The secret history (defekt) - donna tarttová

Truly deserving of the accolade Modern Classic, Donna Tartt's cult bestseller The Secret History is a remarkable achievement - both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful.Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and for ever. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Truly deserving of the accolade Modern Classic, Donna Tartt's cult bestseller The Secret History is a remarkable achievement - both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful.Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and for ever. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Truly deserving of the accolade Modern Classic, Donna Tartt's cult bestseller The Secret History is a remarkable achievement - both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful.Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and for ever. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Truly deserving of the accolade Modern Classic, Donna Tartt's cult bestseller The Secret History is a remarkable achievement - both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful.Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and for ever. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

THE BESTSELLER THAT DEFINED AN AGE 'Everything, somehow, fit together; some sly and benevolent Providence was revealing itself by degrees and I felt myself trembling on the brink of a fabulous discovery, as though any morning it was all going to come together---my future, my past, the whole of my life---and I was going to sit up in bed like a thunderbolt and say oh! oh! oh!'Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality. 'Haunting, compelling and brilliant' The Times'Irresistible and seductive' Guardian'Enthralling...Forceful, cerebral and impeccably controlled' New York Times (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Donna Tartt's phenomenally acclaimed new novel. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2014. Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the centre of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph - a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and self-invention, of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Donna Tartt's phenomenally acclaimed new novel. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2014. Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the centre of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph - a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and self-invention, of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Twelve-year-old Harriet is doing her best to grow up, which is not easy as her mother is permanently on medication, her father has silently moved to another city, and her serene sister rarely notices anything. All of them are still suffering from the shocking and mysterious death of her brother Robin twelve years earlier, and it seems to Harriet that the family may never recover. So, inspired by Captain Scott, Houdini, and Robert Louis Stevenson, she sets out with her only friend Hely to find Robin's murderer and punish him. But what starts out as a child's game soon becomes a dark and dangerous journey into the menacing underworld of a small Mississippi town. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTIONTheo Decker, aged thirteen, is left alone in the world after surviving a catastrophe that kills his only close relative - his mother - and tears him away from everything he knows. Tormented by grief, drifting from home to home, he grows increasingly obsessed with a small, enchanting work of art which dominates his imagination and ultimately draws him, as an adult, into a much darker life than he could ever have foreseen. 'A masterpiece' The Times'Astonishing' Guardian'Superb' Daily Mail'A gripping page turner' Independent on Sunday'A triumph' Stephen King'Dazzling' New York Times (knihydobrovsky.cz)

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER As seen on The Joe Rogan Experience! A groundbreaking dive into the role psychedelics have played in the origins of Western civilization, and the real-life quest for the Holy Grail that could shake the Church to its foundations. The most influential religious historian of the 20th century, Huston Smith, once referred to it as the best-kept secret in history. Did the Ancient Greeks use drugs to find God? And did the earliest Christians inherit the same, secret tradition? A profound knowledge of visionary plants, herbs and fungi passed from one generation to the next, ever since the Stone Age? There is zero archaeological evidence for the original Eucharist - the sacred wine said to guarantee life after death for those who drink the blood of Jesus. The Holy Grail and its miraculous contents have never been found. In the absence of any hard data, whatever happened at the Last Supper remains an article of faith for today's 2.5 billion Christians. In an unprecedented search for real answers, The Immortality Key examines the archaic roots of the ritual that is performed every Sunday for nearly one third of the planet. Religion and science converge to paint a radical picture of Christianity's founding event. And after centuries of debate, to solve history's greatest puzzle once and for all. Before the birth of Jesus, the Ancient Greeks found salvation in their own sacraments. Sacred beverages were routinely consumed as part of the so-called Ancient Mysteries - elaborate rites that led initiates to the brink of death. The best and brightest from Athens and Rome flocked to the spiritual capital of Eleusis, where a holy beer unleashed heavenly visions for two thousand years. Others drank the holy wine of Dionysus to become one with the god. In the 1970s, renegade scholars claimed this beer and wine - the original sacraments of Western civilization - were spiked with mind-altering drugs. In recent years, vindication for the disgraced theory has been quietly mounting in the laboratory. The constantly advancing fields of archaeobotany and archaeochemistry have hinted at the enduring use of hallucinogenic drinks in antiquity. And with a single dose of psilocybin, the psychopharmacologists at Johns Hopkins and NYU are now turning self-proclaimed atheists into instant believers. But the smoking gun remains elusive. If these sacraments survived for thousands of years in our remote prehistory, from the Stone Age to the Ancient Greeks, did they also survive into the age of Jesus? Was the Eucharist of the earliest Christians, in fact, a psychedelic Eucharist? With an unquenchable thirst for evidence, Muraresku takes the reader on his twelve-year global hunt for proof. He tours the ruins of Greece with its government archaeologists. He gains access to the hidden collections of the Louvre Museum to show the continuity from pagan to Christian wine. He unravels the Ancient Greek of the New Testament with the world's most controversial priest. He spelunks into the catacombs under the streets of Rome to decipher the lost symbols of Christianity's oldest monuments. He breaches the secret archives of the Vatican to unearth manuscripts never before translated into English. And with leads from the archaeological chemists at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he unveils the first scientific data for the ritual use of psychedelic drugs in classical antiquity. The Immortality Key reconstructs the suppressed history of women consecrating a forbidden, drugged Eucharist that was later banned by the Church Fathers. Women who were then targeted as witches during the Inquisition, when Europe's sacred pharmacology largely disappeared. If the scientists of today have resurrected this technology, then Christianity is in crisis. Unless it returns to its roots. Featuring a Foreword by Graham Hancock, the New York Times bestselling author of America Before: The Key to Earth's Lost Civilization. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Kniha - autor Donna Tartt, 576 stran, anglicky, brožovaná bez přebalu matná INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A contemporary literary classic and "an accomplished psychological thriller ... absolutely chilling" (Village Voice), from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author ofThe Goldfinch. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and forever, and they discover how hard it can be to truly live and how easy it is to kill. (alza.cz)

