A Canadian medical officer and prisoner of war returns from the Second World War a hero — and a very different man. In August 1941, John Reid, a young Canadian doctor, volunteered to join the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps with four friends from medical school. After five weeks of officer training in Ottawa, Reid took an optional two-week course in tropical medicine, a choice which sealed his fate. Assigned to “C” Force, the two Canadian battalions sent to reinforce “semi-tropical” Hong Kong, he was among those captured when the calamitous Battle of Hong Kong ended on Christmas Day. After a year in Hong Kong prison camps, Reid was chosen as the only officer to accompany 663 Canadian POWs sent to Japan to work as slave labourers. His efforts over the next two and a half years to lead, treat, and protect his men were heroic. He survived the war, but finding a peace of his own took ten tumultuous years, with casualties of a different sort. He would never be the same.

National Book Award * Golden Kite Award Winner * Six Starred Reviews A captivating novel about mental illness that lingers long beyond the last page, Challenger Deep is a heartfelt tour de force by New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman. Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench. Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior. Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images. Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head. Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny. Caden Bosch is torn. Challenger Deep is a deeply powerful and personal novel from one of today's most admired writers for teens. Laurie Halse Anderson, award-winning author of Speak, calls Challenger Deep "a brilliant journey across the dark sea of the mind; frightening, sensitive, and powerful. Simply extraordinary."

Physician and country gentleman Peter Blood is forced to turn from medicine to piracy in this swashbuckling classic brimming with stolen treasure, adventure on the high seas, and romance.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Intelligent Virtual Agents, IVA 2007, held in Paris, France, September 2007. The 19 revised full papers and 12 revised short papers presented together with five invited talks and the abstracts of 32 poster papers are organized in topical sections on rendering and analysis, culture and identity, behavior models, feedback models, dialogues, applications, evaluation, gaze models and emotions.

CHRISTMAS ESSENTIALS is an anthology that celebrates the spirit of Christmas through a diverse and magnificent collection of literature. This volume traverses the range of emotions and stories that encapsulate the holiday season, from the joyous to the reflective, presenting readers with a myriad of styles including poetry, short stories, and novels. The literary context of the collection taps into the traditional and the fantastical, featuring standout pieces that explore themes of redemption, love, and the magic of Christmas. The diversity within this compilation not only highlights the universal appeal of the holiday season but also showcases the significant literary contributions of its authors, making it a rich tapestry of Christmas sentiments. The authors and editors behind CHRISTMAS ESSENTIALS come from varied backgrounds and periods, representing a wide spectrum of cultural and literary movements. From the pioneering narratives of Harriet Beecher Stowe and the enchanting tales of Hans Christian Andersen to the poignant poems of William Wordsworth and the transformative stories of Leo Tolstoy, this anthology brings together a remarkable group of contributors. Their collective works, each resonating with the themes of hope, family, and the human experience, contribute to a layered understanding of Christmas. This historical and cultural mosaic not only situates the anthology within significant literary traditions but also offers readers a unique insight into the ways Christmas has been celebrated, lamented, and reflected upon across different contexts and times. CHRISTMAS ESSENTIALS is a must-have anthology for anyone who cherishes the holiday season and desires a deeper exploration of its meanings and manifestations. It invites readers to delve into a world where Christmas is not just a holiday, but a profound subject of artistic and emotional expression. This volume offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the works of some of literature's most beloved figures, all while experiencing the multifaceted perspectives on Christmas. Whether you're seeking the comfort of familiar holiday themes or the thrill of discovering new literary landscapes, CHRISTMAS ESSENTIALS promises to enrich your holiday season with its breadth of insights and the dialogue it fosters between an impressive array of authors' works.

Parachute Doctor is the story of Captain David Tibbs RAMC MC who as a member of 225 (Parachute) Field Ambulance and the 13th Parachute Battalion. His fascinating recollections feature jumping into Normandy on D-Day and the subsequent battle to defend the Airborne perimeter; assisting the Americans in repulsing the Ardennes offensive, the massive Ai

The myth of Scott of the Antarctic, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, icon of fortitude and courage who perished with his fellow explorers on their return from the South Pole on March 29th, 1912, is an enduring one, elevated, dismantled and restored during the turbulence of the succeeding century. Until now, the legend of the doomed Terra Nova expedition has been constructed out of Scott's own diaries and those of his companions, the sketches of 'Uncle Bill' Wilson and the celebrated photographs of Herbert Ponting. Yet for the final, fateful months of their journey, the systematic imaging of this extraordinary scientific endeavor was left to Scott himself, trained by Ponting. In the face of extreme climactic conditions and technical challenges at the dawn of photography, Scott achieved an iconic series of images; breathtaking polar panoramas, geographical and geological formations, and action photographs of the explorers and their animals, remarkable for their technical mastery as well as for their poignancy. Lost, fought over, neglected and finally resurrected, Scott's final photographs are here collected, accurately attributed and catalogued for the first time: a new dimension to the last great expedition of the Heroic Age and a humbling testament to the men whose graves still lie unmarked in the vastness of the Great Alone.

The 'HOLIDAY Ultimate Collection' stands as a monumental anthology, encompassing a vast array of literary styles and themes. From the timeless magic of Dickens' Christmas to the provocative depths of Dostoevsky's existential musings, the collection offers a rich tapestry of holiday narratives that span the gamut of human emotion and experience. It is a compendium that not only celebrates the festive spirit but also explores the profound questions of faith, hope, and redemption that often accompany the season. Highlighting classics such as Shakespeare's poetic finesse and the whimsical tales of Beatrix Potter, this anthology provides readers with a unique exploration of holiday literature through the ages, celebrating both the diversity and the universality of the human condition. The contributing authors of the 'HOLIDAY Ultimate Collection' bring together a remarkable blend of cultural and literary backgrounds, each adding their distinctive voice to the choir of holiday celebrations. The editors have masterfully curated works from luminaries such as Tolstoy, Shakespeare, and Yeats, alongside lesser-known yet equally compelling authors like Ewing and Sedgwick. This collective effort bridges various literary movements and historical periods, from the romanticism of Wordsworth to the realism of Twain, offering a panoramic view of the cultural and social dimensions of holiday literature. The anthology not only serves as a testament to the enduring power of storytelling during festive times but also provides insight into the evolving nature of holiday traditions and reflections across different epochs and geographies. 'HOLIDAY Ultimate Collection' is an indispensable volume for readers seeking to immerse themselves in the rich literary traditions of the holiday season. It invites scholars and enthusiasts alike to traverse the snowy paths of nineteenth-century England, the celebratory fires of medieval Europe, and the serene, starlit nights that have inspired poets and writers for centuries. This collection not only promises a delightful reading experience filled with wonder and nostalgia but also offers a profound educational journey through the history of holiday literature. It beckons readers to embrace the spirit of the season with an open heart and a keen mind, fostering a deeper appreciation for the art of storytelling and the myriad ways it can illuminate the darkest of winters.