Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.
Rudyard Kipling is one of the most magical storytellers in the English language. This new selection brings together the best of his short writings, following the development of his work over fifty years. They take us from the harsh, cruel, vividly realized world of the 'Indian' stories that made his name, through the experimental modernism of his middle period to the highly-wrought subtleties of his later pieces. Including the tale of insanity and empire, 'The Man Who Would Be King', the high-spirited 'The Village that Voted the Earth Was Flat', the fable of childhood cruelty and revenge 'Baa Baa, Black Sheep', the menacing psychological study 'Mary Postgate' and the ambiguous portrayal of grief and mourning in 'The Gardener', here are stories of criminals, ghosts, femmes fatales, madness and murder.
The untold story of the nineteenth-century American Quaker who tried to build a kingdom in Afghanistan: “A thrilling real-life yarn.” —Booklist In the year 1838, a young adventurer, surrounded by his native troops and mounted on an elephant, raised the American flag on the summit of the Hindu Kush in the mountainous wilds of Afghanistan. He declared himself Prince of Ghor, Lord of the Hazarahs, spiritual and military heir to Alexander the Great. The true story of Josiah Harlan, a Pennsylvania Quaker and the first American ever to enter Afghanistan, has never been told before, yet the life and writings of this extraordinary man echo down the centuries. This “riveting, scrupulously researched” book reveals the full history behind the renowned Rudyard Kipling short story and John Huston’s film classic (The New York Times Book Review). “One of the most remarkable discoveries in the history of biography.” —The New York Review of Books “Macintyre recounts Harlan’s travels with dispatch, and draws on unpublished journals to let his subject’s voice seep through.” —The New Yorker “Here is a writer who seems as taken as I am with crackpottery, delusion, grandiosity, chicanery, and impersonation, but who manages to write about it all with amused restraint, without, that is, the air of the ogler.” —The Boston Globe “Macintyre gives readers both Harlan’s story and a thought-provoking perspective on the history of superpower intervention in Afghanistan . . . Harlan’s story alone is fascinating, but its resonance with modern-day struggles—Harlan urging the British to try ‘fiscal diplomacy’ (i.e., gold) instead of ‘invading and subjugating an unoffending people’—makes it compelling.” —Publishers Weekly
“The definitive history of the studio” created by the larger-than-life team of Spielberg, Geffen, and Katzenberg (Los Angeles Times). For sixty years, since the birth of United Artists, the studio landscape was unchanged. Then came Hollywood’s Circus Maximus—created by director Steven Spielberg, billionaire David Geffen, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, who gave the world The Lion King—an entertainment empire called DreamWorks. Now Nicole LaPorte, who covered the company for Variety, goes behind the hype to reveal for the first time the delicious truth of what happened. Readers will feel they are part of the creative calamities of moviemaking as LaPorte’s fly-on-the-wall detail shows us Hollywood’s bizarre rules of business. We see the clashes between the often-otherworldly Spielberg’s troops and Katzenberg’s warriors, the debacles and disasters, but also the Oscar-winning triumphs, including Saving Private Ryan. We watch as the studio burns through billions of dollars, its rich owners get richer, and everybody else suffers. LaPorte displays Geffen, seducing investors like Microsoft’s Paul Allen, showing his steel against CAA’s Michael Ovitz, and staging fireworks during negotiations with Paramount and Disney. Here is a blockbuster behind-the-scenes Hollywood story—up close, glamorous, and gritty.
"It's one of the most incredible stories in all of history. A young boy, out of nowhere, is chosen to be the emperor of most of the known world. What he learned, what he did, who he was, would echo in eternity. In 138 AD, Hadrian, the emperor of Rome, chose Marcus Aurelius to succeed him. He knew no one was born ready for the job, so he arranged for the young boy's education. The greatest philosophers of the day were assigned to teach him, and all threw themselves at the almost inhuman task of preparing someone for absolute power. It's a parable for life, really. The gods, fate, someone chooses something for us, calls us to something. Will we answer? Will we step up? Will we achieve the greatness within us? Marcus Aurelius did. Absolute power not only didn't corrupt, it made him better. We marvel at him centuries later--this man who thought he would not be remembered, that posthumous fame was worthless--stands today more famous than ever. A hero to millions."--Dailystoic.com
"When young Josiah Penn Stockbridge accepts the position as aide-de-camp to George Washington at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, he thinks only of the glory and romance of battle. He is unprepared for the reality of America's bloody fight for independence. The Continental Army is starving, underpaid, and dangerously close to mutiny, and Washington fights not just to defeat the British but to maintain order and morale among his own men. As anonymous letters by officers calling for revolt circulate through camp in Newburgh, New York, Washington must make a choice: preserve the young republic by keeping civilian control of the military, or reshape the new government by standing in solidarity with his troops and assuming greater power for himself. During one fateful week in American history, Josiah will watch a conflicted general become a legend and will discover for himself that the greatest struggles of war are those within the hearts and minds of fallible men."--Page 4 of cover.
