The publication of The Staff, The Serpent and The Sword, covering the last 100 years of the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps is a welcome edition to all military history enthusiasts. Throughout this story, the reader will find excerpts from many original papers, diaries and accounts which provide colour and background to the development of the Corps. The book covers the early beginnings in 1908 up to it's present service in Timor Leste, Solomon Islands and Afghanistan. This book should be widely read by not only those that have served or are serving, but by the New Zealand public who are interested in how the RNZAMC has served our nation.
THE NEW BERNICIA CHRONICLES NOVEL FROM MATTHEW HARFFY, SHADOWS OF THE SLAIN, AVAILABLE TO PREORDER NOW! The first thrilling instalment in the Bernicia Chronicles. Adventure and agony, bloodshed and burning hatreds collide in the story of mighty young Anglo-Saxon warrior Beobrand of Ubbanford. 'HISTORICAL FICTION DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS' ANGUS DONALD AD 633. Beobrand is a young man with a shadowy past. As an outsider in the kingdom of Bernicia, he is compelled to join his brother as a warrior in the household of King Edwin. He must learn to fight with sword and shield to defend the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. It is a period of great upheaval, and the land is rife with danger as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. All Beobrand finds is despair, death and war. Amongst the blood and the betrayals, he learns of his brother's near-certain murder. Inexperienced but ruthless, Beobrand must form his own allegiances as a warrior. Driven by his desire for vengeance and a relentless pursuit of his enemies, he must face challenges which will transform him from a boy to a man who stands strong in the clamour and gore of the shieldwall. Can Beobrand mete out the retribution he craves, and avenge his brother, without sacrificing his honour... and even his soul? Reviews for Matthew Harffy 'Nothing less than superb' Historical Novel Society 'Beobrand is the warrior to follow' David Gilman 'A tale that rings like sword song in the reader's mind' Giles Kristian 'A brilliant characterization of a difficult hero in a dangerous time.' Christian Cameron 'A terrific novel. It illuminates the Dark Ages like a bolt of lightning' Toby Clements 'Battles, treachery, revenge and a healthy dose of Dark Age adventure' Simon Turney 'Matthew Harffy tells a great story' Joanna Hickson 'Harffy's writing just gets better and better... the rightful heir to Gemmell's crown' Jemahl Evans 'A genuinely superb novel' Steven A. McKay 'A breathtaking novel that sweeps the reader into a dark and dangerous world' Paul Fraser Collard
"The American Medical Association has played a key role during the past century in defining what health care is and how it is delivered in the United States. Now, as the nation tackles reform of the inefficient, costly, and often inaccessible health-care system that the AMA helped build, this powerful doctors' lobby once again is asserting its influence." "In The Serpent on the Staff, award-winning Chicago Sun-Times reporters Howard Wolinsky and Tom Brune present a critical dissection of the AMA, issue by issue, showing how the nation's best-known physicians organization has time and again acted more as protector of doctors' wealth than as guardian of the public's health. For the past decade Wolinsky has covered the AMA more aggressively than any other reporter in the country. In 1989 he teamed up with investigative reporter Brune to expose a financial scandal that led to the resignation of the AMA's chief executive." "Based on years of interviews and painstaking research into private and government files and internal AMA documents, The Serpent on the Staff reveals an array of disquieting decisions and public positions taken by the AMA: how it spends millions of dollars to influence politicians and sway public opinion to stall health-care reform; how it succeeded in turning Medicare into a financial windfall for doctors, and how it fights to keep it that way; how it delayed joining the crusade against smoking because of its long, close association with tobacco interests; how it attempts to block competing health professions, such as chiropractic and osteopathy in the past and nursing today; and how it fumbled the nation's public policy concerning AIDS." "As the AMA presses its public and backstage effort to shape health care at a time of historic reform that will affect generations to come, we owe it to ourselves to know where this organization really stands and whom it truly represents."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Named to ten BEST OF THE YEAR lists and selected as a William C. Morris Award Winner,The Serpent King is the critically acclaimed, much-beloved story of three teens who find themselves--and each other--while on the cusp of graduating from high school with hopes of leaving their small-town behind. Perfect for fans of John Green's Turtles All the Way Down. "Move over, John Green; Zentner is coming for you." —The New York Public Library “Will fill the infinite space that was left in your chest after you finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” —BookRiot.com Dill isn't the most popular kid at his rural Tennessee high school. After his father fell from grace in a public scandal that reverberated throughout their small town, Dill became a target. Fortunately, his two fellow misfits and best friends, Travis and Lydia, have his back. But as they begin their senior year, Dill feels the coils of his future tightening around him. His only escapes are music and his secret feelings for Lydia--neither of which he is brave enough to share. Graduation feels more like an ending to Dill than a beginning. But even before then, he must cope with another ending--one that will rock his life to the core. Debut novelist Jeff Zentner provides an unblinking and at times comic view of the hard realities of growing up in the Bible belt, and an intimate look at the struggles to find one’s true self in the wreckage of the past. “A story about friendship, family and forgiveness, it’s as funny and witty as it is utterly heartbreaking.” —PasteMagazine.com “A brutally honest portrayal of teen life . . . [and] a love letter to the South from a man who really understands it.” —Mashable.com “I adored all three of these characters and the way they talked to and loved one another.”—New York Times
A young boy's dreams of glory and war turn into a bitter nightmare as his father's kingdom is overrun by an invading army. Lost and alone in the woods, he finds an ancient sword that promises him the ability to claim his vengeance. As he begins to take that vengeance, he comes to realize the price that the sword will demand of him. Enemies soon become allies and strange bedfellows abound as the prophesies of an age swirl into chaos.
