‘BONAPARTISM stands to Napoleon in the somewhat peculiar relation in which most religions stand to their founder. The picturesque imagination of innumerable ironists has exhausted itself in speculations upon the probable feelings of various divine and semi-divine teachers when confronted with the full glories of their own shrines. But it may be doubted whether the sensations of the central personage at Kamakura or St. Peter’s would bear comparison for irony with the thoughts which must rise in that little white-breeched, green-uniformed figure, fresh from a bath of ambrosial eau-de-Cologne prepared by an Elysian Constant, as he studies the externals of his career on the painted canvas of Meissonier or spells out his political message from the printed page of M. Paul de Cassagnac…’

The Second Empire, originally published in 1922, is one of Philip Guedalla’s earlier works. It aims to shine new light on the life of Napoleon III, whose career gradually become ever more mysteriously shrouded, obscured by the ‘martyrology’ of the Napoleonic myth. The Second Empire scrapes away at the palimpsest of voices, from the ‘romantics, sentimentalists, and the reactionaries’, that have added their distortions to the true and original story of Napoleon III. This volume is a fascinating treatment of one France’s most famed historical figures, bringing together a rich array of sources from personal correspondences, popular contemporary verse, and even quasi-religious chants commonly heard in the streets of France that upheld Napoleon as a miraculous and legendary leader. Coupled with Guedalla’s articulate and intellectual prose, The Second Empire presents a vivid, captivating, and scholarly biography that charts Napoleon’s evolution from Prince, to President, to Emperor.

Philip Guedalla was a prolific and popular biographer and historical and travel writer. With over 30 published works, including collections of essays and edited collections of the private letters of historical figures, Guedalla’s oeuvre covers an impressively vast range of subjects from Napoleon and Palestine, If the Moors in Spain had Won, to The Jewish Past, and finally Middle East, 1940 to 1942: A Study in Air Power. Guedalla’s epigrams – ‘History repeats itself. Historians repeat each other’, for example – are much beloved for their jocularity; indeed, his writing is distinguished for its wit and engaging style. He has been honoured by the National Portrait Gallery in London who hold many portraits of Guedalla in various mediums. He died in 1944 after contracting an illness during his service as Squadron Leader in the R.A.F.


Albion Press is an imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

Terra is shiftless --- a werewolf uncomfortable in her own animal skin.

A decade after learning to squash her wolf and flee the repressive village where she grew up, the packless ache still gnaws at Terra's insides. But despite her yearnings, she struggles against being reeled back into her old life.

To Terra's dismay, her father and half a dozen of his henchmen finally ambush her and demand her return. Yet they do offer one way out --- hunt down her nephew Keith, teach him to shift, and bring the youngster back into the fold in her place.

Problem upon problem piles up as Terra strives to do her father's bidding. The female shifter has hidden from her wolf for so long that she finds herself unable to change back into canine form, and she also realizes that her nephew is too good-natured to survive for a minute walking in his grandfather's footsteps. Plus, there's an alpha standing in her way who's equal parts enticing and terrifying.

Will Terra be able to relearn her werewolf abilities --- and overcome her morals --- before her father steals away her hard-earned independence? And as that tantalizing alpha reels her in closer and closer, the question becomes --- does she really want to stay away?

Don't miss the first book in a series that has been described as a "good choice for Patricia Briggs fans."

Wolf Rampant trilogy:
1. Shiftless
2. Pack Princess
3. Alpha Ascendant

What if gravity could be controlled?

Dale Adams has worked hard to leave his troubled past behind for a brighter future at Emory University. But when he makes a discovery that will change humanity forever, avoiding the spotlight becomes the least of his concerns.

Early experiments have attracted big attention. And not all who notice want Dale to be successful. Or even alive.

As Dale's world collapses around him, his fate intertwines with that of a girl he hardly knows. Their only hope for survival is to disappear into Atlanta's seedy underbelly, the very place Dale has tried so hard to leave behind. Time is running out, but if they can survive long enough science will be rewritten by the most unlikely of authors.

+++
It was just a hoverboard. Nobody was supposed to die.
+++

Levi
Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and hate can always turn into love.
Lucy hates me. She especially hates how much I want her.
I should give up the chase, but I can’t.
It’s more than a spark between us. It’s a bonfire.
Fate rolls the dice and lands Lucy right where I want her.
She needs my help, and I need her.
One taste, and I’m lost. I’ll do anything to have her and to hold her.
To make her mine.

