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It is the ancient days of the Persian Empire. Hadassah was content in her quiet life in the Jewish quarter of the city of Babylon with her uncle Mordecai, who had raised her from childhood. But she was old enough to be married, and yet her uncle hadn't arranged a marriage for her. Meanwhile in Shushan, King Ahasuerus' marriage to the vain and selfish Vashti has ended, and a new wife must be found. Why not bring to him the most beautiful women of the kingdom, and let him choose? And so the loveliest young women of the empire are selected in local contests, and Hadassah is among those chosen to go to Shushan to meet the King.But as a Jewess in a foreign land with powerful enemies to her faith, she must conceal her true identity and take the Babylonian name of Esther. Will she find love with a man she has never met? And can she survive in a strict royal court controlled by the evil prime minister Haman, who wants to destroy her people?Out of print for 40 years, this special edition contains the original text of "Behold Your Queen!" in a large, trade size paperback, suitable for collecting.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, as revealed by the brilliant fifth edition translation of Edward Fitzgerald, with the lush illustrations of Edmund Dulac, is art that speaks to both the aesthetic and intellectual foundations of the human spirit. It exemplifies the qualities that define art. The 10th century Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer was unquestionably a genius. His quatrains express some of the deepest feeling and thoughts ever put to paper by the hand of man. The translation and compilation of 101 quatrains of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat by Edward Fitzgerald has become recognized as a separate entity, a work of art above and beyond the original, which has added immeasurably to the English language itself. With the artistic renditions of Fitzgerald and Dulac, "The Illustrated Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam" will inspire everyone it touches. This 50-page colored special edition is designed to be collected, treasured and gifted to close friends and loved ones.

Herein are contained the sardonic definitions published by Ambrose Bierce as The Cynic's Word Book in 1906; augmented, edited and republished by the illustrious author in 1911 as The Devil's Dictionary. Unlike other editions which modify, tone down and make moronic additions to Bierce's original Devil's Dictionary, presented here are the complete contents of the 1911 edition without deletions, modifications or embellishments, of any kind, which might diminish the impact of the original politically incorrect collection; hence, the redundant descriptive addition to the title as "Complete and Unabridged" which would surely have caused the author to go ballistic if he were still alive. Ambrose Bierce was an extraordinary individual: a veteran of the American Civil War, renowned writer, political pundit, social commentator and, in many ways, a philosopher who was ahead of his time. His mysterious disappearance, in 1914 during the Mexican Revolution, was the subject of the movie: Old Gringo. Shortly before he vanished, he wrote to a friend: "Good-bye - if you hear of my being stood up against a Mexican stone wall and shot to rags please know that I think that is a pretty good way to depart this life. It beats old age, disease, or falling down the cellar stairs. To be a Gringo in Mexico - ah, that is euthanasia". His own definition of a cynic suited him well: "CYNIC, n. A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be. Hence the custom among the Scythians of plucking out a cynic's eyes to improve his vision."

She was called "Alicia the Beauteous," and as a member of the nobility, she enjoyed privilege and adulation wherever she went. Her father, the Earl of Hastings and her extended family doted on her and she was surrounded by suitors. But then gentle King Edward the Confessor died, and life became much more uncertain. Duke William of Normandy declared his right to the English throne, and backed it up with a devastating army. The Battle of Hastings and the Norman Invasion put an end to life as Alicia had known it. Alicia, proud, defiant and brave, cannot bear to see her country bow to the Norman conquerors. Joining with other rebels, she begins her own quest to rid England of the Normans. But her loathing for these men who have taken away everything she holds dear cannot quite extend to the kind and handsome Gilbert, Duc de Gant. Will her heart be able to resist her longing for Gilbert, even as she seeks to drive his people from England's shores forever?

