Captain Of The Steppe

It was easy to fall into Karabas, as easy as falling down a hole, but it was hard, to put it bluntly, to get out again. Never mind the zeks, even the soldiers were exiled ...' Deep in the desolate steppe, Captain Khabarov waits out his service at a camp where the news arrives in bundles of last year's papers and rations turn up rotting in their trucks. The captain hopes for nothing more from life than a meagre pension and a state-owned flat. Until, one Spring, he decides to plant a field of potatoes to feed his half-starved men ...This blackly comic novel shows the unsettling consequences of thinking for yourself under the Soviet system. Oleg Pavlov's first novel, published when he was only 24, Captain of the Steppe was immediately praised for its chilling but humane and hilarious depiction of the Soviet Empire's last years. The first in a trilogy, this novel already confirms Pavlov as a worthy successor to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Jake Striker is a tall, handsome lawyer, with light brown hair and storm gray eyes. His wife, Mei, is stunningly beautiful, Mongolian with Chinese ancestry. Both are tied to the secret Changjai Lamasery by an invisible umbilical cord. Jake, who owns a successful law firm in Los Angeles, represents the Lamasery in their dealings in the United States. He also represents the Tu Tung, an ancient order of Chinses assassins. Mei’s best friend is Yanjil, the mother of the child Grand Lama. The Grand Regent has summoned Jake and Mei to the secret Lamasery for an important mission. A Mongolian General is killing people in an attempt to locate the source of his former friend’s gold. His friend is no longer among the living, after having attempted to blackmail the Lamasery for more gold. Unbeknownst to the General, his friend had been sent into the next life by Jake’s former wife, Mei’s sister, who was as fearless as she was beautiful. Jake and Mei, with two Lamasery soldiers, do battle with the General and six of his soldiers while, the Grand Regent spins prayer wheels for them as they’re heavily outnumbered….

A master of driving pace, exotic setting, and complex plotting, Harold Lamb was one of Robert E. Howard's favorite writers. Here at last is every pulse-pounding, action-packed story of Lamb's greatest hero, Khlit the Cossack, the "wolf of the steppes." Journey with the unsung grandfather of sword and sorcery in search of ancient tombs, gleaming treasure, and thrilling landscapes. Match wits with deadly swordsmen, scheming priests, and evil cults. Rescue lovely damsels, ride with bold comrades, and hazard everything on your brains, skill, and a little luck. This four-volume set collects for the first time the complete Cossack stories of Harold Lamb: every adventure of Khlit the Cossack and those of his friends, allies, and fellow Cossacks, many of which have never appeared between book covers. Compiled and edited by the Harold Lamb scholar Howard Andrew Jones, each volume features essays Lamb wrote about his stories, an informative introduction by a popular author, and a wealth of rare, exciting, swashbuckling fiction. In this third volume, the wily old Cossack Khlit may have aged but he's lost none of his guile. He shepherds his dashing grandson Kirdy into one adventure after another, finally uniting with his allies Ayub and Demid in the climactic story White Falcon--out of print since the 1920s. Here too are the exploits of Ayub and Demid, risking all to safeguard the perilous Russian border from marauding Turks, Tatars, and even bloodthirsty Russian nobles.

U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Cutler Walker is on a roll. He just graduated from Air Force pilot training and earned a coveted assignment to train as a fighter pilot, when disaster strikes. He and two others are involved in a horrendous accident, with life changing consequences. His early life could not have foretold this. The second son of an Army officer, his early years were unexceptional in every way. He flourished in college, though he faced a scurrilous attack on his honor, and suffered a falling-out with his father as a result. The accident changed the trajectory of his life and spurred him on his march to manhood. With the Lord as his copilot, Walker overcomes his injuries and faces his future with unbound optimism, and a newfound empathy for others who have had more than One Hard Day.