Lucy
Levi drives me crazy, and not the good kind of crazy.
He’s so smoldering hot, it’s dangerous.
A hotshot firefighter, he nearly sets me on fire whenever he’s around.
Perhaps it’s an occupational hazard.
He teases me every chance he gets and tempts me to let down my guard.
I definitely don’t need a man.
But Levi’s more than a man. He’s a man on octane fuel—pure, raw, primal masculinity practically oozes from his pores.
One night of weakness, and I tumble into his fire.
It’s more than I expected. It’s how I feel when I’m with him—safe and protected. I never want to let go.
I might get burned if I’m not careful.

*This is a steamy, full-length standalone romance with a guaranteed happily-ever-after. No cliffhangers. Nothing but steamy romance & HEA!

Jacob Alexander has spent more than a decade perfecting his off-the-grid lifestyle in remote northwestern Wisconsin. But nothing prepares him for the Sovereign Resistance, a white nationalist paramilitary group. The Resistance's activities include kidnapping, torture and murder. And Jacob's about to battle them face to face to rescue their victims.

Jacob knows the terrain. The Resistance doesn't. But he's outgunned and outmanned. And his deer rifle might not be enough to make it out of this standoff alive.

“This first-hand acquaintance with Thoreau and his friends lends an authority to Sanborn's writings, and… he was able to put into print many details of Thoreau's life that would otherwise have been lost.” — Walter Harding, A Thoreau Handbook

“Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.”

This personal biography is a great insight into the life of a great man. Journalist, abolitionist, philosopher, and poet, Henry David Thoreau lived a fascinating life surrounded by great figures, including Ralph Waldo Emerson.

As a lifelong abolitionist, Thoreau delivered many lectures that attacked the Fugitive Slave law. His most famous work, Civil Disobedience, has been the basis of many protest movements all around the world, influencing the political manifestos of figures like Leo Tolstoy, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Frank B. Sanborn’s biography is informal and affectionate, coming from a man who knew Thoreau and moved in his circles. It relies not on Thoreau’s reputation, but on the words of his friends, family, and Thoreau’s own personal letters.

This biography is a chance for readers to get an idea of the man behind the myth, perhaps more than any academic biography could. Far from the dry accounts of his life, Sanborn’s Henry David Thoreau is a biography with heart.

Frank B. Sanborn (1831 –1917) was an American journalist, author, and reformer. A memorialist of American transcendentalism, Sanborn wrote early biographies of many of the movement's key figures.

Can an ordinary guy make extraordinary choices in a battle between humanity and unearthly evil?

Joe Mandel is a perfectly ordinary guy from a perfectly ordinary town—a college student and community volunteer who dreams of one day publishing a novel. When a series of strange intuitions leads him to a crime in progress, Joe jumps headlong into danger without hesitation. In the aftermath, he wonders about the uncanny impulse that suddenly swept over him.

Until new friend Portia Montclair, the strangely wise daughter of the local police chief, explains to him what sent him ricocheting around town like a crazy pinball. Portia tells of another reality, a reality more thrilling—and terrifying—than Joe ever imagined. Timeless, elemental forces of good and evil have come to the quiet town of Little City: a cosmic entity capable of infecting human beings, and the seeker who has chosen Joe to find it.

To stop the malevolent invader, this average Joe must be braver than he ever thought possible…and face the hardest decisions of his life.

He's the one who went away. 
After...knocking me up! 

I knew I shouldn't have, 
And yet I did. 
He's the town troublemaker, a ripped alpha male who is nothing I need, 
But everything my curves crave. 
He's got the reputation of a bad boy who works hard, and plays harder. 
And yet I can't resist his body 
Which is as bitingly hot as his tongue.  
Worse...he's my brother's best friend. 

Our attraction is instant, 
Our troubles are immediate. 
To add to it, 
I can't trace him once my brother finds out about us. 
I need to find him and let him know that...
He's the father.

This is messed up, way too messed up!


70,000+ words in this full-length standalone romance. Absolutely no cheating and HEA guaranteed. Kindle edition includes bonus content after the main story, including two never before published full-length romances. Grab your copy today.

Edgar Allan Poe, author, poet, literary critic and editor, was born in Boston, January 19, 1809. His parents, Elizabeth Arnold and David Poe, were both actors who separated shortly after his birth.

By the age of 2, Edgar was alone and semi-destitute with his siblings Henry and Rosalie – David remained an absent father and Elizabeth died tragically from tuberculosis, alone on a straw bed while her children looked on helplessly.

This uncertainty and instability were patterns that continued throughout Poe’s life, mimicked in his art. Catastrophe, insanity, excess, dereliction and depression would haunt him whilst informing the psychological horror of his wildly popular tales and poems of horror and mystery, including ‘The Fall of the House of the Usher’, ‘The Raven’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’.

