THE INSULT THAT SPARKED A REVOLUTION. Have you ever been so angry that you decided to spend a billion dollars just to humiliate your enemy? In 1963, Henry Ford II ("The Deuce") tried to buy Ferrari. But the deal collapsed in a dusty room in Maranello when Enzo Ferrari insulted the American tycoon, calling him a second-rate imitation of his grandfather. Enraged, Ford vowed revenge. He commanded his executives to build a car that could defeat Ferrari at the most grueling race on earth: The 24 Hours of Le Mans. But a checkbook can't buy victory. To win a war against the greatest racing empire in history, Ford needs soldiers. Enter Carroll Shelby , a smooth-talking Texan visionary, and Ken Miles , a brilliant, volatile British mechanic who cares more about the perfect lap than corporate politics. Together, leading a ragtag team in a dusty California garage, they must battle the laws of physics, their own personal demons, and the crushing bureaucracy of the Ford Motor Company to build the ultimate weapon: the Ford GT40 . From the author of The Great Cola War and The Burger War comes a new deep dive into the most dangerous rivalry in sports history. Based on incredible true events, Race of Titans: Ford vs Ferrari takes you inside the cockpit for a high-octane thrill ride through the golden age of racing. It is a story about the price of perfection, the bonds of friendship, and what happens when you push man and machine past the breaking point. Inside, you will experience: The Skunkworks: How a team of rebels built a 200-mph monster in 90 days. The Sabotage: The internal war between the racers and the "Suits" who tried to control them. The 7,000 RPM Scream: The engineering battles to keep an engine alive for 24 hours straight. The Betrayal: The controversial "photo finish" order that robbed a legend of his crown. Buckle up. History is about to redline. Note: This book is a unique collaboration between author Anup Dilipkumar Kaldate and Google Gemini AI, blending human storytelling vision with advanced historical synthesis.

THE INSULT THAT SPARKED A REVOLUTION. Have you ever been so angry that you decided to spend a billion dollars just to humiliate your enemy? In 1963, Henry Ford II ("The Deuce") tried to buy Ferrari. But the deal collapsed in a dusty room in Maranello when Enzo Ferrari insulted the American tycoon, calling him a second-rate imitation of his grandfather. Enraged, Ford vowed revenge. He commanded his executives to build a car that could defeat Ferrari at the most grueling race on earth: The 24 Hours of Le Mans. But a checkbook can't buy victory. To win a war against the greatest racing empire in history, Ford needs soldiers. Enter Carroll Shelby , a smooth-talking Texan visionary, and Ken Miles , a brilliant, volatile British mechanic who cares more about the perfect lap than corporate politics. Together, leading a ragtag team in a dusty California garage, they must battle the laws of physics, their own personal demons, and the crushing bureaucracy of the Ford Motor Company to build the ultimate weapon: the Ford GT40 . From the author of The Great Cola War and The Burger War comes a new deep dive into the most dangerous rivalry in sports history. Based on incredible true events, Race of Titans: Ford vs Ferrari takes you inside the cockpit for a high-octane thrill ride through the golden age of racing. It is a story about the price of perfection, the bonds of friendship, and what happens when you push man and machine past the breaking point. Inside, you will experience: The Skunkworks: How a team of rebels built a 200-mph monster in 90 days. The Sabotage: The internal war between the racers and the "Suits" who tried to control them. The 7,000 RPM Scream: The engineering battles to keep an engine alive for 24 hours straight. The Betrayal: The controversial "photo finish" order that robbed a legend of his crown. Buckle up. History is about to redline. Note: This book is a unique collaboration between author Anup Dilipkumar Kaldate and Google Gemini AI, blending human storytelling vision with advanced historical synthesis.

In A Land of Fire, Gwendolyn and her people find themselves surrounded on the Upper Isles, besieged by Romulus' dragons and his million-man army. All seems lost - when salvation comes from an unlikely source. Gwendolyn is determined to find her baby, lost at sea, and to lead her nation-in-exile to a new home. She travels across foreign and exotic seas, encountering unthinkable dangers, rebellion, and starvation as they sail for dream of a safe harbor. Thorgrin finally meets his mother in the Land of the Druids, and their meeting will change his life forever, make him stronger than he has ever been. With a new quest, he embarks, determined to rescue Gwendolyn, to find his baby, and to fulfill his destiny. In an epic battle of dragons and of men, Thor will be tested in every way; as he battles monsters and lays down his life for his brothers, he will dig deeper to become the great warrior he was meant to be. In the Southern Isles, Erec lies dying, and Alistair, accused of his murder, must do what she can to both save Erec and absolve herself of guilt. A civil war erupts in a power struggle for the throne, and Alistair finds herself caught in the middle, with her fate, and Erec's, hanging in the balance. Romulus remains intent on destroying Gwendolyn, Thorgrin, and what remains of the Ring; but his moon cycle is coming to an end, and his power will be severely tested. Meanwhile, in the Northern province of the Empire, a new hero is rising: Darius, a 15-year-old warrior, who is determined to break off the chains of slavery and rise up amongst his people. But the Northern Capitol is run by Volusia, a 18-year-old girl, famed for her beauty - and famed also her barbaric cruelty. Will Gwen and her people survive? Will Guwayne be found? Will Romulus crush the Ring? Will Erec live? Will Thorgrin return in time? With its sophisticated world-building and characterization, A Land of Fire is an epic tale of friends and lovers, of rivals and suitors, of knights and dragons, of intrigues and political machinations, of coming of age, of broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is a tale of honor and courage, of fate and destiny, of sorcery. It is a fantasy that brings us into a world we will never forget, and which will appeal to all ages and genders.

