An epic four-volume adventure in mythical medieval Japan: a world of warriors and assassins, demons and spirits In The Tengu's Game of Go, the final book of Lian Hearn's epic Tale of Shikanoko--all of which will be published in 2016--the rightful emperor is lost; illness and murder give rise to suspicions and make enemies of allies. Unrest rules the country. Only Shika can end the madness by returning the Lotus Throne to its rightful ruler. As destiny weaves its rich tapestry, a compelling drama plays out against a background of wild forests, elegant castles, hidden temples, and savage battlefields. This is the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, where animal spirits clash with warriors and children navigate a landscape as serene as it is deadly. "Expect graphic violence, fairy-tale magic, flights of comedy, and operatic melodrama but also genuine intimacy and tragedy." - Kirkus Reviews The Tale of Shikanoko, Book 1: Emperor of the Eight Islands The Tale of Shikanoko, Book 2: Autumn Princess, Dragon Child The Tale of Shikanoko, Book 3: Lord of the Darkwood The Tale of Shikanoko, Book 4: The Tengu's Game of Go

A rich and compelling account of the life of King Harald Hardrada, the man who inspired the hit Netflix show "Vikings: Valhalla". 'The Last Viking reads like the sagas on which it is based. It's Beowulf on steroids, laced with purple prose...This book is great fun. '- Gerard DeGroot, The Times Harald Sigurdsson burst into history as a teenaged youth in a Viking battle from which he escaped with little more than his life and a thirst for vengeance. But from these humble origins, he became one of Norway's most legendary kings. The Last Viking is a fast-moving narrative account of the life of King Harald Hardrada, as he journeyed across the medieval world, from the frozen wastelands of the North to the glittering towers of Byzantium and the passions of the Holy Land, until his warrior death on the battlefield in England. Combining Norse sagas, Byzantine accounts, Anglo-Saxon chronicles, and even King Harald's own verse and prose into a single, compelling story, Don Hollway vividly depicts the violence and spectacle of the late Viking era and delves into the dramatic events that brought an end to almost three centuries of Norse conquest and expansion.

@2@@20@**A refreshingly original biography for fans of The Darkest Hour**@21@@16@@20@@21@@16@@20@'The must-read biography of the year.' @18@Evening Standard@19@@21@@3@@2@@20@'@21@@20@He writes with gusto... the result is a book that is never boring, genuinely clever ... this book sizzles.' @18@The Times@19@@21@@3@@16@@2@@20@The point of the Churchill Factor is that one man can make all the difference.@21@@3@@2@On the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of Winston Churchill's death, and written in conjunction with the Churchill Estate, Boris Johnson explores what makes up the 'Churchill Factor' - the singular brilliance of one of the most important leaders of the twentieth century. Taking on the myths and misconceptions along with the outsized reality, he portrays - with characteristic wit and passion - a man of multiple contradictions, contagious bravery, breath-taking eloquence, matchless strategizing, and deep humanity.@3@@2@Fearless on the battlefield, Churchill had to be ordered by the King to stay out of action on D-Day; he embraced large-scale strategic bombing, yet hated the destruction of war and scorned politicians who had not experienced its horrors. He was a celebrated journalist, a great orator and won the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was famous for his ability to combine wining and dining with many late nights of crucial wartime decision-making. His open-mindedness made him a pioneer in health care, education, and social welfare, though he remained incorrigibly politically incorrect. @3@@2@@20@Most of all, as Boris Johnson says, 'Churchill is the resounding human rebuttal to all who think history is the story of vast and impersonal economic forces'. @21@@16@@20@ @21@@16@@20@@18@The Churchill Factor@19@ is a book to be enjoyed not only by anyone interested in history: it is essential reading for anyone who wants to know what makes a great leader.@21@@3@

