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King of Spies: The Dark Reign of America's Spymaster in Korea
by Blaine HardenFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Camp 14, the shocking, gripping account of the most powerful American spy you’ve never heard of, whose role at the center of the Korean War—which gave rise to the North Korean regime—is essential to understanding the most intractable foreign policy conflict of our time. In 1946, master sergeant Donald Nichols was repairing jeeps on the sleepy island of Guam when he caught the eye of recruiters from the army's Counter Intelligence Corps. After just three months' training, he was sent to Korea, then a backwater beneath the radar of MacArthur's Pacific Command. Though he lacked the pedigree of most U.S. spies—Nichols was a 7th grade dropout—he quickly metamorphosed from army mechanic to black ops phenomenon. He insinuated himself into the affections of America’s chosen puppet in South Korea, President Syngman Rhee, and became a pivotal player in the Korean War, warning months in advance about the North Korean invasion, breaking enemy codes, and identifying most of the targets destroyed by American bombs in North Korea. But Nichols's triumphs had a dark side. Immersed in a world of torture and beheadings, he became a spymaster with his own secret base, his own covert army, and his own rules. He recruited agents from refugee camps and prisons, sending many to their deaths on reckless missions. His closeness to Rhee meant that he witnessed—and did nothing to stop or even report—the slaughter of tens of thousands of South Korean civilians in anticommunist purges. Nichols’s clandestine reign lasted for an astounding eleven years. In this riveting book, Blaine Harden traces Nichols's unlikely rise and tragic ruin, from his birth in an operatically dysfunctional family in New Jersey to his sordid postwar decline, which began when the U.S. military sacked him in Korea, sent him to an air force psych ward in Florida, and subjected him—against his will—to months of electroshock therapy. But King of Spies is not just the story of one American spy: with napalmed villages and severed heads, high-level lies and long-running cover-ups, it reminds us that the darkest sins of the Vietnam War—and many other conflicts that followed—were first committed in Korea.
King of the City
by Michael MoorcockMoorcock's second great London novel - and thematic sequel to MOTHER LONDON - returns to print in a newly revised edition.The death of Princess Di heralded a spring clean of the soul. And the dirt we wanted off our coffee tables was the kind of salacious exposure tabloid paparazzo photographer Denny Dover had made a fortune out of. Now he's out of work and moving to the godforsaken wastes of Skerring on the South coast to lick his wounds. A former rock star, this East End lad-made-good lived it up with the best of them. But his childhood friend, hugely wealthy magnate Sir John Barbican-Begg (deceased, allegedly) is resurrecting events from a past littered with dysfunction and greed, sex, rock and roll and a ton of drugs. Denny's life encapsulates the fevered underground of a London teeming with contradiction and ambivalence, subversion and rage. Moorcock's hugely entertaining follow-up to his masterpiece MOTHER LONDON captured the spirit of our age as we staggered into the new millennium.
King of the Gunrunners: How a Philadelphia Fruit Importer Inspired a Revolution and Provoked the Spanish-American War
by James W. MillerBy the time he turned thirty at the end of the nineteenth century, John D. Hart thrived as the busiest importer of bananas on the East Coast. A master of ships with a thunderous voice, Hart aggressively carried tropical fruit to an insatiable market with little concern for notions of supply and demand. But when an unexpected crisis hit the fruit business, Hart was unprepared. The financial Panic of 1893 doomed his strategy of bringing in limitless bananas. Jobless consumers could not afford such luxuries. Nearing bankruptcy, Hart was approached by Emilio Nuñez, a member of the Cuban Revolutionary Party—a cadre of exiled conspirators in New York whose singular purpose was to liberate the Cuban island from four hundred years of Spanish rule. Nuñez enlisted Hart as a “filibuster” to transport guns and ammunition to the Cuban rebels. For nearly three years, Hart became the most visible of a disparate group of mariners between New York and Key West who tormented Spanish authorities, riled the US government, and became heroes to an oppressed people fighting to be free. In King of the Gunrunners: How a Philadelphia Fruit Importer Inspired a Revolution and Provoked the Spanish-American War, author James W. Miller reveals the untold story of a forgotten American whose adventures helped pave the way for the United States’ emergence as an international power. With the Yellow Press trumpeting his exploits, Hart’s influence helped inflame the nation’s mood and made war with Spain inevitable. The quick US victory in what became known as the Spanish-American War compelled Spain to abandon Cuba and cede sovereignty over Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States, which also annexed the independent state of Hawaii during the conflict. This volume presents the story of Hart, the defiant king of the Cuban gunrunners, who prolonged a revolution, provoked a war, and left an indelible mark on history.
