Describes how newly modernized Japan waged war against China in its first overseas campaign, marking its rapid transition into Asia's leading military power only 30 years after emerging from centuries of feudalism. After the Meiji restoration of the Japanese imperial regime in 1868-77, modernization along Western lines of Japan's industry, communications and land and naval forces advanced with remarkable speed and, by the 1890s, the rejuvenated nation was ready to flex its muscles overseas. The obvious opponent was the huge but medieval Chinese Empire, and the obvious arena for war was Korea, a nearby Chinese protectorate that Japan had long coveted. (A secondary campaign would be fought on Formosa/Taiwan, an autonomous Chinese island protectorate.) In this study, author Gabriele Esposito describes the bloodthirsty course of the Japanese campaign in China, using colour illustrations and photos to showcase the organization, equipment and appearance of the various Chinese forces (China had no true national army), the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy, and, for the first time in English, the Korean and Formosan participants. Japan's victory left it confident enough to challenge Imperial Russia and, nine years later, it defeated it at the Battle of Tsushima where two-thirds of the Russian fleet was destroyed by the Japanese Navy. This victory confirmed Japan's place as Asia's leading military power, soon to become a realistic rival to the West.

From the author of The Picture Bride, two women¿s lives and identities are intertwined ¿ through World War II and the Korean War ¿ revealing the harsh realities of class division in the early part of the 20th century. Can¿t I Go Instead follows the lives of the daughter of a Korean nobleman and her maidservant in the early 20th century. When the daughter¿s suitor is arrested as a Korean Independence activist, and she is implicated during the investigation, she is quickly forced into marriage to one of her father¿s Japanese employees and shipped off to the United States. At the same time, her maidservant is sent in her mistress¿s place to be a comfort woman to the Japanese Imperial army. Years of hardship, survival, and even happiness follow. In the aftermath of WWII, the women make their way home, where they must reckon with the tangled lives they¿ve led, in an attempt to reclaim their identities, and find their places in an independent Korea.

DARK LORD BATTLESHIP ENDYMION, FULL SPEED AHEAD! Leonis and his army are headed for the Otherwordly Castle to confront the Undead King. On their way to the Void World, they fight alongside the Dragon Lord, Veira, dispatching hordes of Void monsters. Meanwhile, now that Elfiné has been rescued by Riselia, it's time for the two to make their daring escape. However, things may not go so smoothly as they become trapped underground in the control tower. The situation goes from bad to worse as the messenger of the Apostles, Nefakess, blocks their way in his true, monstrous form. It's the Dark Lord alliance versus the Undead King's men! Who will come out on top?

Those minotaurs that have somehow escaped the sad fate of their Thyrean kin can look forward to a quiet life of agrarian work. Their prodigious strength and legendary stamina mean that even with the odds stacked against them, most can look forward to buying their own emancipation writ within a decade or two. As citizens, however, they are duty bound to serve in the army much like their human counterparts. Most do so as Haspists, consciously standing apart from their fallen Thyrean kin, specializing in defense and bolstering the line where the weaker humans might falter. Contains unpainted miniatures. Assembly required. Game Contents: 3 Cavalry Bases (Plastic) 3 Cavalry Stands (Plastic) 3 Minotaur Haspists Miniatures (Plastic) 2 Command Cards

A group of strangers is stranded in a boarding house during a snow storm, one of whom is a murderer. The suspects include the newly married couple who run the house, and the suspicions in their minds nearly wreck their perfect marriage. Others are a spinster with a curious background, an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef, a retired Army major, a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift, and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. Into their midst comes a policeman, traveling on skis. He no sooner arrives, when the jurist is killed. Two down, and one to go. To get to the rationale of the murderer's pattern, the policeman probes the background of everyone present, and rattles a lot of skeletons. Another famous Agatha Christie switch finish! Chalk up another superb intrigue for the foremost mystery writer of her time.

The first of Larry McCurtry's Pulitzer Prize–winning Lonesome Dove tetralogy, showcasing McCurtry's talent for breathing new life into the vanished American West through two of the most memorable heroes in contemporary fiction: Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call. As young Texas Rangers, Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call ("Gus" and "Call" for short) have much to learn about survival in a land fraught with perils: not only the blazing heat and raging tornadoes, roiling rivers and merciless Indians, but also the deadly whims of soldiers. On their first expeditions—led by incompetent officers and accompanied by the robust, dauntless whore known as the Great Western—they will face death at the hands of the cunning Comanche war chief Buffalo Hump and the silent Apache Gomez. They will be astonished by the Mexican army. And Gus will meet the love of his life.

