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The Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters: Thrilling Stories of Survivors with Photographs and Sketches
by Logan Marshall Stephen SpignesiThe Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters is an exciting collection of first-hand stories describing the catastrophe of Titanic’s maiden voyage as told by its survivors shortly after the ship sank. Originally written and published in 1912, Logan Marshall’s book was the very first attempt to solve the mystery of the accident and relieve the heartache it stirred internationally. Marshall narrates the personal stories of Titanic’s passengers before, during, and after the sinking of the ill-fated ship. This book takes us back in time and forces us to understand the trauma of our ancestors from a not-so-comfortable distance. Listen to the voices of real passengers tell their own touching stories of tragedy and see the photographs and sketches that accompany their stories. Also included are records of previous great disasters of the sea, descriptions of the development of safety and life-saving appliances, and a plain statement of causes of such catastrophes and how to avoid them. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history—books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
The Sins of the Father (Clifton Chronicles #2)
by Jeffrey ArcherOn the heels of the international bestseller Only Time Will Tell, Jeffrey Archer picks up the sweeping story of the Clifton Chronicles.... Only days before Britain declares war on Germany, Harry Clifton, hoping to escape the consequences of long-buried family secrets, and forced to accept that his desire to marry Emma Barrington will never be fulfilled, has joined the Merchant Navy. But his ship is sunk in the Atlantic by a German U-boat, drowning almost the entire crew. An American cruise liner, the SS Kansas Star, rescues a handful of sailors, among them Harry and the third officer, an American named Tom Bradshaw. When Bradshaw dies in the night, Harry seizes on the chance to escape his tangled past and assumes his identity. But on landing in America, he quickly learns the mistake he has made, when he discovers what is awaiting Bradshaw in New York. Without any way of proving his true identity, Harry Clifton is now chained to a past that could be far worse than the one he had hoped to escape.
The Sisterhood of Ravensbrück: How an Intrepid Band of Frenchwomen Resisted the Nazis in Hitler's All-Female Concentration Camp
by Lynne OlsonThe extraordinary true story of a small group of Frenchwomen, all Resistance members, who banded together in a notorious concentration camp to defy the Nazis—from the New York Times bestselling author of Madame Fourcade&’s Secret War&“At once heartbreaking and beautifully told, this is a masterwork of nonfiction, a must-read for anyone who wants more of the incredible true story behind Lilac Girls.&”—Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lilac GirlsDecades after the end of World War II, the name Ravensbrück still evokes horror for those with knowledge of this infamous all-women&’s concentration camp, better known since it became the setting of Martha Hall Kelly&’s bestselling novel, Lilac Girls. Particularly shocking were the medical experiments performed on some of the inmates. Ravensbrück was atypical in other ways as well, not just as the only all-female German concentration camp, but because 80 percent of its inmates were political prisoners, among them a tight-knit group of women who had been active in the French Resistance.Already well-practiced in sabotaging the Nazis in occupied France, these women joined forces to defy their German captors and keep one another alive. The sisterhood&’s members, amid unimaginable terror and brutality, subverted Germany&’s war effort by refusing to do assigned work. They risked death for any infraction, but that did not stop them from defying their SS tormentors at every turn—even staging a satirical musical revue about the horrors of the camp.After the war, when many in France wanted to focus only on the future, the women from Ravensbrück refused to allow their achievements, needs, and sacrifices to be erased. They banded together once more, first to support one another in healing their bodies and minds and then to continue their crusade for freedom and justice—an effort that would have repercussions for their country and the world into the twenty-first century.
The Six Day War 1967: Sinai
by Peter Dennis Simon DunstanIn May 1967, Egypt expelled the United Nations peacekeeping forces stationed in the Sinai desert and deployed its army along its border with Israel, its moves coordinated with those of Jordan and Syria. By June, Israel realized that the international community would not act, and launched a pre-emptive strike against the combined Arab forces. The ensuing Six Day War (June 5-10, 1967) was a crushing defeat for the Arab world, one that tripled the area controlled by Israel and which sowed the seeds for the Yom Kippur War of 1973 and the continuing strife in the region. Written by the author of Osprey's Yom Kippur War, this volume covers the background to the war and the campaign against the Egyptians in the Sinai Peninsula, including the initial devastating air assault that showed the world how vital air supremacy was in modern combat.
