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Dive into the fascinating political and social scene of Ancient Rome!Are you a history buff looking to expand your knowledge of Ancient Rome?Do you want to learn more about the Roman Forum and explore its history?Are you ready to embark on a journey across the epicenter of the ancient world?As one of the most influential empires in history, the Roman Empire had a unique approach to political and social life. As you will learn from this book, the Roman Forum was an integral part of Roman society.In this book, you will:Experience the pulse of Ancient Rome's heart and soul.Learn about the origins and evolution of the Roman Forum, including the architectural changes and expansions that shaped it.Explore the intricacies of political life in the Roman Forum.Understand the Forum's religious and social significance.Learn what led to the Roman Forum's decline and transformation during the changing tides of Roman history.Gain insight into the Forum's enduring legacy and influence on modern societies and cities.As you explore the multifaceted significance the Roman Forum had on ancient civilizations and beyond, you'll get a much clearer picture of what this monument represented since its origins.

In this meticulously researched book, we embark on a journey through the Roman provinces to explore the intricate process of cultural fusion between Roman and native societies. Recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed the Romanization of regions like Gaul, where a new provincial cultural identity emerged through the blending of traditions.However, our attention turns to a compelling exception-Dacia, home to Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa, founded in 106 CE during Trajan's rule. Unlike the usual narrative of Romanization, Dacia's capital city raises questions and challenges our understanding of this process. Join us as we delve into the historical context, archaeological evidence, and the unique story of how Dacia's experience differed from the broader Romanization trend.

This book aims to present a coherent picture of Germany's European policy during Merkel's chancellorship. At the same time, it traces the development of the EU in the period 2005-2021. Accordingly, the European crises and the internal and external threats to the integration community are addressed, as well as the jointly developed solutions. Thus, on the one hand, the book shows what Germany was willing to do for Europe; on the other, it reveals how the EU was able to develop further as the most important point of reference for German politics and power.

SEG LXVIII covers newly published Greek inscriptions and studies on previously known documents from the year 2018, with occasional additions from previous years that have been missed in earlier volumes and from studies published after 2017 but pertaining to material from 2018.

В России около тысячи политических заключенных. Этих отважных людей лишили права жить и действовать на свободе.Но оказалось, что их невозможно лишить ни внутренней свободы, ни права высказывать собственное мнение. Их голоса - самые свободные голоса внутри сегодняшней России. Они звучат из залов судов, в письмах, блогах, социальных сетях. Им не страшна цензура. И точно так же, как мы перечитываем письма и речи советских политзаключенных, следующие поколения будут перечитывать слова узников российского режима.В этой книге представлены письма, интервью, посты и выступления Ильи Яшина - политика в стране, где не осталось политики.

A masterful continuation of the journey of Odysseus after he returned home from his odyssey.  Here is a brilliant recounting of the life of Odysseus after his safe return to the island of Ithaca, his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Countless readers have thrilled to the adventures of Odysseus in The Iliad and The Odyssey, but what further adventures awaited him after his ten years of war and ten years of wandering?   Narrated by Telemachus to the bard Phemios, On Wine-Dark Seas speaks of the human drama of a man gone twenty years from home and family, a man who saw Troy on the night of its destruction, a man who lives the special quest which is his destiny. In probing the inner journeys of a son and father separated twenty years who must come to terms with each other and their ruthless slaughter of the suitors of Penelope, it reveals the doubts and joys of Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus. As Telemachus tells Phemios: “My father will be known to the future not as the man he was, but as the man of whom you sing. Often at Troy he called himself ‘the father of Telemachus,’ so I too have a part to speak in his story. Wealthy men can pay some poets to chant a story first this way, then another. I cannot offer you wealth to hear me, but only the truth I know.”        Now for the first time in paperback, this novel is a masterful recreating of the ancient mind, the landscape of Greece steeped in mythos and the gods, and the human dramas of characters made famous for all time by The Iliad and The Odyssey.

An examination of the myths of the Moon goddess and how she appeared to the original creators of those myths in ancient Greece.

