Search results for ""escape""

‘Sophie Irwin is an exciting and original voice. She's a must-buy author for me.’ Taylor Jenkins Reid ‘A delicious Regency romp for fans of Bridgerton.’ Red A lifetime of dutyWidowed at just seven-and-twenty from her marriage of convenience, Eliza, now Countess of Somerset, is bequeathed a fortune, hers to keep – provided she can steer clear of scandal. The promise of loveThe last thing she expects is to be torn between two very different men – a face from the past, whose loss she’s always mourned, and a roguish poet, who scorns convention. A taste of freedomBut a lady’s reputation is fragile and with jealous eyes on Eliza’s fortune, it will only take one whisper of gossip for her to lose it all… Escape with the most delightful, historical romance of the year from the Sunday Times bestselling author Sophie Irwin! ‘A very modern sensibility, witty and fun’ Adele Parks ‘Fans of Bridgerton will enjoy this well-observed Regency story with a plucky protagonist.’ Candis ‘A delicious Regency romp for fans of Bridgerton.’ Red Readers are LOVING A Lady’s Guide to Scandal: ‘LOVED this’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An excellent, delightful, refreshing Regency Romance’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What an absolute treat’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Inhaled it. Loved it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fun, light and romantic’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘20 stars out of 5!! This book was a balm to my soul’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘It is going to become a go-to favourite’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An absolute must read for fans of Regency romance’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘So enjoyable, unpredictable, wonderful characters, just SO GOOD’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Sophie Irwin – she is such a fresh, fun, witty writer in this space. I'd read anything she wrote’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sophie Irwin's book 'A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 09-05-2022.

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During the second half of 1943, after the failure at Kursk, Germany’s Army Group South fell back from Russia under repeated hammerblows from the Red Army. Under Erich von Manstein, however, the Germans were able to avoid serious defeats, while at the same time fending off Hitler’s insane orders to hold on to useless territory. Then, in January 1944, a disaster happened. Six divisions of Army Group South became surrounded after sudden attacks by the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts under command of generals Nikolai Vatutin and Ivan Konev around the village of Korsun (near the larger town of Cherkassy on the Dnieper). The Germans’ greatest fear was the prospect of another Stalingrad, the catastrophe that had occurred precisely one year before. This time, though, von Manstein was in control from the start, and he immediately rearranged his Army Group to rescue his trapped divisions. A major panzer drive got underway, led by General der Panzertruppen Hans Hube, a survivor from Stalingrad pocket, which promptly ran up against several soviet tank armies. Leading the break-in was Franz Baeke with his Tiger and Panther-tanks. Due to both weather and ferocious resistance, the German drive stalled. Ju-52s still flew into Korsun’s airfield, delivering supplies and taking out the wounded, but it soon became apparent that only one option remained for the beleaguered defenders: breakout. Without consulting Hitler, on the night of February 16 von Manstein ordered the breakout to begin. When dawn broke, the Soviets realized their prey was escaping. Although the Germans within the pocket lost nearly all of their heavy weapons and left many wounded behind, their escape was effected. Stalin, having anticipated another Stalingrad, was left with little but an empty bag, as Army Group South, this time, had pulled off a rescue. In The Korsun Pocket, Niklas Zetterling, a researcher at the Swedish Defense College since 1995 and Anders Frankson, have provided a highly detailed and often breathtaking account of one of the most dramatic battles of World War II.

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The unbelievable stories of the heroic men who sailed under the sea.In Heroes Beneath the Waves, many brave men who rode submarines to great depths and across the oceans into unknown territory share their experiences, fears, and thoughts. They allow us to travel back in time through their memories. Trained for years to keep silent—for “loose lips sink ships”—many still believe what they know to be classified and refuse to disclose even the minutest of recollections. Others, however, want to leave a legacy of reminiscences for people to learn and live by—to know that freedom is not free.Some stories will never be told. Held within the secret confines of their souls, these deep sea veterans block them out for self-perseverance. Yet, there are others who will never escape their own minds; they relive their underwater experiences over and over with eyes open or shut.Heroes Beneath the Waves is about teenage boys who left farms, small towns, and inner cities to defend the United States and democracy worldwide. Signing up for United States Navy submarine duty was an adventure of a lifetime during the early 1940s. Dreams of torpedoing Japanese and German ships and subs consumed their thoughts. Those who returned home as young men were older and wiser. Heroes Beneath the Waves was written to honor these men—gallant heroes—who served and are serving today on submarines.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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After hiding in her grandmother’s attic for seven years, Harriet Ann Jacobs was finally able to escape servitude—and her master’s sexual abuse—when she fled to the North. Once there, she became a very active abolitionist, and her correspondence with Harriet Beecher Stowe inspired her to write Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl about her years as a slave.She published the narrative in 1861 under the pseudonym Linda Brent, and the book was written as a novel with fictionalized characters to protect Jacobs from retribution by her former owners. (Dr. Flint, i.e., the real Dr. James Norcom, is Linda Brent’s master in the novel.) The story emphasized certain negative aspects of slavery—especially the struggles of female slaves under sexually abusive masters, cruel mistresses, and the sale of their children—in order to play on the sympathies of white middle-class women in the North.Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was published at the beginning of the American Civil War. It contributed to the Union’s and abolitionists’ war effort, but is today seen as an important first-hand account from an escaped slave woman and an important abolitionist. After the Civil War, Jacobs continued to support the African-American cause, particularly education, until her death in 1897.Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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A dramatic true story of captivity on the American frontier.In 1851, on route to California in a covered wagon, the Oatman family was brutally attacked by Apache Indians. Six family members were murdered on sight, one boy was left for dead, who escaped afterward, and two young girls, Mary Ann and Olive, were taken captive.Mary Ann, the younger of the two girls, died of starvation in 1852. Olive, however, spent five years in captivity before an incredible rescue. In 1856, she was discovered living among the Mohave tribe, and a ransom was offered in exchange for her release. After years of slavery and bearing a prominent blue tattoo traditional to the Mohave people on her face, Olive was restored to her only living family member, Lorenzo Oatman, the brother who survived.This book was originally commissioned by Lorenzo Oatman as a factual record of his sisters’ fates, based on true events. The story is one of tragedy and loss, at times fascinating and also horrifying. This edition includes illustrations and Olive’s own observations about the customs of her captors and the geography of the land. The dramatic yet somber words of Lorenzo and Olive, as recorded by Royal B. Stratton, bring readers into the thrilling immediacy of the Apache attack, Lorenzo’s escape, the tragic moment when Olive watches Mary Ann die, and most importantly into the final, happy rescue as Olive is reunited with her brother.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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Twelve-year-old Karl (a friend of Achim's from the orphanage) is really strong but can't cope without his timid friend, who has been adopted by a nice couple and now lives far away. What's the use in being strong, thinks Karl, if you don't have anyone to protect? He is relentlessly teased by the other kids at school, so Karl starts beating them up and is eventually expelled. Spending time alone in his room, Karl daydreams about his father, who he believes is a sea captain who has somehow lost Karl as a baby, but who will one day come and fetch him. But when Maria, who works at the orphanage, admits to Karl that she made up this story to soothe him when he was younger, he decides to run away from his teachers, his peers who tease him, and the people in his life who tell him lies. Thus he embarks on a journey to reach the ocean, become a sailor, and find his father.On his journey he meets the Tiny Ones, a tribe of adventurers and sailors not much bigger than Karl's little finger. They've lost their ship and would like to borrow the model ship Karl has brought with him on his escape. Karl is magically changed into one of the Tiny Ones and they set sail on an adventure to the Twelfth Continent. On a previous journey here, the children of the Tiny Ones vanished while on a walk one evening. Now, with Karl's help, the Tiny Ones want to find their children again. Throughout his adventures, Karl not only finds the solution to an old riddle on the Twelfth Continent, but also discovers traces of his real father on this very peculiar island with more than one surprise in store for him and his fellow sailors. Full of wit and surprises, The Secret of the Twelfth Continent is sure to captivate children while reinforcing the importance of family and friendship.

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What is more fun than Minecraft? For boys and girls who love the game, not much, except maybe an exciting adventure that takes place within the Minecraft universe!When Will and Mina discover an abandoned mine shaft, they quickly plan a treasure hunt. The two friends dream of the riches they’ll unearth together and can’t wait to get started, but they quickly discover that they very different ideas about what treasure is! Torn between searching for mobs and potion supplies and seeking out the chest at the heart of the mine, the duo is on the verge of splitting up.But then a trio of treasure hunters challenge Will and Mina, and a poorly aimed pickaxe puts everyone in the mine in danger. As the chambers around them fill with lava and their hunt for treasure becomes a fight for survival, can Will and Mina put their differences aside and work together to escape with their lives?Every chapter of this second installment in the Secrets of an Overworld Survivor chapter book series is packed with adventure—perfect for introducing young gamers to reading!Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. In particular, this adventure series is created especially for readers who love the fight of good vs. evil, magical academies like Hogwarts in the Harry Potter saga, and games like Minecraft, Terraria, and Pokemon GO. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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The poignant and powerful second novel from the bestselling author of Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts. London, 1923. Bermondsey is the larder of London with its bustling docks, spice mill, tannery and factories. Milly Colman knows she's lucky. Working at Southwell's jam factory all week means she can have a pay packet and a laugh with her mates come Saturday. It's a welcome escape from home, where Milly must protect her mother and sisters from her father's violent temper. When autumn comes, hop-picking in Kent gives all the Colman women a longed-for respite. But it is there, on one golden September night, that Milly makes the mistake of her life and finds her courage and strength tested as never before. PRAISE FOR JAM AND ROSES: 'This book is raw and powerful and a fabulous read. This is where girl power came from; women like Milly and her family, girls who did not even have the vote at this time. This book is also a history lesson, telling the story of the general strike' Mrs H, Amazon reviewer. 'Well written, with pace, engaging characters, a good narrative and some suspense. A real authentic tone, too: the central characters reminded me of the formidable spirit of my mother/grandmothers who lived through, and survived, these demanding times' Fredmart, Amazon reviewer. 'A fantastic read! I was hooked from the first paragraph, Mary Gibson is a fabulous and talented writer. A book you can't put down but, yet you want to find out the ending without wanting the book to finish. Well done and thank you. Can't wait to read the next book' Michelle Thompson, Amazon reviewer. 'If you enjoy post war stories of women's hardship, based in london, then this is the book to read. It kept me enthralled from the start. Highly recommended' Shell R, Amazon reviewer. 'So full of emotion and tragedies, but also humour, happiness, love and hate' Patsy, Amazon reviewer.