The Six Day War: The Breaking of the Middle East
by Guy LaronThe author of Origins of the Suez Crisis &“mak[es] us look afresh at the events that led to conflict between Israel and its neighbors&” (Financial Times). One fateful week in June 1967 redrew the map of the Middle East. Many scholars have documented how the Six-Day War unfolded, but little has been done to explain why the conflict happened at all. Now, historian Guy Laron refutes the widely accepted belief that the war was merely the result of regional friction, revealing the crucial roles played by American and Soviet policies in the face of an encroaching global economic crisis, and restoring Syria&’s often overlooked centrality to events leading up to the hostilities. The Six-Day War effectively sowed the seeds for the downfall of Arab nationalism, the growth of Islamic extremism, and the animosity between Jews and Palestinians. In this important new work, Laron&’s fresh interdisciplinary perspective and extensive archival research offer a significant reassessment of a conflict—and the trigger-happy generals behind it—that continues to shape the modern world. &“Challenging . . . well worth reading.&”—Moment &“A penetrating study of a conflict that, although brief, helped establish a Middle Eastern template that is operational today . . . The author looks beyond Cold War maneuvering to examine the conflict in other lights . . . Readers with an interest in Middle Eastern geopolitics will find much of value.&”—Kirkus Reviews
The Six-Day Hero
by Tammar SteinMotti knows that war is coming. Israel is only nineteen years old—the same age as Motti's brave older brother, Gideon—and the tiny country is surrounded by enemies. It's only a matter of time before Egypt, Jordan and Syria attack. Motti wishes he could join the Israeli army like Gideon and be a hero. But when his best friend's family flees the country and his brother goes off to fight, Motti realizes this war isn't a game. His family is in danger, and Israel's very survival is at stake. But hope comes to Motti in unexpected forms. In the kind Ethiopian priest who lives nearby. In his grouchy neighbor, old Mrs. Friedburg. In the young Germans who come to offer help. In his father's childhood friend, a Jordanian man who harbors none of the hate Motti expects. Even in a scrappy stray cat that roams the bombed city without fear. Motti knows his older brother is a hero—but through the six days of the war that will decide Israel's fate, he discovers other heroes in surprising places. He may even be a hero himself.
The Six-Day War
by Randolph S. Churchill Winston S. ChurchillA broad, engaging and detailed account for the military historian and Middle East historian alike, of Israel's heroic defense of her existence and her stunning victory in the Six Day War of 1967.
The Sixteen Trees of the Somme
by Lars MyttingA family story of epic scale, by the author of NORWEGIAN WOOD and THE BELL IN THE LAKE."An intricate story about war, family, secrets and,yes, wood ... An engaging, satisfying read" The Times"So cleverly plotted, and it builds up such effortless dramatic momentum as it zeroes in on its conclusion" ScotsmanEdvard grows up on a remote mountain farmstead in Norway with his taciturn grandfather, Sverre. The death of his parents, when he was three years old, has always been shrouded in mystery - he has never been told how or where it took place and has only a distant memory of his mother. But he knows that the fate of his grandfather's brother, Einar, is somehow bound up with this mystery. One day a coffin is delivered for his grandfather long before his death - a meticulous, beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Perhaps Einar is not dead after all. Edvard's desperate quest to unlock the family's tragic secrets takes him on a long journey - from Norway to the Shetlands, and to the battlefields of France - to the discovery of a very unusual inheritance. The Sixteen Trees of the Somme is about the love of wood and finding your own self, a beautifully intricate and moving tale that spans an entire century.A TIMES BESTSELLERMytting's book is as much a romantic historical thriller as it is a book of promise, a page-turner as it is a reflective journey into selfhood, history, life's meaning and individual moral responsibility - Mika Provata-Carlone, BookanistaTranslated from the Norwegian by Paul Russell Garrett
The Sixteen Trees of the Somme
by Lars MyttingA family story of epic scale, by the author of NORWEGIAN WOOD and THE BELL IN THE LAKE.Edvard grows up on a remote mountain farmstead in Norway with his taciturn grandfather, Sverre. The death of his parents, when he was three years old, has always been shrouded in mystery - he has never been told how or where it took place and has only a distant memory of his mother. But he knows that the fate of his grandfather's brother, Einar, is somehow bound up with this mystery. One day a coffin is delivered for his grandfather long before his death - a meticulous, beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Perhaps Einar is not dead after all. Edvard's desperate quest to unlock the family's tragic secrets takes him on a long journey - from Norway to the Shetlands, and to the battlefields of France - to the discovery of a very unusual inheritance. The Sixteen Trees of the Somme is about the love of wood and finding your own self, a beautifully intricate and moving tale that spans an entire century.A TIMES BESTSELLERTranslated from the Norwegian by Paul Russell Garrett(P) 2022 Quercus Editions Ltd
