When they were too impoverished to raise their families, ancient Sumerians sold their children into bondage. Slave women in Rome faced never-ending household drudgery. The ninth-century Zanj were transported from East Africa to work the salt marshes of Iraq. Cotton pickers worked under terrible duress in the American South.Ancient history? Tragically, no. In our time, slavery wears many faces. James Kofi Annan's parents in Ghana sold him because they could not feed him. Beatrice Fernando had to work almost around the clock in Lebanon. Julia Gabriel was trafficked from Arizona to the cucumber fields of South Carolina.Five Thousand Years of Slavery provides the suspense and emotional engagement of a great novel. It is an excellent resource with its comprehensive historical narrative, firsthand accounts, maps, archival photos, paintings and posters, an index, and suggestions for further reading. Much more than a reference work, it is a brilliant exploration... Views: 51
Who was Alexander? Myth or man? God or devil? He claimed to be Zeus' son and even in his own lifetime wild legends sprang up about him. Above all, Alexander was a hero – brave, wily, handsome and inspiring. This part-illustrated biography skilfully interweaves accounts of Alexander's battle campaigns with legends from each newly conquered country. From Greece and Egypt to Persia and India, the stories of the great mythical heroes Achilles, Gilgamesh, and many others echo Alexander's own charmed life. Views: 51
Creativity is something like magic. One form might feed the other, providing inspiration, sparking ideas, fueling the creative juices. For the authors contained within this unique anthology, the source of inspiration was the music of Bruce Springsteen. Themes, lines, song titles . . . whatever it took to draw these stories into life. So many of Springsteen's songs bring you close to the edge of a darkness where uncertainty reigns - a darkness not just on the edge of town but of our hearts and minds . . . the darkness between child and adulthood, perhaps; or between courage and fear; marriage and divorce; even confidence and self-doubt. These nineteen authors nudge us closer to an answer . . . and let us see what really is stirring out there in the shadows. From "Nothing Forgiven" by Lee Thomas (Inspired by "Something In the Night") Long ago, you made a promise, swore you'd never return to this place. Now though, with your promise broken and the past's topography rising, they return, joining you in the car like phantom passengers. From "Fire" by Elizabeth Massie (Inspired by "I'm On Fire") Mac put his hand on the wall, willing her to feel his love through the plaster. "Lisa, let me help you." "You? You're kidding, right? How can you help?" Mac was taken aback. She saw him as only the cripple next door, the young man who had nothing to offer but pasta, pie, and a friendly word through the wall. From "Atonement" by Gary A. Braunbeck (Inspired by "My Father's House") Don't tell me you've forgotten? Yes, that's right. Thirty years ago tonight, my father buried us under the floorboards in my bedroom after he came home early from work and caught us in my bed. From "Kneeling in the Darkness" by Lorne Dixon (Inspired by "Point Blank") "Listen." Riddle said, his grip steadying Teddy's hand. A hundred invisible blades punctured his flesh at as many angles, bullets tore chunks of flesh out of his body, he felt himself crushed by stone, suffocated by linen, beaten until his skeleton was nothing but an assembly of shards. "Listen to her." From "The Hungry Heart" by Michael A. Arnzen (Inspired by "Hungry Heart") A recurring snore. A blasted monitor bleep. A terrible spoon pinging porcelain. It was an orchestra conducted by some subsonic sadist intent on keeping him awake. He clutched the heart-shaped pillow against his chest. It was still beating. From "Die Angle" by Lawrence C. Connolly (Inspired by "Murder, Incorporated") Nick took an envelope from the desk. "Call me as soon as you finish." He passed the envelope to Johnny. "I need to know the moment he's dead." From "From the Dark Heart of a Dream" by Tom Piccirilli (Inspired by "Adam Raised a Cain") My father's ghost might be standing in the darkness, watching, evaluating, judging. I bond with a man thirty-five years embalmed. It does things to a person. From "Independence Day" by Sarah Langan (Inspired by "Independence Day" and "The Rising') The doctor has a Cyclops-like eye in the center of his face. It lights up white, and then red. The doctor is a five-foot wide metal box in the curved corner of the room. It's attached to the needles, and her, by worn plastic tubes that over time have turned pink from other peoples' blood. From "Ain't No Angel Gonna Greet Me" by Guy Adams (Inspired by "Maria's Bed") Sitting on the back seat I scrubbed at each foot in turn before pulling on the dead man's socks and boots; a size or so too big, but nothing I couldn't walk in. Finally I popped his snake-eyes cufflinks in place, pulled on the jacket. I closed the trunk lid and got back behind the wheel. I would take the last step of the journey in my dead-man's clothes. From "With These Hands" by Kurt Dinan (Inspired by "Factory" and "Two Faces") When he died three weeks later, I