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'Meet Sweden's Sally Rooney' The Times 'A wry bestseller that reads like the effortlessly chic European cousin of Fleishman is in Trouble'Telegraph 'Thrilling, brilliant and immense in the best possible way... teeming with ideas and digressions on literature, art, history and love' Francesca Reece, author of Voyeur 'Compelling, tense and moving - I loved this smart and subtle exploration of modern motherhood and womanhood' Daisy Buchanan, author of Insatiable 'Vibrating with intelligence and style' Emily Temple, author of The Lightness ________________ In the long run, it was impossible to hide the fact that Cecilia had one day decided to leave her children and her husband, to take off and never come back. Martin Berg is slowly falling into crisis. Decades ago, he was an aspiring writer who'd almost finished his novel, his girlfriend was the wildly intelligent and beautiful Cecilia Wickner, and his best friend was the up-and-coming artist Gustav Becker. But Martin's manuscript has long been languishing in a desk drawer, Gustav has stopped answering his calls, and Cecilia has been missing for years - ever since she vanished from his life, leaving him to raise their two young children alone. So who was Cecilia? Martin's eccentric wife, Gustav's enigmatic muse, an absent mother - a woman who was perhaps only true to herself. When Martin's daughter Rakel stumbles across a clue about what happened to her mother, she becomes determined to fill in the gaps in her family's story. But she can't escape the simple question at the heart of it all: How can anyone leave someone they love? ________________ '[Collected Works] will suck you in and refuse to let go' LitHub 'A richly evocative work from a major new talent' Kirkus Reviews 'A sweeping and complex drama of family, art and sacrifice... Readers will be captivated' Publishers Weekly '[A] warm, engaging and funny novel about the inebriation of youth and the sobriety of middle age... a thoroughly enjoyable book' Aysegül Savas, author of White on White

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Buckle up for the best of the PNW's breathtaking wilderness, eclectic cities, and quaint coastal towns with Moon Pacific Northwest Road Trip. Inside you'll find:* Multiple Routes: Take the full two-week trip or mix and match suggestions for spending time in the Olympic Peninsula, Seattle, Portland, the Oregon Coast, Vancouver, and more* Eat, Sleep, Stop and Explore: With lists of the best hikes, views, and more, you can venture through lush rainforest in search of towering waterfalls, race across sand dunes on the Oregon Coast, and kayak the Puget Sound. Marvel at totem poles carved by First Nation tribes in Vancouver, study the contemporary masterpieces at the Seattle Art Museum, or tour Oregon's collection of picturesque lighthouses. Indulge in a food truck feast in Portland, sample cheese and ice cream in Tillamook, or snack on authentic Canadian poutine * Maps and Driving Tools: Over 30 easy-to-use maps keep you oriented on and off the motorway, along with site-to-site mileage, driving times, detailed directions, and full-colour photos throughout* Local Insight: Native Washingtonian and outdoorswoman Allison Williams shares her favourite spots and experiences in the Pacific Northwest* Planning Your Trip: Know when and where to get gas, how to avoid traffic, tips for driving in different road and weather conditions, and suggestions for LGBTQ+ travellers, seniors, and road trippers with childrenWith Moon Pacific Northwest Road Trip's flexible itineraries and practical tips for weekend getaways or a complete PNW escape, you're ready to fill up and hit the road!Looking to explore more of the West on wheels? Try Moon Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip! Doing more than driving through? Check out Moon Coastal Oregon or Moon Olympic Peninsula.About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell-and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you.For more inspiration, follow @moonguides on social media.

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In the tradition of The Glass Castle, Educated, and Heartland, Neal Wooten traces five decades of his dirt-poor, Alabama mountain family as the years and secrets coalesce. Neal Wooten grew up in a tiny community atop Sand Mountain, Alabama, where everyone was white and everyone was poor. Prohibition was still embraced. If you wanted alcohol, you had to drive to Georgia or ask the bootlegger sitting next to you in church. Tent revivals, snake handlers, and sacred harp music were the norm, and everyone was welcome as long as you weren’t Black, brown, gay, atheist, Muslim, a damn Yankee, or a Tennessee Vol fan.The Wooten's lived a secret existence in a shack in the woods with no running water, no insulation, and almost no electricity. Even the school bus and mail carrier wouldn’t go there. Neal’s family could hide where they were, but not what they were. They were poor white trash. Cops could see it. Teachers could see it. Everyone could see it.Growing up, Neal was weaned on folklore legends of his grandfather—his quick wit, quick feet, and quick temper. He discovers how this volatile disposition led to a murder, a conviction, and ultimately to a daring prison escape and a closely guarded family secret.Being followed by a black car with men in black suits was as normal to Neal as using an outhouse, carrying drinking water from a stream, and doing homework by the light of a kerosene lamp. And Neal’s father, having inherited the very same traits of his father, made sure the frigid mountain winters weren’t the most brutal thing his family faced.Told from two perspectives, this story alternates between Neal’s life and his grandfather’s, culminating in a shocking revelation. Take a journey to the Deep South and learn what it’s like to be born on the wrong side of the tracks, the wrong side of the law, and the wrong side of a violent mental illness.

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Freedom from addiction is available in the one place that's the most difficult for an addict to be-the present moment. In Natural Rest for Addiction, non-duality teacher and addiction specialist Scott Kiloby offers his Natural Rest program for finding recovery from substance abuse-and addictions of all kinds-through the mindful practice of Resting Presence.If you struggle with alcoholism, drug dependency, or some other form of addiction, you know all too well the urges and cravings that drive your habit. Addiction tells you that something is wrong, that you need something outside of yourself to make you well, something to fill the sense of deficiency you carry inside. These feelings are often tied to deep emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, or pain held in the body that has never fully been acknowledged. But what if you could learn to relax into awareness and accept the difficult thoughts, emotions, and sensations that make you feel like you need to do something-anything-to change your experience?This book will guide you, step by step, into the natural, open, peaceful awareness that is available to you at all times. Using the mindfulness-based Natural Rest program for recovery, you'll learn how to tap into this present-moment awareness throughout the day, relieving yourself of worries about the future or past by allowing your thoughts and feelings to come and go as they are, without grasping at or trying to control them. You'll also learn about the Living Inquiries, a process of self-inquiry developed by Scott Kiloby to target the beliefs, trauma, compulsions, and triggers that keep you trapped in the cycle of suffering and seeking.At the heart of addiction is a constant, desperate desire to alter what you're feeling, to escape from the here and now, to find relief. With Natural Rest for Addiction, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the complex issues that underlie addictive behavior and learn how to find peace, freedom, and well-being in the present, one moment at a time.

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These are volatile times. Fear, suspicion, and cynicism are chronic. A mere tweet inflames the passions of millions while click-bait “hot takes” stoke the amygdalas of everyone with an Internet connection. We treat those not in our tribe as a threat and deem anyone with a different opinion as evil. Mistaking myopia for measure, we lack all sense of proportion in our judgments. We are shortsighted, mired in the present, ignorant of history, and blind to the future. We thought that technology would save us by connecting us to each other and the world’s information. Instead, it enticed our vices, encouraged our biases, and eroded the one virtue we need now more than ever: wisdom.A Time for Wisdom is for readers who feel beleaguered by the incivility of the modern world, dispirited by its coarse rhetoric and toxic partisanship. It is an invitation to escape the shallow cacophony and restore peace and perspective to our daily lives. Written by two psychologists, the book takes the best scientific research on wisdom and integrates it with timeless concepts that have, for ages, guided troubled souls through life’s hardships. From this foundation, the authors present four steps we can follow to practice wisdom in the 21st Century: Receiving knowledge. Practicing detachment. Experiencing tranquility. Cultivating transcendence. These are profound and spiritual principles that can bring us immense satisfaction when we aspire to live by them. In A Time for Wisdom, the authors show us how. They commend a course of action towards the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, towards calm and clear moral reasoning. They lead us out of the circus of contemporary life and show us a path beyond our petty self-centeredness. By journeying along that path, we can, like the great sages and scientists before us, rise above the immediacy of the moment and partake of the numinous and the infinite.

