From 1906 to 1925 Quail Island, in Lyttelton Harbour, was the site of New Zealand’s leprosy colony. The colony began by accident, as it were, after the discovery of a leprosy sufferer in Christchurch. As further patients arrived from across the country, it grew into a controversial and troubled institution – an embarrassment to the Health Department, an object of pity to a few, a source of fear to many. This remarkable narrative reveals a little-known aspect of New Zealand’s past, shedding light on the treatment of some of society’s most marginal, unfortunate and isolated people. Written in lucid, compelling prose, The Dark Island heralds the arrival of a significant historical voice.

Battle, intrigue and Druidism followed to their brutal conclusions in the dark pre-Christian world of the Celts... Henry Treece explores a period in British history when magic and murder were matter-of-fact and the 'civilising' influence of Rome had yet to make headway against the dark and powerful undertow of the Celtic spirit. Something of a cult classic author.

This is a collection of unpredictable stories about love and cruelty, crimes, desperation, and hope from the man Irvine Welsh has described as 'the most arresting and original writer to emerge from these islands in years'.

Like the "Dark Continent" of Africa, the dark island of Madagascar holds many chilling secrets. One of them is a long thought extinct species of dinosaurs living at the country's core.A massive earthquake rocks the mountain range within the Andringitra National Park. The splitting earth reveals a network of tunnels, hidden away for millennia. Responding to the series of violent upheavals, a pack of hypersensitive predators flee their subterranean home, frenzied and hungry they head for the surface. Former Navy SEAL Ian Hunt begrudgingly accepts an offer to lead an exploratory team. What they uncover is the find of a lifetime...if they survive long enough to tell anyone. Dinosaurs are alive and well at the heart of the DARK ISLAND.

Shortly after gaining independence from Britain, the island nation of Dominica implemented a farsighted policy protecting most of its biologically diverse rainforest as a national preserve. Former US Park Service Naturalist Michael Tritico traveled to Dominica intent on resting from his highly stressful confrontations in Louisianas ecological wars in hope of working as a volunteer in the new Dominican Park Service. Unfortunately, and unknown to him, people allegedly working for the Ku Klux Klan had also planned to travel from Louisiana to Dominica, though their intentions were much less benign. They had a plan for capturing the island, a scheme called Operation Red Dog. Although the invaders were stopped in New Orleans, US officials had alerted Dominican authorities to be on the lookout for any possible terrorists who might have slipped through the American dragnet. Michael was faced with these bizarre circumstances immediately after landing on the island. Despite interrogations and cryptic warnings from both Dominican and American officials, he attempted to pursue his original plans, experiencing grand moments during his nine days there, such as a beautiful tour of the Indian River and the islands first nocturnal zombie hunt. In this memoir, he recalls his time on the island and reflects on what it has to offer, considering his misadventures to be a divinely orchestrated episode meant to draw attention to a potential model the island of Dominica provides.