Many books and essays have addressed the broad sweep of Texas music—its multicultural aspects, its wide array and blending of musical genres, its historical transformations, and its love/hate relationship with Nashville and other established music business centers. This book, however, focuses on an essential thread in this tapestry: the Texas singer-songwriters to whom the contributors refer as “ruthlessly poetic.” All songs require good lyrics, but for these songwriters, the poetic qualit...

'One eye closed, the other locked on my target.' Monologues are a crucial element of theatre, for actors and students alike. From high school study to professional auditions and performances, the monologue exposes the heart of a play and the capacities of the performer. The monologue should be relevant to the performer, and a revelation to the audience. This new collection brings together 30 monologues from contemporary Australian plays. These voices - from ages 14 to 84, from the 1880s to...

'This is particularly out of character for me.' Monologues are a crucial element of theatre, for actors and students alike. From high school study to professional auditions and performances, the monologue exposes the heart of a play and the capacities of the performer. The monologue should be relevant to the performer, and a revelation to the audience. This new collection brings together 30 monologues from contemporary Australian plays. These voices - from ages 14 to 84, from the 1880s to ...

Set in the eighteenth century and reviving Tom Courtney, hero of Wilbur Smith's bestsellersMonsoon (1999) and Blue Horizon (2003), this new novel packs action, romance, and exotic settings into a rousing historical adventure.Francis Courtney flees the comfort of his grand country estate, when his stepfather's gambling debts leave him penniless and in grave danger. He travels to South Africa with revenge and fortune on his mind: his uncle Tom Courtney killed...

On the shores of the Nile, the fate of a kingdom rests in one hero's hands . . . Wilbur Smith, bestselling author of River God returns to Ancient Egypt in this long-awaited new historical epic.A novel of Ancient Egypt from the bestselling author of River God. Wilbur Smith is a master at the helm of one of the greatest stories of all time.On the banks of the Nile, a hero will rise.Across the lush plains of Egypt, taita, a freed eunuch slave, wears h...

A thrilling new instalment in Wilbur Smith's beloved Egyptian series.Egypt is under attack.The ancient city of Luxor is under attack. Pharaoh Tamose lies mortally wounded. All seems lost.Taita prepares for the enemy's final, fatal push. The ex-slave, now general of Tamose's armies, is never more ingenious than when all hope is dashed. And this is Egypt's most desperate hour.With the timely arrival of an old ally, Taita's army repels the enemy invaders; for n...

An illustrated examination of laboratory architecture and the work that it does to engage the public, recruit scientists, and attract funding.The laboratory building is as significant to the twenty-first century as the cathedral was to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The contemporary science laboratory is built at the grand scales of cathedrals and constitutes as significant an architectural statement. The laboratory is a serious investment in architectura...

A generously illustrated examination of the boom in luxurious, resort-style scientific laboratories and how this affects scientists' work.The past decade has seen an extraordinary laboratory-building boom. This new crop of laboratories features spectacular architecture and resort-like amenities. The buildings sprawl luxuriously on verdant campuses or sit sleekly in expensive urban neighborhoods. Designed to attract venture capital, generous philanthropy, and star s...

The comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world’s greatest storytellers, now revised and expanded to include more than 150 previously unseen letters, with revealing new insights into The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of the languages and history of Middle-earth as recorded in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, w...

More than 50% of America's schools today exist in rural settings. This book addresses the distinctiveness of rural school leaders, identifies issues encountered by administrators, faculty, and students, and concludes by proposing new standards for rural schools in general and their leaders. This book will be of special interest to everyone involved in the operation of a rural school district.

Out of Africa meets Pearl Harbor in the gripping new Courtney family adventure from perennial bestseller and fan favourite Wilbur Smith.In a triumphant return to his much-loved Courtney series, Wilbur Smith introduces us to the bravest new member of the famed family, Saffron Courtney.Saffron grows up on a sprawling Kenyan estate, under the watchful eye of her father, prominent businessman and distinguished war veteran Leon Courtney. Her childhood is idyllic,...

In this epic African adventure, Wilbur Smith returns to his longest-running series - and the very beginnings of the Courtney family saga in the late seventeenth century - with co-author Giles Kristian.‘vintage Smith....newcomers to Smith and old fans alike will have their swashes well and truly buckled.’ Daily MailHenry 'Hal' Courtney has always lived at sea. He watched his own father executed during the Anglo-Dutch naval war, and spent his entire young adulthood a...