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A Galaxy Not So Far Away: Writers and Artists on Twenty-Five Years of Star Wars
by Dave Eggers Kevin Smith Joe QueenanA dazzling collection of original essays by some of America's most notable young writers on the cultural impact of the Star Wars filmsA Galaxy Not So Far Away is the first ever exploration of the innumerable ways the Star Wars films have forever altered our cultural and artistic landscape. Edited by Glenn Kenny, a senior editor and critic at Premiere magazine, this singular collection allows some of the nation's most acclaimed writers to anatomize, criticize, celebrate, and sometimes simply riff on the prismatic aftereffects of an unparalleled American phenomenon. Jonathan Lethem writes of the summer he saw Star Wars twenty-one times as his mother lay dying of cancer. Neal Pollack chips in with the putative memoir of a certain young man having problems with his father, written in the voice of Holden Caulfield. Erika Krouse ponders the code of the Jedi Knight and its relation to her own pursuit of the martial arts. New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell meditates upon the mysterious figure Lando Calrissian.A classic assemblage of pop writing at its best, A Galaxy Not So Far Away is a book for everyone who loves Star Wars films and seeks to understand just what it is about these films that has so enchanted an entire generation of filmgoers.
A Galaxy of Immortal Women
by Brian GriffithForeWord Reviews Mother's Day Staff Pick: "Books Mom Will Love""A valuable historical reference guide." -Publishers Weekly"This is a very ambitious and timely book, a book that many historians, literary theorists and story tellers who care about China and its "Other Half of the Sky" want to write, but Brian Griffith did it first, with such scope, ease and fun." -WANG PING, author of The Last Communist Virgin and Aching for Beauty: Footbinding in China"This book is a most engaging and entertaining read, and the depth of its scholarship is astounding. Griffith vividly describes the counterculture of Chinese goddesses, shows that their fascinating stories are alive and active today, and points us toward a more inclusive and caring partnership future." -RIANE EISLER, author of The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics and The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our FutureTouching on the whole story of China-from Neolithic villages to a globalized Shanghai-this book ties mythology, archaeology, history, religion, folklore, literature, and journalism into a millennia-spanning story about how Chinese women-and their goddess traditions-fostered a counterculture that flourishes and grows stronger every day.As Brian Griffith charts the stories of China's founding mothers, shamanesses, goddesses, and ordinary heroines, he also explores the largely untold story of women's contributions to cultural life in the world's biggest society and provides inspiration for all global citizens.Brian Griffith grew up in Texas, studied history at the University of Alberta, and now lives just outside of Toronto, Ontario. He is an independent historian who examines how cultural history influences our lives, and how collective experience offers insights for our future.
A Galaxy of Things: The Power of Puppets and Masks in Star Wars and Beyond
by Colette SearlsA Galaxy of Things explores the ways in which all puppets, masks, makeup-prosthetic figures are "material characters," using iconic Star Wars characters like Yoda and R2-D2 to illustrate what makes them so compelling. As an epic franchise, Star Wars has been defined by creatures, droids, and masked figures since the original 1977 movie. Author Colette Searls, a theatre director and expert in puppetry studies, uncovers how non-humans like Chewbacca, semi-humans like Darth Maul, and even concealed humans like Boba Fett tell meaningful stories that conventional human characters cannot. Searls defines three powers that puppets, masked figures, and other material characters wield—distance, distillation, and duality—and analyzes Star Wars’ most iconic robots and aliens to demonstrate how they work across nearly a half-century of live-action films. Yoda and "Baby Yoda"—two of popular culture’s greatest puppets—use these qualities to transform their human companions. Similarly, Darth Vader’s mask functions as a performing object driving mystery and suspense across three film trilogies. The power of material characters has also been wielded in problematic ways, such as stereotypes in the representation of service droids and controversial creatures like Jar Jar Binks. Bringing readers forward into the first Star Wars live-action streaming series, the book also explores how the early 2020s stories centered material characters in particularly meaningful, often redemptive ways. A Galaxy of Things is an accessible guide to puppets, masks, and other material characters for students and scholars of theatre, film, puppetry, and popular culture studies. It also offers useful perspectives on non-human representation for researchers in object-oriented ontology, posthumanism, ethnic studies, and material culture.