The Sixteenth Mississippi Infantry: Civil War Letters and Reminiscences
by Robert G. EvansThey fought in the Shenandoah campaign that blazed Stonewall Jackson’s reputation. They fought in the Seven Days’ Battles and at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, in the Wilderness campaign, and at Spotsylvania. At the surrender they were beside General Robert E. Lee in Appomattox. From the beginning of the war to its very end the men of the Sixteenth Mississippi endured. In this collection of their letters and their memories, both historians and Civil War buffs will find the fascinating words of these common soldiers in one of the most notable units in the Army of Northern Virginia. Gathered and available here for the first time, the writings in this anthology include diary entries, letters, and reminiscences from average Mississippi men who fought in the war’s most extraordinary battles. Chronologically arranged, the documents depict the pace and progress of the war. Emerging from their words are flesh-and-blood soldiers who share their courage and spirit, their love of home and family, and their loneliness, fears, and campaign trials. From the same camp come letters that say, “Our troops are crazy to meet the enemy,” and “It is not much fun hearing the balls and shells a-coming.” Soldiers write endearingly to wives, earnestly to fathers, longingly to mothers, and wistfully to loved ones. With wit and dispatch they report on crops and land, Virginia hospitality, camp rumors and chicanery, and encounters, both humorous and hostile, with the Yankee enemy. Many letters convey a yearning for home and loved ones, closing with such phrases as “Write just as soon as you get this.” Though the trials of war seemed beyond the limits of human endurance, letter writing created a lifeline to home and helped men persevere. So eager was Jesse Ruebel Kirkland to keep in touch with his beloved Lucinda that he penned, “I am on my horse writing on the top of my hat just having met the mail carrier.”
The Sixth Extinction (Sigma Force Ser.)
by James RollinsA remote military research station in Utah sends out a frantic distress call, ending with a chilling final command: Kill us all! Personnel from the neighbouring base rush in to discover everyone already dead – and not just the scientists, but every living thing for 50 square miles has been annihilated. The land is entirely sterile – and the blight is spreading.
The Sixth Man: A Thriller
by Ron LealosA quick wit and a sharp tongue alone won’t be enough for Captain Chyang Fang to survive this case. Someone is murdering high-ranking Vietnamese government officials, so the head of Saigon’s homicide division, Captain Chyang Fang, a troubled Chinese Vietnamese man, is given the task of finding the killer. Hated by almost everyone in Saigon and an outcast in both Chinese and Vietnamese circles, Fang has to rely on his wit, biting sarcasm, and not-so-capable assistant, Sergeant Phan?a man who would rather play on his smartphone than work?to find the killer who leaves toy cobras on the bodies of his victims. With the aid of a hunchbacked coroner who honed his skills watching episodes of CSI, and following a key lead that stretches back to the days of the Vietnam War, Fang is led on an opium-addled journey through modern-day Saigon, and if the killer doesn’t get him, the city and its people surely will. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction?novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
The Sixties
by Terry H. AndersonThe sixth edition of The Sixties is a provocative account of a transformative era in American history, exploring the significant political, social, and cultural changes that many citizens found to be not only necessary, but mandatory.The book explores the 1960s both chronologically and thematically, from the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins and presidential election to the early 1970s and the fight for women’s liberation and withdrawal from Vietnam. It examines the unique social movements that merged during and after 1968 to form a “sixties culture” that advocated for empowerment and liberation. The final chapter on legacies and the section of additional reading have been revised and updated for the sixth edition, now including more recent material to reinforce the book’s themes and explore the impacts of the sixties that are still felt today. Additional coverage of women and the LGBTQ and Latino/a communities paints a richer portrait of the decade of tumult and change.Lucid and engaging, The Sixties is a stimulating text ideal for students and general readers interested in one of the most significant eras in American history—the 1960s.
