In the tradition of Patrick O¿Brian¿s adventure novels and C.S. Forester¿s Horatio Hornblower series, A Shred of Honour is an epic of eighteenth-century warfare that introduces Lieutenant George Markham of His Majesty¿s Royal Marines.Irishman, papist, reputed coward: Markham is a man with something to prove. The death of his commander¿killed by a lucky French musket ball to the throat¿provides him with a chance to lead his men to glory.But it¿s not that easy. Markham, a foot soldier by training, is no sailor, and he is suddenly left with a band of surly, disgruntled conscripts under his command. The salty marines aboard the frigate Hebe deride his ignorance and undermine his authority. The soldiers from Markham¿s old regiment who have been transferred to the Hebe blame him for the fact that they now must spend their days crammed on a ship.Worse, as the winter of 1793 comes, Markham and his troublemaking men must face the expansive terror of Revolutionary France. The fighting takes Markham to the city of Toulon, where he makes the acquaintance of a French soldier named Napoleon Bonaparte.Acclaimed author David Donachie follows Markham through bloody battles, lively seductions, fights with superiors, and run-ins with French spies to offer a stirring tale of derring-do that heats the blood and fires the imagination.
Lucius Falerius is dead, and Rome in its entirety mourns the passing of its most powerful senator. It falls to his young son Marcellus to carry out his father¿s legacy and restore the rights promised to the defeated Sicilian slaves, yet there are those who will not see the honour of Rome compromised and the slaves assuaged.On the Roman border provinces there is also trouble, and the legions move north to neutralize the threat posed by the Celts. The confederation of Celtic tribes is united under one chieftain, the formidable and unpredictable Brennos, but a plot is being crafted to see him dead and the confederation broken. For Brennos, the treachery comes from within his own family, for which he will exact a brutal and bloody revenge.Meanwhile Aquila, accompanied by his `nephew,¿ Fabius, finds himself under the command of a young tribune who bears the same name as the man responsible for the death of his old friend and mentor. And still there remains the question of the eagle charm he wears around his neck¿the only clue as to his real identity.
Rome has lost its greatest warrior; Aulus Cornelius is dead. Although he is hailed as a hero, the stench of betrayal by cowardly governor Flaminus lingers heavy in the air. The death of their father has left Aulus¿s sons, Quintus and Titus, with new and grave responsibilities. While Titus swears vengeance against Flaminus and aims to be as great a general as his father, Quintus chooses to pursue politics¿under the guidance of Lucius Falerius, now the most powerful senator in Rome.Despite his fortune, Lucius is still haunted by the prophecy that binds his fate to Aulus¿s. And as he trains his son, Marcellus, in the ways of wielding their immense power, he manipulates the Cornelius family in an attempt to achieve his own goals.Meanwhile, the young Aquila broods over his mother¿s deathbed revelation. With only memories and a mysterious eagle amulet left to him, Aquila joins a band of mercenaries. Unknowingly he heads straight into the heart of a slave uprising and takes a step closer to a destiny entwined with the fate of the great Roman Republic.
When the young composer Douglas Cohen first secured the musical rights to the novel No Way to Treat a Lady by William Goldman¿the acclaimed author of The Princess Bride and Marathon Man¿he hoped it would be his big break, the first step on a gilt path to artistic triumph and commercial success in the form of a hit Broadway musical.What happened after that, while memorable, was anything but.How to Survive a Killer Musical chronicles Cohen's decade-long quest to bring that musical to the stage¿writing, re-writing, and shepherding it across the US and Europe amidst all manner of adversity and plain rotten luck. It's a fascinating portrait of passion, persistence, and resilience¿a coming-of-age story populated with famous mentors and formidable adversaries, told with refreshing honesty and humor. On Cohen's journey, he introduces us to an indelible cast of characters including a two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter who invites Cohen to his personal screening room for a marathon midnight brainstorming session; a Tony Award-winning director making his comeback after a horrific accident renders him a quadriplegic; and a celebrated, volatile British director who inspires a fruitful collaboration in London, only to later leave carnage in his wake. Catastrophes abound, including the near-fatal stabbing of a female lead in rehearsal and an onstage accident incapacitating another leading lady¿leaving only the author to go on in her place! Throughout, Cohen¿s attempts to keep his optimism and his cool are offset by the cynical, cheerfully profane Goldman, who regards the show¿s travails with bemusement even as he remains one of the composer¿s most reliable supporters.Whether you¿re a fan of musicals or just someone whös suffered trying to bring a passion project into the world, this tale of fortitude in the face of obstacles, personalities, and egos will make for an eye-opening and frequently hilarious journey.
