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Standing Fast: A Novel
by Harvey SwadosA masterful novel of political progressives making their way—and not—in an ever-changing postwar AmericaFor Marty Dworkin and his band of young Trotskyist dreamers in Buffalo, New York, the vision of a just, socialist world crumbles with the rise of Stalin and the chaos of World War II. In the two decades that follow, Dworkin and his idealistic colleagues strive to establish a new political party and battle through unexpected trials with family, work, aging, and the changing world. They run up against an increasingly conservative America and a thriving materialism directly opposed to their own fervent beliefs. They emerge humbled, but still hopeful, into the 1960s, when civil rights struggles and anti-war radicalism move to center stage. Standing Fast is a classic, panoramic portrait of life amid the shattered dreams and visionary ambitions of the American left.
Cruelty & Laughter: Forgotten Comic Literature and the Unsentimental Eighteenth Century
by Simon DickieEighteenth-century British culture is often seen as polite and sentimental—the creation of an emerging middle class. Simon Dickie disputes these assumptions in Cruelty and Laughter, a wildly enjoyable but shocking plunge into the forgotten comic literature of the age. Beneath the surface of Enlightenment civility, Dickie uncovers a rich vein of cruel humor that forces us to recognize just how slowly ordinary human sufferings became worthy of sympathy.Delving into an enormous archive of comic novels, jestbooks, farces, variety shows, and cartoons, Dickie finds a vast repository of jokes about cripples, blind men, rape, and wife-beating. Epigrams about syphilis and scurvy sit alongside one-act comedies about hunchbacks in love. He shows us that everyone—rich and poor, women as well as men—laughed along. In the process, Dickie also expands our understanding of many of the century’s major authors, including Samuel Richardson, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Tobias Smollett, Frances Burney, and Jane Austen. He devotes particular attention to Henry Fielding’s Joseph Andrews, a novel that reflects repeatedly on the limits of compassion and the ethical problems of laughter. Cruelty and Laughter is an engaging, far-reaching study of the other side of culture in eighteenth-century Britain.
The Book of Saladin: A Novel (The Islam Quintet #2)
by Tariq Ali&“Whether depicting erotically charged harem intrigue or siege warfare, The Book of Saladin is an entertaining feat of revisionist storytelling&” —The Sunday Times As victories mount and accolades are showered upon the great warrior Saladin, he is nearly deified. He conquers the infidel Franj, or Crusaders, and reclaims the holy city of Jerusalem while remaining true to his senses of honor, justice, and humor. When it comes time for Saladin to record his own story, he turns to a Jewish scribe. In the interlinking stories of The Book of Saladin, the mighty sultan deftly navigates the deep chasms separating Muslims, Christians, and Jews.
The Eighth Trumpet: The Eighth Trumpet And The Ninth Dominion (The Jared Kimberlain Novels #1)
by Jon LandA killer proves he can penetrate the world&’s finest security systems, and an undercover operative must come out of retirement before the president enters the crosshairs Twenty-five-thousand dollars a week buys an impressive security system, and America&’s billionaires have the best they can get. Round-the-clock guards, electrical fences, and bulletproof glass protect their mansions—but they&’re no longer enough. Three of the nation&’s most powerful businessmen have died in seemingly impossible ways: one electrocuted, one blown up in his sleep, and the third hacked to death in an impenetrable room. The security service chief contacts an old special-forces colleague, Jared Kimberlain, who quit the life when he lost his taste for clandestine ops. He&’s spent the last years trying to undo the wrongs he did when he lived without a conscience. Kimberlain doesn&’t care about the troubles of billionaires, but their security was as good the president&’s—and he could be next. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jon Land including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
Last Watch of the Night: Essays Too Personal and Otherwise
by Paul MonetteTender and passionate autobiographical essays by the National Book Award–winning author of Becoming a Man. &“Does it go too fast?&” Monette asks about life at the beginning of one piece. The answer is a resounding &“yes&” for the individuals who populate this stunning work of nonfiction. These ten autobiographical essays memorialize those whose lives have been claimed by AIDS. Following Becoming a Man and Borrowed Time, Last Watch of the Night is Monette&’s third and final self-portrait. In this collection, he confronts death—those of lovers and friends, and even his own eventual demise—with both bravery and compassion.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Paul Monette including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the Paul Monette papers of the UCLA Library Special Collections.
