"An epic space opera adventure" The 1st 8 hit space operas from The Pike Chronicles. Book 1: Sol Shall Rise The Sol System was conquered and humans lived as slaves for 500 long years. Now, after years of brutal warfare, humanity has been liberated. Liberation, however, comes at a cost, and the Sol System has become nothing more than a puppet state for a vast galactic empire. For Jon Pike, a war hero who has lost everything, there is no substitute for freedom. He blames the aliens for humanity’s troubles, especially the one living inside him. But when he is sent on a top secret mission into unexplored regions of the galaxy he discovers that humanity’s troubles are just getting started. Can he find freedom for himself and humanity? Book 2: Prevail A battle weary Captain fighting for redemption. An impossible search for a scattered crew. Marines pushed beyond their limits. A heinous alien race bent on annihilation. When all is lost, a brave few dare to hope, and continue to fight for freedom. Do they struggle in vain? Or will they prevail? Book 3: Ronin A tenuous alliance. A brazen power play. A looming alien threat. A planet's future held in the balance. In a galaxy where danger waits at every turn, will former enemies be doomed by their past? Or can they fight together in the name of freedom? Book 4: Ghost Fleet A planet surrounded. A homeland in peril. A fleet outgunned. A prophecy to fulfill. With half the galaxy on the brink, can a fledgling alliance offer hope? Or is it doomed to perish in the pyres of war? Book 5: Interstellar War A homeland in ashes. A merciless ancient enemy. A vicious new foe. A galaxy convulsing with war. With humanity on the brink of annihilation, only one option remains, Interstellar War. Can Jon Pike achieve victory, and revenge, for himself and humanity? Book 6: Vanquish The battle for humanity has just begun A brutal attack. A deadly alliance. An alien conspiracy. A galactic invasion. As the prophecy unfolds, Jon Pike discovers that everything is not as it seems. With his life and the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance, can Jon Pike survive long enough to vanquish his enemies? Or will a new dark age descend, yet again, on what's left of humanity? Book 7: Galactic War A devastating invasion. A supremely powerful enemy. A journey into the unknown. The future of the galaxy hanging in the balance. The Erinyie have returned, and despair is spreading throughout the galaxy. Admiral Jon Pike and his forces are helpless against this new, all powerful enemy. Desperate to find help, Jon Pike is forced to undertake a perilous journey, to find the fabled builders of the jump gates. Will he and his team succeed in their quest? Or will the galaxy once again be plunged into darkness? Book 8: Armada A devastated galaxy. A mythical quest fulfilled. Mysterious new friends. Ruthless enemies. A young Emperor finding his way.

    . . . Bruce Lancaster's text is terse, rapid, lucid, and dramatic . . . filled with the color and excitement of a grim and bloody war." – The New York Times The American Heritage History of the American Revolution is the complete chronicle of the Revolutionary War told in full detail. Lancaster starts his story with an examination of colonial society and the origins of the quarrel with England. He details the ensuing battles and military campaigns from Lexington and Concord to the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, as well as the tense political and social situation of the new nation. The American Heritage History of the American Revolution details the birth of America with insight and depth.

    This period, and the century and a half that followed, saw two powerful cultures locked in an often bloody battle over political control, land, trade and a way of life. In The Lion and the Tiger, Denis Judd tells the fascinating story of the British impact upon India, capturing the essence of what the Raj really meant both for the British and their Indian subjects. Judd examines virtually every aspect of this long and controversial relationship, from the first tentative contacts between East and West, the foundation of the East India Company in 1600, the Victorian Raj in all its pomp and splendor, Gandhi's revolutionary tactics to overthrow the Raj and restore India to the Indians, and Lord Mountbatten's swift surgery of partition in 1947, creating the independent Commonwealth states of India and Pakistan. Against this epic backdrop, and using many revealing contemporary accounts, Judd explores the consequences of British rule for both rulers and ruled. Were the British intent on development or exploitation? Were they the civilizing force they claimed? What were Britain's greatest legacies--democracy and the rule of law, or cricket and an efficient railway system? Vividly written, based on extensive research, with many new and colorful documentary extracts and literary sources to illustrate the story, The Lion and the Tiger provides an engaging account of a key moment in British Imperial history.

