A Max Rydal Military Mystery - November fifth. Soldiers and their families gather to celebrate with a fireworks display and a giant bonfire, but delight turns to fear when it explodes to send flaming debris over the spectators. A battalion of Drumdorran Fusiliers has marched in that same afternoon, and when the wife of their Pipe Major dies from her injuries the Scots vent their anger on resident troops. Military detectives Max Rydal and Tom Black investigate as tensions flare. And then another dangerous incident occurs . . .

An encyclopedia guide to the thousand-year history and dynamic future of the distillation of whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, brandy, and more.

Thoughtful essays on the history, significance, and pleasures of whiskey Everyone becomes a philosopher with a drink in hand, but Whiskey & Philosophy takes this natural pairing to a new level. It explores a range of philosophical topics related to whiskey through engaging reflections written by philosophers, whiskey writers, and others. You will learn things that are both practical (how do tasting notes vary across guides and whiskey brands?) and thought provoking (why is there the popular conception that drinking whiskey makes people mean, and is it true?). Whether your interest lies in the drink itself or in the philosophical issues surrounding it, you'll find something to interest you in this unusual book. Covers subjects ranging from geographical origin to stylistic differences between whiskey and Scotch Explores philosophical ideas such as the aesthetics, metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics of whiskey and whiskey drinking Includes contributions from academics, journalists, and whiskey specialists, all written in an engaging and accessible style Whether you prefer your whiskey neat or in a Manhattan, from the United States, Scotland, or elsewhere, Whiskey & Philosophy is your perfect drinking companion.

In an industry littered with great characters and extraordinary personalities, Joe Hobbs stands out as one of the whisky world’s most colourful and interesting entrepreneurs, a man who packed more into each decade of his life than most people manage in a lifetime. Whilst individual episodes and activities of his life are quite well known, his fascinating and wide-ranging full life story has not been told before, despite the fact Joe features in Whisky Magazine’s list of ‘Top 100 Most Influential Whisky Figures’ of all time. Not Your Average Joe tells the fascinating story of how the son of a bankrupt English farmer rose to be one of the leading figures in the history of the Scotch whisky industry, making two fortunes and losing one along the way. The book explains Joe’s pioneering exploits as one of the first military aviators during WW1; his controversial rum-running activities into the USA during Prohibition in the 1920s; his leading role in designing and building the city of Vancouver’s first skyscraper; his rise as one of the leading Scotch whisky ‘barons’; and his pioneering transformation of a derelict 10,000 acre Scottish Highland estate into the UK’s first cattle ranch during Britain’s ‘battle for beef’ in the lean years after WW2.