He demonstrates the critical role of maritime trade to the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley. He reacquaints us with the great seafaring cultures of antiquity like those of the Phoenicians and Greeks, as well as those of India and Southeast and East Asia, who parlayed their navigational skills, shipbuilding techniques, and commercial acumen to establish thriving overseas colonies and trade routes in the centuries leading up to the age of European expansion. And finally, his narrative traces how commercial shipping and naval warfare brought about the enormous demographic, cultural, and political changes that have globalized the world throughout the post–Cold War era. This tremendously readable intellectual adventure shows us the world in a new light, in which the sea reigns supreme. We find out how a once-enslaved East African king brought Islam to his people, what the American “sail-around territories” were, and what the Song Dynasty did with twenty-wheel, human-powered paddleboats with twenty paddle wheels and up to three hundred crew. Above all, Paine makes clear how the rise and fall of civilizations can be linked to the sea. An accomplishment of both great sweep and illuminating detail, The Sea and Civilization is a stunning work of history.

    Battered by year-round freezing rain and constant winds, it is one of the most inhospitable places on earth. To be shipwrecked there means almost certain death.Incredibly, at the same time on the opposite end of the island, another ship runs aground during a storm. Separated by only twenty miles and the island’s treacherous, impassable cliffs, the crews of the Grafton and the Invercauld face the same fate. And yet where the Invercauld’s crew turns inward on itself, fighting, starving, and even turning to cannibalism, Musgrave’s crew bands together to build a cabin and a forge—and eventually, to find a way to escape. Using the survivors’ journals and historical records, maritime historian Joan Druett brings to life this untold story about leadership and the fine line between order and chaos.

    Heading deep into uncharted Arctic waters, they carried the aspirations of a young country burning to be the first nation to reach the North Pole. Two years into the voyage, the Jeannette's hull was breached by an impassable stretch of pack ice, forcing the crew to abandon ship amid torrents of rushing of water. Hours later, the ship had sunk below the surface, marooning the men a thousand miles north of Siberia, where they faced a terrifying march with minimal supplies across the endless ice pack.Enduring everything from snow blindness and polar bears to ferocious storms and labyrinths of ice, the crew battled madness and starvation as they struggled desperately to survive. With thrilling twists and turns, In The Kingdom of Ice is a tale of heroism and determination in the most brutal place on Earth.

    A unique travelogue and representation of current society, spirituality and the quest for a meaningful life.

    Nile Diary, like all his travelogues, gives us a wonderful reading experience.

    A magic trick with horrific consequences. An apartment with a...unique roach problem. Finding a serial killer's cell phone. Visiting a childhood friend who insists you really must see what's in a nearby tunnel. This book contains twenty-five terrifying new horror stories by Brandon Faircloth, all of them short enough to be enjoyed a bite at a time...if you're able to put them down at all.

