Sick of wrongful-death lawsuits every time a full moon comes around? Call the Underworld Detection Agency. As a human immune to magic, Sophie Lawson can help everyone from banshee to zombie transition into normal, everyday San Francisco life. With a handsome werewolf as her UDA boss and a fashionista vampire for a roommate, Sophie knows everything there is to know about the undead, the unseen, and the uncanny. . . Until a rash of gruesome murders has demons and mortals running for cover, and Sophie finds herself playing sidekick to detective Parker Hayes. Dodging raging bloodsuckers, bad-tempered fairies, and love-struck trolls is one thing. But when Sophie discovers Parker isn't what he seems, she's got only one chance to figure out whom to trust. Because an evil hiding in plain sight is closing in. . .and about to make one wisecracking human its means to ultimate power. . .

The writings in this book are extracted from volumes 1 through 20 of our 33 1/3 series - short books about individual albums. In here you'll find a wide variety of authors, albums, and approaches to writing about those albums. So sit back, put on your headphones, cue up your favourite songs, and let our writers transport you to a time when: Dusty Springfield headed south to Memphis to record a pop/soul classic; The Kinks almost fell to pieces, and managed to make their best album while doing so; Joy Division and their mad, brilliant producer created a debut record that still sounds painfully hip today; James Brown mesmerized a sell-out crowd at the Apollo, in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis; The Rolling Stones shacked up in the South of France and emerged with one of the best double-albums ever; The Ramones distilled punk rock into its purest, most enduring essence... 33 1/3 Greatest Hits, Volume 1: it's like a compilation album, without the filler.

The array of new technologies that came on the scene in the early 20th century resulted in widely varied new forms of military special operations once civilization embarked on its greatest war. Suddenly, fighting men could be delivered by parachute, submarine, glider, jeeps, and fast amphibious craft deep into enemy territory to perform special tasks; yet others would continue to perform missions the same as their ancestors in previous wars—on foot using stealth, endurance and patience. This work contains discussions of the employment of various special purpose, special mission organizations during World War II. These units operated in Allied and Axis countries and in various theaters of war including Europe, North Africa, the Pacific, Asia, and the continental United States. Representing every major combatant, the operations include various kinds of raids, intelligence gathering missions, support to partisan/guerrilla groups, prisoner rescues, direct-action missions, and at least two where the object was simply to steal something. Some missions would have been officially denied if the operations had been caught in the act. The book is divided into two sections: Behind Enemy Lines and Behind Friendly Lines, to demonstrate that special-purpose organizations can be employed wherever needed, even in areas controlled by military units of their own or allied countries. Many of the units described run the gamut of special mission types, from commando to parachute units, reconnaissance to sabotage units, and partisan training units as well as those with combined missions. Many of the operations described in this book continue to serve as templates for modern Special Operations missions, while still others—the first attempts of their kind—continue to serve as examples of what not to try under the circumstances. Michael F. Dilley served for 20 years in the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence branch. After retiring from the Army, the author served for about ten years as an employee of the Department of Defense, then as a contractor for various U.S. Government agencies in several fields for 15 years. Author of several books and many articles, a number of these chapters are based on his previous writings for the legendary Behind the Lines magazine.

Robertson Davies brought a great sense of style to everything he wrote. Whether it was a letter to his daughter ("Love from us both, Daddy") or a formal letter to the editor disembowelling a hostile reviewer that concludes humbly ("I am content to remain, Yours, writhing in deserved ignominy..."), he wrote with care, with zest, and in a clearly distinctive voice. Since these letters written by Davies have been selected from the years when he was at the height of his fame, the recipients range widely, from Sir John Gielgud to Margaret Atwood, and from Greg Gatenby ("You are a merciless man and God will punish you in the next world") to his publishers abroad. Naturally, like all the best letters, they contain fascinating gossip: ..."and Salvador Dali, at the next table, raised his eyebrows and popped his eyes to such a degree that I feared they might leave their moorings and bounce about the floor." The title of the book comes from a confidential letter to Jack McClelland and hints at the secrets to be learned from these letters. This "over the shoulder" look at his private correspondence shows us Davies in a variety of roles: as an old friend consoling Horace Davenport on the loss of his son; as a university administrator bewailing the miseries of fundraising; as a keen theatre-goer writing a letter of congratulations to an actor after a fine performance; as a professional writer advocating fair rates for authors to a cabinet minister; as a husband constructing a handwritten circular card to convey loving birthday greetings to his wife; as a bearer of health-giving good cheer to an ailing friend; and as a novelist struggling with his new books, and admitting to his doubts aboutthem. The letters are frequently testy, tart, and not always "politically correct." Among those who felt his sting are Judith Skelton Grant, his biographer, and Douglas Gibson, his publisher, but other, more deserving, targets are suitably chastised. And whether they are funny, moving, or thought-provoking, these private letters provide a new look at the private Davies, revealed in his own vigorous words.

This collection rounds up three of Philip Jeyaretnam’s best-known works in a single volume. Together, they showcase his mastery of the written word across a range of forms, subject matter and emotional landscapes. The short stories and novels set in Singapore explore themes of identity, materialism, interracial relationships, power and betrayal while exposing the nation’s frailties, cracks and contradictions. Jeyaretnam’s characters–the thinkers, dreamers and doers–make their own way, searching for meaning in the gaps between achievement, aspiration and regret. First Loves displays Jeyaretnam’s intimate understanding of young love and loss, while Raffles Place Ragtime examines the place of love in relation to ambition, deception and material aspiration. In Abraham’s Promise, an old man comes to an understanding and reconciliation of his life and times hard-won in maturity. Charged with emotional power and clarity, Jeyaretnam’s spare, thoughtful prose shows off his gift for characterisation and confirms him as an elegant, eloquent stylist.