A clear and concise introduction to contemporary Slovenia. It examines the country's rapid transition from a collection of provinces in the southern part of the Habsburg Empire, to a republic within Yugoslavia, to an independent state and analyzes the major political and economic developments since 1991. The perfect introduction to one of Europe's most fascinating nations.

The Attic is Danilo Kiš’s first novel. Written in 1960, published in 1962, and set in contemporary Belgrade, it explores the relationship of a young man, known only as Orpheus, to the art of writing; it also tracks his relationship with a colorful cast of characters with nicknames such as Eurydice, Mary Magdalene, Tam-Tam,and Billy Wise Ass. Rich with references to music, painting, philosophy, and gastronomy, this bohemian Bildungsroman is a laboratory of technique and st...

Written between 1980 and 1986, the six stories that constitute The Lute and the Scars (as well as an untitled piece by the author, included here as "A and B") were transcribed from the manuscripts left by Danilo Kiš following his death in 1989. Like the title story, many of these texts are autobiographical. Others resurrect protagonists belonging to Kiš’s fellow Central European novelists, allowing readers to identify, perhaps, depending on the level of obfuscation, fantasy,and hi...

"This fascinating, massive, wide-ranging collection that editors Christopher K. Coffman and Daniel Lukes have gathered together into William T. Vollmann: A Critical Companion will soon be recognized as one of those rare critical books for which that egregiously overused term 'groundbreaking' is fully justified." —Larry McCaffery, from the preface of William T. Vollmann: A Critical CompanionThe essays in this collection make a case for regarding William T. Vollmann as the most ambit...

Building and maintaining an opening repertoire can be a demanding task -- for a start there are an enormous number of different lines to choose from. There's a strong temptation amongst beginners and improving players to opt solely for tricky lines in order to snare unsuspecting opponents, but this approach has only short-term value. As players improve and their opponents become stronger, very often these crafty lines don't stand up to close scrutiny, and suddenly they back to square one w...

Coming of Age: 1939-1946 by John Cox: Experience the transformative years of World War II through the personal stories of individuals, capturing the challenges, resilience, and growth of a generation amidst global conflict.Key points:Immersive narrative offering a vivid portrayal of the human experience during World War II.Intimate accounts of individuals navigating the challenges of war, depicting their coming of age amidst adversity...

" Now that the Second World War is some 60 years past this would seem to be a good time to collate all the various chapters that I’ve written over the last few years and present them as an entity. No war can really be described as a ‘good’ war especially by the families of those who didn’t return or by those who returned maimed but in the sense that I went through it from the start until the finish and emerged unscratched I suppose that mine could be called a ‘good’ war. Though I spent jus...

Jack's life is broken, his marriage estranged. After his failed suicide attempt and rescue by a compassionate stranger, he is forced to face up to the man he has become--a far cry from the man he wants to be. As he grapples with his own big questions, his son's life hangs in the balance. His wife Brenda, angry and grieving, struggles to open her heart to the man who has betrayed her more times than she can count. As Jack and Brenda's story unfolds, five trainee guardian angels discover the...

Explore the transformative years of youth and resilience in "Coming of Age: 1939-1946" by John Cox. This evocative memoir delves into a pivotal period marked by global conflict, personal growth, and the forging of identity amidst the challenges of war.As you journey through Cox’s narrative, you’ll witness the profound impact of historical events on the lives of young people. With each page, the author shares poignant reflections on coming of age during a ti...

When Adam Bradford's sister goes missing he drops everything to assist the police, travelling up to the isolated village where she lived.When he arrives at her cottage, however, he discovers a life in disarray and a bedroom filled with cryptic notes and mysterious blurred photographs.At first he puts this obsession down to some kind of psychological disorder, but after he experiences a series of disturbing events he begins to question whether there is any truth to the myth ...

A Collection of the Prologue, the Epilogue with Photo Essay, and the Summations of The Way of Righteousness: A Revealing History and Reconciliation of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Mind is the fourth of the Mind Series of little books. It tells the backstory of how The Way came to be written.The Way of Righteousness tells the truth about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It establishes their common roots, demonstrates their differences, exposes their flaws, and reveals t...

When three university friends travel to an isolated lake to investigate reported sightings of an alien big cat they expect yet another hoax, but when footage from their remote cameras appears to show someone emerging from the water in the dead of night they realise that the lake may hold stranger secrets than a phantom panther.In a local history book they read the tale of a sunken village lurking forgotten deep beneath the surface, and when they dive the lake to investigate they di...