Blazing Star

He was 'THE WICKEDEST MAN ALIVE'. He went to Oxford University at the age of 12 He slept with his first prostitute at 13 He was an alcoholic by 14 He was imprisoned in the Tower at 18 He was acclaimed a war hero at 19 He died of syphilis at the age of 33 He was English history's first celebrity. He was John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester: Poet, dandy and libertine. BLAZING STAR is a compelling portrait of a remarkable and complex man, and of a cultural golden age that often spilled over into depravity.

The birth of Siamese twin girls in the town of Spanish Fork, Utah, in 1849 causes quite a stir. Residents flock to the Chatham Ranch to see the babies and offer their condolences for the loss of the mother who did not survive the birth. When the attempted sale of the twins by their father to a passing circus fails, they are kidnapped by circus owner Colonel Phantastic. Young Deputy John Walker is sent to Salt Lake City to retrieve them and is surprised when the twins’ sister Zelda joins him on the train. In a whirlwind romance, they are married and together confront the babies’ derelict father and the Colonel in their separate pursuits of the infant girls. The story of Prudence and Chastity covers twenty years and takes them to Alamo, Montana, where they hope to finance their unspoken goal of separation as showgirls and prostitutes. There they are rescued by a fifteen-year-old boy from the Blazing Star when it burns. Sam Shines travels with them to St. Louis, where he is wanted for murder, and on to Chicago for an appointment with a renowned doctor. Their arrival coincides with the Great Chicago Fire, as conflagration continues to define their lives. The twins are at once beautiful, charming, and fascinating to anyone who sees them. Their influence on the lives of those they hold close is haunting, sometimes tragic, and always unforgettable.

From popular Pacific Theatre expert Jeffrey R. Cox comes this insightful new history of the critical Guadalcanal and Solomons campaign at the height of World War II. Cox's previous book, Morning Star, Rising Sun, had found the US Navy at its absolute nadir and the fate of the Enterprise, the last operational US aircraft carrier at this point in the war, unknown. This second volume completes the history of this crucial campaign, combining detailed research with a novelist's flair for the dramatic to reveal exactly how, despite missteps and misfortunes, the tide of war finally turned. By the end of February 1944, thanks to hard-fought and costly American victories in the first and second naval battles of Guadalcanal, the battle of Empress Augusta Bay, and the battle of Cape St George, the Japanese would no longer hold the materiel or skilled manpower advantage. From this point on, although the war was still a long way from being won, the American star was unquestionably on the ascendant, slowly, but surely, edging Japanese imperialism towards its sunset. Jeffrey Cox's analysis and attention to detail of even the smallest events are second to none. But what truly sets this book apart is how he combines this microscopic attention to detail, often unearthing new facts along the way, with an engaging style that transports the reader to the heart of the story, bringing the events on the deep blue of the Pacific vividly to life.

After facing their first battle, the remaining mountain cats must seek the Blazing Star in order to survive a new threat: a deadly disease sweeping through their territory.

Sixteen-year-old Portia White is used to being overlooked-after all, her twin sister Alex is a literal genius. But when Portia holds an Egyptian scarab beetle during history class, she takes center stage in a way she never expected: she faints. Upon waking, she is stronger, faster, and braver than before. And when she accidentally touches the scarab again? She wakes up in ancient Egypt-her sister and an unwitting freshman in tow. Great. Mysterious and beautiful, Egypt is more than they could have ever imagined from their days in the classroom. History comes alive as the three teens realize that getting back to the present will be the most difficult thing they've ever done. Stalked by vicious monsters called Scorpions, every step in the right direction means a step closer to danger. As Portia and the girls discover that they're linked to the past by more than just chance, they have to decide what it truly means to be yourself, to love your sister, and to find your way home.