Here, historian Alexander Ivanov reveals their fears and betrayals, privilege and debauchery, conspiracies and rivalries, love and tragedy as they forged Russia into one of the world's greatest empires. No ruler in history has embodied the oppressive domination of these rulers more vividly than Alexander Ivanov's opening subject, Tsar Ivan IV, the first of all the Russian tsars, known to history as Ivan the Terrible. Although a gifted ruler who did much to unite and improve the conditions in his primitive country, Ivan was also a notorious sadist who delighted in torturing and murdering anyone who displeased him. Ivan's death in 1584 ushered in the Time of Troubles, thirty-five years of famine, plague, and war that crippled the nation. A series of rulers attempted to cope with the devastation, beginning with Ivan's successor Boris Godunov. Finally, grasping for stability, Russia's nobles begged young Michael Romanov, the great-nephew of Ivan's beloved wife Anastasia, to take the throne. Michael successfully united the war-torn and ravaged nation and founded a dynasty that would rule for 300 years. The Romanov line produced Russia's most brilliant yet most unconventional sovereign: Peter the Great, a towering figure of a man whose restless, creative mind led him on an inexorable quest to modernize and civilize the still backward nation. The reforms he enacted so enraged nobles and peasants alike that Peter had to quash a series of rebellions to keep his crown. Ruthlessly stifling dissent and massacring rebels, he ultimately cowed the Russian people into submission, achieving a legacy that nearly equaled his ambitions. It was left to a woman - and a foreigner, at that - to lead the nation further out of the darkness. German princess Sophie Friederike Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst, known to the world as Catherine the Great, absorbed the principles of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment and applied them to a country built on the backs of millions of serfs. However ineffective some of her policies, in the end, she made Russia a major player on the European stage. Serfdom was finally abolished in the nineteenth century, but it would be decades before Russian peasants could own land of their own and learn to farm it productively. The boyars and tsars clung to power until the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. The sad fate of the last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family, marked the end of the absolute power that Ivan the Terrible had so exploited. The abuses would continue but under a new and drastically different form of government.

    As a postgraduate she moved to London and worked as a researcher at Amnesty International among other jobs. She started writing the Harry Potter series during a delayed Manchester to London King’s Cross train journey, and during the next five years, outlined the plots for each book and began writing the first novel.Jo then moved to northern Portugal, where she taught English as a foreign language. She married in October 1992 and gave birth to a daughter in 1993. When the marriage ended, she and Jessica returned to the UK to live in Edinburgh, where Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone was eventually completed. The book was first published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books in June 1997, under the name J K Rowling. The “K”, for Kathleen, her paternal grandmother’s name was added at her publisher’s request who thought that a woman’s name would not appeal to the target audience of young boys.The second title in the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was published in July 1998 and was No. 1 in the adult hardback bestseller charts for a month after publication. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was published on 8th July 1999 to worldwide acclaim and spent four weeks at No.1 in the UK adult hardback bestseller charts. The fourth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published on 8th July 2000 with a record first print run of 1 million copies for the UK. It quickly broke all records for the greatest number of books sold on the first day of publication in the UK. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was published in Britain, the USA, Canada and Australia on 21st June 2003 and broke the records set by Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire as the fastest selling book in history. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was published in the UK, US and other English-speaking countries on 16th July 2005 and also achieved record sales.The seventh and final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published in the UK, US and other English speaking countries in 2007. J K Rowling has also written two small volumes, which appear as the titles of Harry’s school books within the novels. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through The Ages were published in March 2001 in aid of Comic Relief. In December 2008, The Tales of Beedle the Bard was published in aid of the Children’s High Level Group (now Lumos).As well as an OBE for services to children’s literature, J.K. Rowling is the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees including the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, France’s Légion d’Honneur, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award, and she has been a Commencement Speaker at Harvard University USA. She supports a wide number of charitable causes through her charitable trust Volant, and is the founder of Lumos, a charity working to transform the lives of disadvantaged children.J.K. Rowling lives in Edinburgh with her husband and three children.

