En el hotel Metropole de Brighton, la noche de Nochevieja una mujer es brutalmente violada cuando regresa a su habitación. Una semana más tarde alguien ataca a otra mujer. El violador se lleva los zapatos de las dos… El detective Roy Grace se da cuenta enseguida de que estos casos son muy similares a otros que quedaron sin resolver en 1997 en cuya investigación él participó. Al criminal se le apodó Hombre de los zapatos y se cree que violó a cinco mujeres antes de acabar asesinando a la sexta de sus víctimas y de desvanecerse. Ahora, Grace no sabe si se trata de alguien imitando los ataques originales o del propio Hombre de los zapatos que ha reaparecido, pero cuando las violaciones se suceden, Grace acaba por convencerse de que se trata del mismo hombre. Y de que escarbando en el pasado -una época en que Roy Grace todavía era feliz junto a su esposa Sandy, ahora desaparecida-puede encontrar la clave para resolver la investigación. Pero tiene que ser una carrera contra reloj, porque la policía se teme que vuelva a repetirse la historia después cuando llegue a la sexta víctima

Bernārs Verbērs Tanatonauti  Romāns. Tanatonauti - mūsdienīgi episks darbs, kura galvenie varoņi cenšas atklāt nāves noslēpumu. Vai tiešām, cilvēkam nomirstot, viss ir beidzies? Un kas īsti notiek pēc tam? Tie ir jautājumi, par kuriem kādreiz aizdomājas ikviens no mums. Romānā "Tanatonauti" divi bērnības draugi Mišels Pensons un Rauls Razorbaks apņēmušies izzināt, kas notiek ar cilvēkiem, kad viņi nomirst. Pamazām viņi nokļūst aizvien tālāk Nāves teritorijā. Cauri biedējošu atmiņu un absolūta skaistuma teritorijām cilvēks dodas pretim vilinošai gaismai. Vai tur būtu Paradīze? Atklājot šos noslēpumus, romāna varoņi riskē ari ar savu dzīvību… Bernard Werber, dz. 1961) ir viens no populārākajiem zinātniskās fantastikas autoriem Francijā un visā pasaulē. Viņa daiļradi salīdzina ar Reja Bredberija un Kurta Vonnegūta darbiem. Latviešu lasītāji jau ir iepazinuši romānu "Eņģeļu impērija". *Tanatonauts nāves pētnieks (no grieķu valodas vārdiem thanatos nāve un nautes navigators). Bernāra Verbēra romānos apvienoti gan brīnišķīgi piedzī­vojumi, gan zinātniskā fantastika un filozofija. Ja reiz ļausieties tai fantastisko piedzīvojumu pilnajai pasaulei, ko uzbūris rakst­nieks, jums noteikti gribēsies ar to sastapties atkal un atkal. No franču valodas tulkojusi Maija Indraša 2010 Maija Indraša, tulkotāja Noskannējis grāmatu un FB2 failu izveidojis Imants Ločmelis imantslochmelis@inbox.lv Mākslinieks Arnis Zariņš Redaktore Rūta Koluža

