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The Rocket Man
by David DarlingThe wonder of flight has long captured the human imagination. In this beguiling history - ranging from the first aircraft to astronauts and beyond - David Darling tells the stories of the true life adventurers whose wonder has translated into bizarre contraptions, magnificent achievements and, sometimes, startling folly. Discover outrageous attempts to fly like a bird and the secret military planes that never made it off the ground - including the flying pancake and the plane with thirty wings. Meet Napoleonic ballooniste Sophie Blanchard who planned an aerial invasion of England, stuntman Lincoln Beachey, looping-the-loop in a pinstripe suit and, of course, The Rocket Man himself: Yves Rossy, who in 2006 was the first person to fly with the aid of a jet-pack. Eccentric and imaginative, reckless and resourceful - Darling's daring cast of dreamers is guaranteed to entertain and inspire.
The Rodfather: Inside the Beautiful (Ugly, Ridiculous, Hilarious) Game
by Paul Howard Roddy CollinsThe hilarious memoir from the funniest man in football!Roddy Collins is a football man - now in the sixth decade of a career as a player (at sixteen clubs), manager (twelve clubs) and commentator. And he is a funny man: an unequalled raconteur with a sharp eye for the absurdities of the professional game and spectacular recall. He has made friends wherever he has gone, along with some high-quality enemies. When John Delaney said he could get Roddy a job if he'd just stop criticising him, Roddy replied that he'd 'rather dig holes in the road'.Now, with the brilliant Paul Howard, Roddy puts it all down on paper for the first time - the adventures, the rows and the craic - in what is not only one of the funniest but also one of the most eye-opening books ever written about professional football.
The Rogue's Road to Retirement: How I Got My Groove Back after Sixty-Five?And How You Can, Too!
by George S. RiderGeorge S. K. Rider's The Rogue's Road to Retirement takes a unique approach to growing old-don't do it! After retiring, Rider embarks on a bumpy journey to find himself and a new lease on life. For the first time, he gets in touch with his creative side-an unusual direction indeed, since he spent seventy years of his life as a college athlete turned Navy officer turned Wall Street trader and weekend jock. Told through a series of uproariously humorous and sometimes poignant adventures, The Rogue's Road to Retirement is about getting back in touch with your inner rascal and getting off your duff (George ends up in an MTV video, a Pepsi ad doing the polka, and Sports Illustrated)!Rider's adventures and stories reflect on finding a new passion in retirement by:being kind to your kids (after all, you need them to do the lawn work now);discovering the joys of guilt-tripping your grandchildren into hanging out with you;struggling with the age-old dilemma-take another nap or go to the gym;driving your spouse nuts now that you're both home 24/7;barhopping (or barhobbling) after sixty-five;savoring the sweet memories of friends and loves ones now gone;and much more.The Rogue's Road to Retirement is about the rebels, raconteurs, and roués who refuse to grow old gracefully, who want to grow old the way they grew up-raising hell, having fun, and giving their kids and grandkids a run for their money.
The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin
by Joe Mcginnissrogue (r¯og), n: An elephant that has separated from a herd and roams about alone,in which state it is very savage.--Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary After three years of research, bestselling journalist Joe McGinniss presents his already controversial and much anticipated investigative chronicle of Sarah Palin as an individual, politician, and cultural phenomenon. In his critically acclaimed book about Alaska, Going to Extremes, the fledgling state itself was Joe McGinniss's subject. Although he didn't hesitate to reveal the many flaws and contradictions behind its "last frontier" image, McGinniss fell in love with the land and its people. More than three decades later, he returned to Alaska in search of its most famous resident, Sarah Palin. On Election Day 2008, McGinniss began his on-the-ground reporting that culminated, famously, in his moving next door to Sarah Palin in spring 2010. THE ROGUE is the eagerly awaited result of his research and writing: a startling study of the illusion and reality of Sarah Palin--and a probing look at the Alaska and the America that produced her. Sometimes funny, sometimes frightening, always provocative and illuminating, THE ROGUE answers the questions "Who is she, really?," "How did she happen?," and "Will she ever go away?"In all of his books, McGinniss has scrutinized the mysterious space between image and reality--how that space is created, negotiated, and/or manipulated. Now, with The Rogue, McGinniss combines his deep appreciation of the place Sarah Palin comes from with his uncanny ability to penetrate the façades of people in public life. The result is an extraordinary double narrative that alternately traces Palin's curious rise to political prominence and worldwide celebrity status and recounts the author's day-to-day experiences as he uncovers the messy reality beneath the glossy Palin myth. Readers will find THE ROGUE at once bitingly insightful, hilarious, and profoundly ominous in what it reveals--not just about the dark underpinnings of a potential presidential nominee but also in regard to the huge numbers of Americans who passionately support her.From the Hardcover edition.
