Unlock the more straightforward side of The Swallows of Kabul with this concise and insightful summary and analysis! This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra, a haunting tale of two couples living under the yoke of the Taliban in Kabul. As they are beset by illness, oppression, loss and terror, their lives gradually become intertwined, and a glimmer of hope filters through the darkness even as despair threatens to consume them all. Yasmina Khadra is the pen-name of Mohammed Moulessehoul, a former officer in the Algerian army who retired to France to pursue an award-winning literary career. Find out everything you need to know about The Swallows of Kabul in a fraction of the time! This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you: ¿ A complete plot summary ¿ Character studies ¿ Key themes and symbols ¿ Questions for further reflection Why choose BrightSummaries.com? Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time. See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!

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.

Bachelorarbeit aus dem Jahr 2008 im Fachbereich Geschichte Europas - Neueste Geschichte, Europäische Einigung, Note: 1,3, Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: This paper deals with the development of two organisations within the Republican Movement in Northern Ireland: the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Sinn Féin. It is supposed that the Republican Movement can be regarded as a Social Movement according to the definitions of Zirakzadeh and Raschke in particular. Consequently the IRA and Sinn Féin can be defined as social movement organisations. These pre definitions are important because there are different dynamics within social movements and movement organisations than in normal parties or military/terrorist groups. In this paper the shift within the Republican Movement from the primary use of weapons (IRA) to the concentration on electoral struggle (Sinn Féin) is examined. First of all the Northern Ireland conflict is summarized in four periods, starting 1916, the Easter Rising and the emergence of the IRA up to today, when Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin, Republican) and Ian Paisley (DUP, Loyalist) are the leaders of the government in Northern Ireland. Secondly the changes within the two movement organisations Sinn Féin and IRA are studied with the model of social movement theorists Zald and Ash. It becomes obvious, that both organisations have a relationship that can be described as cooperation. That in consequence shows that the changes within the IRA also influenced the development of Sinn Féin and vice versa. Because of that it is thirdly looked at how the relationship between the two has changed especially in the period of the Northern Ireland Troubles (1969-1998). To understand the processes that took place prior to the changes, three models- those of Zald /Ash, Irvin and Weinberg- are presented and used to examine the procedures that took place within the IRA and Sinn Féin. After all an answer to the question whether the development in the Republican Movement was indeed a shift from terrorism to politics is suggested. It becomes clear that the importance of one organisation (IRA) was on the decline while the importance of the other (Sinn Féin) increased. It was not the shift from "the bullet to the ballot¿ within one organisation but rather the shift within the cooperation of two organisations from the military wing to the political wing in order to realise the goal of the Republican Movement: a united Ireland independent from Great Britain. Finally it is discussed in how far the changes within the IRA and Sinn Féin influenced the end of the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Originally one of the paramilitary groups that arose in Germany's turbulent 1920s , the SS grew from its original protection activities into the "Death's Head" troops and the Verfugungstruppe, and later during WWII, the Waffen-SS. During its evolution, the SS changed from its black uniform into a variety of uniforms that eventually resembled those of the German army, in various types of fabric, and predominately field-grey, so often seen in period photographs and movies. In volume 1, Lorenzo Silvestri presents many different SS-VT, SS-TV, and SD uniforms with numerous full-colour photos to display how the clothing appeared. In addition, numerous detail images are used to clearly expose key features of the uniforms and equipment. The text explains important details about the creation, manufacturing, and wear of each item. Period photographs illustrate the wear of each item presented in the books. The two volumes present the various helmets, caps, trousers, tunics and jackets in nearly 900 pages with over 1,400 colour, pre-World War II and World War II images.

