This book is about what went right in the Iraq War: The untold acts of valor by some of America’s most highly decorated combat veterans, the brotherhood they shared, and the fighting spirit that kept them alive through the war’s darkest hours. Every word is true, composed from striking and detailed firsthand accounts by elite paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions, a Green Beret, an Army Ranger, infantrymen, combat medics, and Marines. You’ll discover their remarkable heroism as the war’s most significant operations are vividly described, including the invasion, the Battle of Nasiriyah, the taking of Baghdad, the hunt for the infamous Deck of Cards, the fight against al-Sadr’s Mahdi Militia in Najaf, the Second Battle of Fallujah, the Battle of Ramadi, the al-Qaeda insurgency throughout the al-Anbar Province, the surge, and the long withdrawal. Gripping and intimate, American Warfighter is guaranteed to take readers on an unforgettable journey of brotherhood, survival, and courage.

    Always gossip." — Eden Lipson, "Special Edition," WNET/Thirteen

    Short Story!Named a Notable Translation of 2014 by World Literature Today "This entry in Akashic's noir series takes the gritty sensibilities born out of American film and fiction to Tehran."-- Publishers Weekly "A tour de force not to be missed."-- World Literature Today "Tehran Noir is not only a solid crime collection, but an illuminating look into day-to-day life in the Middle East, with religious and political implications galore, as well as racial tensions bubbling just beneath the surface...The stories in Tehran Noir aren't always easy to read, but they are engaging in the extreme."-- San Francisco Book Review "The 15 stories in this collection also come from a stellar and diverse cast of Iranian writers....A collection such as this is able to bring Iran to life for the foreign reader in a way other fiction and non-fiction cannot....Superb."--PopMatters"Tehran Noir is a worthy addition to Akashic's collection...bloody and beautiful."--Digging Through the Fat"Tehran Noir will prove fascinating reading to anyone with an interest in Iran. It will be equally intriguing for a reader who is simply curious about a theocratic society in the 21st century, or what became of a vibrant, cosmopolitan society after the fall of its dynastic ruler."--Gumshoe ReviewLaunched with the summer '04 award-winning best seller Brooklyn Noir, Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies. Each book is comprised of all-new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.Includes brand-new stories by: Gina B. Nahai, Salar Abdoh, Lily Farhadpour, Azardokht Bahrami, Yourik Karim-Masihi, Vali Khalili, Farhaad Heidari Gooran, Aida Moradi Ahani, Mahsa Mohebali, Majed Neisi, Danial Haghighi, Javad Afhami, Sima Saeedi, Mahak Taheri, and Hossein Abkenar.From the Introduction by Salar Abdoh:"There is something of both the absolutely spectacular and positively disgraceful about Tehran. But most writers around the world are inclined to think that their own sprawling metropolis is the capital of every imaginable vice and crime, of impossible love and tenderness and cruelty and malice in measures that seldom exist anywhere else. For me, Tehran's case is no different--except that there really is a difference here. The city may be a hothouse of decadence, a den of inequity, all that. But it still exists under the watchful eye of a very unique entity, the Islamic Republic. The city enforces its own morality police, and there are regular public hangings of drug dealers and thieves. Because of this, there is a raging sense of a split personality about the place--the imposed propriety of the mosque rubbing against the hidden (and more often not so hidden) rhythms of the real city...There is always an element of the end of the world about this place. A feeling of being once removed from the edge of the precipice. Elsewhere I have called it the "Seismic City"--the seismic sanctuary. All of this will end one day. Yes. And maybe sooner than later. And when it does, by God, we will miss it."

    He only has 24 hours before he returns to stone.Can he convince her to spend it with him?BLAZE - A computer geek turned rock star…Mike is good at playing with two things--numbers and his guitar. People, not so much. So when he stumbles upon two women having fun in the shadows at an underground club, and a bouncer urges him to get one to safety, he's not sure how to respond. But, when he discovers she's been bitten and her neck is bleeding, something wakes inside of him.He's compelled to protect her. But--why?

    When he signs up for Dom Wars, he meets Tara who is naive to the BDSM world. Her reckless dominance and puritan heart fascinate him. But when he discovers the pain in her past, it unleashes his true Dom within. Lucian and Tara make it to round two in the DOM WARS. The challenges now revolve around trust, and while Tara's inhibitions in the world of BDSM are slowly being crushed by Lucian's passion, her deep rooted fears become the real obstacle he must dominate.

