The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Atlantic delivers his first book about America: a fascinating look at the men whose efforts and achievements helped unify the States and create one cohesive nation
"History is rarely as charming and entertaining as when it's told by Simon Winchester."-New York Times Book Review
For more than two centuries, E pluribus unum-Out of many, one-has been featured on America's official government seals and stamped on its currency. But how did America become "one nation, indivisible"? What unified a growing number of disparate states into the modern country we recognize today? In this monumental history, Simon Winchester addresses these questions, bringing together the breathtaking achievements that helped forge and unify America and the pioneers who have toiled fearlessly to discover, connect, and bond the citizens and geography of the U.S.A. from its beginnings.
Winchester follows in the footsteps of America's most essential explorers, thinkers, and innovators, including Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery Expedition to the Pacific Coast, the builders of the first transcontinental telegraph, and the powerful civil engineer behind the Interstate Highway System. He treks vast swaths of territory, from Pittsburgh to Portland; Rochester to San Francisco; Truckee to Laramie; Seattle to Anchorage, introducing these fascinating men and others-some familiar, some forgotten, some hardly known-who played a pivotal role in creating today's United States. Throughout, he ponders whether the historic work of uniting the States has succeeded, and to what degree.
Featuring 32 illustrations throughout the text, The Men Who United the States is a fresh, lively, and erudite look at the way in which the most powerful nation on earth came together, from one of our most entertaining, probing, and insightful observers. Views: 949
They called it the Thorn Hill Massacre—the brutal attack on a once-thriving Weir community. Though Jonah Kinlock lived through it, he did not emerge unscathed: like the other survivors, Jonah possesses unique magical gifts that set him apart from members of the mainline guilds. At seventeen, Jonah has become the deadliest assassin in Nightshade, a global network that hunts the undead. He is being groomed to succeed Gabriel Mandrake, the sorcerer, philanthropist, and ruthless music promoter who established the Thorn Hill Foundation, the public face of Nightshade. More and more, Jonah’s at odds with Gabriel’s tactics and choice of targets. Desperate to help his dying brother Kenzie, Jonah opens doors that Gabriel prefers to keep closed.
Emma Claire Greenwood grew up worlds away, raised by a grandfather who taught her music rather than magic. An unschooled wild child, she runs the streets until the night she finds her grandfather dying, gripping a note warning Emma that she might be in danger. The clue he leaves behind leads Emma into Jonah’s life—and a shared legacy of secrets and lingering questions.
Was Thorn Hill really a peaceful commune? Or was it, as the Wizard Guild claims, a hotbed of underguild terrorists? The Wizards’ suspicions grow when members of the mainline guilds start turning up dead. They blame Madison Moss and the Interguild Council, threatening the fragile peace brokered at Trinity.
Racing against time, Jonah and Emma work to uncover the truth about Thorn Hill, amid growing suspicion that whoever planned the Thorn Hill Massacre might strike again. Views: 949
Claire Kincaid would love to be normal. But as a descendant of Marie Laveau, the most powerful voodoo queen in history, that’s just not possible. Even worse, Claire’s lack of interest in the craft makes her an outsider in her community, putting her secret romance with the voodoo Guild leader’s son at odds. But when mysterious strangers start requesting black market items from local voodoo shops, including the one her family owns, Claire decides to investigate. With the help of some unlikely allies and her gorgeous boyfriend, Claire must uncover the dark truths her family has kept hidden from her and unravel a dangerous plot that threatens to destroy every member of the Guild, including her family and the boy she loves. Views: 949
On the planet Os-Veruh, the native Veniche have endured a decade under the oppressive rule of a race of invaders. When Georgianna Lennox, a Veniche medic, discovers her childhood friend has been sold into slavery, her struggle to save one life ignites a battle to liberate her homeworld. Is she about to discover that it is better to be dead than 'buryd'?“You are an inmate, not a medic. You should get used to that.”On the planet Os-Veruh, the native Veniche have endured a decade under the oppressive rule of a race of invaders, the Adveni.When Georgianna Lennox, a Veniche medic, discovers her childhood friend has been sold into slavery, she seeks help from a revolutionary outlaw group.As Georgianna’s struggle to save one life ignites a battle to liberate her homeworld, is she about to discover that it is better to be dead than ‘buryd’?Dead and Buryd is the first book in the Out of Orbit series. Views: 948
A man and his wife that suffers from bipolar disorder go into the city to spend the weekend and end up having an adventure they will never forget.Flash Fiction, 500 words. This story is about a purse snatcher who picked on the wrong lady too often. The media and police almost treat her as badly as the thief. In the end, she finds her own solution. I hope you enjoy it. Views: 947
Riley St. Claire has always followed her own rules. When she discovers her current employer is not as law abiding as she thought, she has to leave town in a hurry or end up buried with the dead guy she discovered. What she doesn't expect is to find herself being picked up by a passing trader from another world.