When GermanyÕs Sixth Army advanced to Stalingrad in 1942, its long-extended flanks were mainly held by its allied armiesÑthe Romanians, Hungarians, and Italians. But as history tells us, these flanks quickly caved in before the massive Soviet counter-offensive which commenced that November, dooming the Germans to their first catastrophe of the war. However, the historical record also makes clear that one allied unit held out to the very end, fighting to stem the tideÑthe Italian Alpine Corps. As a result of MussoliniÕs disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany, by the fall of 1942, 227,000 soldiers of the Italian Eighth Army were deployed on a 270km front along the Don River to protect the left flank of German troops intent on capturing Stalingrad. Sixty thousand of these were alpini, elite Italian mountain troops. When the Don front collapsed under Soviet hammerblows, it was the Alpine Corps that continued to hold out until it was completely isolated, and which then tried to fight its way out through both Russian encirclement and ÒGeneral Winter,Ó to rejoin the rest of the Axis front. Only one of the three alpine divisions was able to emerge from the Russian encirclement with survivors. In the all-sides battle across the snowy steppe, thousands were killed and wounded, and even more were captured. By the summer of 1946, 10,000 survivors returned to Italy from Russian POW camps. This tragic story is complex and unsettling, but most of all it is a human story. Mussolini sent thousands of poorly equipped soldiers to a country far from their homeland, on a mission to wage war with an unclear mandate against a people who were not their enemies. Raw courage and endurance blend with human suffering, desperation and altruism in the epic saga of this withdrawal from the Don lines, including the demise of thousands and survival of the few. Hope Hamilton, fluent in Italian and having spent many years in Italy, has drawn on many interviews with survivors, as well as massive research, in order to provide this first full English-language account of one of World War IIÕs legendary stands against great odds.

Famous for his enormously influential poetry and plays, Alexander Pushkin is also beloved for his short stories. This collection showcases his tremendous range, which enabled him to portray the Russian people through romance, drama, and satire. The sparkling humor of the five “Tales of Belkin” contrasts with a dark fable of gambling and obsessive greed in “The Queen of Spades” and the masterful historical novella, “The Captain’s Daughter,” a story of love and betrayal set during a rebellion in the time of Catherine the Great. Translated by Natalie Duddington and T. Keane

Immerse yourself in the romantic and revolutionary world of 19th-century Russia with "The Captain's Daughter: Love and Revolution" by Alexander Pushkin. Journey into a tumultuous era of political upheaval and passionate love as Pushkin weaves a captivating tale set against the backdrop of historical events. Experience the timeless storytelling of Pushkin as he masterfully blends romance and revolution into a gripping narrative. Through vivid prose and compelling characters, Pushkin invites readers to explore the complexities of love, loyalty, and the pursuit of freedom. But amidst the tumult of revolution and romance lies a fundamental question: What sacrifices are we willing to make for love and liberty, and what price are we willing to pay for our convictions? Are there universal truths about the human spirit that transcend time and place? Delve into the depths of Pushkin's Russia as he brings to life the struggles and triumphs of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. With each turn of the page, readers are transported to a world where passion and politics collide with devastating consequences. Are you ready to embark on a journey of love and revolution with "The Captain's Daughter"? Prepare to be captivated by Pushkin's lyrical prose and his vivid portrayal of a society on the brink of change. Engage with Pushkin's narrative as you immerse yourself in "The Captain's Daughter: Love and Revolution." With each chapter, you'll gain new insights into the human condition and the enduring power of love and resilience. Join the adventure into Pushkin's Russia. Let the tale of love and revolution unfold! Don't miss your chance to experience the passion and drama of 19th-century Russia through the eyes of Alexander Pushkin. Purchase your copy of "The Captain's Daughter: Love and Revolution" by Alexander Pushkin now and embark on a journey that will stay with you long after the final page. ```

"The Captain's Daughter" (also known as "The Daughter of the Commandant" or "Marie: A Story of Russian Love") is regarded as Pushkin's best prose work. It was first published in 1836 in the literary journal Sovremennik. This historical novel is dedicated to the events of the Pugachev's Rebellion in Russia in 1773-1775. It tells the story of a 17-years-old officer, Peter Grineff, sent by his father into military service. Peter was assigned to a small fortress of Belogorsk, where he fell in love with Maria, the daughter of the commandant... This edition includes explanatory notes and illustrations of artists of the 18-19th centuries.