Download or read book The Mercenary River written by Nick Higham and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2022-04-14 with total page 542 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anyone interested in the real London needs to read this. - Andrew Marr No city can survive without water, and lots of it. Today we take the stuff for granted: turn a tap and it gushes out. But it wasn't always so. For centuries London, one of the largest and richest cities in the world, struggled to supply its citizens with reliable, clean water. The Mercenary River tells the story of that struggle from the middle ages to the present day. Based on new research, it tells a tale of remarkable technological, scientific and organisational breakthroughs; but also a story of greed and complacency, high finance and low politics. Among the breakthroughs was the picturesque New River, neither new nor a river but a state of the art aqueduct completed in 1613 and still part of London's water supply: the company that built it was one of the very first modern business corporations, and also one of the most profitable. London water companies were early adopters of steam power for their pumps. And Chelsea Waterworks was the first in the world to filter the water it supplied its customers: the same technique is still used to purify two-thirds of London's drinking water. But for much of London's history water had to be rationed, and the book also chronicles our changing relationship with water and the way we use it. Amongst many stories, Nick Higham's page-turning narrative uncovers the murky tale of how the most powerful steam engine in the world was first brought to London; the extraordinary story of how one Victorian London water company deliberately cut off 2,000 households, even though it knew they had no alternative source of supply; the details of a financial scandal which brought two of the water companies close to collapse in the 1870s; and finally asks whether today's 21st century water companies are an improvement on their Victorian predecessors.

Download or read book Formula written by Vicente Segrelles and published by Mercenary the Definitive Editi. This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " In a lost and long forgotten valley high up in the mountains, The Mercenary has been contracted to save a woman from the mysterious and powerful Cult of the Sacred Fire. Each volume is complemented with articles at the back about the history and the making of this series over its gloried, decades-long history" --

Download or read book River of Teeth written by Sarah Gailey and published by Tordotcom. This book was released on 2017-05-23 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Finalist for the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novella Sarah Gailey's wildfire debut River of Teeth is a rollicking alternate history adventure that Charlie Jane Anders calls "preposterously fun." In the early 20th Century, the United States government concocted a plan to import hippopotamuses into the marshlands of Louisiana to be bred and slaughtered as an alternative meat source. This is true. Other true things about hippos: they are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two. This was a terrible plan. Contained within this volume is an 1890s America that might have been: a bayou overrun by feral hippos and mercenary hippo wranglers from around the globe. It is the story of Winslow Houndstooth and his crew. It is the story of their fortunes. It is the story of his revenge. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Download or read book The Mercenary s Marriage written by Rachel Rossano and published by Rachel Rossano. This book was released on 2011-08-22 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trained as a mercenary soldier, Darius was a man of decisive action. He was also a man of compassion. Seeing a young slave woman about to become the spoils of war, he claimed her for his own. Marrying her before God and king, he made her a free and respectable soldier's wife. Brice was born a slave. Abused and beaten, she learned quickly to avoid being noticed and to stay away from men. When her master's walls fell to enemy forces, she ran, but not fast enough. In Darius' offer she found deliverance, but experience had taught her to fear power such as his. Could she trust in his protection, or had she traded one form of slavery for another?

Download or read book The Mercenaries of the Hellenistic World written by G. T. Griffith and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-08-14 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1935, this book provides a detailed history of the employment of mercenaries in the Hellenistic period. Griffith discusses how and why mercenaries were used after the death of Alexander the Great by the Seleucids, Ptolemies, the Greek League and other powers active before the rise of Rome, and includes a section contrasting the pay and maintenance of mercenaries in the classical period with that of the Hellenistic period. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in ancient history and one of the ancient world's most important professions.

Download or read book River of Nightmares written by Alex Archer and published by Gold Eagle. This book was released on 2014 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When archaeologist Annja Creed takes her television crew to the Amazon jungle to capture footage of the rain forest's most guarded secrets, she takes a turn off the beaten path and finds a world, not of authentic tribal ritual and magic, but of moral corruption and shallow promises of wealth and power.