In September 1848 on behalf of the Austrian Kaiser, his Croatian Viceroy declared war on the King of Hungary, precipitating one of the largest and bloodiest European conflicts of the nineteenth century. The Kaiser and King were one and the same man, Ferdinand. The war was only concluded with the massive intervention of the Tsarist Imperial Russian Army the following year, at the end of which independent Hungary was crushed.The Hungarian War of Independence of 1848-49 was a hugely complex event, both politically and militarily.Here, for the first time in English, in one single volume is a detailed study of how the armies of that war were raised, dressed, equipped and fought.Including detailed Orders of Battle, this work also includes a historical background, and a chapter giving an overview of the war itself, providing vital context for an understanding of how the troops of that conflict were raised and fought.

Explores the historic sieges of Rhodes in 1480 and 1522 and encompasses tales of heroism and strategic shifts in military history.The Sieges of Rhodes 1480 and 1522 provides accounts of the two epic sieges when the Knight Hospitallers of the Order of St John faced the might of the Ottoman Empire. Photographs and maps included in the book illustrate what a nearly impossible task the Ottomans faced in both sieges. The two sieges illustrate the changes in warfare in the 40 years between them and the revolution in artillery that was taking place during this period. The Sieges of Rhodes contains grand tales of the greatest heroes and the worst of villains, stories of ingenuity, bravery, cruelty and cowardice, tales which echoed across Christendom.When Grand Master Phillipe Villiers de l`Isle-Adam and the few surviving knights and brothers of the Order of St John departed from the port of Rhodes on 1 January 1523, the long history of the Crusades ended.The Order of St John had protected the Latin States for almost 200 years until forced to leave after the fall of Acre in 1291. Unlike the Templars, they survived the disgrace of defeat and re-established themselves on the island of Rhodes. Here they remained a militant presence, always a challenge to the power of Islam and hopeful of reclaiming the Holy Land. The rise of Ottoman power in the mid-fifteenth century led to two great sieges, the first in 1480 during the reign of the Sultan Mehmed II and the second in 1522 by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.Both sieges were epic in their character and scale and added to the fame and prestige of the Hospitallers, and on both occasions the Grand Masters provided inspiration for the garrisons and for Christendom. The sieges occurred at a critical period in Europe's political, religious and military history. In 1480, Christendom was united, and both the means of attack and the forms of defense were fundamentally late-medieval in nature - both sides even built trebuchets, which had been thought long obsolete. In 1522, Europe was deeply divided, and the weapons and fortifications had dramatically changed. This book considers the medieval fortifications and their transformation in the intervening years, according to the most up-to-date ideas. It also outlines the artillery revolution that occurred over the same period, with the massive, clumsy, but still powerful, stone-throwing bombards giving way to narrow-bore, cast bronze pieces firing iron projectiles at much higher velocities with significantly greater effect.The sieges are also of great technical interest to military historians because of the extensive use of pyrotechnics and mining. Fire was an especially horrible addition to the Hospitallers' arsenal, and the book summarizes the flame weapons that were available and how they were used. The mining and countermining that took place in the second siege was an epic in its own right. Recent groundbreaking research has highlighted why the war underground was so extensive and became the most effective Ottoman strategy.The soldiers that faced each other were utterly unlike one another in arms, armor and tactics, although similar in their disparate religious devotion. What effect did this have on the outcome? The Ottoman army, especially the Janissaries, were the terror of the East and the West, yet they met their match on both occasions. How was it that a vastly numerically inferior force managed to fight their enemy to a standstill? This can only be understood by studying the sieges in detail, which is possible because of the excellent first-hand accounts produced soon after the events themselves. The reader can, therefore, experience the sieges through the words of those who fought in them. The extraordinary survival of Hospitaller armor from Rhodes and the superb collections of Ottoman and Mameluke armor and weapons help illustrate the contrast between these warrior cultures.

