Shot-proof fever-proof & a veteran campaigner at the age of twenty-five Brigade-Major Harry Smith is reputed to be the luckiest man in Lord Wellington's army But for Juana a long year of war must follow Georgette Heyer was for over fifty years one of the most prolific succesful & best writers of historical romance 432 pages Heyer Georgette ...

UPDATED EDITIONA rousing & full-blooded account of the Spanish Civil War & the rise to prominence of General Franco No modern conflict has inflamed the passions of both civilians & intellectuals as much as the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 Burned into our collective historical consciousness it not only prefigured the imminent Second World War but also ushered in a new & horrific form of warfare that would come to define the twentieth century At the same time it echoed the revolutionary aspirations of millions of Europeans & Americans after the painful years of the Great Depression In this authoritative history Paul Preston vividly recounts the political ideals & military horrors of the Spanish Civil War
- including the controversial bombing of Guernica
- & tracks the emergence of General Franco's brutal but extraordinarily durable fascist dictatorship

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This Very Short Introduction offers a powerfully-written explanation of the war's complex origins & course & explores its impact on a personal & international scale It also provides an ethical reflection on the war in the context of Europe's tumultuous twentieth century highlighting why it has inspired some of the greatest writers of our time & how it continues to resonate today in Britain continental Europe & beyond Throughout the book the focus is on the war as an arena of social change where ideas about culture were forged or resisted & in which both Spaniards & non-Spaniards participated alike These were conflicts that during the Second World War would stretch from Franco's regime which envisaged itself as part of the Nazi new order to Europe & beyond Accordingly this book examines Spanish participation in European resistance movements during World War II & also the ongoing civil war waged politically economically judicially & culturally inside Spain by Francoism after its military victory in 1939 History writing itself became a battleground & the book charts the Franco regime's attempt to appropriate the past It also indicates its ultimate failure
- as evident in new writings on the war & above all in the return of Republican memory now occurring in Spain during the opening years of the twenty-first century ABOUT THE SERIES The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable
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During the middle decade of the 16th century a new type of sailing vessel emerged designed to carry the wealth of Americas to Spain This was the galleon & over the next century these vessels would serve Spain well as treasure ships & war ships becoming a symbol of Spanish power & wealth during the period This book traces the development of the Spanish Galleon & outlines the constructional methods the ordnance & the crewing needed to produce & maintain these stately vessels It examines the role of the galleon as a treasure ship & describes how these ships were manned & fought in action ...

A vivid & gripping novel from the master of the modern spy thriller' (Mail on Sunday) which sees Alec Milius coaxed back into the secret world to face the uncontainable danger of 21st century terrorism For six years Alec Milius has escaped the past In Madrid he has rebuilt his life but remains in exile & in danger Slightly older & much wiser than the young spy who first impressed MI6 he has kept his fatal attraction to secrets So when a prominent politician mysteriously disappears Alec is lured back into the spying game Only this time he operates without the protection of any official agency
- isolated & expendable with nobody to turn to if things go wrong & they soon do But when Alec is confronted with the nightmare of modern terrorism he is given one last chance for redemption
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Revenge plays became the most durable & commercially successful type of drama on the Elizabethan stage The Spanish Tragedy brings to life the intrigues of the Spanish court dramatically contrasting romantic passion with violent deaths & clandestine politics 176 pages Kyd Thomas ...

NEW STANDALONE NOVEL BY SF MASTER DAVID DRAKE In a violent world in which civilization has fallen & monsters roam a young hero will rise In the time of the Ancients the universe was united—but that was so far in the past that not even memory remains only the broken artifacts that a few Makers can reshape into their original uses What survives is shattered into enclaves—some tiny some ruined some wild Into the gaps between settlements & onto the Road that connects all human reality & the reality that is not human & may never have been human have crept monsters Some creatures are men twisted into inhuman evil; some of them are alien to Mankind— And there are things which are hostile to all life things which will raven & kill until they are stopped A Leader has arisen welding the scattered human settlements together in peace & safety & smashing the enemies of order with an iron fist In his capital Dun Add the Leader provides law & justice In the universe beyond his Champions advance—and enforce—the return of civilization Pal a youth from the sticks has come to Dun Add to become a Champion Pal is a bit of a Maker & in his rural home he&s been able to think of himself as a warrior because he can wield the weapons of the Ancient civilization Pal has no idea of what he&s really getting into in Dun Add On the other hand the Leader & Dun Add have no real idea of what might be inside this hayseed with high hopes THE SPARK A story of hope & violence & courage & especially a story of determination About The Spark" entertaining tale combining the feel of Arthurian legend with nifty far-future super science "— Publishers Weekly About David Drake“ Drake deftly weaves a web of political machinations & intrigue that vividly depicts the costs of war Fans of Patrick O& Brian&s Maturin & Aubrey novels will enjoy this intricate rousing space opera” — Publishers Weekly“ Rousing old-fashioned space opera”— Publishers Weekly“ The fun is in the telling & Mr Drake has a strong voice I want more!”— Philadelphia Weekly Press“ Space opera is alive & well This series is getting better as the author goes alongcharacter development combined with first-rate action & memorable world designs”—SFReadercom“ Prose as cold & hard as the metal alloy of a tankrivals Crane & Remarque”— Chicago Sun-Times“ Drake couldn’t write a bad action scene at gunpoint”— Booklist ...

