Among the newest of Barron's fun activity kits for boys and girls holds the ingredients for an imaginary journey to the mysterious land of Transylvania and the spooky castle that is home to Count Dracula! Enclosed with an assortment of creepy vampire accessories is a 32-page illustrated book that retells Draculaas classic story. The box also contains a collection of items to enhance the scary surroundings, including: Vampire-style fanged teeth; Dracula's cloak; A spooky plastic bat; Washable white face paint; Capsules of imitation blood; A punch-out cardboard model of Dracula's castle to assemble. Kids can let their imaginations run wild as they dress up for Halloween or dramatize Dracula's delightfully chilling story at any time of the year.

Utterly fascinating, a sad and sinuous study. Richard Schickel, Los Angeles Times For half a century, the case of Isaiah Oggins, a 1920s New York intellectual brutally murdered in 1947 on Stalin's orders, remained hidden in the secret files of the Soviet and American intelligence services-a footnote buried in the rubble of the Cold War. It surfaced briefly in 1992, when Boris Yeltsin handed over a dossier to the White House, but the full story of what happened remained a mystery. After eight years of international sleuthing, Andrew Meier at last reveals the truth in The Lost Spy: Oggins was one of the first Americans to spy for the Soviets.

Berlin 1934. The Nazis have been in power for just eighteen months but already Germany has seen some unpleasant changes. As the city prepares to host the 1936 Olympics, Jews are being expelled from all German sporting organisations — a blatant example of discrimination. Forced to resign as a homicide detective with Berlin's Criminal Police, Bernie is now house detective at the famous Adlon Hotel. The discovery of two bodies — one a businessman and the other a Jewish boxer — involves Bernie in the lives of two hotel guests. One is a beautiful left-wing journalist intent on persuading America to boycott the Berlin Olympiad; the other is a German-Jewish gangster who plans to use the Olympics to enrich himself and the Chicago mob. As events unfold, Bernie uncovers a vast labour and construction racket designed to take advantage of the huge sums the Nazis are prepared to spend to showcase the new Germany to the world. It is a plot that finds its conclusion twenty years later in pre-revolution Cuba, the country to which Bernie flees from Argentina at the end of A Quiet Flame.

Russia is a land of superlatives: By far the world's largest country, it extends across the whole of northern Asia and the eastern third of Europe, spanning eleven time zones. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, Russia has undergone a radical change from a communist country to a hyper capitalist market of vast wealth and resources. Offering a panoramic view of Russia, and the history of the nation since 1917 as well as the culture, arts, and literature, particular focus is paid to the contemporary nation since the fall of the Berlin Wall, including the rise of the Oligarchs, the presidency of Putin, and the role of Russia in the new world order.

Dodsworth and his duck have just arrived in London via hot air balloon. There is so much to see. Double-decker buses. Palaces. Fog. But a crowded bus stop leads to a hilarious case of mistaken identity and... a lost duck. Time to call in Scotland Yard?

King Henry VIII remains one of the most controversial figures in our history. Wilson draws together all the most recent discoveries and looks afresh at the fascinating life and times of the Tudor monarch, particularly, looking at the King's childhood which is too often dismissed, and the influences of his father and grandfather. Interwoven with an insightful account of how England became a Protestant nation and Henry VIII's life within the court and, of course, all his wives, this Brief History will bring this enigmatic monarch and the dramatic changes that occurred in Britain during his reign to life.

What happens when a washed-up musician looks for anther chance? And a childless woman looks for a change? Juliet, Naked is a powerfully engrossing, humorous novel about music, love, loneliness, and the struggle to live up to one's promise.

As civil war rages across England, the weak prove their courage and the privileged become traitors In this sweeping, bittersweet saga, spellbinding author Daphne du Maurier recreates a most memorable and true love story. Honor Harris was glorious and vivacious. Sir Richard Grenville was a dashing colonel and a knight. They meet on the evening of her eighteenth birthday at the Duke of Buckingham's great ball and fall deeply in love. Soon afterward tragedy strikes and they are separated by betrayal and war. Decades later, an undaunted Sir Richard, now a general serving King Charles I, finds her. Finally they can share their passion in the ruins of a great estate on the storm-tossed Cornish coastone last time before being torn apart, never to embrace again.

