For Elliot Gold, manager of the Duxford Ducks football team, life seems to be going from bad to worse. His job and his marriage both face imminent demise. He pins all his hopes on winning one last match. But Elliot Gold is not a lucky man! Drowning his sorrows with his parents in Malta, Elliot is suddenly offered a chance to resurrect his football career with a team he renames 'The Maltese Falcons'. With the inspirational music of Spandau Ballet racing through his veins, Elliot attempts to reinvent himself. Will he woo the lovely Silvia? Can he save his parents' marriage as their union also heads for the rocks? Will he ever win again? a tremendous first novel - wry, funny and clever. I hope it's the first of many - Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat
This Medieval Murder Mystery play explores the murky origins of Cambridge University in 1209. That same year, King John was in dispute with the Pope over the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury. When a woman in Oxford was murdered, the townspeople blamed the religious scholars and clerks of the university, and hanged two clerks. King John backed the people of Oxford in their dispute against the clerks. This led to the infamous exodus of scholars from Oxford University to Cambridge. The Other Place is a richly dramatic retelling of this story, featuring the key players from the time.
In Fifteenth Air Force against the Axis: Combat Missions over Europe during World War II, historian Kevin A. Mahoney provides a detailed combat history of the crucial role played by this air force from November 1943 through May 1945. Presented by month in chronological order, Mahoney describes all the major bombing and fighter missions carried out by this air force within a strategic context. Each chapter includes an introduction describing developments in the evolution of the strategic air campaign against the Germans, highlights the purpose and importance of the month’s operations, and reviews the Luftwaffe’s resistance and changes in tactics and important developments in the Fifteenth Air Force’s organization. Each monthly narrative further explores most missions, detailing the number of aircraft lost during these missions. Losses are based on an exhaustively researched database compiled by Mahoney that contains details of almost 3,000 aircraft. Target damage is mentioned, while enemy opposition is also described for each mission. Appendices include four short essays on bombing operations (planning and flying of missions, tactics and techniques, bomb types, and bombing accuracy), tactics employed by fighter escort in aerial combat and strafing, combat crews and their aircraft (including a comparison of American fighters and bombers, the training of the crews, and their combat tours), and the Fifteenth Air Force command structure (including the use of intelligence, photo and weather reconnaissance, and the considerable effect of weather on Fifteenth Air Force operations). This work of military history is ideal for students and scholars of the air war in Europe.
In this book, layperson Kevin Mahoney argues that Christian churches should embrace same sex marriage. Although many conservative Christians reject homosexuality due to the laws of Moses, Kevin points out that very few (if any) of these three-thousand-year-old Mosaic laws are upheld today, and that homophobia is contrary to the spirit and manner of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus himself never condemned homosexuality; however, He did illuminate the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Kevin argues that the Pharisees are very much alive today in the form of conservative Christians that proscribe homosexuality. Since most of the laws against homosexuality around the world have a religious basis, then this book's demolition of the conservative Christian argument against homosexuality will also be instructive for non-religious LGBT rights campaigners. Using the Parable of the Prodigal Son as an analogy, Kevin outlines how liberal and conservative Christians can finally agree on the divisive issue of same sex marriage.
Avatar is the most successful movie of all time, surpassing the record held by James Cameron's previous monster hit, Titanic. It is also the most expensive movie ever. With its adoption of modern 3D techniques, Avatar is arguably the most spectacular film of all time. Kevin Patrick Mahoney explores how Avatar has reached this pinnacle of success. The film has not been universally praised; some critics have pointed to an overly simple plot and dialogue. However, Kevin reveals that there are many complex themes that lie behind such apparent simplicity. This book begins with an in-depth review of events as they happen on screen, including the many scenes deleted from the film, and then proceeds to explore some of the most interesting themes in more depth. Kevin examines how James Cameron has adapted Joseph Campbell's theory of the Hero's Journey in Avatar. The Na'vi's planet, Pandora, is very paradisiacal, so this book discusses how it's related to the Biblical Garden of Eden. In addition to this, Kevin dissects Avatar's rather confused politics, the controversial depiction of the US Marine Corps, and the accusations of racism that have hurled at the film. Since Jake Sully is introduced to us in a wheelchair, Kevin examines the representation of disabled people in Avatar and other science fiction dramas. Some of Avatar's subtle depictions of sexuality seemed to be mainly directed at adolescent boys, so this book also dissects some of the more 'blue' aspects of the movie. Moreover, Kevin Patrick Mahoney reveals how Avatar relates to James Cameron's previous blockbuster movies.
Bobo is a sweet, loving girl who has always had trouble fitting in. Her one true passion is doing magic, but the problem is she isn't very good at it. Bobo hopes beyond hope that she can perform well at the upcoming talent show to impress all the other kids. Will Bobo fail miserably, or will she transform herself into Bobo the Amazing?
