The death of the Roman Empire is one of the perennial mysteries of world history. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Peter Heather proposes a stunning new solution: Centuries of imperialism turned the neighbors Rome called barbarians into an enemy capable of dismantling an Empire that had dominated their lives for so long. A leading authority on the late Roman Empire and on the barbarians, Heather relates the extraordinary story of how Europe's barbarians, transformed by centuries of contact with Rome on every possible level, eventually pulled the empire apart. He shows first how the Huns overturned the existing strategic balance of power on Rome's European frontiers, to force the Goths and others to seek refuge inside the Empire. This prompted two generations of struggle, during which new barbarian coalitions, formed in response to Roman hostility, brought the Roman west to its knees. The Goths first destroyed a Roman army at the battle of Hadrianople in 378, and went on to sack Rome in 410. The Vandals spread devastation in Gaul and Spain, before conquering North Africa, the breadbasket of the Western Empire, in 439. We then meet Attila the Hun, whose reign of terror swept from Constantinople to Paris, but whose death in 453 ironically precipitated a final desperate phase of Roman collapse, culminating in the Vandals' defeat of the massive Byzantine Armada: the west's last chance for survival.Peter Heather convincingly argues that the Roman Empire was not on the brink of social or moral collapse. What brought it to an end were the barbarians. Views: 31
P.I. Damon Marlowe always found his man -- or, in this case, his woman. Tracking down Darcy Nolan at his client's request was a piece of cake for the ex-cop. But there was something about this assignment that didn't sit right with him. When the attractive blonde was attacked, put into danger by his unwitting exposure, Marlowe told himself he had no choice but to flush out her would-be killer. After all, he had compromised the cover of a protected witness to a crime. But was it the guilt that drove him...or a deeper emotion he'd long since buried? Try as he might, Darcy roused feelings he'd rather deny. But for Marlowe, the motive didn't matter. The killer was making his move, and now Darcy was his to protect.... Views: 31
Who can resist a suave British bachelor who sweeps you off your feet? Or a marriage of convenience that seems to solve all your problems...and can lead to true passion? Get both these timeless romance themes in the British Bachelors & Conveniently Bedded Bundle!Bundle contains Sweet Surrender with the Millionaire by Helen Brooks; Secretary By Day, Mistress by Night by Maggie Cox; To Love, Honor and Disobey by Natalie Anderson and Wedding Night with a Stranger by Anna Cleary. Views: 31
PALINDROME: Trilogy - Book One It’s a hot summer night on Long Island. The Suds Shack is packed—lots of kids partying at a bar. In the crowd is a girl who is different from anyone else. A guy on the prowl—plop goes a pill into her drink. Her world spins out of control. He thought he had her; now he’s dead, and she’s coming for his accomplice. They picked the wrong girl to mess with. Views: 31
Corrie Browne is an ordinary girl with extraordinary ambitions. Determined to find the father she has never known, her search takes her from the quiet Suffolk village where she lives, to a new life in London, a fastpace television career - and to three people who come to dominate her life. Luke, charismatic, blond and charming, is the only one to make Corrie feel welcome at TW TV and the only one to recognise her talent. Cristoff, an internationally famous film director, is the man who teaches her everything he knows about sex and passion. And Annelise is her boss and friend - a woman about whom Corrie knows a secret that must never be revealed. Three colleagues - all of whom are to play an important role in Corrie's search for love and success. One of whom intends Corrie's ultimate destruction. Views: 31
As flames devoured David Coyne’s family home in Stony Point, Maine, Annie Dawson slept soundly, catching up on a much needed break from the tiring and seemingly endless chore of cleaning out the contents of the attic in Grey Gables, the family house she had inherited from her grandmother. It was a daunting task that tested her patience. But the next morning when she opened a box marked “For yard sale” and found a vintage, clown-shaped cookie jar stuffed with a large piece of embroidered linen, her curiosity was piqued. This is something to show the girls in the Hook and Needle Club, she thought as she pondered the strange design and meticulous handiwork. When Annie shows it to Mary Beth, the proprietor of the local needlecraft shop, little do they realize the connection between the terrible house fire and the vintage piece of embroidery stuffed into the ceramic cookie jar. Little did she or Mary Beth know how there might be a connection between the terrible house fire and the vintage piece of embroidery stuffed into a cookie jar in Annie’s attic. The friends in the Hook and Needle Club believe it is a stitched map of the coastline. As they help Annie track down the provenance of the piece, they uncover a swath of Stony Point history that has been long buried. And as with all secrets, these discoveries can uncover stories about activities that some Stony Point citizens would prefer not be revealed. Danger seems to stalk Annie as she helps the Coyne family settle into temporary quarters. Could the strange embroidered map have something to do with it? Views: 31
Art the part-time spy is at it again, and this time he's got birds on the brain.Mr Snippet's Crested Featherfoot Fantail is missing. It's his best bird and unless it's found, his wedding birds-for-hire service might go out of business.Art loves to be faced with a problem and he sets out to catch the thief, with help from his friend India (when she's not collecting dog droppings for her science experiment) and, as usual, no help from Mars Bar! Views: 31
