Extraordinary stories from both on and off the court... John Newcombe has always been more than a tennis legend. He is an Australian icon. As a player, he was the world number one, a multiple Wimbledon, US and Australian Champion, a fighter who would push himself to the limit and beyond to win. Yet he never (or almost never) lost his sense of humour or fun. When Newk was on court, even in to-the-death battles with John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors, you could tell he loved playing the game, and that made watching him all the more enjoyable. He's friends with US presidents and media tycoons (George Bush once famously described him as a 'black-belt beer drinker', his son George W. had one too many with Newk on the night he was arrested for drink driving, Rupert Murdoch bought Ansett and Channel 10 between sets of tennis with him), yet he's also at home in the pub having a beer or three with his mates. He's a larrikin, but he's also a hugely successful businessman in his own right. He's always enjoyed a party, but cares passionately about his family and his country. In a sport where individualism, not to say outright self-centredness, is the norm, he believes that playing in, or captaining in the Davis Cup is the greatest thing a tennis player can achieve. And as a mentor and inspiration to players such as Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt, he has been a crucial influence on the next generation of Australian champions. Above all he is a brilliant raconteur, and his memoirs are simply unputdownable, filled with gripping tennis drama, deep insights into life, and above all a humour and warmth that Newk's millions of fans will instantly recognise.

Ravenwood is a place where the emerald magic never ends and also where Topper, a black-and-white cat, is learning most of the important values in life. Topper once lived a comfortable existence with his human owner, but when she died in a car accident, Topper was forced to embark on a lonesome and dangerous journey through the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Now, as Topper creeps along the forest floor and forages for food, he realizes he has a lot to learn about survival. It is not long before Topper makes friends with Sidekick, a Columbian black-tailed deer, who teaches him how to coexist peacefully with the other forest animals. As they embark on a journey that takes them from the mountains to the ocean and from forest fires to terrifying encounters with hunters, Topper faces many challenges that test his courage, capacity to love, and ability to move on after great loss. As his fortitude is tested over and over again, Topper matures into a wise animal who slowly learns to rely on himself. In this uplifting story, a cat discovers that of all of his life lessons, the greatest gift he has ever been given is the ability to love.

This important new book on criminology is a major attempt to evaluate actual victim compensation programs as well as their political and economic contexts, through the eyes of the victims themselves. Elias traces the experiences of violent-crime victims throughout the entire criminal justice process, comparing New York's and New Jersey's victim compensation programs. He shows how programs differ when compensation is viewed essentially as welfare and when it is viewed as a right. The study uses extensive interviews with officials and with violent crime victims. The study indicates victim compensation programs largely fail to achieve their stated goals of improving attitudes toward the criminal-justice system and the government. The programs produce poor attitudes toward government and criminal justice.

"An impressive writer" – Mark Lawrence, Gemmell Award Winner and international bestselling author "I freaking bloody loved the Blood Scouts" – Julia Sarene, The Fantasy Hive "A unique, compelling story with plenty of action and vivid characters." – Patrick Samphire, author of Shadow of a Dead God Wild Wish was trained to do one thing: kill. Saved from a lonely backwater existence by a global war, Wish couldn’t believe her luck when she got into the Blood Scouts. Now she gets to share tents with an all-female platoon of night-stalking, giant-slaying, boat-sinking, battle-swaying legends in the making. The problem is, they keep dying. And they’ve been given their worst assignment yet. The enemy Dread Corps are combining magics deep within the nightmare lands of Low Slane, to unleash a weapon that could sway the entire war. It’s up to the Blood Scouts to stop them – with a journey that gets more dangerous with every step. Far behind enemy lines, death hangs in the air. Monsters lurk around every corner. Are Wish’s skills – and positive attitude – enough to keep her Blood Scouts alive? Or will the cost of survival finally break her? Get ready for the first epic entry in a new series, and a new world, of dark military fantasy from Phil Williams. Start reading today!

Naive eighteen-year old Roger Collins enlists in the Army under the impression he is going to be a spy. He finds out the recruiter deceived him and instead is sent to Germany at an Army listening post. He and the men with whom he is stationed disobey every rule and antagonize their superiors. Finding ways to help the time go by become misadventures that are sometimes near calamitous. In the end, Roger has come of age, and also feels he has accomplished his original goal.

RETURN NOW TO THOSE THRILLING DAYS OF YESTERYEAR! THE PSYCHEDELIC, SIZZLING SIXTIES! FOR A MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR OF THE ERA. JUST DROP OUT AND DROP IN TO SEE WHAT CONDITION YOUR CONDITION IS IN. SEE THE BURNING BUDDHIST MONKS OF ASIA, THE ASSASSINATIONS OF JFK, RFK, AND MLK. THE FIGHT OVER CIVIL RIGHTS BETWEEN BLACKS, WHITES, AND THE KKK. THE BRITISH INVASION AND THE INFESTATION OF BEATLES IN OUR MUSIC. HIPPIES EVERYWHERE ARE HEADED WEST – CALIFORNIA DREAMING DURING THE ’67 SUMMER OF LOVE. AMERICA TAKES A STAND IN A FAR AWAY LAND – VIETNAM. UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU! BURN YOUR DRAFT CARDS? LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT? NO VIET CONG EVER HURT ME SCREAMS ALI, AS HE GOES OFF TO FIGHT – FOR A FEE. GIVE PEACE A CHANCE! THE HIPPIES CHANT WHILE THEY WRAP THEMSELVES IN THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE. THEY HAVEN’T A CLUE AS TO WHAT A NATION MUST DO TO REMAIN FREE. THEIR VERY RIGHT TO PROTEST, MARCH, SIT IN, AND DEMONSTRATE COMES AT A VERY HIGH RATE. THE PRICE HAS BEEN PAID BY THE SACRIFICE OF PATRIOTS LIVES AND BLOOD EVER SINCE 1776. REAL PEACE COMES AT A HEAVY COST, LIVES ARE LOST. WAR IS HELL! BOMB HANOI SEARCH AND DESTROY FROM THE DMZ DOWN SOUTH TO SAIGON, UP TO KESANH AND HUE CITY. BATTLE AFTER BATTLE IS WON; THE TROOPS GET THE JOB DONE. THE U.S. HAS KICKED CHARLIE’S NVA ASS, GET SOME! GET SOME! TET ARRIVES AND TO OUR SURPRISE THE PRESS, UNCLE WALTER AND CBS SAY THAT THE WAR CAN’T BE WON! LBJ’S SICK OF IT ALL AND MAKES THE CALL. IT’S LEFT UP TO TRICKY DICK TO PULL THE PLUG AND A ONCE FREE NATION GOES DOWN THE DRAIN. THE VIETNAM WALL SAYS IT ALL – “FREEDOM ISN’T FREE”. REMEMBER, THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM IS NEVER IN VAIN! WE CAN ONLY PRAY THAT GOD WILL CONTINUE TO BLESS THE USA IN IT’S QUEST FOR LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. DAVID L. DENNY

EBONY is the flagship magazine of Johnson Publishing. Founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson, it still maintains the highest global circulation of any African American-focused magazine.

The greatest players in baseball history are honored in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Fans and sports journalists often lament about players who might have joined the immortal ranks, if only fate--circumstances, injury or even death--hadn't intervened. Presenting a "who's who of what-ifs," this book focuses on 40 well known non-inductees, such as Tony Conigliaro, Denny McLain and Jose Fernandez, along with many others all but lost to history, such as Ross Barnes, Charlie Ferguson and Hal Trosky. Also included are more than 100 "honorable mentions" covering all of pro baseball history, from the 1860s to the 2010s.