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The Gift
By Zoe Maeve. 2021
The Shining meets Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette in this gripping debut from an award-winning talent.The Gift opens on the snow-blanketed…
grounds of the Alexander Palace in Western Russia where a moth has come to attend the birth of the fourth Romanov princess, Anastasia. She and her siblings grow up in a gilded world, isolated from the society beyond the palace walls despite their dominion over it. After mysteriously receiving a camera on her fifteenth birthday, she begins to document her world, but the gift carries with it a weight she can't yet see. A creature moves on the edge of her vision and stalks her dreams. As the revolution unfolds, the confines of Anastasia's world keep closing in. Something is following her, and it might not be human.Meet George Washington - An eStory
By Charles Margerison. 2011
George Washington grew up in the English colony of Virginia. He was tall and strong and respected by his friends…
and colleagues as a good leader. As he grew older, George saw how England took advantage of the American colonies and he didn't like it. When the colonies declared their independence, George was chosen to lead their army as its general. When the colonies finally won their freedom, George was elected to lead the new nation as its first president.Each story comes to life through BioViews®. These are short biographical narratives, similar to interviews. They provide an easy way of learning about amazing people who made major contributions and changed our world.Meet Benjamin Franklin - An eStory
By Charles Margerison. 2011
Meet Benjamin Franklin, perhaps the most famous of all the Founding Fathers. His story comes to life as you travel…
with him from his early years, as part of a large family, to his time at the printing company with his brother James. This ultimately resulted in his journey to England and France, a turn of events that would define the rest of his life. His remarkable story unfurls through BioViews®. Each story comes to life through BioViews®. These are short biographical narratives, similar to interviews. They provide an easy way of learning about amazing people who made major contributions and changed our world.Birth of a Bookworm
By Michel Tremblay, Sheila Fischman. 1994
In Birth of a Bookworm, Michel Tremblay takes the reader on a tour of the books that have had a…
formative influence on the birth and early development of his creative imagination; the physical and emotional world of his childhood is celebrated as the fertile ground on which his new, vivid way of seeing and imagining is built.A Child Upon the Throne: A Medieval Romance (The Knights of England Series #4)
By Mary Ellen Johnson. 2018
As a Kingdom Trembles With Revolt a Knight and His Lady Must Choose Between Duty and Love in the…
Medieval Historical Romance A Child Upon the Throne by Mary Ellen Johnson--Medieval England following the death of Edward III in 1377 through the Peasants Revolt of 1381--With a child king upon the throne and England s lucrative martial victories a faded memory Knight Matthew Hart wants only to reunite with his long-time lover Margery Watson and their son to live out his days far away from the royal court But Margery s loyalties are torn To settle down with the knight she s loved since childhood or commit treason and side with the commoners overburdened with servitude and taxes When revolt sparks among the masses thousands march on London vowing to overthrow all those in power Now Margery must choose between her place in society with a knight she loves and her true beliefs about freedom justice and equality From the Publisher Readers with a passion for history will appreciate the author s penchant for detail and accuracy In keeping with being authentic to the era this story contains scenes of brutality which are true to the time and man s inhumanity There are a limited number of sexual scenes and NO use of modern vulgarity Fans of Elizabeth Chadwick Bernard Cornwell and Philippa Gregory as well as Tamara Leigh and Suzan Tisdale will not want to miss this series Author Mary Ellen Johnson strides through history with the reader in the front seat Karen Lausa it challenged my intellect as well as my heart Margaret Watkins eBook Discovery ReviewerFrom the Author When crafting a story I am ever mindful of the parallels between the past and present Endless wars indifferent rulers rising taxes and corruption all of which inevitably resulted in a bloody insurrection An insurrection that while unsuccessful in the short term was even referenced by our Founding Fathers during their struggle for freedom As William Faulkner said The past isn t dead it s not even past so a knowledge of history is imperative THE KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND in series orderThe Lion and the LeopardA Knight There WasWithin A Forest DarkA Child Upon The ThroneLords Among the RuinsFive Gentlemen of Japan
By Frank Gibney. 1953
