Thomas Kanti is one of the thousands of teenagers trapped inside a dome for a cruel government experiment. He is expected to form a functioning government inside the dome by the Free Nation Party, one that will be just like the FNP to show the rest of the US that they are the best party to vote for. Tom and his allies form an Empire to try to defy the Free Nationers, but have failed in their attempts to do so. With few options at his disposal, Tom risks it all in one crazy attempt to escape the dome, with deadly consequences if he fails. Tom's Empire is not the only government inside the dome. Several large factions, including the Twin Pines Republic and People's Federation, also try to finish the goals that the FNP set in exchange for their freedom. Growing resentment from the rest of the teenagers leads to a new government being formed, one that is stronger and much more vengeful compared to the previous power-brokers inside the dome. All of these governments bet that their strategy will get them out of the dome, but only one could triumph. Even among the Free Nation Party there is infighting on the fate of this experiment. Both Lt. Col. Rickley and Maj. Perez wager their military careers, and their lives, on who can successfully complete Project Patriot and win the favor from the FNP. Will any of these groups win the prize they are seeking, or will all of them go bust? Find out as the war of words and guns collide in the final part of the Project Patriot trilogy!

The Secrets of the Shadow-Men Magic? It's for the rich, the powerful...the Archmage and his elite wizards and cloud-masters. Livak is not among them. She haunts the back taverns of the realm, careful to appear neither rich nor poor, neither tall nor short . . . neither man nor woman. Obscurity is her protection, thievery her livelihood, and gambling her weakness. Alas, some bets are hard to resist. Particularly when they offer a chance to board a ship for Hadrumal, the fabled city of the Archmage. So Livak follows a minor wizard, Shiv, in an attempt to turn a rune or two, never dreaming that the stolen tankard she wants to sell contains the secrets of an ancient magic far more powerful, and infinitely darker, than any mortal mage's spells.

The author's "forgotten novel" about submarine warfare finds the United States at war and its underwater fleet carrying the burden of the conflict. Reprint.

How the Civil War endures in American life through literature and culture. Recipient of the Eric Hoffer Award's Montaigne Medal The American Civil War lives on in our collective imagination like few other events. The story of the war has been retold in countless films, novels, poems, memoirs, plays, sculptures, and monuments. Often remembered as an emancipatory struggle, as an attempt to destroy slavery in America now and forever, it is also memorialized as a fight for Southern independence; as a fratricide that divided the national family; and as a dark, cruel conflict defined by its brutality. What do these stories, myths, and rumors have in common, and what do they teach us about modern America? In this fascinating book, Cody Marrs reveals how these narratives evolved over time and why they acquired such lasting power. Marrs addresses an eclectic range of texts, traditions, and creators, from Walt Whitman, Abram Ryan, and Abraham Lincoln to Margaret Mitchell, D. W. Griffith, and W. E. B. Du Bois. He also identifies several basic plots about the Civil War that anchor public memory and continually compete for cultural primacy. In other words, from the perspective of American cultural memory, there is no single Civil War. Whether they fill us with elation or terror; whether they side with the North or the South; whether they come from the 1860s, the 1960s, or today, these stories all make one thing vividly clear: the Civil War is an ongoing conflict, persisting not merely as a cultural touchstone but as an unresolved struggle through which Americans inevitably define themselves. A timely, evocative, and beautifully written book, Not Even Past is essential reading for anyone interested in the Civil War and its role in American history.

The narrative invites readers to witness the meticulous preparations and high hopes that accompanied the crew as they set sail from San Francisco with the ambitious goal of reaching the North Pole. However, fate intervenes as the USS Jeannette becomes ensnared in pack ice, thrusting the crew into a harrowing struggle for survival in the unforgiving Arctic wilderness. As the expedition unfolds, readers will confront the extreme conditions that challenge both the physical and mental limits of the crew. The narrative captures their desperate attempts to adapt to dwindling resources while maintaining their unwavering spirit and camaraderie. Captain De Long's exceptional leadership shines through as he navigates the crew through trials and tribulations, showcasing acts of bravery and selflessness that embody the human spirit. This captivating tale delves into the tragic outcomes faced by many crew members and the heroic efforts of those who survived to share their story. The expedition's historical significance is explored, shedding light on its contributions to Arctic knowledge and its lasting impact on future explorations. Readers will be moved by the triumphs and tragedies of this journey, as well as the lessons learned about resilience, teamwork, and the delicate balance of exploration and sacrifice. Journey Across Ice not only chronicles a gripping adventure but also invites reflection on the allure of the unknown and the enduring quest for discovery, making it a compelling read for history enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike.