The Sketchbook War: Saving the Nation's Artists in World War II
by Richard KnottDuring the Second World War, British artists produced over 6,000 works of war art, the result of a government scheme partly designed to prevent the artists being killed. This book tells the story of nine courageous war artists who ventured closer to the front line than any others in their profession.Edward Ardizzone, Edward Bawden, Barnett Freedman, Anthony Gross, Thomas Hennell, Eric Ravilious, Albert Richards, Richard Seddon and John Worsley all travelled abroad into the dangers of war to chronicle events by painting them. They formed a close bond, yet two were torpedoed, two were taken prisoner and three died, two in 1945 when peacetime was at hand. Men who had previously made a comfortable living painting in studios were transformed by military uniforms and experiences that were to shape the rest of their lives, and their work significantly influenced the way in which we view war today.Portraying how war and art came together in a moving and dramatic way, and incorporating vivid examples of their paintings, this is the true story behind the war artists who fought, lived and died for their art on the front line of the Second World War.
The Skin (European Classics)
by David Moore Curzio MalaparteThe Skin is the savage account of the American occupation of Naples, first European city to be liberated in World War II. Malaparte's bestseller is the famous tale of the orgiastic riot of licentiousness, debauchery, and sensuality which took place when the conquered Italians, men, women and children, long under the Fascist and Nazi boot, hastened to prostitute themselves to their American conquerors, the U. S. Army."Malaparte is a very great writer," said the noted critic, Pierre Lesdain. "The Skin is a tremendous work, a masterpiece. Writers like Henry Miller and Malaparte have such vitality, such vigor, such immense power that when viewed by ordinary men they seem monstrous. In The Skin everything is on a grand scale..."Here at last is The Skin, the over two-million-copy best seller about the U.S. Army loose in occupied Naples in World War II. The power, violence, and cruelty in these pages are a passionate reaction to the spectacle of human degradation. In The Skin, the military decay and the destruction of Europe are taken to stand for the moral collapse and revolution of modern life. The Skin has been hailed by readers and critics throughout the world as a work of epic proportions."MALAPARTE is a great writer. THE SKIN is a tremendous work.... In THE SKIN everything is on a grand scale."--Pierre Lesdain"MALAPARTE is the most epic of all the great writers of Europe."--Robert Pick"MALAPARTE is the prophet of a martyred, conquered Europe--a noble, despairing prophet whose song will remain unforgettable." Paul Levy
The Skulking Way of War: Technology and Tactics among the New England Indians
by Patrick M. MaloneDuring the brutal and destructive King Philip's War, the New England Indians combined new European weaponry with their traditional use of stealth, surprise, and mobility.
The Sky Ghost: Death Orbit, The Sky Ghost, Return Of Sky Ghost, The Tomorrow War (Wingman #14)
by Mack MaloneyA fighter pilot finds himself in another dimension—where the Second World War is still raging . . . After surviving years of nuclear warfare, mankind found itself facing a new, unimaginable threat: a comet headed directly for Earth. Once again, Hawk Hunter, the world&’s greatest fighter pilot, was determined to rescue the human race. But this would be the last time. On a suicide mission, he flew headfirst into the comet, diverting its path, sparing the planet, and knocking himself into another universe altogether. He comes to in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where he&’s picked up by a US Navy cruiser whose size boggles the imagination. It&’s 1997, and the United States is locked in a struggle with Nazi Germany that has lasted more than fifty years. America&’s resolve is fading, and her citizens need a hero to end this terrible war once and for all. And Hunter will prove that no matter what the year, no matter what the dimension, he is the finest hero on Earth. The Sky Ghost is the fourteenth book of the Wingman series, which also includes Wingman and The Circle War.
