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The Hotel Tacloban
by Douglas ValentineIn this extraordinary story of World War Two, the author's father, who enlisted in the army at the age of sixteen, describes the terrible experiences that affected the course of his life. Captured by the Japanese while on patrol in the fetid jungles of New Guinea, he was sent to a prison camp in the Philippines, where he was interned with Australian and British soldiers. A celebration of camaraderie, and a testament to "the soldier's faith," this is a story of murder, mutiny, and an incredible military cover-up.
The Hotel Tacloban: The Explosive True Story of One American's Journey to Hell in a Japanese POW Camp
by Douglas ValentineA &“very dramatic [and] compelling&” World War II story of murder, mutiny, and a military cover-up, from the author of The Phoenix Program (The New York Times). Captured by the Japanese while on patrol in the fetid jungles of New Guinea, Douglas Valentine&’s father, who&’d enlisted in the US Army at age sixteen, was sent to a prison camp in the Philippines, where he was interned with Australian and British soldiers. The events that followed make up this &“well-told, chilling&” story of betrayal and brutality—a powerful tale of a son uncovering the traumatic events that shaped the rest of his father&’s life (Los Angeles Times Book Review). &“Not just a searing picture of life in a terrible POW camp, it is also a significant historical document about a place that the U.S. military says never existed.&” —Publishers Weekly
The Hotel Tito: A Novel
by Ellen Elias-Bursac Ivana BodrozicThe most powerful autobiographical novel written about the Yugoslav wars. A timely and deeply accessible book that speaks to what it is like to be displaced by war.Hotel Tito is an award-winning autobiographical novel of the Serbo-Croatian War. Author Ivana Bodro ić was born in the Croatian town of Vukovar, just across the Danube from Serbia. In the fall of 1991, Vukovar was besieged by the Yugoslav People's Army for eighty-seven days. When the army broke the siege, people came up out of the basements where they'd been sheltering from bombardment; women and children were allowed out of the besieged city, but the army bused 400 men from the hospital to a farm on the outskirts where soldiers and Serbian paramilitaries massacred them. Bodro ić's father was among those taken and murdered. In Hotel Tito, after fleeing the war zone their town has become, the mother and two children are housed along with other displaced persons at a former communist school in the village of Kumrovec (the birthplace of Josip Tito). For years they share a single room just large enough for their three beds, waiting to hear whether the narrator's father survived and when they'll be granted an apartment of their own. In the meantime life goes on for the teenage protagonist, first loves bloom and burn quickly, new friendships are acquired and lost, new truths emerge, and new emotions. But she never loses her shy, insightful voice, nor her self-deprecating sense of humor. Hotel Tito is a sensitive and forthright coming of age novel in a time of atrocity and loss.
The Houdini Club: The Epic Journey and Daring Escapes of the First Army Rangers of WWII
by Mir BahmanyarHighlighted by the prisoner-of-war escapes that earned them the name &“The Houdini Club,&” here is the elite combat odyssey of World War II&’s &“Darby&’s Rangers&” as never told before—drawing on previously unknown sources and former Army Ranger Mir Bahmanyar&’s exclusive, uncensored interviews with the greatest generation of Rangers themselves.This thrilling, personality-driven account of the first United States Army Ranger battalions follows an extraordinary band of American soldiers from their rugged Ranger training to their battles in North Africa, France, Sicily, and mainland Italy, and (for some) finally back to American shores. Drawing upon unprecedented historical research, military-service expertise, exclusive interviews, and personal correspondence with original Greatest Generation Army Rangers, The Houdini Club is an uncensored work of military history, encapsulating both the history and personal drama of World War II Special Forces warfare. From the abundant tales of glory to the tales of misery, fear, and murderous intent, the utter exhaustion and thrill of combat, and the devastating final battle that all but destroyed them, The Houdini Club puts readers on the ground alongside the Rangers who made victory in Europe possible, portraying in gritty detail the lives and acts of one of the American military&’s greatest collection of men.