An influential yet controversial naval officer who played key roles in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars through unconventional methods and secretive operations.Quicksilver Captain is the story of Sir Home Popham (1762-1820), an extraordinary and under-appreciated personality of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Popham was a bundle of highly unusual contradictions. He achieved the rank of post-captain without a ship; he was more often employed by the War Department than by the Admiralty; and, as an expert in combined operations, he spent almost as much time serving on shore as at sea. In just over 25 years as a naval officer, Popham acted as an agent for transports, an unofficial diplomat, an intelligence officer, a Member of Parliament, an acclaimed hydrographer, a scientist and inventor, a publicist, and a government adviser, among many other roles.Popham's career was literally as well as figuratively amphibious. So was his personality. Popham's well-known past as an illicit private trader, as well as his notorious lack of scruples, marred his reputation. People meeting him for the first time did not know what to make of him: 'He seems a pleasant man, but a dasher.' He fully understood the importance of communication and is best known for inventing a signal code that the Royal Navy used for decades. When he died, he left reams of correspondence behind him. But he also understood that words could either obfuscate or illuminate the truth, and his genius for twisting the facts to suit his own purposes made him an unreliable narrator. Many contemporaries distrusted and loathed him; after his court martial in 1807 for attacking Buenos Aires without orders (he escaped with a reprimand), many of his naval peers refused outright to serve with him again. And yet, even his greatest critics could not deny his abilities. One of his fellow naval captains wrote what could have been his epitaph: 'He is an extraordinary man, and would have been a great man, had he been honest.'Quicksilver Captain paints a portrait of an ambitious man who built a career based on secrets and shadows. Popham's direct line to important patrons like William Pitt and Henry Dundas allowed him to play a role far beyond that of an ordinary post-captain. His ideas for using Britain's naval might for imperial defense and expanding British trade, as well as his knowledge of combined operations, made him the politicians' go-to expert. They wanted results, no matter what the cost, and Popham's willingness to play dirty - using bribery, threats, and experimental weaponry - appealed to them. In return, they protected him from his many foes, although in the end, they could not save him from his worst enemy - himself.

Let the Men Cross tells the story of the battle that Wellington's biographer Elizabeth Longford called 'Wellington's greatest adventure'. Sir Arthur Wellesley, soon to be Lord Wellington, took a combined army to Portugal's second city, fighting an offensive battle on the slopes of Grijo before maneuvering into the great trading city of Porto. The city was then liberated in a daring amphibious crossing, in wine barges, right under the eyes of the French forces.In the Spring of 1809, the fate of Portugal, and therefore of the Peninsular War, hung in the balance. France occupied most of Portugal and Spain, with only a few areas holding out. Sir Arthur Wellesley returned to command the Anglo-Portuguese field army, with large forces arrayed against him. One such large corps was commanded by Maréchal Jean-de-Dieu Soult, who had captured Porto and was busy ransacking what had once flourished as one of Europe's greatest wine trading centers.Wellesley took the initiative, marching his army north towards Porto, encountering a French vanguard holding the heights of Grijo. In the reverse to his reputation of holding the high ground, his forces attacked up these slopes over a two-day combat. Grijo allowed Wellesley's troops to enter the southern parts of Porto, near the wine trading quaysides. Soult had ordered all boats to be destroyed to prevent any crossing and felt falsely confident on the north bank.Wellesley sent out an exploring officer, an early intelligence expert, who found a priest, a barber, and wine barges. Together, they piloted the vessels to Wellesley's position. The British troops nearest, led by the 3rd Regiment of Foot, 'The Buffs', climbed into the wine barges and crossed the mighty Douro River to liberate the city, where they faced multiple French counter-attacks.Porto was one of the most daring offensive actions the soon-to-be Lord Wellington undertook. This risk enabled the liberation of Porto for relatively light British casualties, but one that showed a daring operation, the likes of which are rarely seen in the Napoleonic era.

