Using epigraphic, iconographic, and stylistic analyses, this study explores the integrated political-religious meanings of Quirigua's monumental sculptures during the eighth-century A.D. reign of the city's most famous ruler, K'ak' Tiliw. In particular, Matthew Looper focuses on the role of stelae and other sculpture in representing the persona of the ruler not only as a political authority but also as a manifestation of various supernatural entities with whom he was associated through ritual performance.-publisher description.

The ancient Maya city of Quirigua occupied a crossroads between Copan in the southeastern Maya highlands and the major centers of the Peten heartland. Though always a relatively small city, Quirigua stands out because of its public monuments, which were some of the greatest achievements of Classic Maya civilization. Impressive not only for their colossal size, high sculptural quality, and eloquent hieroglyphic texts, the sculptures of Quirigua are also one of the few complete, in situ series of Maya monuments anywhere, which makes them a crucial source of information about ancient Maya spirituality and political practice within a specific historical context. Using epigraphic, iconographic, and stylistic analyses, this study explores the integrated political-religious meanings of Quirigua's monumental sculptures during the eighth-century A.D. reign of the city's most famous ruler, K'ak' Tiliw. In particular, Matthew Looper focuses on the role of stelae and other sculpture in representing the persona of the ruler not only as a political authority but also as a manifestation of various supernatural entities with whom he was associated through ritual performance. By tracing this sculptural program from its Early Classic beginnings through the reigns of K'ak' Tiliw and his successors, and also by linking it to practices at Copan, Looper offers important new insights into the politico-religious history of Quirigua and its ties to other Classic Maya centers, the role of kingship in Maya society, and the development of Maya art.

This beautifully written book is a definitive record of the players and productions of a film company that specialized in chapter plays and "B" movies and that became highly influential in winning an ever-widening public for the kind of films it innovated such as the musical Western. Cinema history at its best--written with careful attention to detail, and based on thorough research and exhaustive personal interviews--The Vanishing Legion offers critical treatment of every serial and feature produced by Mascot during its nine years of operation. Tom Mix, Gene Autry, John Wayne, Rin-Tin-Tin and other Western heroes ride and bark again through the pages of this fascinating book. Appendices list cast and technical credits (plus chapter titles) for all Mascot serials and features. Comprehensive index. Several dozen seldom- or never-seen ads and stills are reproduced.

Wild Freedom by Max Brand is two stories about a father and son who go traveling, only for the father to become lost and an outlaw running from two sheriffs. Excerpt: "No seasoned mountaineer would have tried to cross the mountain range encumbered as John Parks was, and with the cloud, streamers blown out stiff from the summits and snapping off little fleecy bits which the wind hurried across the sky. Even in the lowlands, the norther had spread an arctic chill, and the bald heights must be insufferably cold."

Join Ronicky Doone, a heroic gambler who always champions lost causes, as he teams up with his friend Bill Gregg on an adventure that takes them from the Wild West to the bustling city of New York. With guns, gambling, and damsels in distress, this action-packed tale is sure to entertain readers of all ages. This book is a charming story of friendship and tenacity in the pursuit of love. For fans of westerns and adventure stories, 'Ronicky Doone' is a must-read novel.

Soft Metal is a collection of 3 novels under Max Brand's authorship. The Red Bandana is about a good friend trying to warn of a bad man, Bill Orping, a cold-blooded killer extraordinaire. His Name His Fortune is about a gambler who falls in love with the daughter of a brutal enemy. Lastly, Soft Metal is about a wanted man Larry Givain who meets with a beautiful woman who is also associated with a rival posse pursuing Givain.

Frederick Schiller Faust (1892-1944) was an American author known primarily for his thoughtful and literary Westerns under the pen name Max Brand. Prolific in many genres he wrote historical novels, detective mysteries, pulp fiction stories and many more. Table of Contents: The Dan Barry Series The Untamed The Night Horseman The Seventh Man Dan Barry's Daughter The Ronicky Doone Trilogy Ronicky Doone Ronicky Doone's Treasure Ronicky Doone's Reward The Silvertip Series Silvertip The Man from Mustang Silvertip's Strike Silvertip's Roundup Silvertip's Trap Silvertip's Chase Silvertip's Search The Stolen Stallion Valley Thieves The Valley of Vanishing Men The False Rider Other Novels Above the Law Trailin'! Riders of the Silences (Luck) Crossroads The Man Who Forgot Christmas Black Jack The Cure of Silver Cañon Donnegan (Gunman's Reckoning) Bull Hunter Jerico's Garrison Finish The Long, Long Trail Way of the Lawless (Free Range Lanning) Alcatraz The Garden of Eden The Power of Prayer The Rangeland Avenger Wild Freedom The Boy Who Found Christmas His Name His Fortune The Quest of Lee Garrison Rodeo Ranch "Sunset" Wins Soft Metal Under His Shirt The Tenderfoot The Black Rider In the River Bottom's Grip Acres of Unrest Bad Man's Gulch The Whispering Outlaw The Desert Pilot The Mountain Fugitive The Mustang Herder Destry Rides Again The Hair-Trigger Kid (Duck Hawk's Master) The Lightning Warrior The Three Crosses Range Jester Gunman's Gold The Red Bandanna Marbleface (The Tough Tenderfoot) Red Devil of the Range King of the Range (Strength of the Hills)