The Hour Before the Dawn
by W. Somerset MaughamA passionate, powerful story fo a whole nation, fighting for its survival, and of a man and a woman who tried to create their own island of love in the midst of war's blazing inferno.
The Hour of Decision: Germany and World-Historical Evolution (Routledge Revivals Ser.)
by Oswald SpenglerFirst published in 1934, the ideas in this book were developed just prior to the Nazi seizure of power and it also reflects on its aftermath. It assessed the decline of European power and the crisis of Western civilization in the face of conflict between the ruling class and the lowers classes in white nations, and the ‘Coloured World Revolution’ — arguing that only by adherence to their inherited ‘Prussianism’ would Germany have the solidity to be able to combat these dangers. Despite the influence of his previous writings of key Nazi figures, his criticisms of National Socialism in this book led to it being banned, although not before it had been widely distributed throughout Germany.-Print ed.
The Hour of Separation: From the bestselling author of Richard & Judy book club pick, The Rose of Sebastopol
by Katharine McMahon'An epic yet heartbreakingly intimate novel of conflict and betrayal, and of the pain of lost love' Kate MosseA long-buried secret, a heart-breaking betrayal...Estelle never really knew her mother, Fleur, but is haunted by her legacy. A legendary resistance heroine in the Great War, she had helped Allied soldiers escape from Belgium - and was not alone in paying a terrible price.Christa's father was one of those Fleur saved - but he returned home a ruined man. So, when Estelle arrives on Christa's doorstep hungry for information about her mother, an intense and complex friendship is ignited.In 1939, as conflict grips Europe once more, Estelle follows her mother's destiny. Then Christa discovers that Fleur was betrayed by someone close to her and the truth may destroy them all...'A beautiful, romantic and touching book. The prose is elegant and evocative and, McMahon's research is scholarly and meticulous' Jonathan Lynn, film director'Katharine McMahon is a historical novelist who can turn her hand to any period and bring it thrillingly alive. [The Hour of Separation is] very possibly her best and most powerful book so far' Readers Digest'Tender and painterly...rather beautiful' Irish Times
The Hour of Separation: From the bestselling author of Richard & Judy book club pick, The Rose of Sebastopol
by Katharine McMahon'An epic yet heartbreakingly intimate novel of conflict and betrayal, and of the pain of lost love' Kate MosseA long-buried secret, a heart-breaking betrayal...Estelle never really knew her mother, Fleur, but is haunted by her legacy. A legendary resistance heroine in the Great War, she had helped Allied soldiers escape from Belgium - and was not alone in paying a terrible price.Christa's father was one of those Fleur saved - but he returned home a ruined man. So, when Estelle arrives on Christa's doorstep hungry for information about her mother, an intense and complex friendship is ignited.In 1939, as conflict grips Europe once more, Estelle follows her mother's destiny. Then Christa discovers that Fleur was betrayed by someone close to her and the truth may destroy them all...'A beautiful, romantic and touching book. The prose is elegant and evocative and, McMahon's research is scholarly and meticulous' Jonathan Lynn, film director'Katharine McMahon is a historical novelist who can turn her hand to any period and bring it thrillingly alive. [The Hour of Separation is] very possibly her best and most powerful book so far' Readers Digest'Tender and painterly...rather beautiful' Irish Times
The Hour of Separation: From the bestselling author of Richard & Judy book club pick, The Rose of Sebastopol
