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The Clinton Tapes: Conversations with a President, 1993–2001
by Taylor BranchTaylor Branch’s groundbreaking book about the modern presidency, The Clinton Tapes, invites readers into private dialogue with a gifted, tormented, resilient president. Here is what President Clinton thought and felt but could not say in public.This book rests upon a secret project, initiated by Clinton, to preserve for future historians an unfiltered record of presidential experience. During his eight years in office, between 1993 and 2001, Clinton answered questions and told stories in the White House, usually late at night. His friend Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch recorded seventy-nine of these dialogues to compile a trove of raw information about a presidency as it happened. Clinton drew upon the diary transcripts for his memoir in 2004. Branch recorded his own detailed recollections immediately after each session, covering not only the subjects discussed but also the look and feel of each evening with the president. The text engages Clinton from many angles. Readers hear candid stories, feel buffeting pressures, and weigh vivid descriptions of the White House settings. Branch's firsthand narrative is confessional, unsparing, and personal. The author admits straying at times from his primary role -- to collect raw material for future historians -- because his discussions with Clinton were unpredictable and intense. What should an objective prompter say when the President of the United States seeks advice, argues facts, or lodges complaints against the press? The dynamic relationship that emerges from these interviews is both affectionate and charged, with flashes of anger and humor. President Clinton drives the history, but this story is also about friends. The Clinton Tapes highlights major events of Clinton's two terms, including wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, the failure of health care reform, peace initiatives on three continents, the anti-deficit crusade, and titanic political struggles from Whitewater to American history's second presidential impeachment trial. Along the way, Clinton delivers colorful portraits of countless political figures and world leaders from Nelson Mandela to Pope John Paul II. These unprecedented White House dialogues will become a staple of presidential scholarship. Branch's masterly account opens a new window on a controversial era and Bill Clinton's eventual place among our chief executives.
The Cliveden Set
by Norman RoseLloyd George once spoke of 'a very powerful combination - in its way the most powerful in the country'. Its proceedings were invariably conducted at Cliveden, the country estate of the fabulously wealthy Nancy and Waldorf Astor. Collectively dubbed 'God's Truth Ltd', the group included leading politicians, academics, writers and newspaper editors. Its pedigree impeccable, its social standing beyond reproach, its persuasive powers permeated the clubs and institutions of London, the senior common rooms of Oxbridge colleges, the quality press and the great country houses of England. Suddenly, in the late 1930s, the 'Cliveden Set' was catapulted into uncalled-for notoriety. It had been identified as a cabal that sought to manipulate, even determine, British foreign policy in order to uphold its narrow class interests. It would use any means, however devious - even negotiate a humiliating, dishonourable settlement with Nazi Germany - to maintain its privileges, those of a decaying ruling class. But was the 'Cliveden Set' a traitorous cabal, challenging 'the constitutional structures of British democracy', or simply an unstructured think-tank of harmless do-gooders? Norman Rose discerningly probes this fascinating tale, brilliantly disentangling fact from fiction, and setting this privileged clique in the wider perspective of its times.
Cloacal Malformations: Case Studies (Pediatric Colorectal Surgery)
by Marc A. LevittWithin the field of pediatric colorectal and pelvic reconstruction, the most complex anatomic problem a pediatric surgeon can face is that of a cloacal malformation. The urinary tract, gynecologic system, and distal bowel all fuse into a single common channel which must be surgically reconstructed. The care of patients with a cloaca is daunting, and the spectrum of anatomic variations very wide. In this book about cloaca, the authors have brought organization to the complex, providing basic principles of care, from fetal and newborn management to the reconstruction of bowel, gynecologic systems, and urinary tracts as well as the care of patients after surgery to puberty and beyond.This is a comprehensive account of all elements of care for the cloaca patient. It includes preoperative evaluation and surgical planning, the anorectal malformation (ARM) index, surgical reconstruction, urological evaluation and long-term care. Also covered are the gynecologic evaluation and intervention, neurological implications, bowel management and the long-term management of patients with cloacal malformations. Case studies provide valuable insights into a wide range of clinical scenarios, never previously categorized so comprehensively. These studies enable the reader to understand and gain experience from detailed descriptions. Fully illustrated, in color, and with further resources available online, this is a unique resource for all clinicians within the pediatric team caring for patients with cloacal malformations.In addition, specialists across numerous fields, including colorectal surgery, urology, gynecology, and gastrointestinal motility, as well as neonatology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, anesthesia, radiology, psychology, social work, nutrition, and nursing, will find this practical clinical text and its online resources to be an invaluable when dealing with the complex needs of the cloaca patient.
