In this novel based on the Assassin's Creed™ video game series, Niccolò Polo, father of Marco, will finally reveal the story he has kept secret all his life—the story of Altaïr, one of the Brotherhood’s most extraordinary Assassins. Altaïr embarks on a formidable mission—one that takes him throughout the Holy Land and shows him the true meaning of the Assassin’s Creed. To demonstrate his commitment, Altaïr must defeat nine deadly enemies, including Templar leader Robert de Sable. Altaïr’s life story is told here for the first time: a journey that will change the course of history; his ongoing battle with the Templar conspiracy; a family life that is as tragic as it is shocking; and the ultimate betrayal of an old friend. An Original Novel Based on the Multiplatinum Video Game from Ubisoft
Betrayed by the ruling families of Italy, a young man embarks upon an epic quest for vengeance during the Renaissance in this novel based on the Assassin's Creed™ video game series. “I will seek vengeance upon those who betrayed my family. I am Ezio Auditore Da Firenze. I am an Assassin…” To eradicate corruption and restore his family’s honor, Ezio will learn the art of the Assassins. Along the way, he will call upon the wisdom of such great minds as Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavello—knowing that survival is bound to the skills by which he must live. To his allies, he will become a force for change—fighting for freedom and justice. To his enemies, he will become a threat dedicated to the destruction of the tyrants abusing the people of Italy. So begins an epic story of power, revenge and conspiracy... An Original Novel Based on the Multiplatinum Video Game from Ubisoft
This is the first full translation of Marino Sanudo Torsello's Secreta fidelium Crucis to be made into English. The work itself is a piece of crusading propaganda following the fall of Acre in 1291, written between 1300 and 1321, but it includes much of historical relevance along with interesting observations on the early history of Jerusalem and the Crusader Kingdom. The translation is based upon the text edited by Jacques Bongars in 1611. There is an introduction that contextualises the book, its author, his sources and his audience. The notes provide essential information to clarify internal textual references and allusions, as well as the role of Biblical references in Sanudo's grand design. The index is designed to make this detailed text usable and accessible. In this, his major work, Sanudo advocated the conquest of Egypt as the means to regain Jerusalem for the Latins and worked through his points with considerable detail alongside references to 13th-century Mediterranean history, especially involving Louis IX of France and Charles of Anjou, king of Naples. Books I and II give considerable detailed discussion of the concept, plan and costs of his proposed crusade. Book III provides an outline history of the crusades and the crusader states. It is derived from a wide-reading of other sources especially of William of Tyre, and, for events after 1184 on the Eracles, the letters of James of Vitry, and Sanudo's own experiences in the east. Throughout, the work contains a staggering amount of cartographical, ethnographical, geographical, and nautical information, as well as numerous unique insights into historical events and personalities of the late 13th century, not only in Outremer but in Western Europe.
Get ready for Odyssey- journey deeper in the world of Assassin's Creed in the official novel of the highly anticipated new game, coming October 2018. Greece, 5th century BCE. Kassandra is a mercenary of Spartan blood, sentenced to death by her family, cast out into exile. Now she will embark on an epic journey to become a legendary hero - and uncover the truth about her mysterious lineage. The Assassin's Creed novels have sold more than 1 million copies around the world, gaining almost 30,000 4 and 5 star reviews. See what readers are already saying about the series that lets you dive deeper into the world behind the highly acclaimed video game series- 'A brilliant read' ***** 'I love this book' ***** 'Original and unique' ***** 'A brilliant accompaniment to the games' *****
An internationally acclaimed theologian and member of the Dominican Order, Matthew Fox was forbidden to teach by then-Cardinal Ratzinger in 1988 and was later dismissed from the order. His experiences make him uniquely qualified to write about Pope Benedict XVI. Fox delivers a blistering indictment of Ratzinger, from his early career to his years as chief Inquisitor, from his protection of reactionary groups like Opus Dei to his role in covering up the pedophilia crisis. But Fox also sets forth his vision for a new Catholicism--one that is truly universal and celebrates critical thinking, diversity, and justice. Author Matthew Fox appeared on Democracy Now on February 28, 2013. See the interview here: http://www.democracynow.org/2013/2/28/fascism_in_the_church_ex_priest
When Peter Scott began a 1968 tour in Vietnam advising ethnic Cambodian Khmer Krom paramilitaries, they shared only an earnest desire to check the spread of communism. It took nearly thirty years and a chance reunion for Scott to realize just how much they had become a part of him. This fascinating chronicle of Scott’s experiences with the secret army of brave, disciplined warriors is by far the most moving and richly detailed account ever published of the deep bonds forged in war between Americans and our Asian allies. Successfully blending intense combat narrative and stirring emotional drama, Scott vividly captures both the unique village culture of a little-known, highly spiritual people and their complex relationship with Special Forces soldiers, who found it increasingly difficult to match their charges’ commitment to the costly conflict. With a novelist’s powers of description and reflection and a professional soldier’s keen insight and analysis, Scott raises the standard for literature about the Vietnam War with this searing portrait of promise and betrayal. Building on his experiences as a Phoenix Program adviser near the Cambodian border, extensive interviews with Khmer Krom survivors, hundreds of hours of research in government archives, and requests for Freedom of Information Act disclosures, Scott seamlessly reconstructs the six-thousand-strong mercenary force’s final crusade against communism, beginning in their ancestral home in 1970 and ending on the U.S. West Coast in 1995. Such a hauntingly evocative and highly readable book will both entertain and shock, and it is assured of a place among the classics on Vietnam.