@2@@20@**A refreshingly original biography for fans of The Darkest Hour**@21@@16@@20@@21@@16@@20@'The must-read biography of the year.' @18@Evening Standard@19@@21@@3@@2@@20@'@21@@20@He writes with gusto... the result is a book that is never boring, genuinely clever ... this book sizzles.' @18@The Times@19@@21@@3@@16@@2@@20@The point of the Churchill Factor is that one man can make all the difference.@21@@3@@2@On the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of Winston Churchill's death, and written in conjunction with the Churchill Estate, Boris Johnson explores what makes up the 'Churchill Factor' - the singular brilliance of one of the most important leaders of the twentieth century. Taking on the myths and misconceptions along with the outsized reality, he portrays - with characteristic wit and passion - a man of multiple contradictions, contagious bravery, breath-taking eloquence, matchless strategizing, and deep humanity.@3@@2@Fearless on the battlefield, Churchill had to be ordered by the King to stay out of action on D-Day; he embraced large-scale strategic bombing, yet hated the destruction of war and scorned politicians who had not experienced its horrors. He was a celebrated journalist, a great orator and won the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was famous for his ability to combine wining and dining with many late nights of crucial wartime decision-making. His open-mindedness made him a pioneer in health care, education, and social welfare, though he remained incorrigibly politically incorrect. @3@@2@@20@Most of all, as Boris Johnson says, 'Churchill is the resounding human rebuttal to all who think history is the story of vast and impersonal economic forces'. @21@@16@@20@ @21@@16@@20@@18@The Churchill Factor@19@ is a book to be enjoyed not only by anyone interested in history: it is essential reading for anyone who wants to know what makes a great leader.@21@@3@

Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after - but this is no fairytale. The updated and official translation of Under the Oak Tree, the #1 webnovel on MANTA, continues in this third volume. The gorgeous first edition will feature designed sprayed page edges, full-colour patterned endpapers, foil stamping on the cover, and a ribbon bookmark! The day that Lady Maximilian has been dreading is here: after an arduous journey to Livadon, she must stay behind at a monastery while her husband, the renowned Sir Riftan, rides off to war with the Remdragon Knights. Fretting for their loved ones, Maxi and the other noblewomen in the monastery keep themselves busy tending to villagers in need at the local shelter. But Maxi's patience quickly runs thin as she fears the worst. Desperate to see Riftan, she escapes the monastery and makes her way to the battlefield. Little does she know that the brutality of war is not the only danger awaiting her. As she confronts her painful past, the tumultuous present, and an uncertain future, Maxi faces the greatest obstacles of her life - and the gravest threats to her relationship with Riftan thus far. This volume collects chapters 134-193 of the original webnovel by Suji Kim.

CUTTING-EDGE ADVENTURE: Developed to take advantage of the latest advances in hardware, THE LAST REMNANT features groundbreaking visuals and bombastic sound. With the might of Unreal Engine 3, SQUARE ENIX's legendary production values have been taken to the next level. A WORLD FILLED WITH REMNANTS: The dynamic game world revolves around the awe-inspiring Remnants. They vary in size and shape and it is said that there are thousands or even millions to be discovered. Each Remnant contains a unique power that affects the abilities of those around it - but the powers of many Remnants remain unknown- HUGE BATTLES:.The game's innovative command system allows 70 units to engage in a bloody and balletic battle to the death. In the midst of the carnage, with visceral finishing blows landing left and right, players will experience the exhilaration of a soldier on the battlefield..CAPTIVATING NARRATIVE:.First class writing is complemented by top quality vocal talent and direction, delivering spectacular drama which fully immerses you in the world of the Remnants..MADE FOR THE WORLD:.THE LAST REMNANT will be released simultaneously worldwide, demonstrating SQUARE ENIX's commitment to gamers across the globe. As befits a game made to be enjoyed by everyone, the birth of SQUARE ENIX's newest series is set to be a global event.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor and USA TODAY bestselling author Ward Larsen, comes a heart-pounding thriller of survival, espionage, and global brinkmanship, where the frozen Arctic becomes the deadliest battlefield on Earth. A vanished plane. An earth-shattering secret. A countdown to World War III. Hemisphere Airlines Flight 777—the most advanced jetliner ever built—disappears without a trace over the North Pole. Crippled by sabotage, it crash-lands on the ice, stranding the surviving passengers in a wasteland of frigid cold and chaos. The real storm, however, is still coming. Hidden inside the wreckage is the prototype for a revolutionary piece of technology that could upend the balance of world power. Now Washington, Moscow, and Beijing are racing to be the first on scene to retrieve it—at any cost. Trapped in the middle of the world's most dangerous flash point are CIA operative Kasey Sheridan and former fighter pilot turned first officer, Brett Sharpe. Hunted by enemy forces, they must spirit both the device and its creator across the ice to safety—before rival superpowers turn the Arctic into a war zone. With the clock ticking and the temperature dropping, the fate of the free world is about to be decided at the top of the globe.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE The New York Times Bestseller In the first volume of his monumental trilogy about the liberation of Europe in World War II, Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Atkinson tells the riveting story of the war in North Africa. The liberation of Europe and the destruction of the Third Reich is a story of courage and enduring triumph, of calamity and miscalculation. In this first volume of the Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson shows why no modern reader can understand the ultimate victory of the Allied powers without a grasp of the great drama that unfolded in North Africa in 1942 and 1943. That first year of the Allied war was a pivotal point in American history, the moment when the United States began to act like a great power. Beginning with the daring amphibious invasion in November 1942, An Army at Dawn follows the American and British armies as they fight the French in Morocco and Algeria, and then take on the Germans and Italians in Tunisia. Battle by battle, an inexperienced and sometimes poorly led army gradually becomes a superb fighting force. Central to the tale are the extraordinary but fallible commanders who come to dominate the battlefield: Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Montgomery, and Rommel. Brilliantly researched, rich with new material and vivid insights, Atkinson's narrative provides the definitive history of the war in North Africa.