Kniha - autor Donna Tartt, 660 stran, anglicky, brožovaná bez přebalu matná Reissue for Tartt's superb psychological suspense novel set in an elite New England College. First published ten years ago, this, Donna Tartt's debut novel, has sold over 600,000 copies. "It takes my breath away, it's so accomplished" Ruth Rendell (alza.cz)

Donna Tarttová ve svém druhém románu Malý kamarád (po němž následoval světoznámý román Stehlík, za který v roce 2014 získala Pulitzerovu cenu) brilantně zachycuje dusivou atmosféru upadajícího jižanského městečka, kde stále doutnají rasové a společenské konflikty, ze slávy bývalé honorace zbyly už jen trosky a pod zdánlivě ospalým povrchem číhají skryté hrozby. V městečku Alexandrie ve státě Mississippi dojde k tragédii - na Svátek matek je devítiletý Robin Cleve nalezen oběšený na stromě na zahradě před domem svých rodičů. Jeho vražda není nikdy objasněna a rodina se ze ztráty jediného syna nikdy nevzpamatuje. O jedenáct let později se do pátrání na vlastní pěst pouští chlapcova mladší sestra Harrieta, které v době neštěstí nebyl ještě ani rok. Uzavřené, ne právě milé a až nezdravě inteligentní děvčátko, k jehož vzorům patří kapitán Scott, Harry Houdini a Sherlock Holmes, se o prázdninách rozhodne, že s pomocí svého jediného kamaráda Hellyho bratrova vraha nejen najde, ale také náležitě potrestá. Co na tom, že většina pamětníků odmítá o celé záležitosti mluvit, že těch pár svědectví, která děti přece jenom získají, nepůsobí zrovna spolehlivě a že chybějí jakékoli důkazy? Pátrání, které zpočátku vypadá jako celkem nevinná dětská hra, se záhy zvrtne v nebezpečné dobrodružství, při němž se dá snadno přijít k úhoně. Zvlášť když malí mstitelé zkříží cestu vyšinutému místnímu výrobci drog a několika dalším členům jeho poněkud zvláštní rodiny. Donna Tarttová (*1963) patří k nejuznávanějším americkým autorům současnosti, přestože napsala zatím jen tři romány, Tajná historie (The Secret History, 1992), Malý kamarád (The Little Friend, 2002) a Stehlík (The Goldfinch, 2013). Její psaní charakterizuje vypravěčská poctivost, myšlenková hloubka a neuspěchaná prokomponovanost - ne náhodou vznikal každý z jejích románů dlouhá léta. Za své dílo obdržela Donna Tarttová řadu ocenění, včetně nejprestižnější americké literární ceny, Pulitzer Prize. Její knihy byly přeloženy do jednatřiceti světových jazyků. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Audiokniha:,Co by dokázalo dohnat pět rozumně uvažujících lidí k vraždě? Richardovi se na univerzitě podaří zařadit mezi elitní kroužek pěti studentů klasické řečtiny a užívá si idylu intelektuálního přátelství v uzavřené skupince. Následný rozklad sounáležitosti mu tedy připadá o to palčivější a pouští se do pátrání, co jej mohlo zapříčinit. Kdy se vlastně opojení životem a věděním proměnilo v natolik destruktivní síly, aby přimělo v podstatě sympatické hrdiny ke zločinu? „Nepovažuji se za žádného zloducha. Kdykoliv čtu v novinách o spáchaných vraždách, pokaždé mě zaráží ta zatvrzelá, skoro až dojemná sebejistota, s níž všichni ti sérioví škrtiči, úchylní pedofilové a zvrácení zločinci všeho druhu odmítají rozpoznat zlo, které se v nich skrývá, a dokonce pociťují nutkání hlásit se k jistému falešnému pojetí slušnosti: , Já jsem v podstatě velice slušný člověk.“ (knihydobrovsky.cz)