King George's Army: British Regiments and the Men who Led Them 1793-1815 will contain five volumes, with coverage given to army administration and cavalry regiments (Volume 1), infantry regiments (Volumes 2, 3 and 4), and ordnance (Volume 5). It is the natural extension to the web series of the same name by the same author which existed on The Napoleon Series from 2009 until 2019, but greatly expanded to include substantially more biographical information as well as biographies of leading political figures concerned with the administration of the army as well as commanders in chief of all major commands.Volume 2 covers in great detail the Foot Guards and 1st to 30th Regiments of Foot within the army of King George the Third for the period of the Great War with France; and the men who commanded them. Regimental data provided includes shortform regimental lineages, service locations and dispositions for the era, battle honors won, tables of authorized establishments, demographics of the field officer cohorts and of the men, even sources of recruits from the militia. But the book is essentially concerned with the field officers, the lieutenant colonels and majors commanded the regiments, and Volume 2 alone contains over 1,000 mini-biographies of men who exercised such command, including their dates of birth and death, parentage, education, career (including political), awards and honors, and places of residence. Volumes 3 to 5 will extend the coverage to ultimately record over 4,500 biographies across more than 200 regiments.These biographies will show the regimental system in action, officers routinely transferring between regiments for advancement or opportunity, captains who were also (brevet) colonels, many who retired early, some who stayed the distance to become major generals and beyond. Where it has been possible to accurately ascertain, advancement by purchase, exchange or promotion has also been noted.Readers with military ancestors will no doubt find much of interest within, and the author hopes that the work will allow readers to break down a few 'brick walls'; either through connecting to the officers recorded, or through an understanding of the movements of the regiments around the world, or from the volunteering patterns of the militia regiments into the regular army.Encyclopedic in scope, and aimed to be a lasting source of reference material for the British army that fought the French Revolution and Napoleon between 1793 and 1815, King George's Army: British Regiments and the Men who Led Them will hopefully be a necessary addition to every military and family history library for years to come.

A Very Peculiar Battle tells the story of a unique battle in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Fère-Champenoise was two separate battles that merged together. In one, a force of Russian, Württemberg, and Austrian cavalry and horse artillery defeated a larger French force of infantry, cavalry and artillery, opening the way to Paris. In the other, Russian cavalry and horse artillery destroyed Napoléon's last supply column.Fère-Champenoise was a far more significant battle than is usually portrayed. Napoléon, after a string of victories in February 1814, had been defeated by superior numbers, first by Feldmarschall Blücher at Laon (9-10 March), then by Feldmarschall Schwarzenberg at Arcis-sur-Aube (20-21 March). Napoléon then gambled on a manoeuvre sur les derrières, moving onto Schwarzenberg's line of communications and intending to join with troops from his border fortresses and Lyon to force a battle on ground of his choosing.The allies started to follow, but Emperor Alexander of Russia made a crucial decision on March 24 for the allied armies to ignore Napoléon and head for Paris. The next day, allied cavalry and horse artillery led by the Crown Prince of Württemberg defeated a larger force of the corps of Maréchaux Marmont and Mortier, the last formed French troops barring the way to the capital. This enabled Schwarzenberg's and Blücher's armies to combine, defeat the last defenders of Paris, and force the city's surrender before Napoléon could return, allowing the allies to negotiate the end of the campaign without the Empereur being able to participate.At the same time, a convoy of ammunition and supplies, escorted by the two weak Gardes nationaux divisions of Généraux de division Pacthod and Amey, and trying to find Maréchal Mortier, moved into the path of the advancing Russo-Prussian army. After a heroic retreat, attacked by Russian cavalry and horse artillery, the two divisions were forced to surrender, losing all their vehicles and guns.The battle was unique in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It was two separate battles that merged into one, as both defeated French forces retreated towards the town of Fère-Champenoise, one from the east and the other from the northeast. Four different armies were involved: the main battle between units from the allies' Hauptarmee and the French Armée de l'Aisne and the secondary one between units from the allies' Schlesische Armee and a convoy from Maréchal Macdonald's XI Corps d'Armée, part of Napoléon's Grande Armée.Both were encounter battles in that all four armies involved were unaware of the presence of their opponent until they met. In both battles, the allied forces consisted entirely of cavalry and horse artillery, while the French forces contained predominantly infantry and foot artillery. A French force of ligne and garde units panicked, while a force of ill-trained Gardes nationaux fought stubbornly until overwhelmed. During the main battle, a short, violent storm had a devastating effect on the French, while the arrival of the secondary battle prevented the main from being an overwhelming success.

