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The Sorrow Of War: A Novel Of North Vietnam
by Bao NinhKien’s job is to search the Jungle of Screaming Souls for corpses. He knows the area well – this was where, in the dry season of 1969, his battalion was obliterated by American napalm and helicopter gunfire. Kien was one of only ten survivors. This book is his attempt to understand the eleven years of his life he gave to a senseless war. Based on true experiences of Bao Ninh and banned by the communist party, this novel is revered as the ‘All Quiet on the Western Front for our era’.
The Souls of Black Folk: Essays And Sketches
by W. E. Du BoisThis collection of essays by scholar-activist W. E. B. Du Bois is a masterpiece in the African American canon. Du Bois, arguably the most influential African American leader of the early twentieth century, offers insightful commentary on black history, racism, and the struggles of black Americans following emancipation. In his groundbreaking work, the author presciently writes that “the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line,” and offers powerful arguments for the absolute necessity of moral, social, political, and economic equality. These essays on the black experience in America range from sociological studies of the African American community to illuminating discourses on religion and “Negro music,” and remain essential reading in our so-called “post racial age.” A new introduction by Jonathan Holloway explores Du Bois’s signature accomplishments while helping readers to better understand his writings in the context of his time as well as ours.
The Souls of Black Folk
by W. E. B. Du BoisThis landmark book is a founding work in the literature of black protest. W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) played a key role in developing the strategy and program that dominated early 20th-century black protest in America. In this collection of essays, first published together in 1903, he eloquently affirms that it is beneath the dignity of a human being to beg for those rights that belong inherently to all mankind. He also charges that the strategy of accommodation to white supremacy advanced by Booker T. Washington, then the most influential black leader in America, would only serve to perpetuate black oppression. Publication of The Souls of Black Folk was a dramatic event that helped to polarize black leaders into two groups: the more conservative followers of Washington and the more radical supporters of aggressive protest. Its influence cannot be overstated. It is essential reading for everyone interested in African-American history and the struggle for civil rights in America.
The Sound And The Fury: The Corrected Text With Faulkner's Appendix (Sparknotes Literature Study Guides)
by William FaulknerA towering, intense novel of family from the winner of the Nobel Prize for LiteratureWith an introduction by Richard HughesEver since the first furore was created on its publication in 1929, The Sound and the Fury has been considered one of the key novels of this century. Depicting the gradual disintegration of the Compson family through four fractured narratives, The Sound and the Fury explores intense, passionate family relationships where there is no love, only self-centredness. At its heart this is a novel about lovelessness - 'only an idiot has no grief; only a fool would forget it. What else is there in this world sharp enough to stick to your guts?'Born in 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi, William Faulkner was the son of a family proud of their prominent role in the history of the south. He grew up in Oxford, Mississippi, and left high school at fifteen to work in his grandfather's bank. Rejected by the US military in 1915, he joined the Canadian flyers with the RAF, but was still in training when the war ended. Returning home, he studied at the University of Mississippi and visited Europe briefly in 1925. His first poem was published in The New Republic in 1919. His first book of verse and early novels followed, but his major work began with the publication of The Sound and the Fury in 1929. As I Lay Dying (1930), Sanctuary (1931), Light in August (1932), Absalom, Absalom! (1936) and The Wild Palms (1939) are the key works of his great creative period leading up to Intruder in the Dust (1948). During the 1930s, he worked in Hollywood on film scripts, notably The Blue Lamp, co-written with Raymond Chandler. William Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949 and the Pulitzer Prize for The Reivers just before his death in July1962.
Sound Bites: Eating on Tour with Franz Ferdinand
by Alex KapranosIn September 2005, Alex Kapranos began writing about what he ate while touring the world with the rock band Franz Ferdinand. The writing is as much about where he eats and the people he eats with as the unusual flavours he tastes on the road. Whether it’s munching donuts with cops in Brooklyn, swallowing bull’s balls with the band in Buenos Aires or queuing for a saveloy in South Shields, these are surprising and vivid snapshots of life on the road. Funny, poignant, sickening or sexual depending on the situation, the material, both new and previously published in the Guardian, is fascinating and entertaining.