 Bernārs Verbērs Tanatonauti-2. Eņģeļu impērija Turpinājums grāmatai Tanatonauti. Bernārs Verbērs Bernard Werber, 1961) ir dzimis Tulūzā. Fantastikas stāstus Verbērs sācis rakstīt jau 14 gadu vecumā, un šobrīd viņš ir viens no populārā­kajiem zinātniskās fantastikas rakstniekiem Francijā un visā pasaulē. Dzimtenē viņa grāmatas izdotas vairāk nekā 5 mil­jonos eksemplāru, bet divreiz vairāk grāmatu pārdots ārpus Francijas robežām. Rakstnieka darbi tulkoti vairāk nekā 30 valodās. Zinātniskā fantastika, kuras humors un ironija atsauks atmiņā literatūras dižgaru Reja Bredberija un Kurta Vonnegūta darbus Romana galvenais varonis Mišels Pensons nomirst un nonāk pēcnāves valstībā. Ikviens cilvēks tur stājas tiesas priekšā, kurā tiek novērtēts viņa mūža devums. Atkarībā no iegūtā punktu skaita viņš vai nu tiek paaugstināts par eņģeli, vai sūtīts uz Zemi jaunā reinkarnācijā. Pateicoties sava advokāta Emīla Zolā pārliecinošajai runai, Mišels Pensons tiek novērtēts ar nepieciešamo punktu skaitu un var kļūt par sargeņģeli trim cilvēkiem. Viņa uzdevums kā eņģelim ir panākt, lai arī vismaz viens viņa protežē iegūtu nepieciešamos piecsimt punktus. Lasītājam ir iespēja izsekot, kas ar katru no šiem trim cilvēkiem notiek visas dzīves garumā. Savukārt eņģeļi nolēmuši noskaidrot, kur īsti mīt Dievs. Autors ļauj iepazīt Paradīzi kā vietu, kur mīt būtnes, kas vēl mums labu un cenšas mūs glābt. Dažkārt pat pret mūsu pašu gribu. …Kāds ir eņģeļu skatījums uz ņudzošo cilvēku pūli, kas dzīvo uz Zemes? Vai tiešām katram debesīs ir savs sargeņģelis? Kas ar mums notiek pēc nāves? Un vai pēc debesīm, zemes, jūras un zvaigznēm Paradīze nav pēdējā izpētes vērtā robeža?… Jautājumi, uz kuriem Bernārs Verbērs meklē atbildi romānā "Eņģeļu impērija", ir ļoti nopietni cilvēka dzīves jēgas meklējumi, savstarpējo attiecību ētika, Dieva esamība vai neesamība. Tomēr darbs uzrakstīts ar krietnu humora un ironijas devu. No franču valodas tulkojusi Maija Indraša 2010 Noskanējis grāmatu un  failu izveidojis Imants Ločmelis imantslochmelis@inbox.lv

Bernārs Verbērs Tanatonauti-3. Mēs dievi Nevēlos lasītājus piespiest noticēt tām vai citām patiesībām. Viss, ko piedāvāju, ir iztēloties. Bernārs Verbērs "Pavisam drīz, apgūstot dievu iemaņas, veidosim sev līdzīgas, attīstītas būtnes ar smadzenēm, kas domā, mutēm, kas runā, un rokām, kas darbojas!" sajūsminās Bernāra Verbēra varoņi Mišels Pensons, Rauls Razorbaks, Fredijs Maiers un Merilina Monro. Viņi, drosmīgie tanatonauti un eņģeļi, ir nonākuši Paradīzes nākamajā līmenī un kļuvuši par… dieviem. Nu labi, par dievu mācekļiem. Veco dievu modrajā vadību viņi rada civilizācijas un iznīcina tās, meklējot labākos modeļus cilvēces attīstībai. "Dievs, kas dod zīmes ar pērkonu un zibeni, ir netalantīgs. Uz cilvēkiem jāiedarbojas smalki," skan viena no mācībām. Un viņi cenšas. "Ja muskuļus nedarbina, tie atrofējas. Drosme ir muskulis, neatkarība ir muskulis, un ambīcijas ir muskuļi." Neparastās sāgas beigās, kurā savijusies piedzīvojumi, spriedze un humors, arī jūs sev uzdosiet jautājumu: "Un kā rīkotos es, ja es būtu Dievs?" (Bernard Verber, dz. 1961) ir viens no populārākajiem zinātniskās fantastikas rakstniekiem Francija un pasaulē. Viņa darbus salīdzina ar Reja Bredberija un Kurta Vonnegūta darbiem. Triloģija "liņģeļu impērija", "Tanatonauti" un "Mēs dievi" apbur ar brīnišķīgām sentencēm par cilvēci un tās prāta spējām, vienlaikus rādot dažādus attīstības modeļus un ar sirsnību nolūkojoties uz mums pašiem, cilvēkiem, mūsu esības gaišajām un ēnas pusēm. Kaut kur tālu projām atrodas sala, kuru tās iedzīvotāji sauc par Ēdeni. Augstu kalnos uzcelta pilsēta Olimpija. Tās vidū slejas neparasta mācību iestāde Dievu skola, kurā par pasniedzējiem strādā divpadsmit grieķu mitoloģijas dievi. Viņu uzdevums ir iemācīt izredzētos vadīt cilvēku masas tā, lai tās vēlētos izdzīvot, celt pilsētas, karot, izgudrot dažādas reliģijas vai vienkārši celt savu apziņas līmeni. Ieradušies jauni studenti. Simt četrdesmit četri dievu mācekļi, kas ar savu cilvēku un viņu pareģu palīdzību vei­dos paši savu dievišķo darbības stilu. Tomēr dzīve Ēdenē nav nekāda Paradīze… No franču valodas tulkojusi Maija lndraša Redaktore Rūta Koluža Mākslinieks Arnis Zariņš Noskannejis grāmatu un failu izveidojis Imants Ločmelis imantslochmelis@inbox.lv

