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Martin Luther: Theology and Revolution
by Gerard Brendler Claude R. Foster Jr.How Luther's ideas went beyond theology to social change.
Martin McDonagh (Routledge Modern and Contemporary Dramatists)
by Catherine ReesThis comprehensive, accessible introduction to one of Britain’s leading contemporary playwrights and filmmakers outlines Martin McDonagh’s body of work, the key critical contexts for understanding and exploring his career, analysis of productions, and includes an exclusive interview with the director of his most recent stage work. Analysis of McDonagh’s writing is broken down into three periods – his early Irish plays, his screenplays, and his later plays that move away from and outside of Ireland. Works are discussed thematically, giving a dynamic reading of the scripts and the ideas around which they circle. The book’s final section then delves in more detail into selected seminal productions of McDonagh’s writing, outlining key phases and transitions in his career.Part of the Routledge Modern and Contemporary Dramatists series, Martin McDonagh is an essential guide for scholars and students who are setting out to understand the life and work of one of the most popular and acclaimed British dramatists and filmmakers of the twenty-first century.
Martin R. Delany
by Robert S. LevineMartin R. Delany (1812-85) has been called the "Father of Black Nationalism," but his extraordinary career also encompassed the roles of abolitionist, physician, editor, explorer, politician, army officer, novelist, and political theorist. Despite his enormous influence in the nineteenth century, and his continuing influence on black nationalist thought in the twentieth century, Delany has remained a relatively obscure figure in U.S. culture, generally portrayed as a radical separatist at odds with the more integrationist Frederick Douglass. This pioneering documentary collection offers readers a chance to discover, or rediscover, Delany in all his complexity. Through nearly 100 documents--approximately two-thirds of which have not been reprinted since their initial nineteenth-century publications--it traces the full sweep of his fascinating career. Included are selections from Delany's early journalism, his emigrationist writings of the 1850s, his 1859-62 novel, Blake (one of the first African American novels published in the United States), and his later writings on Reconstruction. Incisive and shrewd, angry and witty, Delany's words influenced key nineteenth-century debates on race and nation, addressing issues that remain pressing in our own time.
Martin R. Delany's Civil War and Reconstruction: A Primary Source Reader
by Tunde AdelekeMilitant? Uncompromising? Pragmatic? Utilitarian? Accommodating? Conservative? To engage Martin Robison Delany (1812–1885) is to wrestle with almost all the complexities and paradoxes of nineteenth-century black leadership in one public intellectual. After his previous book on Delany, senior historian Tunde Adeleke has compiled here letters, speeches, contemporary nineteenth-century newspaper articles, and reports written by and about Delany. These vital primary sources cover his Civil War and Reconstruction career in South Carolina and include key critical reactions to Delany’s ideas and writings from his contemporaries. There are over ninety documents, the vast majority not previously published. Delany remains the subject of conflicting and confusing interpretations. Adeleke indicates that Delany actually manifested complex dispositions. He presaged manifestations of the strands of both protest and compromise that would define the early twentieth-century world of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois. An African American abolitionist and journalist, Delany advocated for black nationalism, one of the first to do so. After working alongside Frederick Douglass to publish the North Star in the 1840s, Delany looked into establishing a settlement in West Africa. Yet during the Civil War, he served as the first African American field grade officer in the Union Army. Then he labored for the Freedmen’s Bureau in South Carolina. Delany even ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor as a Republican and later defected to the Democrats. These documents will prove an indispensable call and response to an unparalleled intellectual life.
