A shady financier visits his small hometown, a middle-aged divorc emerges from a life of drastic austerity and self-denial, a sick and dying professor discovers the healing touch of a former student. From the South African veldt to the barren Utah desert, from the green lawns of suburbia to moonlit Pueblo ruins, the people in Paul Rawlins's debut story collection brave the Big Questions about relationships, love, and death, finding more often than not that their happiness to just get by is not enough. Asking for truth or understanding, but hoping the answers will be simple, they struggle with feelings often too deep, too new, too disquieting to articulate. The voices we hear most often belong to men--good men who have somehow come up short on love, answers, peace, time. Like the pro football player with a torn-up knee in "Big Texas," the HIV-positive teen in "The Matter of These Hours," or the recovering heroin addict in "August--Staying Cool," they find that age, accident, or self-made circumstances have stolen their abilities, stung their pride, or worse. Dangerously distanced from the women they should have loved more, they draw closer to buddies, brothers, fathers, and sons. But like the alkali flats in "Good for What Ails You," transformed by flash-flooding into an inland sea, Rawlins's characters show themselves capable of quick and fundamental change. Farmers and soldiers, athletes and scholars, rebels and high rollers, they fit our preconceptions only in the shallowest sense. In the ways they connect with Rawlins's elemental imagery--sun, water, earth--these people play with our essential notions about men and women as they surprise themselves about their strengths, about what they really desire and what others desire in them.
Tony Rawlins does not think he is a stupidly gullible man. Forlorn and desperate to extricate himself from the aftereffects of a bad marriage, he attempts to find romance by answering a provocative personal ad. Unfortunately, Rawlins is about to find himself victimized by the woman he had hoped would cure his loneliness. Now she has accused him of killing her husband. Innocent but convicted on her convincing testimony, Rawlins heads to jail. Soon, and much to his relief, new evidence is uncovered that casts his accusers story in doubt. She vanishes, and the conviction is set aside until she can be found. Vindicated at least for the time being, Rawlins returns to work where he unwittingly uncovers an illegal business that soon reveals the real reason for the murder. But now others are turning up deadincluding the woman who accused him of murder. In a mystery trilogy of novellas filled with surprising twists and turns, Rawlins must decide who he can trustand who he cannotas he attempts to untangle himself from a dangerous and very determined web of fatal females.
Growing up can mean growing pains and the joys of new independence. With maturity comes the shift from infinite possibilities to imminent realities. These thirteen stories describe the slow and subtle experience of growing up, allowing us to reflect upon the forces that pushed us toward adulthood and away from the familiar ground of youth that must be left behind if we are to learn how to soar on our own.
The Pulitzer Prize– and Bancroft Prize–winning epic history of the American Southwest from the acclaimed twentieth-century author of Lamy of Santa Fe. Great River was hailed as a literary masterpiece and enduring classic when it first appeared in 1954. It is an epic history of four civilizations—Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American—that people the Southwest through ten centuries. With the skill of a novelist, the veracity of a scholar, and the love of a long-time resident, Paul Horgan describes the Rio Grande, its role in human history, and the overlapping cultures that have grown up alongside it or entered into conflict over the land it traverses. Now in its fourth revised edition, Great River remains a monumental part of American historical writing. “Here is known and unknown history, emotion and color, sense and sensitivity, battles for land and the soul of man, cultures and moods, fused by a glowing pen and a scholarly mind into a cohesive and memorable whole.” —The Boston Sunday Herald “Transcends regional history and soars far above the river valley with which it deals . . . a survey, rich in color and fascinating in pictorial detail, of four civilizations: the aboriginal Indian, the Spanish, the Mexican, and the Anglo-American . . . It is, in the best sense of the word, literature. It has architectural plan, scholarly accuracy, stylistic distinction, and not infrequently real nobility of spirit.” —Allan Nevins, author of Ordeal of the Union “One of the major masterpieces of American historical writing.” —Carl Carmer, author of Stars Fell on Alabama
This is a special issue—our 50th, as you may have noticed from our cover. To celebrate, all past and present editors were to contribute a story. (It helps that they are also amazingly talented writers.) So we have stories from Michael Bracken, Barb Goffman, Paul Di Filippo, Darrell Schweitzer, and Cynthia Ward in addition to our other fare. But wait! There’s more! This issue features four original tales—Elizabeth Zelvin has a fantasy/mystery stories, Phyllis Ann Karr has a weird western, and Cynthia Ward has a gonzo science fiction crowd-funding story. And I have completed a story by the late H.B. Fyfe, who was best known for his science fiction stories, though this one is a revenge tale that most closely fits the mystery genre. And the good stuff doesn’t stop there. We also have a superhero story from Darrell Schweitzer. Space Opera from Algis Budrys and E.E. “Doc” Smith. A historical mystery novel by western author B.M. Bower. A historical investigation from Charles Todd. A Mallworld story from Somtow Sucharitkul (who also writes as S.P. Somtow). And no issue is complete without a solve-it-yourself mystery by Hal Charles. All in all, this is an probably our best Black Cat Weekly yet. Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “The Ladies of Wednesday Tea” by Michael Bracken [short story] “Hidden in Plain Sight” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Ice Ice Baby” by Barb Goffman [short story] “Flayed” by H.B. Fyfe and John Gregory Betancourt [short story] “Blood Money” by Charles Todd [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The House of Marble” by Elizabeth Zelvin [Michael Bracken Presents short story] The Eagle’s Wing, by B.M. Bower [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The House of Marble” by Elizabeth Zelvin [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Rise and Fall of Whistle-Pig City” by Paul Di Filippo [short story] “Rabid in Mallworld” by Somtow Sucharitkul [short story] “Fighting the Zeppelin Gang” by Darrell Schweitzer [short story] “Winona of Bleeding Kansas” by Phyllis Ann Karr [short story] “The Campaign Is Now Officially Complete” by Cynthia Ward [short story] “Blood on my Jets” by Algis Budrys [short story] The Skylark of Valeron, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. [novel]
Long before European empires came to dominate the Middle East, Britain was brought face to face with Islam through the activities of the Barbary corsairs. For three centuries after 1500, Muslim ships based in North African ports terrorized European shipping, capturing thousands of vessels and enslaving hundreds of thousands of Christians. Encountering Islam is the fascinating story of one Englishman's experience of life within a Muslim society, as both Christian slave and Muslim soldier. Born in Exeter around 1662, Joseph Pitts was captured by Algerian pirates on his first voyage in 1678. Sold as a slave in Algiers, he underwent forced conversion to Islam. Sold again, he accompanied his kindly third master on pilgrimage to Mecca, so becoming the first Englishman known to have visited the Muslim Holy Places. Granted his freedom, Pitts became a soldier, going on campaign against the Moroccans and Spanish before venturing on a daring escape while serving with the Algiers fleet. Crossing much of Italy and Germany on foot, he finally reached Exeter seventeen years after he had left. Joseph Pitts's A Faithful Account of the Religion and Manners of the Mahometans, first published in 1704, is a unique combination of captivity narrative, travel account and description of Islam. It describes his time in Algiers, his life as a slave, his conversion, his pilgrimage to Mecca (the first such detailed description in English), Muslim ritual and practice, and his audacious escape. A Christian for most of his life, Pitts also had the advantage of living as a Muslim within a Muslim society. Nowhere in the literature of the period is there a more intimate and poignant account of identity conflict. Encountering Islam contains a faithful rendering of the definitive 1731 edition of Pitts's book, together with critical historical, religious and linguistic notes. The introduction tells what is known of Pitts's life, and places his work against its historical background, and in the context of current scholarship on captivity narratives and Anglo-Muslim relations of the period. Paul Auchterlonie, an Arabist, worked for forty years as a librarian specializing in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, and from 1981 to 2011 was librarian in charge of the Middle East collections at the University of Exeter. He is the author and editor of numerous works on Middle Eastern bibliography and library science, and has recently published articles on historical and cultural relations between Britain and the Middle East. He is currently an Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter.
Sean Connery began the sixties spy movie boom playing James Bond in Dr. No and From Russia with Love. Their success inspired every studio in Hollywood and Europe to release everything from serious knockoffs to spoofs on the genre featuring debonair men, futuristic gadgets, exotic locales, and some of the world's most beautiful actresses whose roles ranged from the innocent caught up in a nefarious plot to the femme fatale. Profiled herein are 107 dazzling women, well-known and unknown, who had film and television appearances in the spy genre. They include superstars Doris Day in Caprice, Raquel Welch in Fathom, and Ann-Margret in Murderer's Row; international sex symbols Ursula Andress in Dr. No and Casino Royale, Elke Sommer in Deadlier Than the Male, and Senta Berger in The Spy with My Face; and forgotten lovelies Greta Chi in Fathom, Alizia Gur in From Russia with Love, and Maggie Thrett in Out of Sight. Each profile includes a filmography that lists the actresses' more notable films. Some include the actresses' candid comments and anecdotes about their films and television shows, the people they worked with, and their feelings about acting in the spy genre are offered throughout. A list of websites that provide further information on women in spy films and television is also included.
New medicines in the pipeline can extend lives, save money, and even help prevent disease before symptoms appear – if we don’t discourage their innovators and investors by trying to lower drug prices artificially. Unlocking Precision Medicine explores the environment necessary for creation of these health care game-changers, and explains how the marketplace can effectively make them more affordable to all without killing the golden goose.