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Paris, 1911. Picasso, Debussy, and Proust were revolutionizing art, music, and literature. Electricity had transformed the City of Lights. And the Parisian elites were mad about their fancy new cars. The Belle Époque was well underway, yet it was not without incident. That year, Paris was gripped by a violent crime streak that obsessed and frightened its citizens. Before Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger, the Bonnot Gang, led by the coarse Jules Bonnot, captured the minds of a nation with their Robin Hood-esque capers. With guns blazing, the Bonnot Gang robbed banks and wealthy Parisians and killed anyone who got in their way in spectacularly cinematic fashion--all in the name of their particular brand of anarchism.In Ballad of the Anarchist Bandits, John Merriman describes the Bonnot Gang's murderous tear and the Parisian police force's botched efforts to stop them. At the heart of the book are two anarchist idealists who wanted to find an alternative to Bonnot's crimes and the French government's unchecked violence. Victor Kibaltchiche and Rirette Maîtrejean met and fell in love at an anarchist rally, and together ran the radical Parisian newspaper L'Anarchie, which covered the Bonnot Gang with great sympathy. The couple and their anarchist friends occupied a world far apart from the opulent Paris of the Champs-Élysées. Their Paris was a vast city of impoverished workers who lived near bleak canals, cemeteries, and empty lots around smoky factories. Victor and Rirette found hope in radical politics, Bonnot and his gang in crime, but none could escape the full might of the French military. The lovers were arrested and imprisoned for their political views, Bonnot was murdered after an hours-long standoff with the police, and his gang was hunted down and sentenced to death by guillotine or lifelong imprisonment.Ballad of the Anarchist Bandits is a classic tale of lost causes, tragic heroes, and the true costs of justice and revenge.

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WINNER OF THE 2017 PETER KATZENSTEIN BOOK PRIZE"BEST OF BOOKS IN 2017" BY FOREIGN AFFAIRSWINNER OF THE 2018 VIVIAN ZELIZER PRIZE BEST BOOK AWARD IN ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY"How China Escaped the Poverty Trap truly offers game-changing ideas for the analysis and implementation of socio-economic development and should have a major impact across many social sciences."― Zelizer Best Book in Economic Sociology Prize Committee Acclaimed as "game changing" and "field shifting," How China Escaped the Poverty Trap advances a new paradigm in the political economy of development and sheds new light on China's rise. How can poor and weak societies escape poverty traps? Political economists have traditionally offered three answers: "stimulate growth first," "build good institutions first," or "some fortunate nations inherited good institutions that led to growth." Yuen Yuen Ang rejects all three schools of thought and their underlying assumptions: linear causation, a mechanistic worldview, and historical determinism. Instead, she launches a new paradigm grounded in complex adaptive systems, which embraces the reality of interdependence and humanity's capacity to innovate. Combining this original lens with more than 400 interviews with Chinese bureaucrats and entrepreneurs, Ang systematically reenacts the complex process that turned China from a communist backwater into a global juggernaut in just 35 years. Contrary to popular misconceptions, she shows that what drove China's great transformation was not centralized authoritarian control, but "directed improvisation"—top-down directions from Beijing paired with bottom-up improvisation among local officials. Her analysis reveals two broad lessons on development. First, transformative change requires an adaptive governing system that empowers ground-level actors to create new solutions for evolving problems. Second, the first step out of the poverty trap is to "use what you have"—harnessing existing resources to kick-start new markets, even if that means defying first-world norms. Bold and meticulously researched, How China Escaped the Poverty Trap opens up a whole new avenue of thinking for scholars, practitioners, and anyone seeking to build adaptive systems.

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Nothing could hold back the Mississippi that summer. Jackson Island, which jutted up out of the river as an overgrown sand bar, was completely submerged. The island, immortalized by Mark Twain, wasn't very big to begin with, though Huckleberry Finn and Jim found it to be plenty. Water was what people talked about, worried over, and watched. Upstream and downstream, levees busted by force and sabotage. The river's to blame. When you grow up on the banks in Hannibal, Missouri, you need an escape route. You never know when the water is going to rise and you have to run.Laura Brooks has come home to Hannibal: a place that ten years ago she couldn't wait to leave. Growing up she felt stifled in this town ruled by its past, its hokey devotion to everything Twain, the small-mindedness of its inhabitants, and the rich/poor divide that runs as deep as the Mississippi River. What really drove her away, though, was the complicated demise of her love affair with Sammy, that fateful 4th of July when the levees broke. Laura hasn't kept much in touch with Hannibal since she fled, and her family - her lottery-playing, chicken-keeping Mama, her sweet deadbeat brother Trey, and no-nonsense Aunt Betty, hairdresser and cookie-baker extraordinaire - don't know what to make of it when Laura turns up all but unannounced. Things haven't been going so well for Laura in her grown-up life in Florida, and while she claims she's just home for a brief trip to take in Hannibal's high school reunion, she's carrying way too much luggage for that: literal and metaphorical. As Laura gets embroiled in small-town goings-on once more - such as her godson's campaign to be crowned this year's Tom Sawyer- Laura starts to heal from recent wounds. But when Sammy reappears on the scene, a deeper wound threatens to reopen. Now, with the Mississippi rising, her high school reunion looming, and a second chance at love, Laura wonders if running away again might be the only answer.

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This book uses the stories of early modern women in the Mediterranean who left their birthplaces, families, and religions to reveal the complex space women of the period occupied socially and politically. In the narrow sense, the word "renegade" as used in the early modern Mediterranean referred to a Christian who had abandoned his or her religion to become a Muslim. With Renegade Women, Eric R Dursteler deftly redefines and broadens the term to include anyone who crossed the era's and region's religious, political, social, and gender boundaries. Drawing on archival research, he relates three tales of women whose lives afford great insight into both the specific experiences and condition of females in, and the broader cultural and societal practices and mores of, the early Mediterranean. Through Beatrice Michiel of Venice, who fled an overbearing husband to join her renegade brother in Constantinople and took the name Fatima Hatun, Dursteler discusses how women could convert and relocate in order to raise their personal and familial status. In the parallel tales of the Christian Elena Civalelli and the Muslim Mihale atorovic, who both entered a Venetian convent to avoid unwanted, arranged marriages, he finds courageous young women who used the frontier between Ottoman and Venetian states to exercise a surprising degree of agency over their lives. And in the actions of four Muslim women of the Greek island of Milos-Aisse, her sisters Emine and Catige, and their mother, Maria-who together left their home for Corfu and converted from Islam to Christianity to escape Aisse's emotionally and financially neglectful husband, Dursteler unveils how a woman's attempt to control her own life ignited an international firestorm that threatened Venetian-Ottoman relations. A truly fascinating narrative of female instrumentality, Renegade Women illuminates the nexus of identity and conversion in the early modern Mediterranean through global and local lenses. Scholars of the period will find this to be a richly informative and thoroughly engrossing read.

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This book uses the stories of early modern women in the Mediterranean who left their birthplaces, families, and religions to reveal the complex space women of the period occupied socially and politically. In the narrow sense, the word "renegade" as used in the early modern Mediterranean referred to a Christian who had abandoned his or her religion to become a Muslim. With Renegade Women, Eric R Dursteler deftly redefines and broadens the term to include anyone who crossed the era's and region's religious, political, social, and gender boundaries. Drawing on archival research, he relates three tales of women whose lives afford great insight into both the specific experiences and condition of females in, and the broader cultural and societal practices and mores of, the early Mediterranean. Through Beatrice Michiel of Venice, who fled an overbearing husband to join her renegade brother in Constantinople and took the name Fatima Hatun, Dursteler discusses how women could convert and relocate in order to raise their personal and familial status. In the parallel tales of the Christian Elena Civalelli and the Muslim Mihale atorovic, who both entered a Venetian convent to avoid unwanted, arranged marriages, he finds courageous young women who used the frontier between Ottoman and Venetian states to exercise a surprising degree of agency over their lives. And in the actions of four Muslim women of the Greek island of Milos-Aisse, her sisters Emine and Catige, and their mother, Maria-who together left their home for Corfu and converted from Islam to Christianity to escape Aisse's emotionally and financially neglectful husband, Dursteler unveils how a woman's attempt to control her own life ignited an international firestorm that threatened Venetian-Ottoman relations. A truly fascinating narrative of female instrumentality, Renegade Women illuminates the nexus of identity and conversion in the early modern Mediterranean through global and local lenses. Scholars of the period will find this to be a richly informative and thoroughly engrossing read.

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Chess was invented more than 1,500 years ago, and is played in every country in the world. Stephen Moss sets out to master its mysteries, and unlock the secret of its enduring appeal. What, he asks, is the essence of chess? And what will it reveal about his own character along the way? In a witty, accessible style that will delight newcomers and irritate purists, Moss imagines the world as a board and marches across it, offering a mordant report on the world of chess in 64 chapters – 64 of course being the number of squares on the chessboard. He alternates between “black” chapters – where he plays, largely uncomprehendingly, in tournaments – and “white” chapters, where he seeks advice from the current crop of grandmasters and delves into the lives of great players of the past. It is both a history of the game and a kind of “Zen and the Art of Chess”; a practical guide and a self-help book: Moss’s quest to understand chess and become a better player is really an attempt to escape a lifetime of dilettantism. He wants to become an expert at one thing. What will be the consequences when he realises he is doomed to fail? Moss travels to Russia and the US – hotbeds of chess throughout the 20th century; meets people who knew Bobby Fischer when he was growing up and tries to unravel the enigma of that tortured genius who died in 2008 at the inevitable age of 64; meets Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen, world champions past and present; and keeps bumping into Armenian superstar Levon Aronian in the gents at tournaments. He becomes champion of Surrey, wins tournaments in Chester and Bury St Edmunds, and holds his own at the famous event in the Dutch seaside resort of Wijk aan Zee (until a last-round meltdown), but too often he is beaten by precocious 10-year-olds and finds it hard to resist the urge to punch them. He looks for spiritual fulfilment in the game, but mostly finds mental torture.