Comes the Dark Stranger (The Martin Shane Novels #1)
by Jack HigginsThe New York Times–bestselling author of The Midnight Bell delivers a searing novel of psychological suspense in which the past and present collide. Martin Shane is looking for someone to kill. He just doesn&’t know who . . . yet. Eight years earlier, Shane and five other soldiers were captured in Korea. Tortured by a sadistic Chinese colonel, they vowed to stay strong. But one of them broke, revealing all he knew in exchange for his own life. Before Shane could uncover the traitor, explosive shrapnel shredded his brain—and his memories. Then, after years in a mental institution, a fateful slip awakens Shane&’s mind. He&’s not sure what happened to him; it feels like the war happened only yesterday. The only thing he knows is that someone has to pay. Now, returning to the town where they all enlisted together, Shane is going to do whatever it takes to discover the truth and exact his revenge—even if it destroys everything he thinks he knows about the war, his brothers-in-arms . . .and himself. In this compelling and intense novel, author Jack Higgins delves into the darkness of one man&’s shattered mind and flexes his prodigious talents far beyond his legendary action thrillers and into the realm of psychological drama and suspense.
Roux the Day: A Healthy Place To Die; Eat, Drink And Be Buried; Roux The Day; And Dine And Die On The Danube Express (The Gourmet Detective Mysteries #7)
by Peter KingWhen a Crescent City culinary dynasty loses its family cookbook, the London-based detective is on the scene &“in this whimsical and entertaining mystery&” (Library Journal). For five generations, the Belvedere family restaurant has been a Louisiana landmark. Unfortunately, the Belvedere clan inherits more than a talent for cooking from each other—they also have an unfortunate tendency of becoming insane. When the latest Belvedere patriarch loses his mind, his son attempts to take over the business, only to find that the ancient family cookbook has vanished—and with it the priceless recipe for the world famous Oysters Belvedere. The Crescent City will never be the same. A bookseller claims to have found the family heirloom, and attempts to sell it at auction—a daring Creole gambit that draws the attention of London&’s famous gourmet detective. The sleuth visits the bookshop, but when he finds a corpse at the desk, he must lead a chase for the murderer and the stolen cookbook. One false step, and he&’ll end up like a crawfish at a boil: in mighty hot water.
Omit Flowers
by Stuart PalmerOn a gloomy old California estate, the Cameron heirs confront greed, madness, and murderIn the heyday of silent cinema, Cameron Heights was billed as the &“California Wonder Town.&” A sprawling development of lavish bungalows, its streets were named after film stars, its houses decorated with Hollywood finery. Fifteen years later, it&’s a ghost town, and the spirit who rules over it is more disturbing than any horror that has ever haunted the silver screen. Elderly eccentric Joel Cameron has more money than he knows what to do with, and heirs too greedy for words. One Christmas, they convene at Cameron Heights, hoping to have the old man declared mad and the inheritance divided accordingly. But when part of the house goes up in flames—taking old Joel with it—there arises the question of who set the fatal fire, and which family member will be left with nothing but ashes.
Zeroville: A Novel
by Steve EricksonThe novel that inspired the film starring James Franco and Seth Rogen: &“One of a kind . . . a funny, unnervingly surreal page turner&” (Newsweek). Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post Book World, Newsweek, and the Los Angeles Times Book Review Zeroville centers on the story of Vikar, a young architecture student so enthralled with the movies that his friends call him &“cinéautistic.&” With an intensely religious childhood behind him, and tattoos of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift on his head, he arrives in Hollywood—where he&’s mistaken for a member of the Manson family and eventually scores a job as a film editor. Vikar discovers the frames of a secret film within the reels of every movie ever made, and sets about splicing them together—a task that takes on frightening theological dimensions. Electrifying and &“darkly funny,&” Zeroville dives into the renegade American cinema of the 1970s and &’80s and emerges into an era for which we have no name (Publishers Weekly). &“Funny, disturbing, daring . . . dreamlike and sometimes nightmarish.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“Magnificent.&” —The Believer &“[A] writer who has been compared to Vladimir Nabokov, Don DeLillo, and Thomas Pynchon.&” —Bookmarks Magazine &“Erickson is as unique and vital and pure a voice as American fiction has produced.&” —Jonathan Lethem
The Crossing: A Novel
by Howard FastA novel about George Washington&’s trip across the Delaware River and the Battle of Trenton by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Spartacus. Immortalized on canvas by Emanuel Leutze, Washington&’s journey across the Delaware River is one of the most celebrated moments in American history. But the true story of the crossing, and of what came after, is often lost in the legend. In The Crossing, Howard Fast, author of The Immigrants and April Morning, writes with striking historical detail and relentless narrative drive about Washington&’s surprise attack, leading the Continental Army to its Revolutionary War victory against the one thousand Hessian mercenaries in Trenton, New Jersey—a momentous occasion in American history. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Howard Fast including rare photos from the author&’s estate.
