What happens when an ordinary man becomes a messiah? A witty, prescient and eloquent satire by one of New Zealand’s finest writers. Far into the twenty-first century, Albous Slaven's life is spectacularly and irrevocably altered after he hangs for an instant from a power line. While recuperating, he senses a new-found gift; the gift of oratory. Driven to hold rallies throughout New Zealand, Slaven astounds and alarms the ruling politicians. He too is astounded and often bemused by the response of the tens of thousands who flock to hear him. But what is his message? Is he a Messiah, a political saviour, or an idealist who conjures up forces he can neither understand nor control? Shortlisted for the Montana Book Award for Fiction and described by Vincent O'Sullivan as `Delightfully sardonic; philosophically mischievous', this novel deftly and disconcertingly explores its characters' lives in this lyrical picture of New Zealand.

A Novel.

A genius? A scientist? A sociopath? Known to millions as the "Birdman" of Alcatraz, was he the earnest, warm-hearted "bird doctor" and writer of two books, as portrayed by Burt Lancaster in the 1962 film? Or was he a far more flamboyant and diabolical double-murderer, whose event-filled, tragicomic life converted a 12-year conviction into a 54-year death sentence? Meticulously researched, with never-before-published prison reports and Stroud's own writings, with quotes from prisoners, officers, psychologists and avian pathologists, Birdman explodes the myths surrounding Robert Stroud.--From publisher description.

Art is basically a creation, which is the product of both the man and nature. Nature creates beautiful fleeting visitations like sunset, snowfall, gorgeous waterfalls, and strange creatures etc. So also, man creates art in imitation of Nature in the form of fine arts. Literature is rather later growth compare to painting and music in the history of mankind. Literature is an art of writing by means of words. It has a direct link with life and its realities. Literature is nothing but the reflection of life. It deals with human hopes, aspirations, joys, sorrows and conflicts. Nothing in the world comes so close to life as literature. In short, it holds mirror up to life and society. Men of literature constantly in touch with social movements and strive hard to reform and correct the social mistakes and failures. So literature acquires human significance as Homer, Ovid, Cicero, Shakespeare, Milton, Carlyle, Tagore, Tolstoy, Rousseau and Voltaire did in the previous generations to solve the problems of their contemporary society. English literature has its unique identity in World’s literature. It has acquired more significance during the colonial world. It has become the major discipline of the study at both graduate and post graduate level in almost all the Universities of Globe. Millions of students and teachers constantly read and teach History of English literature in Higher education all over the world. Here, an attempt has been made to simplify the History of English Literature, keeping in mind the receptive and conceptual ability of the students. There is a critical analysis and a microscopic observation of each writer and their contextual relevance of the text. The Book sheds a light on the developments of each genre from Chaucer to T.S Eliot. The stress is laid on major literary movements like Romanticism, Classicism and Realism from the beginning to the end and simplified the concepts. So the content of the book is prepared to appeal the critical ability of the students and their urge to understand it for aesthetic pleasure as well as for competitive examinations. No doubt the book will satisfy the quest of students in gaining the better understanding of the subject clearly at ease. In writing this book I have leaned more or less heavily on almost all the existed literary sources and I acknowledge all these writers and publishers for their explicit reference in the body of the text.

Randolph Stow was one of the great Australian writers of his generation. His novel To the Islands — written in his early twenties after living on a remote Aboriginal mission — won the Miles Franklin Award for 1958. In later life, after publishing seven remarkable novels and several collections of poetry, Stow’s literary output slowed. This biography examines the productive period as well as his long periods of publishing silence. In Mick: A Life of Randolph Stow, Suzanne Falkiner unravels the reasons behind Randolph Stow’s quiet retreat from Australia and the wider literary world. Meticulously researched, insightful and at times deeply moving, Falkiner’s biography pieces together an intriguing story from Stow’s personal letters, diaries, and interviews with the people who knew him best. And many of her tales – from Stow’s beginnings in idyllic rural Australia, to his critical turning point in Papua New Guinea, and his final years in Essex, England — provide us with keys to unlock the meaning of Stow’s rich and introspective works.

DIVIn the last days of the KGB, a nefarious plot against the United States threatens to reignite the Cold War /divDIV/divDIVThe Soviet Union is in turmoil. With the election of Gorbachev have come new ideas about freedom, compassion, and openness—ideas that leave no place for the dark machinations of the KGB. Reform is coming to the Soviet intelligence service, unless Victor Ivanovich Kazin can stop it./divDIV /divDIVKazin is one of the Old Guard, and an agent doesn’t survive three decades in the KGB without being relentless. He is a liar, a cheat, a backstabber—and he is proud of it. To oppose this latest wave of reform, Kazin has planned an audacious operation targeting the CIA, using a mole deep inside Langley. It will require every ounce of his cunning and cruelty, and Kazin never fails./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author’s personal collection./div