All the technical details and swashbuckling action scenes readers have come to expect from Dewey Lambdin. Fresh from his successes along the French coast, Commander Alan Lewrie is dispatched to the Adriatic to patrol the shores of Italy and intercept any French ships trying to reinforce Napoleon's armies. The four ship squadron the HMS Jester has joined emerge victorious from the first few skirmishes, but it soon becomes evident, even to Lewrie, that the British forces need reinforcements. The aid they receive, however, might be the most terrifying aspect of the war yet... and a lethal mistake. Eighth in The Alan Lewrie Naval Adventures, Jester's Fortune is perfect for fans of John Drake, Julian Stockwin and Patrick O’Brian. Praise for Dewey Lambdin ‘You could get addicted to this series. Easily’ New York Times Book Review 'The best naval series since C. S. Forester' Library Journal ‘Fast-moving... A hugely likeable hero, a huge cast of sharply drawn supporting characters: there's nothing missing. Wonderful stuff’ Kirkus Reviews
1796. A diminutive, Corsican-born French general has inherited a ragtag army and turned it into an unstoppable fighting force. Within months, Napoleon's storm rolls across Italy and strikes a lethal blow against the Austrian empire. But while the soil of Piedmont and Tuscany runs with blood, another battle takes shape on the mysterious Adriatic Sea. Alan Lewrie and his 18-gun sloop, HMS Jester are part of a squadron of four British warships and sail into the thick of things. But with England's allies falling, Napoleon busy rearranging the world map, and their squadron stretched dangerously thin along the Croatian coast, the British squadron commander strikes a devil's bargain: enlisting the aid of Serbian pirates.
This masterwork of interpretative history begins with a bold declaration: “The Modern Age is the Jewish Age, and the twentieth century, in particular, is the Jewish Century.” The assertion is, of course, metaphorical. But it drives home Yuri Slezkine’s provocative thesis: Jews have adapted to the modern world so well that they have become models of what it means to be modern. While focusing on the drama of the Russian Jews, including émigrés and their offspring, The Jewish Century is also an incredibly original account of the many faces of modernity—nationalism, socialism, capitalism, and liberalism. Rich in its insight, sweeping in its chronology, and fearless in its analysis, this is a landmark contribution to Jewish, Russian, European, and American history.
Legend and lore surround the history of kings Richard and John, from the ballads of Robin Hood and the novels of Sir Walter Scott to Hollywood movies and television. In the myth-making, King Richard, defender of Christendom in the Holy Land, was the "good king," and his younger brother John was the evil usurper of the kingdom, who lost not only the Crown jewels but also the power of the crown. How much, though, do these popular stereotypes correspond with reality? Frank McLynn, known for a wide range of historical studies, has returned to the original sources to discover what Richard and John, these warring sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, were really like, and how their history measures up to their myth. In riveting prose, and with attention to the sources, he turns the tables on modern revisionist historians, showing exactly how incompetent a king John was, despite his intellectual gifts, and how impressive Richard was, despite his long absence from the throne. This is history at its best-revealing and readable.
CONRAD THE GOOD serves as court jester to a most unworthy master: Lord Otto “the Witless,” who rarely appreciates jesting and acrobatics and more often rewards his good fool with a good whipping. So one night, Conrad flees, leaving Otto’s realm in search of a more enlightened master—taking with him only his noble horse, Blackspur, and his beloved, the servant girl Christa the Fair. As they take to the road, they soon learn that along with their quest comes hardship. But for all the hardships they encounter, there are as many unexpected joys and friends in unexpected places, and there is always their love for one another. And always, their destination lies before them: somewhere, a sanctuary where they’ll have the freedom to be together and be themselves.
Beautifully illustrated and filled with rich historical detail and colorful anecdotes, this is a vibrant history for all those who have ever dreamed of running away to the circus, now in paperback. “Step right up!” and buy a ticket to the Greatest Show on Earth—the Big Top, containing death-defying stunts, dancing bears, roaring tigers, and trumpeting elephants. The circus has always been home to the dazzling and the exotic, the improbable and the impossible—a place of myth and romance, of reinvention, rebirth, second acts, and new identities. Asking why we long to soar on flying trapezes, ride bareback on spangled horses, and parade through the streets in costumes of glitter and gold, this captivating book illuminates the history of the circus and the claim it has on the imaginations of artists, writers, and people around the world. Traveling back to the circus’s early days, Linda Simon takes us to eighteenth-century hippodromes in Great Britain and intimate one-ring circuses in nineteenth-century Paris, where Toulouse-Lautrec and Picasso became enchanted with aerialists and clowns. She introduces us to P. T. Barnum, James Bailey, and the enterprising Ringling Brothers and reveals how they created the golden age of American circuses. Moving forward to the whimsical Circus Oz in Australia and to New York City’s Big Apple Circus and the grand spectacle of Cirque du Soleil, she shows how the circus has transformed in recent years. At the center of the story are the people—trick riders and tightrope walkers, sword swallowers and animal trainers, contortionists and clowns—that created the sensational, raucous, and sometimes titillating world of the circus.
In the early 12th century, members of the Chinese royal court found themselves surrounded by advisors who mirrored only their own perspectives. Out of fear and complacency, few of these advisors challenged accepted wisdom, questioned the status quo, or voiced their concerns. Insightful leaders realized this denied them critical access to the reality about themselves and their organizations. Court jesters, however, free from conventional restraints and fears, began to supply truth in very clever ways, thereby opening up new perspectives, insights, ideas and options for those leaders they attended. Today, more than ever, individuals are searching for ways to positively contribute to organizational leadership, culture and behavior. To do that successfully, they need insight into organizational truth as well as strategies to reveal that truth to others in a way that does not cause defensiveness or resistance. Jesters are needed as much today just as they were in the courts of old. David Riveness, in his insightful and entertaining book The Secret Life of the Corporate Jester, reveals how to adopt and apply a ?jester's perspective.? The perspective and behaviors of a jester can be understood and adopted by anyone regardless of his or her organization, role or position. Those who apply what they learn from this book can wield significant influence and bring about remarkable positive change.David Riveness is the founder and CEO of Corporate Jester, an organization created to assist individuals and organizations learn, develop and apply strategies for success. As part of this role, he delivers personalized keynote addresses, learning sessions and coaching for companies, organizations, and individuals. Prior to founding Corporate Jester, David served as the Director of Global Facilitations for Eagle?s Flight, a worldwide innovator in the development and delivery of practical training programs for organizations. While at Eagle?s Flight, he facilitated and implemented training programs with such industry leaders as Warner Bros., NIKE, ESPN, Pfizer, The American Heart Association and Citibank on a variety of topics relating to organizational and individual effectiveness. David has hosted dynamic training workshops and speaking engagements ranging from small groups to large workshops with 3,500 attendees. He has worked as a facilitator and speaker around the world, including such diverse locations as India, China and Brazil
He's not demented. Jack is retired and actually quite serene in his new job as senior Budtender. He considers himself a gentleman horticulturist and retired "magic carpet" cosmologist. There's nothing backbreaking about being high especially here since he acquires his high by osmosis, in symbiosis with the Universe. His daily routine includes dropping in on the people who populate the planet, catching bits and pieces of their conversations. He's cryptic in his diaries, chronicles and hallucinations but only because his typing can't keep up with his fantasies. "I am the man who wants to know everything and I've had to adapt my way of thinking to that of a chameleon philosophy ready to bear the colors of all tartans."
