A comprehensive exploration of Machiavelli's life and thought – covering everything from his preoccupation with truth, fortune, and power, to his frequently bawdy poetry, love affairs, and friendships.Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what Machiavelli really believed – and why he matters so much today.Who was Niccolo Machiavelli and why should we consider him relevant to the problems and vexations of the modern world? Ste...

A fascinating and counterintuitive portrait of the sordid, hidden world behind the dazzling artwork of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and moreRenowned as a period of cultural rebirth and artistic innovation, the Renaissance is cloaked in a unique aura of beauty and brilliance. Its very name conjures up awe-inspiring images of an age of lofty ideals in which life imitated the fantastic artworks for which it has become famous. But behind the vast explos...

'A wonderfully assured and utterly riveting biography that captures not only the much-maligned Machiavelli, but also the spirit of his time and place. A monumental achievement.' – Jessie Childs, author of God's Traitors.‘A notorious fiend’, ‘generally odious’, ‘he seems hideous, and so he is.’Thanks to the invidious reputation of his most famous work, The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli exerts a unique hold over the popular imagination. But wa...

**From an acclaimed historian, the definitive story of the Venetian Ghetto and the emergence of modern antisemitism.“More than a history of a city, the book is a chronicle of a condition, an elegy for Jewish life lived in the paradox of family flourishing and civic exclusion .... A richly researched history of Italian Jewry and its will to live on.” ―Kirkus Reviews**In the early sixteenth century, amidst the ruins of war and mounting religious hatred, the world’s f...

Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he'll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover solutions to the universe's greatest unanswered questions. He's that smart. But Charlie's future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the tattoo on a beautiful girl's neck.The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she's counting on the present. She's not impressed by the strange boy at th...

"Definitely one of the best YA contemporary romances I've read." —My Tiny Obsessions blogBecca Hanson is a reader—a voracious reader. She’d rather hang out with Harry and Ron than go on a date or surf the internet. But Becca’s also seen a Thestral. Since her best—and only—real friend Charlotte’s death, Becca’s read 108,023 pages, and she’s not about to let anything, or anyone, keep her from reading 108,023 more.Until she meets Max. He’s experienced...

Darkness lurks in every shadow of Victorian London and one man is called upon by all the communities.Damien Blackwell, a demon slayer for hire, navigates the streets of Victorian London armed with his great-grandfather's sword and a relentless resolve. Battling infernal creatures that prey on the innocent, Damien is haunted by his lineage and tormented by questions of his self worth. When children begin to disappear and his investigations point to the powerful demon Noctherion the ...

Forget the Fairytales. Crave the reality. They told you the Princess needed saving. They told you the Beast was a man. They told you the curse was magic. They lied. In Modern Adult Tales, the glass slippers are traded for work boots in Cornwall, the "sleep" is a numbing grief in Gifu, and the monster is a woman the world decided to hate in countryside of France. These aren't stories of innocent wishes—they are stories of raw, steamy heat that burns away the masks they wear.

He's a code genius who built a fortune to escape his family's wealth shadow. She's an artist who needs a husband by her thirtieth birthday to reclaim her legacy. They were supposed to be strangers sharing a roof until the clock ran out.The night after wedding ceremony he brought her a cup of coffee instead of flute of sparkling champagne. But six months later the divorce papers are waiting. He's about to realize that some contracts are a lot easier to sign than they are to break, b...

Zara loves puzzles. For her, fitting the pieces together is more than just a hobby—it's a way to bring order to the world around her. Every piece has a place, and nothing feels out of control. But life isn't always as simple as a puzzle.Kate, Zara's 84-year-old grandmother, used to have steady hands and a sharp memory. Now, her thoughts sometimes drift, her words repeat, and she forgets things she used to know. Moving in with Zara's family has been both a challenge and a gift, as s...

In the dim light of an old church, Nicholas dreamed of Autumn.But the dream felt more real than his life.Somewhere between New Orleans rain and the quiet pull of memory lies the truth his heart has been searching for.Louisiana Dream is a story of longing, intimacy, and the strange magic of love that feels older than time.

Our candle magic book for beginners is one of the few books that contains unique and in some places even secret information that is not found in any other such big book of candle magic. Our candle magic guide is packed full of useful information that will make you a candle magic professional. The book includes tables and information from:- the significance of herbs and components;- the meaning of metals;- the value of minerals;- timing tables;- various r...