Viscount Medardo is bisected by a Turkish cannonball, Baron Cosimo retires to the trees for the rest of his days, and Agiluf the Knight is an empty suit of armour. Our Ancestors brings together three surreal novellas set in distinct historical worlds across medieval and early modern Europe. In The Cloven Viscount, a nobleman returns from war as two separate beings, one cruel and one impossibly virtuous, leaving his community to suffer the consequences. In The Baron in the Trees, a young aristocrat climbs into the branches of the Italian Riviera and refuses to touch the ground again, living out his life among the leaves while history moves below him. In The Nonexistent Knight, a suit of armour fights in the army of Charlemagne, sustained only by will and duty. Our Ancestors blends satire with fable, exploring how power, war and social expectation shape the self. 'The most magically ingenious of the contemporary Italian novelists' The Times

Essential reading for anyone who loved Baz Luhrmann's biopic Elvis, starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks Last Train to Memphis, the first part of Guralnick's two-volume life of Elvis Presley, received unprecedented accolades. This concluding volume recounts the second half of Elvis's life in rich and previously unimagined detail, and confirms Guralnick's status as one of the great biographers of our time. Beginning with Presley's army service in Germany in 1958 and ending with his death in Memphis in 1977, Careless Love chronicles the unraveling of the dream that once shone so brightly, homing in on the complex playing-out of Elvis's relationship with his Machiavellian manager, Colonel Tom Parker. It's a breathtaking drama that places the events of a too often mistold tale in a fresh, believable, and understandable context. This is the quintessential American story, encompassing race, class, wealth, sex, music, religion, and personal transformation. Written with grace, sensitivity, and passion, Careless Love is a unique contribution to our understanding of American popular culture and the nature of success, giving us true insight at last into one of the most misunderstood public figures of our times.

Now an HBO® series from J.J. Abrams (executive producer of Westworld), Misha Green (creator of Underground), and Jordan Peele (director of Get Out and Us), this brilliant and imaginative novel by critically acclaimed author Matt Ruff makes visceral the terrors of Jim Crow America, melding historical fiction, pulp noir, and Lovecraftian horror. Chicago, 1954. When his father Montrose goes missing, 22-year-old Army veteran Atticus Turner embarks on a road trip to New England to find him, accompanied by his Uncle George—publisher of The Safe Negro Travel Guide—and his childhood friend Letitia. On their journey to the manor of Mr. Braithwhite—heir to the estate that owned one of Atticus’s ancestors—they encounter both mundane terrors of white America and malevolent spirits that seem straight out of the weird tales George devours. A chimerical blend of magic, power, hope, and freedom that stretches across time, touching diverse members of two black families, Lovecraft Country is a devastating kaleidoscopic portrait of racism—the terrifying specter that continues to haunt us today.

Winner of the George Washington Prize Winner of the Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize in American History Winner of the Excellence in American History Book Award Winner of the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award From the bestselling author of the Liberation Trilogy comes the extraordinary first volume of his new trilogy about the American Revolution Rick Atkinson, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning An Army at Dawn and two other superb books about World War II, has long been admired for his deeply researched, stunningly vivid narrative histories. Now he turns his attention to a new war, and in the initial volume of the Revolution Trilogy he recounts the first twenty-one months of America's violent war for independence. From the battles at Lexington and Concord in spring 1775 to those at Trenton and Princeton in winter 1777, American militiamen and then the ragged Continental Army take on the world's most formidable fighting force. It is a gripping saga alive with astonishing characters: Henry Knox, the former bookseller with an uncanny understanding of artillery; Nathanael Greene, the blue-eyed bumpkin who becomes a brilliant battle captain; Benjamin Franklin, the self-made man who proves to be the wiliest of diplomats; George Washington, the commander in chief who learns the difficult art of leadership when the war seems all but lost. The story is also told from the British perspective, making the mortal conflict between the redcoats and the rebels all the more compelling. Full of riveting details and untold stories, The British Are Coming is a tale of heroes and knaves, of sacrifice and blunder, of redemption and profound suffering. Rick Atkinson has given stirring new life to the first act of our country's creation drama.