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'What would Germaine do?'This is the mantra that Skip and Marlo Wells turn to as they navigate their way through the twists and turns that life brings. Such as the sectioning of their mother Karen Jane. Marlo puts her faith in her hero, Germaine Greer, and twelve-year-old Skip trusts her clever big sister to know the right thing to do. But when the sisters are forced to move to their Auntie Noreen and Uncle Doug's home in the backwater city of Crater Lakes even Marlo can't think of a solution. At age sixteen, Marlo is forced to quit school and work in the family hardware store. Skip manages to get on her auntie's bad side from the get-go and is an outcast at school as she vehemently declares the injustice of the Vietnam War - not what Noreen wants to hear with her precious son Barry off fighting. Skip and Marlo dream of escape from Crater Lakes but with Karen Jane's release nowhere on the horizon they resign themselves to their new life. Before long they make the acquaintance of the Novak brothers - Skip's classmate Honza and his eternally cheerful older brother Pavel. Marlo becomes entangled with the local drama teacher, leaving Skip to explore the town's haunts with Honza. Skip learns about the mysterious Dansie residence, a secluded house that once belonged to Roger Dansie - an actor and the closest thing to a local hero that Crater Lakes ever had. As the days roll on the Wells sisters are drawn ever deeper in to the lives of their new acquaintances, learning that their first impressions of Crater Lakes may not be as accurate as they believed. Against the backdrop of a broken home, the fight for equality and a far off war Volcano Street is a heartfelt tale of acceptance and belonging, and learning what family truly means.

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An inside look into one of the most mythologized prisons in modern America--the Sing Sing death house In the annals of American criminal justice, two prisons stand out as icons of institutionalized brutality and deprivation: Alcatraz and Sing Sing. In the 70 odd years before 1963, when the death sentence was declared unconstitutional in New York, Sing Sing was the site of almost one-half of the 1,353 executions carried out in the state. More people were executed at Sing Sing than at any other American prison, yet Sing Sing's death house was, to a remarkable extent, one of the most closed, secret and mythologized places in modern America. In this remarkable book, based on recently revealed archival materials, Scott Christianson takes us on a disturbing and poignant tour of Sing Sing's legendary death house, and introduces us to those whose lives Sing Sing claimed. Within the dusty files were mug shots of each newly arrived prisoner, most still wearing the out-to-court clothes they had on earlier that day when they learned their verdict and were sentenced to death. It is these sometimes bewildered, sometimes defiant, faces that fill the pages of Condemned, along with the documents of their last months at Sing Sing. The reader follows prisoners from their introduction to the rules of Sing Sing, through their contact with guards and psychiatrists, their pleas for clemency, escape attempts, resistance, and their final letters and messages before being put to death. We meet the mother of five accused of killing her husband, the two young Chinese men accused of a murder during a robbery and the drifter who doesn't remember killing at all. While the majority of inmates are everyday people, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were also executed here, as were the major figures in the infamous Murder Inc., forerunner of the American mafia. Page upon page, Condemned leaves an indelible impression of humanity and suffering.

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The Journey to Wisdom addresses a broad array of topics in education, the natural world, and medieval intellectual history. The book examines a philosophy of education that originated with the ancient Greeks and that reached its culmination in the late-medieval and early-Renaissance periods. That philosophy of education promotes a journey to wisdom, involving an escape from pure subjectivity and “the seductions of rhetoric” and leading to a profound awareness of the natural world and “nature’s God.” It grants us a renewed sense of education as a self-directed, transforming journey to knowledge and insight—rather than (as is so often the case now) as an impersonal, bureaucratized trek that reflects little sense of the ultimate aims of education. The volume opens with a discussion of the quarrel in ancient Greece between the Sophists and the so-called “philosophers”—a quarrel, Paul A. Olson writes, “out of which the [philosophers’] tradition centering education in reality, as opposed to social convention, develops.” Subsequent chapters follow the development of this tradition in the writings of Augustine, Boethius, Dante, Petrarch, Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and others. Here Olson refutes several recent theories: that medieval intellectuals helped legitimize technological mastery and exploitation of the environment; that medieval education involved no systematic progress “toward recognizing the sanctity of creation”; and that all literary works—medieval ones included—“are self-referenced,” and therefore that they offer no guidance to a world beyond themselves. The Journey to Wisdom will be essential reading for students of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance intellectual history. But in its unmistakably modern concerns about education, the book also speaks to a far wider spectrum of readers. Olson’s study falls into that rarest category of scholarly productions: one that reflects both its author’s profound knowledge of the past and his equally great commitment to the present. That dual commitment accounts for the uncommon insights—and pleasures—offered by this book.

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Assorted fruit from forty years' writing, these essays by David Braybrooke discuss (in Part One of the book) a variety of concrete, practical topics that ethical concerns bring into politics: people's interests; their needs as well as their preferences; their work and their commitment to work; their participation in politics and in other group activities. Essays follow on the justice with which theme matters are arranged for and on the common good in which they are consolidated. Justice here inspires a 'departures' approach, which moves from agreement on departures from commutative justice to agreement on measures of distributive justice needed to forestall such departures. Another essay (first published here) radically undermines the odd but entrenched belief that utilitarianism classically licenced, even prescribed, systematically sacrificing the happiness of some people to give others greater pleasure. Part II and Part III of the book concentrate upon the subject of settled social rules, which are devices for securing the objectives treated in Part I. Part II shows that rules are ubiquitous in ethics, since there are no virtues without rules, just as there are no (justified) rules; without virtues. Part Two also shows that rules are as ubiquitous in social phenomena as the causal regularities sought by one school of social science. Part III captures the dialectic of history at least in part by a logical analysis of changes in rules following the onset of quandaries. It then considers how political choices can be both prudent, by keeping within duly considered incremental limits, and yet imaginative enough to escape the recent embarrassments generated by social choice theory. Characteristically versatile in topic and style, Braybrooke offers original light on all theme subjects. One reader has commented, '[His] prose is elegant and always a pleasure to read. Some of the pieces are nothing short of brilliant.' Which did the reader have in mind? Readers may differ (they already have) on just which pieces they would rank highest.

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The Old Faith and the Russian Land is a historical ethnography that charts the ebbs and flows of ethical practice in a small Russian town over three centuries. The town of Sepych was settled in the late seventeenth century by religious dissenters who fled to the forests of the Urals to escape a world they believed to be in the clutches of the Antichrist. Factions of Old Believers, as these dissenters later came to be known, have maintained a presence in the town ever since. The townspeople of Sepych have also been serfs, free peasants, collective farmers, and, now, shareholders in a post-Soviet cooperative. Douglas Rogers traces connections between the town and some of the major transformations of Russian history, showing how townspeople have responded to a long series of attempts to change them and their communities: tsarist-era efforts to regulate family life and stamp out Old Belief on the Stroganov estates, Soviet collectivization drives and antireligious campaigns, and the marketization, religious revival, and ongoing political transformations of post-Soviet times. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork and extensive archival and manuscript sources, Rogers argues that religious, political, and economic practice are overlapping arenas in which the people of Sepych have striven to be ethical—in relation to labor and money, food and drink, prayers and rituals, religious books and manuscripts, and the surrounding material landscape. He tracks the ways in which ethical sensibilities—about work and prayer, hierarchy and inequality, gender and generation—have shifted and recombined over time. Rogers concludes that certain expectations about how to be an ethical person have continued to orient townspeople in Sepych over the course of nearly three centuries for specific, identifiable, and often unexpected reasons. Throughout, he demonstrates what a historical and ethnographic study of ethics might look like and uses this approach to ask new questions of Russian, Soviet, and post-Soviet history.

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Honorable Mention, Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction, 2006 Grover Lewis was one of the defining voices of the New Journalism of the 1960s and 1970s. His wry, acutely observed, fluently written essays for Rolling Stone and the Village Voice set a standard for other writers of the time, including Hunter S. Thompson, Joe Eszterhas, Timothy Ferris, Chet Flippo, and Tim Cahill, who said of Lewis, "He was the best of us." Pioneering the "on location" reportage that has become a fixture of features about moviemaking and live music, Lewis cut through the celebrity hype and captured the real spirit of the counterculture, including its artificiality and surprising banality. Even today, his articles on Woody Guthrie, the Allman Brothers, the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont, directors Sam Peckinpah and John Huston, and the filming of The Last Picture Show and One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest remain some of the finest writing ever done on popular culture. To introduce Grover Lewis to a new generation of readers and collect his best work under one cover, this anthology contains articles he wrote for Rolling Stone, Village Voice, Playboy, Texas Monthly, and New West, as well as excerpts from his unfinished novel The Code of the West and his incomplete memoir Goodbye If You Call That Gone and poems from the volume I'll Be There in the Morning If I Live. Jan Reid and W. K. Stratton have selected and arranged the material around themes that preoccupied Lewis throughout his life—movies, music, and loss. The editors' biographical introduction, the foreword by Dave Hickey, and a remembrance by Robert Draper discuss how Lewis's early struggles to escape his working-class, anti-intellectual Texas roots for the world of ideas in books and movies made him a natural proponent of the counterculture that he chronicled so brilliantly. They also pay tribute to Lewis's groundbreaking talent as a stylist, whose unique voice deserves to be more widely known by today's readers.