A gripping memoir of a Swedish soldier's journey through the Napoleonic Wars, offering vivid tales of camaraderie, battles, and historic events.A Swedish Soldier in the Napoleonic Wars is an important and rare memoir by a low-ranking officer. It contains lively anecdotes and stories of soldiers, commanders, and life on campaign from 1808 to 1814 in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and North Germany. Available for the first time in English, it provides a new perspective of little-known actions, small by the standards of continental Europe, but vital to our understanding of Sweden's part in the war.In 1808, at the age of 18 and whilst a student at Linköping High School, Carl Magnus Hultin enlisted as a junior officer in the militia, answering the call-to-arms in the nation's efforts to stem the Russian tide before Finland was lost. He then transferred to the regular army as an ensign in the Jönköping Regiment. He took part in the ill-fated Västerbotten expedition against the Russians on Swedish soil in 1809 and witnessed the 1809 coup d'etat to remove the unpopular King Gustav IV Adolf. Following the 'phoney' war with Britain 1811-1812, he served in Mecklenberg, Holstein and Belgium against France and Denmark in the 1813-1814 campaign under Napoleon's former Maréchal Bernadotte, who had been elected as Sweden's Crown Prince. Finally, he participated in the 1814 Norwegian campaign that saw the Union of Norway and Sweden, which lasted until 1905. He remained in the army after the war, retiring as a captain in 1842.Very late in life, he was persuaded to set down his memoirs, which were published in 1872. Two separate editions of the book were reprinted in Sweden in 1954 and 1955 with minimal editing after the expiry of the copyright 70 years after the author's death. The editor's preface to the 1954 edition noted, 'The present volume is ... unique to the extent that it may constitute the only document of literary value from our history of war', whilst the 1955 editor noted 'the account ... was greatly acclaimed' and that Hultin's friends were 'much entertained by his lively, sometimes rather burlesque tales about military life both on and off campaign.'This translation, by a descendent of Captain Hultin, includes extensive explanatory notes together with maps and illustrations to support the narrative.

Details Russia's 1812 defense against Napoleon, covering key figures, battles, and operational details, enhanced with maps and critiques.The Russian Patriotic War of 1812 is the only publicly available translation into English of Bogdanovich's official history of the Russian forces' involvement in the fight against Napoleon and his allies in Russia in 1812. This translation also includes extracts from Ivan Liprandi's critique of Bogdanovich's work.Volume 2 of The Russian Patriotic War of 1812 covers Kutuzov's appointment as Field Marshal, details of the opolchenie (militia) and donations made in 1812, the meeting in Abo between Tsar Alexander I and the Crown Prince of Sweden (Jean- Baptiste Jules Bernadotte), and the situation in enemy occupied territory. Highly detailed descriptions of operations are included, from before the Battle of Borodino to the camp at Tarutino, as well as operations on the flanks by Wittgenstein and Admiral Chichagov. Outstanding feats were performed not only by prominent personalities but also by others who participated in this war. The composition of the forces are shown as clearly as possible, as are force numbers, casualties on each side, and so on. The maps attached to this work were drafted in such a way that they might serve to explain entire phases of the war. The battle plans show the locations of dominant terrain according to detailed state surveys, while villages, forests and roads have been copied from previously published plans.

