The Dragon's Trail
Title | The Dragon's Trail PDF eBook |
Author | Joanna Pitman |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Pages | 360 |
Release | 2007-04-23 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 1416539603 |
Raphael's St. George and the Dragon is the work of a genius -- an exquisitely rendered vision of heroism and innocence by one of the greatest painters of all time. Yet the painting's creation is only the beginning of its fascinating story, which spans centuries of power play and intrigue, and has made it a witness to the rise and fall of the great powers of the Western world as it seduced its owners to ever greater heights of corruption and greed. Raphael's masterpiece was commissioned by Duke Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, the ruler of Urbino, in 1506. Raphael was only twenty-three years old, but he had already begun to acquire a reputation as a painter who was as ruthless in his pursuit of money as he was talented. The duke sent the painting to England's King Henry VII as a thank-you for naming him a knight in the Order of the Garter. The painting then mysteriously disappeared for one hundred years until King Charles I saw it hanging in the collection of the Earl of Pembroke and acquired it for a book of Holbein drawings. After Charles was beheaded in 1649, his collection was broken up and the painting made its way to the private gallery of the third-richest man in France, where it was ensconced in its own special room. Thirty years later, the philosopher Diderot was instructed by Catherine the Great of Russia to buy it for her vast collection at the Hermitage. The heroic curators of the Hermitage protected St. George and the Dragon from fire, water, and the anarchists of the Russian Revolution, until Joseph Stalin sold it in 1930 to raise cash. The secret buyer was Andrew Mellon, Treasury Secretary of the United States, who in doing so blatantly violated a U.S. sanction against doing any business with Soviet Russia. Mellon eventually founded The National Gallery in Washington, D.C., where St. George and the Dragon rests to this day. Exceptionally written and breathlessly paced, The Dragon's Trail is a microhistory that touches on the rise of the Tudors, the downfall of a Stuart, the twilight of the French aristocracy, the terrors of the Bolshevik revolution, and the depths of the Cold War -- all witnessed by one painting that inspired the best and the worst instincts in its owners.
The Dragon's Trail
Title | The Dragon's Trail PDF eBook |
Author | Joanna Pitman |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Pages | 307 |
Release | 2007 |
Genre | Art |
ISBN | 0743265130 |
Exceptionally written and breathlessly paced, The Dragon's Trail is a microhistory that touches on the rise of the Tudors, the downfall of a Stuart, the twilight of the French aristocracy, the terrors of the Bolshevik revolution, and the depths of the Cold War -- all witnessed by one painting that inspired the best and the worst instincts in its owners.
Dragon's Trail
Title | Dragon's Trail PDF eBook |
Author | Joseph Malik |
Publisher | Oxblood Books |
Pages | 390 |
Release | 2017-03-29 |
Genre | Fiction |
ISBN | 9780997887525 |
“I didn’t come here to sell my soul. I came here to buy it back.” Once dubbed “The Deadliest Man Alive,” Jarrod Torrealday is a former Olympic saber hopeful and medieval weapons expert banned from competition for killing another fencer in a duel. Despondent, volatile, alcoholic, yet still one of the greatest swordsmen alive, he now works for third-rate fantasy films as a technical consultant and stuntman. When Jarrod accepts the gig of a lifetime from a sorcerer looking for a hero, he finds himself facing an invading army in a world inhabited by creatures from Earth’s mythical past. He soon learns that the enemy mastermind is also from Earth, and has laid the foundations for a new kind of war.