by Katharine McMahon'An epic yet heartbreakingly intimate novel of conflict and betrayal, and of the pain of lost love' Kate MosseA long-buried secret, a heart-breaking betrayal...Estelle never really knew her mother, Fleur, but is haunted by her legacy. A legendary resistance heroine in the Great War, she had helped Allied soldiers escape from Belgium - and was not alone in paying a terrible price.Christa's father was one of those Fleur saved - but he returned home a ruined man. So, when Estelle arrives on Christa's doorstep hungry for information about her mother, an intense and complex friendship is ignited.In 1939, as conflict grips Europe once more, Estelle follows her mother's destiny. Then Christa discovers that Fleur was betrayed by someone close to her and the truth may destroy them all...'A beautiful, romantic and touching book. The prose is elegant and evocative and, McMahon's research is scholarly and meticulous' Jonathan Lynn, film director'Katharine McMahon is a historical novelist who can turn her hand to any period and bring it thrillingly alive. [The Hour of Separation is] very possibly her best and most powerful book so far' Readers Digest'Tender and painterly...rather beautiful' Irish TimesRead by Catherine Harvey(p) 2018 Orion Publishing Group
The House Of Flowers: (The Eden series:2): a thrilling novel of service, strength and suspicion in wartime Britain from bestselling author Charlotte Bingham
by Charlotte BinghamFans of Louise Douglas, Dinah Jefferies and Kristin Hannah will love this uplifting and moving wartime saga by the million copy and Sunday Times bestselling author Charlotte Bingham. "'The author perfectly evokes the atmosphere of a bygone era" -- WOMAN'S OWN"As comforting and nourishing as a hot milky drink on a stormy night" -- DAILY EXPRESS"A rip-roaring combination of high romance and breathless excitement" - MAIL ON SUNDAY"These are characters you will really care about" -- ***** Reader review"Very enjoyable and hard to put down" -- ***** Reader review"Incredibly well written and engrossing" -- ***** Reader review*********************************************************EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR BIT FOR THE WAR EFFORT. BUT WHAT SIDE ARE THEY ON? 1941: England is at its lowest ebb: under-nourished, under-informed and terrified of imminent invasion. Even at Eden Park, the beautiful country estate where Poppy, Lily, Kate, Marjorie and her adopted brother Billy are working in espionage, confidence is at an all-time low, and that is before the authorities discover there is a double agent operating from its MI5 unit.As agents are gradually wiped out by the informant at Eden Park, Poppy leaves to train as a pilot. But as she closes the wooden shutters at the House of Flowers, the old folly where she and her husband Scott began their married life, she realises that they were made over a century before to keep out another invader...England survived then - will it survive again? Have you read Daughters of Eden, the first in the series?
The House at Riverton: A Novel
by Kate MortonFrom the author of #1 international bestseller The Forgotten Garden and New York Times bestseller Homecoming comes a gorgeous novel set in England between World War I and World War II. Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, it is the story of an aristocratic family, a house, a mysterious death and a way of life that vanished forever, told in flashback by a woman who witnessed it all and kept a secret for decades.Grace Bradley went to work at Riverton House as a servant when she was just a girl, before the First World War. For years her life was inextricably tied up with the Hartford family, most particularly the two daughters, Hannah and Emmeline. In the summer of 1924, at a glittering society party held at the house, a young poet shot himself. The only witnesses were Hannah and Emmeline and only they—and Grace—know the truth. In 1999, when Grace is ninety-eight years old and living out her last days in a nursing home, she is visited by a young director who is making a film about the events of that summer. She takes Grace back to Riverton House and reawakens her memories. Told in flashback, this is the story of Grace's youth during the last days of Edwardian aristocratic privilege shattered by war, of the vibrant twenties and the changes she witnessed as an entire way of life vanished forever. The novel is full of secrets—some revealed, others hidden forever, reminiscent of the romantic suspense of Daphne du Maurier. It is also a meditation on memory, the devastation of war and a beautifully rendered window into a fascinating time in history. Kate Morton&’s first novel, originally published to critical acclaim in Australia, and quickly becoming a #1 bestseller in England, The House at Riverton is a vivid, page-turning novel of suspense and passion, with characters—and an ending—readers won't soon forget.
