The life of William Shakespeare, arguably the most significant figure in the Western literary canon, is relatively unknown. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1565, possibly on the 23rd April, St. George's Day, and baptised there on 26th April. Little is known of his education and the first firm facts to his life relate to his marriage, aged 18, to Anne Hathaway, who was 26 and from the nearby village of Shottery. Anne gave birth to their first son six months later. Shakespeare's first play, The Comedy of Errors began a procession of real heavyweights that were to emanate from his pen in a career of just over twenty years in which 37 plays were written and his reputation forever established. This early skill was recognised by many and by 1594 the Lord Chamberlain's Men were performing his works. With the advantage of Shakespeare's progressive writing they rapidly became London's leading company of players, affording him more exposure and, following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, a royal patent by the new king, James I, at which point they changed their name to the King's Men. By 1598, and despite efforts to pirate his work, Shakespeare's name was well known and had become a selling point in its own right on title pages. No plays are attributed to Shakespeare after 1613, and the last few plays he wrote before this time were in collaboration with other writers, one of whom is likely to be John Fletcher who succeeded him as the house playwright for the King's Men. William Shakespeare died two months later on April 23rd, 1616, survived by his wife, two daughters and a legacy of writing that none have since yet eclipsed.

The life of William Shakespeare, arguably the most significant figure in the Western literary canon, is relatively unknown. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1565, possibly on the 23rd April, St. George's Day, and baptised there on 26th April. Little is known of his education and the first firm facts to his life relate to his marriage, aged 18, to Anne Hathaway, who was 26 and from the nearby village of Shottery. Anne gave birth to their first son six months later. Shakespeare's first play, The Comedy of Errors began a procession of real heavyweights that were to emanate from his pen in a career of just over twenty years in which 37 plays were written and his reputation forever established. This early skill was recognised by many and by 1594 the Lord Chamberlain's Men were performing his works. With the advantage of Shakespeare's progressive writing they rapidly became London's leading company of players, affording him more exposure and, following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, a royal patent by the new king, James I, at which point they changed their name to the King's Men. By 1598, and despite efforts to pirate his work, Shakespeare's name was well known and had become a selling point in its own right on title pages. No plays are attributed to Shakespeare after 1613, and the last few plays he wrote before this time were in collaboration with other writers, one of whom is likely to be John Fletcher who succeeded him as the house playwright for the King's Men. William Shakespeare died two months later on April 23rd, 1616, survived by his wife, two daughters and a legacy of writing that none have since yet eclipsed.

The village of Colonus, near Athens, was, in the year 495 BC, the birthplace of Sophocles. Sophocles place in Greek Tragedy is assured. His birth places him between the two other giants of Greek tragedy; schylus and Euripides. He was 30 years younger than schylus, the reigning master of drama and was fifteen years older than Euripides, who would, in turn, usurp Sophocles. Sophocles was a handsome and agile youth and selected, at the age of sixteen, to lead with dance and lyre the chorus which celebrated the triumph of Athens and its Allies over Persia at the battle at Salamis. Sophocles career as a dramatist was marked by a victory in competition with schylus, under exceptional circumstances. At the time the remains of the hero Theseus were being removed by Cimon from the isle of Scyros to Athens and, at the same time, a contest involving the two dramatists was being held. schylus was lauded at the time as the supreme dramatist but Sophocles was popular if inexperienced. The first prize was awarded to Sophocles, greatly to the disgust of the veteran schylus, who taking umbrage, soon afterward departed for Sicily. By all accounts Sophocles would now write and exhibit tragedies and satyric dramas for the next sixty years. The canon of his work varies to between 120 and 180 plays, naturally a number were fillers and not of his highest standard but the prodigious output is extraordinary. In the annual Dionysia, the number of first prizes he won is put at between eighteen and twenty-four, with many more second prizes. On this basis alone schylus and Euripides were left a long way behind. So far from being dulled with age and toil, his powers seem only to have assumed a mellower tone, a more touching pathos, a sweeter and gentler mode of thought and expression. Sophocles was spared the misery of witnessing the final overthrow of his country, dying, at the age or around 90 after a long life full of triumphs and honours, a few months before the defeat of Aegospotami brought the downfall of his beloved Athens. This naval Battle of Aegospotami took place in 405 BC and decisively determined the outcome of the Peloponnesian War. In the battle, a Spartan fleet under Lysander destroyed the Athenian navy. This effectively ended the war, since Athens could not import grain or communicate with its empire without control of the sea. There are only seven dramas of Sophocles that have survived. It can be argued that Sophocles and his works were the high-water mark of Athenian excellence. He is rightly lauded and we can only wonder at the splendours he wrote that are now lost to us.