Tavi of Calderon, now captain of his own Legion, has been fighting a bitter war for two years. Then he discovers the invading Canim warriors are harbingers of a far greater threat. The Canim are being hunted in their turn by a savage race that forced them from their homeland - and which has pursued them to the Aleran borders. With options fast running out, Tavi proposes an alliance with the Canim. But the Senate's new military commander wishes only to wipe out the Canim 'scourge', and would also kill Aleran slaves that have sought freedom with these aggressors. Tavi must reconcile Aleran and Canim, slavemaster and slave, Citizen and Proletarian, if an alliance is to be forced. And he must lead his Legion in defiance of the law, against both friend and enemy - before the greatest army of all launches its assault.

Art.Nr.: 510006507 Art.bezeichnung: 1:35 IT PzKpfw.VI Tiger I Ausf.E mP. Model Dim.: 24,1 cm - UPGRADED MOULDS - - Figure not included - Parts for two variants - Photo-etched fret and link by link tracks included - Decals for 4 versions The Tiger I tank, which has been produced in the second half of 1943, was based on the hull of the firstoperational version used in North Africa and Russia. At the beginning this tank had wheels with rubber rim,which will be replaced in the following productions starting from February 1944, but it was equipped withthe new turret with increased protection and better cupola for the commander. Besides some of thesevehicles maintained the characteristic system of dust filters Feifel, and the smoke grenade launchers. On thetanks produced since August 1943 was also applied a magnetic mine paste that will become standard on alltanks of the German Army.

'This masterwork of the imagination may be the high watermark of epic fantasy.' Glen Cook 'This is true myth in the making, a drawing upon fantasy to recreate histories and legends as rich as any found within our culture' Interzone In the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha'ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising named the Whirlwind. Enslaved in the Otataral mines, Felisin - youngest scion of the disgraced House of Paran - dreams of freedom and vows revenge. The outlawed Bridgeburners Fiddler and Kalam conspire to rid the world of the Empress Laseen - although it seems the gods would, as always, have it otherwise. And as two ancient warriors - bearers of a devastating secret - enter this blighted land, so an untried commander of the Malaz 7th Army leads his war-weary troops in a last, valiant running battle to save the lives of thirty thousand refugees. In this thrilling second chapter in the epic story of the Malazan empire, war and betrayal, intrigue and roiling magic collide, shaping destinies and giving birth to legends . . . 'One of the best fantasy novels of the year.' SF Site 'Arguably the best fantasy series ever written.' Fantasy Book Review

In this extraordinary collection of nine stories, called in the original Czech Painful Tales (Trapné povídky), one of the masters of twentieth century fiction details human situations where the heartbreak and blockedness in life predominate. In Money a brother is trapped between warring and manipulative sisters; in Helena a mismatched pair come to further grief through misunderstanding; in Three a cuckolded husband’s plan of attack is outplayed by his miserable wife; in The Shirts a thieving housekeeper uses emotional blackmail to gull her employer; in The Insult two brothers at odds come to an awkward understanding through the younger’s crisis in love and work; in The Tribunal a disembodied voice tells dark truths to an uncertain officer trapped in army bureaucracy; in The Bully a wealthy businessman confronts his wife’s lover, bringing on an existential crisis of his own; in Two Fathers a little girl is buried while her stepfather is mocked for his heartbroken love for her; and in At the Castle a young governess is at war with her own emotions, and finds herself trapped, not only in her situation, but also within the expectations of her times. With fierce spats and grim disunion, desperate reconciliations and exhausted resignations, Capek unravels the black spots in human nature with astonishingly consistent skill, lighting on what makes for trouble with unerring accuracy and occasional delicious satire. This collection was first published in Czech in 1921, and then in English in 1930.

A slice of Americana delivered with her characteristic warmth, endearing characters, and authentic Texan flair, the third Honey Creek novel by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jodi Thomas takes readers to Clifton Bend, Texas, a small college town where two very different scientists must team up on an experiment on “The Chemistry of Mating.” Can these two opposites attract and quantify the science of love? Benjamin Monroe is pretty sure how his life will play out. He’ll continue teaching chemistry in his small college, and spend his free time biking through the valley. Eventually, he’ll retire to putter around in his garden and greenhouse. His colleague, Virginia Clark, is not one for routines. She’s chatty, spontaneous, and bubbly, and before Benjamin realizes what happened, she’s talked him into collaborating on a research project—studying the mating habits of college students. Ketch Kincaid, one of Benjamin’s star students, returned to college after serving in the army. He needs something to get his mind off his recent breakup and collecting research data might do it. And there’s another distraction on the horizon—a woman who looks like she, too, knows about heartache. Soon enough, their project, “The Chemistry of Mating;” is gaining notoriety. Friends, neighbors…the whole town has become involved. But no matter what the data determines, one conclusion seems inescapable: love follows its own rules…