The House by the Fjord
by Rosalind LakerAfter losing her husband in World War II, an English widow finds a new life—and the promise of new love—in Norway . . . When Anna Harvik travels to Norway in 1946 in order to visit her late husband&’s father, she intends to make it a quick visit. The country is only just recovering from five cruel years of Nazi occupation, and she expects to find it a cold and bitter place. But when she is offered a house in a secluded valley in which to stay, she slowly finds herself warming to the people around her, and learning about their experiences and history. Soon, she meets a man who may offer her a chance to start over, in this romantic saga that captures the emotions and drama of a world moving past upheaval and into a new future.
The House of Dreams: A Novel
by Kate Lord BrownIn 2000, Sophie Cass, an ambitious journalist, may have finally found her big break. Convinced a celebrated painter in the Hamptons is hiding a dark secret, she sets off to unravel the truth about his past. Her research takes her back decades to 1940, as an international group of artists and intellectuals gather at The House of Dreams, a beautiful villa just outside Marseilles where American journalist Varian Fry and his remarkable team are working to help them escape France. Despite the incredible danger they all face, The House of Dreams is a place of true camaraderie and creativity—and the setting of a love affair that changed the course of the painter’s life forever. But as Sophie digs further into his past, she begins to wonder whether some secrets are better left untouched.Inspired by the real-life heroism of Varian Fry and the volunteers who risked their lives to help save legendary figures like Marc Chagall, Hannah Arendt, and Max Ernst, Kate Lord Brown’s The House of Dreamsis a lyrically told novel of great courage, love, and the power of art.
The House of Memory: Reflections on Youth and War
by John FreelyAn engaging, funny, and tender memoir from a man of ninety years: of growing up poor in a Brooklyn and Ireland that now exist only in memory, and of serving in the China/Burma/India theater during World War II as a member of an elite U.S. Navy commando unit John Freely's voice is still astonishingly youthful, full of wonder, humor, and gratitude, as he remembers his fully lived life. Born in Brooklyn to Irish immigrants, he went to Ireland with his mother when he was five, where he spent his young childhood on his grandfather's farm. Western Ireland was impoverished by the times, but rich in beauty and intriguing people, and it opened in him a lifelong desire to see the world and its inhabitants. When he was seven, he returned to Brooklyn, and the antics of a coming-of-age boy played out on streets filled with character and characters. He took whatever jobs he could when times got tough, always shaking off his losses and moving on, hungry to see and experience what was next. He joined the U.S. Navy at seventeen to "see the world," and did just that. In wartime, while bringing supplies and ammunition over the Stilwell-Burma Road to Chiang Kai-shek's Chinese guerrilla forces, Freely served alongside them during the last weeks of World War II in the Tibetan borderlands of China, a Shangri-la that war had turned into hell on earth.From the Hardcover edition.
The House of Special Purpose
by John BoyneFrom the author of The Absolutist, a propulsive novel of the Russian Revolution and the fate of the Romanovs. Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, The House of Special Purpose illuminates an empire at the end of its reign. Eighty-year-old Georgy Jachmenev is haunted by his past--a past of death, suffering, and scandal that will stay with him until the end of his days. Living in England with his beloved wife, Zoya, Georgy prepares to make one final journey back to the Russia he once knew and loved, the Russia that both destroyed and defined him. As Georgy remembers days gone by, we are transported to St. Petersburg, to the Winter Palace of the czar, in the early twentieth century--a time of change, threat, and bloody revolution. As Georgy overturns the most painful stone of all, we uncover the story of the house of special purpose.
