Stone Palaces

Geof Childs has infused each story in Stone Palaces with the select disquiet that comes from seeking adventure in the mountains and in life. Or, as he describes it, the clarity that comes from moments of doubt in the company of good friends en route to someplace, something, or someone that matters.

Remnants of America's past are littered across the postapocalyptic landscape, but little remains of the predark ideals of law and order. Survival is a blood quest, and lethal force the means to power. Still, a handful retains their humanity among the coldhearts, and in a world where nothing lasts forever, hope is a commodity as precious as jack. Steeped in beauty and mysticism, the canyons of Mesa Verde, Colorado, survived the blast that altered the American West. Hired to track a group of missing children, Ryan Cawdor and his band follow the trail to a legendary city carved in stone, older and stronger than the nukecaust. The inhabitants of the palaces of light are more than warriors and survivors; they are masters of mind games that prey on illusion. And true believers in a metaphysical endgame poised to push the companions over the edge of reality…into certain death.

The 150th Anniversary special edition of the best-selling reference book of all time! The ebook format allows curious readers to keep millions of searchable facts at their fingertips. The World Almanac® and Book of Facts is America's top-selling reference book of all time, with more than 82 million copies sold. Since 1868, this compendium of information has been the authoritative source for all your entertainment, reference, and learning needs. The 150th anniversary edition celebrates its illustrious history while keeping an eye on the future. Praised as a "treasure trove of political, economic, scientific and educational statistics and information" by The Wall Street Journal, The World Almanac and Book of Facts will answer all of your trivia needs—from history and sports to geography, pop culture, and much more. Features include: 150 Years of The World Almanac: A special feature celebrating The World Almanac's historic run includes highlights from its distinguished past and some old-fashioned "facts," illustrating how its defining mission has changed with the times. Historical Anniversaries: The World Almanac's recurring feature expands to incorporate milestone events and cultural touchstones dating to the book's founding year, from the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson to the publication of Little Women. World Almanac Editors' Picks: Greatest Single-Season Performances: In light of Russell Westbrook's unprecedented 42 regular-season triple-doubles, The World Almanac takes a look back at athletes' best single-season runs. Statistical Spotlight: A popular new feature highlights statistics relevant to the biggest stories of the year. These data visualizations provide important context and new perspectives to give readers a fresh angle on important issues. The Obama Presidency: A year after Barack Obama’s second term came to a close, The World Almanac reviews the accomplishments, missteps, and legacy of the 44th president. The World at a Glance: This annual feature of The World Almanac provides a quick look at the surprising stats and curious facts that define the changing world. Other New Highlights: A biography of the 45th president and profile of the Trump administration; 2016 election results; and statistics on crime, health care, overdose deaths, shootings, terrorism, and much more. The Year in Review: The World Almanac takes a look back at 2017 while providing all the information you'll need in 2018. 2017—Top 10 News Topics: The editors of The World Almanac list the top stories that held the world's attention in 2017. 2017—Year in Sports: Hundreds of pages of trivia and statistics that are essential for any sports fan, featuring a preview of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, complete coverage of the 2017 World Series, new tables of NBA, NHL, and NCAA statistics, and much more. 2017—Year in Pictures: Striking full-color images from around the world in 2017. 2017—Offbeat News Stories: The World Almanac editors found some of the quirkiest news stories of the year, from the king who secretly worked as an airline pilot for decades to the state that's auctioning off its governor's mansion. World Almanac Editors' Picks: Time Capsule: The World Almanac lists the items that most came to symbolize the year 2017, from news and sports to pop culture.

Maya "palaces" have intrigued students of this ancient Mesoamerican culture since the early twentieth century, when scholars first applied the term "palace" to multi-room, gallery-like buildings set on low platforms in the centers of Maya cities. Who lived in these palaces? What types of ceremonial and residential activities took place there? How do the physical forms and spatial arrangement of the buildings embody Maya concepts of social organization and cosmology? This book brings together state-of-the-art data and analysis regarding the occupants, ritual and residential uses, and social and cosmological meanings of Maya palaces and elite residences. A multidisciplinary team of senior researchers reports on sites in Belize (Blue Creek), Western Honduras (Copan), the Peten (Tikal, Dos Pilas, Aguateca), and the Yucatan (Uxmal, Chichen-Itza, Dzibilchaltun, Yaxuna). Archaeologist contributors discuss the form of palace buildings and associated artifacts, their location within the city, and how some palaces related to landscape features. Their approach is complemented by art historical analyses of architectural sculpture, epigraphy, and ethnography. Jessica Joyce Christie concludes the volume by identifying patterns and commonalties that apply not only to the cited examples, but also to Maya architecture in general.

Castles and palaces around the world are structures of grandeur, might and beauty. From the flamboyance of Germany's fairy tale-Neuschwanstein Castle to the gothic, Dracula-inspiring Bran Castle, perched high in the craggy peaks of Romania's Carpathian Mountains; Tokyo's Imperial Palace, previously home to samurai warriors to Ireland's Blarney Castle, where 'the gift of the gab' will be granted to any who kiss its stone, the world's castles and palaces are steeped in history and stories to tell. Travel writer and journalist Gilly Pickup shares these stories, providing a tour of 50 of the world's greatest castles and palaces, filled with humour, interesting facts and tips on how best to visit them.

The book explores the romance of India's forts and palaces - their past glory, wars and warriors, and unparalleled architecture. The book brings alive the magic of those monuments with a rare combination of prose and inimitable photographs. Master builders, dynasties, armories, underground stepwells, concrete labyrinths - they all come to life in the pages of this masterful tome.