Necromantasy is the new romantasy in Hopeless Necromantic, a debut romantic fantasy for fans of Gideon the Ninth,The Irresistible Urge to Fall for your Enemy, Long Live Evil or Assistant to the Villain. SHE RAISES HELL. HE RAISES THE DEAD. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? When new recruit Helspira takes on the doomed mission that no other soldier wants, life—and death—start to get a little complicated. Helspira must play escort to Sikras—a frustratingly handsome necromancer with the power to raise the dead—as he attempts a mission that he's failed twice before; stopping an undead army at the edges of the kingdom. No one thinks he will succeed. Not even Sikras. But the more time the two spend together, the more they find they can imagine a brighter future. As secrets come out and the two grow closer—and Sikras's lively skeleton companion Benjamin tries desperately not to be a third wheel—will Sikras' and Helspira's changing feelings for each other be enough to overcome the growing danger? RAISE A GLASS. RAISE THE DEAD. JUST DON'T RAISE YOUR HOPES.

Bloomsbury presents Return of a King by William Dalrymple, read by Sagar Arya. SHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE 2013 'As taut and richly embroidered as a great novel . . . a masterpiece' Sunday Telegraph 'Dazzling' Sunday Times 'Magnificent' Guardian 'Sparkling' Daily Telegraph A towering history of the first Afghan War by bestselling historian William Dalrymple. In the spring of 1839, Britain invaded Afghanistan for the first time. Nearly 20,000 British and East India Company troops poured through the high mountain passes and re-established on the throne Shah Shuja ul-Mulk. On the way in, the British faced little resistance. But after two years of occupation, the Afghan people rose in answer to the call for jihad and the country exploded into violent rebellion. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended in Britain's greatest military humiliation of the nineteenth century: an entire army of the then most powerful nation in the world ambushed in retreat and utterly routed by poorly equipped tribesmen. Using a range of forgotten Afghan and Indian sources, William Dalrymple's masterful retelling of Britain's greatest imperial disaster is a powerful parable of colonial ambition and cultural collision, folly and hubris. Return of a King is history at its most urgent and important.