    I’m in love with 3 men of my dreams.So, I ran . . . and they followed.We’ve been best friends since we were kids, and we’re still best friends.But can these rugged cowboys really be my lovers? It’s my biggest fantasy.They’ve been like brothers to each other, and now that I’ve made a mess of my life, I’m going to need their loyalty and friendship to get through the blizzard that’s swirling outside, and the emotions that swirl inside my head.Sparks fly when each cowboy vows to protect, comfort and shield me from my own misplaced guilt.Soon we’re sharing not only our beds, but our most intimate desires.Once the fire ignites, it’s impossible to put out and what happens next is sure to consume us all.Now that I’ve had all three of these cowboys, one cowboy will never be my happily ever after.Book Two - 3 Cowboys And The VirginI’ve moved in with the cowboy of my dreams.Actually, I’ve moved in with 3 cowboys of my dreams.I’m so very bad.I’ve been waiting to lose my virginity with Mr. Right, but I may have waited too long.There are 3 Mr. Rights who want to protect me, guard me and love me.How can I ever choose?William is warm, witty and sinfully sexy. Oh, and did I mention he’s a billionaire?Joel is 100% alpha and will go to the mat for me.Kyle is a sweet-talking flirt who I’ve crushed on since we were teens.When the four of us have no choice but to move in together, we start a fire that can’t be put out and threatens to consume us all in its oh-so-hot blaze.Now all I want is another night with William . . . with Joel . . . with Kyle.Because truth be told, virginity is highly overrated.Book Three - 3 Cowboys For The LibrarianGetting lost in a romance novel is my passion.Getting lost in a real life romance with three gorgeous cowboys… ecstasy!I’d had a one-night stand with Gunner Blackthorn a couple years ago that never went anywhere. He’d been too drunk to remember it, and I’d been too desperate to remind him.When he strolls back into my life in need of a cook/housekeeper out on his ranch I apply for the job after my hours at the library get cut in half. I knew there were two other cowboys living on Gunner’s ranch. What I didn’t know is how much I’d be attracted to all three of them.Rory, the big, brooding ex-military hunk, is working to get past his crippling PTSD.Kit, the sandy-haired, easy-going charmer, only wants to please me.And Gunner, my secret heartthrob, hasn’t had a real drink since our one-night stand.Soon I’m not only ordering in food, but I’m ordering in their affections. I learn rather quickly that all those books I’ve read about love and romance don’t compare to the heat, passion and ecstasy of the real deal… especially with three hotter-than-a-branding-iron cowboys!Her Naughty Cowboys Boxed Set is rich with sexy ménage scenes, single and multiple partner scenes, and all done with a touch of humor that just might melt your Kindle. As with all my books, a HEA is always guaranteed… Thanks for reading!

    With so much going for him, his life is perfect. Until the morning of his biggest case yet. That day, Jack makes a mistake, one that costs him everything.Artist Mar Delgado had it all – marriage to her childhood sweetheart, a successful career. She had never been happier, until the boat carrying her husband on a trip to dive with hammerhead sharks returns without him.For four years, as his career tanks and his personal life is non-existent, Jack tries to make amends for his mistake the only way he can – by searching for and bringing home the child that was stolen from him.Mar’s attempts at rebuilding her life after her husband’s death founder. She can no longer paint the coral reef paintings that she had been famous for because water terrifies her. She can no longer trust herself to love because the toll is too high. But then, in the most unexpected way, she is given a second chance.Private Investigator Sy Colomanos has seen it all. Still, for him, finding the Westfield baby is personal. For years, he follows the kidnapper’s convoluted trail across the country searching for the one clue that will help bring young Mia home. When the trail dead ends at Mar’s door, however, all hell breaks loose as the question becomes, what makes a family?

    This story gained global attention, and will become a film.When Jan and Dave Griffith's beloved cattle dog, Sophie, fell overboard from the family yacht during rough weather, she feared the worst. But Sophie, a true Aussie battler, wasn't going to give up that easily. She swam six miles through shark-infested waters to a remote Whitsunday island where she survived for five months before being miraculously reunited with her amazed owners. Sophie, a highly domesticated dog, had been living ferally - and surviving. Yet one glimpse of her owners when they were reunited was enough for the old Sophie to re-emerge. This is an amazing, inspirational story of survival, loyalty and what binds animals and humans together.

    

    Every case brings her one step closer to ending the nightmares for those families who are left with more questions than answers. When a young girl goes missing in Tarpley, Texas she hopes this is the case that will finally close the cold case she’s been assigned. What she doesn't expect is the help of a rugged firefighter who awakes emotions long buried.
Two things happen to Michael "Big Mack" McEvers that change his life from simple to complicated—he begins full-time work with Bandera County and Tarpley VFD, and Amanda arrives in town. He's not looking for love but if she'll have him, he's all hers.Racing against the clock they must work together to catch a killer. Can they save the girl and each other, or will one have to be sacrificed?