Martin Rising: Requiem for a King
by Andrea Davis Pinkney Brian Pinkney&“A powerful celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., set against the last few months of his life and written in verse&” (School Library Journal).Martin Rising is a stunning, poetic presentation of the final months of Martin Luther King, Jr.&’s life—told in a rich embroidery of visions, color, musical cadence, deep emotion, and multiple layers of meaning. Against a backdrop of the sanitation workers&’ strike in Memphis, Tennessee, the book builds to its rousing crescendo as King delivers his &“I&’ve Been to the Mountaintop&” speech—where his life&’s commitment to peaceful activism and his dream of equality ascend to their highest peak. The Pinkneys&’ powerful and spiritual look at King&’s legacy celebrates the courage and moral conviction of a man who changed the course of history forever. And even in the face of searing tragedy, he continues to inspire, transform, and elevate all of us who share his dream. Praise for Martin RisingA Washington Post Best Book of the YearA Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the YearA New York Public Library Best Book of the YearA School Library Journal Best Book of the Year&“Unique and remarkable.&” —Publishers Weekly, starred review&“Each poem trembles under the weight of the story it tells . . . Martin Rising packs an emotional wallop and, in perfect homage, soars when read aloud.&” —Booklist, starred review
Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey
by Peter GuralnickA companion book to the PBS documentary series exploring the history of the blues and its contribution to American culture and music worldwide.A companion to the groundbreaking documentary series, this volume is a unique and timeless celebration of the blues, from writers and artists as esteemed and revered as the music that moved them.Included in this stunning collection are:Essays by David Halberstam, Hilton Als, Suzan-Lori Parks, Elmore Leonard, Luc Sante, John Edgar Wideman, and many othersTimeless archival pieces by writers such as Stanley Booth, Paul Oliver, and Mack McCormickEvocative color illustrations and rare vintage photographyIlluminating and in-depth conversations and portraits of musicians, ranging from Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith to John Lee Hooker and Eric ClaptonLyrics of legendary blues compositionsPersonal essays by the series directors Martin Scorsese, Charles Burnett, Richard Pearce, Wim Wenders, Marc Levin, Mike Figgis, and Clint EastwoodExcerpts from literary masters James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Eudora Welty, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and William FaulknerTracing the art form’s path from juke joints, house parties, and recording studios to musicians such as Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles, Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues proves, in the words of Willie Dixon, “The blues are the roots; every-thing else is the fruits.”Praise for Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues“Richly detailed . . . the book has a wealth of material with a lot of riffs and personal takes by talented writers.” —USA Today“A must-read for any blues fans.” —Chicago Tribune“Essential . . . for anyone who cares about American history, black culture, and current music.” —Miami Herald“Even if you’re a blues hound with hundreds of discs in your collection, this book is a learning experience, and richly enjoyable.” —Kansas City Star
Martin Scorsese and the American Dream
by Jim CullenMore than perhaps any other major filmmaker, Martin Scorsese has grappled with the idea of the American Dream. His movies are full of working-class strivers hoping for a better life, from the titular waitress and aspiring singer of Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore to the scrappy Irish immigrants of Gangs of New York. And in films as varied as Casino, The Aviator, and The Wolf of Wall Street, he vividly displays the glamour and power that can come with the fulfillment of that dream, but he also shows how it can turn into a nightmare of violence, corruption, and greed. This book is the first study of Scorsese’s profound ambivalence toward the American Dream, the ways it drives some men and women to aspire to greatness, but leaves others seduced and abandoned. Showing that Scorsese understands the American dream in terms of a tension between provincialism and cosmopolitanism, Jim Cullen offers a new lens through which to view such seemingly atypical Scorsese films as The Age of Innocence, Hugo, and Kundun. Fast-paced, instructive, and resonant, Martin Scorsese and the American Dream illuminates an important dimension of our national life and how a great artist has brought it into focus.
