New from 'a gifted writer' (VICTORIA THOMPSON) who brings mystery to 17th-century France. As the Four Musketeers race to save Porthos's servant from the gallows, they run afoul of Cardinal Richelieu, who is investigating a far more serious matter – a plot against the life of the king. Views: 52
On a late September day in 480 B.C., Greek warships faced an invading Persian armada in the narrow Salamis Straits in the most important naval battle of the ancient world. Overwhelmingly outnumbered by the enemy, the Greeks triumphed through a combination of strategy and deception. More than two millennia after it occurred, the clash between the Greeks and Persians at Salamis remains one of the most tactically brilliant battles ever fought. The Greek victory changed the course of western history -- halting the advance of the Persian Empire and setting the stage for the Golden Age of Athens. In this dramatic new narrative account, historian and classicist Barry Strauss brings this landmark battle to life. He introduces us to the unforgettable characters whose decisions altered history: Themistocles, Athens' great leader (and admiral of its fleet), who devised the ingenious strategy that effectively destroyed the Persian navy in one day; Xerxes, the Persian king who fought bravely but who ultimately did not understand the sea; Aeschylus, the playwright who served in the battle and later wrote about it; and Artemisia, the only woman commander known from antiquity, who turned defeat into personal triumph. Filled with the sights, sounds, and scent of battle, The Battle of Salamis is a stirring work of history.From Publishers WeeklyThis engaging and informative account of the 480 B. C. showdown between Greece and Persia relies on the conflict’s foremost ancient chronicler, Herodotus, whom Strauss deems an "excellent historian" and "mainly reliable." While gently correcting some of Herodotus’s claims, military historian Strauss (Athens After the Peloponnesian War) stays faithful to his trademark blend of sensationalism and skepticism. He regales readers with lurid Herodotian anecdotes about oracles and omens, vengeful eunuchs and labyrinthine double crosses among the fractious Greeks, and paints colorful portraits of the cruel and impious Xerxes, the admiral-queen Artemisia of Halicarnassus ("combines the cunning of Athena and the seductiveness of Aphrodite") and the Athenian leader Themistocles, whose blend of military genius, charisma and manipulativeness obliterated the line between statesmanship and treason. Also in keeping with the spirit of Greek sources, Strauss celebrates their victory as a triumph of democracy and nationalism over a polyglot despotism, of the common Greek rower over the Persian aristocrat. At the same time, Strauss draws on other contemporary accounts as well as on modern scholarship to detail the Persian campaign in Greece and flesh out a picture of society and warfare in the ancient world, illuminating such topics as Persian court protocol, the prayers of Corinthian temple prostitutes and the proper method of ramming an enemy trireme. His combination of erudite scholarship, well-paced storytelling and vivid color commentary make this an appealing popular history for the general reader.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From School Library JournalAdult/High School - This account of one of history's most famous battles has a fresh, invigorating tone. In 480 B.C., Xerxes, king of the Persian Empire, took a huge army and navy to invade Greece. Ten years earlier, his father's invasion to punish Greece for aiding Persia's rebelling subject states had failed. This time, Xerxes intended to get it right. Herodotus, Aeschylus, and Plutarch are the author's main sources, but he enriches the telling with details obtained from archaeological digs. Sights, sounds, and smells are evocatively described, whether Strauss is showing how the rowers powered their triremes or speculating about the dress of the participants at Xerxes's council. Although the improbable Greek victory is well known, the tension builds as Themistocles's traps are carefully sprung. Strauss is respectful toward his sources, but he corrects probable errors and exaggerations. Despite the huge number of known participants, he focuses on the most significant, so that readers aren't swamped by a recitation of names. When unfamiliar places are mentioned, he gives the modern names as well. In addition to being an engrossing story of an improbable battle, this book is an excellent, compact study of daily life in the fifth century. A timetable and photographs of Salamis and archaeological artifacts are included. - Kathy Tewell, Chantilly Regional Library, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Views: 52