Download or read book Medieval Europe s Mercenaries written by Charles River and published by . This book was released on 2020-12-08 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes excerpts of medieval accounts *Includes a bibliography for further reading The Middle Ages have long been remembered for armored knights battling on horseback and armies of men trying to breach the walls of formidable castles, but what is generally forgotten is that medieval warfare was constantly adapting to the times as leaders adopted new techniques and technology, and common infantry became increasingly important throughout the period. Meanwhile, political and technological progress led to continuous change of tactics and equipment. Cavalry became ascendant, only to be later replaced by infantry as their weapons improved, and by the end of the period, warfare was radically changing thanks to the rise of gunpowder weapons such as the handgonne and the bombard. The Middle Ages witnessed almost constant warfare in Europe, so mercenaries were a constant on the battlefield, but the 15th century also saw the rise of mercenary usage by the increasingly wealthy aristocracy. At the time, England and France existed in smaller versions than in the modern age, while the Spanish had unified into a few large kingdoms and were slowly pushing the Moors off the Iberian Peninsula. Norway and Hungary were larger than they are now, but otherwise, most of Europe was a patchwork quilt of small, constantly warring states. This was especially true in Germany and Italy, where innumerable city-states and little fiefdoms struggled to gain more territory and defend themselves against their neighbors. The most famous came from Switzerland, which was divided into numerous small statelets called cantons, with some in the valleys and some further up in the mountains. There was a great deal of local infighting like elsewhere in Europe, but by the Late Middle Ages, unification seemed possible for a few reasons. Most notably, the Swiss felt threatened by larger outside states such as the Holy Roman Empire, France, and Milan, which were poised to take advantage of Swiss division and relative weakness to invade. The Holy Roman Empire was an especially great threat because it had some political claim over the Swiss cantons, although the Swiss had always enjoyed a great deal of independence from Hapsburg rule. Furthermore, some important trade routes ran through the region, and all the cantons would benefit if these routes were kept open and secure. One of the finest groups of mercenaries were the Landsknechts from central and northern Europe. The term means "servant of the country," and they mostly served the Holy Roman Empire, first under Emperor Maximilian I (r. 1508-1519) and then under his successors. The Landsknechts (German: Landsknechte) were masters of the battlefield, adept at pike, sword, and dead shots with the crude matchlocks of the day. The only mercenaries rivaling them were the famous Swiss, who they hated and often fought bitterly. The Landsknechts were as famous for their flamboyant costumes as much as their prowess on the battlefield, and they became symbols of rebellion and freedom in early modern Europe, even as they fought in service of Europe's largest empire. In Italy, city militias often got embroiled in the factional disputes that were rife in Italian urban politics, to the extent that the militia might take one side or another, or be so divided as to be ineffective against external enemies. The only way to avoid this was to bring in neutral, outside administrators all factions could agree on to handle local affairs in a supposedly impartial manner. Known as the podestà system, this odd method of running a government began to be common by the late 13th century, but this administration would need troops of its own and naturally hired outsiders, often non-Italians, to keep the peace. Thus was born the condottieri (singular condottiero or condottiere).