Martin Scorsese: A Journey
by Mary Pat KellyIn time for Scorsese&’s 80th birthday and the release of Killers of the Flower Moon, a new edition of the seminal oral history tracing Scorsese&’s journey from young filmmaker to legend, featuring a foreword by Steven Spielberg Few filmmakers, if any, make the kind of impact that Martin Scorsese has made on American cinema. The winner of every prestigious film award, including the Oscar, Scorsese is a living legend. Bestselling author and award-winning filmmaker Mary Pat Kelly&’s groundbreaking biography reveals how this working-class boy from Manhattan&’s Little Italy became one of our most acclaimed, celebrated, and influential filmmakers.Martin Scorsese: A Journey maps Scorsese&’s personal and artistic evolution though his films, from early works like student films and Mean Streets through cinematic masterpieces like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull,The King of Comedy,Goodfellas. Across interviews with Scorsese himself; stars like Robert De Niro, Paul Newman, Liza Minelli, and Nick Nolte; colleagues including screenwriters and cinematographers; as well as family and friends, it reveals the story of a man in a way that only his community and fellow artists can, giving us unprecedented, intimate access to the making of these iconic films and the extraordinary mind behind them. Brimming with insight into Scorsese&’s life, values, process, humor, and inspirations, it is a remarkable account of America&’s premiere director, the shepherd of countless imaginations.
Martin Van Buren (The American Presidents Series)
by Arthur M. Schlesinger Ted WidmerThe first president born after America's independence ushers in a new era of no-holds-barred democracy The first "professional politician" to become president, the slick and dandyish Martin Van Buren was to all appearances the opposite of his predecessor, the rugged general and Democratic champion Andrew Jackson. Van Buren, a native Dutch speaker, was America's first ethnic president as well as the first New Yorker to hold the office, at a time when Manhattan was bursting with new arrivals. A sharp and adroit political operator, he established himself as a powerhouse in New York, becoming a U.S. senator, secretary of state, and vice president under Jackson, whose election he managed. His ascendancy to the Oval Office was virtually a foregone conclusion. Once he had the reins of power, however, Van Buren found the road quite a bit rougher. His attempts to find a middle ground on the most pressing issues of his day-such as the growing regional conflict over slavery-eroded his effectiveness. But it was his inability to prevent the great banking panic of 1837, and the ensuing depression, that all but ensured his fall from grace and made him the third president to be denied a second term. His many years of outfoxing his opponents finally caught up with him. Ted Widmer, a veteran of the Clinton White House, vividly brings to life the chaos and contention that plagued Van Buren's presidency-and ultimately offered an early lesson in the power of democracy.
Martin Waldseemüller’s 'Carta marina' of 1516: Study and Transcription of the Long Legends
by Chet Van DuzerThis open access book presents the first detailed study of one of the most important masterpieces of Renaissance cartography, Martin Waldseemüller’s Carta marina of 1516. By transcribing, translating into English, and detailing the sources of all of the descriptive texts on the map, as well as the sources of many of the images, the book makes the map available to scholars in a wholly unprecedented way. In addition, the book provides revealing insights into how Waldseemüller went about making the map -- information that can’t be found in any other source. The Carta marina is the result of Waldseemüller’s radical re-evaluation of what a world map should be; he essentially started from scratch when he created it, rejecting the Ptolemaic model and other sources he had used in creating his 1507 map, and added more descriptive texts and a wealth of illustrations. Given its content, the book offers an essential reference work not only on this map, but also for anyone working in sixteenth-century European cartography.
Martin and Bobby: A Journey Toward Justice
by Claire Rudolf MurphyMartin and Bobby follows the lives and final days and words of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy, showing how and where their work intersected and how their initially wary relationship evolved from challenging and testing each other to finally "arriving in the same place" as allies fighting poverty and racism. The stories of King and Kennedy reveal how life experiences affect a leader's ability to show empathy for all people. The book also reveals how great political figures don't work in a vacuum but are influenced by events and people around them. King's courage showed Kennedy how to act on one's moral principles, and Kennedy's growing awareness of the country's racial and economic divide gave King hope that the nation's leaders could truly support justice. Young readers will be quickly engaged by the alternating details of each man's final hours, before flashing back to compare their very different childhoods, young adult years, famous words and speeches, and rise to prominence. Fifty years later, the lives and words of Kennedy and King still stir people young and old and offer inspiration and insight on how our country can face the historic challenges of economic and racial inequality. Full of compelling historic photos and including sidebars to extend learning, source notes, a bibliography, suggested places to visit, and a time line, Martin and Bobby is an invaluable addition to any student's or history buff's bookshelf.
Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert
by Gary D. Schmidt David DiazAs the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a former slave, Martin de Porres was born into extreme poverty. Even so, his mother begged the church fathers to allow him into the priesthood. Instead, Martin was accepted as a servant boy. But soon, the young man was performing miracles. Rumors began to fly around the city of a strange mulatto boy with healing hands, who gave first to the people of the barrios. Martin continued to serve in the church, until he was finally received by the Dominican Order, no longer called the worthless son of a slave, but rather a saint and the rose in the desert.
Martin's Dream Day
by Kitty Kelley Stanley TretickBestselling author and journalist Kitty Kelley combines her elegant storytelling with Stanley Tretick’s iconic photographs to transport readers to the 1963 March on Washington, bringing that historic day vividly to life for a new generation. <p><p> Martin Luther King Jr. was nervous. <p> Standing at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, he was about to address 250,000 people with what would become known as his “I Have a Dream Speech”—the most famous speech of his life. <p> This day—August 28, 1963—was a momentous day in the Civil Rights Movement. It was the culmination of years spent leading marches, sit-ins, and boycotts across the South to bring attention to the plight of African Americans. Years spent demanding equality for all. Years spent dreaming of the day that black people would have the same rights as white people, and would be treated with the same dignity and respect. It was time for Martin to share his dream.
Martin's Hundred
by Ivor Noel-HumeA story of an archaeological excavation near Jamestown, Va. The site has been dated from 1620's. This book talks about finding potsherds, skeletons, buttons and armour. These help to date the site and tell the story of what happened here.
Martin-Leake: Double VC
by Ann ClaytonOnly three men have ever won a bar to the Victoria Cross; but only two lived to wear the medal and bar, the other, Noel Chavasse, being awarded his bar posthumously. Of the three, the third being Charles Upham of the New Zealand Military Forces, Arthur Martin - Leake and Chavasse were non-combatants, being members of the RAMC.Born in 1874, and brought up in comfortable circumstances in rural Hertfordshire, Martin -Leake trained as a doctor and spent much of his life working for an Indian railway company; but the urge to be where he felt he was most needed, coupled presumably with a thirst for adventure, though he himself would have been too modest to admit to either, took him first to South Africa during the Boer War, where he won his first VC, then to Albania during the Balkan War of 1912-13, where his presence must surely be classified as 'outside the call of duty', and finally to Flanders, where he won the bar to his VC.Surprisingly, this is the first biography of this most remarkable man, for which Ann Clayton has been given access to all the family papers. These include hundreds of his letters, but she has also unearthed eye-witness accounts of his bravery which, typically, he was at pains to gloss over. This is indeed a thrilling story of a life lived to the full by a man who sought little for himself, but having been blessed with a fortunate birthright, only wanted to repay the debt. Ann Clayton is also the author of the widely acclaimed Chavasse: Double VC, published in 1992.
Martina, guerrillera
by Ascensión Badiola AriztimuñoMartina Ibaibarriaga, natural de Berriz y vecina de Bilbao, se echó al monte, como un hombre más, para combatir a las tropas de Napoleón. Cuando las partidas guerrilleras se integraron en el ejército regular, alcanzó el rango de teniente coronel, y como tal participó en la decisiva Batalla de Vitoria, de la que este año se conmemora el segundo centenario. Su coraje hizo que su inmediato superior, Francisco de Longa, otro guerrillero legendario, la presentase al propio Wellington, quien no pudo evitar mostrar su asombro al comprobar que aquel soldado al que había visto luchar tan valerosamente era en realidad una mujer. Hoy, una calle en Vitoria recuerda a la ?Coronela Ibaibarriaga?. Y, a pesar de todo, la singular peripecia vital de Martina es muy poco conocida por parte del gran público. Ello se debe, al menos en parte, a que la documentación existente es escasa. Ascensión Badiola aprovecha esas lagunas para construir ?una historia de amor y guerra? en torno al asombroso personaje de Martina. Es una novela histórica, ambientada con rigor en la época que recrea, pero es también una novela de aventuras.