Po oszałamiającym i bezprecedensowym sukcesie Mrówek, które okazały się światowym bestsellerem wydanym w wielomilionowych nakładach od Stanów Zjednoczonych po Koreę o przetłumaczonym na siedemnaście języków, Bernard Werber proponuje nam tym razem Tanatonautów, kolejną niezwykłą powieść i wielką współczesną epopeję, w której podjęta zostaje próba przeniknięcia tajemnicy śmierci. Opierając się na wielu nieznanych dotąd informacjach naukowych, przywołując najbardziej tajemne techniki inicjacyjne należące do różnych religii i wierzeń, Bernard Weber zaprasza nas do eksploracji ostatecznego kontynentu, który rozpościera się dalej niż sięga nasza wyobraźnia. Zanurzycie się w dziwnym, mistycznym i nieprzeniknionym do tej pory świecie, w którym ukryty jest sekret, który ludzkość pragnie przeniknąć od zarania dziejów. Nikt jeszcze nigdy nie dotarł w tej wędrówce tak daleko jak Tanatonauci. Podejmują oni próbę zbadania tego, czym jest życie po życiu. Najbardziej niesamowita Odyseja w historii ludzkości

Chiński inspektor i amerykańska policjantka we wspólnym niebezpiecznym śledztwie. Inspektor Chen prowadzi dochodzenie w sprawie brutalnego morderstwa w szanghajskim parku. Na polecenie najwyższych władz musi je jednak przerwać. Zostaje oddelegowany do pomocy amerykańskiej policjantce poszukującej zaginionej kobiety – byłej tancerki, żony aresztowanego w Stanach członka triady. Chen i Catherine Rohn docierają z Szanghaju na daleką prowincję. Podczas podróży przez Chiny czerwonych sztandarów i sentencji Konfucjusza, starożytnej poezji i domów publicznych ukrytych za szyldami klubów karaoke Chen i Catherine zbliżają się do siebie. I nieoczekiwanie odkrywają, że coś łączy zaginioną kobietę z morderstwem w parku. Ale żeby odnaleźć tancerkę, muszą zagłębić się w jej przeszłość – naznaczoną brutalnością, poniżeniem i zbrodnią…

Tancred; or, The New Crusade is a novel by Benjamin Disraeli, first published by Henry Colburn in three volumes. Together with Coningsby (1844) and Sybil (1845) it forms a sequence sometimes called the Young England trilogy. It shares a number of characters with the earlier novels, but unlike them is concerned less with the political and social condition of England than with a religious and even mystical theme: the question of how Judaism and Christianity are to be reconciled, and the Church reborn as a progressive force

Everything repeats. You. Your best friend. Every person you know. Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities. Welcome to the multiverse. Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will. To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not. The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems

High Druid of Shannara 2 Publisher: Del Rey; 1ST edition (August 31, 2004) ISBN–10: 0345435745 ISBN–13: 978–0345435743 . War threatens the Four Lands, and Shannara's only hope lies in Penderrin Ohmsford, but it's a dreadfully slim hope. To save his world, Pen must restore his aunt, the former Ilse Witch, to her rightful position as High Druid of Shannara. But first Pen must free his aunt Grianne from the Forbidding: the world of the demons. To have the slightest chance of freeing her, he must find the mystical tree called the Tanequil, and somehow craft a talisman from its wood. But Shadea a'Ru, the treacherous usurper of his aunt's position, will do anything to stop Pen — and she has already captured Pen's parents and forced them to reveal their son's whereabouts. Sen Dunsidan, the monstrous Prime Minister of the Federation, has armed his greatest airship with a horrible new weapon. And Pen is just a boy, accompanied on his dangerous quest by only a Dwarf, a young Elf, and a blind Rover girl. Filled with action, treachery, and sacrifice, Tanequil will enthrall Terry Brooks's millions of fans as it roars to a shocking conclusion

