LONGLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE 2019 SHORTLISTED FOR THE ENCORE PRIZE 2020 Sammy and his three friends are country boys from Armagh, the disputed borderlands of a country cannbalising itself. They love sharp clothes, a drink, and a night on the town singing Perry Como's classics. Their dream is a Free State, and their methods for achieving this are uncompromising. Heading for Belfast - ground zero of the Troubles - they find themselves in the incongruous position of running a comic book shop by day. Their clandestine activities belong in the x-rated pages of graphic fiction: burglary, blackmail, extortion, torture, and murder. No criminal act is too taboo for these boys. But when punk rock arrives and the hard edge of the decade starts to reveal its true paranoid colours, Sammy finds himself increasingly isolated. Camaraderie and loyalty is the fuel of a terrorist cell. When those virtues prove faulty, the game is up - and Sammy's world starts to radically shrink. For the Good Times shouts and sings with visionary intensity and gallows humour. It is not just a book about the IRA, but an exploration of what it means to 'go rogue', and the heartbreak and devastation that commitment to 'the cause' can engender. It unpacks any dewy-eyed romance associated with the Troubles, and establishes David Keenan as one of our generation's most fearless and entertaining literary stylists.

Hallefrickinlujah, it’s here--your ultimate party-planning guide. Forget the stuffy dinner conversations. And the plates of cheese. And the wine (unless it’s boxed, or bottled three-buck Chuck). It’s time to tap into a powder keg of debauchery. Brought to you by Connor and Dominic, founders of The 5th Year and scholars in the art of the party, this book serves up dozens of out-of-the-box ideas, along with advice on throwing a successful shindig and plenty of suggestions on how to take the shenanigans to the next level. You’ll find ridiculously fun ways to get your drink on, like . . . Tour de Franzia: Spandex-clad partiers chant, ?Go, go, go? as their wine-mouthed friends race through boxes of the classy stuff. Brownbag Surprise: Guests have to MacGyver their own costumes out of whatever’s inside the brownbag they’re given. Fake Wake: It’s like a real Irish wake--except even the stiff’s drunk. Donkey Punch Dinner Party: Where placing your Cleveland Steamer Meatballs between a bowl of Dirty Sanchez Seven-Layer Dip and a tray of Dutch Oven Biscuits isn’t out of place. So ditch the popped-collar polos and wayfarers and move on from the played-out ’80s theme. It’s time to try something new. And as entertaining as it is instructive, this book is destined to become your gospel whenever you’re looking for a good time. The party’s on.

"Maurice Barrymore began life as Herbert Blyth, amid the jumbled bazaars and golden temples of East India. Sent to England for proper schooling, he was expelled from Harrow, quit Oxford, became Britain's middle-weight boxing champion, then turned to acting. When his hyper-Victorian family of civil servants, soldiers, and clergymen disowned him, he took the name "Barrymore," and sailed for America, where he married Georgie, the brilliant daughter of the theatrical Drews."--Publisher's description.

A unique, highly readable approach to the environmental crisis, with alternating chapters outlining the effects on society if left unchecked, and the radical actions we can take to prevent it Now includes updated sections on COVID-19 and COP26 The environmental emergency is the greatest threat we face. Preventing it will require an unprecedented political and social response. And yet, there is still hope. Academic, physicist, environmental expert and award-winning science communicator Paul Behrens presents a radical analysis of a civilization on the brink of catastrophe. Setting out the pressing existential threats we face, he writes, in alternating chapters, of what the future could look like at its most pessimistic and hopeful. In lucid prose, Behrens argues that structural problems need structural solutions, and examines critical areas in which political will is required, including women's education, food and energy security, biodiversity and economics. The book was printed with two different jackets, to illustrate the unique duality of the author's approach.

Meet Harvey, a boy born in California in the midst of the Great Depression. The historic and political events of the time helped mold the direction of his life. The autobiography shows that life doesn't just happen. Instead apparently disconnected experiences, actions and circumstances join to affect a person's growth and relationships to the world and those around him. Surviving the worldwide depression, listening and watching World War II unfold in the media and in newsreels at movie theaters - as well as rationing- and their impact on the home front left an impression on Harvey and his family. Set against the back drop of world events are stories of Harvey' s Family members and how they live, love and have fun together, as well as how they cope and survive sickness and adversity. His memoir also cites personal involvement with the rehabilitation and staffing of a service station burned during the Watts riots and some of the effects of foreign crude suppliers on the petroleum industry. Readers can follow the author's career in his company, as well as his retirement, health scares and the chance to fully embrace his interests in life. Representing "every man" Riggs' detailed telling of his story will strike a chord with anyone who has wondered what paths his own life might have taken. Harvey Wiley Riggs was born in 1934, the second of six children for his loving parents. He learned many trades as a young man served in the U.S. Marine Corps and retired from Chevron Oil Co. after nearly 37 years, working in all aspects of petroleum marketing. Riggs has been married to his sweetheart, Beverly for more than 55 years after meeting in junior college. They have two daughters and four grandchildren. The author enjoys friends and family, traveling, classic cars, volunteers for city committees, professional and private organizations and devotes many hours to training and promoting the health and wellness of Flat Coated Retrievers.

Karl Kraus ranks as one of the greatest twentieth century satirists. This collection features key essay such as 'A Crown for Zion' and 'In These Great Times', a crucial scene from 'The Last Days of Mankind', and a selection of aphorisms. Translated from the German, with an introduction, by Patrick Healy.