    

    Regularly priced at $4.99. Read on your PC, Mac, smart phone, tablet or Kindle device. ----------------- This is not the Best Seller "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. This is an essay on the Most Important Life Lessons of "The Alchemist". (If you haven't read the Alchemist yet, I recommend you do it before reading this book ... although you can also read this book without having read the Alchemist before) ----------------- This book contains proven steps and strategies on how to seek your personal legend; to follow your dreams, and along the journey learn lessons only you and the soul of the world would know. Paulo Coelho ventured his readers into the soul of the world with his enticing masterpiece “The Alchemist”. Enter the world of Santiago, a dreamer who fancy travelling, that is why he traverse his parent’s plans for him of becoming a priest and chose to be a shepherd. The dream that appears in his sleep was of treasures hidden at the Egyptian pyramids, so in search for it, he travelled all the way from Andalusia to the unbounded dessert of Egypt. The story will let you encounter the teachings of the world, most of it was already known to you but the realization will only come dawning after your journey with Santiago. Now start reading it and begin seeking for your own personal legend. Here Is A Preview Of What You'll Learn... The man you wanted to be Language of the soul The world’s greatest lie Personal legend The secret of happiness You cannot trust everyone Language of the world Don’t get used to the way things are Purification of oneself Never be afraid of losing what you have The mysterious chain that links one thing to another Language of love True love is letting go Kinds of alchemist The treasure and the heart Principle of favorability Soul of God The most precious treasure Much, much more! Scroll Up and Download your Copy Today! Be a Companion of Santiago and Learn all these Life and Spiritual Lessons he discovered in his journey! Take action today and download this book for a Limited Time discount of only $2.99! Tags: the alchemist, alchemist, paulo cohelo, the alchemist paulo cohelo, spirituality, personal growth, inspiration, spiritual books, spiritual

    When her mother's health begins to fail, Erina Bridget Ring searches for something to do during the hours she spends at her mother's bedside. What she discovers is knitting--and a group of women knitters. But as she learns to knit and at the same time cares for her ailing mother, she finds that things at the knitting group are not what they seem to be.

    Sharing some of the recipes that they brought over, the tomatoes, the garlic, the sausage, the wine, this is a mouthwatering memoir of family and food. It is also a brilliant evocation of life between the wars, a triumphant story of survival against all the odds, that captures the sights and smells of Italian life and culture, at home and abroad.

    Included in is amazing set are our number-one best sellers by Katie Wyatt and Kat Carson This box set brings together 23 book 5 complete series favorites by our popular authors and brings them to you at an incredible bargain price.Included books are: 1.Orphans of Albany Series Book 1 An Uncertain BeginningBook 2 The Way to His HeartBook 3 A Delicate TouchBook 4 HomespunBook 5 A Musical InterludeBook 6 Song of The HeartBook 7 Twice as NiceBook 8 Sweet EpiphanyBook 9 A Startling Turn of Event 2.Emma Jackson's Western Frontier Love Complete Series Book 1 SacrificeBook 2 ChosenBook 3 DivergenceBook 4 Truth3.Oregon Trail Complete SeriesBook 1 The Reluctant BrideBook 2 The Step ChildrenBook 3 Torn HeartBook 4 The Road Home4.Love of A Child SeriesBook 1 Hope in LoveBook 2 Love Never FailsBook 3 Love is KindBook 4 Love is Patient5.Nuns and Cowboys SeriesBook 1 Sister MaryBook 2 Sister MaryBook 3 Sister Mary Read all the books by bestselling author,Katie Wyatt! Mega Box Set Series (11 Box Set Series)By Katie Wyatt -51 Inspirational Sweet Western Romances Box Set (Mega Box Set Series Book 11-31 Sweet Inspirational Romances Mail Order Bride & Christmas Box Set:-24 Books Western Women Tales of Love Box Set : Historical Western Mail Order Bride and Contemporary Western Romance-50 Boxset Inspirational Historical Western Romances, Mail Order Bride (Mega Box Set Series Book 8)-28 Books Mega Box Set 3 Complete Series (Mega Box Set Series Book 7)-24 Book Mega Box Set: Mail Order Bride Love Series (Mega Box Set Series 6)-25 Book Mega Box Set 5 Complete Series (Mega Box Set Series)- 27 Book Mega Box Set 5 Complete Series (Mega Box Set Series 4)-25 Book Mega Box Set Complete Series: (Mega Box Set Series 3)-26 Book Pioneer Wilderness Romance Complete Series (Mega Box Set Series 2)- Historical Tales of Western Brides 27 Book Mega Box Set Complete Series (Mega Box Set Series 1) Katie Wyatt’s Clean and Wholesome novelette American Mail Order B ride historical Western box set romance series is enjoyable for all ages.