The Sky Is My Witness [Illustrated Edition]
by Captain Thomas Moore Jr. USMCRIncludes the Second World War In The Pacific Illustration Pack - 152 maps, plans and photos.The vivid and colourful account of a Marine Divebomber's personal experiences during the Pacific War, Captain Green fought at Midway, Guadalcanal and the New Hebrides. A heroic tale, humbly told from a Navy Cross winner no less."In the main, this is the story of myself and others like me--all commissioned Marine pilots. But not all the people connected with flying planes are officers. Quite a number of our best pilots are enlisted men, and practically all those who make the pilot's job at all possible --those who service the planes, patch them together again, see to it that everything still works and keeps working--these are enlisted men. Perhaps this isn't orthodox, but it is my sincere belief that these constitute the substance to our shadow. Let's put it this way--we officer pilots do a hell of a lot that people hear about-- officer pilots being more or less the glamor boys--but the enlisted of aviation do one hell of a lot that very few people hear about. It is to these enlisted of aviation that I humbly dedicate this book."-The Author.
The Sky Over Rebecca
by Matthew FoxWhen mysterious footprints appear in the Stockholm snow, ten-year-old Kara must discover where they've come from - and who they belong to. The trail of footprints leads Kara to Rebecca, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl, and her younger brother Samuel. Kara realises they are refugees - from another time, World War Two - and are trying to find their way home.The grief and loneliness that Rebecca and Samuel have endured is something Kara can relate to - feeling like you're always on the outside looking in - and she finds herself compelled to help them escape. Through her eyes, we rediscover the magic that lies in the world around us, if only we have the courage to look for it.Kara is a heroine for modern times: fragile but fierce, in this utterly compelling story from a stellar new voice in children's literature, Matthew Fox
The Skyborn
by Paul CollinsThe Skyborn is a 270 page science fiction novel for older children, teens, and interested adults written by Paul Collins and first published in 2005. It is the sequel of The Earthborn. The summary by Tom Doherty Associates reads as follows: Has Welkin uncovered a final solution to the Earthborn problem? After an aborted mission and the crash of the Skyborn ship Colony, fourteen-year-old crewman Welkin Quinn is left for dead on the harsh, barren, and inhospitable landscape of a postdisaster Earth. Rescued by a gang of teenaged Earthborn refugees, however, Welkin overcomes his Skyborn prejudices of Earthborn "scum;" proves his value, and becomes a trusted member of the Family. In time, with luck and hard work, the Family has even begun to thrive. Existence is still brutal. Still hand to mouth. The ravaged, poisoned landscape is hardly more than a vast windswept wasteland. Dangers from rival bands of murderous mutants-like Jabbersare a daily threat. As is the hulking and ominous presence of Colony itself. Inside the grounded starship, its Skyborn inhabitants feed on their hatred of the dreaded and despised Earthborn. When, on routine patrol, a Colony scout is captured by the Family, he reveals a startling secret: Authorities onboard Colony have regrouped and mean to launch a final-and overwhelming-assault to rid Earth of the "savage" Earthborn once and for all. Welkin has only one choice: Infiltrate Colony and neutralize the threat. But even Welkinarmed with his knowledge of Skyborn ways and methods-could never have been prepared for what he finds.
