Search results for ""epic""

A special run of prequels to Doctor Who: The War Doctor. The Eighth Doctor battles for survival in the early stages of the Time War. The Eighth Doctor battles for survival in the early stages of the Time War: 2.1 Lords of Terror by Jonathan Morris. When the Doctor takes Bliss to her home colony, they discover that the Time War has got there first. Bliss finds her world altered beyond recognition, and the population working to serve new masters. No dissent is allowed. The Daleks are coming. The planet must be ready to fight them. 2.2 Planet of the Ogrons by Guy Adams. Avoiding the Time War, the Doctor and Bliss are found by an old acquaintance: the latest incarnation of a criminal mastermind the Doctor knows of old. But unlike her predecessors, the Twelve has a handle on her previous selves’ unruly minds. There is a mystery to solve involving the Doctor’s TARDIS and its unusual occupant – and answers will be found on the Planet of the Ogrons. 2.3 In the Garden of Death by Guy Adams. In a prison camp like no other, the Most Dangerous Man in the Universe is held in isolation. The rest of the inmates have no memory of who they were or what they might have done.No memory even of their captors. Until the interrogations begin. 2.4 Jonah by Timothy X Atack. In the depths of an ocean world ravaged by the Time War, the weary survivors are pressed into service by Cardinal Ollistra.Something is hidden beneath the sea: the Twelve knows the truth, if only she could drag it from her jumbled mind. And when the Doctor becomes the captain of a submarine boat, all omens spell disaster. Big Finish have been producing Doctor Who audios since 1999, starring Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, David Tennant and John Hurt. Paul McGann's eighth Doctor has the unique distinction of being in both the Classic Doctor Who series (1963-1996) and the New Series (2006 onwards). He's reprised this romantic, adventuring Doctor for Big Finish across a variety of hugely popular adventures. Joining him as Companion Bliss is Rakhee Thakrar, known to a legion of EastEnders fans as Shabnam Masood. The Time War is the legendary combat between the Time Lords and their arch enemies the Daleks, an event so huge, so terrible, that only a fragment could be realised on television. These audio adventures bring the epic scale of the conflict to life as the two races battle and the universe burns in the cross-fire. Guest star Julia McKenzie is hugely regarded for her recent appearances as Miss Marple for ITV. Here she plays The Twelve, a Time Lord villain with a dozen personalities in her head... CAST: Paul McGann (The Doctor), Rakhee Thakrar (Bliss), Nicholas Briggs (The Daleks), Jacqueline Pearce (Cardinal Ollistra), Julia McKenzie (The Twelve),Nikki Amuka -Bird (Tamasan), Amanda Root (Lendek), Rakie Ayola (Pollia / Lambda Epsilon), Guy Adams (Rendo), Simon Slater (Carvil / Shaler), Jon Culshaw (Doctor Ogron), Victor McGuire (Borton), Anya Chalotra (Ensign Murti), Tania Rodrigues (Chief Panath), Surinder Duhra (Executive Officer Omor).

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Discover the world of the Queen's Thief New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner's entrancing and award-winning Queen's Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics and feature one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin. Eugenides, the queen's thief, can steal anything-or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king's magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he's in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own. The Queen's Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans, and have been honored with glowing reviews, "best of" citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Discover and rediscover the stand-alone companions, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, and A Conspiracy of Kings, all epic novels set in the world of the Queen's Thief. A Newbery Honor Book An ALA Notable Book A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults A Horn Book Fanfare Book A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age A Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book A Junior Library Guild Selection "The Queen's Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner's books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come."-Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer "Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail-you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again." -Leigh Bardugo, New York Times-bestselling author of the The Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows "Trust me. Just read it. Then read it again, because it will not be the same river twice."-Lois McMaster Bujold, acclaimed and Hugo Award-winning author of the Vorkosigan Saga, the Chalion Series, and the Sharing Knife series "In addition to its charismatic hero, this story possesses one of the most valuable treasures of all-a twinkling jewel of a surprise ending." -Publishers Weekly (starred review) "To miss this thief's story would be a crime."-Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review) "A literary journey that enriches both its characters and readers before it is over."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A tantalizing, suspenseful, exceptionally clever novel."-The Horn Book (starred review)

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Many English-speaking people who want to be educated try to read Dante, the 'best known, least read' of all the classical poets, and find him impossible. In my thirties I did just that: 'Where do I begin?' The library yielded a translation of 'The Divine Comedy' - a great fat epic in three volumes. Wading into the Inferno, I struggled through a couple of sections and decided this wasn't for me. Too gloomy, too stilted, too difficult to grasp - and above all - too many words. I gave up almost at once. I cannot be the only one who as a result of that kind of experience thinks the work of this great Master is exclusively about Hell. 'Dante? - oh, you mean Dante's Inferno!' they say. NO! That's not it. There's far, far more. Dante wrote in Italian in order to reach ordinary people who, like me, needed the story itself. He wrote in the vernacular about the famous of the time - well-known entertainers and politicians, poets and artists, churchmen and musicians, the great and the awful. He wanted to be understood by everyone, including those not too well-versed in Latin. 'What a story this is,' I thought, when finally I was properly introduced to it. 'Why don't we all know this story? Dante is so warm-hearted, so exciting, so full of hope and humour, justice and joy - but, like me, my friends hardly ever get into Hell, let alone out of it and on.' My aim is to tell Dante's story in the way I remember it - not primarily for its history, or its theology, or even its most gracious poetry, but for the unfolding journey he made through those amazing landscapes. It was all in his imagination, yet so vividly brought to life in his poem that irresistibly it invites us to accompany him on a life-changing, life-saving adventure of our own. The tale begins when, depressed and lost in a Dark Wood, Dante meets Virgil, his hero among much earlier poets. At the request of Beatrice - his great love, now in Heaven - Virgil has come from Limbo to guide him on a huge journey. Sure enough, they start by going down through Hell; but they emerge, ascend the Mountain of Purgatory through many adventures, and rise to the threshold of Paradise. There, human knowledge fails and Virgil leaves him. Meeting people all the way, he flies on into Heaven with Beatrice, and up through the stars to God. I hope that by travelling with him, we too may come to find in the poetry something of the depth of the vision. I hope we may come to love Dante as a person, with all his directness, his immense compassion for those he meets on the way, and his chuckling ability to laugh at himself. I hope we shall rejoice that his passion for Beatrice, who leads him through Heaven, is at last so blissfully fulfilled in the divine. May our own landscape of the mind be enhanced - even transformed - by the journey.

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SHE CAN'T HAVE A FUTURE UNTIL SHE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO HER FAMILY AFTER THE WAR.'Deeply moving and beautifully written' ANN CLEEVES'Heart-breaking, beautiful and thrilling - a book that will stay with you for a very long time' ELLY GRIFFITHS'A tale of devastating secrets, brilliantly told' RORY CLEMENTS1944LEO STERN arrives at the Nazi camp at Borek with his wife Irena and his two daughters. The Sterns are spared from the gas chamber when they witness a murder. But in a place that humanity has deserted, Leo is forced to make unimaginable choices to try to keep his family alive. 1961 For seventeen years, Hanna has been unable to remember her identity and how she was separated from her family at the end of the war, until the discovery of a letter among her late uncle's possessions reveals her real name - HANNA STERN - and leads her to Berlin in search of her lost past.Helped by former lover Peter, Hanna begins to piece together the shocking final days of Borek. But Hanna isn't the only one with an interest in the camp, and lurking in the shadows is someone who would prefer Hanna's history to remain silent. Based on in-depth research and beautifully written, this a novel of memory and identity, and the long shadow of war.'Outstanding. Heartstopping. Brilliant. A story that scorches the page, searing in its honesty and profoundly moving in its emotional impact. This is an important, powerful novel that everyone should read' KATE FURNIVALL'Taking the reader from the atmospheric Fenlands of Cambridgeshire to the ghost-filled forests of wartime Poland and finally into Cold War-era Berlin, The Silent Child is a thought-provoking and compelling novel about the long-lasting aftershocks of war. This is great storytelling, full of mysteries and twists, epic in its sweep, but precise and respectful in its historical details. J. G. Kelly's vividly evoked scenes will stay with me for a long time' CAROLINE SCOTT'This book was such a beautifully written book that will stay with me for a long time. The storyline was emotive and heart wrenching and the characters were well developed and have a special place in my heart. I didn't want this book to end. Nothing I could say would do this book justice, I cannot recommend this book enough' Reader review'It's beautifully written with a story that draws you in so quickly, it's very well researched and heartbreakingly realistic. A book I wanted and needed to finish. The sort of book everyone should read. The most compelling book I've read this year' Reader review'Utterly impossible for me to put down. A heartbreaking story... I found I had devoured the entire book in just one sitting... I have loved this book so much, I wish I could give it five hundred stars. All I can say is "WOW - read it. You won't be disappointed' Reader review 'I was engrossed in the story. The author has done tremendous research about the war and did a good job of drawing the reader into the story' Reader review

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It was supposed to be a routine trip for the members of the Gordian Division, both human and AI: fly out to Saturn, inspect the construction of their latest time machines, then fly back. But when the division’s top scientist and chief engineer are killed in the same freak accident, suspicions of foul play run deep. Detective Isaac Cho is sent in to investigate, but he has more on his mind than just a new case. His superiors have saddled him with an exchange officer from the neighboring Admin—Special Agent Susan Cantrell—whose notion of proper “law enforcement” involves blowing up criminals first and skipping questions entirely. Despite his objections, Cho is stuck with an untested partner on a case that increasingly reeks of murder and conspiracy. The unlikely pair must work together to unravel this mystery, and soon they discover their unique combination of skills might just provide the edge they need. But nothing is ever simple where the Gordian Division is involved. Not even time itself. About The Janus File: “A satisfying, self-contained mystery for its mismatched protagonists to gradually unravel . . . moments of humor amid the expected culture clashes, and the exploration of the authors’ well-realized far-future world . . . It’s pure entertainment.” —Publishers Weekly About prequel The Gordian Protocol: “Tom Clancy-esque exposition of technical details . . . absurd humor and bloody action. Echoes of Robert Heinlein . . . lots of exploding temporal spaceships and bodies . . . action-packed . . .” —Booklist “[A] fun and thrilling standalone from Weber and Holo. . . . Time travel enthusiasts will enjoy the moral dilemmas, nonstop action, and crisp writing.” —Publishers Weekly About David Weber: “[A] balanced mix of interstellar intrigue, counterespionage, and epic fleet action . . . with all the hard- and software details and tactical proficiency that Weber delivers like no one else; along with a large cast of well-developed, believable characters, giving each clash of fleets emotional weight.” —Booklist “[M]oves . . . as inexorably as the Star Kingdom’s Grand Fleet, commanded by series protagonist Honor Harrington. . . . Weber is the Tom Clancy of science fiction. . . . His fans will relish this latest installment. . . .” —Publishers Weekly “This entry is just as exciting as Weber’s initial offering. . . . The result is a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows [our characters] as they move from reaction to command of the situation. Weber builds Shadow of Freedom to an exciting and unexpected climax.” —The Galveston County Daily News “Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a deep understanding of military bureaucracy in this long-awaited Honor Harrington novel . . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice to see Honor back in action.” —Publishers Weekly “This latest Honor Harrington novel brings the saga to another crucial turning point. . . . Readers may feel confident that they will be Honored many more times and enjoy it every time.” —Booklist “[E]verything you could want in a heroine. . . . Excellent . . . plenty of action.” —Science Fiction Age “Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!” —Anne McCaffrey “Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.” —Locus “Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection. . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice . . .” —Publishers Weekly About Jacob Holo: “An entertaining sci-fi action novel with light overtones of dystopian and political thrillers.” —Kirkus on The Dragons of Jupiter “Thrilling . . . sci-fi adventure.” —Kirkus on Time Reavers

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Book I in the campaign history of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Birth of a Regiment is an authoritative, action-packed account of the 504th’s seminal role in Sicily and Italy, the first two U.S. airborne drops in the European Theater of Operations. Drawing on hundreds of eye-witness testimonies, Frank van Lunteren puts readers at the scene of historic battles as described in the words of the men who fought them. New archival sources in English, German, and Italian further enrich the narrative, along with fresh maps and previously unpublished photographs from archival sources and the veterans’ private collections.Activated in May 1942, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment earned high praise for its very first mission when it effected the first U.S. mass regimental combat jump of World War II in the invasion of Sicily. According to German General Kurt Student, “if it had not been for the Allied airborne forces blocking the tanks of the Hermann Göring Division from reaching the beachhead, that Division would have driven the initial seaborne forces back into the sea.” Led by Col. Reuben Tucker, the 504th subsequently dropped into the endangered Fifth U.S. Army beachhead at Salerno; bitter fighting led to hard-won success at Altavilla and Hill 424 and the regimental motto “Strike and Hold.” Birth of a Regiment is the first book-length account of the birth of U.S. airborne forces, and the first to fully capture the details, danger, and crucial stakes of the initial 504th missions in the unforgettable voices of the newly minted paratroopers who fought the first Allied battles in the ETO up through the victorious entry into Naples. These initial missions were all the more important, in that they would determine future Allied strategy, planning, and tactics. It is not to be forgotten that Sicily was a testing ground for the Allied coalition: the first time an American army and a British army, managed at the top by a unified Allied staff, would undertake a major campaign. According to James M. Gavin, the Commanding General of the 82nd ABD at the end of the war, who had jumped into Sicily himself: “What was learned in that first cooperative action affected the whole outcome of World War II.” Personally interviewed by the author over a period of 20 years, nearly 200 veterans of the 504th recount their remembrance of combat, permitting readers of Birth of a Regiment to relive epic battles of the ETO through the words of the very men who made history. Participants include survivors and witnesses of the tragic decimation of 23 aircraft and the death of 164 paratroopers and crew when U.S. troops mistook them for the enemy and fired on their planes as they flew into Sicily. Veterans recount the ferocious, desperate battle at Biazzi Ridge, and the later regimental action at the Salerno Beachhead, where the 504th crucially took Hill 424 after a night drop and seaborne landing. Having undisputedly proven their prowess, Tucker’s troopers were chosen to spearhead the Fifth Army drive into Naples. These dramatic, unforgettable memories of the war provide new information from the foxhole view on up, giving historians and lay readers alike fresh perspective on the initial U.S. engagements in WWII and the difficult birth of Allied airborne operations. The volume is enriched by new maps and historic archival photos, including many previously unpublished photos and provided by 504th veterans.

