William Wright

Bledsoe is an extended narrative poem that centers on a mute Appalachian man named Durant Bledsoe. Specifically, the poem takes place in the mountains of Yancey County, North Carolina, in an early part of the 20th century. Durant Bledsoe’s mother is dying with a brain tumor and he must take care of her, all the while coming to terms with the fact that she, in her suffering, has asked him to take her life. The book focuses much on landscape and on Bledsoe’s complex psychology and perceptions of the world, specifically as they apply to culture, family, religion, and identity. "Rarely has a contemporary poetic voice achieved the incantatory with such skill, echoes of Cormac McCarthy's word-hoard pulsing throughout!"—Kathryn Stripling Byer “Sometimes a prayer, sometimes a scream, sometimes a folksong, the poem is a narrative of care giving, devotion, violence, and love. You will not soon forget it.”—Robert Morgan

Decipherment of Hittite inscriptions by Professor Archibald Henry Sayce. Written by a senior biblical scholar at the British and Foreign Bible Society in London, this book has its roots in the author's personal investigations of a series of inscriptions he discovered while on missionary work near Damascus in the Middle East. Convinced that he had found the first reference to the Hittites outside the Bible, the author then produced the first major work on the Hittite culture, examining them in terms of their own writings, and those of the surrounding civilizations, Egyptian and Assyrian alike. The book then moves on to an evaluation of the geographical extent of the Hittite empire, its art and learning, religion, and racial makeup: "The sculptures show that the Hittites did not belong to a Semitic race. The features are rather those of a northern people, and on the temple of Ibsamboul the Hittites have a very Scythic character, with shaven head and a single lock from the crown. This peculiarity in the mode of dressing the hair is not seen on the Hittite monuments, but at Karnak and Thebes I noticed figures with the same type of feature as those on the monuments in Anatolia." Wright used the Bible as a reference point, but he also incorporated non-biblical references and sources, ensuring that the overview remained as accurate as possible, given the ancient-and often obscured-nature of the Hittites.

In May 1857, with the Indian Mutiny reaching boiling point, Sir Henry Lawrence summoned from their homes two sets of pensioners, one of sepoys and one of artillerymen, to defend the Lucknow British Residency. Lawrence would not clear the mosques surrounding the 60-acre site, which provided cover for rebel sharpshooters and artillery – ‘spare the holy places’ – and was almost immediately killed by a shell. Thus began one of the most dramatic episodes in the history of the British Empire: truly a Victorian epic. Hundreds of women and children cowered in the complex as the bombs and bullets flew. The first relief attempt led by Maj Gen Havelock failed. The tens of thousands of besiegers undermined the defences and food was running out. With massive loss of life and after 87 days, the relief force reached the Residency – to become besieged themselves for another six weeks. The 64-year-old Sir Colin Campbell led the second relief column through the rebels, the 4th Punjab Infantry Regiment emptying their muskets and resorting to the bayonet. After 148 days under siege, retreat was the only option and the whole garrison moved to Cawnpore. The following March, Lucknow was retaken. Victorian military history expert William Wright returns to primary sources to tell the extraordinary story.

Everyone has heard of vampires, but few people are truly familiar with the history and folklore that have made the mythical beings so popular. Indeed, there are so many legends from so many cultures that it is difficult to come up with a hard definition, and folklore is by its very nature unscientific, but most people in the Western world think of vampires as those who come back from the grave to suck the blood or life essence from the living.This common understanding of vampires actually obscures many European and most non-European traditions of bloodsucking monsters. For example, in China, Japan, and the Middle East, there are spirits that will drain the life force of an unwary person, but these magical beings were never mortal humans. In African and Native American traditions, there are monsters that do the same, but while they are supposed to be of this Earth, they too are not human beings.Whether you're interested in exploring the culture of vampires or just want to learn more about their supernatural abilities, you'll discover dozens of compelling tales, historical accounts, and haunting legends that shed some light on these sinister beings.

The Empire of the Hittites is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1884. Hansebooks is editor of the literature on different topic areas such as research and science, travel and expeditions, cooking and nutrition, medicine, and other genres. As a publisher we focus on the preservation of historical literature. Many works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1859.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1859.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1865. Showing where Petroleum is found; How It Is obtained, and at what cost. With Hints for Whom it May Concern.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1865. Showing where Petroleum is found; How It Is obtained, and at what cost. With Hints for Whom it May Concern.