The Sound of Paper: Inspiration and Practical Guidance for Starting the Creative Process (Artist's Way Ser.)
by Julia Cameron'Lately, I am trying to provoke myself into art - into writing... I wasn't exactly in despair - I was in cynicism, which is despair's more torpid sister... Let me tell you how writing snuck back on me.'Whether you are starting from scratch or need a gentle nudge back in the right direction, The Sound of Paper is a wonderful creative companion. Through inspiring essays and practical tasks, it stimulates creativity so that the reader becomes more and more familiar with their own strengths. Including her own fascinating journey from writer's block back to productive work, which takes the reader across America from New York to New Mexico, this is a story of inspiration infused with brilliantly practical suggestions, the perfect combination for anyone on the path to creativity.
South: The Endurance Expedition (Lyons Press Series)
by Ernest ShackletonThe Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition was perhaps the most ambitious, elaborate and confident of all the British attempts to master the South Pole. Like the others it ended in disaster, with the Endeavour first trapped and then crushed to pieces in the ice and its crew trapped in the Antarctic, seemingly doomed to a slow and horrible death. In the face of extraordinary odds, Shackleton, the expedition's leader, decided on the only course that might just save them: a 700 nautical mile voyage in a small boat across the ferocious Southern Ocean in the forelorn hope of reaching the only human habitation within range: a small whaling station on the rugged, ice-sheeted island of South Georgia.South tells the story both of the whole astonishing expedition and of Shackleton's journey to rescue his men - one of the greatest feats of navigation ever recorded.
South Africa's Brave New World: The Beloved Country Since the End of Apartheid
by R. W. JohnsonThe universal jubilation that greeted Nelson Mandela's inauguration as president of South Africa in 1994 and the process by which the nightmare of apartheid had been banished is one of the most thrilling, hopeful stories in the modern era: peaceful, rational change was possible and, as with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the weight of an oppressive history was suddenly lifted.R.W. Johnson's major new book tells the story of South Africa from that magic period to the bitter disappointment of the present. As it turned out, it was not so easy for South Africa to shake off its past. The profound damage of apartheid meant there was not an adequate educated black middle class to run the new state and apartheid had done great psychological harm too, issues that no amount of goodwill could wish away. Equally damaging were the new leaders, many of whom had lived in exile or in prison for much of their adult lives and who tried to impose decrepit, Eastern Bloc political ideas on a world that had long moved on.This disastrous combination has had a terrible impact - it poisoned everything from big business to education to energy utilities to AIDS policy to relations with Zimbabwe. At the heart of the book lies the ruinous figure of Thabo Mbeki, whose over-reaching ambitions led to catastrophic failure on almost every front. But, as Johnson makes clear, Mbeki may have contributed more than anyone else to bringing South Africa close to "failed state" status, but he had plenty of help.
Sovereign: A Matthew Shardlake Mystery (The Shardlake series #3)
by C. J. Sansom'C. J. Sansom’s books are arguably the best Tudor novels going' – The Sunday TimesFollowing on from Dissolution and Dark Fire, Sovereign is the third gripping historical novel in C. J. Sansom's number one bestselling Shardlake series, perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory.England, 1541. King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Progress to the North to attend an extravagant submission by his rebellious subjects in York.Already in the city are lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak, whom have reluctantly undertaken a special mission for Archbishop Thomas Cranmer – to ensure the welfare of an important but dangerous conspirator who is to be returned to London for interrogation.But the murder of a York glazier involves Shardlake in deeper mysteries, connected not only to the prisoner in York castle but to the royal family itself. And when Shardlake and Barak stumble upon a cache of secret documents which could threaten the Tudor throne, a chain of events unfolds that will lead Shardlake to face the most terrifying fate of the age . . .This is the third novel in C. J. Sansom's internationally bestselling Shardlake series. It is followed by Revelation, the fourth book in the series.
Sovereignty: God, State, and Self
by Jean Bethke ElshtainThroughout the history of human intellectual endeavor, sovereignty has cut across the diverse realms of theology, political thought, and psychology. From earliest Christian worship to the revolutionary ideas of Thomas Jefferson and Karl Marx, the debates about sovereignty—complete independence and self-government—have dominated our history.In this seminal work of political history and political theory, leading scholar and public intellectual Jean Bethke Elshtain examines the origins and meanings of &“sovereignty&” as it relates to all the ways we attempt to explain our world: God, state, and self. Examining the early modern ideas of God which formed the basis for the modern sovereign state, Elshtain carries her research from theology and philosophy into psychology, showing that political theories of state sovereignty fuel contemporary understandings of sovereignty of the self. As the basis of sovereign power shifts from God, to the state, to the self, Elshtain uncovers startling realities often hidden from view. Her thesis consists in nothing less than a thorough-going rethinking of our intellectual history through its keystone concept.The culmination of over thirty years of critically applauded work in feminism, international relations, political thought, and religion, Sovereignty opens new ground for our understanding of our own culture, its past, present, and future.