    It's the first summer of lust for 14-year-old Jim Finnegan, a boy trying to become a man in 1980s Dublin. Jim's vivid and winning voice leaps off the page and into the reader's heart as he watches his parents argue, his five older sisters fight, and the local network of mothers gossip. Jim hilariously recounts his life dealing with the politics of his boisterous family, taking breakneck bike rides with his best friend, dancing to Foreigner on his boombox, and quietly coveting the local girls from afar. Over the summer, Jim wins the attention of a beautiful older girl, but he also becomes the unwilling target of a devious religious figure in the community. His life starts to unravel as he faces consequences from both his love for his girlfriend and his attempts to avoid the Parish Priest. When he and his girlfriend take a ferry for a clandestine trip to London, the dark and difficult repercussions from the trip force Jim to look for the solution to all his problems in some very unusual places. The Fields is an unforgettable story of an extraordinary character. It's a portrait of a boy who sinks into troubles as he grows into a man, and the loving but fractured family that might be his downfall -- or his salvation. Lyrical, funny, and endlessly inventive, it is a brilliant debut from a remarkable new voice.

    Bridget is his wife, expected to be loyal and stand by her husband. She has learned not to hope for much more, until the day she glimpses, for the first time, the chance of a new life. A life without violence, without secrets, and without knocks on the door in the dead of night. A life without her husband.But what if freedom for Bridget means grave danger for Francis?In A Traitor in the Family, bestselling author, Nicholas Searle, tells a story of shocking, intimate betrayal. Can a treacherous act of the most personal kind ever be, in this darkly violent world, an act of mercy?

    British morale was low. The sinking of the Bismarck was a matter of life and death. But before the British could engage her, they had to find her. The British Admiralty received a report that two large German warships had been seen steaming northward through the Kattegat, between Denmark and Sweden. Six days later the shattered hulk of the Bismarck turned bottom up and disappeared beneath the waves a few hundred miles from Brest. In those six days an awe-inspiring drama played itself out. The history of this terrible chase is a story of ups and downs, hopes and anxieties, bitter disappointment and miraculous recovery — a marvellous picture of naval action. In addition the battle is illuminated by comments on strategy and tactics that every reader can appreciate. Praise for Russell Grenfell: "Captain Grenfell has both the background and literary ability to bring the whole dramatic story brilliantly alive" - San Francisco Chronicle "A remarkably lucid account" - Time Magazine "Thoroughly rewarding" - New York Times "Full of dramatic interest" - Times Literary Supplement Russell Grenfell (1892-1954) was promoted to Lieutenant a few years after he first went to sea. Having served on battleships, he was appointed to command destroyers. Prior to his retirement, he served as senior commander at the Royal Naval Staff College in Greenwich. Grenfell authored many naval books, including Main Fleet to Singapore, Nelson the Sailor and Unconditional Hatred.

    It also contains the easy to follow instructions on how to analyze and compute the structural design of critical building parts such as: reinforced concrete slabs, beams, columns and footings. There are also simple designs and floor plans for a variety of building types to be found in this book.BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION should be of interest to architects, engineers, contractors, developers and allied professionals who are engaged in building design, planning and construction. Students and graduates reviewing for the board examinations for architects and engineers would find in this book valuable practical knowledge to supplement the theories learned in their classrooms.Project owners studying this book would appreciate and get a clear understanding of how their envisioned pet project, which sprang only from a mere idea - is transformed slowly step-by-step - into concrete form.Explanations and instructions in BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION are conveyed in direct and simple language for easy understanding even by the layman. Plans and drawings are clearly presented, to be easily interpreted by construction workers.

    'Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world will move forward into broad, sunlit uplands,' said Churchill. The future of Europe depended on Britain. A self-confident Herman Göring thought that it would be only a matter of weeks before his planes had forced Britain to surrender. The courage, resourcefulness and brilliant organisation of the RAF were to prove him wrong. By late September 1940, the RAF had proved invincible, thanks to the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire. It exceeded anything that any other air force possessed. RJ Mitchell, a shy and almost painfully modest engineer, was the genius behind the Spitfire. On the 5th March 1936, following its successful maiden flight, a legend was born.Prize-winning historian Leo McKinstry's vivid history of the Spitfire brings together a rich cast of characters and first hand testimonies. It is a tale full of drama and heroism, of glory and tragedy, with the main protagonist the remarkable plane that played a crucial role in saving Britain.