The Slave
by Micheline MaurelMicheline Maurel was a well-noted academic who had achieved a measure of recognition before the advent of the Second World War, she was appointed Professeur de Lettres at Lyon 1941-1942 in the Nazi-Occupied zone of France. However, by night, she was a clandestine member of the French resistance, acting as a courier and gatherer of intelligence; she was arrested in 1943 by the Gestapo and deported to Neubrandenburg, part of the Ravensbrück concentration camp complex. Through iron will she survived the torture, starvation, beatings and degradations of the SS for a horrendous twenty months. Even after the Russians liberated the camp the sufferings of the inmates were not over as they were forced marched and mistreated by their supposed liberators. In this stark memoir she recounts the inhumanity of the hell that was in her words “An Ordinary Camp”.“The savage and sadistic clamoring for expression inside each human heart.”—N.Y. Herald Tribune“A revelation of degradation and deliberate corruption. But it is also a noble affirmation of the human spirit.”—San Francisco Call Bulletin“The most systematic horror ever imposed on women”—Nashville Tennessean“Bestial and terrible...shocking and beautiful”—Chicago Tribune“A magnificent memoir”—Baltimore Sun“Better than THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK”—Readers Syndicate
The Slave Trade, Abolition and the Long History of International Criminal Law: The Recaptive and the Victim
by Emily HaslamModern international criminal law typically traces its origins to the twentieth-century Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, excluding the slave trade and abolition. Yet, as this book shows, the slave trade and abolition resound in international criminal law in multiple ways. Its central focus lies in a close examination of the often-controversial litigation, in the first part of the nineteenth century, arising from British efforts to capture slave ships, much of it before Mixed Commissions. With archival-based research into this litigation, it explores the legal construction of so-called ‘recaptives’ (slaves found on board captured slave ships). The book argues that, notwithstanding its promise of freedom, the law actually constructed recaptives restrictively. In particular, it focused on questions of intervention rather than recaptives’ rights. At the same time it shows how a critical reading of the archive reveals that recaptives contributed to litigation in important, but hitherto largely unrecognized, ways. The book is, however, not simply a contribution to the history of international law. Efforts to deliver justice through international criminal law continue to face considerable challenges and raise testing questions about the construction – and alternative construction – of victims. By inscribing the recaptive in international criminal legal history, the book offers an original contribution to these contentious issues and a reflection on critical international criminal legal history writing and its accompanying methodological and political choices.
The Slaves of Solitude
by David Lodge Patrick HamiltonEngland in the middle of World War II, a war that seems fated to go on forever, a war that has become a way of life. Heroic resistance is old hat. Everything is in short supply, and tempers are even shorter. Overwhelmed by the terrors and rigors of the Blitz, middle-aged Miss Roach has retreated to the relative safety and stupefying boredom of the suburban town of Thames Lockdon, where she rents a room in a boarding house run by Mrs. Payne. There the savvy, sensible, decent, but all-too-meek Miss Roach endures the dinner-table interrogations of Mr. Thwaites and seeks to relieve her solitude by going out drinking and necking with a wayward American lieutenant. Life is almost bearable until Vicki Kugelmann, a seeming friend, moves into the adjacent room. That's when Miss Roach's troubles really begin. Recounting an epic battle of wills in the claustrophobic confines of the boarding house, Patrick Hamilton's The Slaves of Solitude, with a delightfully improbable heroine, is one of the finest and funniest books ever written about the trials of a lonely heart.
The Slaves of Solitude
by Patrick Hamilton'All his novels are terrific, but this one is my favourite' Sarah WatersPatrick Hamilton's novels were the inspiration for Matthew Bourne's new dance theatre production, The Midnight Bell.Measuring out the wartime days in a small town on the Thames, Miss Roach is not unattractive but no longer quite young. The Rosamund Tea Rooms boarding house, where she lives with half a dozen others, is as grey and lonely as its residents. For Miss Roach, 'slave of her task-master, solitude', a shaft of not altogether welcome light is suddenly beamed upon her, with the appearance of a charismatic and emotional American Lieutenant. With him comes change - tipping the precariously balanced society of the house and presenting Miss Roach herself with a dilemma.
The Slaves of Solitude (Nhb Modern Plays Ser.)
by Patrick Hamilton'All his novels are terrific, but this one is my favourite' Sarah WatersPatrick Hamilton's novels were the inspiration for Matthew Bourne's new dance theatre production, The Midnight Bell.Measuring out the wartime days in a small town on the Thames, Miss Roach is not unattractive but no longer quite young. The Rosamund Tea Rooms boarding house, where she lives with half a dozen others, is as grey and lonely as its residents. For Miss Roach, 'slave of her task-master, solitude', a shaft of not altogether welcome light is suddenly beamed upon her, with the appearance of a charismatic and emotional American Lieutenant. With him comes change - tipping the precariously balanced society of the house and presenting Miss Roach herself with a dilemma.