The Cloak Of Aphrodite
by Grahame Kendal Kendal GrahameClassical Greece - the land of heroic legend. A time of adventure and passion: of lecherous gods, valiant men and bewitchingly gorgeous maidens. An era where sexual prowess is at least as important as physical bravery.This story follows Jason and the captivating Medea after their triumphant quest for the Golden Fleece. If Jason is to take his rightful place on the throne of Iolcus, he must first retrieve a magical cloak with fantastic aphrodisiac powers. Meanwhile, Medea has undertaken to find and bring back the world's most gifted athletes, by any means at her disposal. Kept apart beyond endurance, the lovers must vent their libidinous desires on the men, women and deities that they encounter on their perilous journeys.
Cloak of Night (Circle of Shadows #2)
by Evelyn SkyeThe stunning sequel to Circle of Shadows—from Evelyn Skye, the New York Times bestselling author of the Crown’s Game series. Perfect for fans of Renée Ahdieh, Julie Dao, and Sabaa Tahir. After the devastating Ceremony of Two Hundred Hearts, Sora, Daemon, Fairy, and Broomstick are truly alone in the fight to save their kingdom. Empress Aki is missing, and everyone else who could help them is a prisoner to Prince Gin’s mind control. At least Sora understands what they’re up against. Or so she believes, until she overhears Gin bargaining with the god of war for immortality and learns that ryuu magic may be a more insidious danger than she realized.Suddenly, the stakes are higher and even more personal for Sora—not only must she stop a seemingly indestructible Prince Gin, but she must also unravel the secrets of ryuu magic before it is too late for nearly everyone she loves. Sora Daemon, Fairy, and Broomstick face dangerous obstacles at every turn, but the greatest challenge may be discovering who they truly are and what, if anything, they are capable of. The fate of a kingdom rests in their hands.Full of dangerous action, heartbreaking romance, and incredible magic—Cloak of Night is the exciting end to this thrilling duology.
The Clock Struck Murder (Lost in Paris #2)
by Betty WebbOne woman's trash is another woman's--lost Chagall masterpiece?!?Expat Zoe Barlow has settled well into her artist's life among the Lost Generation in 1920s Paris. When a too-tipsy guest at her weekly poker game breaks Zoe's favorite clock, she's off to a Montparnasse flea market to bargain with the vendor Laurette for a replacement. What Zoe didn't bargain for was the lost Chagall painting that's been used like a rag to wrap her purchases! Eager to learn whether Laurette has more Chagalls lying about like trash, Zoe sets off to track her down at her storage shed. With no Laurette in sight, Zoe snoops around and indeed finds several additional Chagalls—and then she finds Laurette herself, dead beneath a scrap heap, her beautiful face bashed in.With Paris hosting the 1924 Summer Olympics, the police are far too busy with tourist-related crimes to devote much time to the clock seller's murder. After returning the paintings to a grateful Marc Chagall, Zoe begins her own investigation. Did the stolen paintings play any part in the brutal killing? Or was it a crime of passion? Zoe soon discovers that there were many people who had reason to resent the lovely Laurette. But who hated the girl enough to stop her clock permanently? When Zoe discovers a second murder victim, the pressure is on to find the killer before time—and luck—run out.
Clock Without Hands: A Novel (Library Of America Carson Mccullers Edition Ser. #1)
by Carson McCullersAn &“impeccable&” novel about race relations and responsibility set in the civil-rights-era South, by the author of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (The Atlantic Monthly). In a small Georgia town, pharmacist J. S. Malone, diagnosed with leukemia, is given a mere year to live—and a lifetime&’s worth of regret over years and opportunities wasted. Meanwhile, Judge Clane, still reeling from the suicide of his son, looks for meaning in the past and judgment in the present. Clane&’s grandson, Jester, seeks identity in the wake of his father&’s selfish act. And all three of them find their stories inexorably bound together as Sherman Pew, a young black man with blue eyes, looking to uncover the truth about his parentage, moves into a white neighborhood, thus upsetting the fragile balance of the town. &“One of the few first-rate novelists of our time,&” Carson McCullers deftly weaves a story of life and death, love and hate, progress and stagnation, a brilliant examination of the universal human experiences that at once bind us together and tear us apart (Kirkus Reviews).
