A “dramatic and masterful” account of early alpine explorers and the challenges they faced to scale the summits (Anthony Brandt, National Geographic Adventure). In a riveting narrative of daredevils and eccentrics, Fergus Fleming gives us the breathtaking story of some of history’s greatest explorers as they conquer the soaring peaks of the Alps. Fleming recounts the incredible exploits of the men whose centuries-old fear of the mountain range turned quickly to curiosity, then to obsession, as they explored Europe’s frozen wilderness. In the late eighteenth century, French and Swiss scientists became interested in the Alps as a research destination, but in the 1850s the focus changed: the icy mountains now offered an all-out competition for British climbers who wanted to conquer ever higher and more impossible heights, and explorers fought each other on the peaks and in the press, entertaining a vast public smitten with their bravery, delighted by their personal animosities, and horrified by the disasters that befell them. “Fleming attacks his theme with verve, mining entertainment from eccentric Alpinists, sensational ascents and grisly accidents.” —Food and Travel Magazine

In How to Kill a Dragon Calvert Watkins follows the continuum of poetic formulae in Indo-European languages, from Old Hittite to medieval Irish. He uses the comparative method to reconstruct traditional poetic formulae of considerable complexity that stretch as far back as the original common language. Thus, Watkins reveals the antiquity and tenacity of the Indo-European poetic tradition. Watkins begins this study with an introduction to the field of comparative Indo-European poetics; he explores the Saussurian notions of synchrony and diachrony, and locates the various Indo-European traditions and ideologies of the spoken word. Further, his overview presents case studies on the forms of verbal art, with selected texts drawn from Indic, Iranian, Greek, Latin, Hittite, Armenian, Celtic, and Germanic languages. In the remainder of the book, Watkins examines in detail the structure of the dragon/serpent-slaying myths, which recur in various guises throughout the Indo-European poetic tradition. He finds the "signature" formula for the myth--the divine hero who slays the serpent or overcomes adversaries--occurs in the same linguistic form in a wide range of sources and over millennia, including Old and Middle Iranian holy books, Greek epic, Celtic and Germanic sagas, down to Armenian oral folk epic of the last century. Watkins argues that this formula is the vehicle for the central theme of a proto-text, and a central part of the symbolic culture of speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language: the relation of humans to their universe, the values and expectations of their society. Therefore, he further argues, poetry was a social necessity for Indo- European society, where the poet could confer on patrons what they and their culture valued above all else: "imperishable fame."

In a riveting narrative of daredevils and eccentrics, Fergus Fleming gives us the breathtaking story of some of history's greatest explorers as they conquer the soaring peaks of the Alps. Fleming recounts the incredible exploits of the men whose centuries-old fear of the mountain range turned quickly to curiosity, then to obsession, as they explored Europe's frozen wilderness. In the late eighteenth century French and Swiss scientists became interested in the Alps as a research destination, but in the 1850s the focus changed: the icy mountains now offered an all-out competition for British climbers who wanted to conquer ever higher and more impossible heights, and explorers fought each other on the peaks and in the press, entertaining a vast public smitten with their bravery, delighted by their personal animosities, and horrified by the disasters that befell them. "...excellent popular history, with its proper share of mad dogs and Englishmen....Fleming's rendition is dramatic and masterful." -- Anthony Brandt, National Geographic Adventure

