Boot Hooves And Wheels

The books title has an apparent misnomer—boots were not used in early armies, at least as apparent from temple sculptures which depict bare-bodied and barefooted soldiers. But is it likely to have been true? Or social reasons led to suppression of footgear on temple walls? The book explores these and myriad other questions on the military experience of South Asia, hoping to construct a picture of how men, animals, and equipment were used on South Asian battlefields from the end of the Paleolithic till the dawn of our era. Further, as all that happens on battlefields is no more than the tip of the proverbial iceberg whose submarine mass conceals many cause–effect relationships in a wide variety of fields, the author, adopting a wide fronted approach, examines the evidence of anthropology, literature, mythology, folklore, technology, archaeology, and architecture, to reconstructs the military atmosphere of South Asia beyond the battlefield, which is the aim of this book.

The struggles of an enslaved African woman and two emigrant German farmers generate a sweeping saga of oppression, estrangement, and redeemed memory that binds together America's "Trail of Tears," South Africa's "Great Trek," and our contemporary search for reconciliation.

Two westerns from Spur Award-Winning author Loren D. Estleman, now in mass market paperback: The Branch and the Scaffold and Billy Gashade The Branch and the Scaffold When Judge Isaac Parker first arrived in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the town had thirty saloons and one bank. Never flinching from his duty, Parker and his marshals, dubbed “Parker’s Men,” ran up against some of the most colorful and dangerous outlaws the west had to offer, including the notorious Dalton Gang; Belle Starr, the Bandit Queen; the murderous Cherokee Bill; and Ned Christie. Billy Gashade A piano player wanders the Old West, meeting up with famous characters such as Frank and Jesse James, Oscar Wilde, and William "Billy the Kid" Bonney, among others, and finds that they were neither as bad or as good as their reputations suggested. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

FIVE full-length standalone light historical mysteries in one volume! Join Cordelia, Lady Cornbrook and her eclectic household as she fights crime, unearths secrets, and fends off the advances of unsuitable men. These Victorian murder mysteries are set in Britain in the 1840s, and take a light, frothy look at the fun side of history. It's not quite Dickens. Maybe Dickens at a party after a few too many brandies. They are rooted in accuracy, though (there are author's notes at the back and everything, which makes it legit). In An Unmourned Man, we meet Cordelia for the first time. She's widowed, titled, entitled, and plunged into an exciting adventure which features a country doctor wearing only his shirt and breeches. There's callisthenics, a surly coachman, a cad with copious facial hair, laudanum and society balls. Riots and Revelations takes us to the grim north, which is all mills and rain and working class uprisings. There's a dashing cavalry officer and a passionate rabble-rousing Chartist, trouble at t'mill, wayward servants, night-time escapades with weaponry, and a large pig. In The House of Secrets and Lies returns Cordelia to London, and to the heart of British politics, which is actually more interesting than it sounds. Cordelia vows to stop a miscarriage of justice. But she is too rich to go into the lowest parts of Victorian London, too female to go into the clubs and coffee houses, and too scandalous to go to the parties and balls. The fourth book, Daughters of Disguise, leaves England and takes Cordelia and her household to Wales. It's a different country, with its own language, its own traditions, and its own history of justice. Cordelia has joined forces with the local constable, and together they are up against not only the murderer, but the local council ... and even the local people. And finally, in The Continental Gentleman, she confronts her past. It's not pleasant, but luckily she's armed with a short, stabby sword. It's late summer and Cordelia is rattling around her Surrey estate, annoying the servants and causing the gardeners to hide in the bushes. Her old friend – or nemesis – Hugo Hawke turns up, and he's closely followed by his own past. It's good news … at first. These novels contain innuendo but no graphic scenes or language, and may be considered clean and suitable for all readers.

The Nashville and Decatur Railroad was in operation five months before the start of the Civil War and 17 months before the Federals took control of Nashville and the railroad. Running through Central Tennessee to Alabama, the highly contested line passed through Confederate-held territory, where rebels and their sympathizers continually sabotaged bridges, trestles and track. This first full-length work on the N&D Railroad emphasizes its importance in the Western Theater and brings to light the four key men who kept it open for the duration of the war. Significant military activities in the region are described, along with the contraband camp, military complex and other features surrounding the railroad's only tunnel.