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Finalist for the 2016 PEN Center USA Award for Translation In 1809, at the age of eighteen, Henriette Faber enrolled herself in medical school in Paris--and since medicine was a profession prohibited to women, she changed her name to Henri in order to matriculate. She would spend the next fifteen years practicing medicine and living as a man. Drafted to serve as a surgeon in Napoleon's army, Faber endured the horrors of the 1812 retreat across Russia. She later embarked to the Caribbean and set up a medical practice in a remote Cuban village, where she married Juana de Leon, an impoverished local. Three years into their marriage, de Leon turned Faber in to the authorities, demanding that the marriage be annulled. A sensational legal trial ensued, and Faber was stripped of her medical license, forced to dress as a woman, sentenced to prison, and ultimately sent into exile. She was last seen on a boat headed to New Orleans in 1827. In this, his last published work, Antonio Benitez Rojo takes the outline provided by historical events and weaves a richly detailed backdrop for Faber, who becomes a vivid and complex figure grappling with the strictures of her time. Woman in Battle Dress is a sweeping, ambitious epic, in which Henriette Faber tells the story of her life, a compelling, entertaining, and ultimately triumphant tale. Praise for Woman in Battle Dress "Woman in Battle Dress by Antonio Benitez-Rojo, which has been beautifully translated from the Spanish by Jessica Ernst Powell, is the extraordinary account of an extraordinary person. Benitez-Rojo blows great gusts of fascinating fictional wind onto the all but forgotten embers of the actual Henriette Faber, and this blazing tale of her adventures as a military surgeon and a husband and about a hundred other fascinating things is both something we want and need to hear."--Laird Hunt, author of Neverhome "A picaresque novel starring an adventurous heroine, who caroms from country to country around the expanding Napoleonic empire, hooking up with a dazzling array of men (and women) as she goes. A wild ride!"--Carmen Boullosa, author of Texas: The Great Theft "As detailed as any work of history and as action filled as any swashbuckler, Woman in Battle Dress is not only Antonio Benitez Rojo's last and most ambitious book, but also his masterpiece. In this graceful English translation of Henriette Faber's autobiography--more than fiction, less than fact--American readers will have access to one of the most engaging novels to come out of Latin America in recent years."--Gustavo Perez-Firmat, Columbia University Antonio Benitez-Rojo (1931--2005) was a Cuban novelist, essayist and short-story writer. He was widely regarded as the most significant Cuban author of his generation. His work has been translated into nine languages and collected in more than 50 anthologies. One of his most influential publications, La Isla que se Repite, was published in 1989 by Ediciones del Norte, and published in English as The Repeating Island by Duke University Press in 1997. Jessica Powell has translated numerous Latin American authors, including works by Cesar Vallejo, Jorge Luis Borges, Ernesto Cardenal, Maria Moreno, Ana Lidia Vega Serova and Edmundo Paz Soldan. Her translation (with Suzanne Jill Levine) of Adolfo Bioy Casares and Silvina Ocampo's novel Where There's Love, There's Hate, was published by Melville House in 2013. She is the recipient of a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellowship in support of her translation of Antonio Benitez Rojo's novel Woman in Battle Dress.

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"Frank Lima is an American Villon."--David Shapiro "Highly recommended for -reasons that go beyond historical -completeness."--Library Journal, starred review "This collection is not to be missed."--Publishers Weekly, starred review Protege of Frank O'Hara, Kenneth Koch, and Allen Ginsberg, Frank Lima (1939-2013) was the only Latino member of the New York School during its historical heyday. After enduring a difficult and violent childhood, he discovered poetry as an inmate of a juvenile drug treatment center under the tutelage of the painter, Sherman Drexler, who introduced him to his poet friends. After his poetry debut in the Evergreen Review in 1962, Lima appeared in key New York School anthologies and published two full-length collections of his own. In the late 1970s, Lima left the poetry world to pursue a successful career as a chef, though he returned intermittently and continued to write a poem a day until his death. Incidents of Travel in Poetry is a landmark re-introduction to the work of this major Latino poet. Beginning with poems from Inventory (1964), his installment in the legendary Tibor de Nagy poetry series, Incidents includes selections from Lima's previous volumes, tracing his development from his early snapshots of street life to his later surrealist-influenced abstract lyricism. The bulk of the collection comes from his later unpublished manuscripts, and thus Incidents represents the full range of Lima's work for the very first time. Praise for Incidents of Travel in Poetry: "Finally. Finally. Finally. Here's the Frank Lima collection that poetry lovers worldwide have been waiting for. Lima was an authentic outlier and Incidents of Travel transcends and decolonizes any attempt at easy categorization. With this new body of work, we are reaping the price Lima paid for being ostracized. Our reward? The dream we wish we could have, whispers that hint of a new waste land, and we'll always be in his debt for having Lima as a guide."--Willie Perdomo, The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon. "Frank Lima is a masterful writer of ecstatic, devastating, and hauntingly personal poetry. His candor is irresistible and transformative, as cuttingly witty in one poem as elegiac and sorrowful in the next. Complete with its nuances and disappointments, nobody writes the poetry of domestic reverence quite like Lima. In this generous selection of work from the poet's life, including poetry from 1997 onward, we can finally solidify Lima as a figure of crucial importance to our understanding of the New York School writers. This work shines with all the love and labor of Lima's thoroughly American experience, one which is inextricable from the trauma of cultural duality. Lima's voice speaks to us like an intimate friend, a co-conspirator in hope. 'Blessed are the poets who invented us as poets,' he writes in a poem for David Shapiro, an ode to both his best friend and to poetry. Blessed are we now to have this landmark collection of work from Frank Lima. This book is a long overdue treasure." --Wendy Xu From his first contact with poetry while incarcerated as a juvenile offender in Harlem, through his meetings with Langston Hughes and Frank O'Hara, his years with Berkson and Padgett and Berrigan, his stint as a chef, and his years of living his Vow to Poetry when he wrote at least a poem a day in total obscurity--Lima's life is an epic of contradictions. Frank Lima is a poet the world has been waiting to discover. Now we can."--Bob Holman

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‘A landmark book....A massively reported deep dive into the unparalleled corporate industrial giant Koch Industries....This impressively researched and well-rendered book also serves as a biography of Charles Koch, with Leonard providing an evenhanded treatment of the tycoon. Leonard's work is on par with Steve Coll's Private Empire and even Ida Tarbell's enduring classic The History of the Standard Oil Company.’ Kirkus Reviews ‘Leonard’s superb investigations and even-handed, clear-eyed reportage stand out....American capitalism at its most successful and domineering is at the center of this sweeping history of a much-vilified company.’Publishers Weekly ‘Leonard’s intricately developed and extensively researched history of the Koch empire is a colossal corporate biography that sheds important light on this closely guarded enterprise while simultaneously scrutinizing the nefarious underpinnings of American economic policies and practices.’ Booklist ‘This page-turning exposé reveals the full extent of the Koch brothers’ influence on American capitalism.’ Book Riot ‘If you want a crash course in the evolution of postmodern capitalism over the last five decades read Kochland....Leonard's study is exhaustive and engaging.’ New York Journal of Books The annual revenue of Koch Industries is bigger than that of Google, Goldman Sachs and Kraft Foods combined. But very few people have ever heard of Koch Industries because the billionaire Koch brothers want it that way. Now, in Kochland, Christopher Leonard has managed what no other journalist has done before: to tell the explosive inside story of how the largest private company in the world became that big. In doing so, Leonard also tells the epic tale of the evolution of corporate America over the last half-century, in all its glory and rapaciousness. Koch is everywhere. It controls the fertilisers at the foundation of our food system. It controls the synthetics that make our diapers and carpets. It controls the chemicals that make our bottles and pipes. It controls the building materials that make our homes and offices. And it controls much of the Wall Street trading in all of these commodities. It makes money at every end of almost every deal. For five decades, CEO Charles Koch has kept Koch Industries quietly operating behind a veil of secrecy, with a view toward very, very long-term profits. When Wall Street came calling twenty years ago, trying to take Koch public, Charles Koch said no. He’s a genius businessman: patient with profits, able to learn from his mistakes, determined that his employees develop an almost a worshipful dedication to free-market ruthlessness, and a master disrupter. We think of disruption as something that happens in Silicon Valley, but this book will upend your understanding of what disruption really is. Charles Koch’s business acumen has made him and his brother David (Koch Industries’ co-owner) together richer than Bill Gates. But there’s a dark side to their story. If you want to understand how we killed the unions in this country, how we widened the income divide, how we stalled progress on climate change and how corporate America bought the influence industry, all you have to do is read this book. Seven years in the making, Kochland reads like a true-life thriller, with larger-than-life characters driving the battles on every page. The book tells the ambitious tale of how one private company consolidated power over half a century – and how in doing so, transformed capitalism into something that feels so deeply alienating to many Americans today.

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On the eve of a world war, a forbidden love will blossom in the garden of a stately home, where one young woman will make a choice that will change her life forever… ‘An emotional story of love and strength’ – LIZ FENWICK ‘Beautiful … Had me utterly captivated’ – JENNY ASHCROFT As the storm clouds of war gather, Cordelia seeks refuge in the grounds of her family estate. Handsome landscaper Isaac has recently arrived to tend to the gardens, and the connection between him and Cordelia is as immediate as it is forbidden. Isaac begins to secretly teach her how to cultivate the gardens, so when he and all the young men are called away to war, Cordelia takes over. From the battlefields of Europe, Isaac sends her letters, that give her hope for their future in peacetime. But when these messages abruptly cease, Cordelia must face up to the worst and take her future – and the fate of the garden they both loved – into her own hands… An epic, sweeping tale of love, war and the strength of the human spirit. Fans of Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton will be absolutely gripped by this historical page-turner. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Authors love The Hidden Letters : ‘A beautiful emotional story of love and strength’ Liz Fenwick, author of The River Between Us ‘Lorna Cook has had me utterly captivated with her latest. The Hidden Letters has it all – heartbreak and redemption, intense love and desperate loss. It's the type of book that first made me fall in love with reading, I adored every sumptuous, atmospheric page, and can't recommend it highly enough.’ Jenny Ashcroft, author of Under the Golden Sun ‘A beautiful, evocative story of love and coping with loss that kept me turning the pages late into the night. A triumph!’ Rachel Burton, author of The Secrets of Summer House ‘Magnificent. Broke my heart and put it back together again’ Amanda Geard, author of The Midnight House ‘Kept me guessing right up to the last poignant page, I found it difficult to put down and impossible to stop thinking about when I did’ Iona Grey, author of The Glittering Hour ‘Lorna Cook’s lyrical novel transports us back to the last golden summer of innocence. Against the backdrop of a garden so beautifully depicted that I could smell the roses, she leads us through loss, heartbreak and heroism – and shows us that love can triumph over even the greatest adversity.’ Judy Summers, author of The Forgotten Sister ‘A story of heartache and deliverance, love and loss, brilliantly plotted and beautifully written – I could not put it down.’ Louisa Treger, author of Madwoman Readers love The Hidden Letters : ‘Upon leaving those final pages and closing the book … it's like coming home. A feeling of completeness. Of having lived, loved and survived. Everything about Lorna’s tales are just all encompassing, sweeping you away and back to another time far away.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A pleasure to read – I felt quite bereft when I had finished the final page.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A beautiful, evocative story of love and coping with loss that kept me turning the pages late into the night. A triumph!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A sweeping historical saga about war, duty, family, social change, sacrifice, loss, and unexpected love. The Hidden Letters made me cry, I found it really moving. ‘I really liked the way parts of the story were told through letters. The characters were both like able and believable. Definitely recommended.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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'An absorbing and engaging tale of wartime bravery and endurance. Bill and Izabela are such tenderly drawn characters ... I loved it!' RACHEL HORE, author of Last Letter Home and The Memory Garden_______________________________Their love is a death sentence. But can it keep them alive?Czechoslovakia, 1944. In the dead of night, a farm girl and a British soldier creep through abandoned villages. Secretly married and on the run, Bill and Izabela are searching for Izabela's brother and father, who are fighting for the Czech resistance. They know their luck will not last.Captured by the German army, it seems they must be separated - but they have prepared for this moment. By cutting her hair and pretending to be mute, Izabela successfully disguises herself as a British soldier. Together, they face the terrible conditions of a POW camp, reliant on the help of their fellow POWs to maintain their fragile deception.Their situation is beyond dangerous. If Izabela is discovered, she and Bill - and all the men who helped them - will face lethal consequences._______________________________A novel set in war-torn Czechoslovakia amid the extreme privations of a prisoner of war camp, based on a true story of passion, heroism and a love that transcends overwhelming odds._______________________________'Deeply moving and compelling ... an epic journey not only across war-torn countries but deep into the heart of what it is to be human. A heart-rending story beautifully told.' JUDITH ALLNAT, author of The Poet's Wife and The Silk Factory'Heart-wrenching and heart-warming in equal measure, The Prisoner's Wife is an unputdownable novel ... finely crafted, atmospheric, often nail-biting.' BEN KANE, author of The Eagles of Rome series'A story of danger, fear, determination and the redemptive power of love in war-torn Europe. It is a story that Hemingway might have envied.' JULIET GARDINER, author of Wartime: Britain 1939 to 1945 and The Blitz: The British Under Attack.'A gripping novel that explores the question of how much the human body, and the human spirit, can endure for the sake of love. The wealth of authentic detail makes it feel like a memoir ... I feel enriched to have read it.' GILL PAUL, author of The Lost Daughter and The Secret Wife'The Prisoner's Wife seamlessly and skilfully breathes intense, fully realised life into the stark scenes it describes. I was by turns moved, outraged and humbled' DEBORAH KAY DAVIES, author of True Things About Me'A powerful page-turner' MARIE BENEDICT, New York Times bestselling author of Lady Clementine'You will be spellbound by this stellar novel. So richly imbued with sensory details you'll be feeling every anguished moment and every golden ray of hope.' SUSAN MEISSNER, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War'The most unique World War II story I've ever read... Romantic, perfectly observed, inspiring, and thrilling - The Prisoner's Wife is impossible to put down - and when I did, I was teary-eyed. A complete winner.' SARAH-JANE STRATFORD, author of Red Letter Days'Tremendous ... this is much more than a love story' GEORGINA CLARKE, author of Death and the Harlot'Engrossing, harrowing and heart-warming' ANN MORGAN, author of Reading The World'This is a beautiful book that will give any reader in dark times a reason to believe in the continuing goodness of people' NICOLA GRIFFITH, author of Hild