Spare Change (A Sunny Randall Mystery #6)
by Robert B ParkerThe sixth Sunny Randall mysteryWhen a serial murderer dubbed 'The Spare Change Killer' by the Boston press surfaces after three decades in hiding, the police immediately seek out the cop, now retired, who headed the original task force: Phil Randall. As a sharp-eyed investigator and a doting parent, Phil calls on his daughter, Sunny, to help catch the criminal who eluded him so many years before. Sunny is certain that she's found her man after interviewing just a handful of suspects. Though she has no evidence against Bob Johnson, she trusts her intuition. And she knows the power she has over him she can feel the skittishness and sexual tension that he radiates when he's around her - but persuading her father and the rest of the task force is a different story.When the killer strikes a second and third time, the murders take a macabre turn, as the victims each eerily resemble Sunny. While her father pressures her to drop the case, Sunny's need to create a trap to nab her killer grows. In a compelling game of cat-and-mouse, Sunny uses all her skills to draw out her prey, realizing too late that she's setting herself up to become the next victim.'Nobody does it better than Parker' - Sunday Times'Parker can spin a tale with the best of them - most of the time, he is the best of them' - New York TimesLook out for the rest of the Sunny Randall mysteries: Family Honour, Perish Twice, Shrink Rap, Melancholy Baby, Blue Screen and Spare Change, plus two brand new additions to the series by Mike Lupica, Robert B. Parker's Blood Feud and Robert B. Parker's Grudge MatchFinished all the Sunny Randall mysteries? Search for the Spenser series and the Jesse Stone series to meet Robert B. Parker's other iconic detectives!
Spark: Elementals 2 (Elemental Ser. #2)
by Brigid KemmererGabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can't. Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he's not doing it. And no one seems to believe him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Because Layne has a few secrets of her own...
Spartan Gold: FARGO Adventures #1 (Fargo Adventures #1)
by Grant Blackwood Clive CusslerClive Cussler introduces Sam and Remi Fargo in Spartan Gold. An ancient treasure stolen by Xerxes the Great . . . Discovered by Napoleon Bonaparte . . . The clues to its hidden location lost until now . . .Adventurers and treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo are on a wild-goose chase. Up to their waists in the Great Pocomoke Swamp in Maryland, they're hunting for lost gold. What they find instead is a small Second World War German U-boat.Inside the submarine they find a body - and a puzzling, incredibly rare bottle of wine. This bottle was one of twelve taken from Napoleon's 'lost cellar'. But it is also a clue to a fabulous, ancient treasure.One that Hadeon Bondaruk - a half-Russian, half-Persian millionaire - will do anything to get his hands on. For he claims descent from treasure's one-time owner. It will be his, no matter who stands in his way . . .Clive Cussler, author of the celebrated Dirk Pitt novels Arctic Drift and Crescent Dawn, presents his newest series, following the adventures of treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo - beginning with Spartan Gold.Praise for Clive Cussler:'The guy I read' Tom Clancy
Speak: The Graphic Novel
by Laurie Halse AndersonA fiercely authentic, critically acclaimed and award-winning modern classic.'Speak up for yourself - we want to know what you have to say.'From my first day at Merryweather High, I know this is a lie.Nobody will even talk to me, let alone listen - all because I called the cops on an end-of-summer party.But if I could only tell everyone why I called the police that night...If I could explain what happened to me... If I could speak...Then everything might change.'With the rise of women finding their voices and speaking out about sexual assault in the media, this should be on everyone's radar... Powerful, necessary, and essential.' - Kirkus
Special Deluxe: Mi Vida Al Volante
by Neil YoungSpecial Deluxe by Neil Young - the second installment of the iconic musician's memoirsQuirky and wonderfully candid, Neil Young's new book of reminiscences is as compelling as his first book. He returns with more unforgettable stories about his six decades in the music business - but this is not your average rock biography. He centres this new work on one of his life's passions, cars, using the framework of all the cars he's ever owned to construct a narrative of his life and career, exploring and demonstrating how memories are attached to objects. Young also expresses regret for the environmental impact of his past cars, and now passionately advocates the use of clean energy.Special Deluxe is a mix of memoir and environmental politics by one of the most gifted and influential artists of our time.The next installment of Neil Young's memoir after Waging Heavy Peace, Special Deluxe is essential reading for his fans and will also appeal to readers of Life by Keith Richards and Chronicles by Bob Dylan.'Not your average rock-star autobiography .... Young is a natural obsessive and a bit cantankerous, which makes an interesting combination' Richard Williams, Guardian'Waging Heavy Peace is as charismatically off the wall as Neil Young's records' Janet Maslin, New York TimesNeil Young's music and songwriting span forty years, and his 34 studio albums are among the most enduring and popular in modern times. Born and raised in Canada, long resident in California, he has been uniquely inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is also well-known as a political activist, environmentalist and philanthropist, co-founding Farm Aid and The Bridge School for educationally impaired children.
