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On the Edge of Flight: A Lifetime in the Development and Engineering of Aircraft
by Eric William AbsolonThis is the story of Eric William Absolon, a relentlessly enthusiastic Aviation champion, whose lifelong love of aircraft has never wavered throughout his long and varied career. From boyhood fascination to the adult realization of his ambitions, this first-hand account takes in some of the key events of the dynamic period of twentieth century history which the author lived and worked through. Working his way up the ranks of the Gloster Aircraft Company, Absolon was able to see all the component processes of Aircraft production. The insight he provides into the inner workings of this busting center of Twentieth Century Aircraft production is unparalleled in modern accounts. Anyone with a fascination for the secret life of Aircraft is in for a treat here as the author relays his working experiences at the creative hub of the industry. His experiences including involvement with the post-war Drop testing of Meteor aircraft, working closely with these infamous vehicles of war in his role as Chief of Engineering Research, as well as an involvement with the more commercial side of Aviation production, a division within Gloster for which he served as Manager. This narrative charts his career with Gloster as well as a series of other companies who invited Absolon to offer his services. It also relays the story of the implementation and development of his own Aviation production business, Aljac Engineering Ltd. His expertise was highly prized then, and is now applied in the translation of experience into engaging prose, set to appeal to all genre enthusiasts.
A Girl During the War: A Novel
by Anita AbrielThe author of the &“unforgettable story of strength, love, and survival&” (Jillian Cantor, USA TODAY bestselling author) The Light After the War returns with a sweeping and evocative story of love and purpose in WWII Italy.Rome, 1943: University student Marina Tozzi is on her way home when she finds out that her father has been killed for harboring a Jewish artist in their home. Fearful of the consequences, Marina flees to Villa I Tatti, the Florence villa of her father&’s American friend Bernard Berenson and his partner Belle da Costa Greene, the famed librarian who once curated J.P. Morgan&’s library. Florence is a hotbed of activity as partisans and Germans fight for control of the city. Marina, an art expert, begins helping Bernard catalog his library as he makes the difficult trek to neutral Switzerland, helping to hide precious cultural artifacts from the Germans. Adding to the tension, their young neighbor Carlos, a partisan, seeks out Marina for both her art expertise and her charm. Marina, swept up in the romance, dreams of a life together after the war. But when Carlos disappears, all of Marina&’s assumptions about her life in Florence are thrown into doubt, and she&’ll have to travel halfway around the world to unravel what really happened during the war.
The Italian Girl
by Anita AbrielA fearless young Italian woman risks everything to save precious artworks from the Nazis in a gripping new tale from the bestselling author of The Light After the War. Rome, 1943: Marina Tozzi adores her father Vittorio and working together in his art gallery is her only escape from the reality of the Nazi occupation. Not only has Marina inherited her father&’s passion for art but she is earning a reputation as an expert in her own right. However, Vittorio is keeping a deadly secret from his daughter. He has been hiding a Jewish artist in their basement and one day Marina returns home to find her father has been brutally murdered by a German officer. Devastated, Marina flees to Florence to seek help from a man who owes Vittorio his life. Renowned American art expert Bernard Berenson offers Marina sanctuary in his villa outside Florence and a job cataloguing his vast art library. Marina is grateful but she is determined to find a way to avenge her father. When handsome young artist Carlos proposes using her expertise to help the partisan cause against the Nazis, she has at last found her purpose. In one daring and ingenious act, Marina risks her life to save a priceless painting from falling into Nazi hands and proves her worth to the partisans. But falling in love with Carlos was not part of her plan. When Carlos suddenly disappears, Marina&’s dreams about building a life with him after the war turn to ashes. She will have to travel halfway around the world to unravel the past – and find her future.Praise for Anita Abriel &‘I was utterly moved and transfixed&’ Kristin Harmel &‘Fans of historical fiction won&’t want to miss this evocative, heartbreaking story&’ Beatriz Williams &‘Beautifully written and heartfelt&’ Jillian Cantor
Lana's War: A Novel
by Anita AbrielFrom the bestselling author of The Light After the War comes the unforgettable story of a young woman waging her own war against the Nazis as a spy for the Resistance on the French Riviera. Paris, 1943: Lana Antanova is rushing to tell her husband she is pregnant when she witnesses him being executed by a Gestapo officer for hiding a Jewish girl in a piano. Overcome with grief, Lana loses the baby. A few months later, a heartbroken Lana is approached to join the Resistance on the French Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, Lana has the perfect background to infiltrate the émigré community of Russian aristocrats who socialise with Nazi officers, including the man who killed her husband. Lana&’s cover story makes her the mistress of a wealthy Swiss playboy, the darkly handsome and charismatic Guy Pascal, and her base his villa in Cap Ferrat. Together they make a ruthlessly effective team. Consumed by her mission, Lana doesn&’t count on becoming attached to a young Jewish girl or falling helplessly in love with Guy. As the Nazis close in, Lana&’s desire to protect the ones she loves threatens to put them all at risk.