In a world where sea dragons terrorize dolphins, you enter the reef at your own risk. Marine biologist Eva Paz is on the verge of revolutionizing linguistics by cracking the dolphin communication code. Then police call her away to investigate a dead fisherman. It’s her mother’s boyfriend, but Eva is running out of time to complete her dolphin whistle library by the deadline, putting her grant at risk. Without funding, her dolphins will soon be turned loose in the deadly Caribbean. A cartel leader makes Eva an offer she can’t refuse. He’ll fund her dolphin research if she’ll help him capture the sea dragon. His aid comes with a catch, and he doesn’t count the cost. Then geneticist Thomas Sternberg arrives on sabbatical to lead a dive school. He wants to help Eva, but they share a tragic past. While on his watch as a Navy Seal, Eva’s brother was killed, and her dolphin was wounded. Eva doesn’t trust Thomas, but can she set that aside to work with him to stop the sea dragon and save her dolphins? For fans of Jaws and Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, Killing Dragons is book one in Kristie Clark’s Order of the Dolphin series. Buy Killing Dragons to join Eva and her dolphins on their adventures today! Book club questions included. May be read as a standalone, but Killing Dragons is best enjoyed with the other Order of the Dolphin series books: Dragon Gold and Dragon Clan. “A smart, science fiction thriller that will have readers looking twice at dolphins – and scanning the waters for something far more menacing. Highly recommended.” – Chanticleer Reviews A Reedsy FIVE STAR Must read 🏆 Book! Eco-thriller with dolphins, red tide, a commercial fish farm, a mysterious sea monster, and more intrigue! "If you are a fan of the Jurassic Park books by Michael Crichton and enjoy eco-fiction and/or thrillers, you will get a kick out of this novel about dolphins, fish farms, and a dangerous sea dragon." --Rachel Barnard, Reedsy Reviews Killing Dragons is for readers who enjoy action and adventure, science fiction, thrillers, suspense, romance subplots, ecologic themes, genetic engineering science fiction, technothrillers, climate change fiction, dinosaur thriller books, books with theme about trust, dolphins and dragons, reading about a wholphin, cryptozoology, Caribbean scuba thrillers, sea stories and adventures, a writer compared to Michael Crichton, books like Jaws, books like Jurassic Park, books like The Meg, creature features, monster in the house stories, sea monsters, sea dragons, fiction about the Lusca in Caribbean folklore, myths and legends, a Latina protagonist, an ex-Navy SEAL co-protagonist, fiction about dolphin communication that shows how smart dolphins are and makes dolphins the stars of the show, a novel featuring a marine biologist, a paleontologist, and a pediatrician, books with strong side characters: a research assistant on the Autism Spectrum, a talented European electronica DJ and a loyal dog, book with a submarine adventure, beach read that makes you scared to get in the water, reading about toxic GMO foods, venomous invasive and dangerous genetically modified organisms even vegans might spearhunt, villains worthy of a James Bond movie, a side of international cartel crime laced with bitcoin, and it’s all set in a tropical paradise we would all like to visit on vacation!

Her bloodline says they should be mortal enemies. Her heart swears otherwise. Will her torn loyalties leave her vulnerable to a rising evil? Minx’s hunting and fighting skills are legendary. But when adversaries trespass on the royal Fae lands, she’s nervous about her mission to restore the defense wards by slaying a dragon and returning with its powerful hide. And the ferocious warrior grows desperate when neighboring clans demand that she defeat not one, but two of the fearsome beasts in fights to the death. Angered by the coercive demand, Minx tracks down her first red-scaled monster—only to be stunned when it shifts into a stunning young man. And when her handsome foe claims they share a common adversary, her attraction tempts her toward an unheard-of alliance against a dark new threat. Will Minx’s quest to save her species drag them into a bloody war? How to Kill a Dragon is the breathtaking first book in the Heir of Dragons epic fantasy series. If you like fierce heroines, forbidden romance, and magic gone awry, then you’ll love J. A. Culican’s fiery tale. Buy How to Kill a Dragon to battle the demons of destiny today!

Game of Thrones meets Gladiator in this blockbuster debut epic fantasy about a world caught in an eternal war, and the young man who will become his people's only hope for survival. ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S TOP 100 FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME Winner of the Reddit/Fantasy Award for Best Debut Fantasy Novel The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable war for almost two hundred years. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine. Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn't get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He'll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him. The Rage of Dragons launches a stunning and powerful debut epic fantasy series that readers are already calling "the best fantasy book in years." The BurningThe Rage of Dragons