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!! NOW WITH AN EXCLUSIVE BONUS CHAPTER !!One of Book Riot's 'Best and Swooniest Romantasy Books''Amber's series breaks the rules in the best way. Her main character is strong, capable, and unapologetically powerful. There is no damsel here. This story is filled with fast-paced action, an in-depth world, and a romance that goes from simmer to boil. If you like romantasy, read this!' RAVEN KENNEDY'A wicked ride from beginning to heart shattering end. Leaving me literally screaming for more. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to get more our morally corrupt heroine who you can't help but root for, along with the giggle inducing banter between her and the heroic god Samkiel' HANNAH NICOLE MAEHER'Once in a while I read a series that reminds me of just why I love enemies to lovers, slow burn, and morally grey characters so much. Gods and Monsters is that series. This is perfection. Amber Nicole's Dianna is the FMC of my soul' NISHA J. TULIDon't miss this addictive BookTok sensation - a perfectly steamy, high-stakes, TRUE enemies-to-lovers, dark epic romantasy!_________________________WHERE THERE ARE GODS, THERE ARE ALSO MONSTERS . . .For a thousand years, the Etherworld has known peace.Until now.Many centuries ago, desperate to save her dying sister, Dianna made a deal with Kaden, a monster far worse than any nightmare. Locked in servitude to him, she is forced to hunt down an ancient relic held by her most dangerous enemies: an army led by Samkiel, the World Ender.After the Gods War, Samkiel hid from everything, denying his crown and deserting his people. Now, an attack on those he loves sends him back to the realm he never wished to return to, and into the sights of an enemy he had hoped to forget.With every world at stake, Dianna and Samkiel are forced to set aside their animosity and work together, before all is lost . . .Don't miss the next book in this series, THE THRONE OF BROKEN GODS and look out for Book 3 coming soon . . ._________________________⭐ Readers can't get enough of Samkiel and Dianna! ⭐'I loved reading this book so much! The world building is amazing, Dianna is super badass and I love how she grew in the book . . . Can't wait to read the next in the series!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'So so so so good! Such a well written and addictive read! Brings all the emotions and a great amount of twists and turns. Highly recommend!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I am so glad BookTok showed me this book, I jumped in based off of one single line and I regret NOTHING! I especially love the fact that the characters are all very unique and feel very original . . . Loved it so much, cannot wait for book 2. And did I see that this will be a 5 book series? HELL YES PLEASE!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'An easy 5 ⭐ read. This is my favourite book of the year so far. You need to read this - I couldn't put it down. I need to go now and download the second book!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Well, what a read. I am so glad that I picked this bad boy up. My first 5 ⭐ read for a really long time. I think book 2 will blow it out of the park! Absolutely amazing characters and that ending!!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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'[An] evocative and tender book . . . everyone who reads it will be enchanted like I was' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader reviewA Read with Jenna Book Club Pick as Seen on the Today Show and named a Best Book of the Month by: Shondaland, MS. Magazine, TODAY.com, Reader's Digest, Katie Couric Media, AARP Sisters, Goodreads, BookRiot'Propulsive and poignant, Black Candle Women concocts an intoxicating potion of warmth, wisdom, and wonder. This gorgeous debut novel is a sweepingly fashioned love story where romance and rebellion intertwine with fear and family. And the stakes are epic. I was completely and gladly under Ms. Brown's spell' AVA DUVERNAY*************************************'All of you are cursed, you hear me?An ugly death for the ones with whom you fall in love'For generations, the Montrose women have lived alone with their secrets, their delicate peace depending on the unspoken bond that underpins their family life - Voodoo and hoodoo magic, and a decades-old curse that will kill anyone they fall for.When seventeen-year-old Nickie Montrose brings home a boy for the first time, this careful balance is thrown into disarray. For the other women have been keeping the curse from Nickie, and revealing it means that they must reckon with their own choices and mistakes.As new truths emerge, the Montrose women are set on a collision course that echoes back to New Orleans' French Quarter, where a crumbling book of spells may hold the answers that all of them have been looking for...Rich in its sense of character and place, Black Candle Women is a haunting and magical debut from a talented new storyteller.*************************************'If you like Practical Magic . . . you will love Black Candle Women' Jenna Bush Hager'A big-hearted debut, with complex, flawed, and compelling characters I was rooting for every step of the way' E.M. TRAN'Richly imagined and elegantly told, with plenty of satisfying secrets, heartaches, and twists' SADEQA JOHNSON'A spellbinding romp. The Montrose women will have you clutching your pearls on this rollercoaster of a debut' CAROLYN HUYNH'Written with warmth and an eye for detail, Diane Marie Brown's Black Candle Women explores the bonds of family and the magical power of belief to transform our lives' SHAUNA J. EDWARDS & ALYSON RICHMAN'Black Candle Women is a compassionate novel about motherhood, sisterhood, independence, and the reflection and forgiveness required to break generational curses' DE'SHAWN CHARLES WINSLOW'Brown deftly portrays an insular family of women in all of its complicated glory . . . The spiritual angle gives this powerful family drama a magical twist that will delight readers' BOOKLIST (starred review)'Black Candle Women is a bold and tender story about three generations of women each attempting to find their way amidst the gifts and curses they've inherited . . . This novel is a wondrous celebration of womanhood' CLEYVIS NATERAEarly readers are LOVING Black Candle Women!'I LOVED IT SO SO MUCH. Magic? A cursed family tree? Badass women? This was an adventure from start to finish and it was my pleasure to read''What a fascinating story about some amazing women. I was caught on page one and stayed captivated until the very end. Bravo!!''This book was amazing from start to finish. I was so captivated by each of the characters''I was invested from the first page and really loved these characters and their story'

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Creation by Adam Rutherford tells the entire spellbinding story of life in two gripping narratives.'Prepare to be astounded. There are moments when this book is so gripping it reads like a thriller' Mail on SundayThe Origin of Life is a four-billion-year detective story that uses the latest science to explain what life is and where it first came from, offering answers to the very grandest of questions before arriving at a thrilling solution.'A superbly written explanation' Brian CoxThis same science has led to a technological revolution: the ability to create entirely new life forms within the lab, known as synthetic biology. The Future of Life introduces these remarkable innovations, explains how they work, and presents a powerful argument for their benefit to humankind.'The reader's sense of awe at the well-nigh inconceivable nature of nature is suitably awakened. The extraordinary science and Rutherford's argument are worth every reader's scrutiny. Fascinating.' Sunday Telegraph'One of the most eloquent and genuinely thoughtful books on science over the past decade. You will not find a better, more balanced or up-to-date take on the origin of life or synthetic biology. Essential reading for anyone interested in the coming revolution, which could indeed rival the Industrial Revolution or the internet' Observer'The perfect primer on the past and future of DNA' Guardian'Susenseful, erudite and thrilling' Prospect'A witty, engaging and eye-opening explanation of the basic units of life, right back to our common ancestors and on to their incredible synthetic future. The mark of a really good science book, it shows that the questions we still have are just as exciting as the answers we already know' Dara O Briain'This is a quite delightful two-books-in-one. Rutherford's lightness of touch in describing the dizzying complexity of life at the cellular level in The Origin of Life only serves to emphasise the sheer scale and ambition of the emerging field of synthetic biology' Jim Al Khalili'A fascinating glimpse into our past and future. Rutherford argues persuasively against those who seek to hold back scientific progress. His illuminating book is full of optimism about what we might be able to achieve' Sunday Times'Fresh, original and excellent. An eye-opening look at how we are modifying and constructing life. Totally fascinating' PopularScience.co.uk'In this book of two halves, Rutherford tells the epic history of life on earth, and eloquently argues the case for embracing technology which allows us to become biological designers' Alice Roberts'An engaging account of both the mystery of life's origin and its impending resolution as well as a fascinating glimpse of the impending birth of a new, synthetic biology'' Matt Ridley, author of Genome'I warmly recommend Creation. Rutherford's academic background in genetics gives him a firm grasp of the intricacies of biochemistry - and he translates these superbly into clear English' Financial TimesDr Adam Rutherford is a geneticist, writer and broadcaster. He presents BBC Radio 4's weekly programme Inside Science and his documentaries include the award-winning series The Cell (BBC4), The Gene Code (BBC4), Horizon: 'Playing God' (BBC2) as well as numerous other programmes for BBC Radio 4. This is his first book.TGTCGTGAAGCTACTATTTAAAATGCCACAGTGAAAGATTAAACGCCCGAAAACGGGGTGATAAATGGACGGTAAGTTCCCGACTAAACGTGTTAAATG

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Winner of the 2018 Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction AwardMaine, 1980. A utopian community is on the verge of collapse. The charismatic leader's authority teeters as his followers come to realize they've been exploited for too long. To make matters worse, the eleven-year-old son of one adherent learns that his mother has cancer.Taking refuge in his imagination, the boy begins to speak of another time and place. His parents believe he is remembering his own life before birth. This memory, a story within the story of Blood Fable, is an epic tale about the search for a lost city refracted through the lens of the adventures the boy loves to read. But strangely, as the world around them falls apart, he and his parents find that his story seems to foretell the events unfolding in their present lives.Praise for Blood Fable:"A family drama, a fantastical voyage, and a poetic reflection on love, death and betrayal, this extraordinary coming-of-age novel exposes the difficult relationship between free-thought and blind faith, evasion and enlightenment. Oisín Curran's Blood Fable is an adventure for the heart and soul." –Johanna Skibsrud, Scotiabank Giller Prize winning author of The Sentimentalists and Quartet for the End of Time"This careful and loving rendering of a child's mind proves that acts of storytelling were once not so much vehicles for escape but instead crucial rehearsals for being. A remembrance of lost time – or maybe, to reference its Buddhist undergirding, an alaya-vijnana, a storehouse consciousness – Curran's vision of boyhood is perfect in details and sublimely moving. Blood Fable is a magnificent double take, which – like a bistable optical illusion (duck or rabbit?) – allows two universes to coexist. A rapturous adventure tale where the very essence of adventure is subverted so that fantasy and reality conflate; this is done not for temporary trickery but to deepen our comprehension of the real." –Eugene Lim, author of Dear Cyborgs"The dark magic in Blood Fable is just a story (within a story), but that somehow makes it more, and more truly, magical. It is a story about how stories are made, how they help and refuse to reflect our lives, as resonating versions of the world refracted through the prism of imagination. On almost every page something threw me gloriously off balance and I couldn't stop asking myself: how does Oisín Currin manage to write so consistently, compellingly, hauntingly well? I will reread this book." –Jacob Wren, author of Rich and Poor and Polyamorous Love Song"Blood Fable is, for me, a perfect book; it is the novel I always wish I were reading. In its twin stories – one of an eleven-year-old boy and his flawed, beloved parents and the other a wild tale of love, peril, and adventure across underground tunnels and seas – are all the wonder and terror of childhood, refracted by a luminous imagination. Through the wide eyes of a child, Curran plumbs the world of adults with compassion and acuity. Blood Fable is a quest, a question, a story of searching – for understanding, insight, heroes – and of failing, finding in their stead the imaginative mercy of love. This is a joy of a novel, glittering, wondrous, and strange. I remain in its thrall." –Rebecca Silver Slayter, author of In the Land of Birdfishes

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The 6th Edition of Civil Procedure: A Contemporary Approach is designed to provide a clear and actively engaging presentation of civil procedure in a manner that enables both students and professors to assess learning success throughout the course.The Sixth Edition fully incorporates all amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure through December 1, 2020, as well as a few case law developments since the 2018 publication date of the Fifth Edition.Particularly noteworthy new cases that are included in this edition are the Supreme Court's recent decisions pertaining to arbitration: Lamps Plus, Inc v. Varela, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019) (courts may not infer from an ambiguous agreement that parties have consented to class arbitration); New Prime, Inc. v. Oliveira, 139 S. Ct. 532 (2019) (applicability of FAA's overage exclusion to be determined by court not arbitrator); Henry Schein, Inc. v. Archer and White Sales, Inc., 139 S. Ct. 524 (2019) (courts may not determine arbitrability if that decision has been delegated to the arbitrator under the agreement); and Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, 138 S. Ct. 1612 (2018) (FAA savings clause does not permit invocation of arbitration-specific defenses; NLRA does not provide basis for outlawing class action waivers in the labor dispute context).Developments in the class action area are included as well, including coverage of the 2018 amendments to Rule 23 as well as Supreme Court decisions in Nutraceutical Corp. v. Lambert, 139 S. Ct. 710 (2019) (Rule 23(f)'s 14-day deadline for appeal is not jurisdictional and is not subject to equitable tolling), and China Agritech v. Resh, 138 S. Ct. 1800 (2018) (no tolling of statute of limitations periods for putative class representatives who wait until the expiration of the limitations period to file class claims).Finally, this edition discusses recent developments with respect to personal jurisdiction jurisprudence, covering the emerging issue of personal jurisdiction over the claims of absent class members who lack any connection with the forum state, and the appropriate standard courts should use for determining whether a claim arises out of or relates to contacts with the forum state for purposes of specific jurisdiction. Both issues were before the Supreme Court at the time of publication of the Sixth Edition and will likely have been resolved by the time this edition is published.This edition, like the one that preceded it, integrates references to online assessment tools in the CasebookPlus™ platform. These consist of a bank of 300 multiple-choice questions that provide comprehensive assessment of the topics covered in this book, with detailed feedback consisting of explanations for both correct and incorrect responses. This feature provides an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the material actively as the course progresses and permits students and professors to determine the extent to which the material is being learned. The bank of questions also serve as excellent preparation for the civil procedure component of the Multistate Bar Exam.CasebookPlus Hardbound - New, hardbound print book includes lifetime digital access to an eBook, with the ability to highlight and take notes, and 12-month access to a digital Learning Library that includes self-assessment quizzes tied to this book, leading study aids, an outline starter, and Gilbert Law Dictionary.