Lana's War: A Novel
by Anita AbrielFrom the author of the &“fast-paced, heartbreaking, and hopeful&” (Kristin Harmel, author of The Room on Rue Amélie) The Light After the War, a riveting and heartfelt story of a young woman recruited to be a spy for the resistance on the French Riviera during World War II. Paris 1943: Lana Antanova is on her way to see her husband with the thrilling news that she is pregnant. But when she arrives at the convent where he teaches music, she&’s horrified to see Gestapo officers execute him for hiding a Jewish girl in the piano. A few months later, grieving both her husband and her lost pregnancy, Lana is shocked when she&’s approached to join the resistance on the French Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, Lana has the perfect background to infiltrate the émigré community of Russian aristocrats who socialize with German officers, including the man who killed her husband. Lana&’s cover story makes her the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss industrialist and fellow resistance member, in whose villa in Cap Ferrat she lives. Together, they gather information on upcoming raids and help members of the Jewish community escape. Consumed by her work, she doesn&’t expect to become attached to a young Jewish girl or wonder about the secrets held by the man whose house she shares. And as the Nazis&’ deadly efforts intensify, her intention to protect those around her may put them all at risk instead. With Anita Abriel&’s &“heartfelt and memorable&” (Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author) storytelling, Lana&’s War is a sweeping and suspenseful tale of survival and second chances during some of the darkest days of history.
The Light After the War: A Novel
by Anita AbrielInspired by an incredible true story of two Jewish friends who survived the Holocaust, this sweeping novel of love and friendship spans World War II from Budapest to Austria and the postwar years from Naples to Caracas, perfect for fans of The German Girl and We Were the Lucky Ones. It is 1946 when Vera Frankel and her best friend Edith Ban arrive in Naples. Refugees from Hungary, they managed to escape from a train headed for Auschwitz and spent the rest of the war hiding on an Austrian farm. Now, the two young women must start new lives abroad. Armed with a letter of recommendation from an American officer, Vera finds work at the United States embassy where she falls in love with Captain Anton Wight. But as Vera and Edith grapple with the aftermath of the war, so too does Anton, and when he suddenly disappears, Vera is forced to change course. Their quest for a better life takes Vera and Edith from Naples to Ellis Island to Caracas as they start careers, reunite with old friends, and rebuild their lives after terrible loss. Moving, evocative, and compelling, this timely tale of true friendship, love, and survival will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
La luz después de la guerra
by Anita AbrielInspirada por la increíble y cautivadora historia real de dos amigas judías que sobrevivieron al Holocausto y encontraron el coraje para perseguir sus sueños. En 1946 Vera Frankel y su amiga Edith Ban llegan a Nápoles. Son refugiadas húngaras que consiguieron escapar de un tren con dirección a Auschwitz y pasaron el resto de la guerra escondidas en una granja austriaca. Ahora, las dos jóvenes confían en hallar un hogar y un poco de paz en Italia. Armada únicamente con la carta de recomendación de un amable oficial, Vera logra encontrar trabajo en la embajada estadounidense, donde se enamora del capitán Anton Wight. Sin embargo, al igual que Vera y Edith, Anton también lucha por superar las consecuencias personales de la guerra. Cuando desaparece repentinamente, Vera se verá obligada a volver a empezar de cero y a reconstruir su vida en América, dejando de nuevo atrás sus terribles pérdidas... Emocionante y evocadora, esta historia de auténtica amistad, amor y supervivencia se quedará contigo mucho tiempo después de pasar la última página. Sobre la novela han dicho:«Basada en una historia verdadera y hasta hora nunca contada, La luz después de la guerra dibuja el magnífico retrato de dos mujeres jóvenes, ambas supervivientes del Holocausto, que tratan de encontrar amor y un sentido a su vida tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Desde Italia a Nueva York y Sudamérica, Abriel da vida a estas amigas y su época de un modo real, emocionante y sorprendente.»Mark Sullivan, autor de Bajo un cielo escarlata «Conmovedor y fascinante... A los lectores les encantará este poderoso relato de fuerte amistad femenina y segundas oportunidades para el amor ambientado en pintorescos escenarios de Nápoles, Venezuela