As the ruling King of Sarafin, Vox d’Rojah, was expected to produce a son who would be joined in marriage with the first born daughter of the King of Valdier. The problem was Vox had no intentions of having any sons, at least not in the near future. He was quite happy with the wide selection of females he had at his disposal. When he is captured by a ruthless Valdier royal and sold to a mining operation the last thing he expected to find with his bride mate.
Vox isn't sure which would be easier: fighting another war with the Valdier or capturing and holding onto the human female who is unlike anything he has ever encountered before.
Now, Vox has to escape back to his world while fighting pirates, traders, and Riley!
The King of Sarafin has met his match with Ms. Riley St. Claire from Earth. Now, he just needs to figure out a way to let her know he has chosen her as his Queen and he has every intention of keeping her by his side forever.
Author's Note: This series will follow along with the Dragon Lord series as it is based on the species they had fought during the Great War and later became friends with. Several of my readers asked me about these characters. Both characters have very vivid personalities. Views: 946
An adult horror short story with a touch of romance, written in English by the Turkish writer/filmmaker/singer Elif Savas.Hello, I am called Shona and a novel called, An Hour Too Soon? has been written about me. Why? Well, back to 1994 and at 17 I was not a party-goer, nor did I drink. Weekends, back then, I spent as a volunteer at a cat’s home. Weekdays, I studied for a life that, little did I know at the time, I was never going to have. It was, to the casual observer, just mundane family life – well, almost. People see what they want to see. To my friends and family I had a lot but dark thoughts and dark deeds about events, true or false, make up my story. Some of these thoughts have been recorded in An Hour Later, a book available for free. And who is the Shona who tells this story? Views: 946
Sequel to The Forbidden Lady
In this never-before-published historical romance, New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks returns to the 18th century, where the fight for freedom is as dangerous as the fight for love.
Between searching for the missing Munro sisters and South Carolina being all but lost to the British, Captain Matthais Thomas has more important things to worry about than finding a bride. But his mother has other ideas. When Matthais finds a beautiful woman in his bed who claims to be his betrothed, he is suspicious of her identity…and determined to discover the truth.
Caroline Munro had few options. The British burned down her home, and now, traveling with her very pregnant sister, Caroline is pretending to be someone she’s not so they can have a safe place to rest. But she didn’t count on a matchmaking matron or her rogue of a son…and certainly never dreamed she would fall in love with a spy. Views: 945
Librarian Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B00DENSV6U.
Prepare yourself for the one of the most exciting rides of your life.
Volume Two of The King Trilogy, The Tainted Trust is, in addition to a moving and action packed thriller, a brilliant depiction of what perfectly normal people will do for love and money. It is the continuing story of an inconvenient fortune and its catastrophic impact on a loving family.
No one wept when Jim Servito died. He left an estate amounting to $325,000,000 when his wife, Karen killed him in Caracas. He had accumulated the fortune the old fashioned way: he stole it from the U.S. and Canadian Governments using a brilliant gasoline tax evasion scam. The money is hot, deposited in a Cayman Island bank, and its cursed. It has a profound affect on everyone who touched it. It is managed by Alfred Schnieder, an aging and unscrupulous Caracas banker.
Mike King, the love of Karen’s life, and nearly ruined by the Feds’ scorched earth efforts to recover Servito’s fortune, convinces her to keep the money, instead of returning it to its rightful owners. With the assistance of Schnieder, they form The King Trust, a near fatal mistake. Desperate to recover the money, the Feds continue to spare no expense and effort to do so. Phillip, the only child of Karen and Jim Servito, assumes he is the natural heir to his father’s fortune, and has his own greedy plans for the money. Aging Alfred Schnieder relinquishes the trust’s management to Louis Visconti, a thirty-two year old Wall Street whiz kid and brilliant financial engineer. Dubbed ‘The Crown Prince of Wall Street’, and substantially more unscrupulous than Schnieder, Visconti takes The King Trust to bewildering heights, then
fails, miserably.
