All the heroes of this collection—Ulysses and his minions trapped in the Trojan horse; the man who cannot escape his house; Gregor the cockroach, who wakes one day to discover he has become a human teenager—are faced with a world that is always changing, where time and space move in circles, where language has become meaningless

Admiral Geary’s First Fleet of the Alliance has survived the journey deep into unexplored interstellar space, a voyage that led to the discovery of new alien species, including a new enemy and a possible ally. Now Geary’s mission is to ensure the safety of the Midway Star System, which has revolted against the Syndicate Worlds empire—an empire that is on the brink of collapse. To complicate matters further, Geary also needs to return safely to Alliance space not only with representatives of the Dancers, an alien species, but also with Invincible, a captured warship that could possibly be the most valuable object in human history. Despite the peace treaty that Geary must adhere to at all costs, the Syndicate Worlds regime threatens to make the fleet’s journey back grueling and perilous. And even if Geary escorts Invincible and the Dancers’ representatives safely unharmed, the Syndics’ attempts to spread dissent and political unrest may have already sown the seeds of the Alliance’s destruction…

Everyone has heard of guardian angels - we probably have the best PR department in the world. On the other hand, they're also very good about keeping the true nature of our job out of the press, so to speak. Oh, don't misunderstand - some guardian angels do exactly what is advertised. That is the job of a few... to uphold the myth that we are there for the protection of mankind. Most guardian angels don't protect - they offer hope to the scared and the lonely and the wounded. But for a few even that is not their primary function. No, for a very few guardian angels, their job is to be there at a crucial time in their charge's life. They are supposed to guide and help a person make the right choice. Only sometimes, they're not in the right place at the right time and that's where I come in. My job is clean up. When the guardian angel misses their opportunity, my job is to determine if the charge can be salvaged in spite of the guardian screw-up or if there is another choice that can be made or another opportunity offered. This is the story of one such charge

The Emerald flew across the seas, carrying the pirate Pagan-—despised hy the ton, whose riches he plundered, and beloved by the poor, whose plight was eased by his gifts. The Marquess of Cainewood vows to hunt down the pirate wretch in revenge for his brother's death. But when Jade, an enchanting vision of rippling red hair and eyes of jewel-green, appears at his door to beg desperately for his protection, the marquess agrees to keep her safe from the villains who want her dead. Jade is infuriating, exasperating, and gorgeous; Caine is noble, strong-willed, and powerful. No woman has ever befuddled him so, nor so deeply aroused his desire. But as Jade answers his knowing caresses with an innocent, wild abandon, they are drawn into a web of treachery that will test the very heart of their love!

When the Library of Alexandria was reduced to ashes by men who feared the power of words and ideas, Akeel, the Master Librarian risked his life to save a handful of rare mystical books. To protect them from falling into the hands of those who would destroy or misuse them, Akeel appointed the library cats, the very ones who followed him out of the burning building, to guard the ancient books of power. Centuries later, successors of these literary felines faithfully remain at their posts. This is the story of two cats, one elder Guardian, painfully aware his days are numbered-- troubled he’s not found a worthy heir. And Marco, an intrepid young house cat out on his own for the first time, who finds refuge in the public library. A contemporary setting with a trip back in time to the Library of Alexandria, this is a tale of an unlikely hero who faces very human dilemmas and insurmountable odds

Defense attorney Paul Madriani gets caught in a web of deceit and murder involving Cold War secrets, a rare coin dealer who once worked for the CIA, and a furious assassin in one of the most entertaining novels yet in this New York Times bestselling series. A woman pauses in the hallway of a darkened San Diego beach house at night – listening for just the right moment when she can flee before her companion notices that she's gone. A man outside watches the same mansion, waiting for a sign that he can enter on his mission of blood and carnage. So begins this riveting new tale about Paul Madriani and his latest case – that of Katia, a woman accused of an unlikely crime – a trial that will unravel a careful but horrifying conspiracy. Madriani soon realizes that he's signed onto something much more sinister than a botched heist. As he searches for the truth that will clear Katia's name, he finds himself on a path that takes him from Southern California to Costa Rica, and, ultimately, to a secret buried since Castro's rise to power. Together with his partner, Harry Hinds, Madriani must piece together the threads of a decades-old conspiracy involving priceless gold coins, an aging American spy, a disaffected Russian soldier, and a forgotten weapon from the days of JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis. As the separate strands of the story come together, Madriani finds information that will ultimately lead him to the one person who holds the key to it all: a man some call "The Guardian of Lies." In this fascinating thriller from New York Times bestselling author Steve Martini, Paul Madriani faces his most challenging – and most urgent – case yet, a breathless story that combines fact and fiction and will hold readers captive until its final, explosive conclusion