In the past, when people with disabilities and older adults needed help with activities of daily living and navigating their communities, they rarely had any choice about who helped them, when that support was delivered, or what the worker would or would not do. The self-direction movement changed all that by offering people the option to select their own workers and even create an individualized budget to help them live more independently. Written by experts who played a key part in the growth, evaluation, and dissemination of this revolutionary approach, Self-Direction describes the development of this movement through the authors' personal accounts. Also included are stories from actual participants in the movement who benefitted from this approach and from policymakers who saw how self-direction could help address states' problems. The book's conclusion discusses recommendations that can improve the way self-direction is delivered and how to spread its message so that all people with disabilities can have this choice.
This report describes the range of design exception practices among state transportation agencies (STAs) and discusses the problems and suggested improvements based on the experience of state agency personnel. All STAs are required to comply with the same federal regulation pertaining to design exceptions. However, the number of design exceptions, the circumstances under which they are prepared, and the methods employed vary considerably, with many factors contributing to this wide range of practice. This synthesis characterizes (1) conditions that require a design exception, (2) data collection and analysis techniques, and (3) internal STA and external rules. The report also describes benefits and problems experienced by STAs and identifies suggestions for improving and streamlining the design exception process. In addition, the innovative practices of two states (New Jersey and Wisconsin) are identified and discussed.
In the original book, The Biggest Birdie, our feathered friend summoned the courage to leave his family's nest and venture out on his own. Now, Biggest is trying to find his own place to live. Will the Biggest Birdie succeed, or will he lose his nerve and return to his parents' nest?
Get the complete story of one of the most ambitious aerial campaigns in history--the bombing of Europe under the Axis powers--illustrated with over 200 compelling photos. Created in November 1943, the Fifteenth Air Force was the direct descendant of the American Ninth and Twelfth Air Forces that had fought in the Mediterranean since the summer of 1942. Its force included 210 B-17 Flying Fortress and 90 B-24 Liberator bombers escorted by P-38 Lightning, P-47 Thunderbolt, and P-51 Mustang fighters. They took the air battle against the Axis to areas Allied bombers based in England could not reach: southern Germany, Austria, eastern Europe, and the Balkans. Their reach in the Balkans included the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, vital to Germany's war effort. Its crews fought the weather, as well as the enemy, by flying over the Alps to reach many of their targets and made a significant contribution to the victory over the Axis powers and Nazi Germany. Although enemy fighter planes were a major menace during the first nine months of the Fifteenth's air war, ubiquitous antiaircraft fire, called flak, also took a toll on American bombers throughout the campaign. This book tells the story of the brave airmen who bombed the majority of Europe in an effort to win the war.
Welcome to this reading guide to Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, full of fantastic photos of the wildlife Kya comes across. Kevin Mahoney's reviewing practice is to do a very close reading of the text, following in an author's footsteps. He writes down his thoughts and feelings about what is happening in the novel as he goes along, so that there is a record of his first impressions that is not overshadowed by what happens at the end. While this novel has been a huge success in the US, it has yet to have the same massive sales in the rest of the English speaking world, as this novel very much uses North American vernacular, so Kevin translates particular phrases into British English. The natural world features greatly in this fantastic novel, and Kevin provides more details about the flora and fauna in Kya's world in this fully illustrated guide.There has been an overwhelmingly positive reception to Where the Crawdads Sing, and Kevin aims to spark even more debates amongst those who follow Kya's momentous battle for survival.
Drawing upon a variety of contemporary sites and social movements, this book explores pedagogical relationships that can be the basis of political and social organizing. The authors approach pedagogy as a space of learning_not simply teaching_whose purpose is to develop an understanding of cultural networks and in so doing develop critical literacies.
By the summer of 1945, Adm. Bull Halsey’s U.S. Third Fleet had fought its way far enough in the Pacific that its carrier-based fighters could launch attacks on Japan itself in preparation for the invasion of the home islands, planned for the fall of 1945. This mission U.S. Navy fighters, fighter-bombers, dive-bombers, and torpedo-bombers—Hellcats, Avengers, Helldivers, and more—carried out with a vengeance, striking airfields, industrial targets, and coastal facilities while flying into the teeth of Japanese air defenses. Meanwhile, the fleet’s aircraft continued to attack the Japanese navy (sinking a submarine from the air, attacking—but not sinking—the famous battleship Nagato, and attacking other ships), interdict enemy merchant shipping, and defend against kamikaze attacks on Third Fleet. As late as the morning of August 15—the day the ceasefire took effect (before the formal signing on September 2)—the fighters saw hard fighting, downing Japanese fighters making last-ditch, almost literally last-minute attacks on the U.S. fleet. Numerous books have covered the American bomber war against Japan in World War II, from the Doolittle Raid to Curtis Lemay’s strategic bombing campaign, the firebombing of Tokyo, and the dropping of the atomic bombs. But other than memoirs and bit parts in air war histories, fighter and fighter-bomber operations have received short shrift. Setting the Rising Sun corrects that oversight, zooming in on fighters during the war’s final two months. In this carefully researched narrative history, Kevin Mahoney recounts this vital period of the Pacific War with drama and attention to detail. He draws on both American and Japanese perspectives to reconstruct intense combat missions and place them in the context of a war that was hurtling toward its conclusion in two mushroom clouds in Japan.