The House of War and Witness
by Mike Carey Linda Carey Louise Carey“A fantastical ghost story and a suspenseful military mystery . . . A daringly original fantasy novel” from the authors of The Steel Seraglio (Publishers Weekly). 1740. With the whole of Europe balanced on the brink of war, an Austrian regiment is sent to the furthest frontier of the empire to hold the border against the might of Prussia. Their garrison, the ancient house called Pokoj. But Pokoj is already inhabited by a company of ghosts from every age of the house’s history. Only Drozde, the quartermaster’s mistress, can see them, and terrifyingly they welcome her as a friend. As these ageless phantoms tell their stories, Drozde gets chilling glimpses not just of Pokoj’s past but of a looming menace in its future. Meanwhile the humorless lieutenant Klaes pursues another mystery. Why are the people of the neighboring village so surly and withdrawn, so reluctant to welcome the soldiers who are there to protect them? What are they hiding? And what happened to the local militia unit that was stationed at Pokoj before the regiment arrived? The camp follower and the officer make their separate journeys to the same appalling discovery—an impending catastrophe that will sweep away villagers and soldiers alike. Perhaps neither of them can prevail. If they do, it will be with the help of the restless dead . . . “TheHouse of War and Witness burns slow to start, but by the end it burns fiercely. It’s a compelling, accomplished novel, deft with its characters and interesting with its themes.” —Strange Horizons
The House of War and Witness
by Mike Carey Linda Carey Louise Carey&“A fantastical ghost story and a suspenseful military mystery . . . A daringly original fantasy novel&” from the acclaimed authors of The Steel Seraglio (Publishers Weekly, starred review). In 1740, an Austrian infantry company more than two hundred strong arrives at the Prussian border. Their orders: to defend the town of Narutsin when war—inevitably—breaks out. But they don&’t get the warm welcome they&’re expecting. If anything, the locals seem strangely secretive, and the soldiers who previously garrisoned in the village have disappeared. Fearing the villagers may be consorting with the enemy, the commander orders his prim young lieutenant Klaes to investigate . . . On the outskirts of town, in a dilapidated manor known as Pokoj, the road-weary soldiers make their home for the winter. Accompanying them is Drozde, a camp follower and entertainer who possesses a very special talent: she can see and communicate with the dead. She&’s the only one who knows that the crumbling mansion is far from empty. It&’s teeming with ghosts—and they know her. Each spirit tells Drozde how they became a part of Pokoj&’s sprawling history, hinting at its future as well as its past. As she listens to their tales, it becomes apparent that the story of the manor hasn&’t yet ended—and that she and Klaes have their own parts to play in the horror that is to come . . . &“All of the characters come alive on the pages—even the ghosts. . . . A compelling, accomplished novel.&” —Strange Horizons &“Delightfully odd . . . Subtle horror and extra special creepiness . . . A fine example of what the Careys are capable of.&” —Starburst
The House of Whispers: The thrilling new novel from the bestselling author of The Clockwork Girl!
by Anna Mazzola*Picked as one of the best historical novels of 2023 by The Times!*'A creepy, chilling story - another Anna Mazzola triumph!' JENNIFER SAINT'Chilling and compelling, with echoes of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca' ESSIE FOXSometimes the secrets of the past are more dangerous than the present...Rome, 1938.As the world teeters on the brink of war, talented pianist Eva Valenti enters the house of widower Dante Cavallera to become his new wife.On the outside, the forces of Fascism are accelerating, but in her new home, Eva fears that something else is at work, whispering in the walls and leaving mysterious marks on Dante's young daughter.Soon she starts to wonder whether the house itself is trying to give up the secrets of its mysterious past - secrets that Dante seems so determined to keep hidden.However, Eva must also conceal the truth of her own identity, for if she is discovered, she will be in greater danger than she could ever have imagined...