For the boys. And you thought the garage was tough… The builders did bow before the castle lord and say to him that his fortress was complete. But the lord declared the castle not yet strong enough, for his enemies were powerful and many. And so the lord commanded the builders to set an iron ring into the stone on the battlements at each compass point of the keep, and he chose his four strongest warriors to sanctify his fortress with their lives. One of the four was chained to each of the rings and charged to watch for marauders who might appear from any point along the sweeping horizon. At every hour the watch bells were rung to ensure the warriors did not sleep, and none were allowed to speak to them lest they be distracted from their duty. Through burning autumn and into bitter winter the four stood watch, allowed no shelter, no comfort, and no respite, believing that their faithfulness and honor would protect their lord’s stronghold long after their eyes and ears had failed. And when they died, they were left in place until their dust had filtered into the stones and mortar. They were called the Guardians of the Keep and are said to protect it still, and the symbol of the Four Guardian Rings is the shield of Comigor. Indeed, the four must have been potent warriors, for never in six hundred years has Comigor fallen to its enemies. The History and Legends of Comigor Castle

Jon didn’t know why he held a sword in his hand to fend off the Wild Ones; he knew only that he was one of many who for centuries had become—

Parts of this book were published as separate short stories in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction: “Time Patrol” May 1955; “Delenda est” Dec 1955; “Brave To Be A King” Aug 1959; “The Only Game in Town” Jan 1960; “Gibraltar Falls” Oct 1975. Guardians of Time collection was first published in Oct 1962; “Gibraltar Falls” was added to it in Oct 1981 edition

Guarding Jeannie For six years, Jeannie Alverson had thought about Sam Dundee's haunting blue eyes, his warm touch. His was the face she saw in her dreams. He was the man she never expected to see again. But now he had returned…to protect her. Sam couldn't turn his back on Jeannie. Once she had saved his life, and now she needed him. He vowed to guard her against all danger, but who would protect him from the innocence and love shining in her eyes?

Some night-time prowler is turning the citizens of Ankh-Morpork, greatest city of the fantasy Discworld*, into something resembling small charcoal biscuits. And that's a real problem for Captain Vimes of the City Watch, who must tramp the mean streets of the city searching for a seventy-foot-long fire-breathing dragon which, he believes, can help him with their enquiries. In a city thrown into turmoil by magic, charcoal biscuits, secret societies and mad lady dragon breeders ("Just tell him 'sit' if he'sothering you"), he's just looking for the facts. * Which is flat and rides through space on the back of four elephants who stand on the shell of an enormous turtle, as every scholar knows

From kidnapped collegian to a woman’s slave, from landless fugitive to warrior-captain, the life of Jason Marshall on Earth’s orbital twin was a constant struggle against the naked power and barbaric traditions of glorious Gor. Now, in the heat of a desperate naval battle against overwhelming odds, Jason faced the pivotal hours of his Gorean career. For him victory would mean a homeland, a warrior’s honors, and the lovely Earthgirl who was the prize he had long sought. Defeat would mean degradation worse than the chains he had once escaped. GUARDSMAN OF GOR is the blazing climax of this saga of one man against an entire world

Into The Fire The incoming hurricane of flying steel pounding into the SEAL positions grew with each passing moment. Bullets whined and cracked through the air around the Americans, some clipping the taller blades of grass. It was obvious to everyone that the enemy had night vision equipment and was well prepared to deal with sneak attacks; especially those that happened during the hours of darkness. But like the SEALs, this evening's violence made it impossible for them to deliver accurate fire. Brannigan knew the tiger was now tested; and he was tough, efficient and professional. Now was the time to break contact. The Skipper thought quickly, almost instinctively reaching the decision to withdraw fire teams from the ends first to leave the center of his battle line as strong as possible. He once more grabbed the radio handset. "Fire Team Delta, this is Brigand. Break contact and withdraw a hundred meters to the rear. For God's sake keep your heads down! The incoming fire is as thick as swarms of hornets . . ."