Things are going badly for the Clan in this SF novel of the Merchant Princes, the immensely popular series by Charles Stross. Locked in a vicious civil war for control over the kingdom of Niejwein, their army is bottled up inside a fortress under siege in two parallel universes at once. Duke Angbard, the Clan's leader, has been laid low by a stroke: plotters are already conspiring in readiness for the deadly dance to come. Miriam, rescued from a tight spot in New Britain, finds the hopes of the young, progressive faction focused on her. But do they want her as a leader or a figurehead? She soon finds herself thrown into a desperate struggle for power. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the Clan, researchers working for the US government have achieved a technological breakthrough. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The breathtaking conclusion to the mega-bestselling Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan, now a graphic novel! Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen--all of them--and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood--the blood of Olympus--in order to wake. The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps. The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over. Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians is now a hit series on Disney+!

The phenomenal new novel, based on a true story, from the multimillion-copy bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey and Three Sisters. 1942. Singapore is falling to the Japanese Army. English musician Norah Chambers places her eight-year-old daughter Sally on a ship leaving Singapore, desperate to keep her safe. As the island burns, Australian nurse Nesta James joins the terrified cargo of people, including the heartbroken Norah, crammed aboard the HMS Vyner Brooke. After only two days at sea, the ship is bombarded and sunk. Nesta and Norah reach the beaches of Indonesia only to be captured and held in one of the notorious Japanese POW camps, places of starvation and brutality. But even here joy can be found, in music, where Norah's 'voice orchestra' transports the internees from squalor into light. The friendships they build with the dozens of other women in the camps will give them the hope, strength and camaraderie they need in order to stay alive. Sisters under the Rising Sun tells the story of women in war: a novel of sisterhood, bravery and resilience in the darkest of circumstances. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a #3 Sunday Times bestseller from 5 May 2024

One of the most recognisable, respected and inspirational men on earth, Muhammad Ali is the world's most famous boxing hero. Ali brought unprecedented speed and grace to the sport, and his charm and wit changed forever what the world expects of a champion athlete. In the words of over two hundred of Ali's family members, associates, opponents, friends and enemies, this comprehensive and honest portrait relates his legendary sporting accomplishments, as well as the high drama of life outside the boxing ring. From Olympic gold in Rome, to stunning victory over George Foreman in Zaire, every historic victory and defeat of Ali's career is covered. His controversial embrace of the Nation of Islam - with the renunciation of his 'slave name', Cassius Clay - and the historic refusal to be inducted into the US Army makes for compelling reading. Ali became America's first national conscientious objector, and with a willingness to stage his fights in Third World locales, he continued his advocacy for people in need which was honoured in 2000 when he became a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Charismatic, dedicated and a skilful self-publicist, Ali is the living embodiment of the American Dream. This is the biography to match his achievements.

Can Evie convince her rival loves to work together? Their survival depends on it in this third book of #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole’s Arcana Chronicles, a nonstop action tale of rescue, redemption, and a revenge most wicked. Heartbreaking decisions Evie was almost seduced by the life of comfort that Death offered her—until Jack was threatened by two of the most horrific Arcana, The Lovers. She will do anything to save him, even escape Death’s uncanny prison, full of beautiful objects, material comforts…and stolen glances from a former love. Uncertain victory Despite leaving a part of her heart behind with Death, Evie sets out into a frozen and perilous post-apocalyptic wasteland to meet up with her allies and launch an attack on The Lovers and the vast army they command. Such formidable enemies require a battle plan, and the only way to kill them once and for all may mean Evie, Jack, and Death allying. Evie doesn’t know what will prove more impossible: surviving slavers, plague, Bagmen and other Arcana—or convincing Jack and Death to work together. Two heroes returned There’s a thin line between love and hate, and Evie just doesn’t know where she stands with either Jack or Death. Will this unlikely trio be able to defeat The Lovers without killing one another first?