Download or read book River of Darkness written by Buddy Levy and published by Diversion Books. This book was released on 2022-04-05 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The acclaimed author of Labyrinth of Ice charts the legendary sixteenth-century adventurer’s death-defying navigation of the Amazon River. In 1541, Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro and his lieutenant Francisco Orellana searched for La Canela, South America’s rumored Land of Cinnamon, and the fabled El Dorado, “the golden man.” Quickly, the enormous expedition of mercenaries, enslaved natives, horses, and hunting dogs were decimated through disease, starvation, and attacks in the jungle. Hopelessly lost in the swampy labyrinth, Pizarro and Orellana made the fateful decision to separate. While Pizarro eventually returned home in rags, Orellana and fifty-seven men continued into the unknown reaches of the mighty Amazon jungle and river. Theirs would be the greater glory. Interweaving historical accounts with newly uncovered details, Levy reconstructs Orellana’s journey as the first European to navigate the world’s largest river. Every twist and turn of the powerful Amazon holds new wonders and the risk of death. Levy gives a long-overdue account of the Amazon’s people—some offering sustenance and guidance, others hostile, subjecting the invaders to gauntlets of unremitting attacks and signs of terrifying rituals. Violent and beautiful, noble and tragic, River of Darkness is riveting history and breathtaking adventure that will sweep readers on a voyage unlike any other. Praise for Buddy Levy and River of Darkness “In River of Darkness, Buddy Levy recounts Orellana’s headlong dash down the Amazon. Like Mr. Levy’s last book, Conquistador, about the conquest of Mexico, River of Darkness presents a fast-moving tale of triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. . . . Though impromptu, the expedition was one of the most amazing adventures of all time.” —Wall Street Journal “An exciting, well-plotted excursion down the Amazon River with the early Spanish conquistador. . . . [A] richly textured account of the rogue, rebel and visionary whose discovery still resonates today.” —Kirkus Reviews “A rollicking adventure . . . Levy successfully conveys the Amazon’s power and majesty, while shedding light on the futility of humanity’s attempt to tame it.” —The A.V. Club

Download or read book River of Dreams written by Lynn Kurland and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-01-07 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times bestselling author Lynn Kurland returns to her enchanting Nine Kingdoms saga as the epic adventure of a weaver and an elven prince continues… Aisling of Bruadair is frantic to find both the truth about her future and a mercenary to save her country. When an offer of aid comes from an unexpected direction, she is relieved her quest is almost complete. But she soon realizes her task is far from over . . . and will include perils she never dreamed she would ever face. Rùnach of Ceangail has offered to help Aisling with her quest, then he fully intends to take up his life as a simple swordsman far from magic and evil mages. Unfortunately, a chance finding of a book of indecipherable spells tells him that an ordinary life is never going to be his--especially when he realizes that the book he has in his hands belongs to a black mage who will stop at nothing to have it back. With time running out, Rùnach and Aisling must solve what seem to be unrelated mysteries before others find those answers first and plunge the Nine Kingdoms into a darkness it will never recover from . . .

Download or read book A Global History of Pre Modern Warfare written by Kaushik Roy and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-09-14 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the military histories of the regions beyond Western Europe in the pre-modern era. Existing works on global military history mainly focus on the western part of Eurasia after 1500 CE. As regards the ancient period, such works concentrate exclusively on Greece and Rome. So, ‘global’ military history is actually the triumphal story of the West from Classical Greece onwards. This volume focuses not only on the eastern part of Eurasia but also on South America, Africa and Australasia and seeks to explain the history and varied trajectories of warfare in non-Western regions in the pre-modern era. Further, it evaluates whether warfare in non-Western regions should be considered primitive or inferior when compared with Western warfare. The book notes that Western Europe became militarily significant only in the early modern era and argues that the military divergence that occurred during the early modern era is not unique – it had also occurred in the Bronze Age, the Classical era and in the medieval period. This was due to the dynamism and innovativeness of non-Western militaries and the interconnectedness that existed in parts of the Eurasian landmass. Further, those polities which were able to construct a balanced military force by synthesising diverse elements were not only able to survive but also became capable of projecting power across continents. This book will be of much interest to students of military history, strategic studies and world history.