È possibile che gli altri mondi non siano abitati. Ma finora, niente esclude che possano invece ospitare forme di vita, simili o no alla nostra. Questo è un problema che le scoperte della nuova scienza rendono attuale e non più ignorabile, una questione che va considerata sotto tutti gli aspetti. Anche quello religioso. Infatti, fra i doveri della Chiesa c'è quello di mantenersi in linea coi tempi; e il punto a cui è arrivata la giovane scienza spaziale ha spinto appunto la Chiesa a interessarsi dell'eventualità che esistano altri pianeti abitati. A questo proposito importanti esponenti del Clero hanno consentito a rispondere alle domande dei giornalisti, e il risultato delle speciali recenti interviste è stato ampiamente pubblicato su autorevoli quotidiani. Il romanzo che presentiamo in questo numero sembra scritto proprio in seguito alle ipotesi formulate da un Padre Gesuita nel corso del colloquio cui abbiamo accennato. E, guarda caso, a protagonista del suo romanzo, James Blish ha scelto un Gesuita. Il tema è ardito, e solo un autore intelligente, obiettivo, e abile come Blish lo poteva affrontare. Ne è uscito il racconto più eccitante che sia mai stato scritto nel campo della fantascienza. Un romanzo che i lettori di Urania non possono ignorare. Premio Hugo per miglior romanzo in 1959

Homens estavam sendo convidados. Para que? O objetivo era Ella, o planeta dos seres de tez esverdeada. O objetivo era Réssa, onde se reunia a Liga das Terras Humanas. O objetivo era a Galáxia Maldita, para enfrentar os Milsliks, pois que somente os seres de sangue vermelho podiam enfrentar a irradiação mortal dos seres metálicos que apagavam a luz dos sois e das estrelas…

La guerra, ci insegna l’autore, non è mai una cosa piacevole. E in una guerra che dura 1200 anni, le probabilità di sopravvivenza sono prossime a zero. Iniziata nel 1997, la guerra contro la razza extraterrestre dei Taurani si trascina avanti pesantemente, un secolo dopo l’altro. I soldati che la combattono viaggiano tra le stelle a velocità prossime a quelle della luce, e invecchiano soltanto di pochi mesi ad ogni viaggio, mentre i secoli si susseguono rapidamente sulla Terra: una Terra che ad ogni licenza diventa sempre più irriconoscibile. Il soldato Mandella inizia come fuciliere: è di leva, non ama né la vita militare né il modo con cui gli alti comandi trattano lui, i suoi compagni e in sostanza anche il nemico. Ma, nonostante queste sue avversioni, il semplice espediente di non farsi uccidere in qualche scaramuccia o in qualche esercitazione (assai più pericolose che non i veri combattimenti) lo porta a diventare maggiore, a capo di qualche… secolo. E parallelamente all’inglorioso svolgersi della Guerra Eterna, vediamo i cambiamenti della società terrestre in 1200 anni: i mutamenti di abitudini e di prospettive culturali, estrapolati da Haldeman in modo quanto mai plausibile. Un grande romanzo, che ha giustamente meritato i massimi premi della fantascienza

Don Harvey è nato nello spazio, a bordo di un’astronave in caduta libera oltre l’orbita degli asteroidi, da padre terrestre e da madre di cittadinanza venusiana, si ritrova senza patria quando le colonie di Venere decidono di ribellarsi allo sfruttamento della Federazione Terrestre. È la storia della prima guerra cosmica, sullo sfondo di una grande trasformazione del sistema solare, in orbita intorno alla luna si sta costruendo il Cercatore di Orizzonti. La nave interstellare che porterà uomini e donne in un viaggio di centinaia d’anni, generazioni e generazioni su un mondo artificiale, verso altri sistemi stellari; su Marte e su Venere, gli indigeni intelligenti che i terrestri hanno trovato al loro arrivo sui pianeti gemelli ricordano epoche remotissime, nelle quali la Terra, Marte, Venere e i satelliti di Giove facevano parte di un grandioso Impero… Don Harvey, strappato al suoi studi, alla vita che conosceva, dallo scoppio della guerra, sfugge miracolosamente alla distruzione di Circum-Terra, la stazione spaziale che collega la Terra a Luna City e ai pianeti, e finisce su Venere, tra le paludi e le giungle del pianeta nebbioso, braccato da tutti i belligeranti perche, suo malgrado, egli è latore di un messaggio così importante che, da solo, potrebbe cambiare la storia del Sistema Solare