A Clockwork Orange: Play With Music (Modern Plays Ser.)
by Anthony BurgessOne of Esquire's 50 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time “A brilliant novel.… [A] savage satire on the distortions of the single and collective minds.”—New York Times In Anthony Burgess’s influential nightmare vision of the future, where the criminals take over after dark, the story is told by the central character, Alex, a teen who talks in a fantastically inventive slang that evocatively renders his and his friends’ intense reaction against their society. Dazzling and transgressive, A Clockwork Orange is a frightening fable about good and evil and the meaning of human freedom. This edition includes the controversial last chapter not published in the first edition, and Burgess’s introduction, “A Clockwork Orange Resucked.”
Close My Eyes: A Novel
by Sophie McKenzieGone Girl meets Before I Go to Sleep in Sophie McKenzie's Close My Eyes, a riveting psychological thriller about a grieving mother who finds out years after her daughter's death that her child may still be aliveWhen Geniver Loxley lost her daughter at birth eight years ago, her world stopped… and never fully started again. Mothers with strollers still make her flinch; her love of writing has turned into a half-hearted teaching career; and she and her husband, Art, have slipped into the kind of rut that seems inescapable.But then a stranger shows up on their doorstep, telling Gen the very thing she's always wanted to hear: that her daughter Beth was not stillborn, but was taken away as a healthy infant and is still out there, somewhere, waiting to be found. It's insane, unbelievable. But why would anyone make that up? A fissure suddenly opens up in Gen's carefully reconstructed life, letting in a flood of unanswerable questions. Where is Beth now? Why is Art so reluctant to get involved? To save his wife from further hurt? Or is it something more sinister? And who can she trust to help her?Ignoring the warnings of her husband and friends, Gen begins to delve into the dark corners of her past, hopeful she'll find a clue to her daughter's whereabouts. But hope quickly turns into fear and paranoia, as she realizes that finding the answers might open the door to something even worse than not knowing. A truth that could steal everything she holds close – even her own life.
Close Range Cattleman (Fuego, New Mexico #3)
by Amber Leigh WilliamsHe's looking for love…while she looks for a murderer. Kaya Altaha is anxious to prove herself as Fuego's sheriff. So it's important to her to keep her relationship with Everett Eaton under wraps. But when four bodies are discovered on Everett's ranch, he becomes a suspect and Kaya's attraction to the charming cattle baron conflicts with her job. Now, Kaya must balance her desire for Everett with her need to solve the case.From Harlequin Romantic Suspense: Danger. Passion. Drama.Feel the excitement in these uplifting romances, part of the Fuego, New Mexico series:Book 1: Coldero Ridge CowboyBook 2: Ollero Creek ConspiracyBook 3: Close Range Cattleman
Close to Death: A Novel (A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery #5)
by Anthony HorowitzIn New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fifth literary whodunnit in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case—a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound.Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong, and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.It is the perfect idyll, until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, gaggle of shrieking children, and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and quickly offend every last one of the neighbors.When Giles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator they can call to solve the case.Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?
Close to Death: A Novel (A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery #5)
by Anthony HorowitzIn New York Times–bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fifth literary whodunit in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case—a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects aboundRiverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.It is the perfect idyll until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, a gaggle of shrieking children and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and they quickly offend every last one of their neighbours.When Giles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator that can be called on to solve the case.Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?
Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other
by Sophie Grégoire TrudeauSophie Grégoire Trudeau invites readers on a deeply personal journey toward self-knowledge, acceptance, and empowerment, drawing on the expertise of top psychologists, psychiatrists, scientists, and thought leaders.As a passionate advocate for mental health, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau believes that in order to know and accept ourselves fully, we need to understand why we think and feel the way we do, and recognize the experiences, attitudes, and patterns that may be holding us back. And yet, all of us are capable of growth and positive change, if we're willing to stay open and curious throughout our lives.In Closer Together, Sophie shares moments from her own journey: from her childhood, through her struggles with an eating disorder in her teens and early adulthood; from a career as a speaker and television host to de facto "first lady" and mother of three. Above all, Sophie is a warm and empathetic connector, and her book is enriched by exclusive interviews with experts such as Gabor Maté, Liz Plank, Terrence Real, Catherine Price, Harville Hendrix, and Helen LaKelly Hunt—to name just a few—as she delves into the science behind brain health and our unique emotional signatures. She explores the questions that matter the most for our individual and collective growth, and in how we interact with others:How does the way we were raised contribute to our sense of self?How can we better prepare ourselves to deal with big emotions?What do we need from our relationships, and what can we contribute to them?What role do physical activity and creative pursuits play in mental health?How can we let go of what doesn&’t serve us and nurture what does?Drawing on her own mindfulness and yoga practices, Sophie also offers journalling prompts and other tools that will guide readers as they explore these questions in their own lives. In creating a space for openness, playfulness, and creativity, Sophie inspires us to see that there are more things that bring us together than separate us, allowing us to stand in the light of our true potential.
Cloud Busting
by Malorie BlackmanDavey is the new boy in class and Sam can't stand him. He thinks Davey is a Grade A moron. But when the two are thrown together Sam discovers that Davey's eccentric way of looking at the world makes life a lot more fun. Until the day something terrible happens...A funny and sad story, told completely in verse.
The Cloud Garden
by Paul Winder Tom Hart DykeThe Darién Gap is a place of legend. The only break in the Pan-American highway, which runs from Alaska to the tip of South America, it is an almost impregnable strip of swamp, jungle and cloud forest between the vast landmasses of North and South America. Stories of abduction and murder there are rife and in recent years more people have successfully climbed Everest or trekked to the South Pole than have crossed the Darién Gap. In 2000, Tom Hart Dyke, a young botanist, set off to Central America with one thing on his mind: orchids. He knew that in order to find the rare and beautiful species he so fervently admired, he would have to visit some of the most inhospitable places on earth. Unbeknown to Tom, another young explorer, Paul Winder, was backpacking through the area at the same time. Though he sometimes worked freelance in the City of London, Paul was a fearless and intrepid traveller, happier scaling volcanoes than lounging on beaches. In every bar and café along his route, rumours abounded of the Darién Gap - and the more he heard, the greater became his desire to make the journey. Pure chance brought Paul and Tom together in northern Mexico; they formed an instant bond and their fate was sealed. Ignoring a final, succinct warning from the Lonely Planet guide - 'Don't even think about it!' - Tom and Paul set off into the Darién: Tom in search of orchids, Paul in search of adventure. They would find plenty of each. For six days they made good progress. Then, just hours away from Colombia, the dream ended and the horror began. Paul and Tom were ambushed by FARC guerrillas who were to hold them hostage for the next nine months. From that day on, their survival was a matter of extraordinary endurance, incredible ingenuity and not a little good luck ...
The Cloud of Dust
by Charlie BoxerThis short novella is the story of a love affair. A young man goes up to Edinburgh University. Lonely, he writes letters to his mother and to his best friend Paul. He tells them about the city, about the people he has met, the books he has read. Then one day he meets a girl, Kate. Almost from that moment he is lost. Intoxicated, agonized, his love for Kate becomes all consuming, obsessive. He believes she loves him too, but she is already committed to another, and his focus changes to an intense exploration of what love really means.Astonishing in its intensity and the beauty of its language, The Cloud of Dust has all the makings of a cult bestseller
The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works
by A. SpearingContains The Cloud of Unknowing, The Mystical Theology of Saint Denis, The Book of Privy Counselling, and An Epistle on Prayer. Against a tradition of devotional writings which focussed on knowing God through Christ's Passion and his humanity, these texts describe a transcendent God who exists beyond human knowledge and human language. These four texts are at the heart of medival mystical theology in their call for contemplation, calm, and above all, love, as the way to understand the Divine.