'A compelling first novel which I promise you won't be able to put down' Daisy Styles bestselling author of The Bomb Girls Can her fight for the country fix her broken heart? A knock on the door early one morning wouldn't normally be cause for concern but it is 1941 Britain is at war & Kitty Williams's fiance Joe is far from home fighting Hitler with the Navy As Kitty's heart is shattered into pieces hearing the news she had been dreading resolve kicks in & she becomes more determined than ever to do her bit for the war effort Signing up to the Women's Army is just the sort of challenge Kitty needs & on meeting new recruits Mary Di & Peggy she is happy to learn that the challenge won't be a lonely one But it also won't be easy & when bombs start to fall on her home town of Coventry & supposed allies turn against her Kitty must find the strength she never knew she had to save her family fix her broken heart & help her country to victory The Spark Girl is an absorbing & poignant saga perfect for fans of Daisy Styles Kate Thompson & Ellie Dean The second book in the series The Spark Girl's Promise is now available for pre-order'a fabulous debut from an immensely talented author' Annie Groves' Ford gets to the heart of what it was like to live through the dangerous war years in this warm captivating down-to-earth story which is brimming with engaging characters adventure romance & heartbreak' Lancashire Post ' Fiona Ford has written a charming & very appealing story Kitty Williams is the girl we all want to be' Swirl & Thread'an enjoyable read with a twist towards the end to keep the reader engaged until the next one!' Jera's Jamboree ...

NEW STANDALONE NOVEL BY SF MASTER DAVID DRAKE In a violent world in which civilization has fallen & monsters roam a young hero will rise In the time of the Ancients the universe was united—but that was so far in the past that not even memory remains only the broken artifacts that a few Makers can reshape into their original uses What survives is shattered into enclaves—some tiny some ruined some wild Into the gaps between settlements & onto the Road that connects all human reality & the reality that is not human & may never have been human have crept monsters Some creatures are men twisted into inhuman evil; some of them are alien to Mankind— And there are things which are hostile to all life things which will raven & kill until they are stopped A Leader has arisen welding the scattered human settlements together in peace & safety & smashing the enemies of order with an iron fist In his capital Dun Add the Leader provides law & justice In the universe beyond his Champions advance—and enforce—the return of civilization Pal a youth from the sticks has come to Dun Add to become a Champion Pal is a bit of a Maker & in his rural home he&s been able to think of himself as a warrior because he can wield the weapons of the Ancient civilization Pal has no idea of what he&s really getting into in Dun Add On the other hand the Leader & Dun Add have no real idea of what might be inside this hayseed with high hopes THE SPARK A story of hope & violence & courage & especially a story of determination About the Author David Drake was attending Duke University Law School when he was drafted He served the next two years in the Army spending 1970 as an enlisted interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam & Cambodia Upon return he completed his law degree at Duke & was for eight years Assistant Town Attorney for Chapel Hill North Carolina He has been a full-time freelance writer since 1981 His books include the genre-defining & bestselling Hammer’s Slammers series the nationally bestselling RCN series including In the Stormy Red Sky The Road of Danger The Sea without a Shore & Death&s Bright Day ...

Why can salamanders grow new legs & young children grow new finger tips but adult humans can't regenerate? What is the electricity that flows through the human body? Is it the same thing that the Chinese call Qi? If so what does Chinese medicine know that western medicine ignores? Dan Keown's highly accessible witty & original book shows how western medicine validates the theories of Chinese medicine & how Chinese medicine explains the mysteries of the body that western medicine largely ignores He explains the generative force of embryology how the hearts of two people in love (or in scientific terms quantum entanglement') truly beat as one how a cheating heart is also an ill heart (which is why men are twice as likely to die of a sudden heart attack with their mistress than with their wife) how neural crest cells determine our lifespan & why Proust's madeleines evoked the memories they did The book shows how the theories of western & Chinese medicine support each other & how the integrated theory enlarges our understanding of how bodies work on every level Full of good stories & surprising details Dan Keown's book is essential reading for anyone who has ever wanted to know how the body really works ...