The definitive modern take on the timeless tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round table. The legends of King Arthur date back to medieval Europe, and have become some of the dominant myths of Western culture. In The Once & Future King, T. H. White reinvents the story for a modern audience. The novel starts by introducing the reader to a young Arthur – just a child, and far from the King he will become – as he is raised by the wizard Merlyn, and moves on to chronicle his rise to Kingship, the affair between Guinevere and Lancelot, and the eventual destruction of the round table. The first section, released independently as The Sword in the Stone, was adapted into an animated film by Walt Disney Pictures. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Omnio "King" Falcone is the grandson of Don "The Butcher" Falcone, the feared and powerful boss of Detroit's reclusive Mafia faction, known simply as the "Syndicate." As the last Falcone, King is the heir-apparent to his grandfather's throne. Except there is one problem. A big one. He is a "difetto," not of pure Sicilian blood. As a result, he has been ostracized by much of the Syndicate. Even worse, the Commission, a secret pantheon of Mafia Bosses from all over the country, has named his Machiavellian uncle the new Boss.But King is a brilliant tactician. Even with the odds stacked against him, he rises through the Syndicate ranks. Many of the Family capos have grown to respect and fear him, for he commands a faithful crew of ambitious young wiseguys who have sworn their lives to him.After years of methodical planning and forming strategic alliances, King is on the brink of finally being accepted by the Commission when a beautiful young Mafia princess arrives into town from Sicily. Smitten, he decides he must have her as his own. Unfortunately, his arch nemesis--his nefarious cousin Anthony--has already laid claim to her. A war for her affection ensues. When the smoke clears, King is left serving a life sentence in a Federal prison, while Anthony is elevated to Syndicate underboss, ranked second only to his father, the Syndicate's new "Capo di tutti Capi," Boss of all Bosses.But Don Falcone is a crafty tactician himself. He has kept a favor on the books for over fifty years, and when he finally calls it in, King emerges from prison a free man. Read on and see what it takes... TO BE A KING!
Featuring nineteen sweet and humorous works of short fiction, P.G Wodehouse’s The Man Upstairs and Other Stories is filled with depictions of peculiar and sometimes disastrous methods of courtship. In Something to Worry About a young woman named Sally is forced to live with her aunt and uncle after her film obsession is deemed “unladylike”. When the young men of the village hear of this, they begin to shower Sally with gifts and attention, all hoping to be her suitor, but none are more persistent than the shy neighbor boy, Tom. Deep Waters follows a playwright and skilled swimmer named George who, despite his career success, goes to the pier to pout. There, he notices Mary, who is swimming in the water below. In an effort to keep her in his sight, George falls off the pier into the water, and Mary swims to his rescue. When they get back to shore, Mary offers George swimming lessons, which George decides to accept despite his skills in order to spend time with Mary. Finally, the title story, The Man Upstairs depicts Annette, a short-tempered composer who is bothered by a knocking on her apartment ceiling. After her investigation, she begins a close friendship with her upstairs neighbor, who is an artist, unaware that he is being dishonest about his identity. With the classic and witty prose of P.G Wodehouse, each story within The Man Upstairs and Other Stories is carefully crafted with humor and sentiment. While providing a simple and fun reading experience, The Man Upstairs and Other Stories also explores the culture of British high society, allowing contemporary readers a glimpse into a privileged historic class. This edition of The Man Upstairs and Other Stories by P.G Wodehouse features a new, eye-catching cover design and is printed in an easy-to-read font, making the classic both readable and modern.