Only the Strong Survive When a faceless New York investor orchestrates a hostile railroad takeover, he unleashes a tidal wave of chaos across the West. His weapon of choice? Over a million dollars in counterfeit bearer bonds, crafted by a ruthless crime syndicate and peddled by a mysterious beauty with a knack for beguiling bankers. As the Texas & Pacific Railroad teeters on the brink, they enlist the notorious Allan Pinkerton to unmask the culprits. But the banks, bleeding from the fraudulent scheme, call on the Great Western Detective League to track down their stolen fortunes. Colonel David J. Crook taps his top men—Briscoe Cane and Beau Longstreet—to lead the charge. Alongside Pinkerton’s sharp-eyed Reginald Kingsley and the dangerously seductive Samantha Maples, they race across the untamed West, from bustling railways to desolate deserts, in a high-stakes pursuit. As Kingsley and Cane match wits with a phantom bondsman, Maples and Longstreet find themselves in a rivalry both fierce and flirtatious, all while staying focused on their quarry. But the syndicate won't go down without a fight. Ambushes, assassination attempts, and ruthless betrayals follow the detectives’ every move, leading to a heart-pounding showdown from Yuma, Arizona, to the dusty streets of El Paso. Prepare for a relentless ride with the Great Western Detective League as they navigate treacherous territory, outsmart cunning criminals, and face down ruthless outlaws. The chase barrels toward a thrilling conclusion, where honor, grit, and gunslinging skills are all that stand between justice and chaos in the unforgiving West.
The first place-by-place chronology of U.S. history, this book offers the student, researcher, or traveller a handy guide to find all the most important events that have occurred at any locality in the United States.
Action, African greats, alcohol, Robert Aldrich, aliens, Woody Allen, Pedro Almodovar, Robert Altman, animated, anime, apocalypses, Argentina, art, Asia minor, avant garde... And that's just A for you. A taste of this fabulously quirky and enjoyable book which is both a celebration of movies - and movie trivia - and a handy, entertaining guide to films that we know you will enjoy. It is fantastically functional. The lists are well conceived and easy to understand - mostly assembled by genre, actor, director, theme or country of origin - and the reviews are witty and informative. Oddly enough, most movie guides are not full of recommendations. But Movie Lists is, in spades, leaving readers in no doubt that the films reviewed are the business. Oh - and you don't have to watch them all before you die. There is no premise of death in this book. You just need to get down to the local Blockbusters or flick your remote to Movies on Demand. Only the popcorn is not supplied.
Water Relations of Plants and Soils, successor to the seminal 1983 book by Paul Kramer, covers the entire field of water relations using current concepts and consistent terminology. Emphasis is on the interdependence of processes, including rate of water absorption, rate of transpiration, resistance to water flow into roots, soil factors affecting water availability. New trends in the field, such as the consideration of roots (rather than leaves) as the primary sensors of water stress, are examined in detail. Addresses the role of water in the whole range of plant activities Describes molecular mechanisms of water action in the context of whole plants Synthesizes recent scientific findings Relates current concepts to agriculture and ecology Provides a summary of methods
If the lies don't kill you, the truth will An electrifying, high-octane thrill ride; the new must-read standalone from a Sunday Times bestseller. Dark, gritty and always at the edge of your seat, this unforgettable new outing from master storyteller, Paul Finch, will appeal to fans of Peter James, Mark Billingham and Angela Marsons. ********************************** Readers love ONE EYE OPEN: "Finch does it again! Tightly plotted, well written and pacy as hell" - Netgalley Review "Excellent thriller with great characters." - Netgalley Review "Paul's writing yet again catapults you straight into the book..." - Netgalley Review ********************************** YOU CAN RUN A high-speed crash leaves a man and woman clinging to life. Neither of them carries ID. Their car has fake number plates. In their luggage: a huge amount of cash. Who are they? What are they hiding? And what were they running from? YOU CAN HIDE DS Lynda Hagen, once a brilliant detective, gave it all up to raise her family. But something about this case reignites a spark in her... BUT YOU'LL ALWAYS SLEEP WITH... What begins as an investigation soon becomes an obsession. And it will lead her to a secret so dangerous that soon there will be nowhere left to hide. ONE EYE OPEN
From New York Times bestselling author F. Paul Wilson, Repairman Jack is back in the urban adventure thriller, Hosts. As his fans know, Repairman Jack doesn't deal with electronic appliances; he's a situation fixer, no matter how weird or deadly a situation may be. Repairman Jack has no last name, no Social Security number, and no qualms when it comes to getting the job done--even if it means putting himself in serious danger. After fifteen years of separation, Jack is contacted by his long-lost sister, Kate, to help her track down the source of her girlfriend Jeanette's sudden trance-like behavior. Referred by a mysterious stranger who gives only Jack's name and phone number, Kate is shocked to find out that the "repairman" she seeks is none other than her little brother--and not altogether happy to find out what little "Jackie" has been doing with himself for all these years. With Jack leading the way, Kate finds out that Jeannette's behavior can be traced back to the experimental therapy she underwent for a brain tumor: now Jeannette's brain and those of several other subjects are infected by a mutated virus. Like any good virus, it wants to multiply--and if Jack can't stop the virus in its path, there will be deadly results. Meanwhile, Jack is traveling on the 9 train when suddenly a passenger goes berserk and starts shooting at random--leaving Jack no choice but to throw himself into the spotlight by putting the shooter down. Worse for Jack, one of his fellow passengers is a reporter for the local tabloid, The Light, who sees Jack's heroism as his ticket to journalistic stardom. The reporter promises to make Jack a celebrity hero, a household name--which could mean the end of Repairman Jack as we know him. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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