Bloomsbury presents The 100 Trillion Dollar Wealth Transfer by Ken Costa, read by Justin Avoth. 'A thought-provoking read.' -- Financial Times 'Everybody in finance and wealth management should read this book – as soon as possible.' -- Alec Marsh, Spear's Magazine An insider's look into how Generation Z's focus on ethics, climate change and purpose will change capitalism forever. In the next ten years there will be an unprecedented wealth transfer from the so-called 'baby boomer' generation to the young. Never before will so much money – in housing, land, stocks and cash – be shifted so suddenly from one generation to the next, and never before does the next generation feel so differently about the future of the planet. As an investor in this new generation Ken Costa shows how environmental concerns and anxiety about equality and diversity are more than mere slogans; they are driving the future of the markets. So many issues stem from the financial gap between age groups – from cancel culture and fears about wokeness, to Generation Rent, protest movements and re-evaluations of history around subjects such as empire. Costa shows how we can build a more inclusive, purposeful capitalism, shifting focus away from the individual and more towards collaboration, compassion and community. This book shows us what the future of capitalism looks like, and demonstrates how boomers must work with the inspiring young, who see their mission not just to increase value for shareholders, but also to save the planet.

Diplomarbeit aus dem Jahr 2000 im Fachbereich BWL - Marketing, Unternehmenskommunikation, CRM, Marktforschung, Social Media, Note: 1,3, Fachhochschule Westküste Heide (Betriebswirtschaft), Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Inhaltsangabe:Einleitung: Die vorliegende empirische Diplomarbeit mit dem Titel Motive, Einstellungen und Verhalten im Hinblick auf Automobile und Mobilität - Implikationen für Mobilitätsdienstleister - , gehört einer Reihe von vier Arbeiten an, die alle aus dem von der weltgrößten Unternehmensberatung Accenture (ehemals Andersen Consulting) initiierten Projekt The Age of Mobility hervorgehen. Grundlage dieser Arbeiten bildet eine deutschlandweit durchgeführte empirische Untersuchung (Kaufprozeß/Mobilität 2000) zu den zwei Themengebieten Kaufentscheidungsprozeß beim Automobilkauf und Mobilität . Diese Untersuchung wurde mit einem Budget von DM 25.000,- im Auftrag von Accenture und der DaimlerChrysler Tochter MCC smart GmbH durchgeführt. Der dazugehörige voll codierte 24-Seiten starke Fragebogen ist im Anhang enthalten. Diese Diplomarbeit befasst sich, wie der Titel der Arbeit bereits verdeutlicht, mit der Untersuchung von Motiven, Einstellungen und Verhalten von Personen im Hinblick auf Automobile und Mobilität. Ziel ist es, zu ergründen, ob innerhalb der deutschen Gesellschaft unterschiedliche Personengruppen identifiziert werden können, die sich hinsichtlich eben dieser untersuchten Motive, Einstellungen und Verhaltensweisen unterscheiden. Ein Hauptbestandteil dieser Arbeit ist demnach die Erstellung einer deutschlandweit repräsentativen (Auto-)Mobilitätstypologie (mittels einer Clusteranalyse), deren Ergebnis eine differenzierte Betrachtungsweise von Personengruppen in der Gesellschaft hinsichtlich ihrer Mobilitätsorientierungen zulässt. Weitere zentrale Fragestellungen dieser Arbeit sind z.B., welchen Einfluss neue Technologien (Internet, Navigationssysteme, etc.) und das Verkehrsaufkommen auf das Mobilitätsverhalten haben. Darüber hinaus wird eine Potential- und Akzeptanzanalyse für neue Mobilitätsdienstleistungen vorgenommen. Die Interpretation und Auswertung der gewonnenen Erkenntnisse, wird unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Mobilitätsdienstleistermarktes vorgenommen. Gang der Untersuchung: Der erste Abschnitt dieser Arbeit setzt sich mit theoretischen und themenspezifischen Grundlagen zum Thema Mobilität auseinander. Neben theoretischen Grundlagen zum Bereich Verhaltensforschung und Marktsegmentierung, werden zusätzlich themenspezifische Grundlagen um das Thema Mobilität erörtert, wie z.B. eine definitorische Abgrenzung des Mobilität-Begriffes, eine Darstellung und Abgrenzung verschiedener Mobilitätsformen sowie ein Modell zur Erklärung des Mobilitätsverhaltens. Anschließend erfolgt ein Überblick über ausgewählte Determinanten des Mobilitätsverhaltens, d.h. es werden Faktoren erörtert, die eine beeinflussende Wirkung auf das Mobilitätsverhalten von Menschen haben bzw. in der Vergangenheit hatten. Den Abschluss des Theorieteils bildet ein Überblick über die aktuelle Angebotssituation auf dem Mobilitätsmanagementmarkt, d.h. es wird ein Überblick über neue innovative Mobilitätsdienstleistungen in Deutschland gegeben, wobei neben der reinen Erläuterung einzelner Mobilitätsdienstleistungen auch definitorische Begriffsbestimmungen sowie eine Einteilung in die unterschiedlichen Modi bzw. Integrationsstufen des Mobilitätsmanagements vorgenommen wird. Aus dem theoretischen Abschnitt heraus werden innerhalb des nachfolgenden Abschnitts Empirische Untersuchung Hypothesen aufgeworfen und operationalisiert, um anschließend in den bereits erwähnten Fragebogen in Form von Fragenkomplexen einzufließen. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auch das Forschungsdesign und die Durchführung der Feldarbeit erörtert. Im darauffolgenden Abschnitt kommt es zu einer Ergebnispräsentation der gewonnenen Daten aus der Feldar...

