Paul Snell, novice reporter, gets assigned a weekly column on chess, mostly because of his faux-filial attachment to the Hane Tribune's owner Waldo Turner. In return Snell promises to attend to, and probably marry, Waldo's fragile, unhinged niece Pamela Snow. The unlikely couple soon enough latch onto American chess prodigy, Mikey Spendip and his mother Vera, as they ascend the ladder of tournament chess. During the summer of 1980 at the Interzonal Finals in Manila, Philippines Spendip is persuaded to aid an uprising against dictator Ferdinand Marcos by deliberately losing a crucial match. But that gesture slips into a gory, comic fiasco. The novel is an ironic commentary on the nature of chess, chance, and love, in revolutionary circumstances.

Founded in 1974, Southeast Asian Affairs provides, without fear or favour, informed and in-depth annual analyses of this vibrant region and its component countries. It is the only publication which does this and is in its own class without peers. It is a mandatory reference and read for those seriously interested in knowing Southeast Asia. - Professor A.B. Shamsul, Founding Director, Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Bebangsaan Malaysia. "e;Now in its 38th edition, Southeast Asian Affairs offers an indispensable guide to this fascinating region. Lively, analytical, authoritative, and accessible, there is nothing comparable in quality or range to this series. It is a must read for academics, government officials, the business community, the media and anybody with an interest in contemporary Southeast Asia. Drawing on its unparalleled network of researchers and commentators, ISEAS is to be congratulated for producing this major contribution to our understanding of this diverse and fast-changing region, to a consistently high standard and in a timely manner."e; - Hal Hill, H.W. Arndt Professor of Southeast Asian Economies, Australian National University

"Beightler's service in France during World War I and his successful leadership of the 37th in WWII's New Georgia, Bougainville, and Luzon campaigns are portrayed against the often rocky relationship between the Guard and the regular military establishment."--BOOK JACKET.

The King's Gambit is the most daring and dangerous opening. White throws caution to the wind, and Black must know what he is doing to avoid early defeat. The King's Gambit was all the rage in the 19th century, but has an enduring popularity throughout the chess world. Remarkably, it is once more the focus of the top grandmaster attention, for example when Nigel Short played it three times in a row against the world's best at the Madrid 1997 tournament.

This book is a state-of-the-art survey of all branches of the world's most popular gambit from the viewpoint of the player who wants to attack with the white pieces. Many of the world's top young players, such as Kramni, Anand and Shirov have invested enormous amounts of time and analysis into making lines of the Slav, Semi-Slav, and QGA into reliable, ambitious weapons for Black. This book concentrates concentrates on the lines which are at the cutting edge of White's counter-efforts, and provides a selection of aggressive repertoires against Black's older defences, including the Orthodox, Tarrasch and Semi-Tarrasch. No player who has read this book need be in any doubt how to meet Black's sharp approaches - be they modern, dynamic counter attacks or old, romantic gambits.

The first comprehensive collection of contemporary published reactions to the writing of William Faulkner from 1926 to 1962, these articles document the response of reviewers to specific works, and chronicle the development of Faulkner's reputation among the nation's book reviewers. It has often been assumed that a poor reception in the popular review publications contributed to Faulkner's lack of commercial success. The material presented here tends to refute that assumption, clarifying the development of Faulkner's literary career and providing a fuller understanding of the part played by book reviewing in the sales, promotion, and success of American literature.