y Australia.»Library Journal «La luz después de la guerra me emocionó y fascinó por completo. Te sentirás arrastrado por este trepidante, desgarrador y esperanzador relato sobre amistad, familia, segundas oportunidades y el persistente poder del amor basado en la verdadera historia de la madre de la autora y su fascinante viaje por la Europa asolada por la guerra de los años cuarenta.»Kristin Harmel, autora de La lista de los nombres olvidados «Inspirador, ambicioso muy ágil y con una acertada descripción de una realidad devastada por la guerra.»Booklist «Un sincero y memorable relato de familia, amor, resiliencia y el triunfo del espíritu humano.»Pam Jenoff, autora de Las chicas desaparecidas de París
It's Our Ship: The No-Nonsense Guide to Leadership
by Captain D. AbrashoffCaptain D. Michael Abrashoff, legendary commander of the USS Benfold, continues in the same vein of his bestselling book IT'S YOUR SHIP with the knowledge he's gained from his speaking to and advising some of the top business minds in the world. The story of Captain Abrashoff and his command of USS Benfold has become legendary inside and outside the Navy. By governing his ship with his unique management techniques, Abrashoff turned the Benfold into a model of naval efficiency, with amazing cost savings, the highest gunnery score in the Pacific Fleet, and a highly motivated and top performing crew. In IT'S YOUR SHIP, he first demonstrated how to bring his successful management techniques from the ship to the boardroom. Now, in his newest book IT'S OUR SHIP, in the same rugged, can-do voice, Abrashoff will focus on the leadership, motivational, and management insights and tips that he has learned from his last six years of addressing business and corporate audiences. Abrashoff's timely advice will be eminently prescriptive, and will feature anecdotes and insights from leaders of businesses large and small and from public and non-profit sectors.
Mission Critical: Unlocking the Value of Veterans in the Workforce (Center for Talent Innovation)
by Michael Abrams Julia Taylor Kennedy<p>The Center for Talent Innovation's new study, <i>Mission Critical: Unlocking the Value of Veterans in the Workforce</i>, reveals how companies can ensure their veteran talent thrives in the corporate world. Veterans represent a highly desirable talent pool when they transition to civilian careers. They retain the passion for service and camaraderie that drew them into the military, and they bring leadership and technical skills honed in a pressure cooker. In recent years, corporate employers have demonstrated they understand the potential of this valuable cohort by greatly increasing their recruitment efforts. Yet once veterans get through the doors of corporations, they languish. In a matter of months, many ambitious, skilled veterans lose their drive, failing to fulfill their leadership potential—more than half say they don't aspire to hold a more senior position. Many of the remainder feel stalled in their careers. <p>Why? First, leaders don’t understand their potential. Second, veterans feel distant from their teams and cover their veteran identity in an effort to get closer. Third, they hunger for meaning and purpose at work, something they found in the military but lack in civilian jobs. <i>Mission Critical</i> explores these factors in-depth, especially as they affect women and veterans of color.</p>
Brave Deeds: A Novel
by David AbramsFrom the author of Fobbit: “A stirring, sardonic war story . . . Mordantly funny and harrowing . . . Reminiscent of such classic war novels as Catch-22” (Tampa Bay Times). A Military Times Best Book of 2017, Brave Deeds is a compelling novel of war, brotherhood, and America. Spanning eight hours, the novel follows a squad of six AWOL soldiers as they attempt to cross war-torn Baghdad on foot to attend the funeral of their leader, Staff Sergeant Rafe Morgan. As the men make their way to the funeral, they recall the most ancient of warriors yet are a microcosm of twenty-first-century America, and subject to the same human flaws as all of us. Drew is reliable in the field but unfaithful at home; Cheever, overweight and whining, is a friend to no one—least of all himself; and platoon commander Dmitri “Arrow” Arogapoulos is stalwart, yet troubled with questions about his own identity and sexuality. Emotionally resonant, true-to-life, and thoughtfully written, Brave Deeds is a gripping story of combat and of perseverance, and an important addition to the oeuvre of contemporary war fiction. “Earnest and affecting . . . The soldiers are foulmouthed, sex-obsessed and fiercely loyal for reasons they can’t quite articulate—in other words, packed with young American male authenticity. Abrams’s prose is relaxed and conversational, with a few scattered literary nuggets that add heft, like chunks of beef in a vegetable soup. . . . The mash-up works, and Abrams’s voice is clear and strong.” —Brian Castner, The Washington Post “Outstanding . . . With a little bit of humor and bumbling grace, these six soldiers magnify what is both beautiful and despairing about the American military.” —Missoulian
