Dragon in Ambush by Jeremy Ingallsis a critique and new translation of the first twenty poems of Mao Zedong’s published poetry. This seminal work stands out from previous translations of Mao’s poems in seeing them as an expression of his core political beliefs, rather than for their poetic effect. Instead, Dr. Ingalls shows in consummate detail that Mao was careful and deliberate in employing imagery in his poetry to lay out procedures for political supremacy in which the central drive was his will to psychological domination. That is, domination of the minds of others is the unifying theme of Mao’s verse-sequence. The crux of Prof. Ingalls’ work lies in her focus on the symbolism in the poems. The poems are, in Mao’s use of them as a means of communication, meaningless on their surface. No image, however seemingly commonplace, is ever employed for merely lyrical or aesthetic description. Every image functions as a factor in an entirely political calculus. According to Dr. Ingalls, “When Mao mentions streams or mountains, suns or moons, clouds or winds or icicles, horses, elephants, snakes, tigers, leopards or bears, specifies kinds of trees or birds or fish, flies, brooms, mats or bridges, these and all his other images have, as their primary function, neither happenstance descriptions nor whimsical metaphor. They all have politically symbolic functions in Mao’s algebra of versified political discourse.” Furthermore, in her analysis, Prof. Ingalls downplays the significance of Marxism-Leninism in the Thought of Mao Zedong. She shows that throughout his career, Mao regarded Marxism-Leninism as a political convenience, not as a doctrine permanently essential to his master-plan. Just as Mao used the Nationalists of Chiang Kai-shek and Stalin’s Soviet Union as means to further his own political ambitions, so did he manipulate Marxist-Leninist ideology to hoodwink and attract, at home and abroad, professional revolutionaries to help do his bidding. Mao’s aims express, in their worldviews, an entirely Chinese tradition. In his poems Mao’s dialectics, his materialism, and his authoritarianism all take their points of reference from within the Chinese cultural order. Dragon in Ambush is a thoroughly unique and revolutionary approach to understanding the Mind of Mao Zedong.

Mao Zedong, leader of the revolution and absolute chairman of the People's Republic of China, was also a calligrapher and a poet of extraordinary grace and eloquent simplicity. The poems in this beautiful edition (from the 1963 Beijing edition), translated and introduced by Willis Barnstone, are expressions of decades of struggle, the painful loss of his first wife, his hope for a new China, and his ultimate victory over the Nationalist forces. Willis Barnstone's introduction, his short biography of Mao and brief history of the revolution, and his notes on Chinese versification all combine to enrich the Western reader's understanding of Mao's poetry.

From the authors of the bestselling DRAGON MOUNTAIN comes the Dragon Force series! Leap into the second title in this edge-of-your-seat, dragon-obsessed adventure series for 8+ readers. WHEN DANGER CALLS, THE DRAGON FORCE ANSWER... It’s a dream come true for Lance Lo and his sister Zoe to be at Camp Claw, training for the elite Dragon Force to help protect the world. But with the core members captured by the evil Devourer, they soon find themselves taking on their most dangerous mission yet. Can they rescue the rest of the team from a creature who will do anything to feed his appetite for magic. . . ? Praise for DRAGON MOUNTAIN: 'Splendidly addictive' – Guardian 'Rollicking, escapist storytelling with a dragon-sized heart' – Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of THE GIRL OF INK AND STARS 'A soaring, sizzling, fire-breathing gem of an adventure story' – Abi Elphinstone, bestselling author of SKY SONG 'Packed full of fun, heart and imagination, it will make you wish you had your own dragon bond' – Anna James, author of the PAGES & CO. series 'A wonderful warm-hearted and action-packed adventure' – Katherine Woodfine, author of THE SINCLAIR'S MYSTERIES 'Brimming with warmth and originality, DRAGON MOUNTAIN combines edge-of-your-seat adventure, laugh-out-loud humour and hugely exciting dragons to create a sweeping fantasy that will captivate readers of all ages.’ – Catherine Doyle, author of THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND 'DRAGON MOUNTAIN has all of my favourite things! A rich mythology and a tale of friendship, snarky dragons and daring deeds...this is the kind of breathless tale that leaves you hungry for the next instalment' – Roshani Chokshi, author of the ARU SHAH series ‘DRAGON MOUNTAIN is a joy to read – adventurous and enchanting, with a heart of gold. It will make you re-live the moment you first looked at the sky and longed to see a dragon looking back’ – Samantha Shannon, author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE and THE BONE SEASON series