The Lord Wept: The Freedom of Zion The Great Jewish Revolt against Rome was a first-century tragedy whose effects still resonate today. Timeless themes that still plague the Middle East region and the world -- ethnic conflict, religious fanaticism, social upheaval, and the clash of civilizations -- made their baleful appearance in this bloody conflict fought from 66-73 CE. The Jews struggle against the Rome of Nero Caesar was part of the age-old battle of human kind to establish a society of justice and freedom in the face of the tyranny and exploitation of a great empire. It is also a story of the deeply fractured and corrupted Jewish nations bitter struggle with itself over issues of wealth and poverty, law and governance, and collaboration or defiance while seeking to order its society according to its unique laws and customs. An intense religious atmosphere infused the Jewish drive for freedom, and the deep religious ferment associated with their struggle had a profound influence on the subsequent development of both Judaism and Christianity. The trilogy The Lord Wept brings to life the swirling events of the Jewish nations attempt to free itself from the Roman Empire. Its characters are largely drawn from actual personages of the time, and the action adheres closely to historic events. The Disinherited Nation, the first novel of the trilogy (also available from Xlibris), is set amidst the chaotic events of the year 66 when the revolt erupted and the Jews attained a temporary freedom. The final two novels of the trilogy are here published as the twin parts of the novel The Freedom of Zion. The Star and the Scepter, the first part of that book, is set in the years 67 and 68 CE when a new Roman general Flavius Vespasianus conducts a brutal campaign of reconquest in Judaea. The shaky new government of free Israel, a conservative regime headed by High Priest Ananus, is unable to offer effective resistance and is itself overthrown by an uneasy coalition of Jewish revolutionaries including the Zealots led by the radical aristocrat, Eleazar ben Simon who attempt to impose far-reaching changes in Jewish society and governance. Another radical faction, the Tzadikim, is ensconced in the desert fortress of Masada. One of its leaders, Eleazar ben Jair, believing that the Lord has condemned the new Jewish state for its corruption, hopes to take his movement completely out of the war while his colleague Simon ben Giora nurses a vision of unremitting resistance to Rome. In the course of these events the respected old rabbi Jochanan ben Zacchai despairs that the new free Israel can ever fight off the Romans and begins to formulate a radically different Jewish society that will survive the inevitable destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. He eventually flees Jerusalem and establishes himself at Jabne, a town turned into a refugee camp by Vespasian. Meanwhile, the young priestly aristocrat Joseph ben Matthias has been sent to lead the resistance movement in Galilee. He is unable to stop Vespasians onslaught and is himself trapped and captured. Vespasian spares his life, however, intrigued by his prisoners amazing prophesy. Joseph declared that the Lord revealed that the Roman general was the star and the scepter of an ancient Jewish prophesy who is fated to rule the world. Joseph changes sides and becomes a sycophantic adherent of Vespasian and his son Titus. He begins to put together a grotesquely biased account of his experiences in the Jewish War, filled with absurd flattery of his new Roman patrons that even Titus does not take seriously. The Christian community of Jerusalem is plunged into increasing despair by deteriorating conditions in the city. Its members incessantly study the words of Jesus to seek guidance as to what they should do. They eventually decide to flee. Their guest, the Greek convert Luke, who is now married to the lovely Rachel, the youngest d

The prizewinning historian and bestselling author of D-Day, Stalingrad, and The Battle of Arnhem reconstructs the Battle of the Bulge in this riveting new account On December 16, 1944, Hitler launched his ‘last gamble’ in the snow-covered forests and gorges of the Ardennes in Belgium, believing he could split the Allies by driving all the way to Antwerp and forcing the Canadians and the British out of the war. Although his generals were doubtful of success, younger officers and NCOs were desperate to believe that their homes and families could be saved from the vengeful Red Army approaching from the east. Many were exultant at the prospect of striking back. The allies, taken by surprise, found themselves fighting two panzer armies. Belgian civilians abandoned their homes, justifiably afraid of German revenge. Panic spread even to Paris. While some American soldiers, overwhelmed by the German onslaught, fled or surrendered, others held on heroically, creating breakwaters which slowed the German advance. The harsh winter conditions and the savagery of the battle became comparable to the Eastern Front. In fact the Ardennes became the Western Front’s counterpart to Stalingrad. There was terrible ferocity on both sides, driven by desperation and revenge, in which the normal rules of combat were breached. The Ardennes—involving more than a million men—would prove to be the battle which finally broke the back of the Wehrmacht. In this deeply researched work, with striking insights into the major players on both sides, Antony Beevor gives us the definitive account of the Ardennes offensive which was to become the greatest battle of World War II.