In A Sky of Spells, Thorgrin finally returns to himself and must confront his father once and for all. An epic battle occurs, as two titans face each other, and as Rafi uses his power to summon an army of undead. Luanda struggles to prevail against her captor, Romulus, as the fate of the Shield hangs in the balance. Reece, meanwhile, struggles to lead his men back up the Canyon walls, with Selese's help. Their love deepens; but with the arrival of Reece's old love, his cousin, a tragic love triangle and misunderstandings develop. When the empire is finally ousted from the Ring, and Gwendolyn has her chance for personal vengeance against McCloud, there is great cause to celebrate. As the new queen of the Ring, Gwen uses her powers to unite both MacGils and McClouds for the first time in history, and to begin the epic rebuilding of the land, of her army, and of the Legion. King's Court slowly comes back to life once again, as they all begin to pick up the pieces. But danger lurks in the most unforeseen corners, and all of these characters greatest tribulations might be yet to come. With its sophisticated world-building and characterization, A Sky of Spells is an epic tale of friends and lovers, rivals and suitors, knights and dragons, intrigues and political machinations, coming of age, broken hearts, deception, ambition, and betrayal. It is a tale of honor and courage, fate and destiny, and sorcery. It is a fantasy that brings us into a world we will never forget, and which will appeal to all ages and genders.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd drifts through northern Texas, performing live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world—of the Irish pouring into New York City, of the railroad driving into the new state of Nebraska, of an eruption of Popocatépetl near Mexico City. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain once made his living as a printer, until the War Between the States took his press and everything with it. Now, at seventy-one, he enjoys the freedom of the road, even if his body aches and money is scarce. At a stop in Wichita Falls, Captain Kidd is offered a fifty-dollar gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives near San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders viciously killed Johanna Leonberger’s parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as their own. Recently recovered by the U.S. Army, the ten-year-old with blue eyes and hair the color of maple sugar has once again been torn away from the only home and family she knows. The captain’s sense of duty and of compassion propels him to accept, though he knows the journey will be long and difficult. Winding through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain, the four-hundred-mile odyssey south proves dangerous as well. A corrupt Reconstruction administration runs the state government, and anarchy and lawlessness have taken hold. The captain must watch for thieves, Comanches and Kiowas, and the federal army—and corral the wild Johanna. Small and thin, the despondent child has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act “civilized.” Yet as the miles pass, the wary Johanna slowly draws closer to the man she calls “Kep-dun;” and the two lonely survivors forge a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land. But in San Antonio another hurdle awaits, one that will force this respectable man to make a terrible choice that will determine Johanna’s fate—and his own. Unfolding in gorgeous prose, News of the World is a vivid portrait that captures a beautiful and hostile land, and a masterful eploration of the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd drifts through northern Texas, performing live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world?of the Irish pouring into New York City, of the railroad driving into the new state of Nebraska, of an eruption of Popocatépetl near Mexico City. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain once made his living as a printer, until the War Between the States took his press and everything with it. Now, at seventy-one, he enjoys the freedom of the road, even if his body aches and money is scarce. At a stop in Wichita Falls, Captain Kidd is offered a fifty-dollar gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives near San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders viciously killed Johanna Leonberger's parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as their own. Recently recovered by the U.S. Army, the ten-year-old with blue eyes and hair the color of maple sugar has once again been torn away from the only home and family she knows. The captain's sense of duty and of compassion propels him to accept, though he knows the journey will be long and difficult. Winding through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain, the four-hundred-mile odyssey south proves dangerous as well. A corrupt Reconstruction administration runs the state government, and anarchy and lawlessness have taken hold. The captain must watch for thieves, Comanches and Kiowas, and the federal army?and corral the wild Johanna. Small and thin, the despondent child has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act ?civilized.? Yet as the miles pass, the wary Johanna slowly draws closer to the man she calls ?Kep-dun,? and the two lonely survivors forge a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land. But in San Antonio another hurdle awaits, one that will force this respectable man to make a terrible choice that will determine Johanna's fate?and his own. Unfolding in gorgeous prose, News of the World is a vivid portrait that captures a beautiful and hostile land, and a masterful eploration of the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

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Following up on one of the most exciting fantasy debuts, The Daughters of Izdihar, Hadeer Elsbai concludes her Alamaxa Duology?inspired by Egyptian history and myth?with a tale of magic, war, betrayal, sisterhood, and love. The world is on fire...but some women can control it. The Daughters of Izdihar?a group of women fighting for the vote and against the patriarchal rule of Parliament?have finally made strides in having their voices heard...only to find them drowned out by the cannons of the fundamentalist Ziranis. As long as Alamaxa continues to allow for the elemental magic of the weavers?and insist on allowing an academy to teach such things?the Zirani will stop at nothing to end what they perceive is a threat to not only their way of life, but the entire world. Two such weavers, Nehal and Giorgina, had come together despite their differences to grow both their political and weaving power. But after the attack, Nehal wakes up in a Zirani prison, and Giorgina is on the run in her besieged city. If they can reunite again, they can rally Alamaxa to fight off the encroaching Zirani threat. Yet with so much in their way?including a contingent of Zirani insurgents with their own ideas about rebellion?this will be no easy task. And the last time a weaver fought back, the whole world was shattered. Two incredible women are all that stands before an entire army. But they've fought against power before and won. This time, though, it's no longer about rhetoric. This time it's about magic and blood.