Diplomarbeit aus dem Jahr 2000 im Fachbereich BWL - Marketing, Unternehmenskommunikation, CRM, Marktforschung, Social Media, Note: 1,3, Fachhochschule Westküste Heide (Betriebswirtschaft), Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Inhaltsangabe:Einleitung: Die vorliegende empirische Diplomarbeit mit dem Titel Motive, Einstellungen und Verhalten im Hinblick auf Automobile und Mobilität - Implikationen für Mobilitätsdienstleister - , gehört einer Reihe von vier Arbeiten an, die alle aus dem von der weltgrößten Unternehmensberatung Accenture (ehemals Andersen Consulting) initiierten Projekt The Age of Mobility hervorgehen. Grundlage dieser Arbeiten bildet eine deutschlandweit durchgeführte empirische Untersuchung (Kaufprozeß/Mobilität 2000) zu den zwei Themengebieten Kaufentscheidungsprozeß beim Automobilkauf und Mobilität . Diese Untersuchung wurde mit einem Budget von DM 25.000,- im Auftrag von Accenture und der DaimlerChrysler Tochter MCC smart GmbH durchgeführt. Der dazugehörige voll codierte 24-Seiten starke Fragebogen ist im Anhang enthalten. Diese Diplomarbeit befasst sich, wie der Titel der Arbeit bereits verdeutlicht, mit der Untersuchung von Motiven, Einstellungen und Verhalten von Personen im Hinblick auf Automobile und Mobilität. Ziel ist es, zu ergründen, ob innerhalb der deutschen Gesellschaft unterschiedliche Personengruppen identifiziert werden können, die sich hinsichtlich eben dieser untersuchten Motive, Einstellungen und Verhaltensweisen unterscheiden. Ein Hauptbestandteil dieser Arbeit ist demnach die Erstellung einer deutschlandweit repräsentativen (Auto-)Mobilitätstypologie (mittels einer Clusteranalyse), deren Ergebnis eine differenzierte Betrachtungsweise von Personengruppen in der Gesellschaft hinsichtlich ihrer Mobilitätsorientierungen zulässt. Weitere zentrale Fragestellungen dieser Arbeit sind z.B., welchen Einfluss neue Technologien (Internet, Navigationssysteme, etc.) und das Verkehrsaufkommen auf das Mobilitätsverhalten haben. Darüber hinaus wird eine Potential- und Akzeptanzanalyse für neue Mobilitätsdienstleistungen vorgenommen. Die Interpretation und Auswertung der gewonnenen Erkenntnisse, wird unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Mobilitätsdienstleistermarktes vorgenommen. Gang der Untersuchung: Der erste Abschnitt dieser Arbeit setzt sich mit theoretischen und themenspezifischen Grundlagen zum Thema Mobilität auseinander. Neben theoretischen Grundlagen zum Bereich Verhaltensforschung und Marktsegmentierung, werden zusätzlich themenspezifische Grundlagen um das Thema Mobilität erörtert, wie z.B. eine definitorische Abgrenzung des Mobilität-Begriffes, eine Darstellung und Abgrenzung verschiedener Mobilitätsformen sowie ein Modell zur Erklärung des Mobilitätsverhaltens. Anschließend erfolgt ein Überblick über ausgewählte Determinanten des Mobilitätsverhaltens, d.h. es werden Faktoren erörtert, die eine beeinflussende Wirkung auf das Mobilitätsverhalten von Menschen haben bzw. in der Vergangenheit hatten. Den Abschluss des Theorieteils bildet ein Überblick über die aktuelle Angebotssituation auf dem Mobilitätsmanagementmarkt, d.h. es wird ein Überblick über neue innovative Mobilitätsdienstleistungen in Deutschland gegeben, wobei neben der reinen Erläuterung einzelner Mobilitätsdienstleistungen auch definitorische Begriffsbestimmungen sowie eine Einteilung in die unterschiedlichen Modi bzw. Integrationsstufen des Mobilitätsmanagements vorgenommen wird. Aus dem theoretischen Abschnitt heraus werden innerhalb des nachfolgenden Abschnitts Empirische Untersuchung Hypothesen aufgeworfen und operationalisiert, um anschließend in den bereits erwähnten Fragebogen in Form von Fragenkomplexen einzufließen. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auch das Forschungsdesign und die Durchführung der Feldarbeit erörtert. Im darauffolgenden Abschnitt kommt es zu einer Ergebnispräsentation der gewonnenen Daten aus der Feldar...