Harkness, a medieval peasant with a millennial’s mindset, is quite happy to sit back and make quips while everyone else does the hard work. His calculated laziness is interrupted when the gods send an ancient and terrible scourge-by-dragonfire upon his village, and he is forced (peer-pressured, really) into trying to save his fiancée from the dragon who has kidnapped her. When Harkness is sent by the village elder to find the one weapon that is capable of killing the beast, his real plan is to go off on his own and use his village’s money to live the high life. This, of course, would require ditching his two companions: Karla, an aspiring troubadour whose passion makes up for her lack of adventuring skills, and Aldric, whose kindheartedness does not make up for his lack of intelligence. Harkness sees this journey as a paid vacation under the pretense of world-saving, but it quickly turns serious when he realizes what’s at stake when he is forced to actually care about something—or at the very least, pretend to.

From the creator of the popular blog The Monsters Know What They’re Doing comes a compilation of villainous battle plans for Dungeon Masters. In the course of a Dungeons & Dragons game, a Dungeon Master has to make one decision after another in response to player behavior—and the better the players, the more unpredictable their behavior! It’s easy for even an experienced DM to get bogged down in on-the-spot decision-making or to let combat devolve into a boring slugfest, with enemies running directly at the player characters and biting, bashing, and slashing away. In The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, Keith Ammann lightens the DM’s burden by helping you understand your monsters’ abilities and develop battle plans before your fifth edition D&D game session begins. Just as soldiers don’t whip out their field manuals for the first time when they’re already under fire, a DM shouldn’t wait until the PCs have just encountered a dozen bullywugs to figure out how they advance, fight, and retreat. Easy to read and apply, The Monsters Know What They're Doing is essential reading for every DM.

Beck, Kate, and Wyatt thought they had finished hatching dragons from stones but when they are proved wrong, Beck must decide if acting on the inherited Pillage family traits will gain him what he really wants.

Uncover an exciting and magical world where dragons exist with Discovering Dragons, compiled by a well-respected dracologist and an authority on archaedracology. From frigid poles to the blazing equator, from down deep in the underworld to the stormiest seas and beyond, dragons inhabit every habitat and niche available. They display mind-bending diversity; some breathe fire and some haunt the skies. Some have even developed complex language, communicating through a series of sounds and color pulses in their skin. Read through the life’s work of a dracologist and learn the biology and cultural significance of dragons. From the dragons that battled with the Knights of the Round Table to those that grappled with Greek gods, you will become an expert in dragon lore across Europe, China, Central America, and elsewhere around the world. Inside you’ll find: - Marine dragons, ice dragons, arboreal dragons, burrowing dragons, volcanic lava swimmers, aerial dragons, desert dragons, and more - Dragon biology, including how to distinguish between wyverns, amphitheres, wyrms, drakes, dragons proper, faes, cockatrices, lindwurms, lung dragons, and salamanders - Dragon anatomy, including how the fire-generation organ system works, types of scales, feathers, quills, armor plating, horns, claws, teeth, and more - Cool features and capabilities: did you know that some dragons possess sound-dampening wings? Or that others are able to mimic colors and patterns to better ambush prey? - Diet, hunting behaviors, and how to avoid becoming a dragon’s next meal - The appearance and developmental stages of dragon eggs - And much more! With stunning illustrations by award-winning artist Julius Csotonyi and a four-page gatefold poster, you’ll get an unparalleled look at these legendary creatures with Discovering Dragons. Just watch out for breathing fire!