1311. Murder and mayhem prowl the highways and coffin paths of Medieval England . . . Hugh Corbett returns in the twentieth gripping mystery in Paul Doherty's ever-popular series. If you love the historical mysteries of C. J. Sansom, E. M. Powell and Bernard Cornwell you will love this. It is four years since the death of King Edward I, but his reign of terror has cast long shadows over the kingdom. At Holyrood Abbey, sheltered in the depths of the Welsh march, the old king's former bodyguards protect his secret relics and watch over a mysterious prisoner who is kept in the abbey's dungeon. But their peaceful existence is shattered when Abbot Henry is poisoned. Summoned to Holyrood, Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, finds the fortress in chaos. Brothers Anselm and Richard have been brutally slain by nails driven deep into their skulls. No one knows who could be behind the gruesome killings and the news attracts the attention of two unwanted guests: the sinister Marcher Lord Mortimer and King Philip of France's devious envoy De Craon. As more mysterious deaths occur, and a violent snow storm sweeps through the valley, Corbett must act quickly to identify the malevolent demon who has risen from hell to turn the abbey into a house of murder . . . Praise for Paul Doherty's dark and suspenseful novels: 'His fascination for history comes off the page' Daily Express 'An opulent banquet to satisfy the most murderous appetite' Northern Echo 'Deliciously suspenseful, gorgeously written and atmospheric' Historical Novels Review 'Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history . . . evocative and lyrical descriptions' New Statesmen

The dramatic journeys of the 19th century Gold Rush come to life in this geologist’s tour of the American West and the events that shaped the land. In 1848, news of the discovery of gold in California triggered an enormous wave of emigration toward the Pacific. The dramatic terrain these settlers crossed is so familiar to us now that it is hard to imagine how frightening—even godforsaken—its sheer rock faces and barren deserts once seemed to them. Hard Road West brings their perspective vividly to life, weaving together the epic overland journey of the covered wagon trains and the compelling story of the landscape they encountered. Taking readers along the 2,000-mile California Trail, Keith Meldahl uses settler’s diaries and letters—as well as his own experiences on the trail—to reveal how the geology and geography of the West shaped our nation’s westward expansion. He guides us through a landscape of sawtooth mountains, following the meager streams that served as lifelines through an arid land, all the way to California itself, where colliding tectonic plates created breathtaking scenery and planted the gold that lured travelers west in the first place. “Alternates seamlessly between vivid accounts of the 19th-century journey and lucid explanations of the geological events that shaped the landscape traveled.”—Library Journal

As the new Confederacy's provisional president, Jefferson Davis has a difficult task before him. For starters he must appoint a Cabinet, open communications with Washington and Europe, find a means to fund his treasury, purchase arms and ammunition, and create an army. To make matters more difficult, Davis' sphinx-like demeanor in the face of criticism a stony façade that attempts to conceal his broiling emotions, often causing him to hold a grudge or stubbornly support a friend tends to antagonize his old enemies and create new ones. However, he does manage to gain some allies. Judah Benjamin, his Attorney General, who, in spite of his attraction to the First Lady, says about the President, "I would follow him to Hell." Mary Chestnut, who initially befriends Varina Davis to further her husband's career, develops a warm relationship with the First Family. Mallory, the Secretary of Navy, and Reagon, the Postmaster General, will remain with him until the end. When Varina travels to Montgomery, Alabama, she takes with her, along with her other slaves, Rachel, who, as a result, is separated from her boyfriend, Silas. The servant girl had told Silas that she wouldn't be forced to leave if he married her, but the boy still clung to he dream of escaping to freedom. Once away from Davis' plantation, Rachel becomes involved with Colonel Chestnut's body servant, Lawrence, unaware that the handsome slave has become ensnared in the network of spies surrounding the First Family. All of these people politicians, soldiers, slaves, and spies are bound together willy-nilly in an enterprise that will explode at Manassas Junction, ripping their country apart and changing their lives forever.