King of the Harem Heaven: The Amazing True Story of A Daring Charlatan Who Ran A Virgin Love Cult In America
by Anthony SterlingKing Of The Harem Heaven, first published in 1960, is the fascinating, although likely somewhat sensationalized story, of the House of David religious cult and its leader, Benjamin Franklin Purnell. Based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the group also owned a large tract of land on High Island in Lake Michigan, and eventually developed a number of successful enterprises including farms, timber, a vegetarian restaurant, amusement park, roadside service station, and a motel. Notable was their having several baseball teams, the “Flying Rollers,” famous for their long hair and beards (they did not believe in cutting their hair) which toured the U.S. and played against other semi-pro teams. The group was rocked by scandal when members alleged that leader Purnell, while enforcing celibacy among the members, was engaging in sex with the women—including underage teenagers—of the group, and also for massive financial irregularities. Legal battles ensued, ending only upon the death of Purnell in December 1927.
King of the Scepter'd Isle
by Michael G. ConeyThe beautiful Dedo Nyneve's innocent tales of a land called Camelot have spawned a real-life cast determined to choose their own fates, yet each move draws them closer to catastrophe. And as the many happentracks of the universe narrow to a dangerous few, the actions of every sorcerer, man, and living creature will determine whether the great god Starquin lives or dies.For the first time in remembered history, humans and gnomes find themselves sharing the same Earth happentrack. But King Arthur has larger concerns as he watches the society he rules spiralling toward ultimate destruction. Little does he know that the evil Mogan Le Fay has been working her treacherous magic to split the happentracks wide open - a deadly betrayal that could spell the end of Camelot.With the ma possible futures swiftly shrinking to one last destiny too awful to contemplate, courageous Fang the gnome joins forces with Arthur and Nyneve to manipulate history in a final confrontation of wills and worlds. The last move is Fang's, as he unravels the strands of time to keep his clan from the brutal vision of Starquin's end.
King's African Rifles: A History
by Malcolm Page&“This comprehensive and complete history charts the story of the East Africans from their formation in 1902 through to the drawdown of the British Empire.&” —Soldier Whatever one may think about the rights and wrongs of colonial rule, it is hard to deny that during the first half of the 20th century those African countries, which then came under British administration, enjoyed a period of stability which most now look back upon with a profound sense of loss. Paradoxical though it may seem, one of the bulwarks of that stability was each country&’s indigenous army. Trained and officered by the British, these forces became a source of both pride and cohesion in their own country, none more so than the King&’s African Rifles, founded in 1902 and probably the best known of the East African forces. In this, the first complete history of the East African forces, Malcolm Page, who himself served in the Somaliland Scouts for a number of years, has had access to much new material while researching the history of each unit from its foundation to the time of independence. Historians in several fields will be grateful to him for having put on record this very important period in the annals of both Great Britain and East Africa while the memories of many who served there were still fresh, and they themselves will perhaps be most grateful of all for this lasting tribute to the men they served and who served them, for in that shared sense of duty lay the true spirit of East African Forces.