A Gallant County: The Regiments of Gloucestershire in the Great War
by Robin GristThis book describes the campaigns fought by the Gloucestershire Regiments sixteen infantry battalions and the 1/1st RGH which saw action on all the Allied fronts. During The Great War the Gloucesters who already had more battle honors than any other regiment won another eighty-two.Over 46,000 men served in the Gloucesters and the RGH during the First World War without any member of either regiment being charged with either desertion or cowardice. Twenty-five Military Medals were won by 1st Gloucesters at Festubert on one day in April 1918, a record for a single battalion.A Gallant County captures the contrast between the fighting in the mud of the Western Front, the heat and dust of the Middle East and the horrors of Gallipoli. The author skilfully paints the picture of infantry and cavalry actions in the different theatres. 1/1st RGH were one of only two yeomanry regiments to fight from Egypt to Aleppo.The use of personal accounts and descriptions of acts of individual and collective gallantry make this a superb record of a Countys outstanding contribution to victory.
A Gallant Defense: The Siege of Charleston, 1780
by Carl P. BorickThis detailed account of Britain’s Siege of Charleston is “a welcome addition to the history of South Carolina and of the American Revolution” (Journal of Military History).In 1779 Sir Henry Clinton and more than eight thousand British troops left the waters of New York, seeking to capture the colonies’ most important southern port, Charleston, South Carolina. Clinton and his officers believed that victory in Charleston would change both the seat of the war and its character. In this comprehensive study of the 1780 siege and surrender of Charleston, Carl P. Borick offers a full examination of the strategic and tactical elements of Clinton’s operations.Drawing on an impressive array of primary and secondary sources, Borick contends that the British effort against Charleston was one of the most critical campaigns of the war. He examines the shift in British strategy, the efforts of their army and navy, and the difficulties the patriots faced as they defended the city. He also explores the roles of key figures in the campaign, including Benjamin Lincoln, William Moultrie, and Lord Charles Cornwallis.
A Gallery of Her Own: An Annotated Bibliography of Women in Victorian Painting
by Elree I. Harris Shirley R. ScottFirst Published in 1997. This book is intended as a resource for anyone interested in the artistic contributions and activities of women in nineteenth-century Britain. It is an index as well as an annotated bibliography and provides sources for information about women well known in their own time and about women who were little known then and are forgotten now
A Gallery of Recuperation: On the Merits of Slandering Charlatans, Swindlers, and Frauds
by Jaime SemprunThe first English translation of the French cult classic that lampoons France&’s most popular intellectuals of the post-1968 period and their ideas, which became forces of counterrevolution.Eric-John Russell&’s translation of Jaime Semprún&’s brutal takedown of France&’s best-known intellectuals of the post-1968 period, A Gallery of Recuperation, is one of the first full English versions of any of Semprún&’s books. Originally titled Précis de recuperation, the book is a scathing critique of ten major thinkers, including Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, Jean-François Lyotard, and Cornelius Castoriadis. Semprún uses this catalog of careerism to reflect on the concept of recuperation—capitalism&’s uncanny ability to coopt anticapitalist critiques and subvert subversion. His central question: What happens to revolutionary ideas, including Marxism itself, in the hands of professional intellectuals?Semprún&’s idiosyncratic and playful style of polemics takes existentialism, humanism, structuralism, poststructuralism, postmodernism, aesthetics, and psychoanalysis to task, casting new light on the figures who have become dominant staples of modern Anglophone academia, and proving the necessity of critiquing intellectuals&’ roles within contemporary capitalism. A cult classic among the French radical left and scholars of the Situationist International and May 1968, A Gallery of Recuperation never made the impact it should have. Russell&’s translation marks a major step in recognizing Semprún&’s work beyond its French context.
A Gamble at Sunset (Betting Against the Duke #1)
by Vanessa RileyAward-winning author Vanessa Riley turns all convention on its head for the first in an enchanting, dazzlingly diverse new Regency romance trilogy featuring a duke, three sisters, and a tantalizing bet with a most desirable reward... &“The perfect historical read.&” —Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling authorWhen a duke discovers the woman he loves was tricked into marrying another, the master chess player makes the now-widowed Viscountess the highest-stakes wager of his life in a last-ditch effort to win her affection: he will find husbands for her two sisters—or depart forever. Thus begins a sparkling new series from acclaimed author Vanessa Riley. Georgina Wilcox, a wallflower with hidden musical talents, is furious when her reclusive older sister—the recently widowed Viscountess—refuses sorely needed help from the Duke of Torrance, the only gentleman who has shown kindness to the bereft Wilcox sisters. Georgina decides to get back at her sister and shock the Viscountess by kissing the first willing stranger she meets in the enchanting gardens of Anya House. Unfortunately, her sister is not the sole witness. A group of reporters and the ton&’s leading gossips catch Georgina in a passionate embrace with a reticent composer, Lord Mark Sebastian. The third son of an influential marquis, the tongue-tied Mark is determined to keep the scandal from ruining Georgina&’s reputation and his own prospects of winning the celebrated Harlbert&’s Prize for music. Under the guise of private voice lessons, the two embark on a daring gamble to fool the ton into believing that their feigned courtship is honorable while bolstering Georgina&’s singing genius to captivate potential suitors. Sexist cartoons, family rivalries, and an upcoming ball test the fake couple&’s resolve. Will their sudden fiery collaboration—and growing attraction—prove there&’s nothing false about a first kiss and scandalously irresistible temptation?