Three men. One battle. No Heroes. They say Black Dow's killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they've brought a lot of sharpened metal with them. Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he's far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it's his own. Prince Calder isn't interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he'll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn't have to fight for it himself. Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him? Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail. Three men. One battle. No Heroes.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE The New York Times Bestseller In the first volume of his monumental trilogy about the liberation of Europe in World War II, Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Atkinson tells the riveting story of the war in North Africa. The liberation of Europe and the destruction of the Third Reich is a story of courage and enduring triumph, of calamity and miscalculation. In this first volume of the Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson shows why no modern reader can understand the ultimate victory of the Allied powers without a grasp of the great drama that unfolded in North Africa in 1942 and 1943. That first year of the Allied war was a pivotal point in American history, the moment when the United States began to act like a great power. Beginning with the daring amphibious invasion in November 1942, An Army at Dawn follows the American and British armies as they fight the French in Morocco and Algeria, and then take on the Germans and Italians in Tunisia. Battle by battle, an inexperienced and sometimes poorly led army gradually becomes a superb fighting force. Central to the tale are the extraordinary but fallible commanders who come to dominate the battlefield: Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Montgomery, and Rommel. Brilliantly researched, rich with new material and vivid insights, Atkinson's narrative provides the definitive history of the war in North Africa.

This eloquent memoir records the Civil War experiences of Robert J. Burdette, private in the 47th Illinois Infantry Regiment. From Peoria to Corinth, from Corinth to Vicksburg, up the Red River country, down to Mobile and Fort Blakely, and back to Tupelo and Selma, the 47th marched three thousand miles during Burdette's tour, from March 1862 to December 1864. In a literate voice rare in war memoirs, Burdette speaks of comradeship built and tested, the noise and confusion of the battlefield, the conflicting feelings of witnessing a military execution. Both nostalgic and piercingly immediate, his remembrances evoke the sights, sounds, smells, and above all the inner feelings stirred up by war, from exuberance to terror and from patriotic fervor to compassion for a fallen enemy. Originally published--on the eve of another great conflict--in 1914, The Drums of the 47th is a moving depiction of the inner life of the common soldier. Like Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage, Burdette's book puts a human face on the war and his words speak to all who have served or imagined serving under fire. The introduction by John E. Hallwas provides a biographical sketch of Burdette and a commentary on his engaging Civil War memoir.

Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after - but this is no fairytale. The updated and official translation of Under the Oak Tree, the #1 webnovel on MANTA, continues in this third volume. The gorgeous first edition will feature designed sprayed page edges, full-colour patterned endpapers, foil stamping on the cover, and a ribbon bookmark! The day that Lady Maximilian has been dreading is here: after an arduous journey to Livadon, she must stay behind at a monastery while her husband, the renowned Sir Riftan, rides off to war with the Remdragon Knights. Fretting for their loved ones, Maxi and the other noblewomen in the monastery keep themselves busy tending to villagers in need at the local shelter. But Maxi's patience quickly runs thin as she fears the worst. Desperate to see Riftan, she escapes the monastery and makes her way to the battlefield. Little does she know that the brutality of war is not the only danger awaiting her. As she confronts her painful past, the tumultuous present, and an uncertain future, Maxi faces the greatest obstacles of her life - and the gravest threats to her relationship with Riftan thus far. This volume collects chapters 134-193 of the original webnovel by Suji Kim.