A newspaperman, an ex-Navy vice-admiral, a steel worker, a farmer, and the 124th Emperor of Japan himself--these are the fascinating…
heroes of Gibney's brilliant book about modern Japan. Strongly individual, every one of them, the five yet share the common inheritance of Japan's precocious but unstable past.Through their lives and attitudes, Gibney gives us an invaluable analysis of this new sovereign nation so suddenly thrown into the world's power conflicts. He helps us understand the historical and social forces which make Japan what she is today--the old contracts and loyalties from which each of the Five Gentlemen is struggling to break away from his country. Their courageous efforts to weld a new Japan from the remains of the old society, and to come to terms with the present, are as exciting as it is important.Rudolph W. Giuliani: America's Mayor
By Eleanor Fremont. 2002
ONCE A MAYOR -- NOW A HERO. On September 11, 2001, our nation watched in horror as the United States…
came under siege. In the aftermath, New York City mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani rose to the forefront as a strong and compassionate leader -- offering candid information, comforting those in pain, and proving himself a man of tremendous dedication to those in his charge. This revealing biography illustrates how his life's work prepared him for this incredible challenge. From his childhood in Brooklyn to his controversial work with the Department of Justice to his eight years as the mayor of one of the most complex cities in the world, Rudolph W. Giuliani -- Time magazine's Person of the Year -- has become one of the most fascinating and exceptional leaders of our time.Measure of the Rule
By Robert Barr, Douglas Lochhead, Louise K. Mackendrick. 1973
Robert Barr has been almost completely overlooked by critics and anthologists of Canadian literature, in part because, although he was…
educated in Canada, he spent most of his life in the United States and England. However, since most of his serious novels are either set in Canada or have some Canadian connection, Barr deserves attention. The Measure of the Rule, originally published in 1907, is the nearest he came to writing an autobiographical novel. It concerns the Toronto Normal School and the experiences there in the 1870s of a young man who undoubtedly is Barr himself. In this novel, Barr is exorcising unhappy memories and is ironic, even bitter, about the school's quality of education, the rigid discipline observed by its staff and their indifference to their students, and the sexual segregation practiced. A number of men under whom Barr actually studied are vividly caricatured. As a realistic study of Ontario's only central teacher-training institution in the late nineteenth century, The Measure of the Rule will appeal both to those interested in Canadian fiction of that period and to those more concerned with the evolution of the system of education established by Egerton Ryerson. Also included with this reprint of the novel is an essay originally published in 1899 and entitled 'Literature in Canada.' In this essay, Barr elaborated upon his opinions of the school system and its quality of education.Writing the Okanagan
By George Bowering. 2015
George Bowering was born in Penticton, where his great-grandfather Willis Brinson lived, and Bowering has never been all that far…
from the Okanagan Valley in his heart and imagination. Early in the twenty-first century, he was made a permanent citizen of Oliver. Bowering has family up and down the Valley, and he goes there as often as he can. He has been asked during his many visits to Okanagan bookstores over the years to publish a collection of his writing about the Valley.Writing the Okanagan draws on forty books Bowering has published since 1960 - poetry, fiction, history, and some forms he may have invented. Selections from Delsing (1961) and Sticks & Stones (1962) are here, as is "Driving to Kelowna" from The Silver Wire (1966). Other Okanagan towns, among them Rock Creek, Peachland, Vernon, Kamloops, Princeton, and Osoyoos, inspire selections from work published through the 1970s and on to 2013. Fairview, the old mining site near Oliver, is the focus of an excerpt from Caprice (1987, 2010), one volume in Bowering's trilogy of historical novels. "Desert Elm" takes as its two main subjects the Okanagan Valley and his father, who, as Bowering did, grew up there. With the addition of some previously unpublished works, the reader will find the wonder of the Okanagan here, in both prose and poetry.Amazing Educators - A Short eBook
By Charles Margerison. 2011
Progress and education go hand in hand. This unique collection from The Amazing People Club explores the lives of four…