     Welcome to a very flapper holiday! Are you ready for the roaring twenties? For spunky young women crafting their own lives? If so, you’ll love Violet, Rita, Edwina, Julia, and Lola. Inside, you’ll find several short stories with adventures, cocktails, kisses, and fun. With stories from The Violet Carlyle Mysteries, The Piccadilly Ladies Club Mysteries, the Lola Rose series. For fans of Carola Dunn, Jacqueline Winspear, Georgette Heyer, and Lee Strauss. A light, cozy mystery with a fun peek into a an evening with bright young things.

    Cold Chisel wrote a song about her. Rupert Murdoch was so impressed by her talents, he asked her to be the editor-in-chief of both the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs – and in doing so, become the first woman ever to edit a major Australian metropolitan newspaper.In her extraordinary career, spanning over fifty years, Ita Buttrose has been involved in every aspect of the media, from newspapers and magazines to television and radio and now, electronic publishing. From her creation of a new type of women's magazine in Cleo and then ITA, to her appointment as the youngest-ever editor of The Australian Women's Weekly (a distinction she still holds today), a passionate love of journalism has driven her every step of the way.Refreshingly candid about the challenges she has faced as a professional woman, not only in her career but also in her love life and as a mother, A Passionate Life describes those ground-breaking years with Ita's trademark clarity, precision and wit.In this substantially revised and expanded edition, Ita also shares her views on current affairs and the state of the media today, including an insider's perspective on the Murdoch empire. We hear about her significant recent contribution to various health awareness campaigns, particularly Alzheimer's Australia; her coverage of the 2011 royal wedding; her new incarnation as a rap star; the making of Paper Giants and her recent venture into the new territory of electronic publishingAn appealing and lively autobiography by one of Australia's most distinguished journalists. A Passionate Life will strike a chord with working women everywhere.

    And now, to my surprise, it's where I go too, thanks to surprise tuition the celebrity father I just found out I have sent me after my mother died. I thought dealing with grief was enough to nearly kill me. But now I also have to deal with the most popular and elite students who make up Brentmoor's infamous "Council" relentlessly bullying me because they don't think a poor girl like me belongs here, no matter who my father is.But three of the Council guys are hot, and I swear they have a crush on me. Scruffy but studly Sebastian is a rebel from old money, nerdy-cool Braxton didn't even need his billionaire dad to get him in because his grades were so stellar on their own, and handsome Harrison is the musical bad boy son of a rock and roll star.These three guys might look down their noses at me, but I can't help noticing that they're staring at my curves while they do it. And even though they kind of take part in the cruel jokes, it seems to be in a teasing way. Or is it that they're even trying to help me?It's hard to know what's really going on since Brentmoor and its elite lifestyle are like a whole new world to me and I'm not part of these guys' inner circle. But it starts to become abundantly clear that they want to be in my, um... inner circle... all three of them, at once, in fact.I decide to use one of them to get back at the rest of the members of the Council, especially the mercilessly catty female students. But it's hard to decide which one of the three guys to choose, and from the way they're all fawning over me together, I'm starting to wonder if I even have to. Am I doomed to live alone in the hell that is Brentmoor forever?Or can I get revenge, pleasure and maybe even love, with 3 bad boy bullies at once? This box set contains the complete Bullies of Brentmoor series: Dirty Deeds, Dirty Secrets, Dirty Lies and Dirty Love. Note: These books are about three damaged alpha males and the feisty, curvy female student who stands up to them until they're all on their knees begging to please her! The set contains mature language and scenes, including high heat steam, and potential triggers related to bullying. Although there are some cliffhangers in the individual books, everything is resolved by the end of this complete series collection, for your binge-reading pleasure.

    - An exciting new anthology of travel literature - Features international authors, including Alexander McCall Smith, Joyce Carol Oates and DBC Pierre - Brings to life the idea that travel can inspire, entertain, enlighten and change lives