In a drama of love, revolution and war that rivals Pasternak's Dr Zhivago, author and journalist, Pringle, tells the true story of a young Russian scientist, who travelled the world to collect seeds and plants unavailable in Russia in order to transform Soviet, and even world, agriculture and ensure the survival of humanity through adequate food supply. To the leaders of the Soviet state, including Lenin, Vavilov's dream fitted perfectly into their larger scheme for a socialist utopia. But when Lenin died in 1924 and Stalin took over, the handsome and seductive young professor's dream turned into a nightmare. Stalin chose collectivization of farmland, causing chaos and famine, and it soon became impossible for Vavilov to implement his plan. Worse, Stalin's secret police began to build up a file against him, as they systematically suppressed geneticists, which would eventually include false charges of sabotage and espionage, leading to imprisonment, torture and death. This is the intensely human story of a brilliant life cut short by anti-science demagogues, ideology, censorship and political expedience. Pringle's sources include newly opened Soviet archive material, family letters and diaries, official correspondence and eyewitness statements, as this book follows the life, loves and trials of one of the leading geneticists, during the birth of modern genetics. Peter Pringle has been foreign correspondent for The Sunday Times and the Observer and was former Moscow bureau chief for the Independent. He has written The New York Times and The Washington Post amongst others and is the author or co-author of nine previous books.

«Playwright and raconteur Oscar Wilde embarks on another adventure as he sets sail for America in the 1880s on a roller coaster of a lecture tour. But the adventure doesn't truly begin until Oscar boards an ocean liner headed back across the Atlantic and joins a motley crew led by French impresario Edmond La Grange. As Oscar becomes entangled with the La Grange acting dynasty, he suspects that all is not as it seems. What begins with a curious death at sea soon escalates to a series of increasingly macabre tragedies once the troupe arrives in Paris to perform «Hamlet.» A strange air of indifference surrounds these seemingly random events, inciting Oscar to dig deeper, aided by his friends Robert Sherard and the divine Sarah Bernhardt. What he discovers is a horrifying secret — one that may bring him closer to his own last chapter than anyone could have imagined. As intelligent as it is beguiling, this third installment in the richly historical mystery series is sure to captivate and entertain.»

In this sweeping history of vodka scion Pyotr Smirnov and his family, distinguished journalist Linda Himelstein plumbs a great riddle of Russian history through the story of a humble serf who rose to create one of the most celebrated business empires the world has ever known. At the center of this vivid narrative, Pyotr Smirnov comes to life as a hero of wonderful complexity — a man of intense ambition and uncanny business sense, a patriarch of a family that would help define Russian society and suffer from the Revolution's aftermath, and a loyalist to a nation that would one day honor him as a treasure of the state. Born in a small village in 1831, Smirnov relied on vodka — a commodity that in many ways defines Russia — to turn a life of scarcity and anonymity into one of immense wealth and international recognition. Starting from the backrooms and side streets of 19th century Moscow, Smirnov exploited a golden age of emancipation and brilliant grassroots marketing strategies to popularize his products and ensconce his brand within the thirsts and imaginations of drinkers around the world. His vodka would be gulped in the taverns of Russia and Europe, praised with accolades at World Fairs, and become a staple on the tables of Tsars. His improbable ascent — set against a sobriety crusade supported by Chekhov and Tolstoy, mounting political uprisings and labor strikes, the eventual monopolization of the vodka trade by the state — would crumble amidst the chaos of the Bolshevik revolution. Only a set of bizarre coincidences — including an incredible prison escape by one of Smirnov's sons in 1919 — would prevent Smirnov's legacy from fading into oblivion. Set against a backdrop of political and ideological currents that would determine the course of global history — from the fall of the Tsars to the rise of Communism, from vodka's popularization by none other than James Bond to Smirnoff's emergence as a multi-billion dollar brand — Smirnov's story of triumph and tragedy is a captivating historical touchstone. The King of Vodka is much more than a biography of an extraordinary man. It is a work of narrative history on an epic scale.

A descendant of one of Hawaii's largest landowners, Matthew King finds his luck has changed. His two daughters — Scottie, a feisty ten-year-old, and Alex, a teenage recovering drug addict — are out of control; his thrill-seeking, high-maintenance wife, Joanie, lies in a coma after a boat-racing accident and will soon be taken off life support. Suddenly the King family must come to terms with this tragedy — and with the shameful sense of freedom that comes with it. As Matt gathers Joanie's friends and family to say their final goodbyes, a difficult situation is made worse by the discovery that one person hasn't been told — the man with whom Joanie has been having an affair. Forced to examine what he owes not only to the living but also to the dead, Matt takes to the road with his daughters to find his wife's lover on a memorable journey of painful revelations and unforeseen humor.

