The Forbidden Hills

Gold Glimmers, and the Rush Is On! An expedition led by George Custer in the 1870s confirms that the rumor of gold is true, and now its glimmer beckons from the Black Hills of Dakota Territory. And the rush is on in spite of the threat of war with the Indians. No one seems to desire to strike it rich more than Jim Bannon, a farmer who seeks Alyssa McGuire’s hand in marriage. Her father is the owner of the Bank of Cheyenne and refuses to let her marry below her class. So Jim boldly departs his Wyoming farm in hot pursuit of the wealth that is his ticket to the love of his life. But conflict between miners and Indians heats up, and Jim returns home unsuccessful. How will he ever make Alyssa his bride? book two Dreams of Gold Trilogy When gold was discovered out West during the nineteenth century, men rushed from all parts of the globe to stake their claims. Fortunes were made and lost, families uprooted, and a continent shaped by men driven by dreams of gold. (end series header) Gold Discovered in the Black Hills! 1875. Jim Bannon is a young farmer, a fine Christian man in love with Alyssa Rose McGuire, the daughter of a wealthy banker in Cheyenne . Her father, Frank, wants her to marry a Christian, of course...but a wealthy Christian. So when the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory (and Sioux country) are opened for gold prospecting, Jim stakes a claim, hoping to strike it rich enough to win Alyssa’s hand with her father’s approval. Thousands of people converge on the Black Hills , seeking gold for everything from medical bills to oil investments. Jim realizes he’s in a mission field among the prospectors—and even the Sioux Indians. But will he ever find enough gold to satisfy Frank McGuire and marry his beloved Alyssa Rose? Story Behind the Book "We read books on the history of North America and found ourselves captivated with the three big gold rushes in the nineteenth century—the California Gold Rush of 1849, the Dakota Territory Black Hills Gold Rush of 1874, and the Yukon Gold Rush in Canada of 1896. Some gold seekers embraced success, delight, and happiness, but others faced failure, tragedy, and sorrow. In the Dreams of Gold series, we captivate our readers’ imaginations, as well as touch their hearts with both types of results in the gold seekers’ experiences—good and bad." —Al and JoAnna Lacy

On 6 February 1819, Stamford Raffles, William Farquhar, Temenggong Abdul Rahman and Sultan Hussein signed a treaty that granted the British East India Company the right to establish a trading settlement on the sparsely populated island of Singapore. Forbidden Hill (Singapore Saga, Vol. 1) is a meticulously researched and vividly imagined historical narrative that brings to life the stories of the early European, Malay, Chinese and Indian pioneers – the administrators, merchants, policemen, boatmen, coolies, concubines, slaves and secret society soldiers – whose vision and intrigues drive the rapid expansion of the port city in the early decades of the nineteenth century. While Raffles and Farquhar clash over the administration of the settlement, theScottish merchant adventurer Ronnie Simpson and Englishwoman Sarah Hemmings find love and redemption as they battle an American duelist and Illanun pirates. As the ghosts of the rajahs of the ancient city of Singapura fade into the shadows of Forbidden Hill, the new settlers forge their linked destinies in the ‘emporium of the Eastern seas’.

Johnson's account of the last years of the Chinese Qing dynasty provides a unique Western perspective on this historic period.

Pandemonium wafted up out of Deadwood Gulch whenever bellowing, muddy oxen teams led wagons rattling into town. For a decade, thousands of bull trains hauled all that miners, settlers and ne'er-do-wells needed to survive in that isolated prairie oasis. The bulls, thousands of them in mile-long, meandering trains, had last known civilization in Fort Pierre, two hundred miles to the east. After weeks on the harsh prairie of the Sioux, the exhausted convoys appeared out of the prairie dust, each team of twenty or more oxen pulling sturdy, white-bonneted wagons filled with provisions. Author Chuck Cecil restores the glory of the near-forgotten yet indispensable symbols of the West that made life possible on the frontier's western fringe.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: China will lead you straight to the best attractions the country has to offer. This guidebook reveals the magnificence of China's greatest sights, including in-depth coverage of the Forbidden City and terra-cotta soldiers. It provides expert tips for visiting the Great Wall, cruising through the stunning Yangtze Three Gorges, and exploring the ultramodern cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong. Explore China's cultural heritage through richly illustrated features on everything from the Beijing Opera to Confucianism, calligraphy, and the cult of Mao. Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: China. + Detailed itineraries and "don't-miss" destination highlights at a glance. + Illustrated cutaway 3-D drawings of important sights. + Floor plans and guided visitor information for major museums. + Guided walking tours, local drink and dining specialties to try, things to do, and places to eat, drink, and shop by area. + Area maps marked with sights. + Detailed city maps include street finder indexes for easy navigation. + Insights into history and culture to help you understand the stories behind the sights. + Hotel and restaurant listings highlight DK Choice special recommendations. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: China truly shows you this country as no one else can.