A new translation of a great historical epic, recounting the turbulent life and times of Chinggis Khan'Bear the sword andHew asunder high and haughty necksSlash apart all strong and self-willed shoulders'Born poor into a world of dangers and hardships, Chinggis (or Genghis) Khan would grow up to unify Mongolia and conquer a vast empire stretching from modern-day Beijing to Baghdad. The Secret History of the Mongols, written after Chinggis's death in the thirteenth century, is a great historical saga recounting not only his turbulent life and times, but that of his loved ones, ancestors and heirs. This remarkable new translation of the earliest surviving work written in Mongolian gives insight into a world of warlords, kinship, horses, yurts, shamans and vast landscapes, where bloody battles and violent family conflicts are impelled by Heaven's destiny. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Kniha - autor Patrick Radden Keefe, 528 stran, anglicky, brožovaná bez přebalu matná The story of the Sackler Dynasty, Purdue Pharma, and their involvement in the opioid crisis that has created millions of addicts, even as it generated billions of dollars in profit. (alza.cz)

Donna Tarttová ve svém druhém románu Malý kamarád (po němž následoval světoznámý román Stehlík, za který v roce 2014 získala Pulitzerovu cenu) brilantně zachycuje dusivou atmosféru upadajícího jižanského městečka, kde stále doutnají rasové a společenské konflikty, ze slávy bývalé honorace zbyly už jen trosky a pod zdánlivě ospalým povrchem číhají skryté hrozby. V městečku Alexandrie ve státě Mississippi dojde k tragédii – na Svátek matek je devítiletý Robin Cleve nalezen oběšený na stromě na zahradě před domem svých rodičů. Jeho vražda není nikdy objasněna a rodina se ze ztráty jediného syna nikdy nevzpamatuje. O jedenáct let později se do pátrání na vlastní pěst pouští chlapcova mladší sestra Harrieta, které v době neštěstí nebyl ještě ani rok. Uzavřené, ne právě milé a až nezdravě inteligentní děvčátko, k jehož vzorům patří kapitán Scott, Harry Houdini a Sherlock Holmes, se o prázdninách rozhodne, že s pomocí svého jediného kamaráda Hellyho bratrova vraha nejen najde, ale také náležitě potrestá. Co na tom, že většina pamětníků odmítá o celé záležitosti mluvit, že těch pár svědectví, která děti přece jenom získají, nepůsobí zrovna spolehlivě a že chybějí jakékoli důkazy? Pátrání, které zpočátku vypadá jako celkem nevinná dětská hra, se záhy zvrtne v nebezpečné dobrodružství, při němž se dá snadno přijít k úhoně. Zvlášť když malí mstitelé zkříží cestu vyšinutému místnímu výrobci drog a několika dalším členům jeho poněkud zvláštní rodiny. (patro.cz)

Kniha - 480 stran, anglicky, Pevná bez přebalu lesklá - 48 stran, anglicky, pevná bez přebalu lesklá (alza.cz)