Kevesen vagyunk, s még tovább fogyunk, kik h?séggel, népünkért dolgozunk. Sokan kérdik: ?mért vagytok ostobák?” Csak hallgatunk és dolgozunk tovább. Más bíztat: ?Fordulj már végre el e romtemplomtól, és gazdag leszel!” De fog-szorítva tesszük, amit kell, jutalom, megtorlás, nem érdekel. Olyanok leszünk mint a parázsszemek! ?lesztünk tüzet, mely tán már elveszett.

Ella Stewart had found a kindred spirit in Clay Baldwin. He listened when she spoke, he was there when she needed him, he respected her—and he was down on his luck, just like she was. Except Clay hadn't exactly told her that he wasn't at all poor and that he was, in fact, a wealthy businessman. But to find true love, wasn't it worth telling one little white lie?

Set in 1919, young couple Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Cowley form a partnership, hiring themselves out as ”young adventurers”. Their first case, however, is more of an adventure than they expect – working to find documents that, if they were known to the general public, would fuel a communist revolution in Britain. The action and drama was kept high throughout the course of the plot, and the twist at the end was marvelously well-done. I didn’t expect it at all– in fact, I thought I had worked out the solution about halfway through, but I was completely wrong. I love it when mystery books do that; it makes reading them into a fun game.

36 Hours Serial As a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty-six hours will change the town and its residents forever…. Marriage by Contract Part 3 For Bethany Kent, life has never been more perfect. She has a beautiful baby and a gorgeous, accomplished husband. Despite the marriage of convenience start to their life together, she and Tony are falling in love. But then Christopher's birth mother returns and wants her son back. If Bethany does what is right and gives up Christopher, will she lose Tony, as well? Don't miss the next book in the continuing story of Grand Springs in Partners in Crime by Alicia Scott.

Fast Fiction Hot - short, sexy reads Ever since the Sundance ranch became a destination for city girls seeking a romp in the hay with a bona-fide cowboy, ranch hand Josh Evans has had one rule: don't date the guests. But when a beautiful, soft-spoken woman named Haley checks in, Josh knows he's going to have trouble keeping his promise. Only Haley's more interested in sketching Montana's mountains than snagging one of its men. And after a few days of putting up with snooty, boy-crazy guests, Haley is ready to hop the next flight back to New York. Can Josh convince her that there's one cowboy who's worth an extended vacation?

Fast Fiction Suspense - short romantic stories with a twist of intrigue Just when Evie Cabrera thinks her blind date can't get any worse, her insipid dinner companion pulls out a gun. Suddenly Evie is drawn into the middle of a terrorist plot. Her only protection is Jude Curran, an agent with Tactical Executive Security. But Evie senses that Jude is keeping more secrets than he's revealing. With her life in chaos, can she trust the secret agent? Jude was supposed to gather intel on the potential terrorist—not get into a shootout with the man. Then again, he's also not supposed to let the beautiful, smart Evie get caught up in this conspiracy. Jude is determined to keep Evie safe, which means keeping her close and ignoring the sparks flying between them. After all, Evie deserves a man who can be completely honest with her, and as a TES agent, Jude must always protect his company's secrets, or risk the security of the entire nation….

Dark, intense and utterly compelling, Black Dog was an extraordinary first novel from a writer who has rapidly become the most promising crime author to emerge in the genre in years. ‘Where Cooper stood was remote and isolated… but the smell that lingered under the trees was of blood’ The long hot Peak District summer came to an end when they found Laura Vernon's body. But for local policeman Ben Cooper the work has just begun. His community is hiding a young girl’s killer and a past as dark as the Derbyshire night. It seems Laura was the keeper of secrets beyond her years and, in a case where no-one is innocent, everyone is a suspect. But Cooper’s local knowledge and instincts are about to face an even greater challenge. The ambitious DC Diane Fry has been called in from another division, a woman as ruthless as she is attractive…

36 Hours Serial As a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty-six hours will change the town and its residents forever…. Father and Child Reunion Part 3 Investigative reporter Rio Redtree is digging into the mayor's murder. But the closer he gets to answers, the more signs are pointing to Hal Stuart–the son of the murdered mayor and brother to the woman Rio realizes he has never stopped loving. The only thing he wants more than to catch Olivia's killer is to be with Eve and her daughter, Molly. How will Eve trust him if he's willing to send her own brother to prison? Can Rio risk the family life he's always wanted to see justice done? Don't miss the next book in the continuing story of Grand Springs in The Rancher and the Runaway Bride by Susan Mallery.

