“Ben Macintyre’s rollicking, spellbinding Agent Zigzag blends the spy-versus-spy machinations of John le Carré with the high farce of Evelyn Waugh.”—William Grimes, The New York TimesA New York Times Notable Book of the YearA Washington Post Best Book of 2007One of the Top 10 Best Books of 2007 (Entertainment Weekly)New York Times Best of ...more
Although there is much we will never know, poets and playwrights can provide valuable insights into our ancestors' sexual lives. Here, with the help from the work of figures such as Shakespeare, Marlowe and Donne, Alan Haynes builds up a vivid picture of the sexual experiences of Elizabethans at all levels of society, from the "Virigin Queen" hers...more
In the nonfiction tradition of John Berendt ("Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil") and Erik Larson ("The Devil in the White City"), New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston presents a gripping account of crime and punishment in the lush hills surrounding Florence, Italy.In 2000, Douglas Preston fulfilled a dream to move his family to ...more
Stalled in his writing career and feeling overwhelmed by his charismatic, successful boss Sir Henry Irving, Bram Stoker returns to London in the summer of 1888 determined to turn his life around. Late one night Stoker decides to take a stroll through the streets of Whitechapel, an impoverished district of London known for its many prostitutes as we...more
Think of anything bad, from art heists to Genghis Kahn, and it's likely to be included in this wickedly smart and humorous guide to the seedy underbelly of basically everything. The brainiac team at "mental_floss", creators of the hit magazine and last year's Condensed Knowledge, have scoured the darkest, dirtiest corners of history and the globe t...more
"Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands. ''Be very still,'' he whispered, as if I wasn''t already frozen. Slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, he leaned toward me. Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold cheek against the hollow at the base of my throat. " As Shakespeare knew, love burns high when thwa...more
Schuyler Van Alen is confused about what is happening to her. Her veins are starting to turn blue, and she's starting to crave raw meat. Soon, her world is thrust into an intricate maze of secret societies and bitter intrigue. Schuyler has never been a part of the trendy crowd at her prestigious New York private school. Now, all of a sudden, Jack F...more
A mystery as dazziling as a hall of mirrors.A seductive, terrifying, all-too-real world.A beguiling, erotic literary adventure.Discover why readers everywhere are enthralled by this “marvelous confection of a book.”*In which the astonishing adventure to end all adventures continues—and the excitement doubles.Like every other honest man, an as...more
Here begins an extraordinary alliance—and a brutal and tender, shocking, and electrifying adventure to end all adventures.It starts with a simple note. Roger Bascombe regretfully wishes to inform Celeste Temple that their engagement is forthwith terminated. Determined to find out why, Miss Temple takes the first step in a journey that will propel...more
The Emperor’s Children is a richly drawn, brilliantly observed novel of fate and fortune—about the intersections in the lives of three friends, now on the cusp of their thirties, making their way--and not-- in New York City. In this tour de force, the celebrated author Claire Messud brings to life a city, a generation, and the way we live in th...more