Kniha - autor Ronen Bergman, 756 stran, anglicky, brožovaná bez přebalu matná From the very beginning of its statehood in 1948, the instinct to take every measure to defend the Jewish people has been hardwired into Israel's DNA. This is the riveting inside account of the targeted assassinations that have been used countless times, on enemies large and small, sometimes in response to attacks against the Israeli people and sometimes pre-emptively. Rise and Kill First counts their successes, failures and the moral and political price exacted on those who carried out the missions which have shaped the Israeli nation, the Middle East and the entire world. (alza.cz)

When we think about history, we rarely pay much attention to the most destructive floods, the worst winters, the most devastating droughts or the ways that ecosystems have changed over time. In The Earth Transformed, Peter Frankopan, one of the world's leading historians, shows that the natural environment is a crucial, if not the defining, factor in global history - and not just of humankind. Volcanic eruptions, solar activities, atmospheric, oceanic and other shifts, as well as anthropogenic behaviour, are fundamental parts of the past and the present. In this magnificent and groundbreaking book, we learn about the origins of our species: about the development of religion and language and their relationships with the environment; about how the desire to centralise agricultural surplus formed the origins of the bureaucratic state; about how growing demands for harvests resulted in the increased shipment of enslaved peoples; about how efforts to understand and manipulate the weather have a long and deep history. All provide lessons of profound importance as we face a precarious future of rapid global warming.Taking us from the Big Bang to the present day and beyond, The Earth Transformed forces us to reckon with humankind's continuing efforts to make sense of the natural world. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

In The Waters of Eternal Youth, the twenty-fifth instalment in the bestselling Brunetti series, our Commissario finds himself drawn into a case that may not be a crime at all. Brunetti is investigating a cold case by request of the grand Contessa Lando-Continui, a friend of Brunetti's mother-in-law. Fifteen years ago the Contessa's teenage granddaughter, Manuela, was found drowning in a canal. She was rescued from the canal at the last moment, but in many ways it was too late; she suffered severe brain damage and her life was never the same again. Once a passionate horse rider, Manuela, now aged thirty, cannot remember the accident, or her beloved horse, and lives trapped in an eternal youth. The Contessa, unconvinced that this was an accident, implores Brunetti to find the culprit she believes was responsible for ruining Manuela's life. Out of a mixture of curiosity, pity and a willingness to fulfil the wishes of a loving grandmother, Brunetti reopens the case. But once he starts to investigate, Brunetti finds a murky past and a dark story at its heart. The Waters of Eternal Youth is awash in the rhythms and concerns of contemporary Venetian life, from historical preservation, to housing, to new waves of African migrants, all circling the haunting story of a woman trapped in a perpetual childhood. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

In The Waters of Eternal Youth, the twenty-fifth instalment in the bestselling Brunetti series, our Commissario finds himself drawn into a case that may not be a crime at all. Brunetti is investigating a cold case by request of the grand Contessa Lando-Continui, a friend of Brunetti's mother-in-law. Fifteen years ago the Contessa's teenage granddaughter, Manuela, was found drowning in a canal. She was rescued from the canal at the last moment, but in many ways it was too late; she suffered severe brain damage and her life was never the same again. Once a passionate horse rider, Manuela, now aged thirty, cannot remember the accident, or her beloved horse, and lives trapped in an eternal youth. The Contessa, unconvinced that this was an accident, implores Brunetti to find the culprit she believes was responsible for ruining Manuela's life. Out of a mixture of curiosity, pity and a willingness to fulfil the wishes of a loving grandmother, Brunetti reopens the case. But once he starts to investigate, Brunetti finds a murky past and a dark story at its heart.The Waters of Eternal Youth is awash in the rhythms and concerns of contemporary Venetian life, from historical preservation, to housing, to new waves of African migrants, all circling the haunting story of a woman trapped in a perpetual childhood. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The history of espionage is far older than any of today's intelligence agencies, yet the long history of intelligence operations has been largely forgotten. The first mention of espionage in world literature is in the Book of Exodus.'God sent out spies into the land of Canaan'. From there, Christopher Andrew traces the shift in the ancient world from divination to what we would recognize as attempts to gather real intelligence in the conduct of military operations, and considers how far ahead of the West - at that time - China and India were. He charts the development of intelligence and security operations and capacity through, amongst others, Renaissance Venice, Elizabethan England, Revolutionary America, Napoleonic France, right up to sophisticated modern activities of which he is the world's best-informed interpreter. What difference have security and intelligence operations made to course of history? Why have they so often forgotten by later practitioners? This fascinating book provides the answers. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

