HARRY THE CAMEL lives in the sand dunes of Dubai, and he often watches from a distance as the beautifully sleek race horses at the track run their laps. He laments that his back isn't as smooth as theirs and wonders how much faster he could run without his bulky old hump.

An icon of World War I aerial combat, the Sopwith Camel was a superb dogfighter in the hands of a pilot who could master its vicious idiosyncrasies. The first British fighter to be armed with twin machine guns, the Camel packed a considerable punch and was highly successful, notching up a considerable number of aerial victories. The Camel was a remarkable aircraft, and one that could perform in a variety of roles, including as a ground strafer, a night fighter and a carrier-based fighter. As newer, higher performance aircraft types were introduced and began to eclipse it, the dominance of the Camel declined and losses mounted. Nevertheless, Camels appeared over battlefields throughout the war and beyond, notably in the Russian Civil War.

'I am at home with camels. Where others see a dirty, filthy, smelling, kicking beast, I see a thing of pure anatomical beauty, an intelligent and graceful creature...Because of camels I have built a life I never imagined possible. And all this happened because I decided to say yes to adventure whenever it came my way.' When Sydney-born vet Alex Tinson was literally plucked from the Australian outback to become chief vet in charge of the United Arab Emirates President's racing camels, he was given one mission: to make the President's camels the best in the UAE and, indeed, all of Arabia. Thirty years later he is still there, having become the world's leading camel vet while caring for a menagerie of unusual animals along the way. But this is more than a story about camels and monkeys, spiders and snakes, and all sorts of other exotic creatures. It is also about crossing boundaries of race and religion to create a life full of possibility, of being introduced to the reclusive world of the Gulf Royal families and of sharing the rich lives of Alex's Bedouin family and friends. Warm and generous, intriguing and compelling, The Desert Vet takes us to a place few have entered before.

New Hard-Boiled Detective Series Uncovers Bones, Bodies and Murder! "A fiercely intelligent crime drama as emotionally sharp as it is historically inventive. Krishtalka's prose is powerfully versatile, alternating between the sort of terse, unsentimental phrasing that one would expect from a detective story and poetical elegance."~ Kirkus ReviewsPaleontologist turned private investigator, Harry Przewalski, excavates the dirty underbelly of people's lives, unearthing sexual betrayals, treachery, fraud and murder buried beneath the science of petrified shards, skin and bones. Ultimately, he must face a brutal killing in his own past, when he fled to a desert war and came back with a gun and a license to detect. A famous, 150-year-old museum diorama is vandalized--it depicts the ferocious attack by two lions on a North African courier crossing the Sahara on a Dromedary. The belly of the taxidermied camel has been sliced open and a bundle removed, shedding bits of flesh from a child. Harry is hired to investigate the macabre history of the exhibit. The taxidermist has a grisly past: a sexual affair, a lover's betrayal, a lurid trial, and graves in Botswana and Tunisia plundered for human dioramas. The camel driver's skull and skin are mounted under his clothing. In a Paris museum, a dead archaeologist, a bloodstained journal, and the theft of a Neanderthal child's skull and teeth lead Harry to the stolen bundle--a scientific bombshell worth killing for in a murderous race for fame.

Do you get books from a public library in your town or even in your school library? In many remote areas of the world, there are no library buildings. In many countries, books are delivered in unusual way: by bus, boat, elephant, donkey, train, even by wheelbarrow. Why would librarians go to the trouble of packing books on the backs of elephants or driving miles to deliver books by bus? Because, as one librarian in Azerbaijan says, "Books are as important to us as air or water!" This is the intriguing photo essay, a celebration of books, readers, and libraries.

All Thomas Mirren wants is a simple life. He's an old man now, after all. On his ninetieth birthday, while selling poppies, Thomas interrupts two shoplifters. To get back at him, they start a rumour that the former soldier had never served in the army. Just an old man pretending to be a hero. But who would believe such a thing? Ian Rogers is a journalist. Things are quiet in the office, but then one day, he's handed a story: something about a military imposter. Someone is claiming that Thomas Mirren is a fraud. And it seems there's no record of the old soldier either. Could there be something to it? In a world where perception is reality, does the truth even matter anymore? Does the past matter? Well, it matters to Thomas Mirren, and it looks like his past is about to catch up with him.

“A fascinating story, telling aspects of the American West that most of us know little about.”—True West Magazine In the mid-nineteenth century, the U.S. Army was on the verge of employing a weapon that had never before been seen on its native soil: a cavalry mount that would fare better than both mules and horses in the American Southwest... Against the Mojave in the Arizona Territory, against the Mormons in Utah Territory, during the early stages of the Civil War, the camel would become part of military history and a nearly forgotten chapter of Americana. This is the true story of that experiment and the extraordinary group of people who it brought together. The Last Camel Charge gives them their due as a vital piece of American history. INCLUDES PHOTOS

Raja had always wanted to have a pet like the happy kids in his school books did. But most yard animals in India worked. They weren't for play. Nevertheless, when Raja stumbled upon a scared, baby camel, he took her home and made her his own pet. But it wasn't long before there were smashed pots! Broken fences! And a big mess everywhere! Kamal was a wild camel with wild ways! Raja's father was not pleased. "We don't have time for camels. We're too busy herding goats," he warned. Raja loved his new pet but his father is fed up with the mess and determined to sell her at the next fair. Will Raja find a way to keep Kamal or will they lose each other forever? This tale of unconditional love and hope is sure to enchant any child! The best book for teaching the power of empathy and perseverance. Raja's Pet Camel by Anita Nahta Amin carries the key message of perseverance, tradition and love supported by the many advocates of positive parenting solutions. It'll sit comfortably on your shelf alongside other books that focus on overcoming obstacles and focusing on hope in the name of love. Like the work of Gaia Cornwall (Jabari Jumps) and Adir Levy (What Should Danny Do?).This book comes with a free Reader's Guide for children. The guide is available for free download from the publisher website. Lesson plans, activities and discussion questions to allow parents, teachers and caregivers to explore the topic further and deepen comprehension.

The U.S. Army's oddest recruits: Camels! In this strange but true historical tale, 34 camels were imported to Texas to work as pack animals for the army in 1856. Many people had never seen such strange animals; they didn't believe that these smelly beasts could possibly be useful. Despite many Texans' initial doubts, the camels thrived in the state's desert and transported important military messages and supplies.

Johnny Walker is an undercover Interpol agent. When he is called to Somalia, he thinks he has a dream-come-true assignment when he is asked to guard the harem of a visiting Arabian prince. But the dream turns into a nightmare when the ravishing beauties disappear. He follows the trail to the abductors and discovers a flourishing White Slave trade. The Prince is so happy to get his harem ladies back, he offers Walker an old family heirloom. Walker graciously accepts, but privately he suspects the gold-plated statue caricature of a three legged camel probably has a Made in Hong Kong label on its bottom. After a drinking bout with a friend, Walker drops the statue. When he examines the broken pieces, he has to use tweezers to pull out a frayed map. A treasure map.