Vaughn Donnelly's work has taken him to many different villages over the years, and he's never regretted saying goodbye to anyone in them. Until he promises to help Darcy Keegan rescue an orphaned boy from prison. Darcy dreams of a family, a home, a husband… But can Vaughn offer Darcy what she needs?

Fast Fiction Paranormal - quick reads to transport you to another world Erika Cenov has dreams where someone dies - and then it comes true. Her latest nightmare has a young girl being abducted and the man she once loved, Lazlo Brennan, being shot and turning into a wolf. Erika doesn't want to believe her vision. Then a child goes missing and the detective on the case is Lazlo Brennan. Erika knows Lazlo will die. Unless, for the first time, she can change the outcome of her dreams…and save them all.

This richly illustrated short, extracted from the official book The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, focuses on the characters individually, examining their motivations, their actions and the inspirations behind them. Forwarded by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. On the face of it, the young newlyweds Sybil and Tom hope to live an unobtrusive, quiet existence in Dublin as ‘Mr and Mrs Branson’, happily waiting for the arrival of their baby. But as the gossip back at Downton Abbey shows, nothing of their way of life is normal. An earl’s daughter and a chauffeur-turned-Irish-revolutionary cannot expect an uneventful life together. ‘She doesn’t want Tom to alter,’ says Jessica Brown Findlay, who plays Sybil, ‘she loves him for his fire and passion, and his desire to change things.’ But when they come home she doesn’t want to cause unnecessary fuss – she adores her family and respects their desire to live as they wish. Unlike Tom, she sees no harm in it. Trying to keep harmony is almost more than she can bear. Purchase this ebook short and the others in the series to get closer still to the characters at Downton Abbey and to understand more about their social context – from the changing role of the aristocracy to fashion and beauty, American Anglophiles, the Suffragette movement and life below stairs in a big country house like Downton. Search for The Chronicles of Downton Abbey to purchase all shorts combined.

This richly illustrated short, extracted from the official book The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, focuses on the characters individually, examining their motivations, their actions and the inspirations behind them. Forwarded by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. It is a strange life for the likes of Carson and Mrs Hughes, sitting between the family and the servants and never completely belonging to either group. It’s easy to understand why the two of them seek refuge in each other, even in their own rather stilted fashion. ‘Carson comes from a family of soldiers and servants,’ says Julian Fellowes. ‘His grandfather was a head groom and so he’s middle-middle class – they certainly weren’t scrabbling in the gutter for food.’ Mrs Hughes gave up the idea of marriage and a family for her career as Downton’s housekeeper. This does not mean she was without ambition: a career in service was something to be proud of; the job was steady, she had respect from her colleagues and she could look forward to a reasonably comfortable retirement provided by the Downton Abbey estate, if she served the family for many years. Purchase this ebook short and the others in the series to get closer still to the characters at Downton Abbey and to understand more about their social context – from the changing role of the aristocracy to fashion and beauty, American Anglophiles, the Suffragette movement and life below stairs in a big country house like Downton. Search for The Chronicles of Downton Abbey to purchase all shorts combined.

The year 2014 is the Chinese Year of the Horse – what will this mean for you? This complete guide contains all the predictions you will need to take you into the year ahead – a lively fast-paced year favouring ideas, innovation and personal growth. The ancient art of Chinese astrology, which predates the Western zodiac, is a detailed system of divination that has been in use in the Orient for thousands of years. The depth of its wisdom and the accuracy of its character analysis and prediction has caught the imagination of the Western world in recent years and led to a rapid rise in its popularity. This popular and enlightening bestselling guide – now in its 27th year – includes: ? Everything you need to know about the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. ? An explanation of the Five Elements: metal, water, wood, fire and earth, and which one governs your sign. ? Individual predictions to help you find love, luck and success. ? What the Year of the Horse has in store for you, your family, your loved ones and friends.