Beautiful, impetuous and headstrong, Michal is the young daughter of Saul, the first King of Israel. As a woman of her society, she has a certain importance as a princess, but in all other respects, she has little control over her destiny. She and everyone else assume that she will marry whomever her father chooses. But then a humble young man named David is called to the royal court to play music for Saul, and Michal and the young shepherd are instantly smitten with each other. As David begins to rise in importance in the court and defeats the Philistine giant Goliath, his increasing popularity begins to threaten Saul, who swings back and forth between affection for the young man he loves like a son, and a raging hatred for this young upstart. Saul fears David will steal his throne, and decides to remove this threat to his stability and power. Michal's quick-wittedness and resolve saves David's life, but at a great cost to her own future happiness. As the years stretch by, both David and Michal are parted by cruel circumstance, and Michal learns patience and a degree of selflessness. As her family and country is torn apart by war with Philistia, Michal's longing to be reunited with her beloved David seems as though it will never come to pass...

It is the beginning of the War of 1812. America is still a young, uncertain nation, defending herself against the armies of England once again. In Washington, President James Madison and his popular wife Dolly welcome into their home the lovely Jeanne Siousat, niece of their Master of Ceremonies. Having travelled for months from her home in Louisiana to Washington with the reluctant Claiborne Kent, this young Frenchwoman becomes a companion to Dolly and eyewitness to the events leading to the capture and burning of Washington and the White House.

Growing up in a village near the Sea of Galilee, the adored daughter of the wealthy and respected leader Jairus, Tamar was content with her place in her community. She knew that in her early teens she would be married to a suitable young man, and she would become a good Jewish wife and mother. She would adhere to the laws of her faith. But then a Teacher came to town, and began to speak of a way of life far different than what she and her society had been raised to believe. He preached love and acceptance and performed miracles of healing to hundreds... and in so doing made many enemies who were offended by his claims, and humiliated by their revealed hypocrisies. As Tamar and her friend Julian, the servant of a Roman Centurion, follow Jesus and see the miracles he performs, they come to believe that he is The Messiah so long anticipated in Hebrew scripture. But with many powerful enemies, his life is in danger, and as Tamar and her family travel to Jerusalem for Passover, they little realize the earth-shaking events that are about to sweep them and their world in a completely different direction.

As the beloved daughter of the famous Marquis de Lafayette, Anastasia and her family lived a rich and happy life in France on the eve of the Revolution. Papa was often away from home, fighting for freedom in the American Revolution and then in the French Revolution he helped to start. But as France's initial quest for Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood descended into the chaos of the Reign of Terror and the terrible guillotine, their lives were in great danger. As the people's cheers of admiration and love for Lafayette changed over the years to howls of hate and fury, the Lafayettes escaped to their country home of Chavaniac... but found they were no safer there, as their mother Adrienne was arrested and taken to prison in Paris with other members of the nobility, many whose lives were ended by the blade of the guillotine. Anxiety and an uncertain future along with diminishing resources, serves to strengthen eldest daughter Ann into an intelligent and resolute young woman, capable of holding the family together while Maman is in prison, and Papa is off at war and then imprisoned in Austria. Even so, will the patriotic de Lafayettes survive the turmoil that swirls around them? Can Ann stand firm as a Patriot's Daughter? Out of print for more than 20 years, this special edition is presented in a large, trade size paperback format, suitable for collecting.

Thomas of Antioch, handsome, inquiring and earnest, is the youngest of the Twelve Apostles. He has come to be known as the ages have passed as "the great doubter". Around 50 years after his time with Jesus Christ, St. Thomas the Apostle was sent from Antioch to South India where he established seven churches before being martyred near modern day Chennai. This novel for young adults tells of Thomas' early search for a leader who not only would bring hope and joy to his followers, but would also prepare the way for the long awaited Messiah. How Thomas, in spite of his doubts, did find his leader and king is told by Gladys Malvern in this beautiful, simply written narrative of the early life of Thomas as a follower and confidante of Jesus Christ. Out of print for more than 30 years, this special edition is presented for young adults in a large, trade size paperback, suitable for collecting.