    EDDIE FLYNN NOVEL FROM MICHAEL DONOVAN Cheating husbands. P.I. Eddie Flynn doesn't judge. He just brings back the evidence for a fee and lets the client do the judging. Not that the present fee is much. Young mother Lisa Elland can barely afford the bargain basement charge for a quick check on her husband. But pay she will: even bad news is better than not knowing whether she still has a marriage. And for Flynn the job is a nice filler before he shuts up shop for Christmas. But there's a problem. You can't catch a guy cheating until you find him. And Ray Elland isn't findable. He's disappeared completely with just an overnight bag and a sleazy excuse. He's nowhere to be found. No-one has seen him or heard from him. It's like he doesn't exist. And Flynn's quick investigation has hit the rocks. Then complications arise. Flynn is being followed. He's being threatened. And Lisa has stopped answering her phone. The quick investigation has just turned into a nightmare... The fourth P.I. Eddie Flynn novel from award-winning crime author Michael Donovan. WHAT BOOK REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE EDDIE FLYNN SERIES... "Masterful... If you haven't been introduced to Eddie Flynn yet, be prepared." RED CITY REVIEW "A chilling thriller crafted with a fluid narrative style ... wild nightmarish scenes..." BOOKPLEASURES "A wonderful debut novel in a hugely competitive market" CUCKOO REVIEWS" Good old fashioned detective work. A slick, dynamic mystery. "KIRKUS REVIEWS" [With] more competition than ever in the crime-writing genre, Donovan's novel is a real winner..." LYTHAM ST ANNES EXPRESS "Brilliantly absorbing. Escapism at its best." POSTCARD REVIEWS "Humour ... violent confrontations ... well recommended. "EUROCRIME" Short chapters ... a brilliant use of format ... the [book] will haunt your days and nights" CUCKOO REVIEWS "Great concise writing style... fast paced action ... Donovan makes you feel as though you are uncovering the truth." NEWBOOKSMAG

    And he’s a deputy city marshal in Wichita. When a band of cutthroats torture and kill and elderly couple, Coppersmith turns in his badge and becomes a bounty hunter. Following Brady Rutledge and his gang, Coppersmith ends up in Blanca, Colorado. Wounded and framed for a murder he did not commit, he proves his innocence, and decides it’s time to pin on a star again — and end Rutledge’s murderous reign.

    

    Lana Johnson - young, intelligent and strikingly attractive - is getting serious with the local small-time villain, Ben Ferris. Next door to the Johnsons lives Lottie Curtis, a kind-hearted widow they have taken under their wing. For decades Lottie has been foster mother to children from broken homes. Only Jimmy Bailey has ever demonstrated in a practical way the debt he owed to Lottie. But it's 1946 and Lottie is facing her eightieth birthday alone. When Jimmy, now demobbed, teams up with Lana to organise a reunion of all the old lady's children as a birthday treat, there's more than one surprise in store...

    

    The first time she sees Zeb, she sneers to see a slave working in the hot sun who smiles from sunup to sundown. He finds slavery tolerable? Livy will never accept it! No matter that Zeb's sweet spirit draws her, she will be free whatever it takes. Zeb is smitten by Livy the first time he sees her, but it's a challenge to even get her to say good morning. Brought up to find happiness and hope in every day, he begins his campaign to win her, his easy-going manner never faltering – until slavery's big boot crushes the spirit of his niece Faith, the child he loves as if she were his own. Even if it means he can't have Livy, he has to save Faith from living a cruel life among the master's family. From different paths, Zeb and Livy arrive at the safe haven hidden in the swamps, a place of wild flowers and abundance. But like the first Eden, Orchid Island harbors treachery and heartache. Leaving their refuge behind, Zeb and Livy and their new family begin the journey to their true heaven-on-earth.

    If he had been raised across town in one of Atlanta’s affluent areas, he would probably have been a doctor or lawyer…maybe even president.Instead, he grew up in one of Atlanta’s most depressed ghettos. Cam was a natural born leader, so it was no surprise that he rose to the top of the drug trade. He ran the notorious B.C.B.’s with an iron fist. As a result he was a millionaire by age 21.Join young Cam as he robs, steals and kills on his rise to the top. He grinds his way up the ladder…killing anyone who gets in his way.Part I of the Dope Boy series is sure to leave you wanting more.

    The Standish family are poor but the eldest boy, Tommy, desires wealth and position and will do anything in pursuit of his dream regardless of the misery he causes anyone who dares to step in his way. His ambitions realised, a terrible secret from his past threatens his very existence. THE WIDOW MAKERS 1842-1860 Review the Welsh Books Council www.gwales.com Mead's novel is inspiring reading; a classic tale, full of all the ingredients which make the finest novels. My only criticism was that it ended too soon; I felt bereft! A sequel please. THE WIDOW MAKERS; STRIFE 1860-1874 Review Historical Novel Society The author is a wonderful storyteller who uses authentic well-written language. A page turner. The story stays with you after the book is finished. THE WIDOW MAKERS; STRIFE 1860-1874 Review Welsh Books Council www.gwales.com Jean Mead sweeps you along with her vivid descriptions of 19th century life. A compelling vivid account that leaves you finishing the last page with regret and hoping for more.