Martini Henry
by Sara CroweLife isn’t an exact science. Things can be troublesome. Like pregnant step-mothers, the ins-and-outs of French existentialism . . . having an unexceptional name. In 1988, seventeen-year-old Sue Bowl has a diary, big dreams and £4.73. What she wants most of all is to make it as a writer, as well as stop her decadent aunt Coral spending money she doesn't have. Living in their crumbling ancestral home should provide plenty of inspiration, but between falling in love, hunting for missing heirlooms and internship applications, things keep getting in the way.So when a young literary professor moves in and catches Sue's eye, life begins to take an unexpected turn . . .From the author of Campari for Breakfast, a witty and enchanting novel about what happens after you think you’ve grown up and fallen in love, perfect for fans of I Capture the Castle, Love, Nina and Where’d You Go Bernadette.
Martinsville (Postcard History)
by Joanne Raetz Stuttgen Curtis TomakBased on vintage postcards, this new book is a unique and welcome addition to the small number of works devoted to the history of Martinsville. Captured here in more than 220 postcard images is an important chronicle of the past 100 years in the "City of Mineral Water." This visual record showcases the sanitariums--including the glorious Home Lawn and its sibling, the Martinsville--industries and businesses, buildings and people, courthouse square, and special events that shaped the past and influenced the present. This fascinating retrospective is an indispensable companion to and expansion of Morgan County, the authors' first book in Arcadia's Postcard History Series.
Marty Glickman: The Life of an American Jewish Sports Legend
by Jeffrey S. Gurock2024 TAFWA Book Award WinnerThe first comprehensive biography of the preeminent voice of New York sportsFor close to half a century after World War II, Marty Glickman was the voice of New York sports. His distinctive style of broadcasting, on television and especially on the radio, garnered for him legions of fans who would not miss his play-by-play accounts. From the 1940s through the 1990s, he was as iconic a sports figure in town as the Yankees’ Mickey Mantle, the Knicks’ Walt Frazier, or the Jets’ Joe Namath. His vocabulary and method of broadcasting left an indelible mark on the industry, and many of today’s most famous sportscasters were Glickman disciples. To this very day, many fans who grew up listening to his coverage of Knicks basketball and Giants football games, among the myriad of events that Glickman covered, recall fondly, and can still recite, his descriptions of actions in arenas and stadiums. In Marty Glickman, Jeffrey S. Gurock showcases the life of this important contributor to American popular culture. In addition to the stories of how he became a master of American sports airwaves, Marty Glickman has also been remembered as a Jewish athlete who, a decade before he sat in front of a microphone, was cynically barred from running in a signature track event in the 1936 Olympics by anti-Semitic American Olympic officials. This lively biography details this traumatic event and explores not only how he coped for decades with that painful rejection but also examines how he dealt with other anti-Semitic and cultural obstacles that threatened to stymie his career. Glickman’s story underscores the complexities that faced his generation of American Jews as these children of immigrants emerged from their ethnic cocoons and strove to succeed in America amid challenges to their professional and social advancement. Marty Glickman is a story of adversity and triumph, of sports and minority group struggles, told within the context of the prejudicial barriers that were common to thousands, if not millions, of fellow Jews of his generation as they aimed to make it in America.
