The Great Lie

Charlotte's dream of a summer writing workshop in Venice with her favorite author brings the chance to investigate the mysterious poet in her family's past, meet fascinating new people, and learn truths about her idol.

The Most Insightful and Profound Reflections on Tyranny. Totalitarianism was the dominant phenomenon of the twentieth century. Deeply troubling questions endure regarding the nature of such tyrannical regimes: What enabled human beings to carry out such horrific crimes against their fellow man? What does the endurance of Communism reveal about human liberty? Why did human beings suffer rule by ideological lies for so long, and what kept them open to the truth? What are we to make of the relationship between totalitarianism and the foundational principles of democratic modernity? Some of the greatest minds of the twentieth century sought answers to these haunting questions. Now, for the first time ever, their incisive and profound reflections on totalitarianism have been brought together in one book. The Great Lie showcases the insights of such giants as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Vaclav Havel, Hannah Arendt, Eric Voegelin, Czeslaw Milosz, Leo Strauss, and Raymond Aron, along with neglected but important thinkers such as Waldemar Gurian, Aurel Kolnai, Leszek Kolakowski, Pierre Manent, Claude Lefort, and Chantal Delsol. The brilliant essays in this volume illuminate the very nature of totalitarian regimes, and the monstrous ideology that is their defining feature. The Great Lie allows readers to make sense of political evil and how it can attract so many people into its ideological fold. This is not a matter of mere academic interest in an age when we confront totalitarianism in such regimes as North Korea and Cuba—and, arguably, in radical Islamist movements.

Six teens murdered. A suspect behind bars. A desperate father. In a case this shadowy, the truth is easy to hide. Psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Moore is an expert on killers. She's spent a decade treating California's most depraved predators and unlocking their motives--predators much like the notorious Bloody Heart serial killer, whose latest teenage victim escaped and then identified local high school teacher Randall Thompson as his captor. The case against Thompson as the Bloody Heart Killer is damning--and closed, as far as Gwen and the media are concerned. If not for one new development... Defense attorney Robert Kavin is a still-traumatized father whose own son fell prey to the BH Killer. Convinced of Thompson's innocence, he steps in to represent him. Now Robert wants Gwen to interview the accused, create a psych profile of the killer and his victims, and help clear his client's name. As Gwen and Robert grow closer and she dives deeper into the investigation, grave questions arise. So does Gwen's suspicion that Robert is hiding something--and that he might not be the only one with a secret.

Shortlisted for the Peters Book of the Year. A shocking story of rebellion and revelation set in a contemporary Nazi England. Jessika Keller is a good girl: she obeys her father, does her best to impress Herr Fisher at the Bund Deutscher Mädel meetings and is set to be a world champion ice skater. Her neighbour Clementine is not so submissive. Outspoken and radical, Clem is delectably dangerous and rebellious. And the regime has noticed. Jess cannot keep both her perfect life and her dearest friend. But which can she live without? THE BIG LIE is a thought-provoking and beautifully told story that explores ideas of loyalty, sexuality and protest.

The Great Lie of the Civil War If you think the Civil War was fought to end slavery, you’ve been duped. In fact, as distinguished military historian Samuel Mitcham argues in his provocative new book, It Wasn’t About Slavery, no political party advocated freeing the slaves in the presidential election of 1860. The Republican Party platform opposed the expansion of slavery to the western states, but it did not embrace abolition. The real cause of the war was a dispute over money and self-determination. Before the Civil War, the South financed most of the federal government—because the federal government was funded by tariffs, which were paid disproportionately by the agricultural South that imported manufactured goods. Yet, most federal government spending and subsidies benefited the North. The South wanted a more limited federal government and lower tariffs—the ideals of Thomas Jefferson—and when the South could not get that, it opted for independence. Lincoln was unprepared when the Southern states seceded, and force was the only way to bring them—and their tariff money—back. That was the real cause of the war. A well-documented and compelling read by a master historian, It Wasn’t About Slavery will change the way you think about Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the cause and legacy of America’s momentous Civil War.

Born in London, and having lost his grandmother, father and mother in 11 months at the age of 15, Hanks, a graduate of the prestigious Dartmouth College, model, actor and former professional basketball player, describes how following the direction of strong women still enabled him to fulfill his dreams. With references to celebrities Oprah, Maya Angelou, Jackie McCullough, Germaine Greer, Yanna Darili, Victoria Beckham, Barbara Walters and others, Hanks lists over 30 traits which these women of excellence embody. Are you A Woman of Excellence or A Needy Woman? Additionally, while discussing The Hook Up phenomenon, Hanks poses and answers the central question of the 2000s, who has the power? Is it Sex In The City's Samantha or the woman who chooses to focus on her career: "happy if a man comes along and quite frankly, very happy if a man doesn't come along?" Entertaining, thought-provoking and certain to cause controversy, "The Great Lie" stands "as a polemic encased in a work of art."

Many lies have been told about Mary Astor. She never abandoned her parents to poverty. Her face was their fortune rather than her own. Nor did she rate on a private scorecard the sexual prowess of Hollywood leading men. But two more dangerous and persistent lies have distorted the understanding of her life. One lie defines Astor as the survivor of sex scandals and suicide attempts who ended up living on charity in a retirement home for film folk. There is much more to her story than that miserable scenario, for, in fact, with grit and determination, she rebounded from middle-aged decline to invest her energies in a new career as an excellent memoirist and novelist. The other most important lie-indeed, the great lie-robbed her of her core identity as Lucile Langhanke and imposed on her a movie stardom that she did not want. This book tells how "Mary Astor" recovered who she really was and really wanted to be. "Falsehood flies," Jonathan Swift noted, "and the Truth comes limping after it." However halting its pace, the truth about this gifted and highly intelligent person is much more interesting than any of the lies.The first full biography of Mary Astor, this book makes extensive use of previously unknown primary material from archives. In doing so, it corrects many errors of dates and facts in previous accounts. Respecting Astor's own priorities, it rebalances its account of Astor's life in terms of her personal struggles, as well as her achievements as an actress on radio, in film, on stage, and in TV as well as an excellent memoirist and novelist. It also extends our understanding of Astor's difficult life by explaining the profound effects of emotional abuse and financial exploitation by a narcissistic parent.

Straight from the world's most awesomest Karate blog in the universe, comes yet another long-awaited book from best-selling Karate author Jesse Enkamp; featuring some of the most popular hand-picked articles of KARATEbyJesse.com on the art, science, knowledge and culture of Karate online. WARNING! Strictly recommended for Karate Nerds(tm) only!