Fobbit: A Novel
by David AbramsFobbit \’fä-bit\, noun. Definition: A U.S. soldier stationed at a Forward Operating Base who avoids combat by remaining at the base, esp. during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2011). Pejorative.In the satirical tradition of Catch-22 and M*A*S*H, Fobbit takes us into the chaotic world of Baghdad’s Forward Operating Base Triumph. The Forward Operating base, or FOB, is like the back-office of the battlefield - where people eat and sleep, and where a lot of soldiers have what looks suspiciously like a desk job. Male and female soldiers are trying to find an empty Porta Potty in which to get acquainted, grunts are playing Xbox and watching NASCAR between missions, and a lot of the senior staff are more concerned about getting to the chow hall in time for the Friday night all-you-can-eat seafood special than worrying about little things like military strategy.Darkly humorous and based on the author's own experiences in Iraq, Fobbit is a fantastic debut that shows us a behind-the-scenes portrait of the real Iraq war.
Black Silver
by Wayne Abrahamson&“...a rollicking tale sure to delight fans of nautical adventures.&” — Erik Carter, Amazon Author &“A captivating tale of adventure in the South China Sea reminiscent of Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy.&” — Chris Dewey, MA, RPA (Lieutenant Commander, USN Ret.), Author of Deep Context and President of the Maritime Archaeological SocietyJoseph Havok has no idea of the troubles he&’ll face when he and his business partner decide to follow up on a rumor and go off in search of a lost cache of WWII silver near an island in the South China Sea. The two men travel by dive boat to Terumbu Island, unaware of the others they will soon encounter, including an American CIA station chief, an environmental-studies professor, and the captain of the professor&’s research vessel. But Terumbu holds other secrets, something far more dangerous and much more valuable than the island&’s cache of old silver. Nicholai Anisimova, a former Russian army intelligence officer, is the leader of a group of dissatisfied comrades who threaten international order in their quest to transform Siberia into a new Russia. However, in order to purchase arms and equipment to begin their revolution and occupation of Siberia, the group will need money. To finance the recovery of resources from a sunken Japanese submarine, Anisimova secures the sponsorship of a Chinese industrialist who does not trust the Russians and decides to monitor the recovery himself. Havok and his partner soon find themselves involved in a conflict, refereed by an unknown, seldom-seen island hermit that escalates into a bitter struggle between survivors and pirates. What begins as a simple holiday for two men on a treasure hunt ends with a far-ranging battle that spills beyond the borders of the South China Sea, embroiling world leaders and placing the population of a nation at risk. &“A thrilling and fun adventure built on excellent use of details sprinkled with comedic relief.&” — Kendra Kennedy, Senior Archaeologist &“Abrahamson&’s excellent use of technical details trickled throughout the storyline provides for an authentic, and fast-paced, adventure at every turn of the page.&” — Siska Williams, Senior Archaeologist
Sergeant Dooley and the Submarine Raiders
by Wayne AbrahamsonAn ex-sergeant and a decorated combat veteran of America&’s Polar Bear Expedition to Russia, nineteen-year-old Thomas Dooley fought through a brutal winter against Red Russians only to find himself stranded in post-World War I Shanghai. With just over fifty dollars in his pocket, second-hand clothing on his back, and a beat-up Thompson submachine gun in a battered suitcase, he isn&’t sure how he will make it back to the US.To earn his passage home, Dooley finds work on an ex-Russian submarine. He leaves Shanghai under the leadership of Major Dimitri Utkin on a mission that he knows little about. Also on board are others who seek escape—from the dissatisfied captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer, whose chief petty officer is on the hunt for a chest of pirated British gold sovereigns, to a young and destitute Russian countess, Zeta Tolstoy. Dooley&’s expectations are complicated when he realizes that Utkin&’s cadre consists of men traumatized by the war and the Bolshevik Revolution—men who plan to impose their will on America. Before he knows it, Dooley&’s one-week commitment turns into a life-or-death struggle in the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