Martyr of the American Revolution: The Execution of Isaac Hayne, South Carolinian
by C. L. BraggThis military history examines the complex factors surrounding the execution of an American militia colonel in British-occupied Charleston, SC.South Carolina patriot militiamen played an integral role in helping the Continental army reclaim their state from its British conquerors. In Martyr of the American Revolution, Cordell L. Bragg, III, examines the events that set Col. Isaac Hayne into a disastrous conflict with two British officers, his execution in Charleston, and the repercussions that extended from South Carolina to the Continental Congress and the halls of British Parliament.Hayne was the most prominent American executed by the British for treason. He and his two principal antagonists, Lt. Col. Nisbet Balfour and Lt. Col. Francis Lord Rawdon, were unwittingly set on a collision course that climaxed in an act that sparked one of the war’s most notable controversies. Martyr of the American Revolution sheds light on why two professional soldiers were driven to commit a seemingly arbitrary deed that halted prisoner exchange and nearly brought disastrous consequences to captive British officers.The death of a patriot in the cause of liberty was not a unique occurrence, but the unusually well-documented events surrounding the execution of Hayne and the involvement of his friends and family makes his story compelling and poignant. Unlike young Capt. Nathan Hale, who suffered a similar fate in 1776, Hayne did not become a folk hero. Yet his execution became an international affair debated in both Parliament and the Continental Congress.
Martyr's Crossing
by Amy WilentzThis is a novel which humanizes the political situation between Palestinians and Israelis and brings the whole complex milieu to life. A two-year-old Palestinian boy dies before receiving medical help, due to lengthy delays at a Jerusalem checkpoint. In the ensuing days, Palestinians hunt the Israeli soldier who was in charge of the checkpoint, and the soldier struggles to come to terms with his conscience. The author creates rich detail and well-drawn characters on both sides.
Martyr/Revenger/Prince
by Rory ClementsThe first three books of the bestselling John Shakespeare series of Tudor spy thrillers from Rory Clements, author of the Sunday Times bestseller Hitler's Secret ***MartyrTensions in Elizabeth I's government are at breaking point. At the eye of the storm is John Shakespeare, chief intelligencer in the secret service of Sir Francis Walsingham. When an intercept reveals a plot to assassinate England's 'sea dragon', Francis Drake, Shakespeare is ordered to protect him. With Drake on land fitting out his ships, he is frighteningly vulnerable. If he dies, England will be open to invasion.From the splendour and intrigue of the royal court, to the sleek warships of Her Majesty's Navy and the teeming brothels of Southwark, Shakespeare soon learns that nothing is as it seems . . .RevengerThe quiet life of John Shakespeare is shattered by a summons from Robert Cecil, the cold but deadly young statesman who dominated the last years of the Queen's long reign, insisting Shakespeare re-enter government service. His mission: to find vital papers, now in the possession of the Earl of Essex.When John Shakespeare infiltrates this dissolute world he discovers not only that the Queen herself is in danger - but that he and his family is also a target. With only his loyal footsoldier Boltfoot Cooper at his side, Shakespeare must face implacable forces who believe themselves above the law. And in a world of shifting allegiances, just how far he can trust Robert Cecil, his devious new master?PrinceDriven on by cold rage, Shakespeare's investigations will take him from magnificent royal horseraces to the opulent chambers of Black Luce's brothel, from the theatrical underworld of Marlowe and Kyd to the pain-wracked torture cells of priest-hunter Richard Topcliffe, and from the elegant offices of master tactician Robert Cecil to the splintering timbers of an explosive encounter at sea.As Shakespeare delves ever deeper, he uncovers intricate layers of mystery and deception that threaten the heart not only of the realm, but of all that he holds dear.