Фарид Нагим, прозаик и драматург от бога. Права на его пьесы, поставленные во многих театрах Европы, принадлежат Берлинскому театральному агентству «Хеншел Шаушпиль», которое работало с произведениями Горького, Булгакова, Есенина, Вампилова, Петрушевской и Улицкой. Своей театральной родиной он считает Германию — именно там впервые увидела свет его пьеса «Крик слона» (лауреат премии «Русский Декамерон» 2003 года), а также другие произведения. «Танжер» — дебютный роман автора и этот дебют наконец в России! Танжер город-рай, остров безрассудства, сладостных наслаждений и вольных мечтаний. На Танжере в свое время были повернуты все французские интеллектуалы. Этот город был их территорией независимости — песок, любовь, наркотики. Они бежали туда из мертвой Европы, прятались от своих жен и любовников. Там же и умирали. Фарид Нагим пытается найти свой Танжер в холодной и циничной Москве…

The last person Alice Shipley expected to see since arriving in Tangier with her new husband was Lucy Mason. After the accident at Bennington, the two friends—once inseparable roommates—haven’t spoken in over a year. But there Lucy was, trying to make things right and return to their old rhythms. Perhaps Alice should be happy. She has not adjusted to life in Morocco, too afraid to venture out into the bustling medinas and oppressive heat. Lucy—always fearless and independent—helps Alice emerge from her flat and explore the country. But soon a familiar feeling starts to overtake Alice—she feels controlled and stifled by Lucy at every turn. Then Alice’s husband, John, goes missing, and Alice starts to question everything around her: her relationship with her enigmatic friend, her decision to ever come to Tangier, and her very own state of mind. Tangerine is a sharp dagger of a book—a debut so tightly wound, so replete with exotic imagery and charm, so full of precise details and extraordinary craftsmanship, it will leave you absolutely breathless

Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past—one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another. For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone-wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild compulsion toward one another proves a losing battle. Their coming together is an inferno...and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both

Content with her humdrum country life, Miss Dorothea Darent had no intention of marrying. She knew that her unfashionable curves and her outspoken ways made her a disastrous match for any gentleman of the ton. But one kiss from a dashing stranger changed everything

I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings. But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past — or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead. Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur — or die trying — because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling… or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead…

Maddie is determined to uncover the untold story about the town's sordid past-her past. As a child, Maddie lost everything, and now she's back at the scene of the scandal-a local establishment that's always belonged to the Hennessys-determined to uncover the truth, and nothing is going to stand in her way. Especially not a black-haired, blue-eyed Hennessy. Everyone in Truly knows that the Hennessy men are irresistible, and the current owner, Mick, is no exception. His late father was a skirt-chasing heartbreaker who ended up causing disaster for two families. So far, Mick's managed to keep the ladies in line, but when he claps eyes on Maddie, with her luscious curves and tempting lips, he can't resist getting tangled up with her. But Maddie is keeping secrets, not the least of which is her true reason for being in town. And when Mick discovers what's really going on, there is going to be a whole lot of trouble in Truly

Used to the sleepy tranquillity of village life in rural Wales, the residents of Felinbach are shocked by the brutal killing of a local baby, Anne-Marie Palmer. None more so than GP Tom Gordon, the only friend left to John Palmer who, faced with irrevocable evidence, stands accused of his daughter’s murder. Just days later Tom is co-opted to investigate the disappearance of the body of a three-month-old cot-death victim from Caernarfon General’s Pathology Department. But the hospital is anxious to keep publicity firmly on their upcoming symposium on in vitro fertilisation, headed by world-renowned specialist Professor Carwyn Thomas, so Tom’s investigations seem thwarted at every turn. That is, until he makes the chilling discovery that Professor Thomas has more than just a passing interest in the murder of little Anne-Marie Palmer... and seems prepared to go to any lengths to stop Tom finding out why. Suddenly a disturbing link between the murder of the Palmer baby, the missing body of a child and the IVF clinic at Caernarfon General begins to emerge. And with John Palmer about to be tried for a murder Tom is sure he didn’t commit, things are starting to look desperate — and dangerous — for all of them