King's Captain (Alan Lewrie Naval Adventures Ser. #9)
by Dewey LambdinOFF JESTER’S LEE BOW, DOWN TO THE Sou’east, there were about eight or nine Spanish ships of the line, with accompanying frigates, and they were coming up slowly to merge with another pack. And that pack, good God! Seventeen, at the least, tall-sided, ugly brutes they were; two-decker 68s, 74s, and 80-gunners; some of them three-deckers, and one monstrous Jour-decker flying more admiral's flags than sail-canvas, it seemed. And so stuffed with guns that every time she lit off a broadside, it looked like a mountain blowing up! “Ican make out, sir Lt. Ralph Rhodes attempted to say, as he took off his hat and swiped both forearms of his coat at his hair and brows. A bad sign, that; usually, one nervous hand over his blond locks was sufficient sign of worry. “Aye, Mr. Rhodes?” Commander Alan Lewrie replied, sounding almost calm in comparison. “Beyond, sir." Rhodes pointed toward the Spanish fleet. “It may not be a convoy. About eight or nine more rather large ships over yonder... to the West-Nor’west. Do they all assemble, sir... well!” Two-deckers, d’ye think, sir?" Lewrie frowned, stepping to the starboard side of his quarterdeck, leaning on the bulwarks, and raising his telescope for a look-see “Cah-rrisstt!” was Lewrie’s sudden, un- captainly comment. And a rather loud comment it was too. In his telescope’s ocular, he’d just discovered the fore-end of a ship of the line which wasn’t crossing right-to-left, sailing obediently in the battle-line He was looking at the beak- head and figurehead, the cutwater and frothing bow-wave below an out-thrust bowsprit and jib-boom of a warship—pointing right at him! IN THE BESTSELLING TRADITION OF PATRICK O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series comes Dewey Lambdin’s latest naval adventure featuring Commander Alan Lewrie. This highly entertaining adventure, the ninth in the series, has Lewrie being promoted for his role in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent and awarded command of a new frigate. His future seems assured, but before he’s even had a chance to settle into his new role, mutiny blazes through the fleet, and Lewrie finds himself battling an old enemy for control of his ship. The problems that await him on his own ship, however, make him wish he was back under the Spanish guns, and the sudden reappearance of an old enemy has Lewrie fighting not just for his command, but for his life. Gritty, real, action-packed, and loaded with fun, King’s Captain will take you on a great adventure in the high seas.
King's Counsellor: Abdication and War: the Diaries of Sir Alan Lascelles edited by Duff Hart-Davis
by Alan LascellesThe diaries of 'Tommy' Lascelles - as featured in the Netflix hit THE CROWN 'Brilliantly entertaining and historically priceless' Spectator'Fascinating ... as much a contribution to royal legend as to the history of the war' Daily TelegraphAs Assistant Private Secretary to four monarchs, 'Tommy' Lascelles had a ringside seat from which to observe the workings of the royal household and Downing Street during the first half of the 20th century.These fascinating diaries begin with Edward VIII's abdication and end with George VI's death and his daughter Elizabeth's Coronation. In between we see George VI at work and play, a portrait more intimate than any other previously published.This compelling account also includes Princess Margaret's relationship with Peter Townsend, and throws an intriguing new light on the way in which King George VI and Winston Churchill worked together during the Second World War. Lascelles was a fine writer - like most of the best diaries his are a delight to read as well as being invaluable history.
King's Counsellor: Abdication and War: the Diaries of Sir Alan Lascelles edited by Duff Hart-Davis
by Sir Alan LascellesThe diaries of 'Tommy' Lascelles - as featured in the Netflix hit THE CROWN 'Brilliantly entertaining and historically priceless' Spectator'Fascinating ... as much a contribution to royal legend as to the history of the war' Daily TelegraphAs Assistant Private Secretary to four monarchs, 'Tommy' Lascelles had a ringside seat from which to observe the workings of the royal household and Downing Street during the first half of the 20th century.These fascinating diaries begin with Edward VIII's abdication and end with George VI's death and his daughter Elizabeth's Coronation. In between we see George VI at work and play, a portrait more intimate than any other previously published.This compelling account also includes Princess Margaret's relationship with Peter Townsend, and throws an intriguing new light on the way in which King George VI and Winston Churchill worked together during the Second World War. Lascelles was a fine writer - like most of the best diaries his are a delight to read as well as being invaluable history.