influential educators who recognized the importance of sharing knowledge to improve people's life and acted on it. Meet Maria Montessori whose revolutionary educational method has inspired public and private schools throughout the world. While many have heard of Montessori schools, most don't know about her pivotal work in India or the fact she was the first woman to qualify as a doctor in Italy. Explore the life of another amazing woman who dedicated her life to educating people. Inspired by her own teacher, Helen Keller became the first deaf and blind person to earn her degree. She traveled the world to educate people on politics and women's rights. You'll also meet Aristotle, who was taught by Plato and in turn taught Alexander the Great. Without doubt, he is one of the most important figures in Western philosophy. Finally you'll come "face to face" with the lesser-known, but no less amazing, Dr. Reg Revans. His is one of the great management thinkers and pioneered Action Learning, a process we can all use in our lives. Each story comes to life through BioViews®. These are short biographical narratives, similar to interviews. They provide an easy way of learning about amazing people who made major contributions and changed our world.The Knights of England Boxed Set, Books 1-3: Three Complete Historical Medieval Romance
By Mary Ellen Johnson. 2018
"I was captivated by the beautiful covers from the start and that captivation just carried straight through from page one…
to the end of each book." ~Jeannette R HolthamA Breathtaking Medieval Saga of Love, Duty, Loyalty, Failure and Triumph in the First Three Volumes of The Knights of England by Mary Ellen Johnson BOOK 1: The Lion and the Leopard - Maria Rendell wants to be a dutiful wife to husband Phillip, but can't deny her attraction to their liege lord, Richard of Sussex. Loving Philip should be easy. She has married the knight of whom minstrels sing; the knight who saved Richard's life. But when Phillip abandons Maria to indulge his wanderlust, she turns to Richard, sparking a passionate affair amidst the crumbling kingdom of Edward II. Meanwhile, Edward II's barons are rebelling, executing his favorites, and across the channel in France, Isabella, Edward II's wife—the She-Wolf of France—plans to invade England. Then King Edward is captured as Richard and Maria prepare to flee to safety, and Phillip returns. Now the day of reckoning is at hand—not only for Maria, Richard, and Phillip, but for that most unfortunate of Plantagenet kings, Edward II.BOOK 2: A Knight There Was - Following his return from battle with a life-threatening sickness, Margery Watson nurses Golden Knight Matthew Hart back to health. A bond deepening between them, Matthew--who refuses to marry so his younger brother may inherit all--begs Margery to openly live with him. Margery agrees. Like her grandmother before her, she will risk all for love. But a scheming adversary concocts a deception in Matthew's absence that leaves Margery the unwitting wife of a wealthy goldsmith--who seeks only to trade on her family name--while believing she was betrayed by Matthew. When Matthew returns from London to find Margery wedded and bedded, he accuses her of betraying HIM. Now, both Margery and Matthew foolishly believe that time, distance and heartbreak will be enough to keep them forever apart.BOOK 3: Within A Forest Dark - With his belief in the Perfection of Knighthood challenged by battlefield atrocities, Matthew Hart returns to London, wishing to reunite with his first love, Margery Watson. Margery's cruel husband is now dead. As a wealthy widow, she has no intention of returning to the bonds of marriage. But she cannot turn away her handsome knight, no matter the depth of innocent blood he spilled in the name of honor and duty. As Matthew forces himself to fulfill feudal obligations, and Margery's unrest turns treasonous, the forces of king and kingdom may prove the lovers' ultimate undoing or their best hope.Publisher Note: Readers with a passion for history will appreciate the author's penchant for detail and accuracy. This story contains scenes of brutality which are true to the time and man's inhumanity. There are a limited number of sexual scenes and NO use of modern vulgarity. Fans of Elizabeth Chadwick, Bernard Cornwell and Philippa Gregory as well as Tamara Leigh and Suzan Tisdale will not want to miss this historically accurate series."Author Mary Ellen Johnson strides through history with the reader in the front seat." ~Karen Lausa". . . it challenged my intellect as well as my heart." ~Margaret Watkins, eBook Discovery ReviewerTHE KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND, in series orderThe Lion and the LeopardA Knight There WasWithin A Forest DarkA Child Upon The ThroneLords Among the RuinsMEET MARY ELLEN JOHNSONMary Ellen Johnson's writing career began with her passion for Medieval England. Then she took a 20-year detour when she got involved in a local murder and ultimately became the Executive Director of The Pendulum Foundation, a non-profit serving kids serving life in prison. With Mary Ellen's goal of sentencing reform nearing successful completion, she is returning to her first love, novel writing.La hermana de Freud
By Goce Smilevski. 2010
Fue Sigmund Freud culpable de la muerte de su hermana en un campo de concentración? En 1938 Sigmund Freud consigue…