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The first biography of soul pioneer Isaac Hayes, whose groundbreaking music provided the foundation for hip-hop and a new racial paradigm.“Black men could finally stand up and be men because here's Black Moses; he's the epitome of Black masculinity. Chains that once represented bondage and slavery now can be a sign of power and strength and sexuality and virility.” —Isaac Hayes Within the stoned soul picnic of Black music icons in the ’60s and ’70s, only one could bill himself without a blush as Moses, demanding liberation for Black men with his notions of life and self—Isaac Lee Hayes Jr., the beautifully sheen, shaded, and chain-spangled acolyte of cool, whose high-toned “lounge music” and proto-rap was soul’s highest order—heard on twenty-two albums and selling millions of records. Hayes’s stunning self-portraits, his obsessive pleas about love, sex, and guilt bathed in lush orchestral flights and soul-stirring bass lines, drove other soul men like Barry White to libidinous license. But Hayes, who called himself a “renegade,” was a man of many parts. While he thrived on soulful remakes of pop standards, his biggest coup was writing and producing the epic soundtrack to Shaft, memorializing the “black private dick” as a “complicated man,” as coolly mean and amoral as any white private eye. This new musical and cultural coda delivered Hayes the first Oscar ever won by a Black musician, as well as the Grammy for Best Song. Yet, few know Hayes’s remarkable achievements. In this compelling buffet of sight and sound, acclaimed music biographer Mark Ribowsky—who has authored illuminating portraits of such luminaries as Stevie Wonder, Little Richard, and Otis Redding—gallops through the many stages of Hayes’s daring and daunting life, starting with Hayes’s difficult childhood in which his mother died young and his father abandoned him. Ribowsky then takes readers through Hayes’s rise at Memphis’s legendary soul factory, Stax Records, first as a piano player on Otis Redding sessions then as a songwriter and producer teamed with David Porter. Tuned to the context of soul music history, he created crossover smashes like Sam & Dave's “Soul Man,” “Hold on I'm Comin’,” and “I Thank You,” making soul a semi-religion of Black pride, imagination, and joyful emotion. Hayes’s subsequent career as a solo artist featured studio methods and out-of-the-box ideas that paved the way for soul to occupy the top of the album charts alongside white rock albums. But his prime years ended prematurely, both as a consequence of Stax’s red ink and his own self-destructive tendencies. In the ’90s he claimed he had finally found himself, as a minion of Scientology. But Scientology would cost him the gig that had revived him—the cartoon voice of the naively cool “Chef” on South Park—after he became embroiled in controversy when South Park’s creators parodied Scientology in an episode that caused the cult’s leaders to order him to quit the show. Although Hayes was honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, the brouhaha came as his seemingly perfect body finally broke down. He died in 2008 at age sixty-eight, too soon for a soul titan. But if only greatness can establish permanence in the cellular structure of music, Isaac Hayes long ago qualified. His influence will last for as long as there is music to be heard. And when we hear him in that music, we will by rote say, “We can dig it.”

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'Trust me, this is a great true story' - Ken Follett 'It deserves to be ranked among the great survival stories of the Second World War' - The Jewish Chronicle ~~~~~ The captivating true story of one boy's flight across Europe to escape the Nazis. A tale of extraordinary courage, incredible adventure, and the relentless pursuit of life in the face of impossible challenges. In early 1940 Chaim Herszman was locked in to the Lódz Ghetto in Poland. Hungry, fearless and determined, he goes on scavenging missions outside the wire limits, until he is forced to kill a Nazi guard. That moment changes the course of his life, and sets him on an unbelievable adventure across enemy lines. Chaim avoids grenade and rifle fire on the Russian border, shelters with a German family in Berlin, falls in love in occupied France, is captured on a mountain pass in Spain, gets interrogated as a potential Nazi spy in Britain, and eventually fights for everything he believes in as part of the British Army. He protects his life by posing as an Aryan boy with a crucifix around his neck, and fights for his life through terrible and astonishing circumstances. Escape from the Ghetto is about a normal boy who faced extermination by the Nazis in the ghetto or a Nazi deathcamp, and the extraordinary life he led in avoiding that fate. It's a bittersweet story about epic hope, beauty amidst horror, and the triumph of the human spirit. John Carr is Henry Carr's eldest son, and in Escape From the Ghetto he has recreated his father's incredible adventure, through recordings and transcribed conversations in later life. For fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Saboteur of Auschwitz and The Volunteer, this is the incredible true story of escape from the Nazis during World War II. REVIEWS 'John Carr deserves our gratitude for rescuing this World War Two story, among the most dramatic and vivid I've read.' - Edward Stourton, author of Cruel Crossing'A truly breathtaking story - the dramatic account of 13 year old Chaim's four year journey from the Lodz ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland, through Germany, France, Spain and Gibraltar to London. Written with the pace and tension of a thriller, all the more gripping because it is a true story.' - Alex Gerlis, author of Agent in Berlin 'This is an unbelievable story that is all completely true. The life described is astonishing. John Carr has done an extraordinary and riveting job uncovering the real father behind the dad he thought he knew.' - Lord Tony Hall 'Utterly Compelling. It is an extraordinary tale, brilliantly written' - Alastair Stewart 'Extraordinary.'- Fiona MacTaggart 'The remarkable story of a Jewish boy who killed a Nazi guard and escaped the Holocaust aged 13' - The Times 'Unputdownable. A gripping, life affirming story of survival against seemingly impossible odds.' - Deborah Cadbury, author of Princes at War 'This is a book you cannot put down... Passionate and spellbinding, and an absolute must read.' - Julia Neuberger "John Carr's book gives a truly riveting account of his teenage Dad's life on the run in Nazi-occupied Europe. It serves as a reminder of the cruel and arbitrary realities of the refugee experience. It won't be on Priti Patel's reading list but it should be on yours." - Jon Bloomfield "An eloquent tribute to courage and resourcefulness, Escape from the Ghetto, is a gripping page turner." - Esther Safran Foer "One of the most extraordinary books I have ever read" - Michael Dobbs, author of House of Cards

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If you loved Heartstopper and need more feel-good LGBTQ+ romance - If You Still Recognise Me is the one for you! Elsie has a crush on Ada, the only person in the world who truly understands her. Unfortunately, they’ve never met in real life and Ada lives an ocean away. But Elsie has decided it’s now or never to tell Ada how she feels. That is, until her long-lost best friend Joan walks back into her life. In a summer of repairing broken connections and building surprising new ones, Elsie realises that she isn’t nearly as alone as she thought. But now she has a choice to make… A lyrical contemporary story about falling in love and finding yourself in the process, for fans of THE BLACK FLAMINGO, THE FALLING IN LOVE MONTAGE and Alice Oseman. "Cynthia So leans into the complex fluidity of relationships over time, across generations and communities, shaded by culture and circumstances. Elsie’s story is romantic, warm, wise, and disarmingly sincere.” - Becky Albertalli, author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda “An epic fandom, a scavenger hunt for a lost love and an ode to cultural inheritance – this is a wonderfully heartfelt and joyously queer romance” - Lauren James, author of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe “If You Still Recognise Me is a poignant, perfectly formed debut about queer love, fandom and family.” - Lex Croucher, author of Reputation “A beautiful and intricately layered tale of friendship, fandom and finding yourself – I absolutely adored it.” - Sophie Cameron, author of Out of the Blue “Exploring the bonds of friendship, family, fandom, culture and queer community, this is a story about finding who you really are at the heart of all the things you love.” - Sera Milano, author of This Can Never Not Be Real "A celebration of fannish glee, queer joy and family in all senses of the word. If You Still Recognise Me asks what it means to find yourself, when we are all more than a single story. I adored it." - Kat Dunn, author of Dangerous Remedy “Beautifully written with moments of sheer lyricism. A must-read for humans of all ages and walks of life. I loved it so much!” - Wibke Brueggemann, author of Love is for Losers “If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So is just so SO perfect. Refreshing, relatable and raw in its honesty, this is the book I wish I'd had as a queer teen discovering my identity.” - Sarah Underwood, author of Lies We Sing to the Sea “If You Still Recognise Me is a moving and heart-warming story about queer love, family, culture and fandom and So's has a uniquely poetic style that sees beauty in the everyday and makes the familiar feel fresh and new” - Ciara Smyth, author of Not My Problem “This wonderful book is both a tender coming-of-age romance and a tapestry of queer identity that spans oceans, generations, and stages of life ... Suffused with queer wistfulness and the ache to be known, So’s debut is as intimate and revelatory as the first touch of a first crush’s hand.” - Riley Redgate, author of Seven Ways We Lie “A lyrical, complex tale of friendship, family, and all the stories we tell ourselves – true and not – about what it means to love” - Kelly Loy Gilbert, author of When We Were Infinite “Cynthia So deftly weaves a story that explores queerness, love, and relationships across distance, both geographical and time. An accomplished debut with shades of Nina LaCour, If You Still Recognise Me is the perfect summer-time read.” - Lizzie Huxley-Jones, author and editor “A beautiful story of cultural identity, friendship, and the dizzying and exhilarating experience of young love. IF YOU STILL RECOGNIZE ME is a triumph." - Ashley Herring Blake, author of Girl Made of Stars

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Sarah Calhoun is the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Elector Andrew Calhoun, one of Appalachee’s military heroes and one of the electors who gets to decide who will next ascend as the Emperor of the New World. None of that matters to Sarah. She has a natural talent for hexing and one bad eye, and all she wants is to be left alone—especially by outsiders. But Sarah’s world gets turned on its head at the Nashville Tobacco Fair when a Yankee wizard-priest tries to kidnap her. Sarah fights back with the aid of a mysterious monk named Thalanes, who is one of the not-quite-human Firstborn, the Moundbuilders of the Ohio. It is Thalanes who reveals to Sarah a secret heritage she never dreamed could be hers. Now on a desperate quest with Thalanes to claim this heritage, she is hunted by the Emperor’s bodyguard of elite dragoons, as well as by darker things—shapeshifting Mockers and undead Lazars, and behind them a power more sinister still. If Sarah cannot claim her heritage, it may mean the end to her, her family—and to the world where she is just beginning to find her place. Praise for Witchy Eye and D.J. Butler: “. . . you can’t stop yourself from taking another bite . . . and another . . . and another. . . . I didn’t want to stop reading. . . . Kudos!” —R.A. Salvatore, New York Times best-selling author “Excellent book. I am impressed by the creativity and the depth of the world building. Dave Butler is a great storyteller.” —Larry Correia “Witchy Eye is an intricate and imaginative alternate history with a cast of characters and quirky situations that would make a Dickens novel proud.” —Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times best-selling author of Eternity's Mind “Butler’s fantasy is by turns sardonic and lighthearted; ghoulish shadows claw into the most remote areas and heroism bursts out of the most unlikely people. Sarah is the epitome of the downtrodden hero who refuses to give up until she gets what she needs, and her story will appeal to fantasy readers of all stripes.”—Publishers Weekly “This is a breathtaking heroic saga that pays off in a really satisfying way. Between a world so deep you could get lost in it and a massive, distinct cast, Witchy Eye seems poised to bring Butler’s work to a wider audience. . . . With a book like this one, it’s an audience he definitely deserves.” —BarnesandNoble.com “David’s a pro storyteller, and you’re in for a great ride.” —Larry Dixon “. . . a fascinating, grittily flavored world of living legends. Hurry up and write the next one, Dave.” —Cat Rambo, author of Beasts of Tabat “This is enchanting! I’d love to see more.” —Mercedes Lackey, New York Times best-selling author “Goblin Market meets Magical Musketpunk . . . A great ride that also manages to cover some serious cultural terrain.” —Charles E. Gannon, author of the thrice-Nebula nominated Caine Riordan series “Witchy Eye is a brilliant blend of historical acumen and imagination, a tour-de-force that is at once full of surprises and ultimately heartwarming. This is your chance to discover one of the finest new stars writing today!” –David Farland, New York Times best-selling author “A gritty, engrossing mash-up of history, fantasy, and magic. Desperate characters careen from plot twist to plot twist until few are left standing.” —Mario Acevedo, author of Rescue from Planet Pleasure. “Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!” —Christopher Husberg, author of Duskfall “[A] unique alternative-history that is heavily influence by urban and traditional fantasy and steeped in the folklore of the Appalachians. . . . Fans of urban fantasy looking to take a chance on something with a twist on a historical setting may find this novel worth their time.” —Booklist

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"Benjamin Hedin went looking for the civil rights movement's past, but he also ran smack into the present, which can suddenly look like the past and then just as suddenly look totally different. By bringing stirring people like Septima Clark into focus, Hedin does what good historians do, but by entwining history with current events, he does a lot more. Here is a haunting meditation on living in history as well as with it."--Sean Wilentz, author of The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln "In Search of the Movement is a true marvel. Benjamin Hedin's insightful combination of reportage and history of the Civil Rights movement allows us to see the era with fresh eyes. By tracing the continued legacy of the black freedom struggle from the 1960s to the present, this gem of a book wonderfully illuminates how the movement is living and thriving in our own time."--Peniel Joseph, author of Stokely: A Life and Waiting 'Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America "Beloved community and the exuberant humanism of the Civil Rights movement have never been so vividly rendered. Carry this book with you as a guide through our own anxious age. Beautifully written, sharply observed, whimsical and tender, In Search of the Movement is a road trip into America's better self."--Charles Marsh, author of God's Long Summer: Stories of Faith and Civil Rights In March of 1965, Martin Luther King led thousands in an epic march from Selma, Alabama to the state capital in Montgomery, in what is often seen as the culminating moment of the Civil Rights movement. The Voting Rights Act was signed into law that year, and with Jim Crow eradicated, and schools being desegregated, the movement had supposedly come to an end. America would go on to record its story as an historic success. Recently, however, the New York Times featured an article that described the reversion of Little Rock's schools to all-black or all-white. The next day, the paper printed a story about a small town in Alabama where African Americans were being denied access to the polls. Massive demonstrations in cities across the country protest the killing of black men by police, while we celebrate a series of 50th-anniversary commemorations of the signature events of the Civil Rights movement. In such a time it is important to ask: In the last fifty years, has America progressed on matters of race, or are we stalled--or even moving backward? With these questions in mind, Benjamin Hedin set out to look for the Civil Rights movement. "I wanted to find the movement in its contemporary guise," he writes, "which also meant answering the critical question of what happened to it after the 1960s." He profiles legendary figures like John Lewis, Robert Moses, and Julian Bond, and also visits with contemporary leaders such as William Barber II and the staff of the Dream Defenders. But just as powerful--and instructional--are the stories of those whose work goes unrecorded, the organizers and teachers who make all the rest possible. In these pages the movement is portrayed as never before, as a vibrant tradition of activism that remains in our midst. In Search of the Movement is a fascinating meditation on the patterns of history, as well as an indelible look at the meaning and limits of American freedom. Benjamin Hedin has written for the New Yorker, Slate, the Nation, and the Chicago Tribune. He's the editor of Studio A: The Bob Dylan Reader, and the producer and author of a forthcoming documentary film, The Blues House.