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In the religious systems of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean, gods and demigods were neither abstract nor distant, but communicated with mankind through signs and active intervention. Men and women were thus eager to interpret, appeal to, and even control the gods and their agents. In Prayer, Magic, and the Stars in the Ancient and Late Antique World, a distinguished array of scholars explores the many ways in which people in the ancient world sought to gain access to—or, in some cases, to bind or escape from—the divine powers of heaven and earth. Grounded in a variety of disciplines, including Assyriology, Classics, and early Islamic history, the fifteen essays in this volume cover a broad geographic area: Greece, Egypt, Syria-Palestine, Mesopotamia, and Persia. Topics include celestial divination in early Mesopotamia, the civic festivals of classical Athens, and Christian magical papyri from Coptic Egypt. Moving forward to Late Antiquity, we see how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each incorporated many aspects of ancient Near Eastern and Graeco-Roman religion into their own prayers, rituals, and conceptions. Even if they no longer conceived of the sun, moon, and the stars as eternal or divine, Christians, Jews, and Muslims often continued to study the movements of the heavens as a map on which divine power could be read. The reader already familiar with studies of ancient religion will find in Prayer, Magic, and the Stars both old friends and new faces. Contributors include Gideon Bohak, Nicola Denzey, Jacco Dieleman, Radcliffe Edmonds, Marvin Meyer, Michael G. Morony, Ian Moyer, Francesca Rochberg, Jonathan Z. Smith, Mark S. Smith, Peter Struck, Michael Swartz, and Kasia Szpakowska. Published as part of Penn State's Magic in History series, Prayer, Magic, and the Stars appears at a time of renewed interest in divination and occult practices in the ancient world. It will interest a wide audience in the field of comparative religion as well as students of the ancient world and late antiquity.

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In 1972, philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn threw an ashtray at Errol Morris. This book is the result. At the time, Morris was a graduate student. Now we know him as one of the most celebrated and restlessly probing filmmakers of our time, the creator of such classics of documentary investigation as The Thin Blue Line and The Fog of War. Kuhn, meanwhile, was--and, posthumously, remains--a star in his field, the author of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, a landmark book that has sold well over a million copies and introduced the concept of "paradigm shifts" to the larger culture. And Morris thought the idea was bunk. The Ashtray tells why--and in doing so, it makes a powerful case for Morris's way of viewing the world, and the centrality to that view of a fundamental conception of the necessity of truth. "For me," Morris writes, "truth is about the relationship between language and the world: a correspondence idea of truth." He has no patience for philosophical systems that aim for internal coherence and disdain the world itself. Morris is after bigger game: he wants to establish as clearly as possible what we know and can say about the world, reality, history, our actions and interactions. It's the fundamental desire that animates his filmmaking, whether he's probing Robert McNamara about Vietnam or the oddball owner of a pet cemetery. Truth may be slippery, but that doesn't mean we have to grease its path of escape through philosophical evasions. Rather, Morris argues powerfully, it is our duty to do everything we can to establish and support it. In a time when truth feels ever more embattled, under siege from political lies and virtual lives alike, The Ashtray is a bracing reminder of its value, delivered by a figure who has, over decades, uniquely earned our trust through his commitment to truth. No Morris fan should miss it.

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Called One of the Best Books of the Year by NPR"Dazzling, propulsive, and delightfully juicy, Anon Pls. is the digital age’s love letter to The Devil Wears Prada. Sexy, suspenseful, and so good you won’t want to put it down—not even to check on the latest stories in Deuxmoi’s feed. What an incredible debut." — Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The UnhoneymoonersFrom the creator of @Deuxmoi, the popular—and infamous—celebrity gossip Instagram, comes a fun and charming debut novel about a stylist assistant whose drunken decision to turn her Instagram into a celeb gossip account turns her life completely upside down. When Cricket Lopez, assistant to one of the most notorious celebrity stylists, revamps her old fashion Instagram account and turns it into a source for celebrity gossip on a drunken whim, she never thinks it will become anything. It's just a way to blow off steam after a terrible, terrible day at work where her nightmarish boss screams at her and blames her for some 18-year-old influencer's screw-up. But when the account grows overnight and, even wilder, when she starts getting gossip from fans and insiders —juicy gossip—she has to face facts: her Instagram is now famous. She is now famous.Though no one knows that she is behind the account, its newfound success quickly wreaks havoc on her real life. Her boss wonders why she’s disappearing on the job, her friends are increasingly irritated by her dedication to the account, and she has celebrities, investors, and journalists approaching her nonstop. Plus, there's a steamy new love interest who she meets through her online persona—except she has no idea if she can truly trust his motives. As the account grows and becomes more and more influential, she has to wonder: is it—the fame, the insider access, the escape from real life—really worth losing everything she has?

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The latest gripping domestic drama from the author of The Move and The People at Number 9… Moving in together. What could go wrong? ‘Sharp, dark and brilliantly twisty’ OK! Two couples, best friends for half a lifetime, move in together. What could possibly go wrong…? Harriet and Mark have it all: successful careers, a lovely house in a leafy London suburb, twin boys on the cusp of leaving home. Yvette and Gary share a smaller place with their two daughters in a shabbier part of the same borough. But when the stars align for a collective move north, it means a fresh start for them all. For Mark, it’s a chance to escape the rat race; for Harriet, a distraction from her unfulfilled dream of a late third child. Gary has decided to reboot the Madchester band that made him famous, while Yvette hopes it will give her daughters what she never had herself. But as the reality of their new living arrangements slowly sinks in, the four friends face their own mid-life crises, and the dream becomes a nightmare… Praise for Felicity Everett: ‘Sharp, dark and brilliantly twisty’ OK! ‘Brimming with insight, intrigue and emotional intensity, and with a slow drip of disturbing revelations, Everett’s masterful exploration of the pitfalls and pressures of twenty-first century life brutally exposes the perilous fault lines buried under the two seemingly happy marriages’ Lancashire Post ‘A dark and foreboding tale of a rural dream gone wrong; of what can happen when we try to paint over the cracks’ Sunday Post ‘Has the reader gripped when she explores unhealthy relationships based on insecurity and delusion’ Adele Parks, No. 1 bestselling author, in Platinum ‘Dark and gripping, this tale is perfect for snuggling up with by the fire with a glass or two of wine’ Closer ‘Clever, relentless and utterly recognisable. I absolutely loved it!’ Katie Fforde, No. 1 bestselling author 'A cautionary tale of what happens when you get caught up with the in-crowd . . . I gulped it down' Veronica Henry, bestselling author

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Sensational comics creator Philippe Druillet's Lone Sloane, the Ulysses of space, cosmic freebooter and rebel, endlessly struggles against dark gods, robotic entities and alien forces! Three volumes collected together for the first time! Including art cards featuring the cover art from the individual books. A stunning new boxed set collecting the first 3 books in Titan Comics' Druillet Library. Lone Sloane is Druillet's tortured hero, traveling the galaxy for an answer to the mysteries of the universe and his soul. This boxed set is ideal for any fans of Druillet wanting to complete their collection or fans of classic science fiction graphic novels wanting to broaden their graphic novel horizon. This boxed set collects: The 6 Voyages of Lone Sloane It's been 800 years since a catastrophic event called the ""Great Fear"". Lone Sloane, a rebel and a troubled space traveller, is captured by an entity called ""He Who Seeks"", after his space ship is destroyed. The entity transports him to different dimensions, where he must fight for his life, as he finds himself caught in an intergalactic struggle between space pirates, gigantic robots, dark gods and other-dimensional entities. Lone Sloane: Delirius Lone Sloane is still stuck on the planet aptly named Delirius, He seems ever destined to battle against evil in this world. As the world is called to war, will he be able stay away? His adventures will force Lone Sloane to accept his destiny and prepare himself for the battle with his enemy, the tyrant Shaan, the Emperor of all the galaxies. Lone Sloane: Gail Following on from his adventures in Lone Sloane: Delirius, Sloane finds himself captured and sent to a prison planet, where a mysterious dark entity has plans for him. How did he get here, and can he escape? Wandering aimlessly throughout an alien dimension, Sloane is lost with no way of finding his way home.

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Patrick Kavanagh (1904–67) was one of Ireland’s foremost poets, best known for ‘The Great Hunger’ and novel Tarry Flynn. He is also remembered for his cantankerous, sometimes volatile nature, fuelled by alcohol. In A Poet in the House: Patrick Kavanagh at Priory Grove, a memoir by Elizabeth O’Toole, we encounter a new Patrick Kavanagh. In 1961, the poet lived with the O’Toole family in Stillorgan for six months at a crucial point in his life, when he was sober, industrious and, as the accompanying photographs will show, much loved by her children. Until now, no one has been aware of how close Kavanagh was to O’Toole and to her husband, James Davitt Bermingham O’Toole. Born and raised in China, Jim O’Toole was the author of Man Alive, a play about the inner workings of the ESB that created a storm of controversy in 1961. On the first night, Kavanagh told the audience that the press was ‘lily-livered’. This was not just ‘a local row’. One of the ESB’s top executives, Jim O’Donovan, was the IRA leader who negotiated a deal with the Nazis that threatened the existence of the State in 1940. Kavanagh’s relationship with O’Donovan and Jim O’Toole’s escape from Germany at the outbreak of the war are here revealed for the first time. Amongst many other revelations in the book is a hitherto unknown connection between the poet and Patricia Avis, novelist wife of the poet Richard Murphy, and lover of Philip Larkin and Desmond Williams. Although Elizabeth O’Toole is now ninety-six, her decidedly down-to-earth voice is that of a much younger woman. Her vivid recollections deepen and challenge the way we view Patrick Kavanagh. The influence of her book will tilt our perception of this passionate man. A contextual essay by the editor of the volume, playwright and novelist Brian Lynch, accompanies the memoir along with photographs from the early sixties.