Cloud Security: Concepts, Applications and Perspectives (Cyber Ecosystem and Security)
by Brij B GuptaCloud computing is an indispensable part of the modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems. Cloud computing services have proven to be of significant importance, and promote quickly deployable and scalable IT solutions with reduced infrastructure costs. However, utilization of cloud also raises concerns such as security, privacy, latency, and governance, that keep it from turning into the predominant option for critical frameworks. As such, there is an urgent need to identify these concerns and to address them.Cloud Security: Concepts, Applications and Perspectives is a comprehensive work with substantial technical details for introducing the state-of-the-art research and development on various approaches for security and privacy of cloud services; novel attacks on cloud services; cloud forensics; novel defenses for cloud service attacks; and cloud security analysis. It discusses the present techniques and methodologies, and provides a wide range of examples and illustrations to effectively show the concepts, applications, and perspectives of security in cloud computing. This highly informative book will prepare readers to exercise better protection by understanding the motivation of attackers and to deal with them to mitigate the situation. In addition, it covers future research directions in the domain. This book is suitable for professionals in the field, researchers, students who are want to carry out research in the field of computer and cloud security, faculty members across universities, and software developers engaged in software development in the field.
Cloudburst (March)
by V.C. AndrewsThe followup to Family Storms, this book follows Sasha Porter, now a senior in high school, as new troubles unfold with her foster family.Since being taken in by wealthy Mrs. Jordan March and living in her exquisite home like a daughter, Sasha Porter&’s traumatic past—destitute on the streets, and the shattering accident that killed her mother—seems like a fading nightmare. Beautiful and sophisticated, as bold and daring as her &“sister,&” Kiera March, Sasha still keeps her mother&’s wise words close to her heart: never fully trust anyone. Inside her privileged new world, it&’s advice that will prove more precious than gold. Against the wishes of Jordan&’s husband, Donald, Sasha attracts the attention of Duane Banks, a shy, handsome athlete, and maneuvers her way into his heart. But Duane&’s hidden torment soon explodes in a horrific tragedy that pulls Sasha into a flood of guilt and despair. And when someone she thought she could trust targets her vulnerability, Sasha recalls her mother&’s warnings—and a violent storm of dark deceptions and shocking family secrets is unleashed. Will she sink or swim?
The Clouded Mirror
by L.T.C RoltIn these evocative and elegiac writings L. T. C. Rolt meditates on landscape, history, poetry, steam railways, vintage cars and the endless summer days of his childhood. He also recalls his many happy boating voyages on Britain's canals: the peace and tranquillity, the wildlife and people, the changing scenery as he travelled from county to county, and the role he played in preserving the waterways for future generations. Generations of inhabitants have helped shape the English countryside - but it has profoundly shaped us too.It has provoked a huge variety of responses from artists, writers, musicians and people who live and work on the land - as well as those who are travelling through it.English Journeys celebrates this long tradition with a series of twenty books on all aspects of the countryside, from stargazey pie and country churches, to man's relationship with nature and songs celebrating the patterns of the countryside (as well as ghosts and love-struck soldiers).
Cloudland Revisited: A Misspent Youth in Books and Film
by S. J. PerelmanGathered for the first time: one of America's great humorists revisits the books and movies from his youth—often with some embarrassment—in this complete, 22-piece collectionFrom October 1948 to October 1953, The New Yorker published humorist S. J. Perelman&’s &“Cloudland Revisited&” series: 22 reviews of once-popular books and silent films whose expiration dates had passed. All but forgotten even at the time, they were nonetheless part of Perelman&’s youth and made an indelible mark on him.In the comic genius&’s biting satire they live once again:Gertrude Atherton&’s sensationalist fantasy Black OxenSax Rohmer&’s supervillain blockbuster The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchuthe &“underwater&” silent film adaptation of Twenty Thousand Leagues under the SeaEdgar Rice Burrough&’s 1914 novel Tarzan of the Apesand George Barr McCutcheon&’s 1901 historical fantasy novel Graustark—the Game of Thrones of its era—which launched numerous sequels and film adaptations The complete series is collected here for the first time. With self-deprecating humor and frequent embarrassment, Perelman reflects on how rereading and rewatching brings us in contact with how we, like an old book or film, have both changed and remained the same. This paperback includes a tribute to Perelman&’s art by another beloved New Yorker writer, Adam Gopnik.