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"With shades of Umberto Eco and Paul Auster, this brilliant, addictive adventure novel is about the search for a mythical lost city located somewhere in modern-day Iran. As a succession of explorers and shady characters dig deeper into the landscape, the ancient secret of Suolucidir is gradually revealed. This is brainy, escapist fiction at its best."--Publishers Weekly, Starred & Boxed Review "The author's prose is rich with winking allusions and sendups of modern tomb-raiding tropes, down to an explorer with 'a long stiff braid down her back.'"--The New Yorker " ...cerebral, satirical, and entertaining archaeological thriller ...this richly crafted and handsomely written novel rewards rereading."--David Cooper, New York Journal of Books "It's always a delight to discover a voice as original as Susan Daitch's."--Salman Rushdie "One of the most intelligent and attentive writers at work in the US today."--David Foster Wallace Indiana Jones meets Italo Calvino in a masterful, absurdist blend of biting social satire, rollicking adventure, invented history and mythology. A series of archeological expeditions unfolds through time, each one looking for the ruins of a fabled underground city-state that once flourished in a remote province near the border of present-day Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Sealed off for centuries by seismic activity, Suolucidir beckons with the promise of plunder and the glory of discovery, fantasies as varied as the imaginations of her aspiring modern-day conquerors. As the tumult of the twentieth century's great wars, imperial land grabs and anti-colonial revolutions swirl across its barren, deserted landscape, the ancient city remains entombed below the surface of the earth. A succession of adventurers, speculators and unsavory characters arrive in search of their prize, be it archeological treasure, oil, or evidence of crimes and punishments. Intrigue, conspiracies, and counter-plots abound, and contemporary events interfere with each expedition, whether in the form of the Axis advance, British Petroleum, or the Revolutionary Guards. People disappear, relics are stolen, and the city closes in upon itself once more. A satiric, post-colonial adventure story of mythic proportions, The Lost Civilization of Suolucidir takes place against a background of actual events, in a part of the world with a particular historical relationship to Russia and the West. But though we are treated to visual "evidence" of its actual existence, Suolucidir remains a mystery, perhaps an invention of those who seek it, a place where history and identity are subject to revision, and the boundaries between East and West are anything but solid, reliable, or predictable. Praise for The Lost Civilization of Suolucidir: "Susan Daitch has written a literary barnburner of epic proportions. The question buried at the core of The Lost Civilization of Suolucidir is one of empirical--or is the imperial?--knowledge itself. Her labyrinthine tale of archeological derring-do calls to mind both 1984 and 2666, and does so by looking backward in time as well as forward. It is also utterly original, the work of a visionary writer with an artistic sensibility all her own." --Andrew Ervin, author of Burning Down George Orwell's House "This is a novel of archeology and history, of mythology and empire, powered by an undeniable call to adventure and a deep yearning for understanding, written by a novelist who manages to surprise on nearly every page."--Matt Bell, author of Scrapper "Daitch's latest is a beguiling and virtuoso companion to our inevitable end: a novel that wrenches, sentence by fine sentence, some order from the chaos, while never shortchanging the chaos itself."--Mark Doten, author of The Infernal "Daitch's novel is Indiana Jones for the introspective crowd--a continual, thrilling, and harrowing search for historical treasures."--Michelle Anne Schingler, Foreword Reviews

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A young woman defies convention in a small Pakistani village, with devastating results for her and her family. A stunning, immense beautiful novel about courage, family and the meaning of love, when everything seems lost… ‘A compelling and compassionate story’ Anna Mazzola, author of The Story Keeper ‘A shocking portrait of lives lived under the shadow of threat and prejudice. A brave book’ Vaseem Khan, author of the Inspector Chopra series 'A bold, gifted storyteller, dealing with a gritty, thorny issue of female honour. Compulsive reading' Qaisra Shahraz MBE, author of The Holy Woman ‘Beautifully written and immersive, No Honour starts with a powerful opening that propels you into the shocking themes. A must-read’ Sarah Pearse, author of The Sanatorium _______________ In sixteen-year-old Abida’s small Pakistani village, there are age-old rules to live by, and her family’s honour to protect. And, yet, her spirit is defiant and she yearns to make a home with the man she loves. When the unthinkable happens, Abida faces the same fate as other young girls who have chosen unacceptable alliances – certain, public death. Fired by a fierce determination to resist everything she knows to be wrong about the society into which she was born, and aided by her devoted father, Jamil, who puts his own life on the line to help her, she escapes to Lahore and then disappears. Jamil goes to Lahore in search of Abida – a city where the prejudices that dominate their village take on a new and horrifying form – and father and daughter are caught in a world from which they may never escape. Moving from the depths of rural Pakistan, riddled with poverty and religious fervour, to the dangerous streets of over-populated Lahore, No Honour is a story of family, of the indomitable spirit of love in its many forms … a story of courage and resilience, when all seems lost, and the inextinguishable fire that lights one young woman’s battle for change. _______________ ‘So powerful’ Heat magazine ‘Addictive, brave and powerful’ Louise Fein, author of People Like Us ‘Deeply emotional’ Eastern Eye ‘A stunningly written, immensely important book’ A. A. Chaudhuri ‘Perfectly paced story structure and eloquent dialogue … shocking, deeply moving and hugely important’ Carol Lovekin ‘A truly heart-wrenching tale of the human spirit’s quest for love, freedom and survival’ Tim Glister ‘It will shake you, anger and sadden you, but also restore hope in the power of love to triumph over evil, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles’ Tony Frobisher,Daily Times ‘Soul deep, mind-blowing and heart-wrenching … you are left reeling’ Faiqa Mansab ‘Khan is a masterful storyteller’ Aliya Ali-Afzal ‘Beautiful, striking and eye-opening’ Louise Beech ‘Khan writes about the dance between fathers and daughters, men and women, authority and no authority, and No Honour is a page-turner’ Soniah Kamal ‘Tense and gripping’ Polly Crosby ‘Beautifully rendered, moving and insightful … this book is not always an easy read but it is a compelling and rewarding one’ Neema Shah ‘Spectacular… a joy from start to finish’ Charlie Carroll ‘Hypnotic, atmospheric and by the end, so hopeful’ Sarah Sultoon ‘This book is devastating, vitally important and beautifully written. Astonishing’ Rob Parker ‘Insightful and sympathetic to the unique experiences of women, whilst evoking the atmosphere of Lahore … hard to put down’ Alex Morrall ‘An epic, gut-wrenching story of love and survival in the face of barbaric oppression’ Heleen Kist ‘A gripping, horrifying, compulsive read’ Jennie Godfrey ‘This is a book that will stay with me for a long time … I was horrified by what I was reading but literally couldn't put this book down’ Madeleine Black ‘A compelling, brave and uplifting read for our time’ Eve Smith ‘Compelling main characters make it memorable and the heavy subject matter in handled the way it should have been – with empathy’ Mashable

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Neruda's long-overlooked third book of poetry, critical in his poetic evolution, now translated into English for the very first time! Over twenty books by Pablo Neruda, the legendary Chilean poet and Nobel Laureate, have been translated into English, a testament to his enormous appeal. Yet, the work Neruda pointed to as "one of the most important books of my poetry," has been woefully neglected and remains virtually unknown. venture of the infinite man was Neruda's third book, published in 1926, two years after his widely celebrated and still much beloved Twenty Love Poems. In a stark stylistic departure from the love poems, Neruda discarded rhyme, meter, punctuation and capitalization in an attempt to better capture the voice of the subconscious. In an epic poem comprised of fifteen cantos spread over 44 un-numbered pages, the Infinite Man sets forth on a virtual sleepwalk through time and space, on a quest to atone for his past and to rediscover himself. Neruda's readers were not prepared for this experiment, and venture did not garner the reception Neruda had hoped for. Indeed, decades after its publication, he lamented that it remained "the least read and least studied of all my work." venture is a strikingly clear example of a poet's creative and intellectual development, bridging the aching, plain lyricism of Love Poems, and the unique hermeticism of Neruda's next book, the landmark Residence on Earth. Neruda considered venture essential to his evolution: "Within its smallness and minimal expression, more than most of my works, it claimed, it secured, the path that I had to follow." Its long-overdue translation into English is cause for celebration! "Experimental, obscure, timeless, essential, venture of the infinite man, published two years after his famous Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, set Pablo Neruda on his course toward becoming the greatest poet in the history of the Spanish language. Its publication in English is a historic event, above all today, above all in this moment, above all, now."—Raúl Zurita "In his early twenties and after the enormous success of Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, Neruda surprised everyone by changing aesthetic gears in this book that was at once innovative and emblematic. The effort was part of what would ultimately become his ceaseless embrace of change as the sine qua non of style. Jessica Powell does wonders rendering these cantos for the first time into English, filling in a gap his legion of admirers will be thankful for. This isn't only an unseen Neruda but an unforeseen one too."—Ilan Stavans, editor of The Poetry of Pablo Neruda "What an act of generosity this book is. Eisner's introduction contextualizes and informs precisely as needed, and Jessica Powell’s translation achieves astonishing beauty and refreshing truth. She has listened deeply to Neruda’s text."—Katherine Silver "Jessica Powell is the 'distant light that illuminates the fruit' of venture of the infinite man, the twenty-two year old Pablo Neruda’s untranslated third book. One part quest and one part inner map, in Powell’s hands the delicious and strange language of the original dances effortlessly in English. Readers can now experience the moment Neruda evolved from being only a brilliant singer of love poems into a maker of rich, stunning worlds. This book is a treasure."—Tomás Q. Morín, author of Patient Zero "This book has the fascination of being Neruda becoming Neruda. It's the brilliant young poet who made himself famous at nineteen and twenty with Twenty Love Poems, beginning to absorb the lessons of the new surrealism and making his way to the world poet he would become in Residence on Earth. So it is a leap into the imagination of one of the crucial poets of the twentieth century as he is feeling his way."—Robert Hass

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The Solarian League lies in defeat, crushed by the Grand Alliance of Manticore, Haven, and Grayson. Obedient to the Alliance's surrender demands, the League is writing a new Constitution, to prevent the reemergence of out-of-control bureaucrats, like the "Mandarins" who led it to disaster. Frontier Security has been disbanded, the Outworlds' have regained control of their own economic destinies, and multiple star systems will soon secede from the League entirely. Yet the League is — and will remain — the largest, most economically powerful human star nation in existence, and despite the overwhelming evidence that their unelected political leaders were the driving force behind the war, many League citizens deeply resent the fashion in which their star nation — the Solarian League — has been humbled. And those who most resent the Grand Alliance continue to blame Manticore for the nuclear bombardment of the planet Mesa after its surrender. They refuse to accept that the League — and the members of the Grand Alliance — could have been manipulated by a deeply hidden interstellar conspiracy called the Mesan Alignment. The Alignment is only an invention of the Grand Alliance, no more than a mask, a cover, for its own horrific Eridani Violations. Those Solarians will never accept the "war guilt" of the League, because they know the Grand Alliance was just as bad. Because they deeply resent the way in which the Grand Alliance pretends to be the innocent "good guys." And in the fullness of time, those Solarians will seek vengeance upon their enemies. Not all Solarians feel that way, but even some of those who accept that there was an interstellar conspiracy cherish doubts about its origins. But it is still out there, and now defeated Solarians and agents of the victorious Alliance must join forces to find it. Even if they don't believe in it, it believes in them. They must find it and identify it, to prove to revanchist Solarians that there was a conspiracy. And they must find it and destroy it to end its evil once and for all. The Crown of Slaves Honorverse Series: Crown of Slaves Torch of Freedom Cauldron of Ghosts About the Crown of Slave Series: “Fans of Weber's Honor Harrington series . . . will be delighted with this offshoot in which he and coauthor Flint develop several situations and characters from other stories. . . . This outstanding effort transcends the label ‘space opera’ and truly is a novel of ideas.”—Publishers Weekly About David Weber: “[A] balanced mix of interstellar intrigue, counterespionage, and epic fleet action . . . with all the hard- and software details and tactical proficiency that Weber delivers like no one else; along with a large cast of well-developed, believable characters, giving each clash of fleets emotional weight.”—Booklist “[M]oves . . . as inexorably as the Star Kingdom’s Grand Fleet, commanded by series protagonist Honor Harrington. . . . Weber is the Tom Clancy of science fiction. . . . His fans will relish this latest installment.”—Publishers Weekly “This entry is just as exciting as Weber’s initial offering. . . . The result is a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows [our characters] as they move from reaction to command of the situation. Weber builds Shadow of Freedom to an exciting and unexpected climax.”—The Galveston County Daily News “Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a deep understanding of military bureaucracy in this long-awaited Honor Harrington novel. . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice to see Honor back in action.”—Publishers Weekly “This latest Honor Harrington novel brings the saga to another crucial turning point. . . . Readers may feel confident that they will be Honored many more times and enjoy it every time.”—Booklist About Eric Flint: “This alternate history series is . . . a landmark . . . ”—Booklist “[Eric] Flint's 1632 universe seems to be inspiring a whole new crop of gifted alternate historians.”—Booklist “[R]eads like a technothriller set in the age of the Medicis . . . ”—Publishers Weekly

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'It is rare for a business analysis to read like a thriller – this one does.' – Azeem Azhar, Founder, Exponential View 'Vital to understanding how[TikTok] works and the impact it's having.' – Damian Collins MP, former chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee 'TikTok Boom is a must read for students, scholars, and policy makers.' – David Craig, Clinical Professor, USC AnnenbergA whole generation is hooked on TikTok. In just a few years, it’s raced ahead of WhatsApp and Instagram to become the biggest app in the world. But how did it burst into life and overtake its rivals? Delving deep into its upstart origins, TikTok Boom charts the astonishingly rapid rise of China’s viral video app. It yields new insights into its culture, addictive algorithm, and influencer ecosystem. And it reveals the influence its owners in Beijing are having on hundreds of millions worldwide through the use of little-known content guidelines. TikTok is the emerging battleground for a geopolitical tussle between East and West for control of social media. TikTok Boom is a rollercoaster business story bristling with ambition and drama. Find out where TikTok came from and where it's going. Find out how TikTok Works and whether it can work for you.Reviews'A careful, detailed teardown of the people, culture and technology behind the world's most dynamic social network. It is rare for a business analysis to read like a thriller – this one does.' – Azeem Azhar, Founder, Exponential View'It's clear that Stokel-Walker's strength is that he's not just TikTok-literate, he's TikTok-fluent. He knows the product, the people, and the entire ecosystem inside and out, and it is this familiarity that makes his telling so compelling, because he knows how to make you feel like you, too, are an insider in this strange new world.' - Rui Ma, founder, Tech Buzz China'Blending journalistic narrative with state-of-the-art academic research, no other author comes close to weaving this epic tale of the rise of China’s first global platform threatening Silicon’s Valley hegemony while operating as inflection point around the rise of one globe two Internet systems. This is a must read for students, scholars, and policy makers.' – David Craig, Clinical Professor, USC Annenberg'This book charts the story of an app on the rise that's changing the world of tech, charting the future of culture, and creating a new world of work: the creator economy... it breaks down some of the biggest questions for the future of work and culture.' - Li Jin, Atelier VenturesExtract: ByteDanceAsk most people what ByteDance is and they’ll likely meet you with a blank stare. Yet it is the owner of TikTok and a host of other world-leading apps. Founded in March 2012, it’s worth about $180 billion – up from its $75 billion in 2018 when the Japanese technology investors SoftBank Group bought into the company. Despite the fact that its apps are used by two billion people worldwide, earning it $34 billion in revenue in 2020, ByteDance deliberately keeps a low profile among the general public in the West. It wants its products to take centre stage. It’s a strategy devised by its low-key, but intensely-driven founder, Yiming Zhang. Whereas his fellow Chinese rival, Musical.ly’s Alex Zhu, is creative and flighty, Zhang is measured and focussed. Compared to his more brash counterparts in China, such as Jack Ma, the former boss of Alibaba Group, who’s known for his exuberance and outgoing personality, he is even a little dull. Considered. He practises ‘delayed gratification.’ He’s rational – though his choice of clothing, T-shirts and jeans, makes him more laid back than the average Chinese executive. Imagine the slightly underwhelming disappointment of Mark Zuckerberg, rather than the zany pinball personality of Elon Musk. Born in 1983 in the city of Longyan in the coastal province of Fujian that’s known for having the highest proportion of emigrants to the Western world in all of China, Zhang is, however, fiercely independent. While many people entering China’s tech sector are comfortable to land a job at one of the pre-existing Chinese tech giants, Zhang ignored that route. He was not after the quick buzz of instant success by piggybacking onto a pre-existing victor: he played the long game. Buy the book to carry on reading