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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Walter Pincus exposes the darkest secret in American nuclear history—sixty-seven nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands that decimated a people and their land. The most important place in American nuclear history are the Marshall Islands—an idyllic Pacific paradise that served as the staging ground for over sixty US nuclear tests. It was here, from 1946 to 1958, that America perfected the weapon that preserved the peace of the post-war years. It was here—with the 1954 Castle Bravo test over Bikini Atoll—that America executed its largest nuclear detonation, a thousand times more powerful than Hiroshima. And it was here that a native people became unwilling test subjects in the first large scale study of nuclear radiation fallout when the ashes rained down on powerless villagers, contaminating the land they loved and forever changing a way of life. In Blown to Hell, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Walter Pincus tells for the first time the tragic story of the Marshallese people caught in the crosshairs of American nuclear testing. From John Anjain, a local magistrate of Rongelap Atoll who loses more than most; to the radiation-exposed crew of the Japanese fishing boat the Lucky Dragon; to Dr. Robert Conard, a Navy physician who realized the dangers facing the islanders and attempted to help them; to the Washington power brokers trying to keep the unthinkable fallout from public view . . . Blown to Hell tells the human story of America’s nuclear testing program. Displaced from the only homes they had known, the native tribes that inhabited the serene Pacific atolls for millennia before they became ground zero for America’s first thermonuclear detonations returned to homes despoiled by radiation—if they were lucky enough to return at all. Others were ripped from their ancestral lands and shuttled to new islands with little regard for how the new environment supported their way of life and little acknowledgement of all they left behind. But not even the disruptive relocations allowed the islanders to escape the fallout.

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Brief Strategic Coaching offers coaches a different process for rapid problem resolution and change. The book guides readers to identify problematic attempts at solutions, to get unstuck and reach their goals by breaking free from the vicious cycle of “the more I try to solve a problem, the worse it gets”. Instead, the new solution is often radically different to the original one and brief strategic coaching supports successful implementation of these new actions.Coaches can use this book to: -Integrate brief strategic coaching with their current methods of working-Understand and assess current solution attempts by coachees-Support coachees to escape the cycle of problem maintenance-Adjust problem perceptions and develop new solution strategies with the coacheeThis book offers a fresh and practical take on a classic idea, making it an essential addition to the bookshelves of coaches and management leaders globally. "I wish I’d had my hands on this before - my leader clients certainly would have benefited! A highly valuable addition to the coach’s toolkit."Liz Hall, Editor of Coaching at Work magazine, Author of Mindful Coaching and Coach Your Team"Engaging and practical, this book is an invaluable guide for coaches and practitioners who work with clients wishing to break free from ineffective problem-solving strategies."Dr Christiana Iordanou, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Kent; Co-author of Values and Ethics in Coaching "I highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in learning to apply the strategic approaches of Milton Erickson in coaching."Bernhard Trenkle, President ISH International Society of Hypnosis Member BOD of Milton Erickson Foundation, PhoenixAndrew Armatas is an Australian-born executive coach and psychologist with background experience in brief approaches to change and corporate mental health. A founding member of the International Society for Coaching Psychology, his expertise lies in mental training skills, suggestive techniques and brief strategic principles in corporate and coaching contexts.

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When the author of a book about secret government operations goes missing – along with his agent, and the manuscript itself – Police Inspector Robert Finlay is thrust into a complex and terrifying investigation. The final instalment in a searingly authentic series. ‘A taut, knife-edge thriller you won’t put down till the last full stop’ M R Hall ‘Matt Johnson’s real-life experiences shine through in the vivid plotting and authentic action’ Rob Sinclair ‘Another fast-moving and beautifully detailed page-turner from a master thriller writer’ Robert Daws ____________________ Robert Finlay has finally left his SAS past behind him and is settled into his new career as a detective, but when the author of a book about secret operations goes missing, along with his agent and an explosive new manuscript, it’s clear that Finlay’s troubles are far from over. With his friend and former colleague, Kevin Jones, in trouble, and police complaints branch gunning for them both, Robert teams up with MI5 agent Toni Fellowes to find out who’s behind the growing conspiracy. Their quest soon reveals a plot that goes to the very heart of the UK’s security services. End Game, the final part in the critically acclaimed Robert Finlay trilogy, sees our hero in an intricate and terrifyingly fast-paced race to uncover the truth and escape those who’d sooner have him dead than be exposed. ____________________ ‘A compelling mix of highly credible detail, tactics, procedures, and all striated into the political games that the intelligence services play. Highly Recommended’ Shots Mag ‘Gripping stuff’ New Welsh Review ‘Matt Johnson is a brilliant new name in the world of thrillers’ Peter James ‘This tense, edge-of-the-seat writing will keep fans frantically turning the pages as they race towards the conclusion’ Amanda Jennings ‘Utterly compelling and dripping with authenticity’ J S Law ‘Five shining gold stars of brilliant’ The Quiet Knitter ‘Nothing is clear-cut in a gripping labyrinthine plot, which – despite thrills and spills aplenty – never falls short of believable’ David Young

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“A powerful and important tale of love and war, art and family…I was transported.” —Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author “Albanese artfully weaves Adele’s story with Maria’s harrowing life under the Nazis, but it’s hard to read Stolen Beauty without seeing ugly echoes in today’s headlines. Seven decades after World War II, have we learned nothing?” —USA TODAY From the dawn of the twentieth century to the devastation of World War II, this exhilarating novel of love, war, art, and family gives voice to two extraordinary women and brings to life the true story behind the creation and near destruction of Gustav Klimt’s most remarkable paintings.In the dazzling glitter of 1903 Vienna, Adele Bloch-Bauer—young, beautiful, brilliant, and Jewish—meets painter Gustav Klimt. Wealthy in everything but freedom, Adele embraces Klimt’s renegade genius as the two awaken to the erotic possibilities on the canvas and beyond. Though they enjoy a life where sex and art are just beginning to break through the façade of conventional society, the city is also troubled by a disturbing increase in anti-Semitism as political hatred simmers in the shadows of Adele’s coffeehouse afternoons and cultural salons. Nearly forty years later, Adele’s niece Maria Altmann is a newlywed when the Nazis invade Austria—and overnight, her beloved Vienna becomes a war zone. When her husband is arrested and her family is forced out of their stately home, Maria must summon the courage and resilience that is her aunt’s legacy if she is to survive and keep her loved ones—and their history—alive. Will Maria and her family escape the grip of Nazi rule? And what will become of the paintings for which her aunt sacrificed nearly everything? Impeccably researched and a “must-read for fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and Paula McLain’s Circling the Sun” (Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Stolen Beauty juxtaposes passion and discovery against hatred and despair, and shines a light on our ability to love, to destroy, and above all, to endure.

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The perfect escapist read, for all fans of Cathy Bramley and Jenny Colgan. A Year at the Star and Sixpence is Holly Hepburn's four Star and Sixpence novellas collected together as a novel for the first time. When sisters Nessie and Sam inherit a little pub in a beautiful country village they jump at the chance to escape their messy lives and start afresh. But when they arrive at the Star and Sixpence, it's not quite what they imagined - it's pretty much derelict, ruined by debts, and it's going to be a huge job to get it up and running again. But they are determined to make the best of this new life and they set about making the pub the heart of the village once again. Their first year at the Star and Sixpence won't be easy, though nothing worth doing ever is. But when the sisters' past comes back to haunt them, they start to think that the fresh start they needed is very far away indeed…Curl up with A Year at the Star and Sixpence - the perfect novel to welcome Spring. 'A fresh new voice, brings wit and warmth to this charming tale of two sisters' Rowan Coleman 'You'll fall in love with this fantastic new series from a new star of women's fiction, Holly Hepburn. Filled to the brim with captivating characters and fantastic storylines in a gorgeous setting. Simply wonderful. I want to read more!' Miranda Dickinson 'Warm, witty and laced with intriguing secrets! I want to pull up a bar stool, order a large G&T and soak up all the gossip at the Star and Sixpence!' Cathy Bramley ++ A Year at the Star and Sixpence is the collected Star and Sixpence novellas. If you have already enjoyed the novellas, then you have already enjoyed A Year at the Star and Sixpence. For new novellas from Holly, check out her Picture House by the Sea series and her Castle Court series ++