Martyr/Revenger/Prince (John Shakespeare)
by Rory ClementsThe first three books of the bestselling John Shakespeare series of Tudor spy thrillers from Rory Clements, author of the Sunday Times bestseller Hitler's Secret ***MartyrTensions in Elizabeth I's government are at breaking point. At the eye of the storm is John Shakespeare, chief intelligencer in the secret service of Sir Francis Walsingham. When an intercept reveals a plot to assassinate England's 'sea dragon', Francis Drake, Shakespeare is ordered to protect him. With Drake on land fitting out his ships, he is frighteningly vulnerable. If he dies, England will be open to invasion.From the splendour and intrigue of the royal court, to the sleek warships of Her Majesty's Navy and the teeming brothels of Southwark, Shakespeare soon learns that nothing is as it seems . . .RevengerThe quiet life of John Shakespeare is shattered by a summons from Robert Cecil, the cold but deadly young statesman who dominated the last years of the Queen's long reign, insisting Shakespeare re-enter government service. His mission: to find vital papers, now in the possession of the Earl of Essex.When John Shakespeare infiltrates this dissolute world he discovers not only that the Queen herself is in danger - but that he and his family is also a target. With only his loyal footsoldier Boltfoot Cooper at his side, Shakespeare must face implacable forces who believe themselves above the law. And in a world of shifting allegiances, just how far he can trust Robert Cecil, his devious new master?PrinceDriven on by cold rage, Shakespeare's investigations will take him from magnificent royal horseraces to the opulent chambers of Black Luce's brothel, from the theatrical underworld of Marlowe and Kyd to the pain-wracked torture cells of priest-hunter Richard Topcliffe, and from the elegant offices of master tactician Robert Cecil to the splintering timbers of an explosive encounter at sea.As Shakespeare delves ever deeper, he uncovers intricate layers of mystery and deception that threaten the heart not only of the realm, but of all that he holds dear.
Martyr: John Shakespeare 1 (John Shakespeare #1)
by Rory Clements***Part of the bestselling John Shakespeare series of Tudor spy thrillers from Rory Clements, author of the Sunday Times bestseller Hitler's Secret ***'Does for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's' Sunday TimesEngland is close to war. Within days the axe could fall on the neck of Mary Queen of Scots, and Spain is already gathering a battle fleet to avenge her. Tensions in Elizabeth I's government are at breaking point. At the eye of the storm is John Shakespeare, chief intelligencer in the secret service of Sir Francis Walsingham. When an intercept reveals a plot to assassinate England's 'sea dragon', Francis Drake, Shakespeare is ordered to protect him. With Drake on land fitting out his ships, he is frighteningly vulnerable. If he dies, England will be open to invasion. In a London rife with rumour, Shakespeare must decide which leads to follow, which to ignore. When a high-born young woman is found mutilated and murdered at an illicit printing house, it is political gunpowder - and he has no option but to investigate.But why is Shakespeare shadowed at every turn by the brutal Richard Topcliffe, the blood-drenched priest-hunter who claims intimacy with Queen Elizabeth herself? What is Topcliffe's interest in a housemaid, whose baby has been stolen? And where do two fugitive Jesuit priests fit into the puzzle, one happy to die for God, the other to kill for Him? From the splendour and intrigue of the royal court, to the sleek warships of Her Majesty's Navy and the teeming brothels of Southwark, Shakespeare soon learns that nothing is as it seems . . .
Martyr: John Shakespeare 1 (John Shakespeare #1)
by Rory ClementsMARTYR is the first in the acclaimed and bestselling John Shakespeare Elizabethan mystery series by Rory Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award. 'Does for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's' Sunday TimesEngland is close to war. Within days the axe could fall on the neck of Mary Queen of Scots, and Spain is already gathering a battle fleet to avenge her. Tensions in Elizabeth I's government are at breaking point. At the eye of the storm is John Shakespeare, chief intelligencer in the secret service of Sir Francis Walsingham. When an intercept reveals a plot to assassinate England's 'sea dragon', Francis Drake, Shakespeare is ordered to protect him. With Drake on land fitting out his ships, he is frighteningly vulnerable. If he dies, England will be open to invasion. In a London rife with rumour, Shakespeare must decide which leads to follow, which to ignore. When a high-born young woman is found mutilated and murdered at an illicit printing house, it is political gunpowder - and he has no option but to investigate.But why is Shakespeare shadowed at every turn by the brutal Richard Topcliffe, the blood-drenched priest-hunter who claims intimacy with Queen Elizabeth herself? What is Topcliffe's interest in a housemaid, whose baby has been stolen? And where do two fugitive Jesuit priests fit into the puzzle, one happy to die for God, the other to kill for Him? From the splendour and intrigue of the royal court, to the sleek warships of Her Majesty's Navy and the teeming brothels of Southwark, Shakespeare soon learns that nothing is as it seems . . .(P)2010 Oakhill Publishing