Anne Bishop's national bestselling and critically acclaimed Black Jewels series has enthralled readers with its lavish blend of "the darkly macabre with spine-tingling emotional intensity, mesmerizing magic, lush sensuality, and exciting action." Now readers can return to the violently passionate world rules by the Blood, a race of witches and warlocks whose power is channeled through magical jewels.... The invitation is signed Jaenelle Angelline, she who had been both Witch and Queen. It summons her family to an entertainment she had specially prepared. Surreal SaDiablo, former courtesan and assassin, arrives first. But as she and her escort enter the house, the door disappears. Surreal finds herself trapped in a nightmare created by the tangled webs of Black Widow witches — a nightmare where the monsters are too real. And if she uses Craft to defend herself, she risks being sealed in the house forever. But Jaenelle did not send the invitation. And now Jaenelle and her family must rescue Surreal and the others inside without becoming trapped themselves, and they must also discover who created such an evil place and why. Because there is one thing they all know about this house: No matter who planned it as a way to kill members of the SaDiablo family, only one of the Blood could have created the trap

Книга Надежды Александровны Тэффи (1872-1952) дает читателю возможность более полно познакомиться с ранним творчеством писательницы, которую по праву называли "изящнейшей жемчужиной русского культурного юмора"

Dr. Nicole Mann is simply too busy for romance. Her work as a surgeon consumes her entire world and she prefers it that way. That is, until she meets too-charming-for-his-own- good Ty O'Grady. This sexy architect with his enticing Irish accent has her thinking of something other than medicine. So she'll prescribe herself an intense-but temporary-round of seduction to cure this Ty fever once and for all. Stubborn, strong and entirely too desirable, Nicole is Ty's match. When one hot touch leads to another, and another, this footloose drifter suddenly is thinking of a relationship with a design to forever. So he's pulling out all the sensual stops and will do anything to show her a temptation that's irresistible!

Tango to dramat o współczesnym społeczeństwie, w którym panuje konformizm, anarchia, brak postaw. Farsową sytuację kompletnego pomieszania i rozprzężenia opanowuje i wykorzystuje władza, czyli silny i brutalny cham. Tango to już klasyka, najbardziej znany i najważniejszy utwór Sławomira Mrożka o społecznych zagrożeniach

Moi, vous me connaissez ? J'ai pas l'habitude de vous mener en bateau, et quand ça m'arrive, c'est moi qui rame ! Alors si je vous affirme que vous n'avez pas encore jamais lu un bouquin comme celui-ci, vous pouvez me croire ! Dans le TANGO CHINETOQUE, vous allez trouver des trucs qui vous feront dresser les poils des bras sur la tronche ! Vous y verrez comment, en Chine, on fabrique mille kilomètres d'autoroute par jour ! Comment un mouton tombe amoureux de Béru ! Comment Béru opère de l'appendicite un zig qui n'en a pas besoin ! Vous y verrez comment le Gros et moi on se paye une virouze dans le cosmos ! Parfaitement ! Et puis, l'amour à la chinoise, ça ne vous dit rien ? Cette extraordinaire aventure se passe en Chine, mais on ne rit pas jaune pour autant. Et si le coq gaulois se fait déplumasser le dargif par moments, ça ne l'empêche pas de chanter fort ! Non, franchement, je plains Louis XVI qui est mort trop tôt pour avoir pu lire ça !

„Dziewczyna z coraz większym zainteresowaniem wpatrywała się w napływające informacje. Wynikało z nich niezbicie, że niezidentyfikowany statek przestrzenny przekroczył już orbitę Sixty i stale zmniejszając szybkość kierował się w stronę planet centralnych układu. Poruszany archaicznym, od dawna nie stosowanym już w eridańskiej flocie silnikiem fotonowym nie reagował na żadne sygnały i wskazówki, wciąż od nowa przesyłane na jego pokład przez pilnujące ruchu satelity. Zebrawszy wszystkie przekazy Vyasa już miała przystąpić do sporządzania wstępnego raportu, gdy nagle część przestrzeni pomieszczenia zakrzywiła się i ukazał się w niej teleport Hyp Sara — myśliciela i administratora Sixty, który przekazać miał Radzie sprawozdanie o niezwykłym wydarzeniu w okolicach planety”