Sweet Relief: The Marla Ruzicka Story
by Jennifer AbrahamsonMarla Ruzicka was a free spirit, a savvy political operator, a wartime Erin Brockovich. Fiercely determined to improve the lives of the less fortunate, the twenty-something blonde was instrumental in convincing the U.S. government to pass historic legislation aiding civilian victims of war. Sweet Relief recounts Marla's journey from an idyllic childhood in a small California town, through Latin America and Africa, and finally to the war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Whether she was Rollerblading the halls of Congress to secure funds for civilians in Iraq or throwing parties for journalists in Kabul to raise awareness of her cause, no one who came within a hundred yards of Marla missed her. Her friendly smile and indefatigable pose were ubiquitous in Afghanistan and Iraq where Marla managed a door-to-door effort to identify war victims. While Marla worked tirelessly to care for others, in many ways she neglected herself. A diagnosed manic-depressive, Marla battled extreme emotional lows and an eating disorder. And although she brought love into the homes of the aggrieved, she often struggled to find a love of her own. Marla gave the invisible victims of war a voice and, in the process, helped to win them millions of dollars in unprecedented aid. Tragically, Marla was killed by a suicide bomber on Airport Road in Iraq in April 2005. Weeks later, the U.S. government named the program she fought so hard to establish The Marla Ruzicka Fund. Her life and legacy are an inspiring reminder that love and determination can conquer all.
The American Home Front: Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I and World War II
by James L. AbrahamsonThis latest National Defense University military history seeks to broaden the perspective of those who are interested in understanding the effects of the wartime mobilization of American society. Through a comparative analysis of the economic, political, and social results of America's four principal wars, this study reveals the major issues faced by each wartime administration and sketches the consequences of the mobilization policies adopted. As the author, Colonel James L. Abrahamson, U.S. Army, explains, each conflict occurred in unique circumstances, required varied policies, and produced different effects on American institutions. He therefore avoids offering a simplistic list of the expected domestic consequences of any future conflict. Nevertheless, certain common factors, which may inform modern mobilization planners, surface in his analysis of these four wars. The author suggests that if planners are aware of the implications of their mobilization choices, they can better devise effective policies for drawing forth the material and human essentials of victory.
No Turning Back: Life, Loss, And Hope In Wartime Syria
by Rania AbouzeidThis astonishing book by the prize-winning journalist Rania Abouzeid tells the tragedy of the Syrian War through the dramatic stories of four young people seeking safety and freedom in a shattered country. Extending back to the first demonstrations of 2011, No Turning Back dissects the tangle of ideologies and allegiances that make up the Syrian conflict. As protests ignited in Daraa, some citizens were brimming with a sense of possibility. A privileged young man named Suleiman posted videos of the protests online, full of hope for justice and democracy. A father of two named Mohammad, secretly radicalized and newly released from prison, saw a darker opportunity in the unrest. When violence broke out in Homs, a poet named Abu Azzam became an unlikely commander in a Free Syrian Army militia. The regime’s brutal response disrupted a family in Idlib province, where a nine-year-old girl opened the door to a military raid that caused her father to flee. As the bombings increased and roads grew more dangerous, these people’s lives intertwined in unexpected ways. Rania Abouzeid brings readers deep inside Assad’s prisons, to covert meetings where foreign states and organizations manipulated the rebels, and to the highest levels of Islamic militancy and the formation of ISIS. Based on more than five years of clandestine reporting on the front lines, No Turning Back is an utterly engrossing human drama full of vivid, indelible characters that shows how hope can flourish even amid one of the twenty-first century’s greatest humanitarian disasters.
