“[I]n a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our power to add or detract.” —President Abraham Lincoln James M. McPherson, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom, and arguably the finest Civil War historian in the world, walks us through the site of the bloodiest and perhaps most consequential battle ever fought by Americans. The events that occurred at Gettysburg are etched into our collective memory, as they served to change the course of the Civil War and with it the course of history. More than any other place in the United States, Gettysburg is indeed hallowed ground. It’s no surprise that it is one of the nation’s most visited sites (nearly two million annual visitors), attracting tourists, military buffs, and students of American history. McPherson, who has led countless tours of Gettysburg over the years, makes stops at Seminary Ridge, the Peach Orchard, Cemetery Hill, and Little Round Top, among other key locations. He reflects on the meaning of the battle, describes the events of those terrible three days in July 1863, and places the struggle in the greater context of American and world history. Along the way, he intersperses stories of his own encounters with the place over several decades, as well as debunking several popular myths about the battle itself. What brought those 165,000 soldiers—75,000 Confederate, 90,000 Union—to Gettysburg? Why did they lock themselves in such a death grip across these once bucolic fields until 11,000 of them were killed or mortally wounded, another 29,000 were wounded and survived, and about 10,000 were “missing”—mostly captured? What was accomplished by all of this carnage? Join James M. McPherson on a walk across this hallowed ground as he be encompasses the depth of meaning and historical impact of a place that helped define the nation’s character. From the Hardcover edition.

Out on the edge of the desert, things get a bit feral.Anais, the eleven-year-old daughter of a fishmonger, enters the Great House of Brightshire as a scullery maid. Isolated from her peers, she fears a life of solitude and menial chores. In Brightshire magic is strictly prohibited and after the tedium of the kitchens, when Anais discovers a manuscript that outlines methods for practicing the art of blood magic, she throws herself full throttle into practicing magic. At first she just practices simple spells for her own amusement, but when one of the girls from the kitchens goes missing - amidst rumors of monsters rising in the south and devouring townspeople - Anais decides to use her new skills to find the missing girl. In her search, she accidentally befriends the Lord of Brightshire's youngest son, Cedric, and then his cousin Mediera. Finally having friends she cares for is great, but practicing illegal magic and fraternizing with those above her station leave Anais in more danger than she can handle.The first ebook in this series is available for free.

Into Focus, the first entry in the Focus urban fantasy series, sends readers head-first into a world of wizards, shapeshifters, and terrorist plots.Into Focus, the first entry in the Focus urban fantasy series, sends readers head-first into a world of wizards, shapeshifters, and terrorist plots. For someone who can look like anyone he wants, espionage is easy. Set in modern-day America, Into Focus brings you along for the ride as Rick Torin, skinchanger and freelance spy, infiltrates a corporate mercenary office building full of armed guards and secrets. He’s supposed to steal some information, but finds a lot more than he bargained for, and is faced with a choice: let thousands die, or do something about it. Fans of The Dresden Files will love the humor and action in this novella, a story of intrigue, magic, and espionage. Who hired Rick? What are their intentions? Can Rick figure out who is behind a plot to kill thousands? Buy Now and Find Out What Happens Next...

From the lost Journals of the New York Times bestselling Seven Wonders series comes the story of how Atlantis came to rest at the bottom of the sea. Follow the threads of history back to ancient times. Two Atlantean princes, Karai and Massarym, obsessed with power and terrified of the mysterious Loculi, turned against it each other in a bitter rivalry. With the future of the world at stake and nowhere to turn for guidance, the fourteen-year-old brothers chose fear over trust, deception over truth, and violence over brotherhood, and they change the course of history forever. In this final installment of the Seven Wonders Journals, dive into the heart of the mystery that started it all before the adventure concludes in Seven Wonders: The Legend of the Rift, the fifth and final book in the New York Times bestselling adventure series by Peter Lerangis, author of hundreds of books, including three titles in the 39 Clues series.