Art.Nr.: 300032570 Art.bezeichnung: 1:48 Dt. Panzer II Ausf.A/B/C F.C. In the mid 1930s, the German military pushed the production of tanks. The Panzer I designed as a training tank, did not have the adequate performance, so a light tank was needed to full the gap until the Panzer III could be introduced. Therefore, the German Ordnance Department issued a request for a new training tank that could be used for combat. In the end, MAN was chosen in 1934 to produce the Panzer II, a compact 4.8m long, 2.2m wide design with a three man crew. The 8.9 ton tank featured a 2cm Kwk 30 L/55 cannon and 7.92mm machine gun in the turret, 15mm armor protection for turret and hull front, leaf spring suspension, and a 140hp Maybach HL 62 TRM engine matched with a ZF SSG46 transmission, which gave it a 40km/h top speed. The Ausf. A was produced from 1937, followed by the Ausf. B and C, which were difficult to distinguish from each other visually. About 1,100 Panzer tanks were produced by April 1940, and due to delays with the Panzer III, they were immediately issued as the Panzer divisions' main tank for the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Based on lessons learned on the battlefields of Poland and, in May 1940, France, improvements such as extra armor and a turret cupola were added, and the Panzer II went on to serve in North Africa and Russia in front line and liaison and reconnaissance duties until the end of 1943. Afterwards, they were used to police occupied territories and the chassis was also adapted for use as the basis for various self-propelled gun designs.

Three men. One battle. No Heroes. They say Black Dow's killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they've brought a lot of sharpened metal with them. Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he's far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it's his own. Prince Calder isn't interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he'll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn't have to fight for it himself. Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him? Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail. Three men. One battle. No Heroes.

Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after - but this is no fairytale. The updated and official translation of Under the Oak Tree, the #1 webnovel on MANTA, continues in this third volume. The gorgeous first edition will feature designed sprayed page edges, full-colour patterned endpapers, foil stamping on the cover, and a ribbon bookmark! The day that Lady Maximilian has been dreading is here: after an arduous journey to Livadon, she must stay behind at a monastery while her husband, the renowned Sir Riftan, rides off to war with the Remdragon Knights. Fretting for their loved ones, Maxi and the other noblewomen in the monastery keep themselves busy tending to villagers in need at the local shelter. But Maxi's patience quickly runs thin as she fears the worst. Desperate to see Riftan, she escapes the monastery and makes her way to the battlefield. Little does she know that the brutality of war is not the only danger awaiting her. As she confronts her painful past, the tumultuous present, and an uncertain future, Maxi faces the greatest obstacles of her life - and the gravest threats to her relationship with Riftan thus far. This volume collects chapters 134-193 of the original webnovel by Suji Kim.

"Deftly written, pleasantly concise stories about the ghosts of desire, each with its own discrete merits . . . [Diana] Gabaldon's strengths are on full display."-Kirkus Reviews Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the celebrated Outlander series, delivers three mesmerizing tales of war, intrigue, and espionage that feature one of her most popular characters: Lord John Grey. In Lord John and the Hellfire Club, Lord John glimpses a stranger in the doorway of a gentleman's club-and is stirred by a desperate entreaty to meet with him in private. It is an impulse that will lead Lord John into a maze of political treachery and a dangerous, debauched underground society. In Lord John and the Succubus, English soldiers fighting in Prussia are rattled by a lethal creature that appears at night. Called to investigate, Lord John soon realizes that among the spirits that haunt men, none frighten more than the specters conjured by the heart. In Lord John and the Haunted Soldier, Lord John is thrust into the baffling case of an exploding battlefield cannon that ultimately forces him to confront his own ghosts-and the shattering prospect that a traitor is among the ranks of His Majesty's armed forces. "Gabaldon brings an effusive joy to her fiction that proves infectious even for readers unfamiliar with her work or the period."-Publishers Weekly

This eloquent memoir records the Civil War experiences of Robert J. Burdette, private in the 47th Illinois Infantry Regiment. From Peoria to Corinth, from Corinth to Vicksburg, up the Red River country, down to Mobile and Fort Blakely, and back to Tupelo and Selma, the 47th marched three thousand miles during Burdette's tour, from March 1862 to December 1864. In a literate voice rare in war memoirs, Burdette speaks of comradeship built and tested, the noise and confusion of the battlefield, the conflicting feelings of witnessing a military execution. Both nostalgic and piercingly immediate, his remembrances evoke the sights, sounds, smells, and above all the inner feelings stirred up by war, from exuberance to terror and from patriotic fervor to compassion for a fallen enemy. Originally published--on the eve of another great conflict--in 1914, The Drums of the 47th is a moving depiction of the inner life of the common soldier. Like Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage, Burdette's book puts a human face on the war and his words speak to all who have served or imagined serving under fire. The introduction by John E. Hallwas provides a biographical sketch of Burdette and a commentary on his engaging Civil War memoir.