When the Germans conquered the Land, Srebnitz left school to join Hlaka’s guerrilla band on the Mountain. The Land is presumably Greece but it might be any land fighting for its liberty. The men of the Mountain are not individuals but figures from a poetic legend. Otherwise Irish Lord Dunsany’s latest invention is pure adventure story

A novel of colonialism and revolution, death, sexual violence and political and spiritual impotence

Aleksei Vassilievich Krylov, we want you on our side... Let's face it, Alex: you were the KGB's top assassin, and they paid you off. Just as we might. A cushy lieutenant-colonelcy in Tokyo; riding pour le sport, a yacht, your pick of Eurasian dolls... Like? We can do better in the U.S.A., Alex — come on over, and bring your secrets with you... That was FACE's pitch to the would-be defector, and it got results. Witness one hell of a nice courier slashed and dumped in a Tokyo alley. Maybe agent Pete Brook could make jolly Alex's dream come true. Except what did Krylov really long for in America — wine, women and song... or a dramatic return to the murderer's trade? You’ll find out in Ellery Queen’s GUESS WHO’S COMING TO KILL YOU — a superlative new thriller by the great suspense novelist

On November 4, 1979, a group of radical Islamist students, inspired by the revolutionary Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini, stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran. They took fifty-two Americans hostage, and kept nearly all of them hostage for 444 days. The Iran hostage crisis was a watershed moment in American history. It was America’s first showdown with Islamic fundamentalism, a confrontation at the forefront of American policy to this day. It was also a powerful dramatic story that captivated the American people. Communities across the country launched yellow ribbon campaigns. ABC began a new late-night television news program—which would become Nightline—recapping the latest events in the crisis, and counting up the days of captivity. The hostages’ families became celebrities, and the never-ending criticism of the government’s response crippled Jimmy Carter’s reelection campaign. In the end, the crisis changed the way Americans see themselves, their country, and the rest of the world. In Guests of the Ayatollah, Mark Bowden, “a master of narrative journalism” (The New York Times Book Review), tells this sweeping story through the eyes of the hostages, the soldiers in a new special forces unit sent on the impossible mission to free them, their radical, naive captors, and the diplomats working to end the crisis. Bowden takes us inside the hostages’ cells, detailing their daily lives, and inside the Oval Office for meetings with President Carter and his exhausted team. We travel to international capitals where shadowy figures held clandestine negotiations, and to the deserts of Iran, where a courageous, desperate attempt to rescue the hostages exploded into tragic failure. This is Mark Bowden’s first major work since Killing Pablo. He spent five years researching the crisis, including numerous trips to Iran and countless interviews with those involved on both sides. Guests of the Ayatollah is a remarkably detailed, brilliantly re-created, and suspenseful account of a crisis that gripped and ultimately changed the world

La aparición cerca de la Tierra de dos enigmáticos satélites invisibles provocó inquietud entre los científicos. Fracasaron los intentos de acercarse a estos satélites, pues éstos escaparon de toda persecución. A poco tiempo otro enigma emocionó al mundo: en el observatorio cósmico ubicado en uno de los sateróides apareció una muchacha de otro mundo. Se podia suponer que Guianeya ayudaría a descubrir el enigma de los misteriosos satélites, pero callaba aunque sabia que los satélites amenazaban la vida de la Humanidad. Además se reveló que Guianeya conocía el español, pero se empeñaba en ocultarlo… La nueva novela de ficción de Martínov, de trama amena y sugestiva, trata acerca del humanismo y del triunfo del intelecto de las personas del futuro. Georgui Martinov nació en 1906. A los catorce años empezó a trabajar en una fábrica como aprendiz de electricista. Luego terminó por correspondencia una escuela superior para alcanzar el título de ingeniero. En 1953 apareció el primer libro de Martínov «220 días en una astronave». Después publicó las novelas «Caliste», «La hermana de la tierra», «Encuentro a través de los siglos», «Los calistianos» y «Guianeya», en las que desarrolla la idea sobre el posible encuentro de los habitantes de la Tierra con los representantes de civilizaciones de otros mundos del futuro. La presente obra fue editada en español dos veces y obtuvo gran popularidad. Cumpliendo numerosas peticiones del lector latinoamericano la editorial Mir la ha reeditado este año