Kiedy pierwszy raz odwiedziłam Wiedeń, rozkochałam się w ogrodach Heunriger Wine; rozbrzmiewały zawsze muzyką. Wspominam o nich w tej powieści, którą napisałam zafascynowana i katedrą Św. Stefana, i eleganckimi manierami Austriaków. Moja książka The Private life of Elizabeth Empress of Austria przez wiele lat uchodziła w „The Elizabeth Club” za najlepszą biografię cesarzowej. Kolejny zaszczyt spadł na mnie w 1969 roku. Burmistrz Wiednia, który podczas wojny wraz z prezydentem Tito i doktorem Paulem Urbanem brał udział w ruchu oporu, wydał na moją cześć oficjalne przyjęcie za pracę dla Organizacji Zdrowia. Wspaniała, uroczysta kolacja odbyła się w historycznym ratuszu. Po przemówieniach wszyscy zatańczyliśmy walca przy dźwiękach orkiestry, która grała Nad pięknym, modrym Dunajem. Pałac Esterhazych znajduje się w małej wiosce Fertod. Podczas ostatniej wojny został poważnie uszkodzony, podobnie jak domki i świątynie w rokokowym francus¬kim parku, okalającym dawną siedzibę Międzynarodo¬wego Sądu. Odbudowany pałac należy dziś do najwspanialszych zabytków Węgier i zwiedza go rokrocznie ponad sto tysięcy turystów

Po pięciu latach walk z posleeńskim najeźdźcą z ludzkiej cywilizacji pozostała zaledwie garstka wysoko uprzemysłowionych dolin, których mieszkańcy prześcigają się w tworzeniu coraz to potężniejszych wojennych machin, mających stawić czoła znienawidzonemu wrogowi. Po pięciu latach walk z ludźmi Posleeni są zmęczeni. Ludzie nie walczą fair. Posleeni są gotowi na zmianę, dlatego nadchodzi Tulo'stenaloor. Raz pokonany, potrafi wyciągnąć wnioski ze swojej klęski. Teraz nadeszła pora konfrontacji. Dwaj dawni przeciwnicy mają zmierzyć się w bitwie, która rozstrzygnie o przyszłości galaktyki na następne tysiąclecia. A kiedy major Michael O'Neal, dowódca pierwszego batalionu 555 pułku piechoty mobilnej, staje naprzeciw Tulo'stenaloora. Czas zatańczyć z diabłem

The Tank Killers is the story of the American Tank Destroyer Force in North Africa, Italy, and the European Theater during World War II. The tank destroyer (TD) was a bold—if some would say flawed—answer to the challenge posed by the seemingly unstoppable German blitzkrieg. The TD was conceived to be light and fast enough to outmaneuver panzer forces and go where tanks could not. At the same time, the TD would wield the firepower needed to kill any German tank on the battlefield. Indeed, American doctrine stipulated that TDs would fight tanks, while American tanks would concentrate on achieving and exploiting breakthroughs of enemy lines. The Tank Killers follows the men who fought in the TDs from the formation of the force in 1941 through the victory over the Third Reich in 1945. It is a story of American flexibility and pragmatism in military affairs. Tankdestroyers were among the very first units to land in North Africa in 1942. Their first vehicles were ad hoc affairs: Halftracks and weapons carriers with guns no better than those on tanks and thin armor affording the crews considerably less protection. Almost immediately, the crews realized that their doctrine was incomplete. They began adapting to circumstances, along with their partners in the infantry and armored divisions. By the time that North Africa was in Allied hands, the TD had become a valued tank fighter, assault gun, and artillery piece. The reconnaissance teams in TD battalions, meanwhile, had established a record for daring operations that they would continue for the rest of the war. The story continues with the invasion of Italy and finally that of Fortress Europe on 6 June 1944. By now, the brass had decreed that half the force would convert to towed guns, a decision that dogged the affected crews through the end of the war. The TD men encountered increasingly lethal enemies, ever more dangerous panzers that were often vulnerable only to their guns while American tank crews watched in frustration as their rounds bounced harmlessly off the thick German armor. They fought under incredibly diverse conditions that demanded constant modification of tactics. Their equipment became ever more deadly. By VE day, the tank destroyer battalions had achieved impressive records, generally with kill/loss rates heavily in their favor. Yet the Army after the war concluded that the concept of a separate TD arm was so fundamentally flawed that not a single battalion existed after November 1946. The Tank Killers draws heavily on the records of the tank destroyer battalions and the units with which they fought. Veterans of the force add their personal stories