From the hauntings of dilapidated country manors and castles, unexplained phenomena along the Valley hillsides, and strange apparitions found lingering within ancient Quaker cemeteries, this collection of stories reveals the otherworldly legacy of the Hudson Valley as a place of ancient spirits.
Running the Show takes you inside building a show from the ground up and what a showrunner¿s life looks like in Hollywood.
This never-before-told story gives a fascinating look at a strange moment in pop-culture history that remains an object of fascination even today.
BREAKING THE CODE: OTTO PREMINGER VERSUS HOLLYWOD'S CENSORS: PLUS: CODE BLUE, A PLAY BY ARNIE REISMAN & NAT SEGALOFF
In the thirty years since its release, The Crow has become the ultimate cult movie, with a dedicated worldwide following, two sequels, and a persistent fascination owing to the tragedy that came to define its legacy, in which star Brandon Lee was killed in a strange on-set accident during the last days of filming.
1787: Captain Edward Brazier is wounded and in desperate need of medical attention, but those from whom he could seek help have no idea where he is¿although neither do his enemies. With his beloved Betsey currently imprisoned by her brother Henry, who is considering committing her to an asylum to take her off his hands, time is running out for Brazier to rescue her and end the tyranny of the local smuggling ring of Deal once and for all.
1787: Captain Edward Brazier is on a mission. Recently paid off from his frigate and comfortably off with prize money, he is headed to Deal to propose marriage to young widow Betsey Langridge. He must navigate the bustle of the town¿s narrow streets that are busy with legal, illicit, and depraved business flowing from and around the ships at dock. But all does not go well; between Betsy¿s brother and guardian Henry Tulkington prohibiting the match, and Brazier marked out for trouble by a local smuggling gang, his plans fall into disarray. And when it slowly emerges that there may have been a decades-old injustice closer to home, Brazier is caught up in more than he¿d bargained for.
John Pearce is going home. But he has to avoid capture by an Algerine warship, having his Pelicans pressed into a British frigate and that's before they are at risk of being hanged for desertion once home. Then there is the problem of Emily Barclay and their son Adam. By cunning and bluff he protects his friends, but not his troubled love life. In a whirlwind of action, there are forged wills, devious trades, contrived murders and dangerous spy missions, with so much deceit that Pearce does not know who to trust. All he can hope to do is survive.
With barbarians at the gate and enemies within, two men must fight for the soul of the Republic and the greatest empire in the world.Inside a cave hacked out of the rock, lit by flickering torches, two young boys appeal to the famed Roman oracle for a glimpse into their future. The Sybil draws a blood-red shape of an eagle with wings outstretched: an omen of death. As the boys flee from the cave in fear, Aulus and Lucius make an oath of loyalty until death¿an oath that will be tested in the years to come.Thirty years on, Aulus is Rome¿s most successful general and faces his toughest battle. Barbarian rebels have captured his wife and are demanding the withdrawal of Roman legions from their land in return for her life. It is unthinkable for Aulus to agree, and he fears his beloved must be forfeit to Rome. Meanwhile, Lucius has risen to high rank in the Senate, a position he uses and abuses. But when Lucius is suspected of arranging a murder, the very foundations of the Republic are threatened. Lucius and Aulus soon find themselves on very different sides of the conflict¿perhaps the prophecy of the eagle will come true after all.History and adventure, brutality and courage combine to powerful effect, making The Pillars of Rome an outstanding opening to the Republic series.