The Speech: On Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class
by Bernie SandersOn Friday, December 10, 2010, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders walked on to the floor of the United States Senate and began speaking. It turned out to be a very long speech, lasting over eight and a half hours. And it hit a nerve. Millions followed the speech online until the traffic crashed the Senate server. A huge, positive grassroots response tied up the phones in the senator's offices in Vermont and Washington. President Obama reportedly held an impromptu press conference with former President Clinton to deflect media attention away from Sanders' speech. Editorials and news coverage appeared throughout the world.In his speech, Sanders blasted the agreement that President Obama struck with Republicans, which extended the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, lowered estate tax rates for the very, very rich, and set a terrible precedent by establishing a "payroll tax holiday" diverting revenue away from the Social Security Trust Fund, threatening the fund's very future. But the speech was more than a critique of a particular piece of legislation. It was a dissection of the collapse of the American middle class and a well-researched attack on corporate greed and on public policy which, over the last several decades, has led to a huge growth in millionaires even as the United States has the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world. It was a plea for a fundamental change in national priorities, for government policy that reflects the needs of working families, and not just the wealthy and their lobbyists.Finally, Sanders' speech-published here in its entirety with a new introduction by the senator-is a call for action. It is a passionate statement informing us that the only people who will save the middle class of this country is the middle class itself, but only if it is informed, organized, and prepared to take on the enormously powerful special interests dominating Washington.
The Spell
by Alan HollinghurstThe Spell is a comedy of sexual manners that follows the interlocking affairs of four men: Robin, an architect in his late forties, who is trying to build an idyllic life in Dorset with his younger lover, Justin; Robin's 22 year old son Danny, a volatile beauty who lives for clubbing and casual sex; and the shy Alex, who is Justin's ex-boyfriend. As each in turn falls under the spell of romance or drugs, country living or rough trade, a richly ironic picture emerges of the clashing imperatives of modern gay life. At once lyrical, sceptical and romantic, The Spell confirms Alan Hollinghurst as one of Britain's most important novelists.From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Line of Beauty.
Spell Bound: Number 12 in series (Otherworld #12)
by Kelley ArmstrongSavannah Levine is in danger. That's not usually a problem. But, caught in the grip of a disturbing and violent murder case, Savannah swore to give up her unique gifts if it would save an innocent young girl. Little did she know that someone - or something - was listening . . . Now she has no idea how to restore her powers, just when she needs them the most. In this compelling, fast-paced new thriller, Savannah has to face a host of deadly enemies bent on destroying not only her, but the very fabric of the supernatural world. As dark forces gather, Savannah isn't just fighting for her life, but for everything and everyone she loves . . .
Spinning Starlight
by R. C. LewisSixteen-year-old heiress and paparazzi darling Liddi Jantzen hates the spotlight. But as the only daughter in the most powerful tech family in the galaxy, it's hard to escape it. So when a group of men shows up at her house uninvited, she assumes it's just the usual media-grubs. That is, until shots are fired. Liddi escapes, only to be pulled into an interplanetary conspiracy more complex than she ever could have imagined. Her older brothers have been caught as well, trapped in the conduits between the planets. And when their captor implants a device in Liddi's vocal cords to monitor her speech, their lives are in her hands: One word, and her brothers are dead. Desperate to save her family from a desolate future, Liddi travels to another world, where she meets the one person who might have the skills to help her bring her eight brothers home -- a handsome dignitary named Tiav. But without her voice, Liddi must use every bit of her strength and wit to convince Tiav that her mission is true. With the tenuous balance of the planets deeply intertwined with her brothers' survival, just how much is Liddi willing to sacrifice to bring them back? Haunting and mesmerizing, this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans fuses all the heart of the classic tale with a stunning, imaginative world in which a star-crossed family fights for its very survival.