Chapter 3 : Fruity Dance Andee and Nayaa get lost in the warehouse district where their lives are almost cut short, when they encounter something truly weird before making their escape. Later they finally reach the Prave. At first it's all fun and games, dancing to the beat with the live action 3D anime characters such as light-fairies and 3D whirls that are the light show of the club.But the fun turns a twist as Andee has a mysterious encounter with a Bitani light-fairy, the sensuous Silestra, while Nayaa invents the fruity dance, to poor Gono's dismay. Lightship Chronicles is a young adult adventure set on a mysterious world. Carpatia is a harsh desert land, but one with spectacular vistas and populated by two very different yet resilient people, the Carpati and the Bitani. Both believe in competing myths of their history. Myths of great ancient battles fought over by a clan of mysterious Sacred Warriors against magical Light-Fairies. Under the glowing warmth of their red-giant sun, it's easy for the Carpati to believe in their beautiful myths. They spend most of their long 36 hour days living a simple farming lifestyle in the Township built on the lower slopes of the mighty Table Mountain. The Bitani meanwhile rule over the Carpati from their futuristic city atop the massive pillar-like tabletop of a mountain, and have a very different, and quite mysterious perspective. For the Carpati the only respite from the drudgery of their simple days are the monthly lightship races. The hovering lightships speed at more than 700kph over a 600km course that runs up the sides of mesas, through the canyons of the Crags, over the 10m waves of the Great Salt sea, over the Long Straight, the Dunes, and through the Eastern Hills and its many giant Baobab threes. It's a spectacular race unlike anything else and the favorite pastime of Andee and his little brother Mykee. Both dream of being lightship pilots while watching the race from their favorite hangout, the 1000m high Outcrop overlooking The Crags. Join the adventure now, because this is growing into an epic tale years into the making. Visit LightshipChronicles.com for more in depth details of the race circuit, including images of the course, the outcrop, and the lightships.

A historical family saga spanning four generations, from 1912, Kent, England, to Spain and its 1936-39 civil war. Celia and Ernesto's two sons march under opposing banners, whilst their daughters take different paths, one to the Catholic Church and the other to the battlefields, and in the shadow of war, an evil ghost from the past watches and waits for an opportunity to destroy the entire family. In exile, Celia and Ernesto can only wait and pray for their children and their safe return home.

In the remote mountain village where she was born, Mariarta dil Alicg lives the untroubled life of a peasant girl...until, soon after a mysterious stranger's arrival, she starts to hear voices in the wind. The voices whisper strange secrets in Mariarta’s ears -- promising her the power to command the stormwind, hinting at an unknown magical heritage, and prophesying a fate marvelous past all Mariarta’s imaginings. Then a curse falls on Mariarta's village, shattering the lives of her family and friends. Mariarta must set out across the mountain realm of Raetia in search of a way to break the curse -- while also hunting for the truth about the beautiful and terrible being who Mariarta discovers is trying to possess her soul. Mariarta’s search will lead her into hidden domains of sorcery both dreadful and wondrous, and will finally embroil the young woman in the growing rebellion against her land's cruel Austriac oppressors -- but not before Mariarta comes face to face at last with the immortal Lady of the Storms, and challenges her to one final battle for control of her life, her soul, and her destiny... Reader advisory: This novel rated PG-15 for mature themes, language (Romansch), and the reinvention of democracy.

Trundle doesn't think he's an adventurer. He's a lamplighter. He likes everything safe and cozy, and that's the way things are in his peaceful part of the Sundered Lands. Until Esmeralda barrels through his door. Esmeralda, a princess with a knack for magic and for finding trouble, is convinced that Trundle is the only one who can help her find the six crowns. Lost and scattered long ago, the crowns could unite the Sundered Lands once again. But not if the pirates find them first. Suddenly, Trundle is on the run. He becomes a stowaway, a drifter, a thief's accomplice, and a swordsman.Trundle may find that he is a true hero, after all . . . and that this is only the beginning of an epic journey.

Evan Tanner can't sleep. Ever. Which gives him plenty of free time to get involved in lots of interesting endeavors in all sorts of exotic locales. Now Tanner's in Thailand with a partially baked plan and a butterfly net, hoping to snare a beautiful missing chanteuse who's metamorphosed into an international jewel thief. Tanner hopes everyone will buy his disguise as a rare butterfly researcher. And everyone does . . . Except the guerilla band holding him captive. They intend to remove his head when the sun rises, so Tanner must put his fate in the hands of a randy Thai youth who will do anything for a woman, even set a suspected spy free. Soon they're running through the jungle together, chased by bandits, soldiers, and yellow fever, and racing headlong into the heart of darkness—and into the flames of war.