The Dragon's Path
Title | The Dragon's Path PDF eBook |
Author | Daniel Abraham |
Publisher | Orbit |
Pages | 460 |
Release | 2011-04-07 |
Genre | Fiction |
ISBN | 0316175072 |
"Everything I look for in a fantasy." -- George R. R. Martin All paths lead to war. . . Marcus' hero days are behind him. He knows too well that even the smallest war still means somebody's death. When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps. Cithrin is an orphan, ward of a banking house. Her job is to smuggle a nation's wealth across a war zone, hiding the gold from both sides. She knows the secret life of commerce like a second language, but the strategies of trade will not defend her from swords. Geder, sole scion of a noble house, has more interest in philosophy than in swordplay. A poor excuse for a soldier, he is a pawn in these games. No one can predict what he will become. Falling pebbles can start a landslide. A spat between the Free Cities and the Severed Throne is spiraling out of control. A new player rises from the depths of history, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon's Path -- the path to war. The Dagger and the Coin The Dragon's Path The King's Blood The Tyrant's Law The Widow's House The Spider's War
Dragons
Title | Dragons PDF eBook |
Author | Ricardo Chévere |
Publisher | Trafford Publishing |
Pages | 559 |
Release | 2009-12-16 |
Genre | Fiction |
ISBN | 1426930518 |
Sorcerers, wizards, and witches use magic for evil; but, as long as there are dragons in the world, there will be champions ready to stand against them. Borys knows little of such matters, but he does have a faint memory that seems to suggest that dragons are to blame for the death of his parents. He yearns to know more about these creatures, and in his quest for answers, he comes across a mystical craft that takes him down the abominable path of magic. Hell now learn more than he ever bargained for about these elusive creatures. And hell also discover terrible things he can do with his newfound powers. Alanna almost drowns at her fathers marina. She lives only because David jumps in the water after her, even though he doesnt know how to swim. David becomes a local hero, but Alanna cannot understand why she survived. Now, shes back in town seeking answers. Heroes and villains alike are about to discover that nothing touched by magic remains unchanged, especially in a world of sorcerers, wizards, witches, and Dragons.
Dragons
Title | Dragons PDF eBook |
Author | Gardner Dozois |
Publisher | Baen Publishing Enterprises |
Pages | 212 |
Release | 2013-07-15 |
Genre | Fiction |
ISBN | 1625791437 |
Fierce, fiery, fascinatingãten tales of fantasys most powerful creatures. A collection of dragon stories from some of the masters of the fantasy genre includes contributions from James P. Blaylock, Avram Davidson, Tanith Lee, Lucius Shepard, and L. Sprague De Camp. _Draco, DracoÓ by Tanith Lee _Two Yards of DragonÓ by L. Sprague de Camp _Mrs. Byres and the DragonÓ by Keith Roberts _A Handful of HatchlingsÓ by Mark Sumner _Covenant With a DragonÓ by Susan Casper _Paper DragonsÓ by James P. Blaylock _Up the WallÓ by Esther M. Friesner _Lan LungÓ by M. Lucie Chin _ClimactericÓ by Avram Davidson _The Man Who Painted the Dragon GriauleÓ by Lucius Shepard At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Blaze Your Own Trail
Title | Blaze Your Own Trail PDF eBook |
Author | Justin Ashley |
Publisher | Free Spirit Publishing |
Pages | 202 |
Release | 2023-10-31 |
Genre | Young Adult Nonfiction |
ISBN | 1631987305 |
Empower teens to build their own paths with strategies that encourage self-discovery, autonomy, and connection. Blaze Your Own Trail invites teens to consider their values, goals, and interests, and take steps toward building the life—and blazing the trail—they want for themselves. Teens follow the three sections of the book—the inner path, the outer path, and the onward path—to explore a breadth of topics, from developing a vision for their future and boosting their self-regulation strategies and emotional intelligence to making time for rest, practicing gratitude, and connecting with others. This student-facing partner to The Balanced Teacher Path presents teens with ideas for seeking purpose, joy, and balance in their lives. To enrich and inform the book, award-winning teacher Justin Ashley surveyed the teens he's worked with. Blaze Your Own Trail gives teens the freedom to read what's most relevant to them in the moment with short, easy-to-digest chapters. Far from a prescriptive guidebook, Blaze Your Own Trail supports teens in their journey to creating their own path—and destination.