The second slow burn, enemies-to-lovers dark mafia romance in the Sinners Anonymous series from the TikTok sensation, perfect for readers of Ana Huang, Rina Kent, and Danielle Lori. 'The slow burn, the tension... THIS BOOK . *chefs kiss*' ***** reader review 'The spice as always is TOP TIER!!' ***** reader review No good ever comes from a redhead in a stolen dress with her whole life packed at her feet. I should've known Penny Price was trouble the moment smoke and sin followed her into my bar and she challenged me to a game. I thought the only thing she stole was my watch. Little did I know, she also started a war. Because the second her muddy boots stomped down the stairs of the club, my empire began to crack. My cashmere charm is fraying. My gentleman's mask is slipping. My enemies can smell the weakness. Penny Price thinks she's dragging me to hell. But she doesn't realise - hell's exactly where I belong. After all, it's wonderfully warm among the flames... Tropes: - Dark mafia romance - Age gap - Enemies to lovers - Forced proximity - Slow burn Readers cannot get enough of the Sinners Anonymous series: 'I am OBSESSED with this book' ***** reader review 'This did not disappoint ' *****reader review ' Devoured this book in less than a day' ****reader review 'Deliciously sexy ' *****reader review 'The banter, the teasing, the sexual tension, JUST EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!! ' *****reader review 'The plot , the character , the spice .... everything was perfect!!!' *****reader review

The second slow burn, enemies-to-lovers dark mafia romance in the Sinners Anonymous series from the TikTok sensation, perfect for readers of Ana Huang, Rina Kent, and Danielle Lori. 'The slow burn, the tension... THIS BOOK . *chefs kiss*' ***** reader review 'The spice as always is TOP TIER!!' ***** reader review No good ever comes from a redhead in a stolen dress with her whole life packed at her feet. I should've known Penny Price was trouble the moment smoke and sin followed her into my bar and she challenged me to a game. I thought the only thing she stole was my watch. Little did I know, she also started a war. Because the second her muddy boots stomped down the stairs of the club, my empire began to crack. My cashmere charm is fraying. My gentleman's mask is slipping. My enemies can smell the weakness. Penny Price thinks she's dragging me to hell. But she doesn't realise - hell's exactly where I belong. After all, it's wonderfully warm among the flames... Tropes: - Dark mafia romance - Age gap - Enemies to lovers - Forced proximity - Slow burn Readers cannot get enough of the Sinners Anonymous series: 'I am OBSESSED with this book' ***** reader review 'This did not disappoint ' *****reader review ' Devoured this book in less than a day' ****reader review 'Deliciously sexy ' *****reader review 'The banter, the teasing, the sexual tension, JUST EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!! ' *****reader review 'The plot , the character , the spice .... everything was perfect!!!' *****reader review

Bloomsbury presents The Illuminated Man by Christopher Priest and Nina Allan, read by Roger May and Hilary Maclean, with Nina Allan. This book is about J. G. Ballard. This book is also about death, love and time travel. J. G. Ballard possessed one of the most astonishing imaginations of our age, and he had an intense and turbulent history: a childhood spent in the encroaching shadow of World War II, teenage internment in a Japanese prison camp – an experience famously fictionalised in Empire of the Sun. Ballard's novels are among the finest and most unusual fiction that has ever been published. Whether in the hyper-surrealism of High Rise or the erotic violence of Crash, he upended the morality and reality of our world. Christopher Priest knew many of Ballard's friends and colleagues personally. As a young writer, it had been Ballard's stories, most of all, that had helped cement his passion for science fiction. With much of their early work published in the same magazines, Priest knew about Ballard's world from the inside. He set out to write a biography that would make people understand what he already knew: that J. G. Ballard wasn't just a cult writer — he was one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. In 2024, Christopher died. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which had metastasised into the bones, the same disease that killed J. G. Ballard — the man whose biography he'd spent his last months working on. When Nina and Christopher first met, they bonded over their love for Ballard's writing, rereading his novels and stories together many times. When it became clear that Christopher would not have time to finish this biography, Nina promised him that she would complete it, patching together with her own voice the gaps that remained. If the book began as a tribute from Priest to Ballard, it is now also a love story written by Nina for Christopher. With access to never-before-seen material, The Illuminated Man explores the history and themes of Ballard's life and – with Ballardian strangeness – celebrates and mourns for those that are gone. This is the story of two deaths, three science fiction writers and one attempt to turn back time.

A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 'A brilliant, compelling, propulsively written, magnificent tour de force' Simon Sebag Montefiore, Evening Standard 'The second volume of what will surely rank as one of the greatest historical achievements of our age ... The War and Peace of history: a book you fear you will never finish, but just cannot put down' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times Well before 1929, Stalin had achieved dictatorial power over the Soviet empire, but now he decided that the largest peasant economy in the world would be transformed into socialist modernity, whatever it took. What it took, and what Stalin managed to force through, transformed the country and its ruler in profound and enduring ways. Rather than a tale of a deformed or paranoid personality creating a political system, this is a story of a political system shaping a personality. Building and running a dictatorship, with power of life or death over hundreds of millions, in conditions of capitalist self-encirclement, made Stalin the person he became. Wholesale collectivization of agriculture, some 120 million peasants, necessitated levels of coercion that were extreme even for Russia, but Stalin did not flinch; the resulting mass starvation and death elicited criticism inside the party even from those Communists committed to the eradication of capitalism. By 1934, when the situation had stabilized and socialism had been built in the countryside too, the internal praise came for his uncanny success in anticapitalist terms. But Stalin never forgot and never forgave, with bloody consequences as he strove to consolidate the state with a brand new elite. Stalin had revived a great power with a formidable industrialized military. But the Soviet Union was effectively alone, with no allies and enemies perceived everywhere. The quest to find security would bring Soviet Communism into an improbable pact with Nazi Germany. But that bargain did not work out as envisioned. The lives of Stalin and Hitler, and the fates of their respective countries, drew ever closer to collision. Stalin: Waiting for Hitler: 1929-1941 is, like its predecessor Stalin: Paradoxes of Power: 1878-1928, nothing less than a history of the world from Stalin's desk. It is also, like its predecessor, a landmark achievement in the annals of the biographer's art. Kotkin's portrait captures the vast structures moving global events, and the intimate details of decision-making.