un salvoconducto para huir del régimen nazi y la posibilidad de llevar consigo a algunas personas de su entorno. Escribe una lista de dieciséis nombres, entre ellos están su perro, su cuñada, sus criadas y su médico, pero no sus hermanas. Una de ellas, Adolphine, es la protagonista de esta asombrosa novela sobre la familia Freud, el esplendor artístico y cultural de Viena a comienzos de siglo, y la controvertida época que le tocó en suerte. La crítica ha dicho:«Obra profunda, inteligente, audazmente imaginativa... Ningún admirador del maestro vienés saldrá indemne.»Alberto Manguel, Babelia «Un joven heredero de Günter Grass y José Saramago con un importante mensaje para el futuro del viejo continente.»The Forward «Me ha conmovido... Resulta muy difícil de olvidar y es probable que sea tan polémica como aclamada.»Joyce Carol Oates «Una joya... Emocionante, provocadora e inolvidable.»Publishers Weekly «Adolphine Freud explora las creencias de su hermano con una sensibilidad hacia las debilidades humanas que a menudo falta en las obras de Sigmund... Un estudio agudo del amor y la muerte, el sexo y la traición...»BooklistMadero, el otro
By Ignacio Solares. 1999
La dimensión íntima y espiritual del revolucionario En esta novela, Ignacio Solares reconstruye la vida de Francisco I. Madero, el…
hombre que se opuso a la dictadura de Porfirio Díaz y proclamó la no reelección, iniciando la revolución mexicana. Para ello, elige una veta poco explorada: las creencias místicas y religiosas del personaje histórico, sus sueños y sus inclinaciones al espiritismo; su constante comunicación con las almas que lo predestinaban a ocupar un lugar de líder y mártir frente a su patria. La narración comienza con la muerte de Madero en la Decena Trágica y, desde ahí, se interna en los episodios claves que lo llevaron hasta ese momento crítico: sus debilidades ante el usurpador Victoriano Huerta, su interés por mediar intereses irreconciliables, las dudas que lo apartaron de sus aliados, como Zapata, y favorecieron a sus enemigos, a los que se empeñaba en perdonar, pese a las advertencias de todos... Solares se adentra al mundo emocional y psicológico del llamado "apóstol" con gran exactitud, ya que tuvo acceso a los apuntes personales de Madero. Por ello logra caracterizar al personaje con fidelidad, mediante un estilo certero, verosímil y una fascinante reconstrucción de hechos que conmocionaron la vida del país.Inquebrantable
By Laura Hillenbrand. 2011
Retrato de la extraordinaria historia de Louie Zamperini, un atleta olímpico que se convirtió en aviador de la Segunda Guerra…
Mundial, en náufrago y en prisionero japonés. Inquebrantable fue adaptada en 2014 por Angelina Jolie, película que tuvo 3 nominaciones a los premios Oscar y fue incluida por el American Film Institute en el Top 10 de las mejores películas del año. Una historia de supervivencia, valor y resistencia durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Louie Zamperini, niño problemático, atleta olímpico, aviador durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, náufrago en el Pacífico Sur, prisionero de los japoneses... un superviviente. Junio, 1943. Louie Zamperini, bombardero de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y atleta olímpico, se encuentra tendido sobre una pequeña balsa a la deriva en la inmensidad del océano Pacífico. Junto a él yacen otros dos compañeros. Sus cuerpos están abrasados por el sol y un grupo de tiburones los acecha cada minuto. Llevan 27 días sin rumbo y hace mucho que perdieron la esperanza de ser rescatados. Un sonido metálico los alerta... es un avión -pueden ver su destello a lo lejos-, Zamperini arroja dos bengalas. Los náufragos se desesperan, pero de pronto lo ven reaparecer. La tripulación los ha visto. El avión empieza a descender y los hombres se percatan con espanto de que se trata de un bombardero japonés y de que ellos son su objetivo. No hay salida. Así comienza Inquebrantable, una de las historias reales más impactantes de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Laura Hillenbrand, autora de Seabiscuit, articula con la destreza de las grandes novelistas la vida de un hombre extraordinario que tuvo una infancia complicada, que descubrió que poseía un increíble don para correr que lo llevó a participar en los Juegos Olímpicos de Berlín y que se convirtió en aviador durante la guerra, una experiencia dramática que lo puso al límite envarias ocasiones. Una obra imprescindible cuya lectura atrapa desde las primeras páginas, una historia de supervivencia, valor y resistencia que no dejará indiferente a nadie. Una odisea contemporánea.La novela de Perón
By Tomás Eloy Martínez. 2005
El 20 de junio de 1973, el General Juan Domingo Perón regresa a Argentina tras dieciocho años de exilio. Le…