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A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard SelectionThis engaging book for young adventurers features 40 historical discoveries, from tiny artifacts to entire cities, including the people and circumstances behind their uncovering. In Famous Finds and Finders, young readers are taken on an adventurous journey back through time as they learn about the field of archeology and its role in uncovering the secrets of our past. Emphasizing the importance of preserving and recording moments in history, it encourages children to consider their own place in the ongoing story of humanity. Kids will also learn about the tools and techniques (from crude to state-of-the-art) that archeologists and paleontologists use, as well as about the challenges they face in uncovering fragments of the past buried in the ground or under the ocean. The discoveries are divided into 5 categories: People and Animals Towns and Cities Works of Art Under the Sea Underground Sections include: Tutankhamun’s Tomb: An Ancient Egyptian burial chamber discovered by archeologist Howard Carter in 1922, famous for its magnificent treasures. Lascaux: A complex of caves in France containing some of the most well-preserved prehistoric cave paintings in the world, discovered in 1940 by exploring four teenagers. The Titanic: A British luxury passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg, resulting in the loss of many lives. Lucy: A partial skeleton of a female Australopithecus afarensis hominin, discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 by a paleoanthropologist from the University of Cleveland. Ötzi the Iceman: The mummy of a man who lived around 3,300 BCE, discovered in 1991 in the Alps by hikers who thought he was a deceased modern climber. Whydah Gally: A pirate ship discovered by an underwater explorer off the coast of Cape Cod in 1984. Terracotta Army: A collection of earthen sculptures depicting the armies of the first Emperor of China, discovered by local farmers in 1974. Miss Ardi: The oldest known hominid skeleton, providing insights into human evolution. Chinchorro Mummies: The oldest artificially preserved human remains, found along the coast of present-day Chile and Peru. Altai Princess: The well-preserved mummy of a young woman who lived over 2,500 years ago in Siberia. Sue the Rex: The most complete and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever discovered. Angkor Wat: A historic temple complex in Cambodia built in the 12th century – one of the largest religious monuments in the world. Pompeii: A Roman city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, preserving it and providing insight into ancient Roman life. Troy: An ancient city in Turkey, best known for the Trojan War described in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. Babylon: A city in ancient Mesopotamia, located in present-day Iraq, known for its legendary Hanging Gardens. Port Royal: A major center for piracy and commerce in the Caribbean, destroyed by an earthquake in 1692. Bust of Nefertiti: A sculpture of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, created in the 14th century BCE and discovered in 1912 by a German archeologist. The Venus de Milo: The Venus de Milo is an ancient Greek statue of Aphrodite, discovered by a poor farmer on the island of Milos in Greece in 1820. Lighthouse of Alexandria: One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, constructed in the 3rd century BC on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt. This book highlights some of the most significant archeological discoveries of all time, introducing young readers to some of the key figures in the field. It provides a fun and engaging way for children to learn about historical discoveries and the people who made them, and will inspire them to continue exploring the world with a sense of wonder and curiosity. Filled with evocative illustrations and informative content, Famous Finds and Finders is perfect for children aged 9–12 who are curious about history and the world around us. Whether they are a student of history, a budding archeologist, or simply curious about the world around us, this book is the perfect introduction to the fascinating world of archeology.

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‘I want you to remember something, Nat. You’re small on the outside. But inside you’re as big as everyone else. You show people that and you won’t go far wrong in life.’ An uplifting, feel-good story perfect for fans of Mrs England The Doll Factory and The Devil and the Dark Water My name is Nat Davy. Perhaps you’ve heard of me? There was a time when people up and down the land knew my name, though they only ever knew half the story. The year of 1625, it was, when a single shilling changed my life. That shilling got me taken off to London, where they hid me in a pie, of all things, so I could be given as a gift to the new queen of England. They called me the queen’s dwarf, but I was more than that. I was her friend, when she had no one else, and later on, when the people of England turned against their king, it was me who saved her life. When they turned the world upside down, I was there, right at the heart of it, and this is my story. Inspired by a true story, and spanning two decades that changed England for ever, The Smallest Man is a heartwarming tale about being different, but not letting it hold you back. About being brave enough to take a chance, even if the odds aren’t good. And about how, when everything else is falling apart, true friendship holds people together.Praise for The Smallest Man: ‘An enchanting tale about a small man with a big heart. Nat Davy is so charming that I couldn't bear to put this book down. I loved it’ Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City ‘A perfect fusion of history and invention. It’s so purposefully written, cuts right to the chase, galloping along. Nat’s wit and humour makes the poignancy of his story all the more powerful - The Smallest Man has the biggest heart’ Beth Morrey, author of Saving Missy 'What a page-turner! A timely tale celebrating courage, determination and friendship, it serves as a warning against prejudice and superficial judgements' Anita Frank, author of The Lost Ones ‘I absolutely loved it. It's a rare thing to get a historical fiction that is wonderfully researched, pitch-perfectly voiced and unputdownable, but this is the real deal. A perfectly formed masterpiece. I raced through it’ C.S. Quinn, author of The Bastille Spy 'I adored Nat Davy’s witty narrative as his personal struggles and triumphs unfolded alongside the compelling events of a troubled court and a Queen in jeopardy. I found myself rooting for the Smallest Man in England from the very first page' Sonia Velton, author of Blackberry and Wild Rose ‘Great memorable books are made by great, memorable characters. Frances Quinn’s Nat Davy is such a character. The Smallest Man is a beautiful, heartwarming tale, weaving history and fiction intricately and seamlessly. I was routing for Nat from the first page. Quinn shows us how a big heart and strength of character can lead anyone, perceived disability or not, to achieve great things, and that kindness and compassion are the most important of human qualities. I loved this book’ Louise Fein, author of People Like Us ‘This book took me on an epic journey with a character that will always have a special place in my heart, I shall miss Nat Davy immensely!’ Emma Cooper, author of If I Could Say Goodbye ‘Written with a wonderful lightness of touch, full of humour and humanity... An engaging, compelling, thought-provoking story of a life less ordinary’ Caroline Scott, author of The Photographer of the Lost ‘A beguiling and well-written tale, whose mysterious protagonist is plucked from a famous painting; the carefully crafted historic context uncannily reflects contemporary politics’ Ellen Alpsten, author of Tsarina ‘What a wonderful romp through such a turbulent period of history. I absolutely fell for the book’s narrator: an ebullient character whose voice and world view I adored’ Polly Crosby, author of The Illustrated Child ‘A captivating story, part fact, part fiction — always a tricky balancing act, but Quinn pulls it off with pretty much perfect poise’ Hilary Spurling, Spectator Best Books of the Year

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Europe has spiraled into chaos. A conspiracy years in the making combined with general unrest lead to upheaval and revolution. In the midst of the murderous disorder, mercenary Michael Valentine is in Europe with a small team of his Exodus personnel trying to track down the evil and highly dangerous Katarina Montalban. She has initiated a mysterious plot to do away with those who stand between her and ultimate power. The team is on their own, with few friends, few resources—and racing against the clock. Both Valentine and Lorenzo will have to risk some dangerous alliances if they're to succeed. Meanwhile, Valentine’s friend, one-time enemy, and sometime partner Hector Lorenzo finds himself in a dungeon owned by Asian drug lord Sala Jihan. He must make a deal that may lead him to cross paths with Valentine again. If two of the most effective killers in existence hunt, even the pandemonium in Europe may be just the first act in an orgy of destruction. About Larry Correia: “[A] no-holds-barred all-out page turner that is part science fiction, part horror, and an absolute blast to read.”—Bookreporter.com “If you love monsters and action, you’ll love this book. If you love guns, you’ll love this book. If you love fantasy, and especially horror fantasy, you’ll love this book.”—Knotclan.com “A gun person who likes science fiction—or, heck, anyone who likes science fiction—will enjoy [these books]. . . The plotting is excellent, and Correia makes you care about the characters…I read both books without putting them down except for work . . . so whaddaya waitin’ for? Go and buy some . . . for yourself and for stocking stuffers.”—Massad Ayoob “This lighthearted, testosterone-soaked sequel to 2009's Monster Hunter International will delight fans of action horror with elaborate weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, disgusting monsters, and an endless stream of blood and body parts.”—Publishers Weekly on Monster Hunter Vendetta About Mike Kupari's exciting SF adventure novel, Her Brother's Keeper: "After cowriting Dead Six and Swords of Exodus with Larry ­Correia, Kupari makes his solo debut with this space opera that is bound to attract fans of Mike ­Shepherd’s Kris Longknife series or Elizabeth Moon’s Vatta’s War books. An excellent choice for both teen and adult sf readers."—Library Journal "[P]age-turning action . . . may be Kupari's best book yet."—Galveston County Daily News About Larry Correia's Son of the Black Sword: "This book has everything I like in fantasy: intense action scenes, evil in horrifying array, good struggling against the darkness, and most of all people—gorgeously flawed human beings faced with horrible moral choices that force them to question and change and grow."—Jim Butcher, creator of the New York Times best-selling Dresden Files "Best-selling fantasy author Correia casts a compelling spell with this India-influenced series opener. . . . Correia skillfully sets in motion this story of plots within plots, revealing complex, sympathetic characters and black-hearted villains with equal detail and insight. Full of action, intrigue, and wry humor, this exciting series launch promises many more thrills to come."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Fans who like Correia’s fast-moving style will be pleased with the plethora of action scenes, and epic fantasy readers interested in delving into a new universe should be equally satisfied. A solid choice for admirers of Brent Weeks and Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series."—Library Journal "Correia is, above all, a storyteller, and he weaves a unique and entertaining tale.Without question, his action sequences pop on the page, his magic system has a nice wrinkle, and he has the foundations laid out for some excellent character growth as the series continues. . . . [A] definite hit."—Bookreporter "The lore here is fascinating and well told. I enjoyed learning the history of the world and the legend of Ramrowan. The politics are just complicated enough to feel real without being too difficult to follow. Where the book truly shines, however, is in the characters. All are well drawn and distinctively voiced."—SFCrowsnest

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'If the road you came in on led through several hells and you walked it more alone than you’d ever want anyone to be, if you were a wolf who chewed off her own leg to escape where you started out, if you paved the road with broken things and crawled in on your knees, this is your book, full of your people. Welcome home.' REBECCA SOLNIT, author of Men Explain Things to Me 'Quite frankly, everyone should read The Misfit’s Manifesto. Inspired by her TED talk, Yuknavitch (who has truly been through the worst life can throw at someone) argues that the things which mark you out as different don’t need to be bad thing: they’re what make you, you. She’s a privilege to read.' Emerald Street 'It’s filled with stories of how our differences might unite us rather than divide us. We could use the misfit know-how just now, as the world has become pretty chaotic.' Metro A manifesto that makes a powerful case for not fitting in - for recognizing the beauty, and difficulty, in forging an original path from Lidia Yuknavitch, one of the most celebrated TED speakers and a writer heralded for her brave and experimental writing. A misfit is a person who missed fitting in, a person who fits in badly, or this: a person who is poorly adapted to new situations and environments. It’s a shameful word, a word no one typically tries to own. Until now. Lidia Yuknavitch is a proud misfit. That wasn’t always the case. It took Lidia a long time to not simply accept, but appreciate, her misfit status. Having flunked out of college twice, with two epic divorces under her belt, an episode of rehab for drug use, and two stints in jail, she felt like she would never fit in. She was a hopeless misfit. She’d failed as daughter, wife, mother, scholar – and yet the dream of being a writer was stuck like ‘a small sad stone’ in her throat.The feeling of not fitting in is universal. The Misfit’s Manifesto is for misfits around the world – the rebels, the eccentrics, the oddballs, and anyone who has ever felt like she was messing up. It’s Lidia’s love letter to all those who can’t ever seem to find the ‘right’ path. She won’t tell you how to stop being a misfit – quite the opposite. In her charming, poetic, funny, and frank style, Lidia will reveal why being a misfit is not something to overcome, but something to embrace.Lidia also encourages her fellow misfits not to be afraid of pursuing goals, how to stand up, how to ask for the things they want most. Misfits belong in the room, too, she reminds us, even if their path to that room is bumpy and winding. An important idea that transcends all cultures and countries, this book has created a brave and compassionate community for misfits, a place where everyone can belong.The Misfit's Manifesto is an inspiring read that will captivate readers as much as Brené Brown's Daring Greatly and Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic. 'I cried when I read Lidia Yuknavitch's The Misfit's Manifesto. Lidia has created a safe space for those of us that have never fit in, for whom the world often seems an impossible place. This remarkable book is a house for people that didn’t believe they had a home.'STEPHEN ELLIOTT, author of The Adderall Diaries 'This book will save lives.'CHELSEA CAIN, New York Times bestselling author 'The best characters are misfits. Lidia Yuknavitch is a conduit for these voices. The ultimate misfit, she’s a seer and a seed, brave and tender, humble and humanitarian, a poet in the ancient sense of the word. Thank the stars for her. And this book.'SARAH GERARD, author of Sunshine State 'This book is nothing less than a life-changer. Lidia Yuknavitch is a miracle of a writer who makes you see the messes we make as a deeper, richer, more ravishing way of being alive together.'CAROLINE LEAVITT, author of Cruel Beautiful World and the New York Times bestseller Pictures of You 'A beautifully written field guide to being weird.' Kirkus Reviews