A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 'A brilliant, compelling, propulsively written, magnificent tour de force' Simon Sebag Montefiore, Evening Standard 'The second volume of what will surely rank as one of the greatest historical achievements of our age ... The War and Peace of history: a book you fear you will never finish, but just cannot put down' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times Well before 1929, Stalin had achieved dictatorial power over the Soviet empire, but now he decided that the largest peasant economy in the world would be transformed into socialist modernity, whatever it took. What it took, and what Stalin managed to force through, transformed the country and its ruler in profound and enduring ways. Rather than a tale of a deformed or paranoid personality creating a political system, this is a story of a political system shaping a personality. Building and running a dictatorship, with power of life or death over hundreds of millions, in conditions of capitalist self-encirclement, made Stalin the person he became. Wholesale collectivization of agriculture, some 120 million peasants, necessitated levels of coercion that were extreme even for Russia, but Stalin did not flinch; the resulting mass starvation and death elicited criticism inside the party even from those Communists committed to the eradication of capitalism. By 1934, when the situation had stabilized and socialism had been built in the countryside too, the internal praise came for his uncanny success in anticapitalist terms. But Stalin never forgot and never forgave, with bloody consequences as he strove to consolidate the state with a brand new elite. Stalin had revived a great power with a formidable industrialized military. But the Soviet Union was effectively alone, with no allies and enemies perceived everywhere. The quest to find security would bring Soviet Communism into an improbable pact with Nazi Germany. But that bargain did not work out as envisioned. The lives of Stalin and Hitler, and the fates of their respective countries, drew ever closer to collision. Stalin: Waiting for Hitler: 1929-1941 is, like its predecessor Stalin: Paradoxes of Power: 1878-1928, nothing less than a history of the world from Stalin's desk. It is also, like its predecessor, a landmark achievement in the annals of the biographer's art. Kotkin's portrait captures the vast structures moving global events, and the intimate details of decision-making.

The present publication presents the results of more than twenty years of research in late Slavonic archaeology, not only in the area of Western Mecklenburg, but in the Northeast of Germany and its neighbouring areas, from the Kingdom of the Franks to Poland/Hungary and from Scandinavia to the Byzantine Empire. For the first time ever, from 1981 to 1999 a fortified late Slavonic trading place with a subsequent, late medieval settlement was excavated in its full extent in Parchim-Löddigsee, Lkr. Parchim (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). As a result of waterlogged deposits the place was characterised by an excellent preservation - even of organic material -, and by a find assemblage which differs widely from the average assemblage in Slavonic settlement sites; for example, it contained a large amount of imported objects. Besides thousands of pottery sherds and animal bones ca 6.000 small finds were recovered for analysis. This enabled to scientifically reconstruct a so-called central place in the middle of the Northwest Slavonic settlement area, which was not known in this form before. Amongst other things, the place was characterised by a massive fortification, the presence of an aristocratic class, a long-distance trading net and selective craft; above all the place had a central sanctuary. In train of ameliorations activities in 1975, late Slavonic pottery, animal bones and wooden construction elements were recovered. On one hand the preservation of organic remains was given, on the other hand the preservation was endangered by the ongoing land improvement activities. The first indication that the site somewhat differed from ordinary Slavonic settlement sites was given by a richly decorated antler artefact. This and other extraordinary surface finds finally lead to the beginning of large-scale excavations. From 1981 to 1991 more than half of the settlement area was excavated, and the place operated as the “main research project of the Landesmuseum Schwerin”. In train of the political change in Eastern Germany the excavations stopped from 1992 on for several years. They finally continued and could be completely finished from 1996 to 1999. All in all fifteen years of field work had led to the excavation of the whole settlement site. This is until today a unique research situation for settlements of this kind and age. This situation facilitated for the first time the analysis of the find assemblage not only in a typological, chronological and functional way, but also spatially, chorologically and structurally. Detailed maps of the typologically and chronologically defined find objects enable - together with pollen and macro botanical, textile and numismatic analysis - an insight into the structure of a young Slavonic “central place”; a “Regiopol” of the 11th/12th century AD and its completely differing, subsequent late medieval settlement site.