Short stories and pieces of writing from the Winter 2014 YPSShort work from contributing members of the Swansea Young People's Writing Squad, run by Jo Furber with the support of Literature Wales at the Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

The Son of Nepal is the story of the wandering Judge Johannan. He is torn apart by the tragedy of his fiancé’s blindness, but he is encouraged by a vision of her regaining her sight on their wedding day. Johannan hears an old song of a healing spirit living in the Gobi Desert. He leaves his home in Nepal to search for the healing spirit but is swiftly caught up in an awe-inspiring world of spiritsThe South Origin is the celestial emperor of the earthly spirit world, who has divided the Earth into smaller kingdoms from the Everplanes, a spirit world that influences our reality.Every nation on Earth has a spiritual counterpart, a celestial ruler, whose actions determine the fate of its people from birth and marriage to death and depression, from success to failure.Over a thousand years ago, it was revealed in the Everplanes that the unborn kings will lift the lands of Asia to greatness, and the Heavens have willed it that the kings become the leaders of the world.The South Origin has sworn to stop this revelation from becoming a reality. He endeavours to summon from the depths of the sea an ancient, malicious spirit called Tuphana, the Bringer of Plague, to ravage the land. But first he must get permission from the courts of the Great One.The Son of Nepal is the story of the wandering Judge Johannan. He is torn apart by the tragedy of his fiancé’s blindness, but he is encouraged by a vision of her regaining her sight on their wedding day. Johannan hears an old song of a healing spirit living in the Gobi Desert. He leaves his home in Nepal to search for the healing spirit but is swiftly caught up in an awe-inspiring world of spirits, miracles, and destruction.

'I once travelled back from Africa on a ship with an Irish captain who did not like animals. This was unfortunate, because most of my luggage consisted of about two hundred odd cages of assorted wildlife . . .' Gerald Durrell's accounts of the animals he encountered on his travels were some of the first widely shared descriptions of the world's most extraordinary animals. Moving from the West Coast of Africa to the northern tip of South America - and elsewhere - Durrell observes the courtships, wars and characters of a variety of creatures, from birds of paradise, to ants and anteaters, among others. Told with his trademark charm and humour, Gerald Durrell's Encounters with Animals is a uniquely entertaining exploration of some of the world's most striking landscapes and the wildlife it is home to.

Alligators, snakes, and old boyfriends...Oh my. The swamp is a dangerous place, but it’s nothing Veronica can’t handle. That is until a weekend in the marshes brings to light a whole new set of dangers. Now that the supernatural cat is out of the bag, Veronica’s life will never be the same.This is a 10K word short story.In the tradition of The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Indeterminacy, The Bourne Fancypantsy, The Bourne Mediocrity, and several other non-existent super soldier stories comes a knuckle hair-ripping yarn sure to satisfy one's blood lust as surely as if it were a buffet for blood with a senior citizen's discount.Out of every thousand soldiers there is one who is a born killer, and one who is a born survivor.Out of every million soldiers there is one who is both.Preston Hawk is... THE MILLIONTH SOLDIERWhat hairy mission is Hawk tasked with that requires such singular gifts?This short excerpt does not answer that question at all. Not even a little.The Millionth Soldier is a teaser of part two of the Violence Trilogy, which can be read in any order. Part one of the Violence Trilogy is Fight Night, a self-contained story whose violence is painted on the canvas of a boxing ring, whereas the Millionth Soldier uses the theater of war.

Freshman Matt James attempts to unite his high school to bring down the villainous Joey FontaneQuiet and reserved student Matt James is preparing to start his high school career. Though anxious about beginning high school and getting closer to entering "the real world", he feels at ease knowing that he won't be facing high school alone, until his first true love Victoria unsuspectingly breaks up with him a week before the new year begins. Matt will be tested in his freshman year as he tries to unite the school against drug dealer Joey Fontane and his gang, who have control of the school out of fear. Uniting the school against Fontane won't be easy and will test him and the entire school, but stopping Fontane is something that must be done. Only question is at what cost and how far do you go in an attempt to do what's right?

The Pioneers: The Sources of the Susquehanna; a Descriptive Tale is a historical novel, the first published of the Leatherstocking Tales, a series of five novels by American writer James Fenimore Cooper. While The Pioneers was published in 1823, before any of the other Leatherstocking Tales, the period of time it covers makes it the fourth chronologically. The story takes place on the rapidly advancing frontier of New York State and features a middle-aged Leatherstocking (Natty Bumppo), Judge Marmaduke Temple of Templeton, whose life parallels that of the author's father Judge William Cooper, and Elizabeth Temple (the author's sister Susan Cooper), of Cooperstown. The story begins with an argument between the Judge and the Leatherstocking over who killed a buck, and as Cooper reviews many of the changes to New York's Lake Otsego, questions of environmental stewardship, conservation, and use prevail. The plot develops as the Leatherstocking and Chingachgook begin to compete with the Temples for the loyalties of a mysterious young visitor, "Oliver Edwards," the "young hunter," who eventually marries Elizabeth. Chingachgook dies, exemplifying the vexed figure of the "dying Indian," and Natty vanishes into the sunset. For all its strange twists and turns, 'The Pioneers' may be considered one of the first ecological novels in the United States.