Publishing for the first time in English, this volume includes details of actions and exploits by Russian soldiers almost unknown outside of Russia.The Russian Patriotic War of 1812 is the only publicly available translation into English of Bogdanovich's official history of the Russian forces' involvement in the fight against Napoleon and his allies in Russia in 1812. This translation also includes extracts from Ivan Liprandi's critique of Bogdanovich's work.Volume 1 of The Russian Patriotic War of 1812 includes the causes of the war and an account of the operational planning by Russian forces for their retreat from the borders into the Empire, dispelling the myth of the non-existence of any premeditated plan. The logistics of the forces on both sides are examined, along with highly detailed descriptions of the operations from Russia's western borders to beyond Smolensk and operations on the northern and southern flanks. Outstanding feats were performed not only by prominent personalities but also by others who participated in this war. The composition of the forces are shown as clearly as possible, as are force numbers, casualties on each side, and so on. The maps attached to this work were drafted in such a way that they might serve to explain entire phases of the war. The battle plans show the locations of dominant terrain according to detailed state surveys, while villages, forests and roads have been copied from previously published plans.

Solid As a Rock is a detailed account of little-known actions fought by the German Fallschirmjäger Regiment 1 on the Eastern Front in 1942 and 1943.The 1st Parachute Regiment of the Luftwaffe is well known for its actions during the German Blitzkrieg in Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and Crete, but little has been published about its infantry operations on the Eastern Front. Solid As a Rock covers the regiment's actions as part of the 7th Flieger Division north of Smolensk in November 1942-January 1943 and the fierce fighting to save the southern flank of the German 2nd Panzer Army around Orel in February-March 1943. Supported by rare personal recollections of the participants and detailed maps and sketches drawn from seldom consulted primary sources, this book offers an intimate insight into the fighting through the eyes of the soldiers of a neglected campaign on the Eastern Front.

In the 1920s, Canada's claim on the Arctic archipelago was tenuous at best. In 1880, the United Kingdom had handed over control of the area to the expanding dominion, though much of the area was still unoccupied and unexplored. But the need to reinforce sovereignty-- and quickly-- was driven by increasing threats on the horizon. The Americans, Danish and Norwegians were particularly active in the Arctic, posing sovereign challenges from both individuals and their nations. Something drastic had to be done. Legendary RCMP Inspector, Alfred Herbert Joy, joined by young recruit Reginald Andrew Taggart of Ireland, as well as the renowned Inughuit guide, Nuqaqpainguaq, embark on an 1,800-mile dogsled patrol to the outer fringes of the archipelago. As tensions rise and negotiations with Norway threaten to escalate, the three men face treacherous conditions and unexpected obstacles on a journey that takes on mythic proportions. In Arctic Patrol, Lieutenant Governor's Medal winner Eric Jamieson uncovers the fascinating history of Canada's fight to secure its Arctic territories in this thrilling tale of international politics, polar exploration, and human endurance.

"A bold retelling of the traditional Greek myth of Psyche and Eros through a queer and feminist lens, grappling with the complex and thorny questions of how to harness the power of female and queer joy and cultivate freedom in a world that seeks to cage us"--

The US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and the return of international sanctions against Tehran turned out to have enormous implications for the Middle Eastern country's commercial interactions with its largest trading partner, China, affecting corrosively every aspect of economic, financial, and technological relationship between the two sides.

Discover the complete spellbinding middle grade fantasy series about two kids who find themselves trapped on a mythical island in the heart of the Bermuda Triangle in this adventure-filled paperback boxed set.When their boat capsizes during a sudden storm in the Bermuda Triangle, Riley and her cousin Alfie find themselves washed ashore on the mysterious island of Atlantis. The island is filled with a magic they never believed existed, inhabited by both people and incredible creatures ranging from unicorns, gargoyles, and mermaids to talking animals. But not everyone welcomes the cousins’ arrival, and dark secrets lurk beneath its wonders, especially in the dangerous Forbidden Zone. The longer they remain, the more Riley and Alfie realize they have to learn the truth behind the island’s strange occurrences in order to protect themselves and their loved ones. Join them as they try to escape Atlantis to reunite with their families, are forced to return and face the dangers of the island, and discover the secrets behind Atlantis’s magical history in this fantasy trilogy full of action, adventure, and wonder. This thrilling paperback boxed set includes: Escape from Atlantis Return to Atlantis Secrets of Atlantis