A spectacular, large-scale space opera - the ultimate galaxy-spanning adventure Six million years ago, at the very dawn of the starfaring era, Abigail Gentian fractured herself into a thousand male and female clones: the shatterlings. Sent out into the galaxy, these shatterlings have stood aloof as they document the rise and fall of countless human empires. They meet every two hundred thousand years, to exchange news and memories of their travels with their siblings. Campion and Purslane are not only late for their thirty-second reunion, but they have brought along an amnesiac golden robot for a guest. But the wayward shatterlings get more than the scolding they expect: they face the discovery that someone has a very serious grudge against the Gentian line, and there is a very real possibility of traitors in their midst. The surviving shatterlings have to dodge exotic weapons while they regroup to try to solve the mystery of who is persecuting them, and why - before their ancient line is wiped out of existence, forever. Praise for Alastair Reynolds: 'The span here is mind-boggling, cosmos-spanning concepts, a breath-taking journey' Good Book Guide on Chasm City '[A] wonderfully entertaining puzzle wrapped inside an adventure story' The Guardian on Eversion 'A fabulous and satisfying novel' SF Crowsnest on Revenger 'An excellent adventure that's sure to keep readers on their toes' Publishers Weekly on Revenger 'A fun, character focused bottle mystery that shifts settings like a chameleon walking across a rainbow carpet' The Quill to Live on Eversion 'Entertaining and thought-provoking' Locus on Revelation Space 'Pirates in space, full of peril and high-jinks . . . This is a novel that's elegantly plotted, full of surprises and, as first time round, rip-roaring fun' SFX on Revenger 'Reynolds is one of the modern masters of science fiction' Starburst 'This is a story to break hearts and make you turn pages. It's great stuff; pick it up, you'll want to know what happens next' SF&F Reviews on Century Rain 'Much of the fun of these books comes from the construction of a far, far-future space-opera . . . the mapping of Age of Sail tropes onto space travel is just the start . . . Nevertheless, at the centre of this baroque masquerade party resides a sober consideration of what it might mean to go off adventuring, what it might cost' Locus on Revenger 'Reynolds is a master singer of the Space Opera' The Times

A spectacular, large-scale space opera - the ultimate galaxy-spanning adventure Six million years ago, at the very dawn of the starfaring era, Abigail Gentian fractured herself into a thousand male and female clones: the shatterlings. Sent out into the galaxy, these shatterlings have stood aloof as they document the rise and fall of countless human empires. They meet every two hundred thousand years, to exchange news and memories of their travels with their siblings. Campion and Purslane are not only late for their thirty-second reunion, but they have brought along an amnesiac golden robot for a guest. But the wayward shatterlings get more than the scolding they expect: they face the discovery that someone has a very serious grudge against the Gentian line, and there is a very real possibility of traitors in their midst. The surviving shatterlings have to dodge exotic weapons while they regroup to try to solve the mystery of who is persecuting them, and why - before their ancient line is wiped out of existence, forever. Praise for Alastair Reynolds: 'The span here is mind-boggling, cosmos-spanning concepts, a breath-taking journey' Good Book Guide on Chasm City '[A] wonderfully entertaining puzzle wrapped inside an adventure story' The Guardian on Eversion 'A fabulous and satisfying novel' SF Crowsnest on Revenger 'An excellent adventure that's sure to keep readers on their toes' Publishers Weekly on Revenger 'A fun, character focused bottle mystery that shifts settings like a chameleon walking across a rainbow carpet' The Quill to Live on Eversion 'Entertaining and thought-provoking' Locus on Revelation Space 'Pirates in space, full of peril and high-jinks . . . This is a novel that's elegantly plotted, full of surprises and, as first time round, rip-roaring fun' SFX on Revenger 'Reynolds is one of the modern masters of science fiction' Starburst 'This is a story to break hearts and make you turn pages. It's great stuff; pick it up, you'll want to know what happens next' SF&F Reviews on Century Rain 'Much of the fun of these books comes from the construction of a far, far-future space-opera . . . the mapping of Age of Sail tropes onto space travel is just the start . . . Nevertheless, at the centre of this baroque masquerade party resides a sober consideration of what it might mean to go off adventuring, what it might cost' Locus on Revenger 'Reynolds is a master singer of the Space Opera' The Times

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject History Europe - Other Countries - Middle Ages, Early Modern Age, grade: English Grade:58% von 70%, University of Nottingham (School of History), course: Hauptseminar: Gender and Society in Early Modern Europe, language: English, abstract: ¿Witch- hunting is seen as something pathological, a disease infecting like a plague the body of the communities in witch it raged.¿1 With these words the historian Bob Scribner described witchcraft and witch-hunts. They are defined as something negative and pathological and it is obviously that witchcraft could easily emerged because of the traditional beliefs rooted in the early modern society of Germany. Witchcraft and witchhunts emerged in this period and made the population susceptible to the carrying out of denunciation and elimination of innocent people. The population had been easily influenced by the authorities like magistrates and their fellow citizens. In the following discussion/passage, witchcraft and witch-hunts concerning the early modern Europe will be less prominent rather than the study about witchcraft and witchhunts in early modern Germany. In particular the main focus will stress on the south of Germany because it was the centre of witchcraft and witch-hunts. In addition to that some examples will be mentioned to show special witchcraft and witch- hunt cases. First it will be examined how the term ¿witch¿ is defined shown in a historical, linguistic and an etymological way. Then the two authors of the Malleus maleficarum2 and their ideas about witches and witchcraft will be mentioned. In the forth chapter the social context shall be examined. In this passage the accused shall be represented and the reasons which led to their accusation. In the last chapter the witch-hunts in early modern Germany shall be represented. It keeps the question in what way the witch-hunts increased during the early modern period and which reasons contributed to their decline. Furthermore it should be bring out who was accused for witchcraft and what led to their accusation? Which reasons were fundamental for the accusation of certain people, especially women? At that period Germany was part of the Holy Roman Empire which lacked of juridical power and had no control over its own territories.3 Also the early modern period was a time of considerable changes in economy, politics and even within the society in particular concerning the role of the woman. So the question remains whether witchcraft was linked to the changing female role in early modern Germany or was it only the result of a lot of different political, economical and social changes in the early modern period?