Poe heralded a new interpretation of the Gothic form in American fiction and his genius and artistic prowess remain iconic. Yet his extraordinary life has frequently been the subject of conflicting, doubtful and contested information.

Carefully documenting one of the most flawed, troubled and fascinating figures in literary history, a man of letters, philosophy, art and science, Woodberry presents a rare and in-depth account of Poe’s family background.

Including personal correspondence and private notes, this is an elegant and mesmerising biography documenting Poe’s greatest eccentricities, achievements, affairs and sorrows.

George Edward Woodberry (1855-1930) was an American literary critic and poet. Born in Massachusetts, he studied at Harvard University. His other titles include the biographies Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Swinburne.

PHOEBE’S HERON, the story of 12-year-old Phoebe Greer, is set in Colorado in 1900. Her first-person narrative begins when Phoebe, her family, and Nurse Daisy arrive at their new cliff-top cabin in the foothills of the Rockies. They have moved from Denver hoping that the fresh air will heal Phoebe’s mother’s tuberculosis.

While Phoebe wants nothing more than for her mother to get well, she misses city life in Denver and her best friend Lisbeth, whose parents own Denver’s finest millinery store, where the two girls have spent hours in front of the looking-glass parading with fancy feathered hats on their heads.

Phoebe loves to draw. Her father gives her a sketchbook, and she soon meets Jed, a local boy. However, young Jed is a plume hunter, a commercial hunter of birds. He desperately wants to find a great blue heron, whose feathers were in great demand for women’s hats.

Gradually, the two youngsters become friends. Jed shows Phoebe the delights of the natural world in the Colorado Rockies, and their friendship deepens.
On her own one day, Phoebe sees a magnificent great blue heron in the creek, which she sketches in her book. But she does not tell Jed about seeing this bird. Then, Phoebe’s mother grows worse, and soon, all will change.

This is a lovely, lyrical story about discovery and friendship, and ultimately the courage to take a stand for something greater than oneself.

WINNIE ANDERSON holds an MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and has had stories published in 
various children’s magazines. This is her first novel. She lives in Baltimore, MD, and Evergreen, CO. Her website is WinnieAndersonBooks.com.

This omnibus includes the first three books of the Mortis Vampire Series.

Death Beckons - Working late one night, Natalie Pierce is kidnapped by a creature that looks like a harmless old man, but is something far more terrifying. Waking up in a creepy mausoleum, she is forced to endure three nights of indescribable agony. Her life is forever altered when she is transformed into a monster of myth and legend; a vampire.

Lonely and full of despair, she comes face to face with the irresistible and enigmatic Lord Lucentio. Justice bringer for the European Vampire Council, Luc has been sent to Australia to kill Natalie's maker, but someone has already beaten him to it. He quickly discovers that Nat is far from an ordinary fledgling. He suspects that she is Mortis, a figure of both hope and dread among their kind.

Natalie is propelled into a dark and mysterious underworld that takes her far away from her hometown of Brisbane. Her arrival was foretold long ago and her fate is already sealed. Nat's entire species is in danger and it is her job to save them. She desperately wants to escape from the burden that has been thrust upon her, but she is inextricably linked to a two thousand year old prophecy. An unknown enemy has begun to whittle down their already limited numbers. If Nat fails to accept her destiny, all vampires will soon cease to exist.

Death Embraces - Natalie Pierce awakens to find herself buried in a box that strongly resembles a coffin. After some initial confusion she remembers that she has become a member of a very exclusive club; the living dead.

Natalie has three important tasks ahead of her. One: escape from her underground prison. Two: hunt down the creature responsible for imprisoning her. Three: discover who or what is behind the cause of the sentient shadows that only she can see.

As the long awaited and highly unanticipated Mortis, Nat has abilities that no other vampire has ever before possessed. She must utilize the strangeness that sets her apart from her new kin to fulfill a prophecy that was written over two thousand years ago. The ancient text predicts that it is her destiny to wipe out the vast bulk of her own kind. Despite all of the weird and wacky powers that she has gained, not even Mortis can avoid her fate.

Death Deceives - From the moment she’d been turned into Mortis, Natalie Pierce had been fated to come face to face with the first vampire ever created. Hideously transformed over thousands of years by the diseased blood that runs through his veins, the First had created an army of grey skinned imps. His plan is to enslave humanity and to turn them into a vast herd of cattle to feed his offspring.