***Praise for The House of Whispers:'Mazzola builds up tension skilfully in a story that flirts with the supernatural as it moves towards a fiery conclusion' SUNDAY TIMES'This gothic ghost novel will keep you reading well into the night' GLAMOUR'Utterly brilliant. It's Rebecca meets Winter in Madrid with a sprinkling of Mazzola magic' LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON'An atmospheric spine-tingler' HEAT'Packed with political and emotional intrigue, historically rich and deeply unsettling' SARAH HILARY'Deliciously creepy' WOMAN'S WEEKLY'Absolutely brilliant. Gripping, beautifully written and properly chilling' CAROLINE GREEN'Atmospheric and unsettling' DAILY RECORD'Beautiful, chilling, and darkly enchanting. Anna Mazzola is a truly gifted storyteller' CHRIS WHITAKER'A sinister gothic tale' COSMO'I ripped through The House of Whispers in double quick time' JAMES OSWALD'A deliciously creepy tale from the masterful Anna Mazzola' WOMAN'Robert Harris meets M.R. James in an evocative gothic tale' DAVID HEWSON'A gothic tale of political and psychological terror' GUARDIAN'The sense of place is impeccable, the sense of danger truly chilling' SINEAD CROWLEY'A delicately told ghost story set in the bright heat of 1930's Italy. Claustrophobic and compelling' AMANDA MASON
The House on G Street: A Cuban Family Saga
by Lisandro PérezThe unforgettable story of a family swept into history by the Cuban RevolutionIn The House on G Street, award-winning author Lisandro Pérez tells Cuba’s story through the lens of a single family: his own. His book relays the tales of two officers who fought against the Spanish for Cuban independence; a plantation owner who smuggles himself onto a ship; families divided by political loyalties; an orphaned boy from central Cuba who would go on to amass a fortune; a fatal love triangle; violence; and the ever-growing presence of the United States. It all culminates with an unforgettable portrait of a childhood spent in a world that was giving way to another one. The House on G Street is a unique depiction of one of the most consequential events of the twentieth century, told through generations of ancestors whose lives were shaped by dramatic historical forces.Pérez disentangles the complex history by following his family’s thread, imbuing political events with personal meaning. Their story begins with emigration to Cuba and follows the waning years of the colony. The end of Spanish rule gives way to pervasive American influence, and Perez’s family turned to New York as they adapted to the realities of a new republic with compromised sovereignty: privileged educations in boarding schools in Long Island and the Hudson Valley; a family business that took tobacco leaves from the soil of central Cuba to the docks of the East River; and grandparents who met and fell in love one night in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. His family learned to navigate the uneasy relationship between the United States and Cuba, a relationship that was destined to end in dramatic fashion. More than sixty years later, the Cuban Revolution resists receding into the past, sparking continued discussion, debate, and reinterpretation. There is a great deal that is known about the broad historical conditions that inexorably pushed Cuba towards revolution, but much less is known about the people who lived that dramatic history. It is a story that, if not recovered and told, will be lost, for Pérez’s ancestors lived in a world that no longer exists, swept away by a tide of revolutionary change. The House on G Street follows a family whose lives mirror the history of a nation. The result is a compelling blend of memoir and in-depth historical research, a remarkable new view of the path to revolution as seen from the first person.
The House on Garibaldi Street
by Isser HarelThis is the true story of the kidnapping of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina by the Mossad, Israel's secret intelligence serviceunder the leadership of Isser Harel. This is his account, revised and updated, with the real names and details of all Mossad personnel.
The House on Prague Street
by Hanna DemetzThe House on Prague Street is a story told with translucent simplicity and freshness. It is a story of haunting innocence and terrible devastation, of lost love, of survival. It has an impact we have not felt since The Diary of Anne Frank and John Hersey's The Wall.In pre-World War II Czechoslovakia, Helene Richter's childhood glows with an idyllic richness and grace. Summers are spent in grandfather's great house on Prague Street, tranquil, shimmering days, strung together like shining jewels. Until the war. As the half-Jewish Helene reaches adolescence, her serene existence becomes a holocaust of disintegration and death. Her uncles, aunts, cousins are gone–to a place called Theresienstadt, from which they send postcards once a month with the same message: we are well we are healthy thinking of you how are you. As the war comes inexorably closer to her German father and her Jewish mother, Helene falls in love. But the war will close in on that love too...