"Kill them all. God will know his own." This was the advice the crusading Catholic knights were given before they stormed the walls of the heretic Cathar city of Beziers in 1209. They took it to heart and 10,000 people died. Two childhood friends are part of this tragedy. One, Peter, is an assistant to the mysterious priest who leads the crusade; the other, John, with the help of a heretic woman, barely escapes the doomed city with his life. As the brutal war against the Cathars expands, Peter and John are caught up on opposite sides of the search for a secret that might change the world. Book II coming in Fall 2010 and Book III coming in Fall 2011! PRAISE FOR JOHN WILSON "John Wilson has crafted a vivid, visual, moving story filled with action, adventure and intrigue!" -Eric Walters on Where Soldiers Lie "An exciting story, sumptuously written, and richly evocative of time and place. An amazing achievement." --Deborah Ellis on Where Soldiers Lie
• An examination of the interactions of the Christian Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Assassins, and of the profound changes in Western society that resulted. • Restores the reputation of the secret Muslim order of the Assassins, disparaged as the world's first terrorist group. • Dispels many myths about the Knights Templar and provides the most incisive portrait of them to date. A thousand years ago Christian battled Muslim for possession of a strip of land upon which both their religions were founded. These Crusades changed the course of Western history, but less known is the fact that they also were the meeting ground for two legendary secret societies: The Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Assassins. In The Templars and the Assassins: The Militia of Heaven, occult scholar and secret society member James Wasserman provides compelling evidence that the interaction of the Knights Templar and the Assassins in the Holy Land transformed the Templars from the Pope's private army into a true occult society, from which they would sow the seeds of the Renaissance and the Western Mystery Tradition. Both orders were destroyed as heretical some seven hundred years ago, but Templar survivors are believed to have carried the secret teachings of the East into an occult underground, from which sprang both Rosicrucianism and Masonry. Assassin survivors, known as Nizari Ismailis, flourish to this day under the spiritual leadership of the Aga Khan. Wasserman strips the myths from both groups and penetrates to the heart of their enlightened beliefs and rigorous practices, delivering the most probing picture yet of these holy warriors.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is the thrilling novelisation by Oliver Bowden based on the game series. 'I will journey to the black heart of a corrupt Empire to root out my foes. But Rome wasn't built in a day and it won't be restored by a lone assassin. I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. This is my brotherhood.' Rome, once mighty, lies in ruins. The city swarms with suffering and degradation, her citizens living in the shadow of the ruthless Borgia family. Only one man can free the people from the Borgia tyranny - Ezio Auditore, the Master Assassin. Ezio's quest will test him to his limits. Cesare Borgia, a man more villainous and dangerous than his father the Pope, will not rest until he has conquered Italy. And in such treacherous times, conspiracy is everywhere, even within the ranks of the brotherhood itself... Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is based on the phenomenally successful gaming series. Fans of the game will love these stories. Other titles in the series include Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, Assassin's Creed: Forsaken, Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations. Oliver Bowden is the pen-name of an acclaimed novelist.
Integrating interviews with individuals ranging from senior policymakers to frontline soldiers, a look at the Persian Gulf War shows how the conflict transformed modern warfare.
