Sultan Mejhem ibn El-Hashem has forty-two wives and countless children. He has a large, prosperous realm, a large palace and numerous fortresses too. He has good relations with the Byzantine Empire and also the Persian one. Emissaries come from far and wide to pay homage to this illustrious ruler of Anazzah, master of Sakakah and Ar'ar, of the numerous other towns, villages and oases and of the deserts too stretching to the north, to the south, to the west and to the east.But, despi...

Everyone has his or her own reasons for metal detecting and surely we all have fun at it, regardless what the motivation for it is. Treasure hunting is one reason for pursuing this hobby. The term treasure hunter is perhaps the most often one used to describe someone who uses a metal detector to seek metallic objects hidden in the ground. Others go for the gold when they go gold prospecting. Coin shooting is another widely used term—and reason. And many simply go out to a beach for some be...

Throughout my third trip to Ukraine, in January and February of 2014, the country was dominated and shaken by the Euromaidan events. It was a trying time for the nation. Though the demonstrations provided nourishment for many predictions from experts and hopes and anticipations from the people, no one really knew where exactly they would ultimately lead to.Upon my arrival for trip number four, during the summer of that same year, the nation was still undergoing a trying time, althou...

Join us in the wonderful wacky world within these pages of six unknown fairy tales and other odd short stories. The subjects span hundreds of years and several topics. Enjoy!

This is a complete collection of Alisha: A Desert Urchin, with Part I: The Harem, Part II: Alharibin and Part III: The Vandals.

Ukrainian affairs have been major news items for more than two years. Although in recent times other events have pushed this Eastern European nation out of the headlines, namely Syria and Europe's immigration crisis, Ukraine should not be forgotten. The West in particular, must keep this country in focus. This is true for a number of important reasons. Ukraine, as a European nation, is politically, economically and culturally closely intertwined with the rest of the continent. It is a larg...

There have been uncountable episodes in military history were rearguards, made up of merely a handful of brave and determined men, staved off superior enemy forces. The stories of most of them were soon forgotten, having been too small and insignificant to be noted in thick history books. But for the men who took part in them, these actions were momentous. They knew what likely fate awaited them. These measures were by their very nature usually desperate ones, and their outcome had almost ...

Ukraine, winter of 2013 to 2014—the nation is in uproar. Each day brought more news of demonstrations and violence and even deaths. Riot police battled with the people on Kiev's main square—the Maidan. Soon, other cities across the nation saw protestors on the streets and government buildings occupied by the people. The clashes in the capitol city grew in size and the violence got more intense.What will happen next? How is the general mood of Ukraine's citizens, already burdened wit...

This is the story of a most unusual hobo. His real name is Henry Best, but all those who know him call him by the moniker Lefty.In the beginning, Lefty is as emblematic a vagabond as thousands of others too, which roam the nation during the early parts of the twentieth century. That is, he was until time and a few particular experiences turn him into a remarkable hobo. He is a rather complicated character to begin with and also a shrewd and sharp one too.Lefty's greatest enjo...

This is the story of a few men belonging to the 12th Panzer Division. They are operating in the Central Front of the Eastern Front from mid 1943 to the end of 1943.Things go their usual way, as usual as a war allows, when one day the enemy ruptures their defensive lines. The men of the 5th Company suddenly see themselves cut off from the rest of their army.Fleeing and fighting off an enemy determined to get them, and fighting the harsh winter, the men have an excruciating tas...

The Ukraine … its dimensions make it the second largest nation in Europe and seventh in size by population. And as I was writing this, it has been a source of top news for months.But this is not the reason why I wrote this little travel autobiography. I arrived on my very first visit to this nation months before the events of the by-now famous Maidan. It was a peaceful country back then and the people's main concerns were their everyday lives … their survival with little means. War,...

Anne and Jim is an unmarried couple who live in a small town in Montana. They are deeply in love with one another and very happy together. One day, not long after high school, Jim joins the army. He gets sent to Viet Nam almost right after basic training. In "Nam", Jim goes through a tough period of trial and tribulations, concerning his loyalty to his beloved Anne. This is particularly so in Saigon, where he spends a few days of special leave. Numerous vices and temptations are there, lur...