An eye-popping, entertaining visual history of zombie films written by six-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author Lisa Morton
A fascinating, kaleidoscopic oral history of how one film unexpectedly changed the course of modern moviemaking
Anaffectionate and candid tribute to a figure who singlehandedly redefined an entire medium by reflecting the world around him
Edward Brazier is enlisted by Prime Minister William Pitt to assist his investigation into smuggling activity in Deal. However, with his love Betsey now locked into a loveless marriage with Tom Spafford, a useless drunk, and living as a prisoner, Brazier is distracted from his mission. Although he manages to foil Spafford¿s plan to steal Betsey away to her family-owned plantation in the West Indies, Brazier finds himself taken captive. Only his ingenuity will help engineer his escape, and his cunning use of subterfuge will then allow him to infiltrate the smuggling gangs of Deal in a determined bid to unmask those in control. But with suspicion raised around him and his enemies banding together, can Brazier survive long enough to bring those responsible to justice?
BRAINTEASERS FOR BROADWAY GENIUSES: (OR... QUESTIONS THAT WILL SEND YOU GOOGLING)
When John Pearce is sent on a mission to collect fleeing members of the Corsican government, he seeks the aid of a local clan chief, inadvertently putting himself, his crew, and his rescued charges in jeopardy.
Author Donald Brackett¿whose grandfather was Charles Brackett¿s cousin¿delves into family lore, correspondence, contemporary media reports, and all other manner of historical records to reconstruct the strange magic of Brackett & Wilder¿s combustible partnership.
Gunplays is a series of five plays by William Electric Black addressing inner city violence and guns. The idea of these plays is to generate understanding of the social forces behind this scourge that our society has so far been helpless to resist.
1796: Lieutenant John Pearce is hiding in the smugglers¿ hub of Gravelines with his mysterious companion, known only to him as Oliphant, trapped in French territory with no way out. Although they find a crew willing to take them to England, they discover on the journey that Pearce¿s old enemies, the Tolland brothers, are still active on the route, and may have been responsible for the murder of Catherine Carruthers.Meanwhile, being on his homeland brings Pearce closer to Emily Barclay and their young son, Adam, but their tumultuous past has left their relationship fragile and the constant need for discretion is an additional strain. Then, just as things may be looking up, it seems Henry Dundas has another role for him and Oliphant: a mission to northeast Spain.
London, 1793: Young firebrand John Pearce, on the run from the authorities, is illegally press-ganged from the Pelican Tavern into brutal life aboard HMS Brilliant, a frigate on its way to war. Shipboard life is hard, brutal, and dangerous¿that anyone chooses it suggests that life ashore is even worse. But Pearce is not alone; he is drawn to a disparate group of men pressed alongside him who eventually form an exclusive gun crew, the Pelicans, with Pearce their elected leader.The Pelicans find solidarity in facing together the cruelty of their hard-nosed captain, Barclay, and the daily threat of bullying, flogging¿even murder. The one light on the horizon is the captain's wife, Emily, who is also aboard and new to life at sea. During an action-packed two weeks, as HMS Brilliant chases a French privateer across the English Channel, Pearce discovers the British Navy is a world in which he can prosper, and he and the Pelicans form friendships that will last a lifetime.
A rich and heartfelt look at a series that rewrote the rules of TV sitcoms
The lively story at Hollywood's happiest married couple and the film series that defined their careers
Winter 1795: Lieutenant John Pearce, reckoning to have finally ditched his old enemy, Admiral Hotham, has found a new one in Henry Digby, previously a friend. Meanwhile, Pearce's pregnant and recently widowed lover is adamant they cannot be seen together for the sake of their unborn child as she seeks respectability in society.Aboard HMS Flirt as part of the squadron led by Horatio Nelson, Pearce and his Pelicans soon join a reconnaissance mission which results in the destruction of a key French battery¿though the success is short-lived. In raids ashore, split loyalties, and bloody sea fights, Pearce must show bravery and resourcefulness to ensure his survival and return to Emily. But the headstrong lieutenant is faced with immense danger, not only from the enemy but also from his own captain. Only luck and Pearce's fierce appetite for battle can save them from the perils ahead.
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