Kerri Pyper, Mike King’s twenty-three year old estranged daughter, has not seen or communicated with her father since she was nine. She discovers the existence of The King Trust and is shocked to learn that her natural father is its Trustee. Visconti, desperate and assuming he is still the smartest man in the room, embezzles the fortune and flees to Monaco. He made only two mistakes: he deceived both Mike King and Alfred Schnieder and fell in love with Kerri. Views: 945
You’ll find every type of crime and all manner of detectives in this dip-in volume of 16 short stories. Meet Cass Nova, who just can’t separate his personal and professional life. Go back to the 19th century with Marmaduke Grey; experience the battle of different detection methods in Hard Cop, Soft Cop; and as for The Matilda Chronicles … please forgive me, Agatha.This short story anthology is comprised of eight suspenseful and horrifying tales, composed for a special one-week fiction event on the blog, "The Leaky Pencil". These stories centre around the theme of Madness. Not one of the stories approaches this theme in the same way, and each has something unique to say.Features eight outstanding new tales by: Laurita Miller, Richard Godwin, Angel Zapata, Benjamin Sobieck, Sean Patrick Reardon, Erin Cole, Lily Childs, and Chris Allinotte. Views: 945
How lucky can one girl get? Just ask Jacqueline Croix. She has it all. The right fiancé, money, looks, and connections. But everything comes at a cost. Sometimes that cost is looking the other way when the imperfections of your world start to show themselves. When something happens she can't look away from, she ends up drunk in a Chanel dress at a pity party on the beach in SC. There on the beach, she finally sees the cost of having everything is too high. Luckily, Jacqueline has one thing most girls like her do not, somewhere to run when she leaves it all behind. That somewhere happens to be to the open arms of the New York Rangers' right wing, Mike France. He has always been there through thick and thin, waiting for his chance to make her his. But how do you go from being best friends to lovers, when you know all the dirty details? Views: 944
Sixteen-year-old Allie kim suffers from Xeroderma Pigmentosum: a fatal allergy to sunlight that confines her and her two best friends, Rob and Juliet, to the night. When freewheeling Juliet introduces Allie and Rob to Parkour - the stunt-sport of scaling and leaping off tall buildings, risky by day and potentially deadly in darkness - Allie feels truly alive, equal to the "daytimers". But on a random summer night , while practicing Parkour on an apartment building, the trio catches a glimpse of what appears to be a murder. Allie alone takes it upon herself to investigate. Navigating the shadowy world of specialized XP care, extreme sports, and forbidden love, she ultimately uncovers a secret that upends everything she believes about the people she trust the most...at an unthinkable price. Views: 943
Jon Harper's life is a never ending circle of bullying. He is trapped without support from the school or his father. He wants to find an escape. He wants bloody vengeance, but how can he ever defeat the notorious vicious school gang.Thorn is a lonely sultry vampire who fills her nights feeding and battling her enemies; the vampire hunters and the decaying Turned.Jon Harper's life is a never ending circle of bullying. He is trapped without support from the school or his father. He wants to find an escape. He wants bloody vengeance, but how can he ever defeat the notorious vicious school gang.Thorn is a lonely sultry vampire who fills her nights feeding and battling her enemies; the vampire hunters and the decaying Turned. One night the rules change, and her life will never be the same. She wants vengeance.˃˃˃ The first book in the, "Vampire Formula" Series.A prequel short story showing events before, "The Birth of Vengeance: Vampire Formula #1."The short story is intended as a free introduction to the world of the vampires that continues in, "The Birth of Vengeance: Vampire Formula #1", a great vampire book for teens or adults.Make it one of your free vampire books to download. Views: 942
From the cuddly Phoenix bird to a killer ghost, there’s something for everyone in these delightful short stories written by 4th and 5th graders. Dragons, and pirates, and witches. Oh my!What would happen if you were pulled into the world of Hogwarts Academy? Maybe you were born with multiple personalities or sentenced to jail for a crime you didn't commit? Enjoy these twelve short stories created by the young minds of Shallowford Falls Fun Creative Writing workshop. Meet a dark knight or a lost whale. From the cuddly Phoenix bird to a killer ghost, there’s something for everyone in these delightful short stories. Dragons, and pirates, and witches. Oh my! Views: 942
Alternate cover image for 9781476793825
*Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….
His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.*
At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.
On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes? Views: 942