Betsy was a lovely young actress from England, alone and starving in New York City at the dawn of the American Revolution. It was an unenviable position, for actors were considered to be the dregs of society in the largely Puritan colonies, and were rejected and scorned by everyone. Dan was a young Colonial from a farming family in Connecticut, on his way through New York travelling to enlist with the American forces. A chance meeting in the street leads him to take responsibility for the newly orphaned Betsy, and take her home to his family in the only way he could in that Puritan society-as his wife! Betsy finds the small town of Danbury and its inhabitants close-knit and surprisingly open-minded... except where she is concerned! And her new in-laws are horrified by this actress Dan has dropped on their doorstep. Can she ever find acceptance and a place in this new life? And will Dan ever come to love her as his Dear Wife?

One of the most influential short stories ever written, Nikolai Gogol's ''The Overcoat'' first appeared in 1842 as part of a four-volume publication of its author's Collected Works. The story is considered not only an early masterpiece of Russian Naturalism-a movement that would dominate the country's literature for generations-but a progenitor of the modern short story form itself. "We all came out from under Gogol's 'Overcoat'" is a remark that has been variously attributed to Dostoevsky and Turgenev. That either or both might have said it is an indication of the far-reaching significance of Gogol's work.Gogol's writings have been seen as a bridge between the genres of romanticism and realism in Russian literature. Progressive critics of his day praised Gogol for grounding his prose fictions in the everyday lives of ordinary people, and they claimed him as a pioneer of a new "naturalist" aesthetic. Yet, Gogol viewed his work in a more conservative light, and his writing seems to incorporate as much fantasy and folklore as realistic detail. "The Overcoat," which was written sporadically over several years during a self-imposed exile in Geneva and Rome, is a particularly dazzling amalgam of these seemingly disparate tendencies in Gogol's writing. The story begins by taking its readers through the mundane and alienating world of a bureaucratic office in St. Petersburg where an awkward, impoverished clerk must scrimp and save in order to afford a badly needed new winter coat. As the story progresses, we enter a fairy-tale world of supernatural revenge, where the clerk's corpse is seen wandering city streets ripping coats off the backs of passersby. Gogol's story is both comic and horrific-at once a scathing social satire, moralistic fable, and psychological study.List of Contents: Introduction to Nikolai GogolBook 1: The OvercoatBook 2: Taras BulbaBook 3: St. John's EveBook 4: The NoseBook 5: The Mysterious PortraitBook 6: The Calash

It is the time of the Judges in Israel, and famine has swept through the land. The family of Elimelech has come to the prosperous but alien land of Moab to buy food for their people. Their two sons, though suffering from chronic illness, thrive in this pleasant land, and wives must be found for them. In the same city, two sisters live in a cold and unfriendly home; while blessed with material wealth, they are starving for love and affection. A match is made, and Ruth and her sister Orphah join the affectionate and kind Hebrew family. But tragedy strikes after several happy years, and a long and difficult journey back to the family home in Bethlehem lies ahead. They must make the painful decision of leaving their beloved country and becoming despised outcasts in a land which hates them, or staying and returning to their cold and resentful parents. How can they bear to part from their mother-in-law Naomi, who has loved them so well? But how can they leave their gods and people behind? How can Ruth endure the stigma of being a Foreigner? Out of print for more than 20 years, this special edition is presented in a large, trade size paperback format, suitable for collecting.

Women on the Verge: American Women's Literature of the Progressive Era presents a scholarly selection of some of the finest examples of Women's Literature from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, now known as The Progressive Era. Following the Victorian era, and on the heels of the twilight of the dominance of New England writers in American literature, Progressive era American women authors were starting to find their literary voices, unique from the rest of the world. Edited by Laura Bonds and Shawn Conners, and with cover art by Joan Turrell based on her series "Beyond the Yellow Wallpaper," this collection captures the essence of those voices, and includes the first American women authors to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.Contents include short fiction and poetry by: Sarah Orne JewettKate ChopinMary E. Wilkins FreemanCharlotte Perkins GilmanEdith WhartonWilla CatherSara TeasdaleMargaret WiddemerEdna St. Vincent Millay