The Rolling Stone Interviews: The Full Rolling Stone Interviews From 1970 (A\rolling Stone Press Book Ser.)
by Jann WennerThe Rolling Stone interview was the centerpiece of the most important American magazine of its generation. It was--and continues to be today--the imprimatur of true cultural importance, the place where our heroes, idols, and stars unveil their great selves as nowhere else. Indeed, Lennon, Dylan, Clapton, Springsteen, Madonna, Bono, Eminem, Gore, Tutu, Eastwood, Scorsese, Kubrick, Brando, Nicholson, and countless others revealed the secrets behind their art and their lives in Rolling Stone's pages. And now, for the first time ever, the very best interviews from the magazine's remarkable 40-year history have been collected in a single volume. All of the biggest and most important musicians, writers, political figures, and directors are here--completely unafraid to bare their souls and comment candidly on the issues of their day. THE ROLLING STONE INTERVIEWS is more than a collection; it's a marvelous cultural history.
The Rolling Stones 1972
by Jim MarshallA pictorial chronicle of the Stones’ classic summer concert tour from the Life magazine photographer who followed them—with a foreword by Keith Richards.In 1972, the Rolling Stones marked their first decade as a band with the release of Exile on Main St. and a summer concert tour of America that set new standards for magnificence in live performance. Covering the tour for Life magazine, photographer Jim Marshall captured indelible moments of the Stones in their glory onstage, as well as the camaraderie behind the scenes. Featuring a foreword by Keith Richards, this volume presents Marshall’s shots alongside dozens of never-before-seen frames. Stones fans will revel in this unprecedented look at one of the biggest rock bands of all time from the photographer who captured them best.“The stunning images in this collection show the Stones in all their strung-out Exile on Main Street-era splendor—recording in Los Angeles, chilling backstage and strutting across some very lucky concert stages.” —Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stones All the Songs Expanded Edition: The Story Behind Every Track
by Jean-Michel Guesdon Philippe MargotinComprehensive visual history of the "World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band" as told through the recording of their monumental catalog, including 29 studio and 24 compilation albums, and more than a hundred singles.Since 1963, The Rolling Stones have been recording and touring, selling more than 200 million records worldwide. While much is known about this iconic group, few books provide a comprehensive history of their time in the studio. In The Rolling Stones All the Songs, authors Margotin and Guesdon describe the origin of their 340 released songs, details from the recording studio, what instruments were used, and behind-the-scenes stories of the great artists who contributed to their tracks.Organized chronologically by album, this massive, 704-page hardcover begins with their 1963 eponymous debut album recorded over five days at the Regent Studio in London; through their collaboration with legendary producer Jimmy Miller in the ground-breaking albums from 1968 to 1973; to their later work with Don Was, who has produced every album since Voodoo Lounge. Packed with more than 500 photos, All the Songs is also filled with stories fans treasure, such as how the mobile studio they pioneered was featured in Deep Purple's classic song "Smoke on the Water" or how Keith Richards used a cassette recording of an acoustic guitar to get the unique riff on "Street Fighting Man."
The Rolling Stones In the Beginning: With unseen images
by Bent Rej"The photographs are amazing - the Stones are still practically children, messing around, pulling faces and writing the odd song."GQ"The finest single collection of Stones photographs I have ever seen" Bill WymanNEW, EXPANDED EDITION CONTAINING NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOGRAPHS. In 1965 the Rolling Stones were big and about to be huge, when Bent Rej was given unprecedented access to a year in the eye of the rock 'n' roll storm, accompanying the band on its first full European outing: the Satisfaction tour. The Rolling Stones In the Beginning is Rej's collection of more than 300 intimate photographs of the band on stage, on the road and at home, documenting a year in the life of the Rolling Stones as they enjoyed their first taste of popular success.Long a fan favourite, this brand new edition offers an even closer look into the making of music history with images recently unearthed from Rej's archives.