inherited his house, his car, and his bills. Then, like every other son in town eventually does, I took my father's place on the line, my hands continuing his work as if they'd never taken a break. From "Wings For Wheels" by John Palisano (Inspired by "Thunder Road") The Angels pulled up alongside the Chevy on Mary's side. She saw Tommy behind the wheel. He turned to look at her. Mary wanted to duck down, but was so scared she couldn't move. "What are they, Johnny?" Nothing Forgiven........................................................Lee Thomas (Inspired by "Something In the Night") Fire.........................................................................Elizabeth Massie (Inspired by "I'm On Fire") Atonement................................................................Gary A. Braunbeck (Inspired by "My Father's House") Kneeling In the Darkness.............................................Lorne Dixon (Inspired by "Point Blank") The Hungry Heart......................................................Michael A. Arnzen (Inspired by "Hungry Heart") Die Angle..................................................................Lawrence C. Connolly (Inspired by "Murder, Inc.") From the Dark Heart of a Dream....................................Tom Piccirilli (Inspired by "Adam Raised a Cain") Independence Day.........................................................Sarah Langan (Inspired by "The Rising" and "Independence Day") Ain't No Angel Gonna Greet Me......................................Guy Adams (Inspired by "Maria's Bed") With These Hands........................................................Kurt Dinan (Inspired by "Factory" and "Two Faces") Wings for Wheels..........................................................John Palisano (Inspired by "Thunder Road") Across the Border..........................................................Peter Abrahams (Inspired by "Across the Border") The Room...................................................................Jeffrey Thomas (Inspired by "Candy's Room") Fog Boy........................................................................T.M. Wright (Inspired by "My Father's House") Darkness on the Edge of Town...........................................James A. Moore (Inspired by "Darkness on the Edge of Town") Lightning Can't Catch Me................................................Gerard Houarner (Inspired by "State Trooper") In Winter......................................................................Nancy Kilpatrick (Inspired by "Streets of Philadelphia") Armageddon, Now Available in High Definition.....................Nate Southard (Inspired by "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)") Devil's Arcade................................................................Mark Newton (Inspired by "Devil's Arcade") Views: 51
Return to the world of the Black Jewels with New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Anne Bishop's "darkly fascinating"* (SF Site) Black Jewel novels have enthralled readers and critics alike with their mixture of fantasy, intrigue, and romance. Now in Twilight's Dawn , Bishop returns to the Blood realm with four all-new captivating novellas. Views: 51
Isabelle Smith isn't surprised—or insulted—that her new boss, Texas tycoon Tony Ryder, doesn't remember her. Their night of passion was so long ago.... And when he takes over her company, she vows to stay only as long as he never uncovers the truth.But then he does.The man who always gets his way makes her an offer she can't refuse. Still, Isabelle won't mix business and pleasure without a wedding ring—and Tony isn't a marrying man. Which means they're both in for the most passionate negotiation of their lives! Views: 51
A faerie prince disappears in the borderlands, and his father enlists the help of outcast Eilidh and her bonded druid, Quinton Munro. Tantalised with hints of a lost and ancient magic, they learn that time is working against them every step of the way. Is the prince’s disappearance related to the vanishing of an entire Scottish village?
Faced with deception, assassination attempts, and a mad queen who would sacrifice her own child to keep a dreaded secret, Eilidh struggles with an impossible situation. Her people demand she commit treason and betray the man she loves. Will she do what duty requires, or throw away the chance to reunite the kingdom in exchange for the life she hadn't dared hope for? Views: 51
Everything that's legal on two wheels—and some things that aren'tThe essential A-Z compendium of everything there is to know about the bicycle, this sports reference is full of amazing facts and enthralling anecdotes. A world of death-defying feats and obscure mechanical oddities, the nature of cycling is both heroic and geeky, and the perils of vicious dogs are given the same attention as the perils of drug and sex scandals. From the history of the Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's fabled career to the origins of the quick-release system and Chris Hoy's dominance of the Beijing Velodrome, no element is omitted from this exploration of the bicycle and its faithful riders. Cyclopedia has all the equipment, the races, and the faces needed to convert any amateur cyclist into a fully fledged bike expert. Views: 51