Military Strategy Classics of Ancient China presents modern translations of eight of the most important and relevant military texts from antiquity, which have gained new prominence among Western students of Eastern military strategy and philosophy. These texts provide background for a wide range of disciplines, including: history, linguistics, wuxia, martial arts, business and trial strategy. Contents include: The Six Secret Teachings - Jiang ZiyaThe Art of War - Sun TzuMethods of War - Sima RangjuThe Book of Wuzi - Wu QiThe Book of Wei Liaozi - Wei LiaoThe Three Strategies of Huang ShigongThe Thirty Six StratagemsQuestions and Replies: Tang Taizong and Li Jing

For Janie and Henrietta (called Henry), life was one long stretch of working on a farm in the wilderness of 17th century Connecticut. There were few neighbors, no friends their own age, and their father was still mourning the loss of his wife. But miles away lay the town of New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan, a bustling place with new experiences and a more hopeful future for all of them. So Eric and his girls left for New Amsterdam, where his daughters might find suitors, and he might find work. However, New Amsterdam was not without its dangers. As The Netherlands and England fought over who owned what parts of the New World, this rapidly growing and prosperous town of Dutch and English settlers were led by the dynamic Pieter van Stuyvesant, Old Silver Leg, who would not easily give up his town to the demands of the British. Janie, Henry and their new friends would live through frightening days in the year 1664 as the Dutch and English forces made preparations to fight for the island.

Ann loved the old farmhouse. Since the death of her parents, she had struggled to keep her brothers and sisters together there. Life on the farm was hard and the boys were always threatening to leave. Ann lived in dread of the day which she knew must come when the family would be broken up, and her one consolation was the farmhouse. But New York was growing fast, spreading farther and farther north. The farms that stood in the way were to be torn down and that meant the Lawrence house too! The farmers banded together, Ann and her brothers among them, to fight for the right to keep their homes. Ann's friend, Peter Elliott, was one of the city planners and she felt sure he would intercede for them. But Peter believed in progress and expansion. The sacrifice of a few small homes to make way for hundreds more was to him a necessary thing. Ann had to fight alone-a bitter, ugly fight, but nothing was so hopeless to Ann as her estrangement from Peter. When Peter himself was faced with tragedy, Ann knew that she and Peter belonged together. This is a dramatic, heartwarming story of New York in the days when Daniel Webster and young Washington Irving walked its cobbled streets. This is a 1947 Junior Literary Guild selection, chosen as an outstanding book for older readers.

This special edition of the Discourses of Epictetus contains all four extant books of the Discourses, the Enchiridion or Manual and the few remaining fragments of the lost works of this famous Stoic. As a student of Zeno, the originator of the Stoic system, Epictetus was instrumental in putting a human face on what was otherwise considered a dispassionate philosophy. Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius are the three famous names of the later school of stoicism, and they are all teachers of the conduct of life, in love with inner perfection, and comparatively heedless of mere speculation. The Discourses of Epictetus were not written by Epictetus but by his student, Arrian, who is best remembered for his biography of Alexander the Great. Arrian modestly makes no claim to the wisdom or true authorship of the Discourses, but he was clearly more than a scribe. Without Arrian, the writtten Discourses would never have existed and the philosophy of Epictetus would be all but lost in the fog of ancient history.

This collectible edition of "The Art of War by Sun Tzu" presents these timeless instructions regarding military strategy and managing conflict in two complete versions, with over 260 pages of content.A modern introduction, tracing the origins of "The Art of War" and its historical and cultural importance, firmly grounds the reader in the context with which the oldest book on military strategy has survived the ages, as well as contemporary examples of its continued use.The first section of this collectible edition contains "The Art of War" in English, without notes or commentary. This allows the reader to understand the teachings of Sun Tzu, without the distraction of footnotes or excessive comments.The second section contains the complete annotated translation by Lionel Giles, restored by Sian Kim, along with Giles' translation notes, definitive critical commentary, and supplemental information from a broad range of sources. Written during the Victorian era, Giles' 1910 "Introduction" has also been included, containing the legend of "Sun Tzu and The Army of Concubines".Although written in the 6th century BC, the teachings of Sun Tzu are still found today in the martial arts, legal doctrine, military schools, management seminars and pervasively throughout popular culture.