A slice of Americana delivered with her characteristic warmth, endearing characters, and authentic Texan flair, the third Honey Creek novel by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jodi Thomas takes readers to Clifton Bend, Texas, a small college town where two very different scientists must team up on an experiment on “The Chemistry of Mating.” Can these two opposites attract and quantify the science of love? Benjamin Monroe is pretty sure how his life will play out. He’ll continue teaching chemistry in his small college, and spend his free time biking through the valley. Eventually, he’ll retire to putter around in his garden and greenhouse. His colleague, Virginia Clark, is not one for routines. She’s chatty, spontaneous, and bubbly, and before Benjamin realizes what happened, she’s talked him into collaborating on a research project—studying the mating habits of college students. Ketch Kincaid, one of Benjamin’s star students, returned to college after serving in the army. He needs something to get his mind off his recent breakup and collecting research data might do it. And there’s another distraction on the horizon—a woman who looks like she, too, knows about heartache. Soon enough, their project, “The Chemistry of Mating;” is gaining notoriety. Friends, neighbors…the whole town has become involved. But no matter what the data determines, one conclusion seems inescapable: love follows its own rules…

In this extraordinary collection of nine stories, called in the original Czech Painful Tales (Trapné povídky), one of the masters of twentieth century fiction details human situations where the heartbreak and blockedness in life predominate. In Money a brother is trapped between warring and manipulative sisters; in Helena a mismatched pair come to further grief through misunderstanding; in Three a cuckolded husband’s plan of attack is outplayed by his miserable wife; in The Shirts a thieving housekeeper uses emotional blackmail to gull her employer; in The Insult two brothers at odds come to an awkward understanding through the younger’s crisis in love and work; in The Tribunal a disembodied voice tells dark truths to an uncertain officer trapped in army bureaucracy; in The Bully a wealthy businessman confronts his wife’s lover, bringing on an existential crisis of his own; in Two Fathers a little girl is buried while her stepfather is mocked for his heartbroken love for her; and in At the Castle a young governess is at war with her own emotions, and finds herself trapped, not only in her situation, but also within the expectations of her times. With fierce spats and grim disunion, desperate reconciliations and exhausted resignations, Capek unravels the black spots in human nature with astonishingly consistent skill, lighting on what makes for trouble with unerring accuracy and occasional delicious satire. This collection was first published in Czech in 1921, and then in English in 1930.

Bloomsbury presents Hero City: Leningrad 1943–44 by Prit Buttar, read by Gordon Griffin One of the greatest ever sieges is masterfully brought to life by a leading expert on the Eastern Front. At the height of World War II the people of Leningrad endured a bitter 900-day siege, struggling against bombing, shelling, and starvation. Prit Buttar tells the story of how the siege was finally broken. The Red Army had suffered multiple setbacks in the preceding two years but achieved a partial success by breaking the blockage in early 1943. However, this was followed by further failed attempts to lift the siege completely. But by simply enduring the siege in the face of impossible odds, Russian soldiers and civilians beat the Germans. By the end of 1943 the German forces, themselves broken by deprivations and extreme weather, began to pull back. Here was the opportunity the Soviet forces had been waiting for. The Red Army launched a decisive attack that broke through and ended the siege. Their determination to hold out has become a hugely significant part of Russian history, the echoes of the battle helping to define both a country and its politics. This compelling history uses original Russian source material to vividly describe the deprivations visited upon those trapped. But it also details the tactical successes and strategic failures of both sides as well as the appalling war crimes that have forever stained the ground in and around this historic city.

A massive army on the brink of conquest looms large in a world where prophecies are lies, magic is believed in but never seen, and hope is where you least expect to find it. The first book in Brian Lee Durfee's Five Warrior Angels series! Welcome to the Five Isles, where war has come in the name of the invading army of Sør Sevier, a merciless host driven by the prophetic fervor of the Angel Prince, Aeros, toward the last unconquered kingdom of Gul Kana. Yet Gault, one of the elite Knights Archaic of Sør Sevier, is growing disillusioned by the crusade he is at the vanguard of just as it embarks on his Lord Aeros’ greatest triumph. While the eldest son of the fallen king of Gul Kana now reigns in ever increasing paranoid isolationism, his two sisters seek their own paths. Jondralyn, the older sister, renowned for her beauty, only desires to prove her worth as a warrior, while Tala, the younger sister, has uncovered a secret that may not only destroy her family but the entire kingdom. Then there’s Hawkwood, the assassin sent to kill Jondralyn who has instead fallen in love with her and trains her in his deadly art. All are led further into dangerous conspiracies within the court. And hidden at the edge of Gul Kana is Nail, the orphan taken by the enigmatic Shawcroft to the remote whaling village of Gallows Haven, a young man who may hold the link to the salvation of the entire Five Isles. You may think you know this story, but everyone is not who they seem, nor do they fit the roles you expect. Durfee has created an epic fantasy full of hope in a world based on lies.