Hiding from a cadaverous stalker in 1046 England, Thorston races to unleash the magical charms from the diabolical Book Without Words. Suddenly-with success almost in his grasp-he slumps to the floor, muttering cryptic words. Newbery Award-winning author Avi adds this jewel to his many literary gems offered by Recorded Books. "Thoughtful readers will devour its absorbing plot and humorous elements, and learn a 'useful truth' along the way."-School Library Journal

The author of Seven Daughters of Eve returns with a lively account of how all dogs are descended from a mere handful of wolves. How did wolves evolve into dogs? When did this happen, and what role did humans play? Oxford geneticist Bryan Sykes used the full array of modern technology to explore the canine genetic journey that likely began when a human child decided to adopt a wolf cub thousands of years ago. In the process, he discovered that only a handful of genes have created the huge r...

To Rule the Waves tells the extraordinary story of how the British Royal Navy allowed one nation to rise to a level of power unprecedented in history. From the navy's beginnings under Henry VIII to the age of computer warfare and special ops, historian Arthur Herman tells the spellbinding tale of great battles at sea, heroic sailors, violent conflict, and personal tragedy—of the way one mighty institution forged a nation, an empire, and a new world.

Now a major film starring Judi Dench and Steve CooganFalling pregnant as a teenager in 1952, Philomena Lee was sent to the convent in Co. Tipperary to be looked after as a fallen woman. She cared for her baby for three years until the Church took him and sold him, like countless others, to America for adoption. She spent the next fifty years secretly searching for him, unaware that he was searching for her from across the Atlantic.A compelling and deeply moving true story o...

Ragnarok. Armageddon. Doomsday. Since the dawn of time, man has wondered how the world would end. In The Last Three Minutes, Paul Davies reveals the latest theories. It might end in a whimper, slowly scattering into the infinite void. Then again, it might be yanked back by its own gravity and end in a catastrophic "Big Crunch." There are other, more frightening possibilities. We may be seconds away from doom at this very moment. Written in clear language that makes the cutting-edge science...

**The classic history of the political and economic devastation wrought by runaway inflation in Weimar Germany—“**brilliant” (Guardian)In 1923, with its currency effectively worthless (the exchange rate in December of that year was one dollar to 4,200,000,000,000 marks), the German republic was all but reduced to a barter economy. Expensive cigars, artworks, and jewels were routinely exchanged for staples such as bread; a cinema ticket could be bought for ...

An authentic, gothic reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson' s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , told from the villain' s perspective, that takes readers deep into the seedy side of Victorian London and explores the nature of personality and of the subconscious Mr. Hyde is trapped in Dr. Jekyll' s surgical cabinet, counting the days until he will face capture and be forced to make the ultimate choice about survival. Over the course of four days, he thinks back on what brought hi...

"The name Leakey is synonymous with the study of human origins," wrote The New York Times. The renowned family of paleontologists-Louis Leakey, Mary Leakey, and their son Richard Leakey-has vastly expanded our understanding of human evolution. The Origin of Humankind is Richard Leakey's personal view of the development of Homo Sapiens. At the heart of his new picture of evolution is the introduction of a heretical notion: once the first apes walked upright, the evolution of modern humans b...

A classic mystery for the festive season: mulled wine, mince pies...and murder. Mordecai Tremaine, former tobacconist and perennial lover of romance novels, has been invited to spend Christmas in the sleepy village of Sherbroome at the country retreat of one Benedict Grame. Arriving on Christmas Eve, he finds that the revelries are in full flow - but so too are tensions amongst the assortment of guests. Midnight strikes and the party-goers discover that it's not just presents nestling unde...

A History of the Church through its Buildings takes the reader to meet people who lived through momentous religious changes in the very spaces where thestory of the Church took shape. Buildings are about people: the people who conceived, designed, financed, and used them. Their stories become embedded inthe very fabric itself, and—as the fabric is modified through time in response to changing use, relationships, and beliefs—the architecture becomes the standing history of pas...

Pain, torment, and torture. Cruelty, brutality, and violence. The twisted psyches, murder, and yes, even the ability to charm people. Take a deep dive into the terrifyingly real serial murderers, spree killers, and true faces of evil!They prey on the innocent with a malicious desire to inflict damage and harm.They hunt and stalk misfortunate victims in the dark, in broad daylight, in quiet neighborhoods, and in the local woods. Their blood thirst isn't satisfied after their...

When Joe is traveling to stay with his mother and stepfather for Christmas, little does he imagine the excitement and magical intrigue that awaits him when he falls headfirst into an evil plot to rid England of witches. With great bravery and more than a little help from his half sister, Esme, and a new friend, Twiggy, he has to muster all his courage and ingenuity to solve the riddles surrounding him and save his newfound friends.A fabulously detailed and richly exciting adventure...