**“Like swordplay itself, By the Sword is elegant, accurate, romantic, and full of brio—the definitive study, hugely readable, of man’s most deadly art.”—Simon WinchesterWith a new Preface by the author**Napoleon fenced. So did Shakespeare, Karl Marx, Grace Kelly, and President Truman, who as a schoolboy would practice fencing with Bess—his future wife— when the two of them returned home from school. Lincoln was a canny dueler. Ignatius Loyola challenged a man to a...

SWORD OF GHOSTSThe City of Knowledge lies conquered, its longtime ruler, the Gryphon, now in exile as the Aramites continue their quest to finally extend their mastery to the Dragonrealm. With Shade and Valea lost in the world of Nimth --- birthplace of the dread Vraad sorcerers --- Cabe and Gwen Bedlam must turn to others not only to stop the wolf raiders’ advances, but combat a vengeful undead dragon seeking Cabe. All this, as the countless spirits once enslaved by the Lords of t...

The story of Allied merchant ships and crews who braved the frigid far north to extend a lifeline to Russia, filled with "sheer heroism and brazen drama" ( Literary Review).During the last four years of the Second World War, the Western Allies secured Russian defenses against Germany by supplying vital food and arms. The plight of those in Murmansk and Archangel who benefited is now well known, but few are aware of the courage, determination, and sacrifice...

March 1814Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho returns to England from several months' rigorous patrolling off the North American coast. War with the United States has not yet ended, but news of Napoleon's defeat and abdication has stunned a navy and a nation bled by years of European conflict. Victory has been the impossible dream and now, for Bolitho, a vision of the future and a personal peace seems attainable.However an unsympathetic Admiralty dispatches him to Malta. In this ap...

"Bust[s] some commonly held myths that have built up about Richard III over the centuries, most coming from Shakespeare's famous play . . . eye-opening." —Sarah Bryson, author of La Reine Blanche: Mary Tudor, a Life in LettersKing Richard III remains one of the most infamous and recognizable monarchs in English or British history, despite only sitting on the throne for two years and fifty-eight days. His hold on the popular imagination is largely due to the...

This discounted Richard and Kahlan ebundle includes: The Omen Machine, The Third Kingdom, Severed Souls, Warheart“A tour de force of mesmerizing story-telling.” —RT BookReviewsThe Omen MachineAn accident leads to the discovery of a mysterious machine that has rested hidden deep underground for millennia. The machine awakens to begin issuing a series of incr...

‘The history of the sword,’ the author writes, “is the history of humanity.” For centuries, the sword has been a symbol of power, strength, liberty, and courage. In the Middle Ages, the image of a sword was used to signify the word of God. Nearly every culture in history has forged blades from stone or steel to fight in times of battle and protect in times of peace. Spanning the centuries and a wide range of cultures, Burton's rich and elegant prose illuminates the sword as both armament a...

The renowned maritime historian's compelling study of the vital role played by merchant seamen during WWII in the Battle of the Atlantic.For the British, the Battle of the Atlantic was a fight for survival. They depended on the safe transit of hundreds of merchant ships carrying food and supplies from America to feed the country and keep the war effort going. On top of that, they had to export manufactured goods to pay for it all.Britain's merchant navy, a di...

In "The Sentiment of the Sword," Richard Francis Burton presents a captivating exploration of the philosophies surrounding honor, violence, and masculinity through the lens of swordsmanship and chivalry. Set against a backdrop of Victorian sensibilities and imbued with a rich tapestry of historical context, Burton employs a blend of vivid descriptions, personal anecdotes, and erudite reflections to articulate the intricate relationship between the blade and the identity of manhood. The nar...

‘The history of the sword,’ the author writes, “is the history of humanity.” For centuries, the sword has been a symbol of power, strength, liberty, and courage. In the Middle Ages, the image of a sword was used to signify the word of God. Nearly every culture in history has forged blades from stone or steel to fight in times of battle and protect in times of peace.Spanning the centuries and a wide range of cultures, Burton's rich and elegant prose illuminates the sword as both armament an...

A dramatic account of how the Nazis were driven out of Breslau, drawing on the words of those who witnessed it.In January 1945, the Red Army unleashed its long-awaited thrust into Germany with terrible fury. One by one the provinces and great cities of the German East were captured by the Soviet troops. Breslau, capital of Silesia, a city of 600,000 people, stood firm and was declared a fortress by Hitler.A bitter struggle raged as the Red Army encircled Br...

Follow the lives of Anne, Elizabeth and Margaret Plantagenet and discover their stories as they live through one of the most turbulent times in English history. This book is the narrative of three women of York, sisters to not one, but two kings of England. Anne, Elizabeth and Margaret Plantagenet were the daughters of Richard, Duke of York and his wife, Cecily Neville, and therefore sisters to Edward IV and Richard III. These women watched from the sidelines as their father challenged Eng...