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When everyone's a vicious beast, it's hard to spot the monsters . . . Beware of the Turned in the first book in a blockbuster teen horror for fans of Skulduggery Pleasant and Stranger Things.'A riotously absorbing horror-comedy for readers of 12 and up.' – Guardian Sel Archer lives in a normal town with normal residents, except for one night a month . . . When the full moon comes out, almost all of the adults turn into werewolves, and it's up to the young people to protect themselves from danger. But, as this quiet life begins to unravel, and the Turned start to escape, can Sel and his friends uncover exactly who – or what – is watching their every move, before it's too late?Welcome, to the TOWN OF THE TURNED.Praise for Bite Risk ‘Bite Risk by the most talented S. J. Wills will have you turning each page feeling sheer horror and laughter.’ – A. M. Dassu ‘Pure, thrilling brilliance!’ – Louie Stowell 'This high-concept dystopian tale with a werewolf twist has tension and scares galore and is perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Big Bad Me.' – IrishIndependent ‘I inhaled this book. A concept that crackles, watertight world building, characters you care deeply about, & then the twists & turns . . . ’ – Nicola Penfold ‘Fun, gripping and deliciously gory.’ – Amy McCaw ‘I devoured Bite Risk with ruthless ferocity, or perhaps the book devoured me – I’m not too sure!’ – Sophie Kirtley 'Smart, pacy, twists and turns with a hero who feels real. Exciting, thrilling but not too scary.' – Emma Norry ‘A gripping, fast-paced thriller.’ – Nizrana Farook ‘Bite Risk sinks its claws into you and doesn't let go until its page-racing end.’ – Maria Kuzniar ‘Fresh, exciting and just what teenagers everywhere need!’ – Catherine Emmett ‘Incredible. Astonishing. Sweeps you away and afterwards, there is just SO much to think about.’ – Rashmi Sirdeshpande 'S. J. Wills proves a dab hand at world creation, sketching friendships and rivalries against a backdrop of post-disruption normality.' – Observer

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A high-energy, brilliantly silly, fully illustrated festive adventure story by much-loved actor Stephen Mangan and talented artist Anita Mangan. It’s Christmas Eve and one of Santa's reindeers, Dave, is FED UP. He's stuck behind boastful Rudolph again and a fart-in-the-face is the LAST STRAW. In the commotion, Santa crash lands on the roof of nine-year-old Holly’s home causing an almighty Christmas lights explosion that blasts the reindeers to far-flung corners of the Earth. It’s up to Dave and Holly to fly round the world to rescue all the reindeers. Can Holly and Dave get all the reindeers back to Santa to SAVE CHRISTMAS? This funniest festive adventure is a must-read spin on The Night Before Christmas From the bestselling creators of The Fart That Changed the World and Escape the Rooms Praise for Stephen and Anita’s books: "Brilliant, clever, kind of genius" Graham Norton "Manages to feel both classic and modern at the same time" Good Housekeeping "A beautiful and exciting adventure that ignites the imagination" Edith Bowman Stephen Mangan is a bestselling author, actor and presenter. His comic gift is seen in shows such as Green Wing, I'm Alan Partridge and Episodes. Stephen appears in drama such as BBC One's The Split and regularly performs on stage in roles such as a much-praised Scrooge in The Old Vic's A Christmas Carol. Stephen presents Portrait and Landscape Artist of the Year and new gameshows Password and The Fortune Hotel. He is a guest presenter on Pointless and Have I Got News for You. Anita Mangan is a successful illustrator and designer whose remarkable artwork sparks with wit and style. She worked for Comic Relief before becoming a designer and illustrator. Since then, she has worked on award-winning books and the bestselling "Be a Unicorn, Sloth, Flamingo..." series - as well as illustrating Stephen's children's novels.

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The latest book in the international bestselling series that has hit the charts in Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic! Snuggle up in your favourite armchair and take a trip across the Irish sea for comfort food, cosy cottage nights and a heartwarming romance… Talented lawyer Hannah Campbell wants a change in her workaholic Manchester life – so she books herself a place at the world-renowned Killorgally Cookery School in County Kerry. But on her first night In Ireland, sampling the delights of Dublin, Hannah can’t resist falling for the charms of handsome stranger Conor. It’s only when Hannah arrives at her postcard-pretty home at Killorgally for the next six weeks that she discovers what happens in Dublin doesn’t quite stay in Dublin… Nestled amongst rolling green hills and breathtaking countryside, the cookery school throws Hannah and Conor together again–for better or worse. Readers ADORE Hannah and Conor’s story: ‘A fabulous heartwarming book…total escapism at its best, I can highly recommend this book ❤’ Jeanie ‘Julie Caplin is whisking readers away…Perfect for cosying up and devouring in one go!’ Jenn ‘Set sail for an Irish holiday by cozying up on the couch with Julie Caplin's latest escape read…No suitcase is required’ Amy ‘WOW, I absolutely loved this book and just couldn't read it quickly enough…will most definitely leave you with that warm fuzzy feeling that only a well written romantic story can’ Shirleyann ‘Simply whisks you away from it all’ Wendy ‘The book I’ve been waiting months for and it did not disappoint! …These two characters have so much chemistry and I couldn’t get enough of the playful, fun flirting between the two’ Lyndsey ‘Simply fantastic…Worth far more than five stars’ Nicola ‘There is something really special about this series…like a warm hug’ Hannah ‘I was concerned that it would be a bit too twee. As they say in Pretty Woman, 'Big Mistake, Huge'…Ideal for fans of Katie Fforde’ Alison

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‘Breathlessly gripping’ – International bestselling author Lucy Foley, author of The Guest List Seven guests. Seven secrets. One killer. Do you dare to SLEEP? All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty… To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare. Each of the guests have a secret, but one of them is lying – about who they are and why they're on the island. There's a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they've set their sights on Anna. Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie. The million-copy bestseller is back in her darkest, twistiest book to date. Read it if you dare! Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley’s The Guest List and Alice Feeney’s Daisy Darker. Everybody is LOVING Sleep! ‘Wow just wow!… I loved it’ Karen’s World ‘WOW!… Sleep!!! You wont get any if you start to read it in the evening! So be warned!!!’ Reader review ‘Superb… her books just keep getting better and better – this one was a belter!!’ Donna’s Book Blog ‘A cracking story… A heart in your mouth plot’ Books from Dusk ‘til Dawn ‘Extremely creepy, atmospheric and twisty.’ CLAIRE DOUGLAS, author of Do Not Disturb ‘Sleep will keep you up all night.’ MARK EDWARDS, author of The Retreat ‘As always, C L Taylor knocks it out of the park!’ Reader review “Reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None… a final killer twist that is as satisfying as it is unexpected” Mature Times “Everything we love in a thriller: creepy, tense and pacy enough to get your heart racing” Good Housekeeping ‘A perfectly written psychological thriller… filled with plot twist after plot twist… I was on the edge of my seat for every page.’ 2016 and Beyond

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Escape to Villa Limoncello… where dreams come true in the most unexpected ways.With Christmas around the corner, Izzie Jenkins is ready to kickstart the new ‘Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes’ course at Villa Limoncello with chef and business partner, Luca Castelotti. However, secrets are stirring with their latest guests and when nasty accidents keep befalling the group it looks like Izzie will have to turn detective once more to protect the Villa’s fledgling reputation. On top of all this, Izzie’s been offered the job of a lifetime – back home in Cornwall. Will she be coming home for Christmas, or will Tuscany work its magic to keep her at Villa Limoncello with Luca?A gorgeous festive read perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Jenny Oliver.Praise for Christmas Secrets at Villa Limoncello ‘A fun read, it made me crave to be in Tuscany at wintertime. The plot is engrossing and entertaining, the setting lovely. Recommended!’ Reader review‘I have fallen in love with this series by the talented Daisy James. It was really festive and magical. Add the setting and the sweet treats together and you've got yourself a perfect novel!’ 5* Reader review‘Merry Christmas, Tuscan-style! Bursting with all the joys of the season that you can imagine. Do you want beautiful scenery, savory Tuscan meals and desserts, marvelous craft sessions and cooking classes, Christmas choirs and carols every day, and even some snow? It’s all here in this festive, clean and wholesome romance.’ Reader review‘Another absolutely delicious and stunning read from Daisy James. This is another book I haven't wanted to put down.’ 5* Reader review‘A Christmas gift wrapped in a beautiful cover! When reading this series I find myself immersed in Villa Limoncello and its amazing gardens in Tuscany as Daisy writes with so much description, you can almost smell the lemons and the coffee. A beautiful romance with the added bonus of several recipes in the book!' 5* Reader review

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Can you ever escape from the shadows of your past?'I couldn't put it down!' Sam Blake'The narrative is multi-layered and bound by emotional integrity.' Candis'A compelling story of love, relationships, and the grief of two families suffering traumatic losses.' Peterborough Evening Telegraph_________________Eighteen-year-old Emma has loving parents and a promising future ahead of her.So why, one morning, does she leave home without a trace?Her parents, Cath and Jim, are devastated. They have no idea why Emma left, where she is - or even whether she is still alive.A year later, Cath and Jim are still tormented by the unanswered questions Emma left behind, and clinging desperately to the hope of finding her.Meanwhile, tantalisingly close to home, Emma is also struggling with her new existence - and with the trauma that shattered her life.For all of them, reconciliation seems an impossible dream. Does the way forward lie in facing up to the secrets of the past - secrets that have been hidden for years?Secrets that have the power to heal them, or to destroy their family forever ..._________________Readers can't get enough of The Shadow Child ...'Make sure you have plenty of tissues nearby, you are going to need them.' Bunnys Pause'A touching and engaging read.' Sharon Beyond the Books'A compelling, complex book about the twisting paths of life, loss and hope.' Bookmarks and Stages'Beautifully written and I can't recommend it enough, it's just so brilliant!' Two Ladies and a Book'I loved this book.' Varietats'Overall I thought this was an excellent read, and one I couldn't put down!' Books Cats Etc 'It kept me turning the pages as I was drawn into all their lives.' LibcReads 'A book full of emotion, and a really great read.' Curling up with a coffee 'A truly lovely story that I would absolutely recommend.' Kim's Reading Adventure