Successful lawyer Mark Dooher has killed his wife of 20 years in order to marry a beautiful young female colleague. But suspicions of his guilt begin to tear his life apart, as the homicide chief gets closer to the truth

Someone has been watching D.A. Rachel Knight-someone who's Rachel's equal in brains, but with more malicious intentions. It began when a near-impossible case fell into Rachel's lap, the suspectless homicide of a homeless man. In the face of courthouse backbiting and a gauzy web of clues, Rachel is determined to deliver justice. She's got back-up: tough-as-nails Detective Bailey Keller. As Rachel and Bailey stir things up, they're shocked to uncover a connection with the vicious murder of an LAPD cop a year earlier. Something tells Rachel someone knows the truth, someone who'd kill to keep it secret. Harrowing, smart, and riotously entertaining, GUILT BY DEGREES is a thrilling ride through the world of LA courts with the unforgettable Rachel Knight

Set in an unspecified but eerily familiar time and landscape, this is the story of Mark, a protagonist who struggles against the machinations of a hostile society and bureaucracy. Suffering at first from the persecution of his father as a conscientious objector, his life quickly comes under the control of the Machiavellian Mr. Spector, an influential government minister who arranges Mark's education, later employment, and even accommodation. It is when Mark tries to break free from Spector's influence that his life begins to unravel

The chief justice of the Supreme Court is about to be defamed, his career destroyed, by a powerful gossip website that specializes in dirt on celebs and politicians. Their top reporter has written an exposé claiming that he had liaisons with an escort, a young woman prepared to tell the world her salacious tale. But the chief justice is not without allies and his greatest supporter is determined to stop the story in its tracks. Nick Heller is a private spy — an intelligence operative based in Boston, hired by lawyers, politicians, and even foreign governments. A high-powered investigator with a penchant for doing things his own way, he’s called to Washington, DC, to help out in this delicate, potentially explosive situation. Nick has just forty-eight hours to disprove the story about the chief justice. But when the call girl is found murdered, the case takes a dangerous turn, and Nick resolves to find the mastermind behind the conspiracy before anyone else falls victim to the maelstrom of political scandal and ruined reputations predicated upon one long-buried secret

It is said that everyone over a certain age can remember distinctly what they were doing when they heard that President Kennedy had been assassinated, or that Princess Diana had been killed in a Paris car crash, but I, for one, could recall all too clearly where I was standing when a policeman told me that my wife had been murdered. Bill Russellis acting as a volunteer steward at Warwick races when he confronts his worst nightmare — the violent death of his much-loved wife. But worse is to come when he is accused of killing her and hounded mercilessly by the media. His life begins to unravel completely as he loses his job and his home. Even his best friends turn against him, believing him guilty of the heinous crime in spite of the lack of compelling evidence. Bill sets out to clear his name but finds that proving one’s innocence is not easy — one has to find the true culprit, and Bill believes he knows who it is. But can he prove it before he becomes another victim of the murderer. Guilty Not Guilty is a journey of greed and jealousy set against the grief of personal tragedy and loss, with many a twist and turn along the way

A little boy was found dead in a children's playground...Daniel Hunter has spent years defending lost causes as a solicitor in London. But his life changes when he is introduced to Sebastian, an eleven-year-old accused of murdering an innocent young boy. As he plunges into the muddy depths of Sebastian's troubled home life, Daniel thinks back to his own childhood in foster care - and to Minnie, the woman whose love saved him, until she, too, betrayed him so badly that he cut her out of his life. But what crime did Minnie commit that made Daniel disregard her for fifteen years? And will Daniel's identification with a child on trial for murder make him question everything he ever believed in? Review [a] moving, insightful debut ... It's easy to see why this caused such a stir at Frankfurt last year. If it isn't this year's Before I Go To Sleep, I'll eat my laptop The Guardian About the Author Lisa Ballantyne was born in Armadale, West Lothian, Scotland and was educated at Armadale Academy and University of St Andrews. She spent most of her twenties working and living in China, before returning to the UK in 2002, to work in Higher Education. She lives in Glasgow; this is her first novel

The sizzling new erotic tale from New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh Marty Matthews swore she would never allow herself to be drawn into the secret, forbidden pleasures that the women she had grown up with enjoyed. Women whose husbands or lovers were members of the exclusive 'Club,' where they took a selected 'third' into their beds. Now, Marty is an FBI agent and her brand new case has put the one man she can't have in her sights. Marty's boss is convinced Khalid is involved in a plot to derail talks between his uncle and the President to strengthen ties between the US and the Middle East, and he wants Marty to get close enough to Khalid to prove it. However, Khalid is a member of the Club and he offers to introduce her to the kind of guilty pleasure Marty swore she would never experience. And even though danger lurks around every corner, there is no way to escape the man who threatens not only her control, but her very heart