Spirit of Steamboat: A Christmas novella starring Walt Longmire from the best-selling, award-winning author of the Longmire series - now a hit Netflix show! (A Walt Longmire Mystery #10)
by Craig JohnsonA Christmas novella for fans of the hit drama series LONGMIRE now on Netflix and the New York Times-bestselling series.On December 24, Sheriff Walt Longmire is reading A Christmas Carol when he's interrupted by a young woman with a fine scar across her forehead and questions about Walt's predecessor, Lucian Connally. Walt doesn't recognize the mystery woman, but she knows him, and claims to have something she must return to Connally. Walt, at loose ends, agrees to help.Lucian Connally swears he's never seen the woman before. Disappointed, she begins a story that takes them back to Christmas Eve 1988, a terrible, fatal crash and a young girl who had the slimmest chance of survival. Back to a whiskey-soaked World War II vet ready to fly a decommissioned plane and risk it all to save a life . . .'The characters talk straight from the hip and the Wyoming landscape is its own kind of eloquence' New York Times
The Spirit of Vatican II: A History of Catholic Reform in America
by Colleen McDannellIn 1962 a group of Catholic leaders traveled to Rome, charged by Pope John XXIII with the task of making the gospel of Christ relevant in a modern world. The Second Vatican Council transformed the lives of Catholics through sweeping reforms--yet its effect on the daily lives of practicing Catholics has never been fully understood.In this illuminating study, religious historian Colleen McDannell presents new insight into Vatican II by shifting the framework of its analysis: from men to women, from urban to suburban, from theory to practice. Using the story of her Catholic mother's life as a narrative thread, McDannell presents in The Spirit of Vatican II a refreshingly positive portrayal of the state of modern Catholicism--and a testament to the lasting effects of its liberalization.
Split Image: A Jesse Stone Mystery (Jesse Stone)
by Robert B. Parker'One of the great series in the history of the detective story' New York Times Book ReviewThere's trouble in Paradise, Massachusetts...Police chief Jesse Stone is investigating two supposedly retired gangsters. But when one of them is found with a bullet in his skull, it is the wives who seem suspect. Meanwhile, the Markham family enlists Sunny Randall's help in rescuing their eighteen-year-old daughter from a religious cult. Are they just over-protective, or is there something sinister lurking beneath the desire to connect to the spirit? Jesse and Sunny are soon to discover that there is a fine line between virtue and vice.'When it comes to detective novels, 90 per cent of us admit he's an influence, and the rest of us lie about it'Harlan Coben, bestselling author of Run Away
Spook Country: A biting, hilarious satire from the multi-million copy bestselling author of Neuromancer (Blue Ant #2)
by William Gibson'Among our most fascinating novelists ... unmissable' Daily Telegraph-------THE SECOND NOVEL IN THE BLUE ANT TRILIOGY - READ PATTERN RECOGNITION AND ZERO HISTORY FOR MOREIn New York, a young Cuban called Tito is passing iPods to a mysterious old man. Such activities do not go unnoticed, however, in these early days of the War on Terror, and Tito's movements are being tracked. Meanwhile, in LA, journalist Hollis Henry is on the trail of Bobby Chombo, who appears to know too much about military systems for his own good. With Bobby missing and the trail cold, Hollis digs deeper and is drawn into the final moves of a chilling game . . .A gripping spy thriller by William Gibson, bestselling author of Neuromancer. Part prophesy, part satire, Spook Country skewers the absurdity of modern life with the lightest and most engaging of touches. Readers of Neal Stephenson, Ray Bradbury and Iain M. Banks won't be able to put this book down.-------'A cool, sophisticated thriller' Financial Times 'Superb, brilliant. A compulsive and deeply intelligent literary thriller' New Statesman 'A neat, up-to-the-minute spy thriller' Metro
The Sports Gene: Talent, Practice and the Truth About Success
by David EpsteinIn this ground-breaking and entertaining exploration of athletic success, award-winning writer David Epstein gets to the heart of the great nature vs. nurture debate, and explodes myths about how and why humans excel.Along the way, Epstein exposes the flaws in the so-called 10,000-hour rule that states that rigorous practice from a young age is the only route to success. He shows why some skills that we imagine are innate are not – like the bullet-fast reactions of a baseball player – and why other characteristics that we assume are entirely voluntary, like the motivation to practice, might in fact have important genetic components. Throughout, The Sports Gene forces us to rethink the very nature of success.