Henry to finally identify a traitor responsible for selling military secrets and causing the death of thousands. A natural at the spy game, Eliza proves herself a worthy partner in the fight for truth and justice. But with time running out, and the fate of one girl hanging in the balance, Henry and Eliza must find a way to outwit a nasty pimp and eliminate a dangerous enemy agent. Look for the second book in the The Gentleman Spy Mysteries series, The Gentleman's Daughter.

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During three consecutive 100-loss seasons, Houston Astros management asked fans to be patient, promising them there was a plan in place that would result in success. That patience was rewarded with the ultimate prize in 2017, as the Astros knocked off the Los Angeles Dodgers in thrilling fashion to claim the first World Series crown in team history. During the regular season they ran away with the American League West, winning the division by a massive 21 games. Anchored by a dynamic offense and boosted by the late-season acquisition of a resurgent Justin Verlander, this historic team would not be denied on their way to the long-awaited title. Packed with superb coverage and vivid color photography from the Houston Chronicle, Astros Strong: Houston's Historic 2017 Championship Season guides fans through the Astros' entire amazing journey – from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and resiliency of the Houston community, to the Astros' quick work of the powerful Red Sox in the ALDS; from their hard-fought ALCS win over the young Yankees, all the way through their incredible World Series triumph over the dominant Dodgers. This commemorative edition also includes feature stories on Astros stars Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, and other fan favorites, and is a must-have keepsake for Astros fans of all generations.

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The Grinch is BACK and ready to prove to the residents of Who-ville that he's changed. This heartwarming sequel is written and illustrated in the style of Dr. Seuss's beloved holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Grinch had been patiently waiting all year,To celebrate Christmas and bring the Whos cheer,And to show every Who he was DIFFERENT now. “I’ve changed!” thought the Grinch, “And I’ll prove it! But HOW?” A year has passed since the Grinch stole Christmas from Who-ville. Now eager to prove to the Whos that his heart has grown to LOVE the holiday, the Grinch devises a plan to win Who-ville's Christmas Crown by making the largest, most spectacular Christmas tree the Whos have ever seen! But when things don't go as planned, the Grinch's heart turns ice cold, and he threatens to leave Who-ville for good...until one small, special Who reminds him that Christmas is NOT about winning.Grow your heart three sizes MORE with this sequel to the timeless picture book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Featuring a foil-enhanced jacket and full-color illustrations rendered in the iconic style of the original, this new story makes a splendid gift and a must-have addition to the libraries of Grinch fans of all ages!

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Essays offering a guide to a vital source for our knowledge of medieval England. The Inquisitions Post Mortem (IPMs) at the National Archives have been described as the single most important source for the study of landed society in later medieval England. Inquisitions were local enquiries into the lands heldby people of some status, in order to discover whatever income and rights were due to the crown on their death, and provide details both of the lands themselves and whoever held them. This book explores in detail for the first time the potential of IPMs as sources for economic, social and political history over the long fifteenth century, the period covered by this Companion. It looks at how they were made, how they were used, and their "accuracy",and develops our understanding of a source that is too often taken for granted; it answers questions such as what they sought to do, how they were compiled, and how reliable they are, while also exploring how they can best be usedfor economic, demographic, place-name, estate and other kinds of study. Michael Hicks is Professor of Medieval History, University of Winchester. Contributors: Michael Hicks, Christine Carpenter, Kate Parkin, Christopher Dyer, Matthew Holford, Margaret Yates, L.R. Poos, J. Oeppen, R.M. Smith, Sean Cunningham, Claire Noble, Matthew Holford, Oliver Padel.

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An examination of the lifecycle of soldiers, including enlistment, experiences of military life, the soldier's place in society and in politics, and military identity, memory and representation. This book surveys and examines the history of Britain's soldiers from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. It focuses on the lifecycle of a soldier, including enlistment and experience, and on identity, representations and place in society. It covers the diverse military forces of the British crown - the regular army, home defence forces, part-time soldiers, auxiliaries, officers, non-commissioned officers and rank and file - across times of conflictand peace and their wider relationship to families, communities, government and society. Additionally, it considers both British troops, and, recognising Britain's soldiers as a transnational phenomenon, forces raised outside ofBritain and Ireland. By assessing the evolution of Britain's soldiers across three centuries, the book highlights continuity and change and gauges how far the basic fundamentals, principles and priorities of army life have endured or been transformed during the existence of a continual standing army. The book includes up-to-date research from a new generation of early-career researchers and reflections from established scholars. CONTRIBUTORS: Ian Beckett, Timothy Bowman, Gavin Daly, Peter Doyle, Edward Gosling, George Hay, Kevin Linch, Matthew Lord, Eleanor O'Keeffe, Adam Prime, Michael Reeve, Jacqueline Reiter, Robert Tildesley, and Christina Welsch.

