In recent years, political discourse about gun control and the Second Amendment has become increasingly volatile and this collection of original essays by top scholars illuminates the various reasons why. Gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association are more organized and aggressive and their issue agenda has evolved as new and more powerful weapons and militia appear. On the other side of the debate, the critical wounding of James Brady gave gun control advocates a visible martyr wi...

Get all the facts ... if you can handle the truth.Does Australia take the highest number of refugees per capita in the world? Are vegetarians slimmer than meat eaters? Is Clive Palmer really a billionaire ... Every day the ABC Fact Check unit listens to scores of claims being made in the news and asks, 'can that be true?'. they check the facts, talk to the experts and bring you the right answer.In this compact new book the Fact Check team, headed by ABC journalist and broadc...

Get the facts, not the spin, in this compelling new book from the ABC's FACT CHECK team.Does halal certification fund terrorism as Pauline Hanson claims? Is there an ice epidemic in Australia? How many election promises has the government broken since taking office?If you're confused about the claims you hear pouring forth from the 24/7 media - those made by politicians, lawyers, public figures and experts of all stripes, you need look no further than COMPLETELY FACT, the A...

TV’s first ecclesiastical comedy, All Gas and Gaiters was enjoyed by over 10 million viewers on BBC One between 1966 and 1971. Written by husband-and-wife-team Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps, it was so popular that a selection of scripts were revised and re-recorded for radio with the same star cast as the television series.Robertson Hare starred as the Archdeacon of the fictional St Ogg’s Cathedral. An elderly gentleman fond of a tipple and with an eye fo...

Merlin has brought hope to Fincayra, the enchanted isle that lies between earth and sky. But Fincayra is still in great danger—and its first victim is Merlin's mother. Merlin's only hope to save her is to master the Seven Songs of Wisdom, but to do that he must defeat an ogre whose merest glance could mean death.

In this the third story in his Arthurian epic, T. A. Barron adds a thrilling new dimension to the legend of Merlin.Wings of Fire, the sleeping dragon, has awakened, threatening to loose his terrible wrath on all of Fincayra. Only young Merlin, grandson of the great wizard Tuatha, can stop him, though the price may well be the young wizard's life. But before he can face the dragon's fires, Merlin must endure fires of other kinds—including those within himself. He mu...

A prequel to the bestselling Merlin saga starring Shim, a young giant who must embark on a dangerous adventure when he's shrunk to the size of a man's knee.*“An excellent jumping-in point for new readers as well as pleasurable reading for established fans…Simply delightful.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)Read it before you see it! The Merlin saga is soon to be a major motion picture!Shim has only ever know...

Strange wickedness is rising up on the magical isle of Fincayra. To save his homeland, and his destiny, Merlin is forced to travel to frightening places—both on the land and within himself. Joined by Hallia, the deer-woman he has grown to love, and by his own mischievous shadow, Merlin discovers a magical mirror that can alter anyone's fate. But when he looks into it, the person he sees is the person he least expects to find.

As winter's longest night approaches, Merlin faces the most difficult challenge of his life—to unite all of Fincayra against the evil warlord Rhita Gawr. But in the midst of this comes the mysterious Sword Arms, who is hunting and attacking Fincayra's children. With tensions high, can Merlin unite the battling forces deep within himself to save the children, unify the Fincayrans, and regain the long lost wings that will enable him—and his people—to choose their true destiny?

The past several years have been a time of tremendous challenge. From the COVID-19 pandemic that afflicted the world, to the political polarization that unsettled the nation, to the division, disaffiliation, and scandal that rocked the Church, Catholics everywhere have been filled with fear, burdened by pain, and longing for hope.In Redeeming the Time, Bishop Robert Barron follows the wisdom of St. Paul in Ephesians 5 and boldly shines the light of the Gospel into our dark...

Long ago, at the dawn of Merlin's world, a strange little creature named Basil appeared. Part lizard, part bat, his eyes glow with a mysterious light. When Basil discovers a threat to his world and to Merlin, he begins an epic journey that takes him from the Great Tree of Avalon to the outermost edges of the spirit realm. But his boldest journey will be to face his own deepest fears. And only if he survives can he save Merlin—and find his future.

In this final book of the Merlin's Dragon trilogy, T. A. Barron brings this saga to a thrilling—if bittersweet—end.Avalon is on the verge of total destruction: an army of warriors, a swarm of fire dragons, and a lethal plague are all laying waste to Merlin's beloved land. But Merlin is nowhere to be found. Leading the fight in his place is Basil, the once tiny lizard who is now the most powerful dragon in Avalon. But to restore peace, the mastermind behind this cha...