This early work by Robert Barr was originally published in 1899 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. "The Strong Arm" tells the reader of Count Herbert von Schonburg, who fought bravely for the Crusader cause against the Saracens in the lands of Palestine. Later, for his land, his love, and his life, the Count must battle this evil in the forest. Robert Barr was born on 16th September 1849 in Glasgow, Scotland, but he and his parents emigrated to Upper Canada when he was just four years old. He attended Toronto Normal School to train as a teacher and this career path led him to become headmaster of the Central School of Windsor, Ontario. During his time as a headteacher he began to contribute short stories to the Detroit Free Press, a publication for whom he left the teaching profession to become a staff member in 1876. He wrote for them under the pseudonym "Luke Sharp", a name he found amusing on a sign reading "Luke Sharpe, Undertaker" that he used to pass on his daily commute to work. He eventually rose to the position of news editor at the publication. In 1881 he left Canada for London to establish a weekly English edition of the Detroit Free Press. He remained in England to found The Idler, a monthly magazine he collaborated on with the popular humourist Jerome K. Jerome. During the 1890's he began to increase his literary production, writing mainly in the popular crime genre of the day. The success of his contemporary, Arthur Conan Doyle, and his super sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, inspired him to write the first Holmes parody "The Adventures of Sherlaw Kombs". Despite this jibe Barr and Doyle remained on very good terms. Robert Barr died from heart disease on October 21, 1912, at his home in Woldingham, a small village to the south-east of London.

Signal caller, gunslinger, field general--the quarterback goes by many lofty nicknames. It's arguably the toughest, most high-pressure position to play among all sports. The quarterback touches the ball on every offensive snap, is responsible for reading the defense, adjusting the play, and executing complex schemes that require tremendous physical and mental prowess. He is expected to be the undisputed team leader, whether he's an established veteran or an untested rookie. If he succeeds, he's the most likely player on the field to be canonized by fans and broadcasters. If he fails, he'll be vilified in the press and his home field fans will start cheering for the backup. This book traces the interesting history of the professional quarterback, from the early years when the quarterback was a blocker (and the appellations quarterback, halfback, and fullback were literal and geographically correct) to the modern-day player who must be the eyes, ears, brains, and, of course, the accurate, strong arm of the offense. The narrative history in Section I is rich with statistical analysis. The author employs realistic metrics for statistical comparison across multiple eras, and includes all-time rankings as well as specific rankings among different styles of quarterbacks. Section II compares quarterbacks within their respective eras, putting their accomplishments in context with those of their contemporaries. Section III breaks down the quarterback position, team-by-team, for current NFL franchises. Appendices provide detailed passing records; additional statistics on everything from relative passer ratings to fourth quarter comebacks; and listings of first round draft picks, trades involving quarterbacks, awards, and uniform numbers.

Warlords are individuals who control small territories within weak states, using a combination of force and patronage. In this book, Kimberly Marten shows why and how warlords undermine state sovereignty. Unlike the feudal lords of a previous era, warlords today are not state-builders. Instead they collude with cost-conscious, corrupt, or frightened state officials to flout and undermine state capacity. They thrive on illegality, relying on private militias for support, and often provoke violent resentment from those who are cut out of their networks. Some act as middlemen for competing states, helping to hollow out their own states from within. Countries ranging from the United States to Russia have repeatedly chosen to ally with warlords, but Marten argues that to do so is a dangerous proposition. Drawing on interviews, documents, local press reports, and in-depth historical analysis, Marten examines warlordism in the Pakistani tribal areas during the twentieth century, in post-Soviet Georgia and the Russian republic of Chechnya, and among Sunni militias in the U.S.-supported Anbar Awakening and Sons of Iraq programs. In each case state leaders (some domestic and others foreign) created, tolerated, actively supported, undermined, or overthrew warlords and their militias. Marten draws lessons from these experiences to generate new arguments about the relationship between states, sovereignty, "local power brokers," and stability and security in the modern world.

The book examines how Chinese foreign policy is adapting to protect growing numbers of nationals overseas and argues that this adaptation will increasingly be a defining feature of China's move to great power status and its approach to regional crises and international security.

This powerful and on-time book is for single and married Christian women alike! Find out the power of submission in this detailed, thought-provoking read. In our culture today, the word "submission" is misunderstood, and because of this, many Christian households shun the idea of a wife submitting to her husband. As a result, God has been cut out of many marriages and Christian marriages are failing at the same rate as worldly marriages. In this powerful book, you will learn: •The differences between passiveness and submissiveness- The truth will shock you! •Why Satan hates submission. •The power and effectiveness of true submission. •How to submit to your husband, whether he's godly or ungodly. •When you are not required to submit. •The signs of a controlling man and how to avoid him. •How controlling men use money, scriptures and sex to manipulate and control their wives. •How the Jezebel spirit uses our fear of submission to establish itself as the governing authority over our households. •Signs and behaviors of the Jezebel spirit and how to rid your home of it. If you're single, this book will help to prepare you to be the wife God has designed you to be and help you avoid the many narcissistic devils that Satan has sent out to entrap you. If you're married, this book will help you to become the wife God has designed you to be and to change the temperature of your marriage from lukewarm to blessed.

Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.

Meet Pete Karma, the man who broke jail and wound up neck-deep in a gangland bloodbath. Pete had a lot of hate stored up inside. He hadn’t committed the murder he’d been sent up for, and it didn’t take him long to figure out who’d framed him and how. After two and a half years in the slammer, Pete had his plan down perfect. His crooked lawyer, Charlie Risko, would get it first. But as soon as Pete had a spare moment, there were some other things that had to be taken care of.

Now a major film starring Jon Hamm, this is the wonderful story of two young Indians who became pro baseball pitchers. JB Bernstein seemed to have it all. One of the top sports agents in the US, he worked hard and enjoyed the bachelor lifestyle to the full. But he hankered for more, and when he set himself a challenge - to unearth someone in India capable of becoming a pro baseball pitcher - most people thought he was mad and doomed to face a costly and public failure. The reality show Million Dollar Armbrought thousands of contestants hoping for a shot at glory, but eventually they unearthed two candidates: Rinku and Dinesh. Bernstein brought them back to the US, put them up in his home and helped them to get used to a very different world, while they also worked hard to learn the game that was second nature to most American sportsmen. Finally, they got their chance and - against all the odds - they were both awarded pro contracts. This heartwarming story has now been made into a film starring Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Suraj Sharma (The Life of Pi). A true-life version of Slumdog Millionairemeets Jerry Maguire, Million Dollar Armshows what can happen when you dream big.