"Deftly written, pleasantly concise stories about the ghosts of desire, each with its own discrete merits . . . [Diana] Gabaldon's strengths are on full display."-Kirkus Reviews Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the celebrated Outlander series, delivers three mesmerizing tales of war, intrigue, and espionage that feature one of her most popular characters: Lord John Grey. In Lord John and the Hellfire Club, Lord John glimpses a stranger in the doorway of a gentleman's club-and is stirred by a desperate entreaty to meet with him in private. It is an impulse that will lead Lord John into a maze of political treachery and a dangerous, debauched underground society. In Lord John and the Succubus, English soldiers fighting in Prussia are rattled by a lethal creature that appears at night. Called to investigate, Lord John soon realizes that among the spirits that haunt men, none frighten more than the specters conjured by the heart. In Lord John and the Haunted Soldier, Lord John is thrust into the baffling case of an exploding battlefield cannon that ultimately forces him to confront his own ghosts-and the shattering prospect that a traitor is among the ranks of His Majesty's armed forces. "Gabaldon brings an effusive joy to her fiction that proves infectious even for readers unfamiliar with her work or the period."-Publishers Weekly

Amongst the most elite troops available to any faction, the Avatara will allow Spire players to either round out their existing forces with fast, hard hitting troops capable of dealing with heavy armor or encourage them to start an elite themed army. Given their Mainstay status a new army paradigm can be established around these powerful troops, exploiting their Mainstay classification to build a small, elite force around a core of Avatar regiments. Among the highest echelons of the Lineages, none are truly expected to risk their lives anymore, much less for something as simple and trivial as combat. The chosen warriors of the Sovereign's Lineages stride through the battlefield safely projecting their consciousness into their Avatara: outlandish creations bedecked in all sorts of ornament and Biomantic enhancements, whose lithe, androgynous frames bely the speed and power they can bring to bear. With almost no personal risk and minimal skill needed to become a deadly foe, many scions of the Lineages have taken to decorating their Avatara as ostentatiously as possible, for the body-vessels have made them such proficient killers that a tally of the slain foes is simply no longer a practical method by which to distinguish oneself. To date, only those Lineages directly descended from the Sovereign have displayed the capability to deploy Avatara surrogates. If any among the Directorate or the minor Lineages possess the capability, they keep it well hidden for they know the Sovereign will stop at nothing to ensure their destruction, as he already did when the surrogates were first displayed. Contains unpainted miniatures. Assembly required. Game Contents: 3 Avatara Miniatures (Plastic) 3 Cavalry Bases (Plastic) 3 Cavalry Stands (Plastic) 1 Command Card

A new and unabridged translation of Eiji Yoshikawa's bestselling novel about Miyamoto Musashi--the most famous swordfighter in Japanese history! Musashi: The Novel is the first unabridged translation of Eiji Yoshikawa's great novel, the top-selling novel in Japan. Masterfully translated for the first time in its entirety by Alexander Bennett, this vivid and fast-paced story reveals the exploits and inner life of a man who finds not only his true purpose but also his humanity. This first book of a three-book series begins in the year 1600 at the epic Battle of Sekigahara, a scene of unimaginable carnage, where Miyamoto Musashi lies wounded on the battlefield having fought on the losing side. After being imprisoned for three years, he wanders the countryside as a vagabond. Desperate to make a name for himself as a warrior, he becomes a dueling ronin--a swordfighter without master or purpose. Musashi, accompanied by Otsu, the love of his life, faces many trials from the spear-wielding monks of Hozoin temple to the students of the Yoshioka dojo. He wins easily but his greatest challenges are yet to come. Famous for fighting 62 duels without a single defeat, Musashi is a true philosopher warrior, author of the monumental treatise, The Book of Five Rings--one of the most widely read books in history. Although he was without peer, his path to glory was fraught with seemingly impossible challenges, tragic losses and emotional turmoil. And while his destiny seems clear, in order to achieve it he must open a new chapter and leave his old life behind.