The Rolling Stones In the Beginning: With unseen images
by Bent Rej"The photographs are amazing - the Stones are still practically children, messing around, pulling faces and writing the odd song."GQ"The finest single collection of Stones photographs I have ever seen" Bill WymanNEW, EXPANDED EDITION CONTAINING NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOGRAPHS. In 1965 the Rolling Stones were big and about to be huge, when Bent Rej was given unprecedented access to a year in the eye of the rock 'n' roll storm, accompanying the band on its first full European outing: the Satisfaction tour. The Rolling Stones In the Beginning is Rej's collection of more than 300 intimate photographs of the band on stage, on the road and at home, documenting a year in the life of the Rolling Stones as they enjoyed their first taste of popular success.Long a fan favourite, this brand new edition offers an even closer look into the making of music history with images recently unearthed from Rej's archives.
The Rolling Stones: Fifty Years
by S. E. SandfordIn 1962 Mick Jagger was a bright, well-scrubbed boy (planning a career in the civil service), while Keith Richards was learning how to smoke and to swivel a six-shooter. Add the mercurial Brian Jones (who'd been effectively run out of Cheltenham for theft, multiple impregnations and playing blues guitar) and the wryly opinionated Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, and the potential was obvious. During the 1960s and 70s the Rolling Stones were the polarising figures in Britain, admired in some quarters for their flamboyance, creativity and salacious lifestyles, and reviled elsewhere for the same reasons. Confidently expected never to reach 30 they are now approaching their seventies and, in 2012, will have been together for 50 years. In The Rolling Stones, Christopher Sandford tells the human drama at the centre of the Rolling Stones story. Sandford has carried out interviews with those close to the Stones, family members (including Mick's parents), the group's fans and contemporaries - even examined their previously unreleased FBI files. Like no other book before The Rolling Stones will make sense of the rich brew of clever invention and opportunism, of talent, good fortune, insecurity, self-destructiveness, and of drugs, sex and other excess, that made the Stones who they are.
The Roman Emperor Aurelian: Restorer of the World
by John F. WhiteThe leader who helped keep the Dark Ages at bay: &“An excellent picture of the Crisis of the Third Century and the life and work of Aurelian&” (StrategyPage). The ancient Sibylline prophecies had foretold that the Roman Empire would last for one thousand years. As the time for the expected dissolution approached in the middle of the third century AD, the empire was lapsing into chaos, with seemingly interminable civil wars over the imperial succession. The western empire had seceded under a rebel emperor, and the eastern empire was controlled by another usurper. Barbarians took advantage of the anarchy to kill and plunder all over the provinces. Yet within the space of just five years, the general, and later emperor, Aurelian had expelled all the barbarians from within the Roman frontiers, reunited the entire empire, and inaugurated major reforms of the currency, pagan religion, and civil administration. His accomplishments have been hailed by classical scholars as those of a superman, yet Aurelian himself remains little known to a wider audience. His achievements enabled the Roman Empire to survive for another two centuries, ensuring a lasting legacy of Roman civilization for the successor European states. Without Aurelian, the Dark Ages would probably have lasted centuries longer.
The Roman Party: Independent Reading White 10 (Reading Champion #517)
by Sarah SnashallThis story is part of Reading Champion, a series carefully linked to book bands to encourage independent reading skills, developed with Dr Sue Bodman and Glen Franklin of UCL Institute of Education (IOE) Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and a reading activity. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child's reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure. Perfect for 7-9-year-olds or those reading book band white.Galan does not like visiting the Roman fort of Vindolanda to sell his fruit. The soldiers often shout at the local people. Them he finds himself going to a Roman party ...
The Romance of American Communism
by Vivian GornickWriter and critic Vivian Gornick&’s long-unavailable classic exploring how Left politics gave depth and meaning to American life&“Before I knew that I was Jewish or a girl I knew that I was a member of the working class.&” So begins Vivian Gornick&’s exploration of how the world of socialists, communists, and progressives in the 1940s and 1950s created a rich, diverse world where ordinary men and women felt their lives connected to a larger human project. Now back in print after its initial publication in 1977 and with a new introduction by the author, The Romance of American Communism is a landmark work of new journalism, profiling American Communist Party members and fellow travelers as they joined the Party, lived within its orbit, and left in disillusionment and disappointment as Stalin&’s crimes became public.