Vampire hunter Anita Blake (known by the vampires she kills as “The Executioner”) is hired by the most powerful vampire in town to find out who has been murdering vampires

Turs Trunkatovs (Vsevolods Mihaila d. Belkovičs, Aleksejs Vladimira d. Jablokovs) Guka piedzīvojumi Stāsti par dabu. «Šodien delfīnu barā, kas peld kaut kur bezga­līgajā jūrā, ir ievērojams notikums: pienācis laiks, kad no kopējā bara jāaiziet tēviņiem. Un pēc ve­cāko lēmuma viņus vadīs Guks, kas ar šo dienu kļūst par bara vadoni un Erras ģints vecāko pa­domes locekli.» Tā beidzas delfīna Guka brīnišķīgie piedzīvo­jumi, kuros viņš izaudzis un kļuvis par vīru. La­sītājs daudz uzzinās par delfīnu dzīvi, par viņu organisma īpatnībām, iepazīsies ar daudziem jūras iedzīvotājiem, ar kuriem sastapies Guks. No krievu valodas tulkojis Herberts Zvaigznīte J. Savina zīmējumi Mākslinieks A. Me r k m anis Tulkojums latviešu valoda, «Liesma», 1975 Noskanējis grāmatu un FB2 failu izveidojis Imants Ločmelis Izdevniecība «Liesma» Rīga 1975

Off the coast of Yucatan stretches a great coral barrier known as Scorpion Reef. And somewhere along the reef, under 60 feet of water, lies a fabulous treasure in diamonds. It's just waiting for someone who can take it--and return. Beautiful Shannon Macaulay has the only map to the fortune. And Bill Manning is the only man she can trust to help her get it. But unknown to them, a pair of killers is about to turn their treasure hunt into a whirlpool of terror and death. "A grand thriller, with tensely shifting suspicion and fine scenes of diving and sailing in the Gulf of Mexico."

In 1988 Iraq was the region’s dominant military power and ambitious to become leader of the Arab world. Saddam Hussein’s war-experienced army were known to have used biological and chemical weapons in the past, and when 260,000 troops and 2,000 tanks crossed into Kuwait they met with little resistance. Yet Iraq’s defeat at the hands of the coalition forces was the most devastatingly efficient in military history. It was the first war fought over a resource: oil. The UK committed 43,000 troops to this new ‘high tech’ war, and initially expected high casualties. Yet on the Iraqi side, uncounted thousands of soldiers were killed, many poorly trained conscripts. Returning coalition soldiers have since found themselves dogged by health problems, likely caused by the new technologies that proved so effective in battle. Iraqi power was diminished, but Saddam Hussein was allowed to remain in power, laying the scene for the protracted suffering of the Iraq invasion over a decade later. Hugh McManners’ original interviews for Gulf War One provide a compelling picture and explode many myths of how this war was carried out, and why. From military planners and politicians to ordinary soldiers and Gulf War Syndrome sufferers, both those serving and those caught up in the war tell its history in their own words

Džonatans Svifts GULIVERA CEĻOJUMI «GULIVERA CEĻOJUMI»: Latvijas valsts izdevniecība; Rīga; 1957 GULIVERA CEĻOJUMI Džonatans Svifts. Mirdzas Ķempes tulkojums Mākslinieks Uģis Mežavilks Ar Valda Egles komentāriem

It was one of the most bizarre episodes in the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland: the construction, during the war's most savage phase, of a factory in West Belfast to make a luxury sports car with gull-wing doors. Huge subsidies were provided by the British government. The first car rolled off the line during the appalling hunger strikes of 1981. The prime mover and central character of this intelligent, witty and moving novel was John DeLorean, brilliant engineer, charismatic entrepreneur and world-class conman. He comes to energetic, seductive life through the eyes of his fixer in Belfast, a traumatised Vietnam veteran, and of a woman who takes a job in the factory against the wishes of her husband. Each of them has secrets and desires they dare not share with anyone they know. A great American hustler brought to vivid life in the most unlikely setting imaginable