Download or read book Middlemarsh The Hopkins River Kindred Wetlands and Remarkable People written by Rod Giblett and published by Transnational Press London. This book was released on 2023-04-12 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “One book leads to another; one book grows out of another; one book flows out of others. Flowing is a fitting figure for a book about a river, creeks, wetlands and water. The present volume grew out of a brief discussion of two paintings of wetlands in mid-western Victoria by the nineteenth-century colonial landscape painter Eugene von Guérard. This discussion was part of a chapter on wetlands in Australian painting and photography (Giblett 2020a). It was included in John Ryan’s and Li Chen’s edited collection Australian Wetland Cultures (Ryan and Chen, eds 2020). I also contributed a chapter to this volume on Aboriginal wetland cultures, their sacral water beings and their refraction in Rainbow Serpent anthropology and Rainbow Spirit theology (Giblett 2020e). I take up and develop this discussion in the present volume in relation to particular Aboriginal peoples and places in mid-western Victoria, their practices of wetland cultures and their stories about and images of them, including the Rainbow Serpent." Contents Introduction to the Hopkins River, Its Basin, People and Places 13 Chapter 1. The Cast of Characters and A Companion of A Captain of Conservation. 35 Chapter 2. Where The River Rises: The Upper Hopkins, Its Creeks and Lake Bolac. 57 Chapter 3. Wetlands of ‘Australia Felix’: Between ‘The Grampians’ and The Upper Hopkins 77 Chapter 4. A Ramble Along The River: Through Colonial Places On The Middle Hopkins 103 Chapter 5. People and Place of Hissing Swan: Wetlands On The Middle Hopkins 125 Chapter 6. Framlingham and Hopkins Falls: Aboriginal Places and People On The Lower Hopkins 147 Chapter 7. Where The River Meets The Sea: The Hopkins Estuary 167

Download or read book The River Kings Road written by Liane Merciel and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-03-09 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thrilling new voice in fantasy makes an unforgettable debut with this "intriguingly twisted tale of treachery and magic" (New York Times bestselling author L. E. Modesitt, Jr.). Liane Merciel’s The River Kings’ Road takes us to a world of bitter enmity between kingdoms, divided loyalties between comrades, and an insidious magic that destroys everything it touches. . . . The wounded maidservant thrust the knotted blankets at him; instinctively, Brys stepped forward and caught the bundle before it fell. Then he glimpsed what lay inside and nearly dropped it himself. There was a baby in the blankets. A baby with a tear-swollen face red and round as a midsummer plum. A baby he knew, even without seeing the lacquered medallion tucked into the swaddling—a medallion far too heavy, on a chain far too cold for an infant who had not yet seen a year. A fragile period of peace between the eternally warring kingdoms of Oakharn and Langmyr is shattered when a surprise massacre fueled by bloodmagic ravages the Langmyrne border village of Willowfield, killing its inhabitants—including a visiting Oakharne lord and his family—and leaving behind a scene so grisly that even the carrion eaters avoid its desecrated earth. But the dead lord’s infant heir has survived the carnage—a discovery that entwines the destinies of Brys Tarnell, a mercenary who rescues the helpless and ailing babe, and who enlists a Langmyr peasant, a young mother herself, to nourish and nurture the child of her enemies as they travel a dark, perilous road . . . Odosse, the peasant woman whose only weapons are wit, courage, and her fierce maternal love—and who risks everything she holds dear to protect her new charge . . . Sir Kelland, a divinely blessed Knight of the Sun, called upon to unmask the architects behind the slaughter and avert war between ancestral enemies . . . Bitharn, Kelland’s companion on his journey, who conceals her lifelong love for the Knight behind her flawless archery skills—and whose feelings may ultimately be Kelland’s undoing . . . and Leferic, an Oakharne Lord’s bitter youngest son, whose dark ambitions fuel the most horrific acts of violence. As one infant’s life hangs in the balance, so too does the fate of thousands, while deep in the forest, a Maimed Witch practices an evil bloodmagic that could doom them all. . . .