acompañan su esposa, José López Rega, oscuro intrigante surgido de la nada, y un numeroso séquito. En Madrid deja años de desprecio del régimen de Franco y el recuerdo de una triunfal Eva Perón cuyo cadáver momificado descansa en su propia casa. Con él lleva unas memorias inacabadas con las que quiere dejar una visión napoleónica de sí mismo. Más de dos millones de personas, la mayor multitud jamás congregada, le esperan en el aeropuerto. Mientras, sus seguidores luchan encarnizadamente por apoderarse del símbolo que aún representa el anciano General. Tomás Eloy Martínez, Premio Alfaguara 2002, resume en esta novela llena de acción y personajes la historia argentina del último siglo a través de la biografía de un hombre que encarnó la esperanza de su pueblo, al mismo tiempo que indaga en las múltiples caras que presenta la verdad y el poder que tiene la ficción para crear puentes entre todas ellas.Lords Among the Ruins: A Medieval Romance (The Knights of England Series #5)
By Mary Ellen Johnson. 2020
As the Fourteenth-Century Closes, So Does the Rule of England's Most Tyrannical Monarch in the Medieval Historical, LORDS AMONG THE…
RUINS, by Mary Ellen JohnsonMedieval England from the Aftermath of 1381 Peasants’ Revolt to the Deposition and Murder of Richard II on 14 Feb 1400As the former boy king, Richard II, approaches his third decade, Matthew Hart and England’s other great lords struggle to deflect his more destructive impulses, which increasingly threaten the kingdom.Amidst attempted assassinations, growing civil war and political intrigue, Matthew Hart, his beloved wife, Margery Watson, and their offspring live and love and war their way through the last years of the fourteenth century, seeing the deposition and murder of England’s most tyrannical monarch.Publisher's Note: Readers with a passion for history will appreciate the author's penchant for detail and accuracy. In keeping with the era, this story contains scenes of brutality which are true to the time and man's timeless inhumanity. There are a limited number of sexual scenes and NO use of modern vulgarity.From the Author: There is nothing new under the sun. If we seek to understand today’s events, history will always provide the answer. By 1398 the megalomaniacal Richard II had consolidated his power, executed or banished all his enemies and destroyed all those who might speak out in opposition to him. Two years later Richard was deposed, thrown into a dungeon in Pontefract Castle and starved to death. Lessons: We can never predict the future; actions always have unintended consequences; we sow the seeds of our own destruction and payback’s a bitch!THE KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND, in series orderThe Lion and the LeopardA Knight There WasWithin A Forest DarkA Child Upon The ThroneLords Among the RuinsThey called her the She-Wolf From Provence. She'd shape the destiny of England ...Fans of Alison Weir, Anne O'Brien and…
Philippa Gregory, will devour this compelling new novel, starring one of English history's most fierce and courageous forgotten heroines!'Powerful, gripping and beautifully told' - Kate Furnivall, author of The Liberation'A feast for the senses and highly recommended' - Deborah Swift, author of Pleasing Mr Pepys'Well-researched . . . Fascinating' - Joanna CourtneyREADERS LOVE THE SILKEN ROSE!***** 'Stunning start to a new series of She-Wolf Queens'***** 'Spectacular . . . I will recommend this first part of her new trilogy to everyone'***** 'Fabulous . . . A lovely, highly researched tale'***** 'Exceptionally well-written . . . From the first page I was totally caught up in the story'1236. Ailenor of Provence, cultured and intelligent, is only thirteen when she meets her new husband, Henry III of England. A foreign and friendless princess in a strange land she is determined to please him. And she knows that when the times comes she must provide an heir, to secure the throne against those who would snatch it away. Rosalind, a commoner skilled in the arts of needlework and embroidery, catches the young queen's attention and a friendship blossoms. But she is unprepared for the dangerous ramifications of winning the queen's favour ... As closeness, and soon love, develops between Ailenor and Henry, so too does her influence on her husband and her power at court. As France and Wales provide constant threat, and England's barons increasingly resent her influence, Ailenor must learn to be ruthless. Who should she encourage her husband to favour? Who can she trust? Caught in a web of treachery and deceit, her choices will define the fate of England. To protect her close friends, and her beloved children, Ailenor, the She-Wolf from Provence, would do, and endure, anything ... AND DISCOVER THE DAMASK ROSE: THE SUMPTUOUS AND GRIPPING NEW NOVEL FROM CAROL MCGRATHCOMING APRIL 2021: AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER NOW!From the #1 bestselling author of The Secret Wife, Another Woman's Husband will be adored by all fans of The…
