The Demon's Claw
The Demon's Claw

Author: Dave Morris

Publisher: Fabled Lands Llp

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 9781909905184

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The darkest hour approaches... To recover the final fragment of the Sword of Life, you are forced to make an uneasy alliance with the exiled prince who seeks its twin, the Sword of Death. The next phase of your quest takes you through the alleyways of the city of Crescentium, where assassins lurk in the shadows and fanatic crusaders are vigilant to mete out punishment to any who break their harsh laws. But mortal foes are not your greatest threat. You must embark on a ship that voyages between worlds, face jinn and fire wizards, and contend against the still-powerful remnants of forgotten gods. In this land of sorcery, you will encounter terrors and wonders more fabulous than you have ever imagined - until your ultimate destination, the very shores of Life and Death, where you come face to face with your greatest foe. Blood Sword can be played either solo or in a team of up to four people, providing the most exciting challenge yet in fantasy adventures, combining the best of role-playing, novels and tabletop games. What reviewers say: ""A lush and gorgeous campaign, one of the best I've played..."" ""Without exaggeration, the finest entry in the best 'ongoing story' gamebook series ever crafted..."" ""A grand adventure. Ends on an absolutely awesome cliffhanger that leaves you just gasping to read the fourth book in the series...""

My Antonia
My Antonia

Author: Willa Cather

Publisher: Gildan Media LLC aka G&D Media

Published: 2024-01-02

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1722525045

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A haunting tribute to the heroic pioneers who shaped the American Midwest This powerful novel by Willa Cather is considered to be one of her finest works and placed Cather in the forefront of women novelists. It tells the stories of several immigrant families who start new lives in America in rural Nebraska. This powerful tribute to the quiet heroism of those whose struggles and triumphs shaped the American Midwest highlights the role of women pioneers, in particular. Written in the style of a memoir penned by Antonia’s tutor and friend, the book depicts one of the most memorable heroines in American literature, the spirited eldest daughter of a Czech immigrant family, whose calm, quite strength and robust spirit helped her survive the hardships and loneliness of life on the Nebraska prairie. The two form an enduring bond and through his chronicle, we watch Antonia shape the land while dealing with poverty, treachery, and tragedy. “No romantic novel ever written in America...is one half so beautiful as My Ántonia.” -H. L. Mencken Willa Cather (1873–1947) was an American writer best known for her novels of the Plains and for One of Ours, a novel set in World War I, for which she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1923. She was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1943 and received the gold medal for fiction from the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1944, an award given once a decade for an author's total accomplishments. By the time of her death she had written twelve novels, five books of short stories, and a collection of poetry.

Encyclopaedia Heraldica
Encyclopaedia Heraldica

Author: William Berry

Publisher: Scholar's Choice

Published: 2015-02-19

Total Pages: 640

ISBN-13:

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Man and the Snake
The Man and the Snake

Author: Ambrose Bierce

Publisher: Modernista

Published: 2024-06-13

Total Pages: 11

ISBN-13: 918108028X

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»The Man and the Snake« is a short story by Ambrose Bierce, originally published in 1893. AMBROSE BIERCE [1842-1914] was an American author, journalist, and war veteran. He was one of the most influential journalists in the United States in the late 19th century and alongside his success as a horror writer he was hailed as a pioneer of realism. Among his most famous works are The Devil's Dictionary and the short story »An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.«

The Unspoken Name
The Unspoken Name

Author: A. K. Larkwood

Publisher: Tor Books

Published: 2020-02-11

Total Pages: 442

ISBN-13: 1250238919

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A. K. Larkwood's The Unspoken Name is a stunning debut fantasy about a young priestess sentenced to die, who at the last minute escapes her fate; only to become an assassin for the wizard who saved her. What if you knew how and when you will die? Csorwe does—she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice. But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin—the wizard's loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power. But Csorwe will soon learn—gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due. “In the vein of Le Guin's magnificent Tombs of Atuan—if Arha the Eaten One got to grow up to be a swordswoman mercenary in thrall to her dubious wizard mentor. I love this book so much."—Arkady Martine, author of A Memory Called Empire "I cannot recommend it enough." -- Tamsyn Muir, author of Gideon the Ninth At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Stories of Piety and Prayer
Stories of Piety and Prayer

Author: al-Muḥassin ibn ʿAlī al-Tanūkhī

Publisher: NYU Press

Published: 2019-05-07

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 1479855960

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Uplifting tales from one of the most influential Arabic books of the Middle Ages One of the most popular and influential Arabic books of the Middle Ages, Deliverance Follows Adversity is an anthology of stories and anecdotes designed to console and encourage the afflicted. Regarded as a pattern-book of Arabic storytelling, this collection shows how God’s providence works through His creatures to rescue them from tribulations ranging from religious persecution and medical emergencies to political skullduggery and romantic woes. A resident of Basra and Baghdad, al-Tanukhi (327–84/939–94) draws from earlier Arabic classics as well as from oral stories relayed by the author’s tenth-century Iraqi contemporaries, who comprised a wide circle of writers, intellectuals, judges, government officials, and family members. This edition and translation includes the first three chapters of the work, which deal with Qur'anic stories and prayers that bring about deliverance, as well as general instances of the workings of providence. The volume incorporates material from manuscripts not used in the standard Arabic edition, and is the first translation into English. The complete translation, spanning four volumes, will be the first integral translation into any European language. A bilingual Arabic-English edition.