The Romance of Real Life: Charles Brockden Brown and the Origins of American Culture
by Steven WattsOriginally published in 1994. The Romance of Real Life aims to reconstruct historically the life and writings of Charles Brockden Brown in terms of their cultural connection. Watts examines in detail Brown's early and later writings. By looking at these often-neglected works more closely, he offers a new perspective on the well-known novels from the late 1790s. Watts's synthetic look at genre as well as chronology reveals broader connections between Brown's literature and American society and culture in the decades of the early republic. Furthermore, Watts situates Brown's writings in terms of the interplay of text, context, and the self, with each factor recognized as mutually shaping the others. The Romance of Real Life incorporates sensitivity to the "social history of ideas," in which both the form and content of language remain rooted in the material experience of real life.
The Romance of the Colorado River
by Frederick S. DellenbaughIn 1871, seventeen-year-old Fred Dellenbaugh walked into a hotel room in Chicago, and with a “You’ll do, Fred,” began a lifetime of danger-fraught exploration. Under the lead of John Wesley Powell, a Civil War hero with only one arm, Fred journeyed into the Grand Canyon and its subsidiary canyons and rivers, with the intention of exploring, mapping, and recording description of the uncharted territory. The men found themselves battling the great force of the Colorado River, with its fatal, quick rapids and mighty waterfalls. Their small, frail boats were no match for the river, and as they began to capsize and as supplies were lost overboard, the expedition quickly became about survival. It was only through the steady command of Major Powell that the team prevailed. They went on to accomplish their mission, which has become historically significant today. <P><P> The Romance of the Colorado River is Dellenbaugh’s personal story, written thirty years after the great adventure. The volume includes twenty of the author’s original illustrations, as well as nearly 150 contemporary photographs, which provide an accurate image of what the explorers encountered during their expedition. Dellenbaugh also recounts previous attempts to explore the valley, by both Europeans and fellow Americans, adding a historical element to the story. Part adventure narrative and part geography survey of the Colorado River, this book offers a unique firsthand account of a fascinating scientific expedition.
The Romanian
by Bruce Benderson'History follows a trail of sputtering desire, often calling upon the delusions of lovers to generate the sparks. If it weren't for us, the world would suffer from a dismal lack of stories. ' In this brutally candid memoir, writer, translator and journalist Bruce Benderson recounts his unrequited love for an impoverished Romanian whom he meets while on a journalism assignment in Eastern Europe. Rather than retreat, Benderson absorbs everything he can about Romania, its culture and its history and discovers a mirror in it for his own turmoil: the wild affairs of its last king, Carol II. Free of bitterness, nastiness, or any desire to protect himself, he is sustained throughout by little white codeine pills, a poetic self-awareness, a sense of humor, and an unwavering belief in the perfect romance, even as wild dogs chase him down Romanian streets.
The Romanov Brides: A Novel of the Last Tsarina and Her Sisters
by Clare McHughFrom the author of A Most English Princess comes a rich novel about young Princess Alix of Hesse—the future Alexandra, last Empress of Imperial Russia—and her sister, Princess Ella. Their decision to marry into the Romanov royal family changed history. They were granddaughters of Queen Victoria and two of the most beautiful princesses in Europe. Princesses Alix and Ella were destined to wed well and wisely. But while their grandmother wants to join them to the English and German royal families, the sisters fall in love with Russia—and the Romanovs. Defying the Queen’s dire warnings, Ella weds the tsar’s brother, Grand Duke Serge. Cultivated, aloof, and proud, Serge places his young wife on a pedestal for all to admire. Behind palace gates, Ella struggles to secure private happiness. Alix, whisked away to Russia for Ella’s wedding, meets and captivates Nicky—heir apparent to the Russian throne. While loving him deeply, Alix hears a call of conscience, urging her to walk away. Their fateful decisions to marry will lead to tragic consequences for not only themselves and their families, but for millions in Russia and around the globe. The Romanov Brides is a moving and fascinating portrait of two bold and spirited royal sisters, and brings to vivid life imperial Russia—a dazzling, decadent world on the brink of disappearing forever.
