One of the brilliant titles in Jean Ure’s acclaimed series of humorous, delightful and poignant stories written in the form of diaries and letters which make them immediately accessible to children.

In 1972, in an attempt to elevate the stature of the "crime novel," influential crime writer and critic Julian Symons cast numerous Golden Age detective fiction writers into literary perdition as "Humdrums," condemning their focus on puzzle plots over stylish writing and explorations of character, setting and theme. This volume explores the works of three prominent British "Humdrums"--Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, and Alfred Walter Stewart--revealing their work to be more complex, as puzzles and as social documents, than Symons allowed. By championing the intrinsic merit of these mystery writers, the study demonstrates that reintegrating the "Humdrums" into mystery genre studies provides a fuller understanding of the Golden Age of detective fiction and its aftermath.

The former dean of the Yale School of Management and Undersecretary of Commerce in the Clinton administration chronicles the 1971 August meeting at Camp David, where President Nixon unilaterally ended the last vestiges of the gold standard—breaking the link between gold and the dollar—transforming the entire global monetary system. Over the course of three days—from August 13 to 15, 1971—at a secret meeting at Camp David, President Richard Nixon and his brain trust changed the course of history. Before that weekend, all national currencies were valued to the U.S. dollar, which was convertible to gold at a fixed rate. That system, established by the Bretton Woods Agreement at the end of World War II, was the foundation of the international monetary system that helped fuel the greatest expansion of middle-class prosperity the world has ever seen. In making his decision, Nixon shocked world leaders, bankers, investors, traders and everyone involved in global finance. Jeffrey E. Garten argues that many of the roots of America’s dramatic retrenchment in world affairs began with that momentous event that was an admission that America could no longer afford to uphold the global monetary system. It opened the way for massive market instability and speculation that has plagued the world economy ever since, but at the same time it made possible the gigantic expansion of trade and investment across borders which created our modern era of once unimaginable progress. Based on extensive historical research and interviews with several participants at Camp David, and informed by Garten’s own insights from positions in four presidential administrations and on Wall Street, Three Days at Camp David chronicles this critical turning point, analyzes its impact on the American economy and world markets, and explores its ramifications now and for the future.

Nelle Harper Lee and Truman Capote, the authors, are the backdrop of this love story and mystery. It begins as an innocent trip to Monroeville, Alabama, to see a reenactment of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mocking Bird, with two strangers, one from Chicago and the other from Atlanta. A black girl from Atlanta and a white boy from the south side of Chicago connect on their first day, and the adventure begins. Hooking up in the Deep South would be enough of a challenge, but what ensues—the KKK, murder, and their two moms finding love also—creates a wild ride. It’s contemporary, and a number of social reform issues thread their way through this energy-packed loving couple’s lives. Very contemporary and happening right now. You are in here somewhere; find yourself. website: richardhorchler.com email: [email protected]

Herwig and Bercuson grippingly recreate the dramatic days of the Washington War Conference of 1941-42, using the diaries, meeting notes and personal letters of the key characters. One Christmas in Washington is the authoritative and emotional story of two proud and accomplished men struggling to overcome their own biases, suspicion, and hubris to create what turned out to be a war-winning alliance.

The plan was perfect.No cameras, no microphones, no prying eyes and plenty of security.The setting for a clandestine meeting could not have been better.Former President Bill Clinton exited Attorney General Loretta Lynch's private plane 20-minutes after he boarded.Both thought they got away with it. Both were wrong.Amid a heated Presidential race, federal investigations involving emails and Benghazi and society looking for clarity on the future of the country, the secret tarmac meeting would only complicate things.The secret meeting would have never been revealed if it weren't for a veteran journalist and a trusted source.It wasn't the Emmys, Murrows or Associated Press Awards, it was decades of experience and relationships that led to the moment Christopher Sign broke the story of the secret tarmac meeting.His former teammates and coaches at the University of Alabama would play a personal and critical role after breaking the story. From politics to football, to friendship and journalism, this is the unfiltered story of the secret tarmac meeting. Christopher takes you behind the scenes for a step by step account of how it all unfolded in the summer of 2016 on a blazing tarmac. Details revealed for the first time, the process, the questions of sabotage, the attempt at a coverup, the contradictions from Clinton & Lynch, and the source who saw it all. Take a ride and tackle THE SECRET ON THE TARMAC.

The story of the Old Baptist Chapel is a fascinating tale of family life and faith, persecution and tolerance. The Chapel began life as a late-fifteenth century hall house which was later converted into a Nonconformist meeting house. Tucked away down one of Tewkesbury's famous medieval alleyways and standing in the shadow of the magnificent abbey, this hidden gem has borne witness to five hundred years of domestic and religious use. Today it stands as a reminder of a vibrant community of independent religious thinkers and their influence on the town and surrounding areas.

Eli Avidar looks into the abyss that divides Israel from its Arab neighbors, in order to understand the inherent flaws, prevailing misunderstandings, and tragic mistakes that characterize the relations and bloodletting, and how, if at all possible, to bridge the differences. In doing so, he offers a new perspective about the reality of the Middle East and all the clichés that have transformed the Hebrew-Arab lexicon into a complex and hopeless minefield. It raises the question of whether the ongoing violent conflict between Israel and its neighbors might also be the result of a serious short circuit in communications. Is it possible that Israel, which has invested efforts and resources in knowing its adversaries, never even bothered to properly understand their language and their culture? Is it possible that Israeli leaders, who made their way to the top through the military and were privileged to know the most deeply hidden intelligence secrets, never learned to send messages of peace and reconciliation that the other side could respect and understand? Spanning six decades, the book explains why the main diplomatic initiatives have so far failed to solve the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and what needs to be done to break out of the vicious circle of ignorance and mutual suspicion that characterizes the conflict. Avidar uses his experience as diplomatic advisor to former foreign minister Ariel Sharon and as head of Israel’s representative office in Qatar to reveal secret diplomatic meetings as well as the dynamics of the unique and complex diplomacy of the Middle East. He also tells about the activities of the 504 division of the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Unit, in which he served as an operator of agents.

The Database and Expert Systems Applications (DEXA) conferences have established themselves as a platform for bringing together researchers and practitioners from various backgrounds and all regions of the world to exchange ideas, experiences and opinions in a friendly and stimulating environment. The papers presented at the conference represent recent developments in the field and important steps towards shaping the future of applied computer science and information systems. DEXA covers a broad field: all aspects of databases, knowledge based systems, knowledge management, web-based systems, information systems, related technologies and their applications. Once again there were a good number of submissions: out of 183 papers that were submitted, the program committee selected 92 to be presented. In the first year of this new millennium DEXA has come back to the United Kingdom, following events in Vienna, Berlin, Valencia, Prague, Athens, London, Zurich, Toulouse, Vienna and Florence. The past decade has seen several revolutionary developments, one of which was the explosion of Internet-related applications in the areas covered by DEXA, developments in which DEXA has played a role and in which DEXA will continue to play a role in its second decade, starting with this conference.