Verlag: Classica Libris
In the long slog of the Hundred Years’ War, the English forces’ decisive victory in the Battle of Agincourt proved to be a key turning point. In this gripping historical novel from G. P. R. James, a tender human drama unfolds against the backdrop of the epic battle.
Fiction often mirrors truth. And you get just as close as you want to be to non-fiction in this fast-paced novel that turned the turmoil surrounding the U.S. Bobsled Federation into shocking international intrigue. The pace is faster than a sled on ice and it races from Lake Placid, New York to the burrow of the CIA at Langley, Virginia to rebelling Latvia and its ancient rift with the Soviet Union during the final days of the Cold War. It's scary enough to set even a seasoned CIA agent's hair on end. Cold War history was made in Riga, Latvia when the Soviet Minister of Sports made an astonishing statement at a press conference he and Miller held to announce that the Soviet Bobsled Team would visit Lake Placid to take part in the 10th anniversary of the 1980 Olympic Games. When asked: Who invited the Americans to the Soviet Union, the Minister of Sports responded: I did not invite the Americans. The Latvian Socialist State debated for three months about how to handle the invitation and they made the decision to invite the Americans without first seeking permission from Moscow. It is believed that this was the first public statement made by a Soviet Official that Latvia would no longer be under Moscow's rule! The Minister of Sports was later executed for crimes against the Soviet government. A novel that is difficult to put down once you begin to read!Zum Buch
A fight to the death in foreign seas . . . 1940 Scarred—physically and emotionally—by the brutal warfare at Dunkirk, Jack Pembroke decides to leave his home in England to join his father, Admiral Pembroke, in the South African Cape. A fledgling naval force is preparing to fight the coming onslaught of German raiders, and Jack is soon thrust back into action when he is appointed commander of a minesweeping flotilla. Unknown to Jack, a Nazi commerce raider has left Germany for the Cape intending to wreak havoc on Allied shipping. And it's heading straight for him . . . Under Jack's command are an eclectic bunch of men who are unsure of their foreign captain. But he must unite them into a powerful fighting unit if he has any chance of defeating the dangerous enemy. Can Jack overcome his demons and lead his men to victory? Or will his first battle off the South African coast be his last . . . ?Zum Buch
Set against the stark, icy backdrop of a New England winter, Ethan Frome is a haunting tale of love, betrayal, and the suffocating grip of societal expectations. Ethan Frome, a quiet and introspective man, finds himself trapped in a loveless marriage to the bitter and ailing Zeena. When Zeena's cousin, the vibrant and beautiful Mattie Silver, comes to stay with them, Ethan's life is upended as an intense emotional bond grows between him and Mattie. As their unspoken love deepens, Ethan grapples with the weight of his duties, the constraints of poverty, and the chilling silence of his rural existence. Their yearning for freedom and passion clashes with the harsh realities of their world, leading to a heart-wrenching climax that will linger with you long after the story ends. Narrated with vivid descriptions and psychological depth, this timeless classic explores themes of desire, isolation, and the devastating consequences of unfulfilled dreams. Immerse yourself in this emotionally charged audiobook, where every word captures the frostbitten beauty of the landscape and the aching hearts of its characters. Perfect for fans of literary fiction and poignant tales of human struggle.Zum Buch
Nostromo, written by Joseph Conrad and published in 1904, is set in the fictional South American country of Costaguana, particularly in the port city of Sulaco. The novel explores themes of imperialism, capitalism, and the moral dilemmas faced by its characters amid political turmoil.The story revolves around Charles Gould, a Costaguanero of English descent who owns a silver mine. Disillusioned by the political instability in Costaguana, Gould supports the dictatorship of President Ribiera, hoping to bring order to the region. However, the wealth generated by the mine attracts the attention of revolutionaries, leading to chaos as General Montero's forces invade Sulaco.Zum Buch
What begins as a wager among gentlemen at London’s prestigious Reform Club quickly turns into the most thrilling adventure of the 19th century. Phileas Fogg, a punctual and enigmatic Englishman, bets that he can traverse the globe in just eighty days—a feat deemed impossible by many. With his devoted yet impulsive valet, Passepartout, at his side, Fogg races against time across steamships, trains, and even elephants, encountering unexpected obstacles and colorful characters at every turn. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly modernizing world, Around the World in Eighty Days is a spirited tale of daring travel, unshakable resolve, and the clash between logic and chaos. Jules Verne’s iconic novel remains a timeless celebration of curiosity, innovation, and the human drive to explore.Zum Buch
Vicente Blasco Ibáñez was born in Valencia, Spain on 29th January 1867. At university, he studied law and graduated in 1888 but never felt the urgency to practice - he was more interested in politics, journalism, literature and women. Politically he was a militant Republican partisan and, in his youth, founded a newspaper, El Pueblo (The People). The newspaper was taken to court many times and he made many enemies. In one incident he was shot and almost killed. In 1896, Ibáñez was arrested and sentenced to a few months in prison. Despite this colourful background he found time to write novels. His first published work was ‘La Araña Negra’ (The Black Spider) in 1892, a work that he later repudiated although at the time it was a useful vehicle for him to express his anti-clerical views. In 1894, he published ‘Arroz y Tartana’ (Airs and Graces), about a late 19th Century widow in Valencia trying to keep up appearances in order to marry her daughters well. Ibáñez’s next sequence of books studied rural life in the farmlands of Valencia and failed to gain much of an audience. His writing now took on a new direction with its now familiar sensational and melodramatic themes in 1908 with ‘Sangre y Arena’ (Blood and Sand), which follows the career of Juan Gallardo from his poor beginnings as a child in Seville, to his rise to becoming a famous matador in Madrid However, his greatest success was ‘Los Cuatro Jinetes del Apocalipsis (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) in 1916, which tells a tangled tale of the French and German sons-in-law of an Argentinian land-owner who find themselves fighting on opposite sides in the First World War. It was a literary and commercial sensation and became the best-selling book of 1919. It also propelled Rudolph Valentino to stardom in the 1921 film. Ironically his fame in the English-speaking world has come not as a novelist but as the stories behind some of Hollywood’s greatest silent movies. Vicente Blasco Ibáñez died in Menton, France on January 28th, 1928, the day before his 61st birthday.Zum Buch