The Romanov Empress: A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna
by C. W. GortnerFor readers of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir comes a dramatic novel of the beloved Empress Maria, the Danish girl who became the mother of the last Russian tsar. Even from behind the throne, a woman can rule.Narrated by the mother of Russia’s last tsar, this vivid, historically authentic novel brings to life the courageous story of Maria Feodorovna, one of Imperial Russia’s most compelling women, who witnessed the splendor and tragic downfall of the Romanovs as she fought to save her dynasty in its final years. Barely nineteen, Minnie knows that her station in life as a Danish princess is to leave her family and enter into a royal marriage—as her older sister Alix has done, moving to England to wed Queen Victoria’s eldest son. The winds of fortune bring Minnie to Russia, where she marries the Romanov heir, Alexander, and once he ascends the throne, becomes empress. When resistance to his reign strikes at the heart of her family and the tsar sets out to crush all who oppose him, Minnie—now called Maria—must tread a perilous path of compromise in a country she has come to love. Her husband’s death leaves their son Nicholas as the inexperienced ruler of a deeply divided and crumbling empire. Determined to guide him to reforms that will bring Russia into the modern age, Maria faces implacable opposition from Nicholas’s strong-willed wife, Alexandra, whose fervor has led her into a disturbing relationship with a mystic named Rasputin. As the unstoppable wave of revolution rises anew to engulf Russia, Maria will face her most dangerous challenge and her greatest heartache. From the opulent palaces of St. Petersburg and the intrigue-laced salons of the aristocracy to the World War I battlefields and the bloodied countryside occupied by the Bolsheviks, C. W. Gortner sweeps us into the anarchic fall of an empire and the complex, bold heart of the woman who tried to save it.Advance praise for The Romanov Empress“Through the voice of Maria, [C. W.] Gortner succeeds in adding a new perspective to the well-known story of Nicholas, Alexandra, and Rasputin. As a sister, wife, mother, and empress, she is a fierce and dynamic narrator.”—Library Journal “Gortner, an experienced hand at recreating the unique aura of a particular time and place, will deftly sweep historical-fictions fans into this glamorous, turbulent, and ultimately tragic chapter in history.”—Booklist (starred review)
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
by Helen RappaportThey were the Princess Dianas of their day—perhaps the most photographed and talked about young royals of the early twentieth century. The four captivating Russian Grand Duchesses—Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov—were much admired for their happy dispositions, their looks, the clothes they wore and their privileged lifestyle. Over the years, the story of the four Romanov sisters and their tragic end in a basement at Ekaterinburg in 1918 has clouded our view of them, leading to a mass of sentimental and idealized hagiography. With this treasure trove of diaries and letters from the grand duchesses to their friends and family, we learn that they were intelligent, sensitive and perceptive witnesses to the dark turmoil within their immediate family and the ominous approach of the Russian Revolution, the nightmare that would sweep their world away, and them along with it. The Romanov Sisters sets out to capture the joy as well as the insecurities and poignancy of those young lives against the backdrop of the dying days of late Imperial Russia, World War I and the Russian Revolution. Helen Rappaport aims to present a new and challenging take on the story, drawing extensively on previously unseen or unpublished letters, diaries and archival sources, as well as private collections. It is a book that will surprise people, even aficionados.
The Romanovs: 1613-1918
by Simon Sebag MontefioreThe Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world's surface. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the world's greatest empire? And how did they lose it all?This is the intimate story of twenty tsars and tsarinas, some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy autocracy and imperial ambition. Montefiore's gripping chronicle reveals their secret world of unlimited power and ruthless empire-building, overshadowed by palace conspiracy, family rivalries, sexual decadence and wild extravagance, and peopled by a cast of adventurers, courtesans, revolutionaries and poets. Written with dazzling literary flair, drawing on new archival research, THE ROMANOVS is at once an enthralling chronicle of triumph and tragedy, love and death, a universal study of power, and an essential portrait of the empire that still defines Russia today.