A sobering account of conflict on the Eastern Front of World War II told from the perspective of a Russian soldier. Honest and irrepressibly frank, these are the dramatic memoirs of a Russian officer on the Eastern Front, where he played his part in a clash of titans and witnessed the shuddering collapse of the Third Reich. The cataclysmic battle of Kursk in 1943 put an end to Hitler’s hopes of victory on the Eastern Front, and it was Evgeni Bessonov’s first battle. From then on the Germans were forced into a long, bitter retreat that ended in the ruins of Berlin in 1945. An officer in an elite guards unit of the Red Army, Bessonov rode tanks from Kursk, through a western Russia and Poland devastated by the Germans, and right into the heart of Nazi Germany. Tank Rider is the riveting memoir of Evgeni Bessonov telling of his years of service at the vanguard of the Red Army and daily encounters with the German foe. He brings large-scale battles to life, recounts the sniping and skirmishing that tried and tested soldiers on both sides, and narrates the overwhelming tragedy and horror of apocalyptic warfare on the Eastern Front. So much of the Soviet experience of World War II remains untold, but this memoir provides an important glimpse into some of the most decisive moments of this overlooked history

By 1943, after the catastrophic German defeat at Stalingrad, the Wehmacht’s panzer armies gradually lost the initiative on the Eastern Front. The tide of the war had turned. Their combined arms technique, which had swept Soviet forces before it during 1941 and 1942, had lost its edge. Thereafter the war on the Eastern Front was dominated by tank-led offensives and, as Robert Forczyk shows, the Red Army’s mechanized forces gained the upper hand, delivering a sequence of powerful blows that shattered one German defensive line after another. His incisive study offers fresh insight into how the two most powerful mechanized armies of the Second World War developed their tank tactics and weaponry during this period of growing Soviet dominance. He uses German, Russian and English sources to provide the first comprehensive overview and analysis of armored warfare from the German and Soviet perspectives. This major study of the greatest tank war in history is compelling reading

The German panzer armies that swept into the Soviet Union in 1941 were an undefeated force that had honed their skill in combined arms warfare to a fine edge. The Germans focused their panzers and tactical air support at points on the battlefield defined as Schwerpunkt – main effort – to smash through any defensive line and then advance to envelope their adversaries. Initially, these methods worked well in the early days of Operation Barbarossa and the tank forces of the Red Army suffered defeat after defeat. Although badly mauled in the opening battles, the Red Army’s tank forces did not succumb to the German armoured onslaught and German planning and logistical deficiencies led to over-extension and failure in 1941. In the second year of the invasion, the Germans directed their Schwerpunkt toward the Volga and the Caucasus and again achieved some degree of success, but the Red Army had grown much stronger and by November 1942, the Soviets were able to turn the tables at Stalingrad. Robert Forczyk’s incisive study offers fresh insight into how the two most powerful mechanized armies of the Second World War developed their tactics and weaponry during the critical early years of the Russo-German War. He uses German, Russian and English sources to provide the first comprehensive overview and analysis of armored warfare from the German and Soviet perspectives. His analysis of the greatest tank war in history is compelling reading

By 1943, after the catastrophic German defeat at Stalingrad, the Wehmacht’s panzer armies gradually lost the initiative on the Eastern Front. The tide of the war had turned. Their combined arms technique, which had swept Soviet forces before it during 1941 and 1942, had lost its edge. Thereafter the war on the Eastern Front was dominated by tank-led offensives and, as Robert Forczyk shows, the Red Army’s mechanized forces gained the upper hand, delivering a sequence of powerful blows that shattered one German defensive line after another. His incisive study offers fresh insight into how the two most powerful mechanized armies of the Second World War developed their tank tactics and weaponry during this period of growing Soviet dominance. He uses German, Russian and English sources to provide the first comprehensive overview and analysis of armored warfare from the German and Soviet perspectives. This major study of the greatest tank war in history is compelling reading

Only a fool would risk his life to please a mob of crazy peons. But only a coward could refuse the challenge of this greatest bull of all

