Her Majesty's Pleasure: - How Horseracing Enthrals the Queen

Fanny Lear: Love and Scandal in Tsarist Russia>/i> tells the story of Harriet Clarissima Ely Blackford, also known as Fanny Lear. She was an American courtesan in the late nineteenth century, a strong, independent woman who refused to accept the restrictions placed on women by society at the time. In her short, adventure-filled life, her travels took her from Philadelphia to the social heights of Europe and ultimately to Tsarist Russia, where an affair with the Tsar?s nephew culminated in her arrest and expulsion from Russia. Various diplomatic reports from the US State Department detail the scandalous events and the dire implications of this ill-fated love affair.

Once out of Russia, she reportedly wrote this account in English over the course of eleven days and then supervised its translation into French. Published under the title Le Roman d?une Americaine en Russie, it was an instant bestseller. It also brought on diplomatic pressure from Russia that caused her expulsion from France and Italy, although she continued to be a prominent figure in the social and celebrity sections of the European media during the 1870s and ?80s.

Her account of the twenty-eight months in Russia is a love story, not only of her love for the Grand Duke, but also for Russia itself. A few copies of her book survived; it has now been translated and is presented here.

Taffinder Pulleine and Julia Dunn were married in Yorkshire, England, in 1870, and moved to America two years later. They are not the typical immigrants: Julia was privileged and had had a maid her entire life, and Taffinder had just inherited a sizeable amount of money. Craving some excitement, however, they struck out for a faraway land they had heard so much about.

After ending up in Kansas, the couple began a life of farming, weathering tornadoes, and dodging hungry sieges of grasshoppers. Their son, Percy Pulleine, would later document their trials and adventures.

Imogene H. Pulleine, whose husband is a descendant of Taffinder and Julia, compiled this family history for friends, family, and anyone interested in learning about some of the adventurers who built America. She includes correspondence, photos, and stories that trace her family?s heritage.

Take a journey through early America when neighbors were neighbors, people valued hard work, and families stuck together. It begins with Taffinder and Julia Dunn Pulleine, who took a chance and left a treasured legacy.

Clay for the Potter tells the remarkable story of Sarah Mitchell Gettys. From her childhood years on the windswept Colorado plains, a time of struggling farmers and one-room schoolhouses, through her travels around the world as a young woman and educator, all the way to her later years as an  entrepreneur and business owner, Sarah's is a uniquely American story that perfectly reflects the changing landscape of our nation.

"Life is like building a house. Each wall is made up of memories, which are a result of the decisions we make and the actions we take, as we go through life. We ourselves are the builders and eventually we are the ones who have no choice but to live in the house we have built for ourselves. My "walls" embrace me with warmth and a great deal of love. I am a happy camper."

"Rich in drama and tragedy" (The Guardian), here is a mesmerizing account of the extraordinary formative years of the man married to the most famous woman in the world

Before he met the young girl who became Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip had a tumultuous upbringing in Greece, France, Nazi Germany, and Britain. His mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was born deaf; she was committed to a psychiatric clinic when Philip was eight. His father, Prince Andrew of Greece, already traumatized by his exile from his home country, promptly shut up the family home and went off to live with his mistress, effectively leaving his young son an orphan.

Remarkably, Philip emerged from his difficult childhood a character of singular vitality and dash—self-confident, opinionated, and devastatingly handsome. Girls fell at his feet, and the princess who would become his wife was smitten from the age of thirteen. Yet alongside his considerable charm and intelligence, the young prince was also prone to volcanic outbursts, which would have profound consequences for his family and the future of the monarchy.

In this authoritative and wonderfully compelling book, acclaimed biographer Philip Eade brings to vivid life the storm-tossed early years of one of the most fascinating and mysterious members of the royal family.