The Romanovs: 1613-1918
by Simon Sebag MontefioreThe Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world's surface. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the world's greatest empire? And how did they lose it all? This is the intimate story of twenty tsars and tsarinas, some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy autocracy and imperial ambition. Montefiore's gripping chronicle reveals their secret world of unlimited power and ruthless empire-building, overshadowed by palace conspiracy, family rivalries, sexual decadence and wild extravagance, and peopled by a cast of adventurers, courtesans, revolutionaries and poets, from Ivan the Terrible to Tolstoy, from Queen Victoria to Lenin. To rule Russia was both imperial-sacred mission and poisoned chalice: six tsars were murdered and all the Romanovs lived under constant threat to their lives. Peter the Great tortured his own son to death while making Russia an empire, and dominated his court with a dining club notable for compulsory drunkenness, naked dwarfs and fancy dress. Catherine the Great overthrew her own husband - who was murdered soon afterwards - loved her young male favourites, conquered Ukraine and fascinated Europe. Paul was strangled by courtiers backed by his own son, Alexander I, who faced Napoleon's invasion and the burning of Moscow, then went on to take Paris. Alexander II liberated the serfs, survived five assassination attempts, and wrote perhaps the most explicit love letters ever written by a ruler. THE ROMANOVS climaxes with a fresh, unforgettable portrayal of Nicholas and Alexandra, the rise and murder of Rasputin, war and revolution - and the harrowing massacre of the entire family. Written with dazzling literary flair, drawing on new archival research, THE ROMANOVS is at once an enthralling story of triumph and tragedy, love and death, a universal study of power, and an essential portrait of the empire that still defines Russia today.Read by Simon Russell Beale(p) 2016 Orion Publishing Group
The Romanovs: 1613-1918
by Simon Sebag MontefioreThe Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world's surface for three centuries. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the world's greatest empire? And how did they lose it all? This is the intimate story of twenty tsars and tsarinas, some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy autocracy and imperial ambition. Simon Sebag Montefiore's gripping chronicle reveals their secret world of unlimited power and ruthless empire-building, overshadowed by palace conspiracy, family rivalries, sexual decadence and wild extravagance, with a global cast of adventurers, courtesans, revolutionaries and poets, from Ivan the Terrible to Tolstoy and Pushkin, to Bismarck, Lincoln, Queen Victoria and Lenin. To rule Russia was both imperial-sacred mission and poisoned chalice: six of the last twelve tsars were murdered. Peter the Great tortured his own son to death while making Russia an empire, and dominated his court with a dining club notable for compulsory drunkenness, naked dwarfs and fancy dress. Catherine the Great overthrew her own husband (who was murdered soon afterward), enjoyed affairs with a series of young male favorites, conquered Ukraine and fascinated Europe. Paul I was strangled by courtiers backed by his own son, Alexander I, who in turn faced Napoleon's invasion and the burning of Moscow, then went on to take Paris. Alexander II liberated the serfs, survived five assassination attempts and wrote perhaps the most explicit love letters ever composed by a ruler. The Romanovs climaxes with a fresh, unforgettable portrayal of Nicholas II and Alexandra, the rise and murder of Rasputin, war and revolution--and the harrowing massacre of the entire family.Dazzlingly entertaining and beautifully written from start to finish, The Romanovs brings these monarchs--male and female, great and flawed, their families and courts--blazingly to life. Drawing on new archival research, Montefiore delivers an enthralling epic of triumph and tragedy, love and murder, encompassing the seminal years 1812, 1914 and 1917, that is both a universal study of power and a portrait of empire that helps define Russia today.
The Romanovs: The Final Chapter (Great Lives Ser.)
by Robert K. MassieIn July 1991, nine skeletons were exhumed from a shallow mass grave near Ekaterinburg, Siberia, a few miles from the infamous cellar room where the last tsar and his family had been murdered seventy-three years before. But were these the bones of the Romanovs? And if these were their remains, where were the bones of the two younger Romanovs supposedly murdered with the rest of the family? Was Anna Anderson, celebrated for more than sixty years in newspapers, books, and film, really Grand Duchess Anastasia? The Romanovs provides the answers, describing in suspenseful detail the dramatic efforts to discover the truth. Pulitzer Prize winner Robert K. Massie presents a colorful panorama of contemporary characters, illuminating the major scientific dispute between Russian experts and a team of Americans, whose findings, along with those of DNA scientists from Russia, America, and Great Britain, all contributed to solving one of the great mysteries of the twentieth century.
The Romantic Economist
by William NicolsonA wise and humorous memoir about a young economist trying to apply the rules of the market to his own floundering dating life. "I know that this sounds like a bit of a cliché, but really, it's not you..." The woman who said this to William Nicolson was funny, talented and unbearably beautiful. His mother said he ought to marry that girl. And he lost her in a personal best time of six weeks. It was when he found himself being dumped like this yet again that he decided something had to be done. William is an economist, which means he's good at reducing an infinitely complex world into a set of clear, rational principles about the way people and markets behave. Unfortunately, he has never been able to replicate this in the world of romance. Girls confuse him; they're the very definition of infinite complexity. In this book, he sets out to apply the rules of economics to his shaky love life. For a time, everything seems to be clearer. Want to play hard to get? Reduce your supply. Want a girlfriend? Find an undervalued asset. Why are all the good ones taken? That'll be the Efficient Market Hypothesis. But things don't work out quite as he'd hoped, and he's more isolated than ever. Can he find the perfect economic theory to rescue him from a future of lonely nights, or is the dating game too intricate to be won by logical, rational thinking?