My God, Russian soldiers being shot with Chinese bullets. Sometimes the world is so beautiful. It's 1981. As the Soviet army burns its way through Afghanistan, CIA operative Jim Warnock is sent to try to halt its bloody progress, beginning a secret spy war behind the official hostilities. Jim and his counterparts in the KGB and the British and Pakistani secret services wrestle with ever-shifting personal and political loyalties. With the outcome of the entire Cold War at stake, Jim and a larger-than-life Afghan warlord decide to place their trust in each other. Spanning a decade and playing out in Washington, D.C., Pakistan, and Afghanistan, Blood and Gifts is a sweeping, often shockingly funny epic set against one of the greatest historical events of recent history, the repercussions of which continue to shape our world.

"Moscow, February 1953. A week before Stalin's death, his final pogrom, "one that would forever rid the Motherland of the vermin," is in full swing. Three government goons arrive in the middle of the night to arrest Solomon Shimonovich Levinson, an actor from the defunct State Jewish Theater. But Levinson, though an old man, is a veteran of past wars, and his shocking response to the intruders sets in motion a series of events both zany and deadly as he proceeds to assemble a ragtag group to help him enact a mad-brilliant plot: the assassination of a tyrant. Levinson's cast of unlikely heroes includes Aleksandr Kogan, a machine-gunner in Levinson's Red Army band who has since become one of Moscow's premier surgeons; Frederick Lewis, an African American who came to the USSR to build smelters and stayed to work as an engineer, learning Russian, Esperanto, and Yiddish; and Kima Petrova, an enigmatic young woman with a score to settle. While the setting is Soviet Russia, the backdrop is Shakespeare: A mad king has a diabolical plan to exterminate and deport his country's remaining Jews. And wandering through the narrative, like a crazy Soviet Ragtime, are such historical figures as Paul Robeson, Solomon Mikhoels, and Marc Chagall. As hilarious as it is moving, as intellectual as it is violent--with echoes of Inglourious Basterds and Seven Samurai--THE YID is a tragicomic masterpiece of historical fiction"--

Some early issues include the Proceedings of the ... annual encampment of the Ladies' Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

Lying bare the political and personal intricacies of community struggles, this extraordinary story portrays the historical roots of the service delivery revolts that have swept South Africa in recent years. This novel centers around an engaging and tragic couple: an unemployed ex-shop steward and revolutionary, Monwabisi Radebe, and his wife, Constantia, a former nursery school aide turned local councilor in the fictional Eastern Cape township of Sivuyile. As the council implements an American-financed project of prepaid meters, water cut-offs are visited upon dozens of households. Idealistic Monwabisi faces the most difficult of choices: to remain loyal to the loving wife and mother of his children, who now represents an increasingly discredited council, or take to the streets with disenchanted residents. As Monwabisi and a host of other compelling characters face moral and economic dilemmas of street level organization, this narrative exposes the complexities of post-1994 politics in South Africa.

Wyn Roosevelt's "Frontier Boys in Frisco" transports readers into a thrilling Western adventure. The story follows the Frontier Boys—Chip, Jimmy, and High-Pockets—on a journey that takes them from the rugged frontiers to the bustling city of San Francisco. As the boys venture into the urban landscape, they find themselves entangled in a web of intrigue and mystery. The narrative unfolds with a blend of action, suspense, and camaraderie as the boys navigate the challenges of an unfamiliar environment. Along the way, they encounter new characters, face unexpected obstacles, and uncover secrets that keep the pages turning. "Frontier Boys in Frisco" captures the essence of the Wild West meeting the modern city, providing readers with a unique perspective on the clash of cultures and values. The novel explores themes of adaptation, courage, and the enduring bonds forged through shared experiences. Roosevelt's storytelling weaves together the excitement of adventure with the charm of the Old West, offering readers an engaging and immersive experience. The Frontier Boys' escapades in the heart of San Francisco bring to life a world of discovery and exploration, while also highlighting the enduring spirit of the frontier.

Satica Azmodious has answered the world?s spiritual crisis with his famous text The Science of God. In her isolated effort to heal the effects of his attack on her before his fame, Aris Desiderita drafted another solution to the crisis, which inspired a movement and conspiracy in the nation of Pangaea. Pat Clor weaves an ambient journey through Azmodious?s social politics and the conflict he has with those proclaiming freewill and individual rights. As Azmodious prepares to face his rival Eugenus Irkson, leading the conspiracy that blames him for the spiritual crisis, Azmodious is left with no alternative but to answer Irkson?s claim and confront Desiderita. She is his last obstacle before claiming his prize as it will be her pardon that will grant his success at being the world?s most celebrated spiritual representative, and ultimately destroying him.