Danger checks in at a summer resort...Summer is starting off swimmingly for Frank, Joe, and Chet as they land jobs at the Konowa Lake Inn, a scenic resort in the mountains of North Carolina. But sure enough, trouble finds its way to the inn—and Joe and Frank are determined to find out why. A series of mysterious break-ins points to a local recluse and his two fierce-looking dogs. But as Frank and Joe investigate, it seems that almost everyone at the resort has something to hide.The more the boys dig for answers, they more they realize that this case isn't as simple as it seems. The strange incidents are somehow connected to the four brothers, a unique group of giant gemstones recently stolen from a museum. Joe and Frank have to survive vicious dog attacks, an angry nest of white-faced hornets, and drowning attempts in Konowa Lake before they can solve this multimillion-dollar case. Views: 52
Illinois, 1866. When 17 year old Francis Smalling’s elder sister is gruesomely murdered before his eyes, he joins the Pinkerton Detective Agency to find the killer. But Francis is no normal teenager, he has dabbled in the new sciences for years, and uses his skill, intelligence and guile to bring the man to justice. His quest will shape his life, and perhaps change the world. Views: 52
Finnley Felton sells sex. Jennifer Downs is a virgin. With the help of lady luck, the two meet. Jennifer is made an offer: sell her virginity to the highest bidder and transform into one of Finnley's girls. But she finds herself weak for him, and doesn't fully realize what she's agreed to until it's too late. Weak for him is a New Adult read with sexual content Views: 52
Lissa's world has just turned upside down. Her father has been in jail and is coming home for Christmas. She can't bear the way her mother and sister are so happy and making welcome plans. After all, he was the one who let them all down and spoilt her life, wasn't he? Before he went to jail, they had a nice house, she had trendy clothes and pretty much anything that she wanted, but now she is taunted by her classmates. Life only gets better when new girl Diane arrives at school. Diane sympathises with Lissa and doesn't make fun of her dad. But Lissa doesn't realise that Diane is manipulative. And she doesn't realise either how much her dad loves her. It is only when a combination of events come together that she has to face facts about who and what are really important to her. Views: 52
Shazam! Who better to safeguard a man's heart than a hero? Mr. Fantastic may be out there on a wing and a prayer, playing a Longshot, but a handsome He-Man has the power, courage, and derring-do to see his quest for true love through to the happy ending. For romance of superhero proportions, check out these Men of Steel. Stories included are:A Raven's Ruse by Eon de BeaumontAdministrative Leave by Ryan LovelessCollision Vector by Liam GreyBehind the Mask by Jeanette GreyMeant to Fly by B. G. ThomasThat Which Doesn't Kill You by Pearl LoveAct One by Kim FieldingBulldog and Smash by David ConnorRight Hand Man by Elinor GrayFirst Timers by Michael G. CorneliusPrototype by Claire Russett Views: 52
LIMITED TENUREThe treacherous new world of post-nuclear America guarantees no inalienable rights -- no promises of freedom, liberty or justice for all. Instead, chaos and blood lust thrive -- but so do the innate strengths of the human spirit, and the virtues of honor and courage. Ryan Cawdor has endured the worst that Deathlands has to offer and continues to push on, leading his companions through a land of madness and treachery, seizing each new day with a deep, primal hope that refuses to die....SURVIVAL OF THE FITTESTRyan's razor-sharp edge has been dulled by the loss of his son, Dean -- but grief is an emotion he cannon indulge if the band is to escape the chains of sadistic Baron Ethan. His thriving ville offers a special commodity: blood sport. Now with the group's armorer, JB Dix, imprisoned and near death, Ryan and the others are forced to join Ethan's hunt -- as the hunted. But the perverse and powerful baron has changed the rules. Skilled in mind control, he ensures the warriors will not be tracked by high-paying thrill seekers. Instead, they will hunt each other -- tot he death.In the Deathlands, the odds of survival just got worse.... Views: 52
Miss Pippa Kipling and her automaton companion, the Porter, exterminate pests of the supernatural variety. What should be a typical job in your average haunted cavern soon derails in an inconveniently undead fashion. Even with the aid of her gadget collection and the Porter's prowess, this task may prove fatal for Miss Kipling—or worse, rip her petticoat.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. Views: 52