The House on the Lake: The new gripping and haunting thriller from the bestselling author of Day of the Accident
by Nuala EllwoodNo matter how far you run . . .He's never far behind'Gripping, poignant' Rosamund Lupton'Eerily haunting' Jane Corry'I literally couldn't put it down' Emma Curtis__________________________________________Lisa needs to disappear. And her friend's rambling old home in the wilds of Yorkshire seems like the perfect place. It's miles away from the closest town, and no one there knows her or her little boy, Joe.But when a woman from the local village comes to visit them, Lisa realizes that she and Joe aren't as safe as she thought.What secrets have Rowan Isle House - and her friend - kept hidden all these years?And what will Lisa have to do to survive, when her past finally catches up with her?**BUY THE SPELLBINDING THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND MY SISTER'S BONES**__________________________________________WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT NUALA ELLWOOD'Creepy and deliciously atmospheric, this page-turner has it all - twists and turns and a powerful emotional punch' Teresa Driscoll'What a great book! It's got everything a good thriller needs, a creepy old house, a remote location, some great complex characters and lots of perfectly timed twists and turns' Netgalley Reader'Makes you question everything you thought you knew' Emma Kavanagh'Brilliantly compulsive and with one hell of a twist!' Claire Douglas
The Houses of Iszm and Other Stories
by Jack VanceThe inhabitants of a planet called Iszm, a species known as the Iszic, have evolved the native giant trees into living homes, with all needs and various luxuries supplied by the trees' own natural growth. The Iszic maintain a jealously-guarded monopoly, exporting only enough trees to keep prices high and make a great profit. The protagonist, Ailie Farr, is a human botanist who goes to Iszm (like many others before him, of many species) to steal a female tree, which might allow the propagation of the species off world and break the monopoly.This volume includes two short novels, previously published separately - the title story, and Nopalgarth (published as The Brains of Earth). The collection is rounded out by two of his best shorter works - "The Gift of Gab" and "The Narrow Land". "The Narrow Land" was the first of a proposed story sequence which was never completed.Contents: The Houses of Iszm, The Gift of Gab, Nopalgarth (The Brains of Earth), The Narrow LandAll Jack Vance titles in the SFGateway use the author's preferred texts, as restored for the Vance Integral Edition (VIE), an extensive project masterminded by an international online community of Vance's admirers. In general, we also use the VIE titles, and have adopted the arrangement of short story collections to eliminate overlaps.
The Hovercraft: A History
by Ashley HolleboneThe hovercraft was first created in 1959, when Sir Christopher Cockerell came up with a prototype that crossed the English Channel. The SRN1, the first ever hovercraft, is now proudly housed by the Science Museum and this very British invention enjoys an active role in many arenas, from travel, leisure cruising and racing to lifesaving and transporting goods. This detailed book delves into the history of the hovercraft, from the early days of its development through to the commercial and military applications of the craft. It looks into the exciting world of hovercraft leisure, cruising and racing from amateur to Formula 1, and also explores the important role the hovercraft plays in rescues whether on water or delivering aid around the word in places that helicopters can’t reach. Finally, it details the types of hovercraft in use today, and what the future holds. The hovercraft is more than a product of 1960s Britain: it is one that has pushed the boundaries of transport as we look into the future and we have the back-shed culture of Britain to thank for its invention.
The Howling Stones
by Alan Dean FosterThe newly discovered planet of Senisran is a veritable paradise, its oceans dotted with thousands of lush islands containing vast deposits of rare-earths and minerals. But Senisran is also the Humanx Commonwealth's problem child, for each island is inhabited by a different tribe of aboriginal natives. Each has to be negotiated with separately for mining rights - and the Commonwealth is locked in a race against the vicious AAnn Empire to secure those rights.The clans of the Parramat Archipelago on Senisran are resisting entreaties by the Commonwealth and AAnn alike. But Pulickel Tomochelor, xenologist and first-contact specialist, is confident of his ability to handle to negotiations. What Pulickel hasn't counted on is the secret of Parramat: the strange green stones that the natives use to bless the crops, ensure plentiful fishing, heal the injured and ill, and control the weather. For within those stones lies an awesome technology the origin of which is lost in time - a technology that has to be kept from the AAnn at any cost.The Humanx Commonwealth: Book Six.