This is a colouring book with 200 spectacular stickers! Faces are everywhere in Yukiko Kido's universe. They're on shoes, vegetables, cups, chairs, balls, you name it! And now kids can color in this quirky-faced world.

No office can function without a little humor and craziness. Adams turns mundane office issues into excruciatingly funny office moments. In Freedom's Just Another Word for People Finding Out You're Useless, fans get a hilarious collection of great Dilbert strips that are anything but useless. From office politics and reams of red tape, to mayhem due to new technologies and, of course, the crazy cast of co-workers, Dilbert gets it done.

'The fruit of his labours', Martin Manser's, SCAPEGOATS, SHAMBLES AND SHIBBOLETHS is a delightful book for all who adore the English language. 'In the twinkling of an eye' we learn that many of our most familiar phrases are taken straight from the King James Version of the Bible. Far from being 'holier than thou', it seems we quote from the Bible without even realising! Martin Manser explains in detail what it is to be 'the apple of someone's eye'! 'No modern physiology book would put it like this, but in the past the pupil of the eye was referred to as "the apple" After all, it was shaped like one. In addition, because it was recognised to be the most important part of the eye it was a symbol for all things precious. The most valuable part of a highly valued organ of the body. Dotted around the Bible the phrase therefore represents anything that is of great worth — whether it is the law of God in Proverbs 7 v 2, the people of Israel found and nurtured in the desert or as an individual on the receiving end of divine care.' A quirky present, SCAPEGOATS SHAMBLES AND SHIBBOLETHS will amuse and entertain as well as shed a thought-provoking light on the background to our rich and varied language.

You can see it in the way the snowman’s eyes sparkle. Hear it in the voices of carolers echoing in the streets, and in the sounds of children trimming the tree. You can feel it in the warm fire dancing in the hearth. Meanwhile, the mother hen hushes her chicks, the pigs’ little tails curl in excitement, and the sheep nod knowingly as all wait in eager anticipation for a joyous Christmas surprise. With lush illustrations as comforting as a Yule-time fire, this tender Christmas lullaby about cherished traditions and welcome surprises is sure to become an annual favorite.

'The English Civil War' is one of the most hotly contested areas of English History and John Miller is one of the experts on the period. Amid dramatic accounts of the key battles and confrontations, Miller explores what triggered the initial conflict between crown and parliament and how this was played out in England, Scotland and Ireland in the lead-up to war. As the war developed, personalities and innovations on the battlefield became increasingly important, culminating in the rise of Oliver Cromwell and the radical New Model Army. The wars changed the political, social, religious and intellectual landscape of the country for ever. Using a lifetime's knowledge and study on the period, John Miller brings this extraordinary turning point in British history to life.

The Dalai Lama visited New York in 2003 and gave a series of lectures, culminating in a public talk in Central Park, which drew over a quarter of a million people. Based on these lectures, this new volume will provide practical instruction on how we can use meditation to realise the mind's phenomenal potential. Leading the reader through the diverse schools of Buddhist philosophy, this book also teaches us how to let go of our own strong ideas of self and how to find a little more happiness in life, for ourselves and for others. For all the millions of fans of the Dalai Lama's writings, and for anyone yet to be introduced to his thinking, Training the Mind is the perfect book to learn how to dedicate our positive activities to the benefit of all in order to build a better world.

From a celebrated team comes a fascinating look at why we don't have super powers (alas) — and why size matters, for creatures big and small. Did you ever wonder why there are no high-flying, wall-climbing, tall-building-leaping superheroes in real life? Find out what keeps big animals (like us) from engaging in astonishing feats of strength and agility, and yet why being tiny and all-powerful might have a downside. What if you could lift fifty times your weight (hello, ant), but getting wet could kill you? Or you could soar like a bird, but a cold breeze would do you in? Whether big or small, our size defines more about us than we could ever imagine. Join the duo that brought us POOP, EXTREME ANIMALS, and WHAT'S EATING YOU? for a fun and intriguing exploration of what it means to be just the right size.

If you wanted a pet, if you really really wanted just the right pet, what would it be? A gecko, a goose, or a humpback whale? A Minnesota minnow or a South Dakota snail? Come to Ralph's World and join Ralph on a zany adventure across land and water in happy celebration of animal friends of all kinds. Kids' rock star Ralph Covert's playful lyrics to the popular song Me and My Animal Friends are coupled with Laurie Keller's whimsical illustrations. Make sure to look for Ralph on every page: he's in animal disguise!