A spectacular, large-scale space opera - the ultimate galaxy-spanning adventure Six million years ago, at the very dawn of the starfaring era, Abigail Gentian fractured herself into a thousand male and female clones: the shatterlings. Sent out into the galaxy, these shatterlings have stood aloof as they document the rise and fall of countless human empires. They meet every two hundred thousand years, to exchange news and memories of their travels with their siblings. Campion and Purslane are not only late for their thirty-second reunion, but they have brought along an amnesiac golden robot for a guest. But the wayward shatterlings get more than the scolding they expect: they face the discovery that someone has a very serious grudge against the Gentian line, and there is a very real possibility of traitors in their midst. The surviving shatterlings have to dodge exotic weapons while they regroup to try to solve the mystery of who is persecuting them, and why - before their ancient line is wiped out of existence, forever. Praise for Alastair Reynolds: 'The span here is mind-boggling, cosmos-spanning concepts, a breath-taking journey' Good Book Guide on Chasm City '[A] wonderfully entertaining puzzle wrapped inside an adventure story' The Guardian on Eversion 'A fabulous and satisfying novel' SF Crowsnest on Revenger 'An excellent adventure that's sure to keep readers on their toes' Publishers Weekly on Revenger 'A fun, character focused bottle mystery that shifts settings like a chameleon walking across a rainbow carpet' The Quill to Live on Eversion 'Entertaining and thought-provoking' Locus on Revelation Space 'Pirates in space, full of peril and high-jinks . . . This is a novel that's elegantly plotted, full of surprises and, as first time round, rip-roaring fun' SFX on Revenger 'Reynolds is one of the modern masters of science fiction' Starburst 'This is a story to break hearts and make you turn pages. It's great stuff; pick it up, you'll want to know what happens next' SF&F Reviews on Century Rain 'Much of the fun of these books comes from the construction of a far, far-future space-opera . . . the mapping of Age of Sail tropes onto space travel is just the start . . . Nevertheless, at the centre of this baroque masquerade party resides a sober consideration of what it might mean to go off adventuring, what it might cost' Locus on Revenger 'Reynolds is a master singer of the Space Opera' The Times

The present publication presents the results of more than twenty years of research in late Slavonic archaeology, not only in the area of Western Mecklenburg, but in the Northeast of Germany and its neighbouring areas, from the Kingdom of the Franks to Poland/Hungary and from Scandinavia to the Byzantine Empire. For the first time ever, from 1981 to 1999 a fortified late Slavonic trading place with a subsequent, late medieval settlement was excavated in its full extent in Parchim-Löddigsee, Lkr. Parchim (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). As a result of waterlogged deposits the place was characterised by an excellent preservation - even of organic material -, and by a find assemblage which differs widely from the average assemblage in Slavonic settlement sites; for example, it contained a large amount of imported objects. Besides thousands of pottery sherds and animal bones ca 6.000 small finds were recovered for analysis. This enabled to scientifically reconstruct a so-called central place in the middle of the Northwest Slavonic settlement area, which was not known in this form before. Amongst other things, the place was characterised by a massive fortification, the presence of an aristocratic class, a long-distance trading net and selective craft; above all the place had a central sanctuary. In train of ameliorations activities in 1975, late Slavonic pottery, animal bones and wooden construction elements were recovered. On one hand the preservation of organic remains was given, on the other hand the preservation was endangered by the ongoing land improvement activities. The first indication that the site somewhat differed from ordinary Slavonic settlement sites was given by a richly decorated antler artefact. This and other extraordinary surface finds finally lead to the beginning of large-scale excavations. From 1981 to 1991 more than half of the settlement area was excavated, and the place operated as the “main research project of the Landesmuseum Schwerin”. In train of the political change in Eastern Germany the excavations stopped from 1992 on for several years. They finally continued and could be completely finished from 1996 to 1999. All in all fifteen years of field work had led to the excavation of the whole settlement site. This is until today a unique research situation for settlements of this kind and age. This situation facilitated for the first time the analysis of the find assemblage not only in a typological, chronological and functional way, but also spatially, chorologically and structurally. Detailed maps of the typologically and chronologically defined find objects enable - together with pollen and macro botanical, textile and numismatic analysis - an insight into the structure of a young Slavonic “central place”; a “Regiopol” of the 11th/12th century AD and its completely differing, subsequent late medieval settlement site.