Nat and her friends are all that stands between the humans and the bat faced, orange eyed imps. Aside from the overwhelming odds against them, Natalie foresaw an even bigger danger. As vampires, they were all highly susceptible to becoming possessed by their shadows. Once that happened, they could then be turned into imps by the First. Luc, Geordie, Igor and Gregor would be doomed from the instant they set foot inside the First’s lair.

A recent prophecy had foretold that an army would come to Natalie’s aid. With many of her new kin already possessed by their shadows, Nat was uncertain where this mystery army would come from. She could only hope that the prophecy would come true. If it didn't, she would be facing the First and his growing army of ravenous offspring alone.

"Unique women's fiction story packed with emotion, humor and sexiness. I could not turn the pages quickly enough..." ~Caridad Pineiro, NYT Times & USA Today Bestselling Romance Author
 
2017 Independent Publishers Award in Romance (Bronze)
 
Forty-two and widowed, romance writer Jillian Grant believes hospitals equal death. Plagued by loss and convinced more is imminent, she has come to equate the absence of pain with happiness. When she spots a hot, young landscaper with an eerie resemblance to the male lead in her next novel, she convinces him to pose as her cover model.

Working multiple jobs to put himself through college, twenty-four-year-old Raine MacDonald is no stranger to loss. Behind his handsome face and rockin' body lie family tragedy and agonizing secrets. When circumstances put him in the hospital at the hands of his estranged father, fate delivers Jillian as his unwitting savior and her home as his temporary sanctuary.

In close quarters, their chemistry ignites and Jillian is torn between facing her fears and grasping a chance at happiness. She must decide if age is just a number and if she's willing to risk the possibility that losing Raine will shatter her heart more than death.

Olivia takes a risk and gets entangled in a psychological maze. Her past rushes through to bring identification with a malevolent force so unhinged she threatens everything Olivia has worked for...

Mind games start. Torment becomes the seduction.

Olivia Stark was the highest paid teen actress in Hollywood. Not anymore.

A trip to Las Vegas turns upside down when Olivia becomes privy to a secret... and events combust in a way no one expected.

A bombshell opens a hatch for Olivia to spy into the deep recesses of an eerie past.

It begins at a film industry charity event in Sin City drawing big-name producers, including Vivika James. Olivia is convinced she holds the secret to her future.

So she makes a choice which catches her in a treacherous maze of deceit, mistaken identity and diabolical mind games.

Olivia's life put on the line by her own choices.

Enter Jeremy Durant, a transplanted Los Angeles lawyer who dropped out of the partnership racket to work at Slaten's Premier Hotel & Casino on the Strip. Olivia convinces Jeremy of an outlandish prospect, which leads her into darkness.

Olivia's Turn is an arousing psychological thriller where the mind games humans play have a cost.

But what makes someone snap?

Olivia Stark doesn't consider the risks she takes. She goes after what she wants willing to pay the price.

How far would you go to get what you want?


 

The most hilarious travel guide you need, when on the road in Belgium or the Netherlands. Whether you want to flirt with someone, get them in your bed ("I do regret it"), know what to say on a wedding ("You're the worst best man"), in a restaurant, long term relationship ("We should get a dog"), breakup ("I'm taking the dog with me!"), in a pub ("I can't feel my shoe."), traffic ("I think we're flashed") or just want to have a decent conversation... It's all there!

I've never had a problem with getting my hands dirty. I prefer it. 
 
Hard work. Long days. Watching my crew create something beautiful from nothing - that's what I was all about. 
 
A blue-collar construction worker who happens to own the business too. 
 
And things were going great. Life was about my little girl and my business. Until my best friend's father died. 
 
The funeral was a place of reunion, coming home, and warmth through remembrance until she walked in. My Best Friend's little sister. 
 
Time stood still.
 
How in the world had Lauren grown into the cold, hard-ass, beautiful woman that stood before me? Where was the small town girl I thought she would turn out to be?
 
I'd convinced myself that all I wanted was to be a good father to my little girl, but something else resurrected inside of me seeing Lauren again. 
 
I wanted to be a good husband too. 
 
Every Good Girl Deserves a Bad Boy. ~ Weston

SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE **$0.99** (normally $4.99)

Cam Crawford, brother of Palm Beach homicide cop Charlie Crawford, just checked himself into a ritzy rehab facility in Connecticut. Admitted the same day were a drunk, an addict, and a psychopath.

With little in common except deep psychic scars are Avril, a drugged-out actress, Rachel, a 18-year old self-destructive wild child, and haunted, pretty boy, Cam, just trying to piece together their tormented lives.