Download or read book The River Riders written by Walter William Liggett and published by . This book was released on 1928 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Cry Me a River written by Robert Michael and published by Infinite Word Press. This book was released on with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Claire Eppington feels unfinished. Her mother died when Claire was young. Her father raised her in a home suffused with grief and loneliness. When she was an adult, her father left her with a gift from her mother: a journal full of memories, hopes, and regrets. Claire can barely bring herself to open the porcelain-encrusted memorial. She is full of resentment, a fear of death, and a nagging sense of incompletion. It is ironic, then, that Claire chooses a career overseeing the final rites of people whose families want their ashes spread at exotic or distant locales. On a trip to Colombia to bring the remains of a client to a remote village on the Rio de Magdalena, Claire finds that her job may be more deadly than she expected. Her assignment allows her to work with Manny Villareal, a handsome and rugged photographer. What Claire does not know is that Manny used to work as a security chief for his family's cartel. When Manny's brother becomes threatened, Claire becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Pursued by an assassin and pressed by military groups, a rogue DEA agent, and a greedy relative seeking to overthrow the cartel, Manny is forced to make a choice. Does he save his family, or the woman he is beginning to love? Claire is faced with her mother's legacy, a dangerous assignment in a country full of beauty and romance, and the possibility that her greatest fear may become a reality.

Download or read book Jess of the River written by Theodore Goodridge Roberts and published by . This book was released on 1914 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Mercenary written by David M. Gaughran and published by David Gaughran. This book was released on 2020-01-17 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lee Christmas gets drunk and falls asleep at the throttle of his locomotive, plowing straight into an oncoming train. Blacklisted from the railroad and his marriage in tatters, he flees New Orleans on a steamer bound for the tropics. In Honduras, he begins a quiet new life. But trouble has a way of finding Christmas. With unrest sweeping the countryside, he’s kidnapped by bandits. Soon, he finds himself taking sides in an all-out civil war–as leader of the rebellion. MERCENARY is the story of the USA’s most famous soldier of fortune: the hard-drinking drifter who changed the fate of a nation. Praise for MERCENARY: “Highly recommended to readers of adventure fiction and history, as well as anyone interested in American adventurism and meddling in Latin America.” - Michael Wallace, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. “Lee Christmas led a roaring life on and off the battlefield. Gaughran's great, fast-paced read keeps you right alongside all his exploits.” - Richard Sutton, author of The Red Gate. Keywords: Historical fiction | Literary fiction | Biographical fiction | Adventure novel | Central America | Latin America | Honduras | New Orleans | Lee Christmas | History

Download or read book The Mercenary s Embrace written by Ava Marten and published by Stellar Kitten Publishing AS. This book was released on 2024-02-21 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She was an impossible dream until fate made her my reality. Now, I’ll risk everything to save her. Laura: I had braced myself for a life of grim darkness, confined in a chilly cell as alien scientists turned me into their latest lab rat. Their twisted experiments aimed to produce a baby from my eggs. But then, they shifted gears and crammed a hulking alien into my cell. The ultimatum? Mate willingly, or they’d “make” him do it, anyway. As their powerful drugs swirled in my veins, my body screamed yes, but my mind cringed. Fear and doubts were my companions. Would I really give myself to an alien? Yet the instant his eyes met mine, I sensed the seismic shift my life was about to experience. But… Would this alien be my savior or my executor? Akira: I was relishing the thought of some well-earned shore leave. The mission looked easy: deliver the target and claim the bounty. But complacency was my downfall. They caged me with a human. A female, no less. Her scent filled the air, triggering a reaction from deep within me. I felt the pull of fate, and my primal urge to shield her from harm and claim her came roaring to life. As time ticked away and enemies closed in, nothing mattered except keeping her safe. And I’d do whatever it took to make her realize—she was mine! The Mercenary’s Embrace is a steamy, full-length sci-fi alien romance with a happy ending and no cliffhangers. This book is the prequel to a romance series that takes us to a galaxy featuring a spunky heroine who discovers her courage in the shadows and a protective hero who knows what he wants and snags it without a second thought. If you find yourself caught in Akira’s gravitational pull. Resisting is not just futile. It’s pointless. Give in and enjoy the ride!