The narrative presents the life of Saint Peter, a devoted ascetic from the region of Hvoshtan in Diocletia, who dedicated himself to a life of extreme fasting and prayer in the wilderness. Despite familial attachments, particularly to his sister, he sought solitude to serve God fully. The text details his ascetic practices, the trials he faced from demonic entities, and his reliance on divine assistance, notably from the archangel Michael. Ultimately, it illustrates the spiritual battles and perseverance of Saint Peter in his quest for holiness and closeness to God.
In this second book, Guardians of the Realms; The Blood of the Fathers, the Magicians, Askah and Willow Lexus are called on to utilize all of their strengths and abilities to destroy a dark, evil entity that is spreading death, terror and chaos across all of the known realms. They and their friends are called to the Old World of their ancestors to battle a vicious, tyrant from the Realm of Ends that has driven those left alive to the brink of extinction. Once in the Old World, they face unimaginable dangers. Mystics, warlocks, and witches haunt the mountains, along with blood thirsty beasts that seem to see everything as a meal. Ghosts of the past threaten to separate Willow from Askah forever. But who is the real enemy? Mystery and terror lies around every corner. Twists and turns keep the reader on edge as the team makes their way across the devastated Old World looking for the enemy. A wicked storm tears the team apart, sending many of them to find their way back to the others after being pulled into the depths of the Old World caves. Willow hears the voices of the ancients, but are they really the ghosts of those who lived over a thousand years ago? Are they really guiding her in the right direction? And why is the Keeper of the Gates to Hell asking for their help? The battle spills over into Earth's Realm, and their old friends are again there to help them in their fight against evil. Will their losses be too much to bear this time? Is their magic going to be enough?
A force of New Zealanders and Americans invaded the Treasury Islands in the South Pacific on October 27, 1943, retaking them from their Japanese occupiers. Codenamed Operation Goodtime, the action marked the first time New Zealand forces took part in an opposed landing since Gallipoli in 1915. In an unusual allocation of troops in the American-dominated theater, New Zealand provided the fighting men and America the air, naval, and logistical support. Confronting extreme risks against a determined Japanese foe, the Allies nevertheless succeeded with relatively few casualties. Because of the need for operational security, Operation Goodtime received little publicity and has been relegated to a footnote in the history of the war in the Pacific. This is the first complete account of the Allied seizure of the Treasury Islands.
THE SERPENTS SEED expounds upon a Biblical doctrine that is essential for the proper understanding of both the Scriptures and the present day, but which has remained obscured for the past fifteen hundred years. And the doctrine is this: that since the creation of man we have been at war, not only against Satan and his corruptive influences, but against the literal offspring of fallen angels and mortal women. These hybrid creatures reigned during the days of Noah and Abraham, battled Joshua and King David for control of Israel, tormented the Jews during the time of Jesus, and continue to roam the earth even today. Our society, even our church, has fallen under the sway of these ancient and terrible beings. Thus The Serpents Seed was written so that we might not depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (1st Timothy 4:1).
The quest of the Seven Swords has brought the world to the edge of destruction. To defeat the evil of the Seven Swords, Ridmark must learn the secrets of their making. But the creator of the Swords is imprisoned within the dungeons of Urd Maelwyn, once the stronghold of the dark elven tyrant called the Sovereign. And those who enter the dungeons of Urd Maelwyn never return...
