1666 was a watershed year for England. The outbreak of the Great Plague, the eruption of the second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London all struck the country in rapid succession and with devastating repercussions. Shedding light on these dramatic events, historian Rebecca Rideal reveals an unprecedented period of terror and triumph. Based on original archival research and drawing on little-known sources, 1666: Plague, War and Hellfire takes readers on a thrilling journey through a crucial turning point in English history, as seen through the eyes of an extraordinary cast of historical characters. While the central events of this significant year were ones of devastation and defeat, 1666 also offers a glimpse of the incredible scientific and artistic progress being made at that time, from Isaac Newton's discovery of gravity to Robert Hooke's microscopic wonders. It was in this year that John Milton completed Paradise Lost, Frances Stewart posed for the now-iconic image of Britannia, and a young architect named Christopher Wren proposed a plan for a new London - a stone phoenix to rise from the charred ashes of the old city. With flair and style, 1666 shows a city and a country on the cusp of modernity, and a series of events that forever altered the course of history.

"The United States Code is the official codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States of America. The Code was first published in 1926, and a new edition of the code has been published every six years since 1934. The 2012 edition of the Code incorporates laws enacted through the One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, the last of which was signed by the President on January 15, 2013. It does not include laws of the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, enacted between January 2, 2013, the date it convened, and January 15, 2013. By statutory authority this edition may be cited "U.S.C. 2012 ed." As adopted in 1926, the Code established prima facie the general and permanent laws of the United States. The underlying statutes reprinted in the Code remained in effect and controlled over the Code in case of any discrepancy. In 1947, Congress began enacting individual titles of the Code into positive law. When a title is enacted into positive law, the underlying statutes are repealed and the title then becomes legal evidence of the law. Currently, 26 of the 51 titles in the Code have been so enacted. These are identified in the table of titles near the beginning of each volume. The Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives continues to prepare legislation pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 285b to enact the remainder of the Code, on a title-by-title basis, into positive law. The 2012 edition of the Code was prepared and published under the supervision of Ralph V. Seep, Law Revision Counsel. Grateful acknowledgment is made of the contributions by all who helped in this work, particularly the staffs of the Office of the Law Revision Counsel and the Government Printing Office"--Preface.

Lasers continue to be an amazingly robust field of activity. Anyone seeking a photon source is now confronted with an enormous number of possible lasers and laser wavelengths to choose from, but no single, comprehensive source to help them make that choice. The Handbook of Lasers provides an authoritative compilation of lasers, their properties, and original references in a readily accessible form. Organized by lasing media-solids, liquids, and gases-each section is subdivided into distinct laser types. Each type carries a brief description, followed by tables listing the lasing element or medium, host, lasing transition and wavelength, operating properties, primary literature citations, and, for broadband lasers, reported tuning ranges. The importance and value of the Handbook of Lasers cannot be overstated. Serving as both an archive and as an indicator of emerging trends, it reflects the state of knowledge and development in the field, provides a rapid means of obtaining reference data, and offers a pathway to the literature. It contains data useful for comparison with predictions and for developing models of processes, and may reveal fundamental inconsistencies or conflicts in the data.

In 1666, a man by the name of Sabbatai Zevi declared himself to be the Messiah. Followers of his heretical cult believed that sin is holy and should be practised for its own sake. Sabbateans and their successors, the Frankists, have indulged in religious orgies, ritual sacrifice, incest, adultery and homosexuality for 350 years. Using secret societies such as the Masons, this diabolical sect has infultrated into the highest echelons of political power. They covertly rule as the unelected hidden hand shaping history behind a veil of conspiracy.

The seventeenth century saw the transformation of Britain from a minor state on the fringes of Europe into a global economic power, whose interests were protected and promoted by the largest navy in the world. The character of this navy was forged by a bloody civil war, three fiercely disputed conflicts with the Dutch, and the first of many wars with the French. In the process the ships themselves were transformed from the surviving galleons that had defeated the Spanish Armada, through huge prestige vessels like Prince Royal and Sovereign of the Seas and the lightly built frigates of the Commonwealth era into warships that were recognizably ships of the line. These radical developments in the design and employment of warships can be followed in detail for the first time in this comprehensive new reference book, which outlines the history of every ship built, purchased or captured that saw naval service during this era. Like its companion volumes on the 1714-1792 and 1793-1817 periods, the book is organized by Rate, classification and class, with outline technical and building data, but followed by a concise summary of the careers of each ship in every class. With its unique depth of information, this is a work of the utmost importance to every naval historian and general reader interested in the navy of the sailing era.