King's Enemy: The thrilling 13th Century adventure for fans of Matthew Harffy and Bernard Cornwell (de Norton trilogy)
by Ian RossThe Battle of Evesham has been fought and lost. The King is triumphant, Simon de Montfort is dead, and Adam de Norton is a prisoner, stripped of everything he once honoured and prized. Escaping from captivity in the grim castle of Beeston, Adam becomes a fugitive in a country in turmoil. Branded a king's enemy, he can be slain with impunity. Together with the widowed Joane de Bohun, Adam flees across a bleak winter landscape, evading both pursuing royal troops and a desperate band of outlaws to seek shelter with a surviving rebel force in the north. But when the rebels are beaten once again, only one place in the land still holds out defiantly against the king: Kenilworth Castle, the mightiest fortress in England. Joining the garrison of Kenilworth as it prepares for one of the most epic sieges in English history, Adam finds dangerous foes both inside and outside the walls. But as the siege grows ever more brutal, he must decide between a valiant defence and a still more perilous bid for freedom.
King's Enemy: The thrilling 13th Century adventure for fans of Matthew Harffy and Bernard Cornwell (de Norton trilogy)
by Ian RossThe Battle of Evesham has been fought and lost. The King is triumphant, Simon de Montfort is dead, and Adam de Norton is a prisoner, stripped of everything he once honoured and prized. Escaping from captivity in the grim castle of Beeston, Adam becomes a fugitive in a country in turmoil. Branded a king's enemy, he can be slain with impunity. Together with the widowed Joane de Bohun, Adam flees across a bleak winter landscape, evading both pursuing royal troops and a desperate band of outlaws to seek shelter with a surviving rebel force in the north. But when the rebels are beaten once again, only one place in the land still holds out defiantly against the king: Kenilworth Castle, the mightiest fortress in England. Joining the garrison of Kenilworth as it prepares for one of the most epic sieges in English history, Adam finds dangerous foes both inside and outside the walls. But as the siege grows ever more brutal, he must decide between a valiant defence and a still more perilous bid for freedom.
King's Enemy: the thrilling 13th Century adventure for fans of Matthew Harffy and Bernard Cornwell (de Norton trilogy)
by Ian RossThe Battle of Evesham has been fought and lost. The King is triumphant, Simon de Montfort is dead, and Adam de Norton is a prisoner, stripped of everything he once honoured and prized.Escaping from captivity in the grim castle of Beeston, Adam becomes a fugitive in a country in turmoil. Branded a king's enemy, he can be slain with impunity.Together with the widowed Joane de Bohun, Adam flees across a bleak winter landscape, evading both pursuing royal troops and a desperate band of outlaws to seek shelter with a surviving rebel force in the north. But when the rebels are beaten once again, only one place in the land still holds out defiantly against the king: Kenilworth Castle, the mightiest fortress in England.Joining the garrison of Kenilworth as it prepares for one of the most epic sieges in English history, Adam finds dangerous foes both inside and outside the walls. But as the siege grows ever more brutal, he must decide between a valiant defence and a still more perilous bid for freedom.