A. P. Hill: Lee's Forgotten General is the first biography of the Confederacy's long-neglected hero whom Lee ranked next to Jackson and Longstreet. Although the name and deeds ot this gallant Virginian conspicuously punctuate the record of every major campaign of the Army of Northern Virginia, the man himself has persistently remained what Douglas Southall Freman termed an "elusive personality." William Woods Hassler, through careful and persistent research, has compiled an interesting documentary study from which emerges a balanced portrait of this distinguished but complex character. Here for the first time is detailed the romantic triangle which enmeshed Hill and McClellan, former roommates at West Point, with beauteous Nelly Marcy, reigning queen of pre-war Washington's younger set. Hill lost this contest to Nelly's parents, but he later won the hand of General John Hunt Morgan's lovely and talented sister, Dolly. And at Sharpsburg, Hill wreaked vengeance upon McClellan by his timely arrival which saved Lee from defeat at the same time it spelled McClellan's subsequent dismissal from command of the Army of the Potomac. The author traces Hill's meteoric rise from Colonel of the redoubtable Thirteenth Virginia Regiment to Major General in command of the famed Light Division. Against a "you are there" background of intimate detail, the reader follows the exploits of tempestous Ambrose Powell Hill as he welds his officers and men into fierce striking units. Where the fighing is thickests there is the red-haired, red-shirted Hill brandishing his sword and exhorting his men to victory. Sometimes the issue ends ignominiously as at Bristoe Station, but more often the outcome is glorious as at Second Manassas and Reams Station. Gray greats and near-greats stalk through these pages with vivid reality as one meets Jeb Stuart, Dorsey Pender, John Hood, Heros von Borcke, Ham Chamerlayne, Willie Pegram, Rev. J. Wm. Jones, Cadmus Wilcox, Harry Heth, J. R. Anderson, Lawrence O'Brien Branch, James Archer, Jim Lane, Thomas Wooten, Charles Field, George Tucker, Kyd Douglas, Johnston Pettigrew, Moxley Sorrel, William H. Palmer, Wade Hampton, Jube Early, Lindsay Walker, Maxcy Gregg, Sam McGowan, and others. Accompanying Hill and his commands from pre-Manassas to the final breakthrough at Petersburg, the reader relives the campaigns in the Eastern theater. At the same time the reader gains a deeper insight into the problems of command, together with an appreciation of the hardships which the Confederate soldiers endured during even the early days of the conflict. Although Powell Hill's consideration and ability won for him the unbounded respect and devotion of his troops, his proud, sensitive nature continually embroiled him with his superiors. His dispute with Longstreet following the Seven Days Battles almost culminated in a duel. Transferred to Jackson's command, Hill outspokenly quarreled with "Old Jack" until the latter's mortal wounding at Chancellorsville effected a dramatic battlefield reconciliation. As Jackson's successor, Hill performed irregularly. The author analyzes objectively the various factors which may have caused the changes in Hill's fortunes following his elevation to corps command.

I am writing from a place that is a long way from the halls of fame. Working through two video clips, "the god delusion" and "the virus of faith." Eminent scientist Richard Dawkins produced the clips several years ago. There has been some reviews done on these videos in the past. Each time a comment has been made--it is from either side of the 'fence.' What makes this book so different; is that I am neither a religious-fundamentalist nor a scientist. One day, we may see a follow-up video. The purpose of this book is to chip away at your worldview. Many believe that the religions of this world actually read and follow an instruction book; however, that is definitely not the case. I invite you to challenge your worldview. Come along for the ride and take a fresh look at the world's "number one bestseller."