The village of Kibworth in Leicestershire lies at the very centre of England. It has a church, some pubs, the Grand Union Canal, a First World War Memorial - and many centuries of recorded history. In the thirteenth century the village was bought by William de Merton, who later founded Merton College, Oxford, with the result that documents covering 750 years of village history are lodged at the college.Building on this unique archive, and enlisting the help of the current inhabitants of Kibworth, with a village-wide archeological dig, with the first complete DNA profile of an English village and with use of local materials like family memorabilia, Michael Wood tells the extraordinary story of one English community over fifteen centuries, from the moment that the Roman Emperor Honorius sent his famous letter in 410 advising the English to look to their own defences to the village as it is today.The story of Kibworth is the story of England itself, a 'Who Do You Think You... Views: 25
Ancient Egyptian gods have defeated other gods (including Jehovah, Allah, Odin and Zeus), and now specific dieties control various earthly power blocs in Lovegrove's thought-provoking futuristic adventure. The gods gain strength from their followers' worship, so each nation lives according to its god's demands, up to and including warring with other countries. When British Lt. David Westwynter leads his paratroopers into a desert reconnaissance mission, arming them with god-powered light weapons, medieval flails and ancient maces, they encounter mummies and annihilating duel-cell fusion bombs. In Freegypt, the only country not controlled by religion and a specific deity, David meets the enigmatic masked Lightbringer, who challenges the gods for control of the earth. Lovegrove (Provender Gleed) deftly weaves social commentary on religion, family, love and war into the contest between theocracy and humanism. Views: 25
Featuring twenty of the year's standout crime short stories handpicked by one of the world's best thriller writers, Best American Mystery Stories 2010 showcases not only the very best of the crime genre, but the best of American writing full stop. Within its pages, literary legends rub shoulders with the hottest new talent. Contributors in the past have included James Lee Burke, Jeffrey Deaver, Michael Connelly, Alice Munro and Joyce Carol Oates. This year's guest editor is Lee Child, the creator of Jack Reacher and a simultaneous bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic. Views: 25
The world is at war...the city is dying...and those left for dead within its walls have awakened...A terrorist attack on the water supply has left the city quarantined by the army and inhabited by the City People, the mindless living dead who rule the urban night. Jett Dormer works for the government. During the day he and his partner Vince drive a wrecker, collecting abandoned cars from the city's dying core, scrap metal to feed the nation's raging war machine. They finish their work before nightfall and return to home base outside the city and then to their wives and families. Until the day Jett and Vince are overrun by a horde of City People, and only Jett makes it out.Plagued by nightmares and wracked with guilt for having left his best friend behind, Jett returns to work, hoping to provide for his family. But his new partner, a wounded veteran known only as the Kid, won't let Jett forget what happened to Vince. And he won't let Jett forget that Vince might not be... Views: 25
Who's will shall be bent for the conquering and who will be left wanting more? Lord Sheridan is left for dead on the battlefield; his men have all perished and he remains, wounded and unable to seek refuge. He glimpses what can only be an angel sent to bring him to heaven, although he knows he is destined for hell. Marial searches the battlefield for survivors but finds only one, Lord Sheridan, badly wounded and on the brink of unconsciousness. Struggling to bring him back to her cottage, she discovers her want, need, for a man’s touch. Conen Sheridan exposes himself to her for what he truly is, a beast; but one night in passion leaves Marial wanting more. With lust lingering in the cottage, it is only natural that one submits to the other; however, who’s will shall be bent for conquering and who will be left wanting more? Views: 25
One hundred years ago, Rudyard Kipling wrote the internationally acclaimed Just So Stories. When Kipling wrote his story of the rhinoceros with the itchy skin, rhino numbers stood at around 65,000. Today, fewer than 3,000 black rhinos survive. The same tragic story goes for too many other animals. Now a glittering array of international authors have gathered together to contribute exclusive and original new stories inspired by Kipling's original volume, and focussing on the animals which we need to protect today. Profits from the book will go to WildAid. William Boyd, Raffaella Barker, Nirmal Ghosh, Romesh Gunesekera, Witi Ihimaera, Radhika Jha, Hanif Kureishi, Antonia Michaelis, Michael Morpurgo, Jin Pyn Lee, Lauren St John, Kate Thompson, Nury Vittachi, Polly Samson, Louisa Young and Angela Young. Views: 25
Captured by her enemies, married to a foreigner, and a mother at age sixteen, Sacajawea lived a life of turmoil and change. Then, in 1804, the mysterious young Shoshone woman met Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Acting as interpreter, peacemaker, and guide, Sacajawea bravely embarked on an epic journey that altered history forever. Hear her extraordinary story, in the voices of Sacajawea and William Clark in alternating chapters, with selections from Clark's original diaries. Includes a map of Lewis and Clark's trail and an author's note. Views: 25