King's Men Crow (The Shadow on the Crown)
by Nicholas CarterA historical adventure novel during the First English Civil War featuring two military officers who battle on and off the field in both love and war. August, 1643: the Siege of Gloucester continues. Can the weak city walls really survive against the might of the Royalists? William Sparrow and Hugo Telling may be on different sides, but their dreams and desires are the same. To find the courage to fight proudly and lead their men. For the war to be over and for the love of the incomparable Bella. But only one side can win the war, and only one man can win Bella&’s heart . . . King&’s Men Crow is the thrilling third installment of The Shadow on the Crown series. Praise for the writing of Nicholas Carter: &“Ringing to the clash of blades and the roar of cannon and pungent with the whiff of gunpowder . . . A storming read.&” —Peterborough Telegraph &“Carter&’s stories are in a league of their own.&” —Bristol Observer
King's Men: The Soldier Founders of Ontario
by Mary Beacock FryerKing’s Men is the story of the Loyalist regiments who became the soldier founders of the Province of Ontario, the Loyal Colonials who joined the Provincial Corps of the British Army, Canadian Command, during the American revolution. Mythology on the United Empire Loyalists who founded two Canadian provinces is ingrained. We often envisage loyal families marching out of the victorious United States at the close of the American Revolution. But these myths lead us to overlook a fascinating period in the lives of one group of Loyalists – the soldiers who became Ontario’s founders. By the time the Treaty of Separation was signed in 1783, four full strength corps were serving in Canada. These were the Royal Highland Emigrants (placed on the regular establishment in 1778, as the 84th Foot), the King’s Royal Regiment of New York, Butler’s Rangers, and the Loyal Rangers. A fifth corps, the King’s rangers amounted to three full companies. A detailed study on what these Provincials achieved is long overdue. King’s Men fills a gap in tracing the lives of these United Empire Loyalists who first fought under British command, and spent a difficult period as displaced persons in Canada (people whose only desire was to return to their homes in Britain’s older colonies) till the time when they accepted Canada as a new homeland.
King's Mountain: The Defeat of the Loyalists, October 7, 1780
by J. David DameronIn the summer of 1780, while British troops roamed the southern countryside striking fear into the hearts of rebels, a hardy group of "over-the-mountain men" from Tennessee vowed to defend their families and farms. <P><P>At Kings Mountain, in northwest South Carolina, this small volunteer contingent of frontiersmen met the British in early October. The American victory there forced the British to retreat and turned the tide in the American Revolution's southern campaign.
King's Navy: Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King and the Rise of American Sea Power, 1897–1947
by David KohnenAn authoritative account of the rise and fall of American sea power between 1897 and 1947 and the definitive biography of Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King. Between 1897 and 1945 the US Navy rose to lofty heights, with huge manpower, a lavish roster of ships, and a hard-earned reputation for professionalism and potency. By 1947, in the wake of the Second World War, the Navy, although still powerful, had been significantly scaled down; much of the senior leadership retired and the wartime edge gradually dulled. This period from 1897 to 1947 was witnessed and to a large degree driven and determined by two admirals, Ernest J. King and King's mentor William S. Sims. These admirals were empowered by two giants of American political and military history, Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Through the lives of King, Sims, and the Roosevelts, Naval War College historian David Kohnen has crafted a sweeping history of American sea power from 1897 to 1947. This epic work was made possible through 20 years of research and writing. By accessing undiscovered and recently declassified source material, along with the full cooperation of the King and Sims families, the author has been able to tell new stories and draw fresh conclusions, making this volume a must-have for scholars of naval history.
King's Ransom
by Sharon SalaLives—and hearts—in perilKing's Ransom by New York Times bestselling author Sharon SalaJesse LeBeau had fought off an attacker with his own knife, but the terrifying memory remains. Then she looks up from her hospital bed and sees the handsome cowboy who&’d always been like a brother to her. King McCandless is determined to bring Jesse back to Oklahoma and protect her from the threat of another attack. But can Jesse stay when now her heart is in danger?FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!Nate by USA TODAY bestselling author Delores FossenWhen Lieutenant Nate Ryland's baby daughter is kidnapped, he finds hope in a surprising ally: Darcy Burkhart, a woman he never thought—never wanted—to see again. But Darcy's son has also been taken and there&’s nothing that will keep the two from bringing their children home. As they search, Nate finds himself admiring the woman he once considered his greatest opponent—and desiring her in a way he never would have thought possible.