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Six Billion Dead—And One Man Intent on Putting a Stop to the Killing For more than fifty years, the Terran Republic and the Terran League have been killing one another. The death toll has climbed ever higher, year after year, with no end in sight. But the members of the Five Hundred, the social elite of the Republic's Heart Worlds, don't care. Their star systems are light-years from any threat of attack. Their children are sheltered from the “mandatory service” that falls so heavily on the Fringe Worlds' backs. Their trade connections with the Rishathan Sphere bring them wealth and influence. And their contracts to build ships, fighters, missiles, and all the other sinews of war have made them the wealthiest human beings in the history of the galaxy. Rear Admiral Terrence Murphy is a Heart Worlder. His family is part of the Five Hundred. His wife is the daughter of one of the Five Hundred's wealthiest, most powerful industrialists. His sons and his daughter can easily avoid military service, and political power is his for the taking. There is no end to how high he can rise in the Republic's power structure. All he has to do is successfully complete a risk-free military "governorship" in the backwater Fringe System of New Dublin without rocking the boat. Without dredging up any lunatic Fringe conspiracy theories. Without undercutting the Five Hundred's stranglehold on wealth and power. But the people sending him to New Dublin have miscalculated, because Terrence Murphy is a man who believes in honor. Who believes in duty—in common decency and responsibility. Who believes there are dark and dangerous secrets behind the façade of what "everyone knows." Terrence Murphy intends to meet those responsibilities and unearth those secrets, and he doesn't much care what the Five Hundred want. He intends to put a stop to the killing. Wherever that takes him, he will go. Whatever that costs him, he will pay. And whatever that requires, he will do. Terrence Murphy is coming for whoever has orchestrated fifty-six years of bloodshed and slaughter, and Hell itself is coming with him. A new novel in the world of In Fury Born, one of David Weber's most celebrated novels. About The Gordian Protocol: “Tom Clancy-esque exposition of technical details . . . absurd humor and bloody action. Echoes of Robert Heinlein . . . lots of exploding temporal spaceships and bodies . . . action-packed . . .” —Booklist “[A] fun and thrilling standalone from Weber and Holo. . . . Time travel enthusiasts will enjoy the moral dilemmas, nonstop action, and crisp writing.”—Publishers Weekly About David Weber: “[A] balanced mix of interstellar intrigue, counterespionage, and epic fleet action . . . with all the hard- and software details and tactical proficiency that Weber delivers like no one else; along with a large cast of well-developed, believable characters, giving each clash of fleets emotional weight.”—Booklist “[M]oves . . . as inexorably as the Star Kingdom’s Grand Fleet, commanded by series protagonist Honor Harrington. . . . Weber is the Tom Clancy of science fiction. . . . His fans will relish this latest installment. . . .”—Publishers Weekly “This entry is just as exciting as Weber’s initial offering. . . . The result is a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows [our characters] as they move from reaction to command of the situation. Weber builds Shadow of Freedom to an exciting and unexpected climax.”—The Galveston County Daily News “Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a deep understanding of military bureaucracy in this long-awaited Honor Harrington novel. . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice to see Honor back in action.”—Publishers Weekly “This latest Honor Harrington novel brings the saga to another crucial turning point. . . . Readers may feel confident that they will be Honored many more times and enjoy it every time.”—Booklist “[E]verything you could want in a heroine. . . . Excellent . . . plenty of action.”—Science Fiction Age “Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!”—Anne McCaffrey “Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.”—Locus “Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection. . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice . . .”—Publishers Weekly

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Discover a world of magical storytelling from a twice Costa-shortlisted author“One of our finest children’s writers.” Phil Earle“A master storyteller.” Aisling Fowler“Another absolute triumph from one of my favourite children’s authors.” Catherine DoyleThe greatest magic is hidden in plain sight...Evie is used to not being noticed. But when she meets the mysterious Wainwright, she discovers that going unnoticed might just be what makes her unique. Recruited into a secret magical organization, Evie finds herself at the heart of an ancient and magical battle. Evil is returning to the land, and Evie is the only person who can stop it. But how can she defeat the most dangerous magician in the world, when she doesn’t even know her own powers? Don't miss Ross's other fantasy novels for young readers: The Midnight GuardiansThe Chime SeekersPRAISE FOR SPELLSTONE"Vividly atmospheric with delightful characters... [A] spellbinding story.” Daily Mail “The very definition of a page-turner: riveting, punchy, with surprises around every bend. Ross is a flawless storyteller.” Carlie Sorosiak“Another absolute triumph from one of my favourite children’s authors. Spellstone is both heartfelt and humorous, while fizzing with magic and fun.” Catherine Doyle“A cinematic roller-coaster ride of a book, magical through to its shining core.” Katharine Orton“Infused with magic, adventure and imagination. This is Ross Montgomery on top form, and the result is spectacular.” Katya Balen“A magical book that is both clever and gripping. A joy!” Lisa Thompson“Montgomery's playful imagination floods every page, creating a magical adventure full of high stakes, charming characters and unexpected twists.” Joseph Elliott“A spellbinding adventure, brimming with original magic and the most charming cast of characters.”Jenny Pearson “Sparkling with magic, danger and that wonderful Montgomery wit, Spellstone is one to jump into, full throttle. A fabulous, crackling adventure.” Amy Wilson“Ross Montgomery just gets better and better! Crackling with magic and swirling with mystery, Spellstone had me enchanted from the first page.” Jennifer Bell“Magical storytelling – bold and brilliant.” Sophie Anderson“A brilliantly inventive tale of good versus evil that weaves magic and mystery with a cast of loveable characters. I loved every page of it.” Struan Murray"From the extraordinarily vivid opening scene to the heart-stopping climax, every page proves you're in the hands of a master storyteller. I couldn't put it down!" Aisling Fowler“Ross is one of our finest children’s writers, and this is a magnificent piece of fantasy storytelling. Gripping, quirky and with characters you won’t forget.” Phil EarlePRAISE FOR THE CHIME SEEKERS“Cracking adventure from the wildly imaginative Montgomery.” Daily Mail"Funny, terrifying, full of folkloric strangeness hiding in everyday corner, this sparkling homage to David Bowie's Labyrinth is just as satisfying as last year's The Midnight Guardians." Guardian"[A] whirlwind adventure." Daily Telegraph"Richly imaginative." The Week Junior“A quest like no other: Ross Montgomery is on spectacular form in this brilliant, edge-of-your seat story.” Emma Carroll"Fast-paced and hilarious." Ross Welford"Deliciously creepy, wonderfully imaginative." Sophie Anderson“Very page-turny, with enough funny bits to stop it being too scary.” Philip Reeve“All the hallmarks of an instant classic.” Carlie Sorosiak“A fantastic adventure with shades of Jan Mark, Susanna Clarke and Neil Gaiman ... A brilliant example of the best children's fiction.” Christopher Edge"Ross Montgomery is a true master of storytelling." Jenny Pearson“FLAWLESS. Witty, emotional, beautifully written, pacey, punchy, and a story that just keeps delivering.” Nicola Skinner"A modern classic." Phil Earle“Rich in detail, humour and feeling. Ross Montgomery is a singular talent in writing brave and magical adventures." Katya Balen“Fantastic! A brilliant cast of characters ... a whirlwind adventure and a fae world brimming with darkness, wonder and faerie tricks.” Aisling Fowler“[An] enchanting masterpiece ... Charming, hilarious and brimming with magic." Catherine Doyle“A tricksy, whirlwind of an adventure from start to finish with twists and turns I didn’t expect!” Aisha BusbyPRAISE FOR THE MIDNIGHT GUARDIANSShortlisted for the 2021 Costa Children's Book AwardWaterstones Children's Book of the Month for Christmas 2020Hive Children's Book of the Month for November 2020A Toppsta Children's Book of the Month for November 2020"An enthralling, Narnia-flavoured novel with the folkloric feels of a Christmas classic." Children's Books of the Year, Guardian"Beautifully drawn fantasy characters ... a story of hope and love underpinned by witty humour.” Daily Mail"A magical slice of historical fantasy fiction.” i Newspaper"This lovely adventure story has the feel of a classic children's book." Book of the Week, The Week Junior“Beautiful writing and epic storytelling.” WRD Magazine"A real triumph of the imagination." Editor's Choice, The Bookseller

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Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2021 Running away from your problems doesn’t solve anything – but sometimes it’s more fun than dealing with them Elise was spending a lot of time crying on buses. She had just graduated from university; she had a shiny new flat, her first proper job and a budding relationship – and they were all making her utterly miserable. Sitting at work one day, she hit upon the obvious solution: Run 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain, carrying her kit on her back. Six months later Elise set off, with absolutely no ultra-running experience, unable to read a map and having never pitched a tent alone before. Over the 301 days that followed she developed a debilitating fear of farmyard animals, cried on a lot of beaches and saw Britain at its most wild and wonderful. Coasting is about putting one foot in front of the other, even when it feels impossible, and trying to enjoy it too. With heart and humour, Elise explores the thrill of taking risks and putting your trust in total strangers, and learns some home truths along the way. 'A true Great British Adventure, with humour and heart.' Sir Ranulph Fiennes 'Elise Downing has achieved the impossible – leaving you in awe at her superhuman achievements, but also convincing you that you could probably do the same.' Emily Chappell 'A hugely enjoyable jaunt around Britain, that proves that you can find adventure right on your doorstep.' Alastair Humphreys 'Elise Downing has reminded us all of the most crucial aspects of adventure: 1) You don't have to be an expert. 2) It's all about the people. 3) However hard, tough, excruciating and doubt-driven a challenge might be, at heart it's a funny, funny story.' Dave Cornthwaite 'Reading Coasting is like listening to a friend tell a tale down the pub that you can’t quite believe. Elise’s storytelling is hilarious, warm-hearted and wonderfully down-to-earth. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to lace up your trainers and start running towards that mad idea you once had. There’s no doubt that Elise’s gung-ho attitude is her superpower. Her kryptonite? Cows.' Anna McNuff, author and adventurer 'Elise's irresistibly readable adventures are both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. She's an inspiration.' Damian Hall, author and ultrarunner 'Funny and engaging and inspiring... an absolute gem.' Vassos Alexander, presenter, author and runner 'A beautifully observed and blisteringly truthful account of what happens when you decide to combine adventure and endurance. Absolutely brilliant.' Jake Tyler, author of A Walk from the Wild Edge 'An honest and exciting tale of how a dream became an awesome reality. Definitely worth a read!' Ben Smith, founder of The 401 Challenge 'I was already laughing at the Dedication and this continued all the way to the very last page. Elise Downing is a comedy genius and has a heart of gold!' Danny Bent, author, runner and founder of Project Awesome 'Elise tells her story with such good-humoured light-heartedness that you could be forgiven for forgetting that what she is describing is a feat of real endurance. Running 5,000 miles is a truly remarkable achievement, and the fact that Elise emerged from it with a smile on her face and a total lack of ego speaks wonders to her character. This is an incredible tale told with total humility. Running around the coast of Great Britain was a mad thing to do, but not buying this book would be madder still.' Tim Moss, author, adventurer and founder of The Next Challenge 'Like any epic journey worth sharing, Elise encountered the same doubts, setbacks and fears that leave many dreams stuck on the drawing board. One foot after the other, Elise set out to achieve the extraordinary many miles over. Coasting shares the literal highs and lows as she finds her rite of passage to the world of ultra-running, with an endearing vulnerability and hilarious flair that brings places to life. In the same way that countless strangers felt compelled to join her around the UK, Coasting carries the reader along and inspires us all to ask 'why not?' in pursuit of our own home-grown adventures.' Alex Staniforth, adventurer and author 'A wonderfully honest tale of courage, perseverance and self-discovery.' Dr Juliet McGrattan, author and runner 'Elise brings so much fun and energy, as well as raw honesty, to the world of adventure books, and her incredible journey is an inspiration to young (and old!) adventurers.' Jenny Tough, author, adventurer and editor of Tough Women Adventure Stories 'Thoughtful, funny and beautifully written. Just goes to show that there’s a ram-spinning, swashbuckling adventure right there on your doorstep.' Huw Jack Brassington, writer, presenter and adventurer

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The outcome of a brutal war, which took place 1,885 years ago, continues to reverberate in the Near East today. It is a tale largely unknown outside Israel, and yet it helps explain why the region continues to be engulfed by strife. "As a historian I learned about the Bar Kokhba War, but the explanations for why and how it happened seemed confused," said historian and author Lindsay Powell. "As with King Arthur, fact and myth have become muddled. To establish the truth, I travelled across three continents. BAR KOKHBA: The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome is the result." This amazing and consequential story involves an epic struggle between the two strong-willed leaders over who would rule a nation. One protagonist was Hadrian, the cosmopolitan ruler of the vast Roman Empire, then at its zenith, who some regarded as divine. He is best known today for the famous wall he built in northern Britain. The other was Shim'on, a Jewish military leader in a district of a minor province; some believed him to be the 'King Messiah' after sage Rabbi Akiba allegedly saw him fulfilling biblical prophecy and named him 'Bar Kokhba' ('Son of a Star'). It is also the tale of the clash of two ancient cultures. One was the conqueror, seeking to maintain control of its hard-won dominion they called Judaea; the other was the conquered, seeking to break free and establish a new nation. Shim'on called his new country Israel. Several causes for the war have been suggested, such as bans on circumcision or studying Torah which Powell evaluates in his book. Most likely it was the decision by Hadrian to rebuild then ruined Jerusalem as a pagan city for retired Roman soldiers. He called it Aelia Capitolina after his own family and the triad of Roman gods whose shrine may have been erected over the remains of the Second Temple. It may or may not have been Hadrian's intention, but the Jews took it as a direct insult. During the ensuing conflict - called the 'Second Jewish War' (AD 132-136) - the highly motivated Jewish militia sorely tested the highly trained - and normally invincible - professional Roman army. Powell said: "Amazingly, the Jewish rebels withstood the Roman onslaught for three-and-a-half years. They established an independent nation with its own administration led by Shim'on as its president (nasi). They minted their own coins by overstriking Roman coins with Jewish iconography, cheerfully obliterating the image of the emperor and pagan gods with every strike of the hammer." Found in caves in the Judaean Desert in the 1950s and 1960s, letters from Shim'on to his lieutenants survive revealing how deeply involved he was in day-to-day actions, and his increasing frustration with their laziness. For reasons Powell explains in his book, the Jews ultimately lost. In retribution, Hadrian expelled the Jews from Judea and barred them from entering Aelia Capitolina and its holy sites. He even changed the name of the Roman province to Syria Palaestina - the origin of Palestine. "The outcome of that David and Goliath contest was of great consequence, both for the people of Judaea and for Judaism itself," said Powell. "Centuries of bloodshed followed." In death, Bar Kokhba became a legend. Over the ages, this flawed rebel with a cause become a hero for the increasingly persecuted Jews in the Diaspora longing to found a new Jewish homeland. Across Europe in the early twentieth century, there were athletic teams competing in sports events under the moniker 'Bar Kochba' as part of a movement to create the image of the 'Muscular Jew'. The last games were held in Berlin in 1936, just two years before Kristallnacht. Eric H. Cline, Professor of Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Anthropology, George Washington University, writes in the foreword of the book: "There are a very limited number of people whose life, and death, still impact other centuries after they have shuffled off this mortal coil. There are fewer still who inspire entire movements, and migrations, such as the return to what is now modern Israel by the Zionists, after that same length of time." In the interwar years in Palestine, armed Jewish resistance groups championed Bar Kokhba as a figure of inspiration in their own struggle against the British and Palestinian Arabs to establish a new State of Israel; it finally came into being in 1948. Today modern Israelis still celebrate Bar Kokhba with bonfires and songs on the annual Lag B'Omer holiday. In researching his book, Powell went on a journey stretching from Hollywood to London, Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and Caesarea, and Herodium to Ein Gedi. He drew upon archaeology, art, coins, inscriptions, militaria, as well as secular and religious documents, to produce a compelling and complete account of the people and events at a crucial time in world history. Commenting on the new book, Cline said: "Let it be said that Powell's researches have resulted in an enthralling journey through history. It is a marvelous search for the man behind the myth, which is well worth reading. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did."