The year 2014 is the Chinese Year of the Horse – what will this mean for you? This complete guide contains all the predictions you will need to take you into the year ahead – a lively fast-paced year favouring ideas, innovation and personal growth. The ancient art of Chinese astrology, which predates the Western zodiac, is a detailed system of divination that has been in use in the Orient for thousands of years. The depth of its wisdom and the accuracy of its character analysis and prediction has caught the imagination of the Western world in recent years and led to a rapid rise in its popularity. This popular and enlightening bestselling guide – now in its 27th year – includes: ? Everything you need to know about the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. ? An explanation of the Five Elements: metal, water, wood, fire and earth, and which one governs your sign. ? Individual predictions to help you find love, luck and success. ? What the Year of the Horse has in store for you, your family, your loved ones and friends.

The year 2014 is the Chinese Year of the Horse – what will this mean for you? This complete guide contains all the predictions you will need to take you into the year ahead – a lively fast-paced year favouring ideas, innovation and personal growth. The ancient art of Chinese astrology, which predates the Western zodiac, is a detailed system of divination that has been in use in the Orient for thousands of years. The depth of its wisdom and the accuracy of its character analysis and prediction has caught the imagination of the Western world in recent years and led to a rapid rise in its popularity. This popular and enlightening bestselling guide – now in its 27th year – includes: ? Everything you need to know about the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. ? An explanation of the Five Elements: metal, water, wood, fire and earth, and which one governs your sign. ? Individual predictions to help you find love, luck and success. ? What the Year of the Horse has in store for you, your family, your loved ones and friends.

The year 2014 is the Chinese Year of the Horse – what will this mean for you? This complete guide contains all the predictions you will need to take you into the year ahead – a lively fast-paced year favouring ideas, innovation and personal growth. The ancient art of Chinese astrology, which predates the Western zodiac, is a detailed system of divination that has been in use in the Orient for thousands of years. The depth of its wisdom and the accuracy of its character analysis and prediction has caught the imagination of the Western world in recent years and led to a rapid rise in its popularity. This popular and enlightening bestselling guide – now in its 27th year – includes: ? Everything you need to know about the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. ? An explanation of the Five Elements: metal, water, wood, fire and earth, and which one governs your sign. ? Individual predictions to help you find love, luck and success. ? What the Year of the Horse has in store for you, your family, your loved ones and friends.

Casey tells the harrowing story of Connor, an eight year old boy from a broken home who comes to stay with her family. It’s a Saturday morning when Casey and Mike are asked to take in eight year old Connor – an emergency placement, just for a couple of days, following a violent incident at his now former care home. And Casey’s instinct, as ever, is to say yes. With long term foster son Tyler off to football, and no particular plans for the weekend, even the fact that Connor arrives in what looks like a prison van doesn’t phase her – after all, challenging children are what she and Mike have trained for. And how much trouble can he really be? He’s eight. A lot, as it turns out. Connor is as streetwise as they come, and, hurt and angry, seems determined to cause trouble from the off. But despite the attitude, there’s something strangely endearing about their little visitor that makes Casey want to tease out the frightened child behind the swagger. So much so that, with Connor and Tyler getting on so well, she wonders – should they say they’ll keep him longer? It seems like the easiest decision in the world …

One of seven touching true stories from Wish You Were Here!, the tale of Butlin’s holiday camps. ‘When I got to the camp I felt as if I’d suddenly walked into Utopia – it was so colourful, so warm, so friendly. There were lights across the roads, there were banners fluttering in the breeze… There seemed to be laughter coming from every building.’ With grey post-WWII skies hanging low over Britain, factories lining the streets and smoke stacks dotting the horizon, there was one way that ordinary families could escape: the ever-cheerful holiday camps of Butlin’s. When Billy Butlin founded his holiday camps in 1936, they were bastions of community spirit and havens of luxury. Here, for one week, wives and mothers were freed from the toil and drudgery of housework, children ran free through the grounds, fathers and husbands hung up their work clothes. Ever-helpful redcoats were on hand all hours of the day, dinner halls ready with plentiful food for old and young alike, bars stocked to quench any level of thirst, ballrooms waiting to be flooded with shiny shoes, rustling dresses and peals of laughter. And, as the sun went down on another exhausting, happy day, a chorus line was ready to sing holidaymakers back to their beds. Rich in period detail and highly evocative, Wish You Were Here! follows the lives of seven of the camps’ key figures through the highs and lows of the holiday season: from redcoats searching for stardom to young families who returned year after year, to pensioners who rediscovered an inner youth. The laughter and tears, the loves and losses, and the fun and friendships that have lasted a lifetime – it's all here. Funny, moving and heartwarming, they are tales of swimming pools and sing-a-longs, Glamorous Grannies and bicycle rides, and of a community spirit that burned brightly in a much-loved British institution.