Benjamin William Badcock, my Grandfather, was an ordinary Englishman. Yet like millions of others of his generation, he lived through extra-ordinary times. In 1880, the year of his birth, between twenty five and thirty million people lived in Great Britain, yet its industry and economy dominated the world, and its Queen/Empress, Victoria, held more than a quarter of its 1.5 2 billion population in thrall through her vast navy and tiny army. But the following year, in 1881, a handful of Boer farmers threw down a challenge that reverberated across Africa and the world and set a pattern for the 20th Century that would lead to the dissolution of the old imperial world order, and ultimately to the break-up of the British Empire: all within the lifetime of one soldier, my grandfather, Benjamin William Badcock. Had you met Ben you would have found him to be, like millions of other British citizens of his time, oblivious of the fact that he was (and they were) making history. But though not a historical figure, he was, nevertheless a participant in, and a witness to, many great events and historical moments, living, as he did, through the greatest period of industrial development and socio-economic change that Britain or the world had ever experienced. Son of a Devonport soldier, his namesake, Benjamin Badcock, Ben was born in a tented Summer camp at Platras on the side of a Cyprus mountain. At three months he was jolted down its mountainside in a donkey pannier as the regimental-train of his father s regiment, the 2nd Battalion, 20th Foot, The East Devons, marched to Larnaca. In the following year, 1881, the family and regiment would move to Malta, and from thence (remustered as Lancashire Fusiliers!) to Ireland in Royal Naval sailing ships. That voyage, from Malta to Ireland took 3 4 weeks to accomplish, depending on the winds a journey which 70 years later, by the miracle of air travel, would reduce to as many hours as it had taken weeks before: a miracle which by the time of his death in 1964, Ben himself had witnessed evolving from Colonel Sam Cody s tentative stringbag flights at Farnborough in 1910; through the development of aerial-warfare in two world wars, and its metamorphosis into the jet fighters, V bombers and airliners of the 1950 s and 60 s. Much of this he witnessed from his back-garden in Aldershot as the myriad prototypes circled and dived in the then ALL British, Farnborough air shows, held annually each September. Those changes, however, had been bought at great human cost as a result of clashing imperial egos, and conflicting political and socio-economic imperatives, the price of which is still being paid in continuous political conflict and instability across the globe and in particular in the Middle East: conflict in which British armed forces have been constantly and tirelessly involved, both at home in Ireland, and overseas. And it was in these conflicts, in one way or another, that the Badcock family were involved from 1867 to 1969: the zenith of which service culminated in the award to my grandfather, Benjamin William Badcock (later Baddock) of the Military Cross (MC), The Medaille Militaire, and his three Mentions in Despatches during WW 1; the Great War; or Big Scrap as Ben called it. But to talk of that gets ahead of ourselves, for prior to that my Grandfather would first have to be raised; to take the "Queen's shilling;" be trained and blooded for the task in the 2nd Boer War; and to meet and marry Mabel Lawrence, and with her, to raise a family of their own. And that is a story in its own right.

'Compelling' OBSERVER 'Humphrys' level-headedness makes the arguments all the more powerful' SUNDAY TIMES 'A concise, no-nonsense assessment of the true cost of cheap food: to the environment, the livestock, and the nation's long-term health' DAILY MAIL 'A passionate discourse ... well-written and accessible' INDEPENDENT * * * * * * * * * John Humphrys is passionate about the state of British food, farming, fishing and agriculture. Here, he looks back to the days of organic farming in England when people shared and swapped food and considered the wildlife as well as the farmed animals, crops and fruits. He examines today's travesties: factory farming, pouring chemicals into the land, the scandal of the supermarket wars and cheap imported goods. He then turns to the future and asks: Can we save this ravaged earth and rebuild our community values? Most of all, can we reverse the damage to ourselves and our long-term health that may result from what we eat? John Humphrys' book requires the full attention of anyone who cares about themselves or the future.