Day of empire

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Chalmers Johnson

""Blowback," a term invented by the CIA, refers to the unintended consequences of American policies. In this sure-to-be-controversial book, Johnson lays out in vivid detail the dangers faced by our overextended empire, which insists on projecting its military power to every corner of the earth and using American capital and markets to force global economic integration on its own terms. From a case of rape by U.S. servicemen in Okinawa to our role in Asia's financial crisis, from our postwar creation of military satellites to our indiscriminate arms sales, Johnson reveals the ways in which our misguided policies are planting the seeds of future disaster. He shows how, even now, what the media report as the acts of "terrorists" or "drug lords," "rogue states" or "illegal arms merchants," often turn out to be blow-back from earlier American operations."--BOOK JACKET.

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Richard King

"One of the most tangible aftershocks of punk was its urgency to prompt individuals into action. Document your reality: do it yourself. From this, a generation was inspired and, with often zero financial planning or business sense, in bedrooms, garages and sheds, labels such as Factory, Rough Trade, Mute, 4AD, Beggars Banquet, Warp, Creation and Domino began, shifting the musical landscape and trading on an ethos and identity no brand consultant would now dare dream of. Musicians were encouraged to do whatever the hell they wanted and damn the consequences. From humble beginnings, some of our most influential artists were allowed to thrive: Orange Juice, New Order, Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode, Happy Mondays, The Smiths, Sonic Youth, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Teenage Fanclub, Broadcast, The White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, and Arctic Monkeys, to name but a handful."--Publisher.

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Cynthia Harnett

Stephen, stepson of a plowman, who dreams of going to Oxford University as a poor scholar, finds his future jeopardized by witchcraft and political intrigue in fifteenth-century England.

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Jean Plaidy

IN THE ROYAL MARRIAGE MARKET THE INFANTA OF SPAIN WAS A TRUE PRIZE. In the eyes of the world, Katharine of Aragon was a precious object to be disposed of for the glory of Spain. Her parents, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, send her to England to become the bride of Arthur, Prince of Wales. But soon her frail husband was dead, and a fateful question loomed: Was the marriage consummated, as Katharine's priest avowed, or was the young widow still a virgin? On that delicate point hinged Katharine's--and England's--future. Meanwhile, waiting in the wings was her willful, handsome brother-in-law, bold Prince Henry, who alone had the power to restore Katharine's lost position. Jean Plaidy's narrative genius sparkles in this story of a remarkable royal marriage that inspired some of history's bloodiest deeds . . . .(