Iceland, circa AD 1000 Elska is a silver dapple Icelandic filly. She spends summers frisking about the countryside and winters in the farmyard, where the girl human Amma takes special care of her. But when a powerful neighbor notices Elska, her contented life suddenly changes. Here is Elska’s story . . . in her own words.

The tenth century was a formative period for Islamic culture and Adam Mez's Renaissance of Islam offers a detailed survey of the Muslim world during that period. No other single work covers the subject as comprehensively. Mez drew upon a vast range of sources to produce a detailed account of all aspects of Islamic culture and society - finance, religion, geography, industry and trade, law, morals, navigation, etc. The result is a lucid and engaging work that even today remains a key resource for researchers and students alike. The original edition is now very rare. This new edition, introduced by Julia Bray, one of the leading scholars of the period, makes the work available once again and includes a bibliography and index specially prepared for this edition.

In a mid-ninth-century Bedouin camp in the Arabian Desert, a horse is born to a prized Arabian war mare who dies during the birth, and the foal is raised with dreams of continuing her mother's glory as a war mare. Includes facts about Arabian horses and their importance to Bedouin tribes.

Patronage, power, and competition in the Sultan’s court The Sword of Ambition opens a new window onto interreligious rivalry among elites in medieval Egypt. Written by the unemployed bureaucrat 'Uthman ibn Ibrahim al-Nabulusi, it contains a wealth of little-known historical anecdotes, unusual religious opinions, obscure and witty poetry, and humorous cultural satire. Leaving no rhetorical stone unturned, al-Nabulusi pours his deep knowledge of history, law, and literature into the work—addressed to the Ayyubid sultan—as he argues against the employment of Coptic and Jewish officials. Written at a time when much of the inter-communal animosity of the era was conditioned by fierce competition for scarce resources that were increasingly controlled by an ideologically committed Sunni Muslim state, The Sword of Ambition reminds us that “religious” conflict must always be considered in its broader historical perspective. An English-only edition.

For anyone who has ever dreamed of hearing a horse’s story... Oregon, 1790 Golden Sun is a chestnut snowflake Appaloosa. In summer, he treks through the mountains with his rider, a Nez Perce boy named Little Turtle, as he gathers healing plants. But when Little Turtle’s best friend falls ill, Golden Sun discovers his true calling. Here is Golden Sun’s story...in his own words. With moving and knowledgeable text and lovely black and white art throughout—by a mother-daughter team of horse experts—this is the perfect fit for all lovers of horses and history!

Lindy doesn't want to move to the bug house. That's what she calls her family's new beachfront house on stilts. She misses her best friend and her life back in Chicago. But her feelings change during a storm when Lindy hears a cry for help . . . from a mermaid! Are there really mermaids in Lindy's backyard? And if so, what can one clumsy girl do to help them? Fans of Hamster Magic and The Very Little Princess books will love this heartfelt and accessible Stepping Stones fantasy.