Jordan is an adorable girly girl who loves to play dress up. She was always very careful to clean up after herself untilthe day came that she made a mess she just couldn't clean up! Will Jordan try to cover up her crime or will she takeresponsibility and face the consequences?
At over 90,000 words, this is the most comprehensive guide yet published to the 2011 season of Doctor Who. This series of Doctor Who had the greatest ambition yet, as Steven Moffat created the most complex Doctor Who story arc ever. The apparent death of the Doctor in the very first episode set the groundwork for a series full of other shocks and revelations (such as River Song's identity), which ended with a return to the essential mystery that has always underpinned the programme. The format of this book is the same as the one that we laid out in our previous guide to Matt Smith's first series as the Doctor. Steven Cooper has written excellent detailed analyses of each episode, which he published online soon after each episode was broadcast, thus providing an invaluable record of how a long-standing fan reacted to each twist of the plot as it occurred. Kevin Mahoney follows Steven's analyses with his reviews, which he wrote from the perspective of having watched the entire series. This enabled Kevin to gauge exactly how Steven Moffat had put this season together, and to assess the success of his various hoodwinks and sleights of hand. There have been various controversies this series, such as Moffat's novel move to split the series in half. Then there were murmurings of discontent within fandom when the news that there might be fewer than 14 episodes in 2012 leaked out, along with the perennial erroneous tales from the newspapers about the loss of viewing figures. The cancellation of Doctor Who Confidential left some fans fearing for the future of such an expensive show in austere times. Others have gone further than this, to suggest that Doctor Who itself needs a break. However, despite some minor blips in the storytelling department in 2011, this book argues that there is still a great deal to be positive about in Doctor Who. While we haven't quite yet reached another golden age for the programme, the authors of this book believe that the potential is still very much there to achieve this.
At over 90,000 words, this is the most comprehensive fan guide yet published to the 2012-2013 season of Doctor Who. After the first part of the season provided an emotional ending to the Doctor's travels with his friends Amy and Rory, Steven Moffat presented an innovative and intriguing new mystery, as the Doctor puzzled over the “woman twice dead” that is Clara Oswald, who had the most spectacular introduction(s) of any companion. This series was the most demanding yet for Moffat; no other Doctor Who showrunner had previously faced an assignment like writing a series finale, an anniversary story, and a combined Christmas Special/Doctor finale in quick succession. We are with Moffat every step of the way as he rises to this unique challenge. The format of this book is the same as our previous Doctor Who guides. Steven Cooper has written excellent detailed analyses of each episode, which Slant Magazine published online in their House Next Door blog soon after each episode was broadcast. In this way, Steven’s reviews provide an invaluable record of how a long-standing fan reacted to each twist of the plot as it occurred. House Next Door published Steven’s 2013 episode reviews in abridged form; he then expanded upon his analyses, so this book contains far more of his insights than those published online. Kevin Mahoney then follows Steven’s analyses with his reviews, which he wrote from the perspective of having watched the entire series. This enabled him to gauge exactly how Steven Moffat had put this season together, and to assess the success of his various hoodwinks and sleights of hand. In this series, Steven Moffat was just as ambitious as ever - perhaps too ambitious at times, when the scripting became uneven or the production team was not able to realize an episode as well as they might have done. Despite this, there were several episodes that rank among the best of the show's achievements, which we applaud in this celebration of Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary.
Maximillian is a darling little boy who loves to dress up in costumes and live out his superhero fantasies. Maxs dad and the neighborhood kids think hes foolish, but his mother encourages him to be who he is. Will Max try to fit in, or will he become Superhero Max and save the day?
Join a young kangaroo, Joey Roo, on his exciting adventure when he meets new friends, learns some strange animal habits, and experiences things he's never experienced before. Help him find the perfect present for Mama Roo. Journey into beautiful, colorful Australia. Step into the outback, and you could learn something new too.
Isabella's little doll, Jilly, is her best friend in the world. When Jilly goes missing, will Isabella and her mom be able to find her, or will Isabella lose her best friend forever?
Creative thinking is something everyone can do. It's a way of looking at the world afresh, doing new things in new ways, taking risks. With The Creative Nudge, use 'nudge theory' to unleash your innate originality. A new behavioural science that reveals how small actions can have big impacts on our thinking, nudge theory powers this book. Using simple behaviour changes, retrain your brain and live a more creative and rewarding life.
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