A prophecy at stake. Her heart torn between two men. Can Cahra unleash the untapped strength – and magicks – within her? An immortal bound in darkness. A shattered empire at war. And a blacksmith whose heart could tip the scales of fate. When young blacksmith Cahra is commissioned to forge a sword, she uses her imagination to design its crest. But this symbol unwittingly invokes an age-old prophecy and awakens Hael an immortal with the power to shape or shatter worlds sealed away for hundreds of years in a chamber deep in Hael'stromia, the lost capital at the heart of a civil war between three kingdoms. Now hunted for the sword, Cahra must flee with the very stranger who commissioned it. But can she trust the handsome and charming noble, Terryl ? On the run through the darkly magical Wilds, she is drawn ever closer to Hael, who visits and beguiles her in dreams. With tyrant kings vying to capture and wield him as a weapon, she alone stands between Hael and their deadly ambitions. A sizzling, action-packed romantasy, perfect for fans of The North Wind, Throne of Glass and The Book of Azrael. (Physically) strong female lead Love triangle Slow burn Forbidden love Hades x Persephone Who hurt you? Fated mates Age gap (just a couple hundred years...) Found family Praise for A Kiss of Hammer and Flame 'De la Force hammers ancient prophecy and royal intrigue into a gripping tale of a lost city, and a destiny that is forged and chosen by a heroine with more inner steel than she knows. An epic start to what promises to be an incandescent trilogy .' -- Shalini Abeysekara , #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of This Monster of Mine 'An engrossing tale of resilience with a compelling protagonist, engaging writing, and rising stakes in a world of seers, power, and secrets everything I love in romantasy and more !' -- Maria Z. Medina , author of Mistress of Bones 'An epic romantasy set in a unique and immersive world, A Kiss of Hammer and Flame will sweep readers away with its loveable cast of characters. Filled with action, adventure, and political intrigue , it builds to a thrilling climax that will leave readers clamouring for more' -- Charlotte Ingham , author of A Match Made in Hell 'With an interesting world, as well as plenty of action and romantic tension, it's the perfect read for fans of Sarah J. Maas' books.' The Express 'Clever, powerful and sets the stage for a story that blends destiny, danger, and desire. With brilliant world-building, high emotional stakes, and a heroine you'll root for with your whole heart, A Kiss of Hammer And Flame is everything we want in the genre and more' -- The Debut Digest ' I couldn't put it down ' ' Spellbinding ' ' Alive with magic and danger ' 'Nothing short of spectacular ' 'A breathtaking adventure' 'This feels like it is going to be the next best romantasy series ' 'Cahra's transformation from a blacksmith into a reluctant hero gripped me ' 'I started it late last night. Never did I anticipate I would be staying up until 1am to finish it So darn good! ' 'Cahra is not your usual FMC she isn't dainty, she isn't tiny and she doesn't need saving. She is capable and tough It was an absolute joy to read her story' 'This was such a great book I loved the strong female lead '

The New York Times bestselling fantasy set in Jazz Age Harlem, where at night the dance halls come to life-and death waits in the dark. This limited deluxe edition comes with gorgeous decorated edges. It's 1926 and reapers, the once-human vampires with a terrifying affliction, are on the rise in New York. But the Saint family's thriving reaper-hunting enterprise holds reign over the city, giving them more power than even the organized criminals who run the nightclubs. Eighteen year-old Elise Saint, home after five years in Paris, is the reluctant heir to the empire. Only one thing weighs heavier on Elise's mind than her family obligations: the knowledge that the Harlem reapers want her dead. Layla Quinn is a young reaper haunted by her past. Though reapers have existed in America for three centuries, created by New World atrocities and cruel experiments, Layla became one just five years ago. The night she was turned, she lost her parents, the protection of the Saints, and her humanity, and she'll never forget how Elise Saint betrayed her. But some reapers are inexplicably turning part human again, leaving a wake of mysterious and brutal killings. When Layla is framed for one of these attacks, the Saint patriarch offers her a deal she can't refuse: to work with Elise to investigate how these murders might be linked to shocking rumors of a reaper cure. Once close friends, now bitter enemies, Elise and Layla explore the city's underworld, confronting their intense feelings for one another and uncovering the sinister truths about a growing threat to reapers and humans alike.

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject History Europe - Other Countries - Middle Ages, Early Modern Age, grade: English Grade:58% von 70%, University of Nottingham (School of History), course: Hauptseminar: Gender and Society in Early Modern Europe, language: English, abstract: ¿Witch- hunting is seen as something pathological, a disease infecting like a plague the body of the communities in witch it raged.¿1 With these words the historian Bob Scribner described witchcraft and witch-hunts. They are defined as something negative and pathological and it is obviously that witchcraft could easily emerged because of the traditional beliefs rooted in the early modern society of Germany. Witchcraft and witchhunts emerged in this period and made the population susceptible to the carrying out of denunciation and elimination of innocent people. The population had been easily influenced by the authorities like magistrates and their fellow citizens. In the following discussion/passage, witchcraft and witch-hunts concerning the early modern Europe will be less prominent rather than the study about witchcraft and witchhunts in early modern Germany. In particular the main focus will stress on the south of Germany because it was the centre of witchcraft and witch-hunts. In addition to that some examples will be mentioned to show special witchcraft and witch- hunt cases. First it will be examined how the term ¿witch¿ is defined shown in a historical, linguistic and an etymological way. Then the two authors of the Malleus maleficarum2 and their ideas about witches and witchcraft will be mentioned. In the forth chapter the social context shall be examined. In this passage the accused shall be represented and the reasons which led to their accusation. In the last chapter the witch-hunts in early modern Germany shall be represented. It keeps the question in what way the witch-hunts increased during the early modern period and which reasons contributed to their decline. Furthermore it should be bring out who was accused for witchcraft and what led to their accusation? Which reasons were fundamental for the accusation of certain people, especially women? At that period Germany was part of the Holy Roman Empire which lacked of juridical power and had no control over its own territories.3 Also the early modern period was a time of considerable changes in economy, politics and even within the society in particular concerning the role of the woman. So the question remains whether witchcraft was linked to the changing female role in early modern Germany or was it only the result of a lot of different political, economical and social changes in the early modern period?