After thirteen-year-old Imhotep's architect father, Kaneferw, is inexplicably killed on a construction site, Imhotep learns that his father's business profits have gone missing. Forced to work in a grisly abattoir to make ends meet, Imhotep discovers that Ahmose, his father's apprentice, is mysteriously connected not only to the missing funds but also to a grandiose plot orchestrated by the terrorist Sons of Atum to overthrow the king. When a family friend, in whom he has confided, is suddenly poisoned, Imhotep knows that time is running out-- both to seek justice for his murdered father and to save the royal family from a bloody coup. Threatened at every turn, Imhotep must use all of his wiles to outwit his enemies, protect his family, and save the realm. Deftly navigating the twists and turns of ancient Egypt, Murder in Mennefer is a timeless tale of deceit, devotion, and intrigue.

"Before the Silk Road had a name, nomads roamed the Asian steppes and women fought side by side as equals with men. Like all women of the Sauromatae, Akmaral is bound for battle from birth, training as a girl in horsemanship, archery, spear, and blade. Her prowess ignites the jealousy of Erzhan, a gifted warrior who hates her as much as he desires her. When Scythian renegades attack, the two must unite to defeat them. Among their captives is Timor, the rebels' enigmatic leader who refuses to be broken, even as he is enslaved. He fascinates Akmaral. But as attraction grows to passion, she is blinded to the dangerous alliance forming between the men who bristle against the clan' s matriarchal rule. Faced with brutal betrayal, Akmaral must find the strength to defend her people and fulfill her destiny. Drawn from legends of Amazon women warriors from ancient Greece and recent archaeological discoveries in Central Asia, AKMARAL is a sweeping tale about a powerful woman who must make peace with making war."--

From New York Times bestselling authors W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear comes part four in their compelling mystery series packed with ancient myth.Archeologist Dusty Stewart and Anthropologist Dr. Maureen Cole are still swept up in an eight-hundred-year-old murder mystery that's been pleading with them to solve it-both literally and figuratively. With their only goal being to bring peace to all the victims left behind, they see no end in sight-until the unimaginable happens.Hearing faint voices of the dead whispering through the darkness of the gravesite and afraid they're no longer alone, the dig team works faster, finally uncovering tribal stories that say the deceased are the work of an ancient witch of unimaginable power.Across time, a ruthless murderer desperate to restore his wealth and power begins taking villagers one by one. As Stone Ghost finds himself immersed in a bitterly divided and terrified community, the infamous Two Hearts becomes more legend than human, and the question remains: How does anyone track a myth? But when the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place, it becomes clear that those who appear the bravest may actually possess unimaginable darkness.Will Dusty and Maureen finally solve this ancient crime and put innocent souls to rest before the past collides with the present?

"A story about a piano and its most prodigious player--and how they both survived one of the darkest periods in history."--Provided by publisher.

"The story begins with a hand curled around another man's throat. This is Roman justice: Emperor Tiberius first dispatches a traitor -- a friend he once trusted with the city -- then the man's whole family and all of his friends. It is as if he never existed. Into this fevered forum, a child is born. His mother is Agrippina, granddaughter of Emperor Augustus. But their imperial blood is neither balm nor protection. Rather, it is a liability. Blood is easily spilled or poisoned. So swiftly corrupted. As the aging, paranoid Tiberius becomes blind to the ignoble end awaiting him, Agrippina sees the future. Her once-exiled brother Caligula is next in succession, which brings her another step closer to the heart of the empire -- to power, ambition, and danger. Every day she will face soldiers, senators, rivals, silver-tongued pretenders, each vying for position. One mistake risks exile, incarceration, execution. Or, worst of all, perhaps the loss of her infant son. Because Agrippina knows that, even in your darkest moments, opportunity rises. Her son is everything. She can make this boy, shape him into Rome itself -- the man before whom all must kneel. But first, Agrippina and Nero must survive..."--