A Gambling Man: Charles II's Restoration Game
by Jenny UglowThe Restoration was a decade of experimentation: from the founding of the Royal Society for investigating the sciences to the startling role of credit and risk; from the shocking licentiousness of the court to failed attempts at religious tolerance. Negotiating all these, Charles II, the "slippery sovereign," laid odds and took chances, dissembling and manipulating his followers. The theaters may have been restored, but the king himself was the supreme actor. Yet while his grandeur, his court, and his colorful sex life were on display, his true intentions lay hidden.Charles II was thirty when he crossed the English Channel in fine May weather in 1660. His Restoration was greeted with maypoles and bonfires, as spring after the long years of Cromwell's rule. But there was no way to turn back, no way he could "restore" the old dispensation. Certainty had vanished. The divinity of kingship had ended with his father's beheading. "Honor" was now a word tossed around in duels. "Providence" could no longer be trusted. As the country was rocked by plague, fire, and war, people searched for new ideas by which to live. And exactly ten years after he arrived, Charles would again stand on the shore at Dover, this time placing the greatest bet of his life in a secret deal with his cousin, Louis XIV of France.Jenny Uglow's previous biographies have won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and International PEN's Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History. A Gambling Man is Uglow at her best: both a vivid portrait of Charles II that explores his elusive nature and a spirited evocation of a vibrant, violent, pulsing world on the brink of modernity.
A Game for Rough Girls?: A History of Women's Football in Britain
by Jean WilliamsCan we truly call football England's 'national' game?How have we arrived at this point of such clear inequality between men's and women's football? Between 1921 and 1972, women were banned from playing in football League grounds in the UK. Yet in 1998 FIFA declared that "the future is feminine" and that football was the fastest growing sport for women globally. The result of several years of original research, the book traces the continuities in women's participation since the beginnings of the game, and highlights the significant moments that have influenced current practice. The text provides: *insight into the communities and individual experiences of players, fans, investors, administrators and coaches*examination of the attitudes and role of national and international associations*analysis of the development of the professional game*comparisons with women's football in mainland Europe, the USA and Africa. A Game for Rough Girls is the first text to properly theorize the development of the game. Examining recreational and elite levels, the author provides a thorough critique, placing women's experience in the context of broader cultural and sports studies debates on social change, gender, power and global economics.
A Game of Authors
by Frank HerbertIn pursuit of a scoop, American journalist Hal Garson follows up on a mysterious, desperate letter that points to the whereabouts of legendary author Antone Luac, who vanished without a trace in Mexico years ago. The celebrated writer's disappearance is an enduring mystery, and Garson senses this story will make his career.Despite warnings, he travels to isolated Ciudad Brockman and begins asking questions … too many questions, which place him in the crossfire of a local crime lord, a Communist insurgent group, and finally to the imprisoned writer—and his beautiful daughter—who may not want to be found.
A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Ingenious Young Women Whose Secret Board Game Helped Win World War II
by Simon ParkinThe triumphant true story of the young women who helped to devise the winning strategy that defeated Nazi U-boats and delivered a decisive victory in the Battle of the Atlantic.By 1941, Winston Churchill had come to believe that the outcome of World War II rested on the battle for the Atlantic. A grand strategy game was devised by Captain Gilbert Roberts and a group of ten Wrens (members of the Women's Royal Naval Service) assigned to his team in an attempt to reveal the tactics behind the vicious success of the German U-boats. Played on a linoleum floor divided into painted squares, it required model ships to be moved across a make-believe ocean in a manner reminiscent of the childhood game, Battleship. Through play, the designers developed "Operation Raspberry," a countermaneuver that helped turn the tide of World War II.Combining vibrant novelistic storytelling with extensive research, interviews, and previously unpublished accounts, Simon Parkin describes for the first time the role that women played in developing the Allied strategy that, in the words of one admiral, "contributed in no small measure to the final defeat of Germany." Rich with unforgettable cinematic detail and larger-than-life characters, A Game of Birds and Wolves is a heart-wrenching tale of ingenuity, dedication, perseverance, and love, bringing to life the imagination and sacrifice required to defeat the Nazis at sea.