Clough: A Biography
by Tony FrancisBrian Clough is no ordinary football manager. He has walked on water at Nottingham Forest and through hellfire at one or two other clubs without once conceding an inch to anybody. Even his enemies are mesmerized. Tony Francis has talked at length to more than 200 people about Clough, including former partner Peter Taylor and his current chairman Fred Reacher. Why, despite his television attacks on his own supporters, did he remain his people's choice as England manager for so long?. What is the Trent Enders view of the man they used to worship whose behaviour gets stranger and stranger and whose bloated face turns even more purple? Why did Fred Reacher feel he has to issue him a warning? This book traces Clough's life from early Middlesbrough days and the knee injury that crippled him as a centre forward to the outspoken Hartlepeool manager who toppled the chairman, the idolized Derby manager who resigned on the eve of glory, the Leeds manager who told Revie's men they had won all their trophies by cheating and the triumphant Nottingham Forrest manager who took his team from nowhere to the peak of Europe and seemingly back down again.
Clough The Autobiography
by Brian CloughFor the last three decades Brian Clough has been the most charismatic manager in football. Funny, outrageous, sentimental, he stands out sharply from the bland men in suits. Though his talent has earned him a fortune, he remains a working-class hero. As a player he was one of the most gifted forwards of his day. He scored 251 goals in 274 League appearances - and would have scored more had a cruel injury not forced him to retire.As a manager his record was full of superlatives. He took both Derby County and then Nottingham Forest out of the doldrums of the Second Division and made them world-beaters. Tactically brilliant, Clough had an unmatched ability to motivate players. He is the best manager England never had. Behind his back, they call him Old Big 'Ead. He has never been far from controversy, and some of his rows, particularly with his long-standing managerial partner Peter Taylor, are the stuff of tabloid legend. Not so long ago he was televised running onto the pitch to wallop some unruly supporters. More recently he has taken legal advice to counter rumours about illegal ticket deals. Dull he isn't. Despite his outgoing nature, Clough has always guarded his privacy. At last he has decided to tell his full story: from terraced council house in Middlesbrough, to luxurious mansion in an exclusive suburb of Derby; from fitter to socialist millionaire. He speaks of the influence of his strong, proud mother, his courtship and marriage to his glamorous wife Barbara, his children, particularly his goal-scoring son Nigel, and his health, which has been the subject of press speculation and concern. This is an extraordinary life, told by an extraordinary man.
The Clown Service
by Guy AdamsToby Greene has been reassigned. The Department: Section 37 Station Office, Wood Green.The Boss: August Shining, an ex-Cambridge, Cold War-era spy.The Mission: Charged with protecting Great Britain and its interests from paranormal terrorism.The Threat: An old enemy has returned, and with him Operation Black Earth, a Soviet plan to create the ultimate insurgents by re-animating the dead.
The Club
by Christy O'ConnorIn 1999, the hurlers of St Joseph's Doora-Barefield won the All-Ireland club championship. That winter, they became only the second club in history to win successive Munster club titles, and the following March they became the only Munster club to reach successive All-Ireland club finals. Ten years on, St Joseph's is in a totally different place, well down the pecking order not just nationally, but in County Clare. the senior team is still spearheaded by many members of the 1999 All-Ireland winning team, who are raging at the dying of the light. At the beginning of the 2009 season, the team, club and parish were deeply wounded by two family tragedies. One of those tragedies - the sudden death of one member of the 1999 team - cut deep into the soul of the senior team. And that was not the last tragedy to strike the club ... As part of the healing process, the senior team made a pact to honour the memory of those lost by defying the odds and becoming county champions once again. A campaign fuelled by emotion and pain began promisingly, but slowly began to unravel into one of the stormiest and controversial in the club's history. The story of St Joseph's Doora-Barefield is unique; but it is also a story that anyone connected with one of the 1,700 other GAA clubs will relate to. From player infighting to player-management stand-offs, team-bonding and on-pitch battles, The Club is a chronicle of the 2009 season told with unflinching honesty by Christy O'Connor, who covers GAA for the Sunday Times and who has been the St Joseph's senior team goalkeeper for 20 years. This is a story like no other, a fly-on-the-wall tale of the effort, agony and struggles that define the journey undertaken every season by every club side. This is grass-roots GAA at its purest and rawest, a great story brilliantly told.