'Edie,' said George, 'we're going to do this together. I'll be right there with you. Anything, anyone trying to get you is going to have to come past me first.' But when George makes his promise he is not aware that high on the rooftops an unseen gargoyle is watching them hungrily, quivering with anticipation for the moment when it will unfold its stone wings and pounce. The thing on the roof knows that nothing is over; nothing is finished. Ironhand takes us deeper into the layers of un-London, the place where the good and the bad statues, the spits and the taints, walk and war. George and Edie must repay the debt which they owe the Gunner for his sacrifice. They must face unspeakable danger and doubt if they are to save him. This second title in the Stoneheart sequence by Charlie Fletcher will shake you with its imaginative grasp and vision. It is an epic excitement, not to be missed ...

Iron Hand is an illustrated study of aerial electronic combat in the age of Surface-to-Air Missile. It describes the evolution of American anti-radar weapons, related jamming tactics and stealth technology as leading-edge countermeasures to the SAM and other sophisticated ground-based antiaircraft defenses. The focus is very much on new weapons and tactics as they emerged in combat, beginning with the Viet Nam War and her the Persian Gulf and more recent Balkans conflicts. Combining an analytical overview of the weapons systems mixed with first-hand andecdotal reminiscences from former air and ground crews, this complex story is explained in an accessile, meaningful and entertaining manner, with the hows and whys of aerial electronic comvbat given a full airing.

-When his sword hand was struck off, his legend began- Based on the true life of the Baron Goetz von Berlichingen the Iron Hand, the most infamous Imperial knight of the Holy Roman Empire, who marauded through 16th-century Reformation Germany with a prosthetic iron hand. Schoental Abbey, Franconia, 1562. At the end of his long life, a dying Baron Goetz von Berlichingen the Iron Hand travels to his ancestral tomb to seek absolution for his sins. Before he can be buried in his family crypt, the sins of his life must be confessed. Enlisting the services of a Cistercian monk in order to record a narrative of his life as a robber-knight, and hopeful that his confession will not only prove his piety, but will lead to his soul's redemption- what follows is an epic that spans the entire life of the outlaw knight. The confessional journey they take together may lead to redemption- or condemnation- for both of their souls. ,,Tom Krupp bietet mit seinem Roman eine zeitgemäße literarische Verarbeitung der schon seit Jahrhunderten die Gemüter bewegenden Biographie Götz von Berlichingens, wenn ich recht sehe, die allererste überhaupt, die jenseits des Atlantiks entstanden ist." -Dr. Prof. Kurt Andermann, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau

All the pieces finally fall into place in this action-packed finale to the Three Thieves graphic novel series. Now that Dessa has learned the truth about her past, she agrees to form an alliance with the badly injured Captain Drake against Greyfalcon. The pair travel together to the royal city to rescue Dessa's twin brother, Jared, from Greyfalcon's evil clutches and put Jared in his rightful place on the throne. But their plans go awry when they arrive to find Jared already on the throne! And it's nowhere near the joyful reunion one might expect --- instead, Dessa is captured and thrown into the dungeon! It's clear her brother is in no position to come to her aid, so she needs to find another way out. The three thieves have pulled off a number of tricky escapes together, but this time Dessa's on her own ... Or is she? The conclusion to Scott Chantler's thrilling, suspenseful and masterfully told fantasy-adventure series is sure to satisfy, as loose ends are tied and vexing questions get answered. The fast pace continues right to the end, with new twists and turns and some shocking revelations, while the characters' wit and humor continue to shine through. The high-voltage drama and bold illustrations make the books in this award-winning series popular reads, even while the complexity of the multiple plotlines enhances problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. And with so many clues cleverly revealed in the details of the artwork, these books are also terrific for developing visual literacy.

When Germanic troops in the service of the Empire begin to rebel, and a Roman general disappears, Emperor Vespasian turns to the one man he can trust: Marcus Didius Falco, a private informer whose rates are low enough that even the stingy Vespasian is willing to pay them. To Falco, an undercover tour of Germania is an assignment from Hades. On a journey that only a stoic could survive, Falco meets with disarray, torture, and murder. His one hope: in the northern forest lives a powerful Druid priestess who perhaps can be persuaded to cease her anti-Rome activities and work for peace. Which Falco is eagerly hoping for as, back in Rome, the Titus Caesar is busy trying to make time with Helena Justina, a senator's daughter and Falco's girlfriend. Lindsey Davis' historical mystery Iron Hand of Mars is a "Seamless blending of humor, history and adventure" (Publishers Weekly).

During antebellum wars the Regular Army preserved the peace, suppressed the Indians, and bore the brunt of the fighting. The Civil War, however, brought an influx of volunteers who overwhelmed the number of army Regulars, forcing a clash between traditional military discipline and the expectations of citizens. Baring the Iron Hand provides an extraordinarily in-depth examination of this internal conflict and the issue of discipline in the Union Army. Ramold tells the story of the volunteers, who, unaccustomed to such military necessities as obeying officers, accepting punishment, and suppressing individuality, rebelled at the traditional discipline expected by the standing army. Unwilling to fully surrender their perceived rights as American citizens, soldiers both openly and covertly defied the rules. They challenged the right of their officers to lead them and established their own policies on military offenses, proper conduct, and battlefield behavior. Citizen soldiers also denied the army the right to punish them for offenses like desertion, insubordination, and mutiny that had no counterpart in civilian life. Ramold demonstrates that the clash between Regulars and volunteers caused a reinterpretation of the traditional expectations of discipline. The officers of the Regular Army had to contend with independent-minded soldiers who resisted the spit-and-polish discipline that made the army so efficient, but also alienated the volunteers' sense of individuality and manhood. Unable to prosecute the vast number of soldiers who committed offenses, professional officers reached a form of populist accommodation with their volunteer soldiers. Unable to eradicate or prevent certain offenses, the army tried simply to manage them or to just ignore them. Instead of applying traditionally harsh punishments for specific crimes as they had done in the antebellum period, the army instead mollified its men by extending amnesty, modifying sentences, and granting liberal leniency to many soldiers who otherwise deserved the harshest of penalties. Ramold's fascinating look into the lives of these misbehaving soldiers will interest both Civil War historians and enthusiasts.

Includes an excerpt from "Angel of Fire" by William King.