King, Kaiser, Tsar
by Catrine ClayDuring the last days of July 1914 telegrams flew between the King, the Kaiser and the Tsar. George V, Wilhelm II and Nicholas II, known in the family as Georgie, Willy and Nicky, were cousins. Between them they ruled over half the world. They had been friends since childhood. But by July 1914 the Trade Union of Kings was falling apart. Each was blaming the other for the impending disaster of the First World War. 'Have I gone mad ' Nicky asked his wife Alix in St Petersburg, showing her another telegram from Willy. 'What on earth does William mean pretending that it still depends on me whether war is averted or not!' Behind the friendliness of family gatherings lurked family quarrels, which were often played out in public. Drawing widely on previously unpublished documents, this is the extraordinary story of their overlapping lives, conducted in palaces of unimaginable opulence, surrounded by flattery and political intrigue. And through it runs the question: to what extent were the King, the Kaiser and the Tsar responsible for the outbreak of the war, and, as it turned out, for the end of autocratic monarchy
King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led The World To War
by Catrine ClayDuring the last days of July 1914 telegrams flew between the King, the Kaiser and the Tsar. George V, Wilhelm II and Nicholas II, known in the family as Georgie, Willy and Nicky, were cousins. Between them they ruled over half the world. They had been friends since childhood. But by July 1914 the Trade Union of Kings was falling apart. Each was blaming the other for the impending disaster of the First World War. 'Have I gone mad ' Nicky asked his wife Alix in St Petersburg, showing her another telegram from Willy. 'What on earth does William mean pretending that it still depends on me whether war is averted or not!' Behind the friendliness of family gatherings lurked family quarrels, which were often played out in public. Drawing widely on previously unpublished documents, this is the extraordinary story of their overlapping lives, conducted in palaces of unimaginable opulence, surrounded by flattery and political intrigue. And through it runs the question: to what extent were the King, the Kaiser and the Tsar responsible for the outbreak of the war, and, as it turned out, for the end of autocratic monarchy
King: A rip-roaring epic adventure novel of one of history’s greatest warriors by the Sunday Times bestselling author
by Ben KaneThe thrilling adventure story about history's greatest warrior: Richard the Lionheart Autumn 1192. At the end of the Third Crusade Jerusalem remains in the Saracens' hands, and a peace treaty is agreed with their leader Saladin. Richard the Lionheart is finally free to travel to England and restore peace to his kingdom, under threat from his treacherous brother John. However, the epic journey will test every limit of his endurance as it takes him deeper into lands controlled by his enemies. He is ultimately captured near Vienna, imprisoned for three years, which further fans the flames of unrest in England and beyond. If he finally returns home, what will remain of his kingdom? And what deadly price must he pay to restore order?
King: A rip-roaring epic adventure novel of one of history’s greatest warriors by the Sunday Times bestselling author
by Ben KaneThe thrilling adventure story about history's greatest warrior: Richard the Lionheart Autumn 1192. At the end of the Third Crusade Jerusalem remains in the Saracens' hands, and a peace treaty is agreed with their leader Saladin. Richard the Lionheart is finally free to travel to England and restore peace to his kingdom, under threat from his treacherous brother John. However, the epic journey will test every limit of his endurance as it takes him deeper into lands controlled by his enemies. He is ultimately captured near Vienna, imprisoned for three years, which further fans the flames of unrest in England and beyond. If he finally returns home, what will remain of his kingdom? And what deadly price must he pay to restore order?