Life and Adventures of L D Lafferty: Being A True Biography of One of the Most Remarkable Men of the Great Southwest
by A. H. AbneyThe story chronicles the escapades of Lafferty through the Louisiana, Missouri and Arkansas Territories, the lands of the Old Settler Cherokees, and into the new frontier of Texas."L. D. Lafferty has been described as a rough ashlar of reckless daring and thoughtless intrepidity and a youthful adventurer who had fought Indians at the age of 15." - We Never Retreat: Filibustering Expeditions into Spanish Texas (2015)"L. D. Lafferty, a contemporary of Lafitte's, recalled that Lafitte frankly confessed that he had enough silver and gold on the island to freight a ship." -Mysteries and Legends of Texas (2010)"Lorenzo Dow Lafferty, son of a Tennessee Indian trader who followed the Cherokees to Arkansas in 1810, spent three of his teenage years (1815-1818) living in a Cherokee town on the White River." -The Arkansas Historical Quarterly (1997)
Embedded
by Dan AbnettHE'D DO ANYTHING TO GET A STORY. When journalist Lex Falk gets himself chipped into the brain of a combat soldier, he thinks he has the ultimate scoop - a report from the forbidden front line of a distant planetary war, live to the living rooms of Earth. When the soldier is killed, however, Lex has to take over the body and somehow get himself back to safety once more... broadcasting all the way.Heart-stopping combat science fiction from the million-selling Warhammer 40,000 author.File Under: Science Fiction [ Future Warefare | Chipped-In | Anything For a Story | Get Out Alive! ]From the Paperback edition.
Gaunt's Ghosts: The Founding
by Dan AbnettWARHAMMER 40.000 IN THE CHAOS-INFESTED Sabbat system, the massed ranks of the Imperial Guard stand shoulder to shoulder as they counter an invasion by heretical forces. Amongst the Guard are the troops of the Tanith First-and-Only, a displaced army forced to flee their home planet before it succumbed to the unrelenting assault of Chaos. Nicknamed the Ghosts, their specialist scouting role has thrown them into the thickest of the fighting, trying to complete whatever desperate mission their uncaring commanders have volunteered them for! Now Gaunt must evade the treacherous scheming of rival regiments and the lethal firepower of the enemy if he is to win through and lead his Ghosts to victory! The Founding collects the novels First and Only, Ghostmaker, Necropolis and the short story In Remembrance.
Revival: The Cambodian Agony (1990)
by David A. Ablin M. HoodThis title was first published in 1990: Cambodia, it has been said, has gone through the most radical social upheaval and transformation of any country in recorded history. From the overthrow of Prince Sihanouk, who ruled for 29 year, in 1970 to the victory of the Cambodian Communist Party in 1975, Cambodia suffered massive saturation bombing and an unusually violent civil war. It is estimated that half a million people of the seven million total population died. From 1975 to the end 1978 as many as another three million perished because of the brutal policies of the government, and spurred the civil war that has been simmering ever since. In this book, the world's leading experts on Cambodia and the politics of Indochina address the major issues facing Cambodia since the overthrow of the Pol Pot regime in 1978.
Before They Are Hanged: The First Law: Book Two (The First Law Trilogy #2)
by Joe AbercrombieThe second novel in the wildly popular First Law Trilogy from New York Times bestseller Joe Abercrombie. Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It's enough to make a torturer want to run -- if he could even walk without a stick. Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem -- he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world. And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters -- if they didn't hate each other quite so much. Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven -- but not before they are hanged. First Law TrilogyThe Blade ItselfBefore They Are HangedLast Argument of KingsFor more from Joe Abercrombie, check out:Novels in the First Law worldBest Served ColdThe HeroesRed Country
Best Served Cold: A First Law Novel
by Joe AbercrombieSpringtime in Styria. And that means war.There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso's employ, it's a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular - a shade too popular for her employer's taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto's reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.Her allies include Styria's least reliable drunkard, Styria's most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that's all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started...Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.
Best Served Cold: A First Law Novel (World of the First Law)
by Joe AbercrombieSpringtime in Styria. And that means war.There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso's employ, it's a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular - a shade too popular for her employer's taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto's reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.Her allies include Styria's least reliable drunkard, Styria's most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that's all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started...Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.
Best Served Cold: A First Law Novel (World of the First Law)
by Joe AbercrombieSpringtime in Styria. And that means war.There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso's employ, it's a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular - a shade too popular for her employer's taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto's reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.Her allies include Styria's least reliable drunkard, Styria's most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that's all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started...Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.
The Heroes: A First Law Novel (World Of The First Law Ser.)
by Joe AbercrombieThey say Black Dow's killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud.Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they've brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he's far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it's his own.Prince Calder isn't interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he'll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn't have to fight for it himself.Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him?Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail.Three men. One battle. No Heroes.