    Yet shimmering on the horizon was a vision of paradise called Willoughbyland.When Sir Walter Raleigh set out to South America to find the legendary city of El Dorado, he paved the way for an endless series of adventurers who would struggle against the harsh reality of South America’s wild jungles. Six decades later, when a group of English gentlemen expelled from England chose to establish a new colony there, they named the settlement in honor of its founder—Sir Francis Willoughby.Located in the lush landscape between the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, in what is now Suriname, Willougbyland experienced one of colonialism’s most spectacular rises. But as planters and traders followed explorers, and mercenaries and soldiers followed political dissidents, the one-time paradise became a place of terror and cruelty, of sugar and slavery. A microcosm of the history of empire, this is the hitherto untold story of that fateful colony.

    She’s really an elf. And she’s bored, bored,bored. Born and bred as a warrior, Anabella wants nothing more than to trade her tiara for a dagger and a gun.Careful what you wish for…When orcs invade Earth, will Anabella have her chance?Abby is a robotics engineer and certifiable genius (as well as simply certifiable). When Abby’s father is killed by the orcs, she plans on using her intellect to avenge him.Terra is the toughest person in Kansas. Too bad she’s not in Kansas anymore. She was kidnapped by orcs to fight in their sick and twisted battle games.Both Abby and Terra want revenge in the form of gloopy, green orc blood. Will the blood be green, or red?Alone, none of them stand a chance. But together theyjustmight be enough to bring evil to its knees.These three warriors didn’t start the war…but you can be damn sure they’re going to try to finish it. Will they succeed? This boxed set of almost 1800 pages includes the following books:1. Dark Gate Angels2. Shades of Death3. The Allies of Death4. The Deadliness of Light

    Back to basics guide to improve your knowledge of and practice of photography.Topics include camera and lens types, lighting, exposure, composition and image editing.

    Home of the brave. This is America. After the apocalypse. After the End. The world you love has fallen apart. What will you become?Who will you blame?And who can you trust?Follow the adventures of Eda Becker as she navigates her way through the ruins of a ravaged, post-nuclear superpower.   After the End Trilogy features three breathtaking novels (The Curse, The Sinners, The End War) – ‘full of action and great characters.’ Don’t miss out on this series if you love post-apocalyptic, horror and dystopian fiction.

    Chronicles the turbulent marriage of Logan Macintyre and Allison MacNeil as they face unsettling changes and must work together to forge a lasting marriage and create a legacy for their family.

    Is Victorian masturbation anxiety the root cause of England's many World Cup failures? What links Roy Keane to a soldier who never lived but died in the Charge of the Light Brigade? And how did thick mud and wet leather shape the contours of the English soul? In this playful and highly original look at English football, David Winner, author of the acclaimed Brilliant Orange, journeys to the heart of Englishness itself, and shines a peculiar light on the true nature of a rapidly-changing game which was never really meant to be beautiful.

    From the first page to the last, fans of Edward Rutherford and W. Michael Gear will enjoy this riveting, historically accurate tale of adventure, endurance, and hope. In the second year of an Gorta Mhór--the Great Famine--nineteen-year-old Devin Mahoney lies on the dirt floor of his small, dark cabin. He has not eaten in five days. His only hope of survival is to get to America, the land of milk and honey. After surviving disease and storms at sea that decimate crew and passengers alike, Devin's ship limps into New York Harbor three days before Christmas, 1849. Thus starts an epic journey that will take him and his descendants through one hundred and fourteen years of American history, including the Civil War, the Wild West, and the Great Depression. Mahoney is recommended for fans of Barbara Kingsolve, Herman Wouk, Cormac McCarthy, Ayse Kulin, Frank Delany, James Michener, William Kent Krueger, and Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts series.