Историческая литература - скачать книги или читать онлайн. Страница 169

New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn returns with a Jazz Age tale of grand adventure

The exciting first book in a brand new fictional trilogy about the most important events in the history of the Order of the Knights Templar.The Templars represent a widely popular period of history, but the roots of their fellowship have been shrouded in contemporary conspiracy theory and media glamour….this trilogy tells the true tales of the Knights Templar; beginning with why they formed after the First Crusade and why they continued to grow in power and influence.Immediately after the deliverance of Jerusalem, the Crusaders, considering their vow fulfilled, drifted back to their homes. But some considered that the defence of this precarious conquest, surrounded as it was by Mohammedan neighbours, still remained. In 1118, during the reign of Baldwin II, Hugues de Payens, a knight of Champagne, and eight of his companions bound themselves by a perpetual vow, taken in the presence of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, to defend the Christian kingdom and all god fearing pilgrims who wished to visit the Holy Land. Baldwin accepted their services and assigned them a portion of his palace, adjoining the temple of the city; hence their title «pauvres chevaliers du temple» (Poor Knights of the Temple).

Hawaii, 1944. The Pacific battles of World War II continue to threaten American soil, and on the home front, the bonds of friendship and the strength of love are tested.Violet Iverson and her young daughter, Ella, are piecing their lives together one year after the disappearance of her husband. As rumors swirl and questions about his loyalties surface, Violet believes Ella knows something. But Ella is stubbornly silent. Something—or someone—has scared her. And with the island overrun by troops training for a secret mission, tension and suspicion between neighbors is rising.Violet bands together with her close friends to get through the difficult days. To support themselves, they open a pie stand near the military base, offering the soldiers a little homemade comfort. Try as she might, Violet can’t ignore her attraction to the brash marine who comes to her aid when the women are accused of spying. Desperate to discover the truth behind what happened to her husband, while keeping her friends and daughter safe, Violet is torn by guilt, fear and longing as she faces losing everything. Again.Readers love Ackerman:“a well written novel, well researched and well told”“A book that I could hardly put down, I highly recommend it, this is a 5 star novel”“This book was a joy to read, due to the rich and interesting characters”“charming, engaging read”“A beautifully written story by an exciting new author”“ I loved the book!”“a heartwarming story of friendship and survival”“After reading this book, I want to read more historical fiction”

In the early post-war years, Doris Lessing left her native Southern Africa in search of a grail. But the English she pursued – and found – were living in working-class homes in East London. They were lusty, quarrelsome, unscrupulous and full-blooded – quite unlike what they were supposed to be.In the early post-war years, Doris Lessing left her native Southern Africa in search of a grail – a life of glamour and refinement that she naively believed England offered everyone. A fascinating, hilarious memoir of her first impressions of her adopted country, 'In Pursuit of the English' brilliantly captures Lessing's constant wonder at and growing affection for the people she came to know: the working-class of the East End of London. Lusty, quarrelsome, unscrupulous and full-blooded, they were quite unlike the English she had expected to find…

Originally published in 1992 and now available as an ebook.This edition does not include any images.WINNER OF THE 'LOS ANGELES TIMES' BOOK AWARD FOR HISTORYNow that the great Soviet empire has finally unravelled, and with the future of the Commonwealth of Independent States looking precarious at best, and violent at worst, as long-subdued territorial conflicts flourish from Moldova to Siberia, never has it been so important to understand the vast continued bureaucracy that for seventy years held so many disparate peoples together. How it did so, and the tactics it employed, form the spine of this acclaimed study of the world's last great land empire.Geoffrey Hosking traces the evolution of the Soviet political system from its revolutionary origins in 1917 to the collapse instigated by the reforms of Gorbachev's 'perestroika'. He shows how power was rarely devolved outside a particularly tightly knit ruling elite, and focuses on the forms of contact that existed between rulers and ruled. He places special emphasis on the experience of the peasantry, urban workers and the professional class, drawing on a mass of monographs and memoirs to show how they generated their own informal practices to adjust to changing Soviet social structures, and how, more often than is commonly realized in the West, they resisted repression and deprivation. This Final Edition obliges us to reflect on the enormity of the changes witnessed in the lands of the Soviet Union in the past five years.By providing a vivid picture of what it has felt like to be a Soviet citizen during the prodigious upheavals of the twentieth century, it reminds us that we cannot afford to ignore the impact of this empire, globally and locally – an impact whose legacy will be with us well into the twenty-first century.

What are the 50 key events you need to understand to grasp British history?If you could choose the 50 things that define British history, events of significance not only in themselves, but in their importance to wider themes running through our past, what would they be? Hugh Williams has made that selection, and the result is a fascinating overview of Britain’s past.He refines British history into a series of key themes that represent a crucial strand in our history, and pinpoints the seminal events within those strands – Roots, from the Roman invasion to Britain’s entry into the Common Market; Fight, Fight and Fight Again, from the Battle of Agincourt to the Falklands War; The Pursuit of Liberty, from the Magna Carta through the Glorious Revolution to the foundation of the NHS; Home and Abroad, from Sir Francis Drake and Clive of India to the arrival of the SS Empire Windrush; and All Change, from Chaucer and the English language to the invention of the web.With great clarity, simplicity and a zest for the marvellous stories that underpin many of these events, Hugh Williams explains the linkage between each one and its importance in the progress of British history as a whole. Along the way, he has some fascinating tales to tell, making this a highly enjoyable read as well as a perceptive insight into our shared past, and vital for anyone who wants quickly and enjoyably to grasp the essential facts about Britain’s history.

Celebrate the heart of Britain in this fun and informative mini-ebook.Rugby, Walkers Crisps, Conkers. These are just a handful of the many great things to have come out of the Midlands. In this celebratory list, journalist and loyal Midlander Robert Shore counts down fifty of the best gifts the Midlands has given the world.Knowledge no Midlander – nay, Brit! – should be without.From the author of Bang in the Middle.

The stunning saga from the bestselling author of Child of the Mersey and Only a Mother Knows. Perfect for fans of Katie Flynn.A stirring, heartrending story of love, passion, duty and family, set in the early years of the 1900s as the First World War looms.After the tragic death of her mother, beautiful, headstrong Ellie Pride must forge her own way in the world. Having made a deathbed promise to her mother to forsake passion for stability and social status, Ellie rejects the advances of local craftsman Gideon Walker, despite her deep attraction to him. With her grieving father struggling to cope, Ellie is exiled to live with her aunt and uncle. Her mother hoped Ellie would be able to escape her humble roots forever. But despite the so-called luxury, Ellie is left frightened and alone.Her uncle quickly reveals a terrifying cruelty that forces her into a loveless marriage in order to escape him. Struggling to support her weak husband against his penny-pinching father, Ellie never forgets her love for Gideon. Their paths are destined to cross again and again.But when events take a tragic turn, Ellie needs all her pride and strength to overcome hardship, and to triumph.