It is 1842, and twenty-two year old Lola Montez seeks escape from a divorce trial. She accepts an offer to fulfil a few tasks for Juan de Grimaldi—a spy for the exiled Spanish queen. Going undercover, she falls dangerously in love and becomes a double agent, and is forced to flee to France, with a dangerous group of Loyalists in hot pursuit.

Lola Montez, on an outrageous dare, seduces King Ludwig I of Bavaria. The aging royal cannot resist her moves as a Spanish dancer, nor the exciting wardrobe malfunction which ensues. Meanwhile, Europe seethes with unrest. In 1848, Lola is the target of a terrifying witch hunt, and must save herself and also foment a remarkable revolution.

Lola Montez runs from the haunting memories of Spain. She meets Franz Liszt; performs her racy Spider Dance at the Paris Opéra; then meets the man of her dreams, a friend of Alexandre Dumas. Shadowy figures try to stop another venture: writing a novel about a feisty female character. In the heady atmosphere of the left bank, will Lola survive?

It is 1842, and twenty-two year old Lola Montez seeks escape from a divorce trial. She accepts an offer to fulfil a few tasks for Juan de Grimaldi--a spy for the exiled Spanish queen. Going undercover, she falls dangerously in love and becomes a double agent, and is forced to flee to France, with a dangerous group of Loyalists in hot pursuit.

Commemorating its 25th anniversary, a limited, one-time printing, collector’s edition of the over 4-million copy selling, must-have book that’s guided those millions to success and happiness, from the New York Times bestselling author and foremost expert on power and strategy. A not-to-be-missed Special Power Edition of the modern classic, now beautifully packaged in a vegan leather cover with gilded edges, including short new notes to readers from Robert Greene and packager Joost Elffers. Greene distills three thousand years of the history of power into 48 essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz as well as the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum. Including a hidden special effect that features portraits of Machiavelli and Greene appearing as the pages are turned, this invaluable guide takes readers through our greatest thinkers, past to present. This multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control – from the author of The Laws of Human Nature. In the book that People magazine proclaimed “beguiling” and “fascinating,” Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have distilled three thousand years of the history of power into 48 essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz and also from the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum. Some laws teach the need for prudence (“Law 1: Never Outshine the Master”), others teach the value of confidence (“Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness”), and many recommend absolute self-preservation (“Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally”). Every law, though, has one thing in common: an interest in total domination. In a bold and arresting two-color package, The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your aim is conquest, self-defense, or simply to understand the rules of the game.

Australians have been transported to an imaginary Spain from at least the 1830s, when cachuchas were first danced on the Sydney stage. In Take Me to Spain John Whiteoak explores the rich tapestry of Australians’ fascination with all thing Spanish, from the voluptuous sensuality of Lola Montez to operas featuring señoritas, toreadors and Gypsies, and from evocative silent and later Spain-themed Hollywood movies to the dazzlingly creative artistry of the flamenco dancers and guitarists who toured Australia in the 1960s and ’70s. Examining the diverse ways that Spanish music and dance have been mediated or hybridised to cater for Australian popular taste, this landmark study reveals how Hispanic traditions have become integral to the cultural history of the nation.