A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Secret Game That Won the War
by Simon Parkin1941. The Battle of the Atlantic is a disaster. Thousands of supply ships ferrying vital food and fuel from North America to Britain are being torpedoed by German U-boats. Prime Minister Winston Churchill is lying to the country about the number of British ships sunk. He is lying about the number of British men killed. And worst of all, unless something changes, he knows that Britain is weeks away from being starved into surrender to the Nazis. This is the story of the game of battleships that won the Second World War. In the first week of 1942 a group of unlikely heroes - a retired naval captain and a clutch of brilliant young women, the youngest only seventeen-years-old - gather to form a secret strategy unit. On the top floor of a bomb-bruised HQ in Liverpool, the Western Approaches Tactical Unit spends days and nights designing and playing wargames in an effort to crack the U-boat tactics. A Game of Birds and Wolves takes us from the sweltering fug of a U-boat as the German aces coordinate their wolfpack, to the tense atmosphere of the operation room as the British team plot battles at sea on the map.The story of Operation Raspberry and its unsung heroines has never been told before. Investigative journalist Simon Parkin brings these hidden figures into the light and shows the ingenuity, perseverance and love needed to defeat the Nazis in this gripping tale of war at sea.
A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Secret Game that Revolutionised the War
by Simon Parkin'Compelling' Sunday Times'A triumph' Daily Mirror'Gripping' Jonathan Dimbleby1941. The Battle of the Atlantic is a disaster. Thousands of supply ships ferrying vital food and fuel from North America to Britain are being torpedoed by German U-boats. Britain is only weeks away from starvation - and with that, crushing defeat.In the first week of 1942 a group of unlikely heroes - a retired naval captain and a clutch of brilliant young women - gather to form a secret strategy unit. On the top floor of a bomb-bruised HQ in Liverpool, the Western Approaches Tactical Unit spends days and nights designing and playing wargames in an effort to crack the U-boat tactics. As the U-boat wolfpacks continue to prey upon the supply ships, the Wrens race against time to save Britain.With novelistic flair, investigative journalist Simon Parkin shines a light on Operation Raspberry and these unsung heroines in this riveting true story of war at sea. 'History writing at its best' Booklist 'Splendid . . . Simon Parkin's book rips along at full sail and is full of personality and personalities' Sunday Express 'Vivid, engaging' New Yorker
A Game of Brawl: The Orioles, the Beaneaters, and the Battle for the 1897 Pennant
by Edward M. Kennedy Bill FelberNot only was it probably the most cutthroat pennant race in baseball history; it was also a struggle to define how baseball would be played. This book re-creates the rowdy, season-long 1897 battle between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Beaneaters. The Orioles had acquired a reputation as the dirtiest team in baseball. Future Hall of Famers John McGraw, Wee Willie Keeler, and “Foxy” Ned Hanlon were proven winners—but their nasty tactics met with widespread disapproval among fans. So it was that their pennant race with the comparatively saintly Beaneaters took on a decidedly moralistic air. Bill Felber brings to life the most intensely watched team sporting event in the country’s history to that time. His book captures the drama of the final week, as the race came down to a three-game series. And finally, it conveys the madness of the third and decisive game, when thirty thousand fans literally knocked down the gates and walls of a facility designed to hold ten thousand to watch the Beaneaters grind out a win and bring down baseball’s first and most notorious evil empire.