All they want is to learn how to cope, find peace of mind, make a few friends…but better watch out, because there are a few twisted people inside the ivy covered walls of Clairmount. And not everyone’s going to make it home.

Corridor Man 6: Exit Strategy
The Corridor Man series is written by Mike Faricy under the pseudonym Nick James. The series should be read in order.
Time to update the resume
Crime lord Luis Morales has made Bobby Custer an offer he can't refuse. Psychotic, narcissistic, psychopathic, greedy, unprincipled...and always charming Bobby forms a new law firm. But first he has to figure out an Exit Strategy Low and behold Bennett Hinz, head of the firm, provides Bobby with the perfect opportunity, and things fall into place, literally. From that point on it's it's all pretty simple...just as long as he doesn't get caught.

Corridor Man 6: Exit Strategy It's complicated, nerve wracking and you might just want to leave the light on when you read this.

Are you addicted to your phone? Are you spending too much time on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? Is the internet causing you to feel depressed, lethargic, and unmotivated?

If so, you're not alone.

More people than ever are realizing their phones, laptops, and other devices are negatively impacting their quality of life. Their relationships are suffering. Their stress levels are increasing. Their sleep quality is in a tailspin. Many are even suffering chronic aches and pains.

Being constantly plugged in comes at a severe price.

Here's the good news: there's a simple way to enjoy a quieter, more relaxed daily experience. Take a vacation from technology.

In DIGITAL DETOX, Amazon bestselling author Damon Zahariades provides an effective, step-by-step plan.

Nothing is left to your imagination. Nothing is left unexplained. Every aspect, from the factors that led to your technology addiction to the life-changing benefits you'll enjoy after taking a technology vacation, is detailed in this fast-moving action guide.

Creating a more rewarding lifestyle begins with giving yourself permission to disconnect.

Buy DIGITAL DETOX today to experience more creativity, less anxiety, and a boost of inspiration!

Real Men Eat Cupcakes

Annie McPherson has had it with all the blind dates her grandmother and auntie set her up with. She just wants to be left alone to run the Sweet Indulgence cupcake bakery – even if it means she’ll remain single forever.
Jack’s just been through a gut-wrenching break-up, and women are the last thing on his mind. Now he’s on a mission to pick up cupcakes for his niece’s birthday party—not a mission to fall in love. Pulled in by Annie’s good looks and witty charm, though, temptation proves too sweet.
But will Annie’s pesky grandmother and auntie welcome Jack as Annie’s choice or will they have him jumping through hoops to prove he’s the one?
Fans of Debbie Macomber, Sherryl Woods, and Susan Wiggs are sure to love Sweet Indulgence, the first sweet romance novel in the Charleston Harbor series.
This book is too sweet to pass up! Scroll up to one click and begin your indulgence today!

“This book is more than the story of two French soldiers, although that story is worth telling by reason of the strange inversion of their two careers. For one of them surrendered Metz in 1870 and was sentenced to death, while the other surrendered France in 1940 and was sentenced to become its ruler. The first Marshal was made a scapegoat by his defeated country; and when the second Marshal came to power, the scapegoat was France.”

François Bazaine and Henri Petain are two of France’s most famous generals.

Bazaine joined the Foreign Legion in 1832, a time when standards were reasonably poor. Their expeditions often took them miles away from home, so requests to travel to lands afar from King Louis Phillipe were expected. From the beginning of his career, Bazaine’s dedication, and hard work were noted. His position of Mariscal had not been an easy achievement, he’d risen through the ranks, only for his country to betray him.

Surrendering at Metz, Mariscal Bazaine became a scapegoat when France was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War.

Bazaine was held captive for a while, and on his return, he realised he’d been put forth as a scapegoat.

Immediately, he launched into clearing his name, but was then given a life-sentence, much to the repulsion of Mac-Mahon, who’d served with Bazaine in the Foreign Legion.

Marshal Petain’s life was elusive, only for the sake of preserving his objectivity.

Marshal Petain was raised and educated in his hometown. Hardened by regimental life, Petain joined the 3rd Chasseurs as lieutenant in 1884, a time when Paris was going through its rousing years.

In 1916, Petain’s heroic capabilities were put to the test, and he succeeded. Verdun was under attack from the Germans and Verdun’s defence was placed at the hands of Petain.

It seemed the Germans intended the attack to draw innumerable French forces to the protection of Verdun, thereby weakening its army.

But this was not Petain’s view.

He saw beyond what others were seeing. His reputation was sealed through his success at Verdun.

Through a twist of fate, Petain was sentenced to death for treason on his return to France from Germany; a fate he was pardoned from due to his service.