Crown. Wallis Simpson is brought enticingly to life in this gripping, moving novel about two women thrust into the spotlight, followed by scandal, touched by loss.'One of my favourite books of this year. Fascinating, glamorous and utterly compelling... historical fiction at its best' Tracy Rees, author of The Hourglass.'Another Woman's Husband is a marvellous, perfect read' The SunTwo women who challenged the Crown.Divided by time. Bound by a secret...1911At the age of fifteen, carefree Mary Kirk and indomitable Wallis Warfield meet at summer camp. Their friendship will survive heartbreaks, separation and the demands of the British Crown until it is shattered by one unforgivable betrayal...1997Rachel's romantic break in Paris with her fiancé ends in tragedy when the car ahead crashes. Inside was Princess Diana. Back in Brighton, Rachel is haunted by the accident, and intrigued to learn the princess had visited the last home of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, only hours before the crash. Soon, the discovery of a long-forgotten link to Wallis Simpson leads Rachel to the truth behind a scandal that shook the world...Readers love ANOTHER WOMAN'S HUSBAND:'Riveting! I thoroughly enjoyed this intriguing tale of friendship and betrayal' Rosanna Ley'With superb story-telling and a lush backdrop of period detail...a novel that is impossible to put down, about two women who are impossible to forget. I loved it!' Hazel Gaynor'I devoured Another Woman's Husband in a few days. This has bestseller written all over it.' Louise Beech'With seamless ease Gill evokes the events and characters of two eras...with great verve and a smattering of delicious fictional licence. Delightful' Liz Trenow'Gill Paul has taken two of the twentieth century's most enigmatic women, one revered, the other reviled, and woven them into a deft story of friendship and betrayal' Kate Riordan'Compelling and full of surprises ****' The Lady'Sheds light on a scandal and a love story which deserves to be read by many. A fascinating read which made me lose several hours to this story. I have no hesitation in recommending it and am keen to see what time in history Gill Paul will turn her hand to next' Shaz's Book BlogFlames of Rebellion: A Medieval Romance (The Knights of England Series #6)
By Mary Ellen Johnson. 2021
Civil War Once Again Threatens England in the Medieval Historical, THE FLAMES OF REBELLION, by Mary Ellen Johnson1397 to 1403.…
England, Tintagel, London, Shrewsbury, Conway Castle, Tower of London, Cumbria, Westminster Abbey, Wales and ScotlandIn the fourteenth century’s waning days, the tyrannical Richard II is knocked from his throne, and Henry IV is crowned, despite a shaky claim to the throne.Knight Matthew Hart, now in his sixties, believes he can retire to a quiet life in the wilds of Cumbria while Lancelot and Janey’s love remains more the stuff of Romances than reality.Yet, all too soon, England’s lords grow restless, betrayal is in the air, and Matthew and his family must again ride into battle on behalf of their endangered king.The fates of all the characters who grace the Knights of England series, spanning a century—including some of the most vivid battles, events and historical characters in medieval history—are resolved.Publisher’s Note: Readers with a passion for history will appreciate the author’s penchant for detail and accuracy. In keeping with the era, this story contains scenes of brutality which are true to the time and man’s timeless inhumanity. There are a limited number of sexual scenes and NO use of modern vulgarity.From the Author: There is nothing new under the sun. If we seek to understand today’s events, history will always provide the answer. By 1398 the megalomaniacal Richard II had consolidated his power, executed or banished all his enemies and destroyed all those who might speak out in opposition to him. Two years later Richard was deposed, thrown into a dungeon in Pontefract Castle and starved to death. Lessons: We can never predict the future; actions always have unintended consequences; we sow the seeds of our own destruction and payback’s a bitch!THE KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND, in series orderThe Lion and the LeopardA Knight There WasWithin A Forest DarkA Child Upon The ThroneLords Among the RuinsThe Flames of RebellionA Woman Loved
By Andreï Makine. 2013
Catherine the Great's life seems to have been made for the cinema. Countless love affairs and wild sexual escapades, betrayal,…
revenge, murder - there is no shortage of historical drama. But Oleg Erdmann, a young Russian filmmaker, seeks to discover and portray the real Catherine, her essential, emotional truth.When he is dropped from the film he initially scripted - his name summarily excised from the credits - Erdmann is cast adrift in a changing world. A second chance beckons when an old friend enriched by the capitalist new dawn invites him to refashion his opus for a television serial. But Erdmann is made acutely aware that the market exerts its own forms of censorship. While he comes to accept that each age must cast Catherine in its own image, one question continues to nag at him. Was the empress, whose sexual appetites were sated with favours bought with titles and coin, ever truly loved? In his search for an answer, Erdmann will find a love of his own that brings the fulfilment that filmmaking once promised him.