In Tales of Two Peninsulas and an Island, Gary Swagart recalls some of his experiences as a semi-Yooper kid before he changed to a Troll and later became a Yooper again. Many of these experiences revolved around subsistence living farm life, which contained a lot of hard work, drudgery, even. Some of the stories are about some real characters, simply because that is just what they were. His love of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Lake Superior, and Isle Royale shows through despite some hair-raising, near-miss incidents that easily could have resulted in catastrophe (including putting his wife in jail.) In this sometimes harsh, but always beautiful part of the world, Death can slip its icy fingers around the unwary without warning. Something as simple as getting a wet foot or forgetting to put car flaps down can be fatal. As can be getting lost in a Lake Superior fog, going downwind, or dropping a wrench in a boat. Simply underestimating the amount of time it will take to get from point A to point B can be fatal. The person who escapes the icy fingers learns to appreciate just how tenuous the thread of life can be.

With humor and perceptive candor, the twenty-six short stories in this anthology build upon the author's earlier works on Michigan small town life. Set during different time periods from the early twentieth century to twenty years into the future, often in spectacular outdoor settings, the stories pursue such themes as the innocence of youth, ethnic customs, the troubled state economy, fear of those who are different, dubious claims of morality, heartbreak, the corrupt side of academia, career options, and the loneliness of old age. Anyone who has ever lived in, or even visited at some length, an American small town will identify with many of the not so common situations depicted in this collection.

Explorer and geographer Alastair Bonnett takes us on a thought-provoking tour of the world’s most fascinating islands, featuring hand-drawn maps, color photos, and stories from his travels. There are millions of islands on our planet. New islands are being built at an unprecedented rate, for tourism and territorial ambition. Many are also disappearing, besieged by rising sea levels. The story of our world’s islands is one of the great dramas of our time, and it is playing out around the planet—islands are sprouting or being submerged everywhere from the South China Sea to the Atlantic. Elsewhere is the story of this strange and mesmerizing planetary spectacle. In this book, explorer and geographer Alastair Bonnett takes us on a thought-provoking tour of the world’s most fascinating islands. He traveled the globe to provide a firsthand look at numerous islands, sketching a vivid likeness of each one he visited. From a “crannog,” an ancient artificial island in a Scottish loch, to the militarized artificial islands China is building; from the disappearing islands that remain the home of native Central Americans to the ritzy new islands of Dubai; from Hong Kong to the Isles of Scilly—all have compelling stories to tell. As we journey around the world with Bonnett, he addresses urgent contemporary issues such as climate change, economic inequality, and the changing balance of world power as reflected in the fates of islands. Along the way, we also learn about the many ways islands rise and fall, the long and little-known history of human island-building and the prospect that the inland hills and valleys will one day be archipelagos. Featuring Bonnett’s charming hand-drawn maps and 33 full-color photos, Elsewhere is a captivating travel book for any armchair adventurer.

The Deacon's Tale is the story of Cai Rui, Task Force Commander of the infamous "Black Section" of the Sol Force Intelligence Corps and a loyal Archdeacon of the Roman Catholic Church. Charged to investigate a brutal massacre of Catholic converts on a distant alien world, Cai Rui finds himself on the trail of a killer who can threaten not only his life, but his very soul. As a brutal new race emerges from the shadows, one man will be tested to the extremes of courage and faith by an enemy who dares to call himself..."The Deacon." "Sword of the Stars. I have played almost nothing else for a week... I had a fever this weekend, and I experienced dreams about the game that were so gripping, so true to life, and in their way terrifying, that I now believe the future described in the Sword of the Stars wiki to be the accurately predicted future of our galaxy." --Tycho Brahe, Penny Arcade

Savor the magical harmony of contrasts—from mountains to the sea, cosmopolitan cities to the rolling hills of wine country. On the surface, Seattle and Vancouver seem so similar as to be inseparable. Dig a little deeper, and their distinctive personalities spring forth. This book revels in the differences as well as the similarities of the two cities and the regions they occupy, and it serves as an exuberant and insightful guide to discovering and enjoying their unique offerings. As in each Great Destinations series guidebook, you'll find important contact information for lodging, dining, shopping, and recreational activities, transportation details, a calendar of events, special "If Time Is Short" options, local history, a host of photos and maps, and essential information for residents. Find out why National Geographic Traveler said the Explorer's Great Destinations series is "consistently rated the best guides to the regions covered. Readable, tasteful, appealingly designed. Strong on dining, lodging, culture, and history."

Our Island Story is the "history" of England up to Queen Victoria's Death. Marshall used these stories to tell her children about their homeland, Great Britain. To add to the excitement, she mixed in a bit of myth as well as a few legends.

Enjoy the best sea adventures, treasure hunt tales and bloody battles, along with learning the truth behind the legends, the real life stories that inspired so many writers and produced so many beloved classics: History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates (Captain Charles Johnson) The Book of Buried Treasure Treasure Island (R. L. Stevenson) Blackbeard: Buccaneer (R. D. Paine) Pieces of Eight (Le Gallienne) Captain Singleton (Defoe) Gold-Bug (Edgar Allan Poe) Hearts of Three (Jack London) The Dark Frigate (C. B. Hawes) Isle of Pirate's Doom (Robert E. Howard) Swords of Red Brotherhood (Howard) Queen of Black Coast (Howard) Barbarossa—King of the Corsairs Black Vulmea (Howard) Afloat and Ashore (James F. Cooper) Homeward Bound (Cooper) Red Rover (Cooper) Facing the Flag (Jules Verne) A Pirate of the Caribbees (H. Collingwood) Pirate Gow (Daniel Defoe) The King of Pirates (Defoe) The Pirate (Walter Scott) Rose of Paradise (Howard Pyle) Captain Sharkey (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Pirate (Frederick Marryat) Three Cutters (Marryat) Madman and the Pirate (R. M. Ballantyne) The Offshore Pirate (F. Scott Fitzgerald) Coral Island (Ballantyne) Under the Waves (Ballantyne) Pirate City (Ballantyne) Captain Boldheart (Dickens) Master Key (L. Frank Baum) A Man to His Mate (J. Allan Dunn) Tales of the Fish Patrol (Jack London) Robinson Crusoe (Defoe) Peter Pan and Wendy (J. M. Barrie) Mysterious Island (Jules Verne) Count of Monte Cristo (Dumas) Ghost Pirates (W. H. Hodgson) The Pirate Island (H. Collingwood) Among Malay Pirates The Capture of Panama, 1671 The Malay Proas (James F. Cooper) The Daughter of the Great Mogul (Defoe) Morgan at Puerto Bello The Ways of the Buccaneers Narrative of the Capture of the Ship Derby, 1735 The Fight Between the Dorrill and the Moca Jaddi the Malay Pirate The Terrible Ladrones The Female Captive The Passing of Mogul Mackenzie Sea-Wolves of the Mediterranean Pirates of Panama...