Fourth Street East: A Novel of How It Was (The Benny Kramer Novels #3)
by Jerome WeidmanA New York Times–bestselling author&’s poignant novel of a boy&’s coming of age on Manhattan&’s Lower East Side in the 1920s. When Benny Kramer&’s father came to the United States, he was hungry, broke, and ignorant. Handed a banana and told it was &“American food,&” he scarfed it down, peel and all. By the time he died, he was no richer, but much wiser, and everything he learned he imparted to his son. Growing up on New York&’s Lower East Side between the wars, Benny&’s life was just as chaotic as his neighborhood. How many young boys have seen a man decapitated by a horse? How many know blacksmiths who got tangled up in a multiple homicide? How many win an elocution contest, only to find out it was rigged by the mob? For Benny, these are everyday events, and he remembers them with the biting wit that made Jerome Weidman one of the most beloved novelists of his day. This ebook features a foreword by Alistair Cooke.
The Third Figure (The Stephen Drake Mysteries #2)
by Collin WilcoxA mob boss is dead, and his widow wants Drake to help him rest in peaceDominic Vennezio is found on the floor of his beachside love nest, murdered on a Sunday night. It looks like an ordinary mob hit, part of a routine power struggle with the East Coast Outfit, but Vennezio&’s widow has other suspicions. Her marriage to the kingpin had been strained ever since he began taking his secretary for weekends at the beach house, but even now, she feels a devotion to him. She wants justice for her husband—not just legal, but cosmic—and for cosmic justice, San Francisco can offer no better sleuth than Stephen Drake.A crime reporter with a clairvoyant streak, Drake&’s apprehensions about working for the mob are overcome by his sympathy for the noble widow. He starts his investigation in Los Angeles, talking to Vennezio&’s replacement, and sees immediately that it doesn&’t take a psychic to figure out that this job could be deadly.
Lockestep (The John Locke Mysteries #1)
by Jack BarnaoA former British SAS agent turned Toronto bodyguard is hired by the Mounties to accompany a drug dealer to Mexico in this hard-boiled crime thriller. Professional bodyguard John Locke is in no mood to babysit Greg Amadeo, a drug dealer turncoat who wants to visit his wife in Mexico, collect some cash, and settle debts before testifying in the States, but how can Locke pass up the warm climate, lovely ladies, and a quick buck? Amadeo has a trick up his sleeve that may cause Locke to come back in a body bag if he does not use all the skills he learned in the British army&’s SAS elite corps. With an appreciation for the more civilized aspects of life, Locke finds the fishing village, Zihuatanejo, right up his alley with two of his favorite things, fine women and tasty food, but there are just too many bullets flying around for Locke&’s peace of mind . . . Praise for Lockestep&“Locke is a hero midway between Bond and Spenser: large-hearted and educated, sensitive and physically very fit. . . . The Mexican background is pleasingly vivid and Barnao delivers a thriller.&” —Publishers Weekly
Lady to Kill
by Lester DentTo get to the bottom of a business deal gone bad, Chance Molloy seeks answers from a young woman on a train—but gets more than he expectedJulie Edwards, a small-town physician&’s assistant, is headed to New York to visit her old friend Martha and make a new life for herself. On the train, she meets Chance Molloy, an intrepid, self-made airline owner who also knows Martha—or thinks he does. When Molloy shows Julie a picture of their mutual friend, she claims he&’s got the wrong girl. As Julie walks back to her car, an assassin knocks her unconscious. She&’s saved in the nick of time from being thrown off the train. While the train hurtles forward, Molloy must unlock an elaborate corporate conspiracy surrounding the imposter Martha, while safeguarding Julie and staying two steps ahead of the killers traveling with them.
A Tidewater Morning: Three Tales from Youth (Vintage International Series)
by William StyronFrom the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Sophie&’s Choice: three novellas of a young writer&’s journey to adulthood. In Love Day, twenty-year-old Paul Whitehurst is a Marine lieutenant during World War II, waiting to land on Okinawa, wrestling with anxiety and memories of his boyhood in Virginia. In Shadrach, ten-year-old Paul witnesses his neighbors as they welcome a guest: a ninety-nine-year-old former slave who has walked nine hundred miles from Alabama so that he may die on the land of his childhood owner. And in A Tidewater Morning, Paul is thirteen and struggling to deal with his mother&’s impending death from cancer. Together in one volume, each of these affecting semiautobiographical novellas from the author of such literary classics as the Pulitzer Prize–winning The Confessions of Nat Turner and the memoir Darkness Visible, weaves together the transformative experiences of Whitehurst&’s early life with William Styron&’s signature deep historical insight, underscoring how the significance of the past informs the present. As the Los Angeles Times notes, it is &“one of Styron&’s finest works. . . . The beauty and humanity of the Southern tradition are evoked vividly.&” This ebook features a new illustrated biography of William Styron, including original letters, rare photos, and never-before-seen documents from the Styron family and the Duke University Archives.