King: The Life of Martin Luther King
by Jonathan EigThe compelling story of Martin Luther King's life and achievements has become simplified and domesticated in a way that fails to do full justice to his radical vision and importance. Now, in King, we get the most comprehensive and complete portrait ever written about this iconic figure. The first major new biography of Martin Luther King Jr in over 40 years, Jonathan Eig's superb King is based on years of research, hundreds of interviews with those who knew him and many thousands of previously unreleased documents, including a huge cache from the FBI. Eig reveals King's story to be more compelling and more complex than we knew. For too long, his radical vision for the future has been erased. The hope of his 'I have a dream' message and the tragedy of his assassination at the age of 39 have overwhelmed the story of a brilliantly bold and complicated man, which obscures his real significance of today's society and for the future. His vision went far beyond achieving equal treatment for black men and women, which was only a part of a much greater and more wide-ranging mission - something that has been forgotten by most. Eig's fascinating biography not only shines new light on King's remarkable career, but also humanises him so that he becomes more than a symbol of hope and defiance, but a man with flaws, a sense of humour, as a father and a husband. It's an essential read for our times.
Kingdom Of Shadows: A Novel (Night Soldiers Ser.)
by Alan FurstA novel of adventure and intrigue in wartime EuropeParis, 1938. Nicholas Morath, former Hungarian cavalry officer, returns home to his young mistress in the 7th arrondissement. He's been in Vienna where, amid the mobs screaming for Hitler, he's done a quiet favour for his uncle, Count Janos Polanyi. Polanyi is a diplomat and, desperate to stop his country's drift into alliance with Nazi Germany, he trades in conspiracy - with SS renegades, Abwehr officers, British spies and NKVD defectors, leading Morath deeper and deeper into danger as Europe edges towards war.
Kingdom of Beauty: Mingei and the Politics of Folk Art in Imperial Japan
by Kim BrandtA Study of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University Kingdom of Beauty shows that the discovery of mingei (folk art) by Japanese intellectuals in the 1920s and 1930s was central to the complex process by which Japan became both a modern nation and an imperial world power. Kim Brandt's account of the mingei movement locates its origins in colonial Korea, where middle-class Japanese artists and collectors discovered that imperialism offered them special opportunities to amass art objects and gain social, cultural, and even political influence. Later, mingei enthusiasts worked with (and against) other groups--such as state officials, fascist ideologues, rival folk art organizations, local artisans, newspaper and magazine editors, and department store managers--to promote their own vision of beautiful prosperity for Japan, Asia, and indeed the world. In tracing the history of mingei activism, Brandt considers not only Yanagi Muneyoshi, Hamada Shōji, Kawai Kanjirō, and other well-known leaders of the folk art movement but also the often overlooked networks of provincial intellectuals, craftspeople, marketers, and shoppers who were just as important to its success. The result of their collective efforts, she makes clear, was the transformation of a once-obscure category of pre-industrial rural artifacts into an icon of modern national style.
Kingdom of Bones: A Sigma Force Novel (Sigma Force #16)
by James RollinsFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author James Rollins, the latest riveting, deeply imaginative thriller in the Sigma Force series, told with his trademark blend of cutting-edge science, historical mystery, and pulse-pounding action.It begins in Africa . . .A United Nations relief team in a small village in the Congo makes an alarming discovery. An unknown force is leveling the evolutionary playing field. Men, women, and children have been reduced to a dull, catatonic state. The environment surrounding them—plants and animals—has grown more cunning and predatory, evolving at an exponential pace. The insidious phenomenon is spreading from a cursed site in the jungle — known to locals as the Kingdom of Bones —and sweeping across Africa, threatening the rest of the world.What has made the biosphere run amok? Is it a natural event? Or more terrifyingly, did someone engineer it?Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force are prepared for the extraordinary and have kept the world safe, vigilance for which they have paid a tragic personal price. Yet, even these brilliant and seasoned scientific warriors do not understand what is behind this frightening development—or know how to stop it. As they race to find answers, the members of Sigma quickly realize they have become the prey.To head off global catastrophe, Sigma Force must risk their lives to uncover the shattering secret at the heart of the African continent—a truth that will illuminate who we are as a species and where we may be headed . . . sooner than we know.Mother Nature—red in tooth and claw—is turning against humankind, propelling the entire world into the Kingdom of Bones.