A Game of Desire
by Sharon IbbotsonThis Regency is a sure bet. &“A splendid historical romance . . . the story has depth and emotion, on top of being a fun and entertaining read.&” —The Book Review The Queen of Diamonds never loses . . . Felicity Fox is a rarity for a woman living in the early 1800s. Not only does she frequent the &“gambling hells&” where most ladies would not dare to tread, she can also beat any man at his own game. It&’s no wonder she&’s gained notoriety as the &“Queen of Diamonds.&” Edward, Earl of Addington, despises gambling and is not exactly enamored of Felicity Fox either, especially since she one tried to swindle his family. Except now the Earl requires assistance from the Queen of Diamonds—and he has everything to lose. But involving herself with Edward might be the most dangerous game that Felicity has ever played . . . &“Stunning . . . a sexy, exciting and entertaining romance.&” —Chicks, Rogues and Scandals
A Game of Fear: A Novel (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries #24)
by Charles ToddIn this newest installment of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling series, Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge is faced with his most perplexing case yet: a murder with no body, and a killer who can only be a ghost.Spring, 1921. Scotland Yard sends Inspector Ian Rutledge to the sea-battered village of Walmer on the coast of Essex, where amongst the salt flats and a military airfield lies Benton Abbey, a grand manor with a storied past. The lady of the house may prove his most bewildering witness yet. She claims she saw a violent murder—but there is no body, no blood. She also insists she recognized the killer: Captain Nelson. Only it could not have been Nelson because he died during the war.Everyone in the village believes that Lady Benton’s losses have turned her mind—she is, after all, a grieving widow and mother—but the woman Rutledge interviews is rational and self-possessed. And then there is Captain Nelson: what really happened to him in the war? The more Rutledge delves into this baffling case, the more suspicious tragedies he uncovers. The Abbey and the airfield hold their secrets tightly. Until Rutledge arrives, and a new trail of death follows…
A Game of Golf: A Book of Reminiscence (The\sportstown Ser.)
by Francis OuimetFrancis Ouimet (1893-1967) was an unknown twenty-year-old amateur when he upset famed British golfers Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to win the 1913 U.S. Open. That spectacular victory at The Country Club (TCC) made him America’s first golf hero, drew new fans to the sport, and forever altered the image of golf as a stuffy, rich man’s game dominated by British and Scottish players.In this engaging memoir, first published in 1932, Ouimet reminisces about his life in golf and gives sage advice on playing the game. He vividly chronicles the boyhood he spent at his modest home across the street from The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. With charm and wit he recalls how he scavenged for golf balls and clubs, learned to play on a homemade, three-hole course in his backyard, and sneaked onto The Country Club’s fairways to practice in the early morning hours. He recounts his caddying years, starting at age nine, the early amateur competitions, and the momentous 1913 U.S. Open tournament on his neighborhood course.Legendary is the story of Ouimet and his caddy, Eddie Lowery. Ouimet refused an experienced TCC member’s offer to carry his clubs during the 1913 playoff in favor of the ten-year-old boy.Ouimet’s illustrious amateur career journeys across the fairways of Hoylake, St. Andrews, Garden City, and Pebble Beach, and concludes with his victory in the 1931 U.S. National Amateur at Beverly Hills in Chicago.Brimming with exciting matches and great players such as Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, these humble reminiscences of the working-class kid who changed the game of golf will inspire golf enthusiasts and general readers alike.
A Game of Patience (Regency Romance)
by Elisabeth FairchildWhen it comes to a love triangle, every side has its story--in this engaging romance from award-winning Regency superstar Elisabeth Fairchild... AVAILABLE DIGITALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME Patience Ballard has fond memories of her most cherished childhood friends--fun-loving Pip and dear, dependable Richard. Now that she is ready to marry, it is Pip she wants--and she's come to London to find him.... Crushed when she learns Pip is already engaged, not even Richard's sweet support can soothe her wounded heart. But Pip's much vaunted love affair is decidedly odd. He does not seem the least bit interested in his intended. Puzzled, but hopeful, Patience uncovers the truth of her dear friends' adult personalities....and begins to wonder if she has misjudged all the players in the game of love, as well as the identity of the young man patiently waiting, with the key to her heart. Don't miss Elisabeth Fairchild's original Regency Romance, The Christmas Spirit, coming from InterMix.
A Game of Scandal
by Kathryn SmithThere's nothing quite like scandalous behavior hidden behind a mask of elegance, and Lilith Mallory knows the truth of this more than most. The owner of the most prestigious club in London, and wealthier in her own right than most would believe, she's considered too scandalous for polite society. But that doesn't stop the men of the ton from eating her food, enjoying her wine, or gaming at her tables.Then, into her life, strides Gabriel Warren, the Earl of Angletwood. He had broken Lilith's heart years ago, and now he has returned from his life in the 'colonies' to discover his family fortune ruined. Now he comes to her with an outrageous proposal...if she will help him financially he will give her the respectability she craves under the guise of marriage. But given the strictures of society is this a bargain she is willing--or able--to accept?
