BIRTH OF KINGS is a modern-day retelling of the dramatic events that unfold in the first part of the Mahabharata – the ancient Sanskrit text that is regarded as a historical account of the foundation of Hinduism and a code of ethics for those that follow the religion. This version aims to tell the story in a manner that engages a contemporary audience with dramatic tension and fascinating plots. The reader is taken on a thrilling journey to understand the roles that characters play in building towards the climax, focusing not only on key individuals but also others whose roles are significant but often overlooked. The text is written in a traditional epic manner which immerses the reader into the plot, leaving nothing amiss whilst adding great suspense. The primary narrative follows two sets of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas, who vie with each other for the Kingdom. Multiple subplots weave throughout the epic, as the characters are brought to life and begin to pursue their motives, with the importance of family and loyalty a major theme. The loyalties of many characters become sewn into the fabric of the plot as the narrative develops in a fascinating manner . Characters are brought to life and seeds are sown that eventually grow to have a great impact on future events. Tension builds throughout the epic as allegiances are forged, often in heart-breaking circumstances, laid bare for the reader to understand and become immersed in the tale.

A young rogue named Stint. His childhood friend, Exeter and his wife Deliah. A secret that had been withheld by the brothers of Stroud Monastery and their journey into their untold past. Loyalty, betrayal, tragedy and the fate of Inizar hang in the balance as their destinies unfold. Monitored by ethereal, mystical eyes, Book Two: The Sword of Trystan, will lead the reader toward dark truths, wherein, Book Three: The Dragon's Breath, will hold Inizar's providence to be re-examined.

In this popular play-cycle, Sayers makes the Gospels come alive. "Her Jesus can bring tears to your eyes. You will be deeply moved--a powerful experience".--Sheldon Vanauken, A Severe Mercy.

In the tradition of Why Nations Fail, this book solves one of the great puzzles of history: Why did the West become the most powerful civilization in the world? Western exceptionalism—the idea that European civilizations are freer, wealthier, and less violent—is a widespread and powerful political idea. It has been a source of peace and prosperity in some societies, and of ethnic cleansing and havoc in others. Yet in The Invention of Power, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita draws on his expertise in political maneuvering, deal-making, and game theory to present a revolutionary new theory of Western exceptionalism: that a single, rarely discussed event in the twelfth century changed the course of European and world history. By creating a compromise between churches and nation-states that, in effect, traded money for power and power for money, the 1122 Concordat of Worms incentivized economic growth, facilitated secularization, and improved the lot of the citizenry, all of which set European countries on a course for prosperity. In the centuries since, countries that have had a similar dynamic of competition between church and state have been consistently better off than those that have not. The Invention of Power upends conventional thinking about European culture, religion, and race and presents a persuasive new vision of world history.

Presents a family guide to the Bible that, told through historic art and artifacts, tells the stories of biblical characters and highlights their greater meaning for mankind.

The publication of the King James version of the Bible, translated between 1603 and 1611, coincided with an extraordinary flowering of English literature and is universally acknowledged as the greatest influence on English-language literature in history. Now, world-class literary writers introduce the book of the King James Bible in a series of beautifully designed, small-format volumes. The introducers' passionate, provocative, and personal engagements with the spirituality and the language of the text make the Bible come alive as a stunning work of literature and remind us of its overwhelming contemporary relevance.

Charles Dickens's other Christmas classic, with a new introduction by Dickens's great-great-grandson, Gerald Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens wrote The Life of Our Lord during the years 1846-1849, just about the time he was completing David Copperfield. In this charming, simple retelling of the life of Jesus Christ, adapted from the Gospel of St. Luke, Dickens hoped to teach his young children about religion and faith. Since he wrote it exclusively for his children, Dickens refused to allow publication. For eighty-five years the manuscript was guarded as a precious family secret, and it was handed down from one relative to the next. When Dickens died in 1870, it was left to his sister-in-law, Georgina Hogarth. From there it fell to Dickens's son, Sir Henry Fielding Dickens, with the admonition that it should not be published while any child of Dickens lived. Just before the 1933 holidays, Sir Henry, then the only living child of Dickens, died, leaving his father's manuscript to his wife and children. He also bequeathed to them the right to make the decision to publish The Life of Our Lord. By majority vote, Sir Henry's widow and children decided to publish the book in London. In 1934, Simon & Schuster published the first American edition, which became one of the year's biggest bestsellers.

Weaving the fantasy appeal of Game of Thrones with the shocking details of real history, New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known, Alexander the Great, in book one of the Blood of Gods and Royals series. Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn and, in their ashes, empires rise. Alexander, Macedon's sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world, but finds himself drawn to a newcomer... Katerina must navigate the dark secrets of court life while keeping her own mission hidden: kill the queen. But she doesn't account for her first love... Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, even if it means competing with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander's unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

The enigma of King Herod as a cruel bloodthirsty tyrant on the one hand, and a great builder on the other is discussed in a systematic modern historical and psychological study. It seeks to unravel the contradictory historic mystery of the man and his deeds. After A. Schalit's König Herodes, this study is a new comprehensive, pioneering study on the intriguing personality of Herod, also using the insights of psychology. Herod's mental state reached an acute level, consistent with the DSM-IV diagnosis for "Paranoid Personality Disorder". He grew up with an ambiguous identity and suffered from feelings of inferiority. Haunted by persecutory delusions, he executed almost any suspect of treason, including his wife and three sons. The Hebrew original text was Winner of the Ya'acov Bahat Prize for Non-Fiction Hebrew Literature for 2006.