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Maung is used to being hunted. As the last "dream warrior," a Burmese military unit whose brains are more machine than grey matter, everyone wants him dead—punished for the multiple atrocities his unit committed during war. But when an alien race makes its presence known on Earth and threatens to annihilate mankind, it gives Maung a chance to escape. Maung abandons his family on Earth to hide in the farthest reaches of the Solar System. There he finds love, his fellow Burmese countrymen exiled to labor on a prison asteroid, and the horrors of a war long since finished. Maung also discovers a secret weapon system - one lost for almost a generation and which may help his people redeem themselves while at the same time saving the human race. War will come. But with Maung's discoveries and 100 years to prepare, maybe the Earth can be ready... About T.C. McCarthy: "McCarthy perfectly catches the attitudes of veterans among themselves and toward civilians—laymen, better—when they get back to the World."—David Drake ''Compelling . . . Recalling the work of Remarque, Willi Heinrich, and especially Michael Herr, McCarthy's delirious narrative avoids cliche and raises intriguing questions about what it means to be human.''—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Germline "It's not just good . . .it's the mil-sf book I wish I could send back in time to beat out Forever War for a Hugo. I never would have guessed McCarthy was an analyst . . . I was sure he'd been on the pointy end for a long time."—Ernest Lilley, SF Revu ''The highly detailed, brutal depiction of futuristic warfare brilliantly complements the intimate narrative, which examines the insanity of war and those personally affected by it. Breathtaking and heartrending, this is the future of military science fiction.''—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A well written novel that makes you consider the costs of war in very personal terms."—SF Signal

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'Part of the power of Sugar Street lies in its style . . . in the prose you can feel the adrenaline of [the protagonist's] initial flight wearing off , his life shrinking down to a couple of city blocks . It's brilliantly done' Guardian 'A deft punch of a novel from Jonathan Dee . . . [he] creates a true page-turner out of simple materials and the result is a troubling and stimulating look at real American life - at the fix that materialism plus the information state has got us into. It's also very funny' George SandersIn Jonathan Dee's elegant and explosive new novel, Sugar Street, an unnamed male narrator has hit the road with a large sum of cash stashed in an envelope under his car seat. Vigilantly avoiding security cameras, he drives until he meets a city where his past is unlikely to track him down. Renting a room from a less-than-stable landlady whose need for money outweighs her desire to ask questions, he seems to have escaped his former self. But can he?In a story that moves with swift dark humour and insight, Dee takes us through his narrator's attempt to disavow his former life of privilege and enter a blameless new existence. Having opted out of his material possessions and human connections, the pillars of his new self - simplicity, kindness, above all invisibility - grow shakier as he butts up against the daily lives of his neighbours in their politically divided working-class city. With the suspense of a crime thriller and the grace of our best literary fiction, Dee unspools the details of our unlikely hero's former life and his developing new one in a drumbeat roll up to a shocking final act.Sugar Street is a leaner, more personal, but still uncannily timely look at the volatile America of today. A risky, engrossing and surprisingly visceral story about a white man trying to escape his own troubling footprint and start his life over.

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For most, and particularly the injured and the wounded, being shot down over Occupied Europe during the Second World War meant that capture was immediate, that imprisonment was almost inevitable. For some, evasion was possible, but rarely for long. For a relative handful, however, their evasion saw them eventually reach home once again. In this fascinating insight into how some Allied aircrew achieved the almost impossible and evade capture, the renowned aviation historian Martin W. Bowman has drawn together a set of tales of just some of these individuals. They are stories that illustrate the bravery and resourcefulness that characterized their experiences. British, American, Canadian and other Allied testimonies all feature to provide an authentic sense of the times at hand and the reality of life as an evader during this tumultuous and incredibly dangerous time. The stories of some Allied airmen, faced with sudden leaps into that dangerous unknown and their subsequent attempts at evasion, are retold here, many for the first time. Those who successfully evaded and were free to fight again' were few. Some were forced to remain in hiding under the guiding hands of the likes of the French Resistance or the patriots of the Com te Line - a few of the many who risked their lives helping Allied airmen, either to escape or to remain hidden until liberation, on pain of imprisonment, torture and death by their Nazi oppressors. Despite the threat of such retaliation, it has been said that as many as 100,000 people may have assisted evaders on one or more occasions before the war in Europe was brought to an end. This series of intoxicating chapters of evasion and life under the constant threat of recapture by the Nazis goes one step further in the drama of the war fought in the skies over the Third Reich and the subjugated countries of France, Belgium and Holland, revealing the constant nagging, and very real, fear that was endured by evaders and rescuers alike.

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'It is Arbella they would proclaim Queen if her mistress should happen to die' Sir William Stanley, 1592Niece to Mary, Queen of Scots, granddaughter to the great Tudor dynast Bess of Hardwick, Lady Arbella Stuart was brought up in the belief that she would inherit Elizabeth I's throne. Her very conception was dramatic: the result of an unsanctioned alliance that brought down the wrath of the authorities. Raised in restricted isolation at Hardwick, in the care - the 'custody' - of the forceful Bess, Arbella was twenty-seven before, in 1603, she made her own flamboyant bid for liberty. She may also have been making a bid for the throne. If so, she failed. But the accession of her cousin James thrust her into the colourful world of his court, and briefly gave her the independence she craved at the heart of Jacobean society.Then, aged thirty-five, Arbella risked everything to make her own forbidden marriage. An escape in disguise, a wild flight abroad and capture at sea led, in the end, to an agonizing death in the Tower in 1615. Along with the rumours about her sanity, her story influenced even Webster's The Duchess of Malfi. Yet perhaps nothing in her tale is as striking as the degree to which a woman so widely discussed in her own day has been written out of history. Nothing as remarkable as the almost modern freedom with which, in a series of extraordinary letters, Arbella Stuart revealed her own passionate and curiously accessible personality. Drawing on a wide variety of contemporary sources, Sarah Gristwood has painted a powerful and vivid portrait of a woman forced to carve a precarious path through the turbulent years when the Tudor gave way to the Stuart dynasty. But more remarkable still, the turmoils of Arbella's life never prevented her from claiming the right to love freely, to speak her wrongs loudly - and to control her own destiny.

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'To die for' SUZANNE BROCKMANN'Frighteningly addictive' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'Delicious, erotic, and thrilling' NICOLE JORDAN _____________________No. 1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward is heating things up with a novel featuring some of her most iconic Black Dagger Brothers.When Trez lost his beloved to a tragic death (The Shadows, Black Dagger Brotherhood #13), his soul was crushed and his destiny seemed relegated to suffering. But when he meets a mysterious female, he becomes convinced his true love has been reincarnated. Is he right? Or has his grief created a disastrous delusion?Therese has come to Caldwell to escape a rift with her bloodline. The revelation that she was adopted and not born into her family shakes the foundations of her identity, and she is determined to make it on her own. Her attraction to Trez is not what she's looking for, except the sexy Shadow proves to be undeniable.Has fate provided a grieving widower with a second chance...or is Trez too blinded by the past to see the present for what it really is? In this sensual, arresting book full of the themes of redemption and self-discovery, two lost souls find themselves at a crossroads where the heart is the only compass that can be trusted...but that may require a courage that neither of them possesses._____________________Find out why readers are OBSESSED with the Black Dagger Brotherhood...'Intriguing, adrenaline-pumping' BOOKLIST 'Insanely good! . . . Intensely romantic and straight up flipping steamy, violent and gruesome, heartbreaking and deep. Her addictive writing tells a story like none other' Goodreads reviewer'I can't get enough of these sexy, tough, intriguing vampires' Amazon reviewer'Emotional by epic proportions' Kobo reviewer'The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a twisting, often surprising, but always awesome read' Amazon reviewer'The story had me captivated the whole way' Kobo reviewer'Each and every character is compelling' Amazon reviewer'A must read' Goodreads reviewer

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Escape the frenetic modern world and embark on a journey of a lifetime. Ever dreamed of walking the Camino de Santiago, driving Route 66 or riding the Trans-Siberian Railway? It may sound clichéd, but sometimes it really is all about the journey, rather than the destination and what better way to see the world than by moving through it.If setting out on an adventure is on your bucket list, but you don't know where to start, Unforgettable Journeys will have you lacing up your hiking boots, hitting the road or taking to the high seas. Encompassing everywhere from Antarctica to Zambia, over 200 hikes, drives, cycling trails, train routes and boat trips are brought to life with inspiring narrative, sumptuous photography and illustrative maps. We even suggest alternative routes, so it's easy to plan your next trip. Make your next trip magical as you explore: - Over 200 journeys illustrated with inspiring photography and maps - Experiential text to transport the reader there; descriptive, narrative and full of story - Practical information (duration, difficulty, start and end point, options to take an organized tour - if available - or go it alone).- Sustainable and slow travel options have been covered where possible- Feature boxes give the routes context- Alternative ways to make the same journey and similar trips are pulled out Organized by type of trip - cruises, road trips, train rides, and journeys by two feet and two wheels, each chapter follows the same geographical order with chapter maps showing every country covered. Each section covers a different way to travel the world and is broken down by continent. Whether you want to explore the Atlas Mountains or Torres del Paine on foot; drive the Pan American Highway or cross the Australian Outback; cycle from the top to the bottom of Africa or enjoy a leisurely ride across The Netherlands' bulb fields; go interrailing around Europe or board the Orient Express; island hop in Greece or the Philippines: these journeys will stay with you forever!

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