    Triumph over Failure. Hope over Despair. In Tale of Tala, Henry, a bestselling New York writer is trying to cope with the unexpected death of his mother and the failure of his latest book. His life a triumphant success had collapsed. Flying to Amsterdam to indulge in decadence and depravity, Henry gorges on everything from illicit drugs to vile carnal acts. Wanting more, he heads to Slovenia. Enter Tala - a strikingly beautiful but deceptively cunning prostitute. A Palestinian refugee, her tale of loss and suffering strikes a chord with Henry. The perilous journey between Turkey and Greece; the desperate search for her husband Bilal; kidnapped by human traffickers. Finding himself falling in love, Henry promises to search for the missing Bilal and vows to protect his muse from the perils of life. For a man used to winning, one might wonder how far he will go to help Tala, or will he only go far enough to keep her for himself? Three People. Three Journeys. One Tale. Lies over Truth. Murder over Safety. Crisis over Peace. When a winner loses everything will he become villain or victim? Chaker Khazaal traveled through Europe and the Middle East in 2015 talking to refugees about their different experiences. Inspired by various stories comes a descriptive narrative of the plight of refugees, presented in this romantic thriller novel. The story focuses on the very dark world of displacement - war, human trafficking, terrorism, organ trafficking, and the exploitation of the desperate - while humanizing refugees in this love story.

    After complaining to her teachers about lessons being replaced by Koran study, Marina was arrested late one evening. She was taken to the notorious prison, Evin, where she was interrogated and tortured. Aged sixteen, she was sentenced to death. Prisoner of Tehran is the astonishing account of one woman's remarkable courage in the face of terror and her quest for freedom.

    Twelve-year-old Yaas is born into an already divided family: Her father is the son of wealthy Iranian Jews who are integrated into the country’s upper-class, mostly Muslim elite; her mother was raised in the slums of South Tehran, one street away from the old Jewish ghetto. Yaas spends her childhood navigating the many layers of Iranian society. Her task, already difficult because of the disparity in her parents’ worldview, becomes all the more critical when her father falls in love with a beautiful woman from a noble Muslim family. As her parents’ marriage begins to crumble and the country moves ever closer to revolution, Yaas is plagued by a mysterious and terrifying illness. But despite her ailment, when she learns that her father is about to abandon her and her mother—to immigrate to America with his mistress—Yaas is determined to save herself and her family. At once a cultural exploration of an as-yet-unfamiliar society and a psychological study of the effects of loss, Caspian Rain takes the reader inside the tragic and fascinating world of a brave young girl struggling against impossible odds.

    The novel entwines two equally powerful narratives. A writer named Shahriar—the author’s fictional alter ego—has struggled for years against the all-powerful censor at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Now, on the threshold of fifty, tired of writing dark and bitter stories, he has come to realize that the “world around us has enough death and destruction and sorrow.” He sets out instead to write a bewitching love story, one set in present-day Iran. It may be his greatest challenge yet. Beautiful black-haired Sara and fiercely proud Dara fall in love in the dusty stacks of the library, where they pass secret messages to each other encoded in the pages of their favorite books. But Iran’s Campaign Against Social Corruption forbids their being alone together. Defying the state and their disapproving parents, they meet in secret amid the bustling streets, Internet cafés, and lush private gardens of Tehran. Yet writing freely of Sara and Dara’s encounters, their desires, would put Shahriar in as much peril as his lovers. Thus we read not just the scenes Shahriar has written but also the sentences and words he’s crossed out or merely imagined, knowing they can never be published. Laced with surprising humor and irony, at once provocative and deeply moving, Censoring an Iranian Love Story takes us unforgettably to the heart of one of the world’s most alluring yet least understood cultures. It is an ingenious, wholly original novel—a literary tour de force that is a triumph of art and spirit.

    Jason Elliot has spent the last four years traveling in Iran, and in this remarkable book he reveals the many sides of the culture, art, architecture, and people that Westerners cannot see or conveniently ignore. Part close reading of symbols and images, part history, and part intimate interviews with Iranians of many different kinds--from wealthy aristocrats at forbidden parties to tribal horsemen in the most remote mountain villages, who have never seen a Westerner--"Mirrors of the Unseen" is a beautiful and thought-provoking book by one of the world's most acclaimed adventurers and authors.

    Michael Gear bring us a gripping disaster thriller.The seas flood their banks. Storms devastate entire continents. Fires envelop the world in darkness. The collapse begins…Anthropologist Anika French makes an explosive discovery: due to climate change, our world is threatened with collapse in just a few years, and humanity will perish. Anika’s committee chair published her work under his own name, now powerful people will do anything to obtain Anika’s statistical program for their own use.With murder, kidnapping, extortion, and assassination on every side, Dr. Maureen Cole, a team of specialists, and bodyguard Skip Murphy will do everything in their power to keep Anika safe as they struggle with the implications of Anika’s work. For once the “fracture event” occurs, Anika’s model predicts the end of the world – and dark powers are already testing the model with devastating results.Ultimately, it will be up to Skip, Maureen, and Anika as a deadly showdown in the Alps will determine who will profit from the destruction of civilization.