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"Yosemite Valley in July of 1967 would have had to be seen to be believed. There was never an empty campsite in the valley; you had to create a space for yourself in a sea of cars, tents, and humanity.... The camp next to ours had fifty people in it, with rugs hung between the trees, incense burning, and a stereo set going full volume." Scenes such as this will probably never be repeated in Yosemite or any other national park, yet the urgent problem remains of balancing the public's desire to visit the parks with the parks' need to be protected from too many people and cars and too much development. In this book, longtime park visitor and professional geographer Bob O'Brien explores the National Park Service's attempt to achieve "sustainability"—a balance that allows as many people as possible to visit a park that is kept in as natural a state as possible. O'Brien details methods the NPS has used to walk the line between those who would preserve vast tracts of land for "no use" and those who would tap the Yellowstone geysers to generate electricity. His case studies of six western "crown jewel" parks show how rangers and other NPS employees are coping with issues that impact these cherished public landscapes, including visitation, development, and recreational use.

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A sociological investigation into maritime state power told through an exploration of how the British Empire policed piracy. Early in the seventeenth-century boom of seafaring, piracy allowed many enterprising and lawless men to make fortunes on the high seas, due in no small part to the lack of policing by the British crown. But as the British empire grew from being a collection of far-flung territories into a consolidated economic and political enterprise dependent on long-distance trade, pirates increasingly became a destabilizing threat. This development is traced by sociologist Matthew Norton in The Punishment of Pirates, taking the reader on an exciting journey through the shifting legal status of pirates in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Norton shows us that eliminating this threat required an institutional shift: first identifying and defining piracy, and then brutally policing it. The Punishment of Pirates develops a new framework for understanding the cultural mechanisms involved in dividing, classifying, and constructing institutional order by tracing the transformation of piracy from a situation of cultivated ambiguity to a criminal category with violently patrolled boundaries—ending with its eradication as a systemic threat to trade in the English Empire. Replete with gun battles, executions, jailbreaks, and courtroom dramas, Norton’s book offers insights for social theorists, political scientists, and historians alike.

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A sociological investigation into maritime state power told through an exploration of how the British Empire policed piracy. Early in the seventeenth-century boom of seafaring, piracy allowed many enterprising and lawless men to make fortunes on the high seas, due in no small part to the lack of policing by the British crown. But as the British empire grew from being a collection of far-flung territories into a consolidated economic and political enterprise dependent on long-distance trade, pirates increasingly became a destabilizing threat. This development is traced by sociologist Matthew Norton in The Punishment of Pirates, taking the reader on an exciting journey through the shifting legal status of pirates in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Norton shows us that eliminating this threat required an institutional shift: first identifying and defining piracy, and then brutally policing it. The Punishment of Pirates develops a new framework for understanding the cultural mechanisms involved in dividing, classifying, and constructing institutional order by tracing the transformation of piracy from a situation of cultivated ambiguity to a criminal category with violently patrolled boundaries—ending with its eradication as a systemic threat to trade in the English Empire. Replete with gun battles, executions, jailbreaks, and courtroom dramas, Norton’s book offers insights for social theorists, political scientists, and historians alike.

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Times change and not always for the better. Dick Kirby, a former experienced Met detective and now best-selling author, maintains that the current politically correct culture coupled with an inept Crown Prosecution Service and aided and abetted by the Police & Criminal Evidence Act, has slowed the pursuit of criminals and justice to a snail’s pace. As this gripping book clearly demonstrates it was not always so. During the 20th Century, uniformed officers were visibly part of the community, patrolling their beats and protecting the public’s property. Detectives detected, cultivated informants and, like their uniform counterparts, knew the characters on their manor. What’s more, they were backed by their senior officers, who had on-the-job experience. Drawing on both celebrated and lesser known cases, the author vividly describes crime fighting against merciless gangsters, desperate gunmen, inept kidnappers, vicious robbers, daring burglars and ruthless blackmailers. Using his first-hand knowledge he highlights the often unconventional methods used to frustrate and outwit hardened criminals and the satisfaction gained from successful operations. One chapter – “An Old Master” – accurately describes the theft of Goya’s portrait, The Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in 1961. This audacious heist was recently adapted into film: “The Duke” starring Jim Broadbent as the thief and Helen Mirren as his long-suffering wife.

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