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From Roger Stone, a New York Times bestselling author, longtime political adviser and friend to Donald Trump, and consummate Republican strategist, comes an in-depth examination of how Trump’s campaign tapped into the national mood to deliver a stunning victory that few saw coming.In the early hours of November 9, 2016, one of the most contentious, polarizing, and vicious presidential races came to an abrupt and unexpected end when heavily favored presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton called Donald J. Trump to concede, shocking a nation that had, only hours before, given little credence to his chances. Donald Trump pulled the greatest upset in American political history despite a torrent of invective and dismissal of the mainstream media. Here is the first definitive explanation about how the “silent majority” shifted the election to Donald Trump in reliable Democratic Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, thus handing him the presidency.Stone, a long time Trump retainer and confidant, gives us the inside story of how Donald Trump almost single-handedly harnessed discontent among “Forgotten Americans” despite running a guerrilla-style grass roots campaign to compete with the smooth running and free-spending Clinton political machine.From the start, Trump’s campaign was unlike any seen on the national stage—combative, maverick, and fearless. Trump’s nomination was the hostile takeover of the Republican party and a resounding repudiation of the failed leadership of both parties whose policies have brought America to the brink of financial collapse as well as endangering our national security.Here Stone outlines how Donald Trump skillfully ran as the anti-Open Borders candidate as well as a supporter of American sovereignty, and how he used the Globalist trade deals like NAFTA to win over three of ten Bernie Sanders supporters. The veteran adviser to Nixon, Reagan, and Trump charts the rise of the alt-conservative media and the end of the mainstream media monopoly on voter impacting information dissemination. This is an insider’s view that includes studying opposition research into Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton’s crimes, and the struggle by the Republican establishment to stop Trump and how they underestimated him. Stone chronicles Trump’s triumph in three debates where he skillfully lowered expectation levels but skewered Mrs. Clinton for the corruption of the Clinton Foundation, her mishandling of government email, and her incompetence as Secretary of State.Stone gives us the inside word on Julian Assange, Wikileaks, Clinton campaign chief John Podesta, Huma Abedin, Anthony Weiner, Carlos Danger, Doug Band, Jeffery Epstein, and the efforts to hide the former first lady’s infirmities and health problems. Stone dissects the phony narrative that Trump was in cahoots with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin or that the e-mails released by Wikileaks came from the Russians.The grizzled political veteran of ten Republican presidential campaigns from Richard Nixon to Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump explains how Trump’s election has averted near certain war with Russia over Syria and the rejection of the neocon policies of the Obama/Clinton Administration.The Making of the President 2016 reveals how Trump brilliantly picked at Hillary Clinton’s weaknesses, particularly her reputation as a crooked insider, and ignited the passions of out-of-work white men and women from the rust belt and beyond, at a time when millions of Americans desperately wanted change. Stone also reveals how and why the mainstream media got it wrong, including how the polls were loaded and completely misunderstood who would vote.Stone's analysis is akin to Theodore H. White’s seminal book The Making of the President 1960. It is both a sweeping analysis of the trends that elected Trump as well as the war stories of a hard-bitten political survivor who Donald Trump called “one tough cookie."Other books by Roger Stone:The Man Who Killed Kennedy, a New York Times bestseller in which Roger Stone makes a compelling case that Lyndon Baines Johnson was the mastermind behind the murder of President John F. Kennedy. Stone maps out LBJ’s motives for orchestrating the murder and uses fingerprint evidence and testimony to prove JFK was shot by a long-time LBJ hit man—not Lee Harvey Oswald.Nixon’s Secrets gives the inside scoop on Nixon’s rise and fall in Watergate. Stone charts Nixon’s rise from election to Congress in 1946 to the White House in 1968 after his razor-thin loss to John Kennedy in 1960, his disastrous campaign for Governor of California in 1962 and the greatest comeback in American Presidential history.Jeb and the Bush Crime Family, in which Stone collaborates with Saint John Hunt to make this a “no-holds-barred” history of the Bush family. After detailing the vast litany of Jeb’s misdeeds, Stone travels back to Samuel, Prescott, George H. W., and George W. Bush to weave an epic story of privilege, greed, corruption, drug profiteering, assassination, and lies. This exposition will have you asking, “Why aren't these people in prison?”The Clintons’ War on Women, where Roger Stone and historian Robert Morrow uncover the explosive and ugly truths about Bill and Hillary’s crimes and cover-ups. They reveal the details about their actions in Arkansas, Bill Clinton’s scandalous time in the White House, who really ordered the deadly attack on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Hillary’s federally-investigated tenure as secretary of state, their time at the corrupt Clinton Foundation, and Hillary’s failed campaign for president.

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'She lifted the flap of the envelope and pulled out the single white page. As she opened it up she stared, open mouthed. Four words were typed on the page. I am watching you.' When Amy Whyte and Penny Brogan leave a local nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning and don't arrive home, their families are beside themselves with worry. Conor Dowling has just been released from prison, a man full of hatred for Amy, the girl who put him behind bars in the first place.The case is given to Detective Lottie Parker, when the girls' blood-soaked bodies are found, days later, in a derelict squat. Chillingly, both girls are clutching silver coins in their hands - what message is this killer leaving behind? All the signs point to Conor but his alibi is water tight.As Lottie examines Penny and Amy's final days alive in a desperate search for clues, two more girls are found stabbed to death in a luxury apartment complex. Caught up in what is fast becoming her toughest case yet, Lottie is unaware that somebody is watching her every move.Then Lottie's two daughters, Katie and Chloe suddenly disappear from the town centre. Terrified that the killer has her girls, the stakes have never been higher for Lottie. But as Lottie puts everything on the line to find her daughters and solve the case, she's about to find herself in terrible danger - someone has a personal axe to grind with her and they know the best way to get to her is to hurt the ones she loves the most.If you love Karin Slaughter, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Abbott, you'll be hooked by this heart-stopping thriller from Patricia Gibney. Final Betrayal will keep you guessing until the very last page. Readers are loving Final Betrayal:'Another absolutely riveting, gut gripping and unputdownable book from Patricia Gibney!! Had this read in record time!! From start to finish it was brilliant!! Literally can't wait for the next one and the outcome for Lottie and Boyd!!!!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'YES . . . I just love this series! . . . With Leo Belfield back in Ragmullin . . . you know things are not going to end well!!! . . . I absolutely loved this book, I love this series, I can never say a bad word against them, they reel you in and grip you from the get-go, its like a rollercoaster which so much going on and twists and turns, your neck will be sore, is it too early to ask when the next one is ready????' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'The Lottie Parker series just gets better and better with each book released and Final Betrayal was just another amazing and gripping read. The town of Ragmullin is one of my favourite settings and I love how vividly Patricia Gibney brings it to life . . . What I love about Patricia Gibney is her talent at writing brilliantly twisted mysteries . . . It's an expertly and intricately-woven plot that completely had me consumed as I read, it was one of those books I was constantly thinking about when I wasn't reading it . . . It really was a fantastic read from start to finish. Roll on book seven.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'I adore Lottie Parker . . . Go pick up the latest release by this fabulous author. Patricia Gibney is the best!!!!' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars'Well I am now a fan of Lottie Parker!! This is my first book in the series but I am off to buy the rest ! Final Betrayal is a page turning, twists and turns book. So many dead bodies. I can tell you that if I am missing or in trouble , it's Lottie Parker and her team of detectives I want on my side . . . Can't wait to read more of Lottie's exploits!' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars'A dark and gripping read...There are so many heart stopping moments that had me hold my breath. I was carried along by the authors writing, making assumptions along the way. Lets just say nil points to me as I totally got it wrong . . . Final Betrayal is a story that is guaranteed to set your pulse racing. I was totally hooked and enjoyed being part of this thrilling journey that I was taken on alongside Lottie whose character I really enjoyed. Without a doubt I will be going back and reading the rest of the books in the series as this just ticked all the boxes for what I look for in a crime series.' Bytheletterbookreviews, 5 stars'An epic, compelling story . . . I look forward to getting reacquainted with DI Lottie Parker every time a new book comes out, and I'm yet to be disappointed. In fact, every time one comes out, I make the same mistake of picking it up and starting, not realising I'm going to get very little done until I've finished it. Yes, it happened again, I read this book over two days, well I did have to stop to sleep.' Nigel Adams Bookworm, 5 stars'This series is one of the best in current crime fiction. Lottie Parker is a fascinating character . . . Always engrossing and I was gripped from the very start. Excellent.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars 'Brilliant. I love this series and the characters and this, the sixth in the series, is as engaging a read as the rest. Lottie's fresh start is at risk as her past and old cases threaten those closest to her.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars'I always enjoy these books and am really looking forward to the next one. Many thanks to Patricia Gibney for all her work on creating these for us! I'm a happy reader!' Books, Tea and Me

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National Theatre Connections is an annual festival which brings new plays for young people to schools and youth theatres across the UK and Ireland. Commissioning exciting work from leading playwrights, the festival exposes actors aged 13-19 to the world of professional theatre-making, giving them full control of a theatrical production - from costume and set design to stage management and marketing campaigns. NT Connections have published over 150 original plays and regularly works with 500 theatre companies and 10,000 young people each year. This anthology brings together 9 new plays by some of the UK's most prolific and current writers and artists alongside notes on each of the texts exploring performance for schools and youth groups. Wind / Rush Generation(s) by Mojisola Adebayo This is a play about the British Isles, its past and its present. Set in a senior common room, in a prominent university, a group of 1st year undergraduates are troubled, not by the weight of their workload, but by a ‘noisy’ ghost. So they do what any group self-respecting and intelligent university students would do in such a situation – they get out the Ouija Board to confront their spiritual irritant and lay them to rest – only to be confronted by the full weight of Britain’s colonial past – in all its gory glory. Fusing naturalism, with physical theatre, spoken-word, absurdism, poetry and direct address – this is event-theatre that whips along with the grace, pace and hypnotic magnetism of a hurricane. Tuesday by Alison Carr Tuesday is light, playful and nuanced in tone. And a little bit sci-fi. The play centres on an ordinary Tuesday that suddenly turns very weird indeed when a tear rips across the sky over the school yard. The play touches on themes of friendship, sibling love, family, identity, grief, bullying, loneliness and responsibility. And in the process we might just learn something about ourselves as well as some astronomical theories of the multiverse! A series of public apologies (in response to an unfortunate incident in the school lavatories) by John Donnelly This satirical play is heightened in its naturalism, in its seriousness, in its parody and piercing in its interrogation of how our attempts to define ourselves in public are shaped by the fear of saying the wrong thing. Presented quite literally as a series of public apologies this play is spacious, flexible and welcoming of inventive and imaginative interpretation as each iteration spirals inevitably to its absurdist core. This is a play on words, on convention, on manners, on institutions, on order, online and on point. THE IT by Vivienne Franzmann THE IT is a play about a teenage girl who has something growing inside her. She doesn't know what it is, but she knows it's not a baby. It expands in her body. It starts in her stomach, but quickly outgrows that, until eventually ittakes over the entirety of her insides. It has claws. She feels them. Presented in the style of a direct to camera documentary, this is a darkly comic state of the nation play exploring adolescent mental health and the rage within, written very specifically for today. The Marxist in Heaven by Hattie Naylor The Marxist in Heaven is a play that does exactly what its title page says it’s going to do. The eponymous protagonist ‘wakes up’ in paradise and once they get over the shock of this fundamental contradiction of everything they believe in…..they get straight back to work….and continue their lifelong struggle for equality and fairness for all….even in death. Funny, playful, provocative, pertinent and jam-packed with discourse, disputes, deities and disco dancing by the bucketful, this upbeat buoyant allegory shines its holy light on globalization and asks the salient questions – who are we and what are we doing to ourselves?.....and what conditioner do you use on your hair? Look Up by Andrew Muir Look Up plunges us into a world free from adult intervention, supervision and protection. It’s about seeking the truth for yourself and finding the space to find and be yourself. Nine young people are creating new rules for what they hope will be a new and brighter future full of hope in a world in which they can trust again. Each one of them is unique, original and defiantly individual, break into an abandoned building and set about claiming the space, because that is what they do. They have rituals, they have rules, together they are a tribe, they have faith in themselves….and nothing and no one else. They are the future, unless the real world catches up with them and then all they can hope for is that they don't crash and burn like the adults they ran away from in the first place. Crusaders by Frances Poet A group of teens gather to take their French exam but none of them will step into the exam hall. Because Kyle has had a vision and he’ll use anything, even miracles, to ensure his classmates accompany him. Together they have just seven days to save themselves, save the world and be the future. And Kyle is not the only one who has had the dream. All across the globe, from Azerbaijan to Zambia, children are dreaming and urging their peers to follow them to the promised land. Who will follow? Who will lead? Who will make it? Witches Can’t Be Burned by Silva Semerciyan St. Paul’s have won the schools Playfest competition, three years in a row, by selecting recognised classics from the canon and producing them at an exceptionally high level, it’s a tried and trusted formula. With straight A’s student and drama freak, Anuka cast as Abigail Williams in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the school seem to be well on course for another triumph, which would be a record. However, as rehearsals gain momentum, Anuka has an epiphany. An experience resulting in her asking searching questions surrounding the text, the depiction and perception of female characters, the meaning of loyalty, and the values and traditions underpinning the very foundations of the school. Thus, the scene is set for a confrontation of epic proportions as Anuka seeks to break with tradition, before tradition breaks her and all young women like her and reality begins to take on the ominous hue of Miller’s fictionalized Salem. Dungeness by Chris Thompson . In a remote part of the UK, where nothing ever happens, a group of teenagers share a safe house for LGBT+ young people. While their shared home welcomes difference, it can be tricky for self-appointed group leader Birdie to keep the peace. The group must decide how they want to commemorate an attack that happened to LGBT+ people, in a country far away. How do you take to the streets and protest if you’re not ready to tell the world who you are? If you’re invisible, does your voice still count? A play about love, commemoration and protest.

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