“I felt something alive moving on my left leg … when bending my Eyes downwards as much as I could. I perceived it to be a human Creature not six inches high.” Shipwrecked and cast adrift, Lemuel Gulliver wakes to find himself on Lilliput, an island inhabited by little people, whose height makes their quarrels over fashion and fame seem ridiculous. His subsequent encounters—with the crude giants of Brobdingnag, the philosophical Houyhnhnms and the brutish Yahoos—give Gulliver new, bitter insights into human behaviour. Swift’s savage satire view mankind in a distorted hall of mirrors as a diminished, magnified and finally bestial species, presenting us with an uncompromising reflection of ourselves. This text, based on the first edition of 1726, reproduces all its original illustrations and includes an introduction by Robert Demaria, Jr, which discusses the ways Gulliver’s Travels has been interpreted since its first publication

The irresistible, ever-curious, and always best-selling Mary Roach returns with a new adventure to the invisible realm we carry around inside. “America’s funniest science writer” (Washington Post) takes us down the hatch on an unforgettable tour. The alimentary canal is classic Mary Roach terrain: the questions explored in Gulp are as taboo, in their way, as the cadavers in Stiff and every bit as surreal as the universe of zero gravity explored in Packing for Mars. Why is crunchy food so appealing? Why is it so hard to find words for flavors and smells? Why doesn’t the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts? Can constipation kill you? Did it kill Elvis? In Gulp we meet scientists who tackle the questions no one else thinks of—or has the courage to ask. We go on location to a pet-food taste-test lab, a fecal transplant, and into a live stomach to observe the fate of a meal. With Roach at our side, we travel the world, meeting murderers and mad scientists, Eskimos and exorcists (who have occasionally administered holy water rectally), rabbis and terrorists—who, it turns out, for practical reasons do not conceal bombs in their digestive tracts. Like all of Roach’s books, Gulp is as much about human beings as it is about human bodies. 15 illustrations An Amazon Best Book of the Month, April 2013: Mary Roach’s investigations into weird body science were inspired by a plastic torso with removable organs in her fifth-grade class, “the point at which curiosity began to push aside disgust or fear or whatever it is that so reliably deflects mind from body.” Since then, she’s investigated death (Stiff), sex (Bonk), life after death (Spooked), and life in zero-gravity (Packing for Mars). Now, she cruises down the alimentary canal with Gulp. As you’d expect with Roach, this isn’t a methodical top-to-bottom tour. It’s more delightful and memorable than that. She’s a gorgeous writer, a master of sly asides, puns, and the bizarre but ultimately relevant story, sounding at times like an absurdly well-informed comedian (her footnotes are must-reads). And her evocative portraits of experts obsessed with their piece of the digestive puzzle—the surprising properties of saliva, nuances of chewing and digesting, and, yes, the incredible control of the colon—coaxes her readers beyond the gag reflex, inspiring awe for the world inside ourselves. “Fans of lively writing will be delighted by the newest monosyllable from Mary Roach. Once again Roach boldly goes where no author has gone before, into the sciences of the taboo, the macabre, the icky, and the just plain weird. And she conveys it all with a perfect touch: warm, lucid, wry, sharing the unavoidable amusement without ever resorting to the cheap or the obvious. Yum!” “Mary Roach put her hand in a cow’s stomach for you, dear reader. If you don't read Gulp, then that was all for nought. Plus, you'll miss out on the funniest book ever written about guts.” “As probing as an endoscopy, Gulp is quintessential Mary Roach: supremely wide-ranging, endlessly curious, always surprising, and, yes, gut-wrenchingly funny.” “Starred review. Roach’s approach is grounded in science, but the virtuosic author rarely resists a pun, and it’s clear she revels in giving readers a thrill—even if it is a queasy one. Adventurous kids and doctors alike will appreciate this fascinating and sometimes ghastly tour of the gastrointestinal system.” “Starred Review. For all her irreverence, Roach marvels over the fine-tuned workings and ‘wisdom’ of the human body, and readers will delight in her exuberant energy, audacity, and wit.” “Starred review. Filled with witty asides, humorous anecdotes, and bizarre facts, this book will entertain readers, challenge their cultural taboos, and simultaneously teach them new lessons in digestive biology.”

Struggling to make a life for his young son when the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company takes a dive, Forrest Gump shares a second series of offbeat adventures that entangle him with the Coca-Cola company and Oliver North