After decades of warfare, Malazan forces are now close to consolidating the Quon Talian mainland. Yet it is at this moment that Emperor Kellanved orders a new campaign far to the north: the invasion of Falar. Since the main Malazan armies are otherwise engaged in Quon Tali, a collection of orphaned units and broken squads has been brought together under Fist Dujek - himself recovering from the loss of an arm - to fight this new campaign. A somewhat rag-tag army, joined by a similarly motley fleet under the command of the Emperor himself. There are however those who harbour doubts regarding the stewardship of Kellanved and his cohort Dancer, and as the Malazan force heads north, it encounters an unlooked-for and most unwelcome threat - unspeakable and born of legend, it has woken and will destroy all who stand in its way. Most appalled by this is Tayschrenn, the untested High Mage of the Empire. He is all-too aware of the true nature of this ancient horror - and his own inadequacy in having to confront it. Yet confront it he must, alongside the most unlikely of allies . . . And then the theocracy of Falar is itself far from defenceless - its priests are in possession of a weapon so terrifying it has not been unleashed for centuries. Named the Jhistal, it was rumoured to be a gift from the sea-god Mael. But two can play at that game, for the Emperor sails towards Falar aboard his flagship Twisted - a vessel that is itself thought to be not entirely of this world . . . Here in the Ice Wastes and among the islands of Falar, the Empire of Malaz faces two seemingly insurmountable tests - each one potentially the origin of its destruction. These are bloody, turbulent and treacherous times for all caught up in the forging of the Malazan Empire.

From the moment it began in 1936, the Spanish Civil War became the political question of the age. Hitler and Mussolini quickly sent aircraft, troops and supplies to the right-wing generals bent on overthrowing Spain's elected government. Millions of people around the world felt passionately that rapidly advancing fascism must be halted in Spain; if not there, where? More than 35,000 volunteers from dozens of other countries went to help defend the Spanish Republic. Adam Hochschild, the acclaimed author of King Leopold's Ghost, evokes this tumultuous period mainly through the lives of Americans involved in the war. A few are famous, such as Ernest Hemingway, but others are less familiar. They include a nineteen-year-old Kentucky woman, a fiery leftist who came to wartime Spain on her honeymoon; a young man who ran away from his Pennsylvania college and became the first American casualty in the battle for Madrid; and a swashbuckling Texas oilman who covertly violated US law and sold Generalissimo Francisco Franco most of the fuel for his army. Two New York Times reporters, fierce rivals, covered the war from opposite sides, with opposite sympathies. There are Britons in Hochschild's cast of characters as well: one, a London sculptor, fought with the American battalion; another, who had just gone down from Cambridge, joined Franco's army and found himself fighting against the Americans; and a third is someone whose experience of combat in Spain had a profound effect on his life, George Orwell.

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War rages on—with one unconventional soldier—in Terry Pratchett's bestselling Discworld® series War has come to Discworld . . . again. And, to no one's great surprise, the conflict centers around the small, arrogantly fundamentalist duchy of Borogravia, which has long prided itself on its unrelenting aggressiveness. A year ago, Polly Perks's brother marched off to battle, and Polly is willing to resort to drastic measures to find him. So she cuts off her hair, dons masculine garb, and—aided by a well-placed pair of socks—sets out to join the army. Since a nation in such dire need of cannon fodder cannot afford to be too picky, Polly is eagerly welcomed into the fighting fold, along with a vampire, a troll, an Igor, a religious fanatic, and two uncommonly close "friends." It would appear that Polly "Ozzer" Perks isn't the only grunt with a secret. But duty calls, the battlefield beckons, and now is the time for all good, er . . . "men," to come to the aid of their country.

Althea Embervale has two missions: rescue the love of her life, and save the world from a dark destiny. The infamous Scarlet Tower holds Wilder hostage and Thea will do anything to set him free. Will her storm magic and help of the legendary Shadow Prince be enough? Or will she arrive too late? Meanwhile, the time has come to make one last stand against the forces of cursed men and monsters. But Thea's enemies are only getting stronger. With allies divided and an outnumbered army, she must race against her own fate to secure the future of the midrealms--or die trying. A prophecy is looming, and Thea's life is in the balance. Does she have the power to cheat death itself? Love and loyalty will be tested. Bonds will fracture forever. But all must fight for a better world. In the final war for survival, will Thea and Wilder emerge victorious? Or will the shadows consume them at last?