    Requires Life Insurance. Will be working with deadly magical artifacts and killers. Kill The Willing: Shay Carson had a wake up call when a hitman was sent after her. Her previous profession was getting a bit personal. Then, life offered her a chance to disappear, and she did. What's a girl to do with a very specific set of skills? Take up Tomb Raiding!Behind every complicated woman is a story. For Shay, it happens to be a little complicated and she can't share with her new friends. Better to lie to her friends, than have to kill more for knowing too much! Bury The Past, But Shoot it First: Magic is back on Earth and there’s money to be made. It didn’t take long for Shay Carson to figure out that being a hitman isn’t good for a girl’s retirement plans. Time to fake her own death and get the hell out of town. Start over in L.A. with dream job number two – tomb raider in a world just coming to terms with magic. Just as dangerous a profession but the payoff’s bigger even if someone’s still shooting at her. Good thing this girl has better aim and no problem pulling the trigger. Reload Faster: Killer for hire needs to retool her skill set. Find a new career with a little less risk. Meet Shay Carson – Tomb Raider for hire. Good with weapons, works badly with others, can leave at a moment’s notice and not thrown by magic. She’s already making a name for herself on the dark web. Rich people in search of treasure willing to pay to send someone else. Look out world… Dead In Plain Sight: Shay Carson's rep as a tomb raider grows, along with her list of new friends. The former killer for hire has managed to figure out what a life looks like without killing off her inner circle. But a teenage elf may upend all of it.New adventures across France hunting for the lost scepter of Dagobert protected by dark magic or finding the answers to a broken piece of machinery that’s 300 million years old. Not your typical day job. Shay is not your typical woman… just ask Brownstone. Tomb Raiding PHD: What do you do when someone threatens your man? If his name is Brownstone, you can take the easy way out and just tell him. He’ll take care of the rest. But if you’re Shay Carson, archaeologist of magic and history, you take care of it, permanently. It’s her specialty. In a surprising twist, Shay’s turned out to be teachable and is taking along Lily, a Gray Elf to help her settle the score, while Peyton, her IT specialist with a love of costumes and pizza has her back. Tomb Raider Emeritus: Shay Carson has a secret. Not all aliens are Oricerans.

    Thrown out of every unit defending the City, either she takes on a new role, or she will be sent to the Rats, a company of misfits given the perilous tasks beyond the Great Walls.Her new role, if she takes it, will bring her face to face with her deepest fears, for beneath the walls, in a secret and hidden lair, lies a dragon, imprisoned and waiting… This box-set includes the Blade Trilogy - the first three books (complete arc) of The Magelands Eternal Siege, over 1300 paperback pages or 2000 Kindle pages.The Mortal BladeThe Dragon's BladeThe Prince's Blade

    Laughing and jokes have been proven to have positive mental and physical effects on the body! KINDLE UNLIMITED & AMAZON PRIME can read this book for FREE! This books is especially great for long trips, waiting rooms, and reading aloud at home. 100+ knock knock funny jokes Excellent for early and beginner readers Hours of fun and entertainment for kids and children Great for long trips, waiting rooms, and reading aloud Funny and hilarious knock knock jokes for children of all ages, teens, and adults BONUS INCLUDED --> FREE Joke Book Download 101 Funny Jokes (see link inside) Download a free joke book with purchase of this book! From this Funny Joke Book... Knock knock!Who’s there?Bless!Bless who?I didn’t sneeze! LOL! Knock knock!Who’s there?Auntie!Auntie who?Auntie glad to see me again! HAHA! Knock knock!Who’s there?Zeke!Zeke who?Zeke and ye shall find! LOL! Knock knock!Who’s there?Arnie!Arnie who!Arnie having fun? HAHA! Knock knock!Who’s there?Carl!Carl who?Carl get you there faster than walking will! Best-Selling Author ~ Johnny B. Laughing The Joke King is back with another hilarious joke book full of funny, laugh-out-loud, crazy comedy and MASSIVE assortment of knock knock jokes for children of all ages, teens, and adults. This awesome joke book for kids is easy to read and full of laughs!WARNING: This funny joke book will cause you to laugh hysterically! Scroll up and click 'buy' to start laughing today! 100% Money Back Guarantee Tags: funny knock knock jokes for kids, funny joke, funny jokes, lol, jokes, food, joke book, knock knock book, ebook, books, funny, knock knock jokes, ebooks, funny jokes, kids, haha, hilarious, children, joke, kid, funny jokes for children, kids books, childrens books, childrens book, kids book, kids books, funny knock knock jokes, joke book, food book, joke books, hilarious, lol, laughing, laughter, knock knock, funny jokes, funny joke book, book for kids, kindle book, kindle ebook, joke, jokes, jokes for kids, jokes for children, knock knock jokes, knock knock jokes for kids, funny jokes, jokes online, comedy, humor, early reader, beginning reader, laugh, laughter, funniest jokes, ages5-12, ages 6-8, ages 9-12, comedy, humor, preteen, young adult laughing, kids comedy