To Catch a King
by Jack HigginsFrom the New York Times–bestselling author Tom Clancy called &“the master&”: In war-torn Lisbon, a bartender and a nightclub singer are caught up in a treacherous Nazi plot. As the Nazi war machine prepares to invade England, Hitler plots to kidnap the Duke and Duchess of Windsor while they travel in Portugal, and install them as puppet monarchs under the thumb of his fascist regime. But when an American bartender and a young Jewish nightclub singer catch wind of the scheme, they set out to derail the Nazi conspiracy. As Hitler&’s henchmen close in, their thrilling rescue mission—and the surprising help it receives—will have the power to turn the tide of the Nazi progress toward European domination.
Touch the Devil (The Liam Devlin Novels #2)
by Jack HigginsThe hero of The Eagle Has Landed returns in a Cold War adventure that pits two IRA veterans against a ruthless mercenary whose only ideology is greed. Terrorist-for-hire Frank Barry has been wreaking havoc in Germany and France, with backing from the KGB. His next mission might be his deadliest, as Barry plans to steal a state-of-the-art missile and sell it to the highest bidder. Only Barry&’s longtime rivals, retired IRA gunman Liam Devlin and his ally Martin Brosnan, can prevent the missile from falling into the wrong hands. But first Devlin must stage a thrilling jailbreak to free Brosnan before the men set off on a gripping race against the clock to eliminate Barry and his reign of terror. From the New York Times–bestselling author of Rain on the Dead, Eye of the Storm, and countless other action-packed thrillers, this is an &“exciting and believable&” journey into the dangerous world of spies, assassins, and soldiers of fortune (The New York Times).
Labyrinth
by Jon LandHunting an old friend&’s killers, a professor-turned-spook unearths a conspiracy that threatens every person on Earth An American op is murdered somewhere in the dusty wastelands of southern Colombia. His final transmission: a desperate warning that whatever he had stumbled upon is worth taking seriously. It is called Tantalus, and in two weeks it will be unleashed on the world. Washington could dispatch the army, the commandos, or the CIA, but professional action will only send the men behind Tantalus under deeper cover. Instead, the State Department chooses Christopher Locke, an old friend of the deceased. Once the Academy&’s strongest agent, he&’s an unemployed professor with crushing bills, three children, and no prospects. These are problems the government can solve. All he has to do is get on a plane—and take his vengeance. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jon Land including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
Twice Told Tales: Stories (Rice Modern Masters Ser.)
by Daniel SternDaniel Stern&’s sparkling reinventions of six great literary worksTwice Told Tales is a new take on some of literature&’s greatest stories. In a bravura performance, acclaimed novelist Daniel Stern channels the particular styles and spirits of six classic pieces—even the writings of Sigmund Freud—into unexpected new settings. E. M. Forster, Henry James, and Ernest Hemingway are updated in brilliantly drawn portraits, at once affectionate and satirical. Stern&’s approach is deft and witty, yet always attentive to the timeless characters and ideas with which he works.
Tiffany Street: A Novel (The Benny Kramer Novels #2)
by Jerome WeidmanBenny Kramer returns, this time turning to one of his oldest friends to save the life of Kramer&’s sonThough his trip from New York to Philadelphia is for business, Benny Kramer has also planned a rendezvous—not with a mistress, but with one of the city&’s finest doctors. Kramer plans to enlist him in a noble purpose: keeping his son out of Vietnam. The doctor won&’t provide this service to just anyone, but he and Benny have a mutual friend in the incomparable Sebastian Roon. Benny and Seb have been friends since the Depression, when they shared countless adventures across New York&’s Lower East Side. Now Benny&’s counting on that friendship to ensure the same life of endless possibilities for his son.This ebook features a foreword by Alistair Cooke.