Battle
Battle

Author: John A Lynn

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2009-04-24

Total Pages: 502

ISBN-13: 0786727918

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Battle: A History of Combat and Culture spans the globe and the centuries to explore the way ideas shape the conduct of warfare. Drawing its examples from Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and America, John A. Lynn challenges the belief that technology has been the dominant influence on combat from ancient times to the present day. In battle, ideas can be more far more important than bullets or bombs. Clausewitz proclaimed that war is politics, but even more basically, war is culture. The hard reality of armed conflict is formed by -- and, in turn, forms -- a culture's values, assumptions, and expectations about fighting. The author examines the relationship between the real and the ideal, arguing that feedback between the two follows certain discernable paths. Battle rejects the currently fashionable notion of a "Western way of warfare" and replaces it with more nuanced concepts of varied and evolving cultural patterns of combat. After considering history, Lynn finally asks how the knowledge gained might illuminate our understanding of the war on terrorism.

Sonny Umpad's Eskrima
Sonny Umpad's Eskrima

Author: George M. Yore

Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Published: 2012-11-06

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1583945024

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Sonny Umpad's Eskrima provides insight on Maestro Santiago “Sonny” Umpad's life, philosophy, and teaching methods, as well as the structural underpinnings of his system. Born with the soul of a warrior, the intellect of a scholar, and a zealot's devotion to his art, Maestro Santiago "Sonny" Umpad forged an enduring contribution to the rich and colorful history of Filipino martial culture. In 1976, after immigrating to the United States, Sonny founded the school of Visayan Style Corto Kadena & Larga Mano Eskrima—rooted in his training in the Philippines and tested by a hard and dangerous life on the streets, Sonny's system was above all else practical. As Sonny's reputation as a talented fighter became well-known, he began to cross-train with masters of other martial arts, including Jesse Glover (Bruce Lee's first student) and Wally Jay (founder of Small Circle Jujitsu). One of the most innovative and visionary exponents of the Filipino arts, Sonny pioneered the concept of "mixed martial arts" long before the term was in use. Instructor George Yore has assembled the writings of six of Sonny's students (including Wade Williams, 2012 nominee for the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame) to create a biographic homage to this remarkable martial artist; basic techniques and applications are also demonstrated, accompanied by 130 step-by-step photos. Practitioners of Filipino martial arts—as well as mixed martial artists and security specialists—will find valuable instruction in techniques and applications, while the thousands of people touched by Sonny's teachings will gain a new understanding of this notoriously reclusive master's life—and how his experiences informed the development of his system.

The Sword in Early Medieval Northern Europe
The Sword in Early Medieval Northern Europe

Author: Sue Brunning

Publisher: Anglo-Saxon Studies

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781783274062

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A wide-ranging study of the significance of swords throughout the whole Anglo-Saxon period, offering valuable insights into the meaning of and attitude towards swords. Swords were special in Anglo-Saxon England. Their names, deeds and pedigrees were enshrined in writing. Many were curated for generations, revealed by their worn and mended condition. Few ended their lives as casual discards, placed instead in graves, hoards and watercourses as part of ritualised acts. Contemporary sources leave no doubt that complex social meanings surrounded these weapons, transcending their use on the battlefield; but they have yet to transcend the traditional view that their primary social function was as status symbols. Even now, half a century after the first major study of Anglo-Saxon swords, their wider significance within their world has yet to be fully articulated. This book sets out to meet the challenge. Eschewing modern value judgements, it focuses instead on contemporary perceptions - exploring how those who made, used and experienced swords really felt about them. It takes a multidisciplinary and holistic approach, bringing together insights from art, archaeology and literature. Comparison with Scandinavia adds further nuance, revealing what was (and was not) distinctive of Anglo-Saxon views of these weapons. Far from elite baubles, swords are revealed to have been dynamic "living" artefacts with their own identities, histories and places in social networks - ideas fuelled by their adaptability, durability and unique rolein bloodshed. Sue Brunning is Curator of European Early Medieval Collections at The British Museum.

Western Jesuit Scholars in India
Western Jesuit Scholars in India

Author: Francis X. Clooney, S.J.

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2020-04-14

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 9004424741

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This book collects fifteen essays and book sections about the Jesuits in India written over a period of more than thirty years. Many of these pieces, unavailable for years, now appear together for the first time. The essays open a window on the 450-year Jesuit history in India, from Roberto de Nobili in the seventeenth century to the leading Jesuit scholars of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The volume looks back into this long missionary history, but Clooney’s eye is also on the question of relevance today: How ought interreligious learning take place in the twenty-first century? “Western Jesuit Scholars in India is a fascinating collection of studies of 17th-21st century Jesuit writings in and about classical India. By his methods and questions, Francis Clooney, Indologist and Jesuit theologian, exposes certain aporias and deficiencies latent in Indology. It concludes with a notable proposal of an interfaith sensibility.” Gérard Colas, Directeur de recherche émérité, Centre National de la Recherche scientifique, Paris “Francis X. Clooney’s Western Jesuit Scholars in India is that of a humanist. He is not only a studious and assiduous reader of texts in languages and intellectual idioms that few scholars are capable of untangling, but is also committed to finding deep human and spiritual connections, detecting the intellectual empathies and affinities that the Jesuit missionaries had labored to bring out in their writings over half a millennium. With a clear and engaging pen, impressive erudition, and intellectual humility before the truly difficult task, Clooney studies what is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating chapters in Jesuit intellectual history, the encounter with Indian philosophical and textual traditions. Seekers of knowledge and cultural understanding of all stripes will find in this book plenty of wisdom, some surprises, and a large historical canvas stretching from Italy to India and back, and beyond.” Ines G. Županov, Senior Fellow, Centre d’études de l’Inde et de l’Asie du Sud, CNRS, Paris