An extraordinary wartime memoir, combining the best kind of adventure story with a coming of age testimony of unforgettable resonance and poignancy. September 2011, Halkidiki, Northern Greece. A solitary 86 year-old man gazes across an Aegean headland, knowing that he must finally confront his past. He begins to write... September 1939, Nieppe, Northern France. 14 year-old Stephen is living with his family, 25 kilometres from Ypres. His French mother battles with her encroaching blindness. Failing to escape the advancing German army, his English father can no longer look after the war graves that cast so heartbreaking a shadow across the region. Stephen and his friend Marcel embark upon their great adventure: collecting souvenirs from strafed convoys and crashed Messerschmitts. But their world turns dark when arrested and imprisoned for sabotage and threatened with deportation or the firing squad. Upon his release, and still only 16, Stephen is recruited by the French Resistance. Growing up under the threat of imminent betrayal, he learns the arts of clandestine warfare, and - in a moment that haunts him still - how to kill... Such was the impact of Stephen Grady's work for the French Resistance, (especially during the countdown to D-Day and its bloody aftermath) that he was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the American Medal of Freedom.

Nicholas Proffitt's highly praised first novel, Gardens of Stone, has just been made into a movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film, which has been scheduled for release in April, will star James Caan, Anjelica Huston and James Earl Jones. (Entertainment)

Gain some new ideas along with the principles and history of Japanese stone gardening with this useful and beautiful garden design book. Japanese Stone Gardens provides a comprehensive introduction to the powerful mystique and dynamism of the Japanese stone garden—from their earliest use as props in animistic rituals, to their appropriation by Zen monks and priests to create settings conducive to contemplation and finally to their contemporary uses and meaning. With insightful text and abundant imagery, this book reveals the hidden order of stone gardens and in the process heightens the enthusiast's appreciation of them. The Japanese stone garden is an art form recognized around the globe. These meditative gardens provide tranquil settings, where visitors can shed the burdens and stresses of modern existence, satisfy an age-old yearning for solitude and repose, and experience the restorative power of art and nature. For this reason, the value of the Japanese stone garden today is arguably even greater than when many of them were created. Fifteen gardens are featured in this book: some well known, such as the famous temple gardens of Kyoto, others less so, among them gardens spread through the south of Honshu Island and the southern islands of Shikoku and Kyushu and in faraway Okinawa.

Vast legions of gods, mages, humans, dragons and all manner of creatures play out the fate of the Malazan Empire in this first book in a major epic fantasy series from Steven Erikson. The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze. However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand... Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A semi-autobiographical short book by Burroughs in which he shares some of his fragmentary memories of his youth in St. Louis.

Great ideas and professional advice on the art and craft of building stone into your garden landscapes. Photo galleries showcase timeless designs for stone patios, stairs, pathways, retaining walls pebbles mosaics, and more. Creative design tips and step-by-step explanations guide you through the process of building your own features. Materials guides advise on the selection on stepping-stones, flagstone, fieldstone, cut stone, and more.

A new epic begins fueled by visions promising him prolonged life and political power, the dying Corajidin, leader of a millennia-old dynasty, has brought the nation of Shrīan to civil war. But is his bright destiny assured, or do the events unfolding around him promise a more ignoble, and finite, future Indris, warrior-mage of the Sēq Scholars and scion of a rival Great House, is caught in the upheaval. Driven by loyalty and conscience to return to a city that haunts his past, Indris reluctantly accepts the task of finding a missing man, the only one able to steer the teetering nation toward peace? The celebrated warrior-poet, Mari, touches both men's lives: one as daughter, one as lover. As her world unravels around her, can she be true to both her duty to blood, and her own desires for freedom and happiness.

"They are found in tiny parcels of land squeezed among Manhattan buildings and in large rolling tracts of land in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. New York City's cemeteries carry on the ancient tradition of memorializing the dead with monuments, from plain gray markers to imposing crypts. Whatever their size, they tell the story of the city's evolution--its triumphs, tragedies, and setbacks--as it became a global capital ... [This book] takes you on a walk through these memorial parks, guiding you through works of art cast in stone, from small solitary monuments to some of the country's most grand mausoleums"--Page 4 of cover.

An exclusive look at the exquisite residential gardens of the American Riviera. Private Gardens of Santa Barbara is an invitation into eighteen distinctive private, and beautiful gardens; large estates, modest homes, and surf retreats run the gamut from sublime and naturalistic to bold and urban. What they have in common, however, is what makes them truly inspiring. Showcased through 190 stunning images in more than 250 pages in this elegant coffee table book format, each beautiful landscape represents a widely varied garden style developed in response to the unique character of each site, the architecture, and the larger environment; and adapted to the lifestyle, personality, and practical needs of the individuals and families who live there. In a career that spans over 30 years, Margie Grace, principal of Grace Design Associates, has established herself as an expert in sustainable landscape design and advocate for environmentally sensitive gardens. These gardens offer endless inspiration for sustainable home garden design, created with water-smart, maintenance-smart, and fire-smart priorities in mind, with high habitat value and plants well adapted to the Southern California climate of Santa Barbara.

The new compact hardcover edition of the first book devoted to the work of one of today's most celebrated garden designers. Arne Maynard is known for his award-winning gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show, and for his elegant and sympathetic gardens for private houses worldwide including in the USA. Central to his work is his ability to draw out the essence of a place - a talent that lends his gardens a particular sense of harmony and belonging. A passionate gardener himself, Maynard is in the process of transforming the garden around his house, Allt-y-bela, in rural Wales. This garden is featured in the book, offering insights into the work in progress and Maynard's design methods. Also included is Maynard's very first garden of his own, at Guanock House in Lincolnshire, where he spent 10 years creating from a flat field a formal layout, with a kitchen garden, knot garden, and herbaceous borders. A total of 12 gardens have been specially photographed, and each is described through the seasons in personal text by Maynard, including details of the brief and the plant selection. The Gardens of Arne Maynard is completed by illustrated features on various topics close to the designer's heart, such as growing and using roses, planting borders, creating productive kitchen gardens, incorporating sculpture in the garden, and training trees and shrubs.