Builders of the Bay Colony

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Lady Hong

These extraordinary memoirs paint a vivid picture of court life in Korea during the middle of the 18th century as the background to a royal family tragedy of epic proportions, as seen through the eyes of a remarkable woman. In these most compelling of palace chronicles Lady Hong tells of her introduction to court life, of her selection as a consort to the Crown Prince at the age of ten, and of her brief years of happiness that were eclipsed by a series of dark events culminating in the madness of her husband and his death at the hands of his father, King Yŏngjo. Written at the end of her life for the benefit of her son and grandson who became kings, Lady Hong’s absorbing and revealing memoirs combine historical authenticity with the artistry of fine literature. ‘…Extraordinary memoirs…(if they) were presented as a work of fiction one would be irresistibly reminded of Vladimir Nabokov’s master piece , ‘Pale of Fire’…’ Auberon Waugh, Sunday Telegraph ‘…a remarkable psychological drama…East Asian Oedipus in reverse…’ John Gittings, The Guardian ‘…heartfelt emotions explained with a striking frankness…a lively autobiographical account…’ Paul Ensor, Far Eastern Economic Review ‘…jewel of a book deserves to become a classic…outstanding as narrative, as drama, and as characterization…’ Aidan Foster-Carter, South

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Edvard Radzinsky

The execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family at the hands of revolutionaries in 1918 is one of the pivotal events of the 20th century, an event that brought the 300-year rule of the House of Romanov to a brutal and tragic end and set the tone for the Stalinist atrocities that would follow. The truth behind these murders remained long buried under more than seventy years of myth, legend, and speculation. Then, in a sensational biography that could not have been written before glasnost, noted Russian historian Edvard Radzinsky unearthed solutions to many of the questions that had remained unanswered since the terrible events in Ekaterinburg on the night of July 16-17, 1918. Mining sources long unavailable -- including firsthand accounts of the slaying -- he creates both a fascinating portrait of the monarch and a minute-by-minute account of his terrifying last days. Included is documentation linking the order of execution directly to Lenin, as well as the suggestion that two family members may have survived the ordeal. Included, too, is the testimony of ordinary Russians who at last felt free to contribute their own recollections, documents, and handed-down secrets. Radzinsky weaves together scores of firsthand accounts into a haunting, epic narrative. The Last Tsar is an important and momentous work, one that will stand as the definitive account of the terrible last days of one of Europe's greatest dynasties. - Adapted from dust jacket.

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Leila Cobo

Jenni fue la artista latina más vendida dentro del género regional mexicano. Con un programa de radio semanal, su propio programa de telerrealidad, una línea de maquillaje y ropa y su propia fundación, estaba en la cima de su carrera y de su vida. Todo lo que había logrado con sangre, sudor, lágrimas y alegría iba, según ella misma decía, de la mano de Dios. Pero su vida, sus sueños y la alegría que le regalaba a millones, llegaron a un trágico final la madrugada del 9 de diciembre de 2012.

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Anna Suvorova

"This book studies the veneration practices and rituals of the Muslim saints. It outlines the principle trends of the main Sufi orders in India, the profiles and teachings of the famous and less well-known saints, and the development of pilgrimage to their tombs in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. A detailed discussion of the interaction of the Hindu mystic tradition and Sufism shows the polarity between the rigidity of the orthodox and the flexibility of the popular Islam in South Asia. Treating the cult of saints as a universal and all pervading phenomenon embracing the life of the region in all its aspects, the analysis includes politics, social and family life, interpersonal relations, gender problems and national psyche. The author uses a multidimensional approach to the subject: a historical, religious and literary analysis of sources is combined with an anthropological study of the rites and rituals of the veneration of the shrines and the description of the architecture of the tombs." --Book Jacket.