Exocet: And A Prayer For Dying
by Jack HigginsBased on true events surrounding the Falklands War, the New York Times–bestselling master of modern spy-craft delivers a tale of warfare in the shadows. 1982. The Falkland Islands in South America—long claimed by Great Britain—are being contested by Argentina. When Argentina makes a move to occupy the islands, war breaks out as the world holds its breath to see what happens next. Determined to stay ahead of the enemy at the onset of hostilities, British Intelligence orders beautiful agent Gabrielle Legrand to seduce a high-ranking military official in the Argentine Embassy in London. But what begins as a mission becomes genuine love—and Gabrielle will soon be forced to make a tragic choice between her heart and her country. As the war winds down with Great Britain taking the day, the Argentines make a last move for victory. They have made an agreement with international arms broker Felix Donner for a delivery of deadly French-made Exocet missiles that would turn the tide of battle with devastating effect. It&’s up to Gabrielle to stop the exchange. But Donner is much worse than an arms dealer. And if his true motives are realized, the Falklands War will be the lit fuse on a major global conflagration. Hailed by Tom Clancy as &“the master,&” Jack Higgins has thrilled millions with his brilliant works, including the worldwide phenomenon The Eagle Has Landed, which was made into a blockbuster film, and such recent bestsellers as Rain on the Dead and The Midnight Bell.
Anthem: Large Print
by Ayn RandIn this philosophical novel, the celebrated author of Atlas Shrugged presents a searing portrait of a dystopian future in which all ego has been erased. In a world where science and learning are banned and the simple utterance of the Unspeakable Word, I, is punishable by death, a man named Equality 7-2521 struggles with his unquenchable desire to investigate, to think, to know. His instincts are a &“curse&” that threatens to bring him to the attention of a government dedicated to the elimination of the self. But Equality 7-2521 cannot ignore his true nature, just as he cannot ignore the fruits of his curiosity: the discovery of the mysterious &“power of the sky.&” His great awakening—in heart, mind, and soul—represents the inevitable triumph of the individual over the collective. A riveting, thought-provoking parable based on the author&’s experience of life in a socialist state, Anthem serves as an invaluable introduction to Ayn Rand, her fiction, and her philosophy.
A Place with Promise: A Novel
by Edward SwiftThe magical multigenerational saga of an unforgettable Texas familyAt the turn of the twentieth century, Isaac Overstreet goes looking for a bride and finds Elizabeth &“Bessie&” Treadway standing in the middle of the Sabine River. Leaving her sisters without explanation, carrying her three pet cranes, Bessie slips into Isaac&’s boat and returns with him to Camp Ruby—a tiny backwoods East Texas community too humble to be called a real town.In Isaac&’s broken-down shack, they start a family together. First come the twin daughters, the Ruby-Jewels, followed by Zeda Earl, always sour and dissatisfied with the life she has been born into.For all of Zeda Earl&’s ennui, there is magic on the shores of the Sabine, where angels fish and the seriously deranged sometimes bring about miracles. For the Overstreets and their eccentric friends and neighbors, every day in Camp Ruby holds new wonder—until the simple ways they have come to rely on are threatened by a dangerous unwanted interloper called progress.Edward Swift, the acclaimed author of Splendora and Principia Martindale, brings us a fable for our time—a wondrous tale of family and community, rich in color and imagination and suffused with everyday magic.
Confessional (The Liam Devlin Novels #3)
by Jack HigginsNew York Times Bestseller: A rogue terrorist in Northern Ireland prepares to assassinate the pope in this thriller from the author of Rain on the Dead. Trained by the KGB, the assassin known as Cuchulain has been wreaking havoc throughout Northern Ireland for over two decades, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Now he has set his sights on his most audacious target yet: the pope. Desperate to stop the terrorist, British Intelligence enlists an enemy Irish gunman, Liam Devlin, to accomplish what it never could. He must put an end to Cuchulain&’s reign of terror, once and for all.
Nelson: The Essential Hero
by Ernle BradfordA gripping biography of Admiral Nelson, Napoleonic War hero and one of Britain&’s greatest naval tacticians. In the Battle of Trafalgar, Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson sent the signal from his flagship HMS Victory, &“England expects that every man will do his duty.&” His defeat of the French that day in 1805 was a decisive turning point in the Napoleonic Wars, establishing British control of the seas. His death in that heroic battle gave those words immortal significance. For his bravery in battle and brilliance as a naval tactician, Admiral Nelson remains one of Britain&’s most inspiring heroes. In this nuanced and lively biography, Ernle Bradford presents the man behind the legend. From his youthful days in the Royal Navy to his famous battles and scandalous personal life, Horatio Nelson is shown here in all his human complexity. &“This skillful portrait . . . combines accessible naval history with a psychological examination of heroism.&” —Kirkus Reviews