A Game of Scandal (Friends Trilogy #2)
by Kathryn SmithThere's nothing quite like scandalous behavior hidden behind a mask of elegance, and Lilith Mallory knows the truth of this more than most. The owner of the most prestigious club in London, and wealthier in her own right than most would believe, she's considered too scandalous for polite society. But that doesn't stop the men of the ton from eating her food, enjoying her wine, or gaming at her tables. Then, into her life, strides Gabriel Warren, the Earl of Angletwood. He had broken Lilith's heart years ago, and now he has returned from his life in the 'colonies' to discover his family fortune ruined. Now he comes to her with an outrageous proposal...if she will help him financially he will give her the respectability she craves under the guise of marriage. But given the strictures of society is this a bargain she is willing-or able-to accept?
A Game of Sorrows: Alexander Seaton 2 (Alexander Seaton #2)
by S.G. MacLeanSecond historical thriller in the Alexander Seaton series sweeps the hero back to his roots in Ulster, and a family living under a curse and riven with long-held secretsIt is 1628, Charles 1 is on the throne, and the British Crown is finally taking control of Ulster.Returning to his rooms one night, Alexander Seaton is shocked to find a stranger standing there - a man who could be his double. His name is Sean O'Neill, and he carries a plea for help from Maeve O'Neill, forbidding matriarch of Alexander's mother's family in Ireland. All those who bear their blood have been placed under a poet's curse: one by one they are going to die. Only Alexander is immune, his O'Neill heritage a secret from all but his closest family. Alexander travels to Ulster, to find himself at the heart of a family divided by secrets and bitter resentments. As he seeks out the author of the curse, he becomes increasingly embroiled in the conflict until - confronted with murder within his own family - his liberty and, finally, his life, are at stake.
A Game of Sorrows: Alexander Seaton 2, from the author of the prizewinning Seeker historical thrillers (Alexander Seaton #2)
by S.G. MacLeanSecond historical thriller in the Alexander Seaton series sweeps the hero back to his roots in Ulster, and a family living under a curse and riven with long-held secretsIt is 1628, Charles 1 is on the throne, and the British Crown is finally taking control of Ulster.Returning to his rooms one night, Alexander Seaton is shocked to find a stranger standing there - a man who could be his double. His name is Sean O'Neill, and he carries a plea for help from Maeve O'Neill, forbidding matriarch of Alexander's mother's family in Ireland. All those who bear their blood have been placed under a poet's curse: one by one they are going to die. Only Alexander is immune, his O'Neill heritage a secret from all but his closest family. Alexander travels to Ulster, to find himself at the heart of a family divided by secrets and bitter resentments. As he seeks out the author of the curse, he becomes increasingly embroiled in the conflict until - confronted with murder within his own family - his liberty and, finally, his life, are at stake.
A Game of Sorrows: Alexander Seaton 2, from the author of the prizewinning Seeker historical thrillers (Alexander Seaton)
by S.G. MacLeanSecond historical thriller in the Alexander Seaton series sweeps the hero back to his roots in Ulster, and a family living under a curse and riven with long-held secretsIt is 1628, Charles 1 is on the throne, and the British Crown is finally taking control of Ulster.Returning to his rooms one night, Alexander Seaton is shocked to find a stranger standing there - a man who could be his double. His name is Sean O'Neill, and he carries a plea for help from Maeve O'Neill, forbidding matriarch of Alexander's mother's family in Ireland. All those who bear their blood have been placed under a poet's curse: one by one they are going to die. Only Alexander is immune, his O'Neill heritage a secret from all but his closest family. Alexander travels to Ulster, to find himself at the heart of a family divided by secrets and bitter resentments. As he seeks out the author of the curse, he becomes increasingly embroiled in the conflict until - confronted with murder within his own family - his liberty and, finally, his life, are at stake.
A Game of Spies
by John AltmanA deadly web of deceit ensnares two spies with a complicated personal history in this electrifying tale of World War II Eva Bernhardt was a naive twenty-year-old when the rakish spymaster William Hobbs seduced her into working for the British secret service. Now, a year later, she is a tough and cynical operative stationed in Berlin, her hatred of the Nazis matched only by her distrust of the man who abandoned her to the whims of MI6. Tasked with discovering Hitler's plans for invading France, Eva unearths what appears to be a vital piece of information. What she doesn't realize is that the Germans know she is a spy and are using her to mislead the Allies. It is up to Hobbs to rescue Eva and prevent a military disaster. Standing in his way are her seething resentment and two of the Gestapo's most sinister agents. From one astonishing plot twist to the next, A Game of Spies is a riveting story of cloak-and-dagger intrigue in the tradition of Eric Ambler and John le Carré.