What you’re starting to read now is called a jacket blurb. Its purpose is to tell you enough about the book to steam you up into reading it. Jacket blurbs are usually written by publishers, and sometimes they fib a little about how wonderful the book is. But this time the publisher asked me, the author, to write the blurb. I suppose that, after publishing nine other Powell novels, Simon and Schuster feel I ought to do my own exaggerating for a change. So let’s get that over with: “This is a magnificent book and you’ll love every word of it.” Now we can relax. This is a mystery novel. The hero is a young Philadelphia art dealer who gets mixed up in dirty work in the field of art collecting. Maybe I shouldn’t call him a hero. If he ever did have the usual mystery story hero’s nerves of steel and muscles of iron, they certainly got badly rusted. He’s slow and cautious. In fact the guy admits that, in the great race of life, he’s just along for the walk. He gets scared in tough spots. I felt sorry about shoving him into so much trouble, even though I did give him a jet-propelled blonde heroine as a sort of workmen’s compensation for his injuries. Still and all, there are easier ways of winning a pretty blonde than by battling strong-arm guys, gunmen and a murderer, and I think my hero would have preferred them. I know I would. This story took a lot of research. I read stacks of art books, and talked to artists and dealers. I prowled through museums peering at famous paintings through a magnifying glass. My new knowledge even impresses my artist friends, and it’s mighty hard for a writer to impress an artist. To most artists, a writer is a vandal who takes white space that could be used for pictures and clutters it up with words. I’ve tried to get some of the flavor of Philadelphia into the book. That’s an elusive thing to pin down in words, but here’s an example of what Philadelphia is like. In most cities, if you owned a valuable old Chippendale chair, you would call everyone’s attention to your prize. In Philadelphia, you would sit in it. I hope you like the book. Don’t try to please me by saying you stayed up after midnight finishing it, though. It never seems fair to me that people can read in just a few hours something that took me a year to write. --Richard Powell

The Queen of Regency Romance, bestselling author Georgette Heyer, charms readers with this delightful romp of mistaken identity. A missing twin Something is very wrong, and the Honourable Christopher "Kit" Fancot can sense it. Kit returns to London on leave from the diplomatic service to find that his twin brother Evelyn has disappeared and his extravagant mother's debts have mounted alarmingly. A quick-minded heiress The Fancot family's fortunes are riding on Evelyn's marriage to the self-possessed Cressy Stavely, and her formidable grandmother's approval of the match. If Evelyn fails to meet the Dowager Lady Stavely in a few days as planned, the betrothal could be off. A fortune in the balance When the incorrigible Lady Fancot persuades her son to impersonate his twin (just for one night, she promises) the masquerade sets off a tangled sequence of events that engage Kit's heart far more deeply than he'd ever anticipated with his brother's fiancée—who might know much more about what's going on than she cares to reveal... Praise for Georgette Heyer: "A writer of great wit and style... I've read her books to ragged shreds."—Kate Fenton, Daily Telegraph "Reading Georgette Heyer is the next best thing to reading Jane Austen."—Publishers Weekly

Learn about colors with true or false questions.

When a desperate attack on the Kilrathi homeworld destroyed the entire planet, with the Emperor and his warlords, the demoralized Kilrathi colony worlds surrendered. After thirty-five years of war, Earth and its own colonies welcomed peace in our time. But the ominous reality was that plenty of independent Kilrathi warlords survived and commanded a formidable array of warships and weaponry. War weary Earth turned a deaf ear to reports of Kilrathi belligerence, preferring to look forward to a tranquil and prosperous future. But it was only the calm before a new storm....

Book 1: Immerse yourself in a tale of triumph and tragedy with “The Sport of the Gods by Paul Laurence Dunbar.” Dunbar's narrative explores the complexities of life, success, and tragedy, offering readers a poignant reflection on the human experience. Book 2: Embark on a linguistic exploration with “Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Peter Mark Roget.” Roget's comprehensive language resource provides a wealth of words and phrases, offering readers a valuable tool for expression and communication.

The world of cinematography has changed more in the last few years than it has since it has in 1929, when sound recording was introduced. New technology, new tools and new methods have revolutionized the art and craft of telling stories visually. While some aspects of visual language, lighting and color are eternal, shooting methods, workflow and cameras have changed radically. Even experienced film artists have a need to update and review new methods and equipment. These change affect not only the director of photography but also the director, the camera assistants, gaffers, and digital imaging technicians. Cinematography: Theory and Practice covers both the artistry and craftsmanship of cinematography and visual storytelling. Few art forms are as tied to their tools and technology as is cinematography. Take your mastery of these new tools, techniques, and roles to the next level with this cutting-edge roadmap from author and filmmaker Blain Brown. Whether you are a student of filmmaking, just breaking into the business, currently working in the industry and looking to move up to the next level, or an experienced professional who wants to update their knowledge of tools and techniques, this book provides both a basic introduction to these issues as well as more advanced and in-depth coverage of the subject. The companion website features additional material, including lighting demonstrations, basic methods of lighting, using diffusion and other topics. Topics Include: Visual language Visual storytelling Continuity and coverage Cameras and digital sensors Exposure techniques for film and video Color in-depth Understanding digital images Waveform monitors, vectorscopes, and test charts Using linear, gamma, and log encoded video Image control and grading on the set The tools and basics of film lighting ASC-CDL, ACES and other new methods Optics and focus Camera movement Set operations Green screen, high speed and other topics

Describes in detail how privateers, buccaneers, and pirates plied their trade during the piracy's "golden age."

It’s a whole new world for cinematographers, camera assistants, and postproduction artists. New equipment, new methods, and new technologies have to be learned and mastered. New roles such as that of the DIT (Digital Imaging Technician), Digital Loader, and Data Manager are integral to today’s motion picture production process. Take your mastery of these new tools, techniques, and roles to the next level with this cutting-edge roadmap from esteemed author and filmmaker Blain Brown. The Filmmaker’s Guide to Digital Imaging covers both the theory and the practice, featuring full-color, in-depth coverage of essential terminology, technology, and industry-standard best-practices. Brown covers new industry-wide production standards such as ASC-CDL and the ACES workflow. Interviews with professional cinematographers and DITs working on Hollywood productions equip you with knowledge that is essential if you want to work in today’s motion picture industry, whether as a cinematographer, DIT, Digital Loader, Data Manager, camera assistant, editor, or VFX artist. Topics include: Digital sensors and cameras The structure of digital images Waveform monitors, vectorscopes, and test charts Using linear, gamma, and log encoded video files Exposure techniques for HD and UltraHD Understanding digital color Codecs and file formats The DIT cart Downloading, ingesting, and managing video files Workflow from camera to DIT cart to post Using metadata and timecode The companion website (www.focalpress.com/cw/brown) features additional material, including demonstrations and interviews with experienced DITs and cinematographers.