The battle of Tannenberg (August 27–30, 1914) opened World War I with a decisive German victory over Russia—indeed the Kaiser’s only clear-cut victory in a non-attritional battle during four years of war. In this first paperback edition of the classic work, historian Dennis Showalter analyzes this battle’s causes, effects, and implications for subsequent German military policy. The author carefully guides the reader through what actually happened on the battlefield, from its grand strategy down to the level of improvised squad actions. Examining the battle in the context of contemporary diplomatic, political, and economic affairs, Showalter also reviews both armies’ social settings and military doctrine, and shows how the battle may be understood as a case study of problems that military organizations face in the initial stages of a major war. In addition, he demolishes many myths about the battle, such as the supposed superiority of the German military, the animosity among Russian field commanders, and the assumption that the Germans viewed their opponents as a horde of uniformed illiterates. Tannenberg’s mystique later served the Weimar Republic and Third Reich propagandists. For years its legends helped to shape German nationalist ideology and military policy. In 1941, Hitler’s Wehrmacht grossly underestimated Soviet military capability, leading to disaster in World War II

Cold War superspy Evan Tanner lost the ability to sleep on a battlefield in Korea. So where the heck has he been since the ’70s? Frozen. Cryogenically. A Tanner-sicle. Which he never thought would happen when he walked into a basement in Union City, New Jersey, more than a quarter century ago. Now he’s unthawed and ready to rumble, and his somewhat addled, former super-secret boss, “the Chief,” is glad his favorite operative’s active again. Tanner awoke to a different world, though some bad things have remained the same… or gotten worse. Even before he can fully acclimate himself to this perplexing future, Tanner’s off to Burma (which isn’t really Burma anymore) to pose as a monk, destabilize the government, dodge a lethal double-cross, and rescue a beautiful prisoner. The world’s still full of conspiracy, corruption, greed, political chicanery – and beautiful women. So Tanner’s back with a vengeance, with a lot of lost time to make up for

The Cold War’s boiling over. Global tensions are near the breaking point. So what’s the perfect assignment for a super-spy who hasn't slept since the Korean conflict? A fun-filled trip to the Montreal World’s Fair! The adorable little girl he's escorting – who, under different circumstances, would be sitting on the Lithuanian throne – can hardly contain her excitement, but it isn’t all playtime for Evan Tanner. Some mysterious disappearances, apparently linked to the fair’s Cuban exhibition, need to be looked into. Keeping his mind on business, however, won’t be easy after an insatiable lovely in a tiger skin falls into Tanner’s arms, and a mother lode of dangerous drugs falls into his lap. But the biggest, deadliest surprise is the terrorist plot Tanner’s tumbling into, and he’ll have to think and act quickly to prevent the visiting queen of England from being blown to smithereens

Sometime spy Evan Tanner has accepted impossible assignments for many reasons: money, thrills, to have something to occupy his waking hours (twenty-four of them every day, in fact, since battlefield shrapnel obliterated his brain’s sleep center). But this might be the first time he’s put his life on the line… for love. Tanner’s agreed to smuggle a sexy Latvian gymnast – the lost lady love of a heart-sick friend – out of Russia. With the Cold War at its chilliest and the Iron Curtain slammed shut, this will not be easy, especially since everybody in Eastern Europe, it seems, wants to tag along, including a subversive Slav author and the six-year-old heir to the nonexistent Lithuanian throne. But that’s not the biggest hurdle. The gymnast refuses to budge unless Tanner rescues her eleven delightfully limber teammates as well – and that might be raising the bar too lethally high for even the ever-resourceful Evan Tanner to clear

The CIA, the FBI, the KGB, Interpol – not one of the world’s premier intelligence organizations knows quite what to make of Evan Michael Tanner. Is he a spy, a mercenary, a footloose adventurer, or simply a screwball sucker for hopeless causes? (Actually he’s a little bit of all of the above. Plus he never sleeps. Ever.) One thing’s for sure: Tanner’s a true romantic, which is why he can’t refuse a distraught mother who begs him to rescue her lost, pure-as-driven-snow daughter. Phaedra Harrow (nee Deborah Horowitz) once shared Tanner’s apartment but not his bed. And now the virginal beauty’s been abducted by white slavers in the Afghan wilderness. Finding Phaedra will be difficult enough. Bringing her back alive and unmolested may be impossible. And first Tanner will have to swim the English Channel, survive trigger-happy Russian terrorists… and maybe pull off a timely assassination or two