A modern serial killer - hunting an ancient secret. \n\nA woman is left to die as the rebuilt Globe theatre burns. Another woman is drowned like Ophelia, skirts swirling in the water. A professor has his throat slashed open on the steps of Washington's Capitol building. \n\nA deadly serial killer is on the loose, modelling his murders on Shakespeare's plays. But why is he killing? And how can he be stopped? \n\nA gripping, shocking page turner, The Shakespeare Secret masterfully combines modern murder and startling true revelations from the life of Shakespeare. It has been acclaimed as one of the most compulsively readable thrillers of recent years. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Her codename is Kingfisher. Her mission: to seduce and marry most powerful man in the world. October 2016: In America, the election is a few weeks away. Journalist Grace Elliot has just landed a scoop that she believe will make her career. A porn-star is willing to talk about her affair with the man some hope and many fear will become the next president of the United Stares. But no one will touch it. Instead, Grace is sent to Europe where she discovers a story so big, so explosive that it could decide the American election and launch a new Cold War. If she can stay alive long enough to tell it... Spies, murder and one of the biggest conspiracies of our time lie at the heart of the thriller of the year. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

It is twenty years since the events of La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One unfolded and saw the baby Lyra Belacqua begin her life-changing journey. It is almost ten years since readers left Lyra and the love of her young life, Will Parry, on a park bench in Oxford's Botanic Gardens at the end of the ground-breaking, bestselling His Dark Materials sequence. Now, in The Secret Commonwealth, we meet Lyra Silvertongue. And she is no longer a child . . . The second volume of Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust sees Lyra, now twenty years old, and her daemon Pantalaimon, forced to navigate their relationship in a way they could never have imagined, and drawn into the complex and dangerous factions of a world that they had no idea existed. Pulled along on his own journey too is Malcolm; once a boy with a boat and a mission to save a baby from the flood, now a man with a strong sense of duty and a desire to do what is right. Theirs is a world at once familiar and extraordinary, and they must travel far beyond the edges of Oxford, across Europe and into Asia, in search for what is lost - a city haunted by daemons, a secret at the heart of a desert, and the mystery of the elusive Dust. The Secret Commonwealth is truly a book for our times; a powerful adventure and a thought-provoking look at what it is to understand yourself, to grow up and make sense of the world around you. This is storytelling at its very best from one of our greatest writers. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The enchanting new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author, Santa Montefiore. The perfect summer read for 2020!'Let the wind take me and the soft rain settle me into the Irish soil from where I came. And may my sins be forgiven.'Arethusa Clayton has always been formidable, used to getting her own way. On her death, she leaves unexpected instructions. Instead of being buried in America, on the wealthy East Coast where she and her late husband raised their two children, Arethusa has decreed that her ashes be scattered in a remote corner of Ireland, on the hills overlooking the sea.All Arethusa ever told Faye was that she grew up in a poor farming family and left Ireland, alone, to start a new life in America as did so many in those times of hardship and famine. But who were her family in Ireland and where are they now? What was the real reason that she turned away from them? And who is the mysterious benefactor of a significant share of Arethusa's estate?Arethusa is gone. There is no one left to tell her story. Faye feels bereft, as if her mother's whole family has died with her. Leaving her own husband and children behind, she travels to the picturesque village of Ballinakelly, determined to fulfil her mother's last wish and to find out the reason for Arethusa's insistence on being laid to rest in this faraway land. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Who writes the past? And how do the biases of storytellers - whether Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare or Simon Schama - influence our ideas about history today?Epic, authoritative and entertaining, Making History delves into the lives of those who have charted human history - professional historians, witnesses, novelists, journalists and propagandists - to discover the agendas that informed their world views, and which in so many ways have informed ours. From the origins of history-writing through to television and the digital age, Making History abounds in captivating figures brought to vivid life, from Thucydides and Tacitus to Voltaire and Gibbon, from Winston Churchill to Mary Beard. Rich in character, complex truths and surprising anecdotes, the result is a unique exploration of both the aims and craft of history-making that will lead us to think anew about our past and ourselves. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

1992. Two strangers bring a hospital patient a list of names. They ask him for one more, but it's a question the patient can't answer.Minutes later he is dispatched through the 12th floor window.His death generates some unexpected attention. That attention comes from the Secretary of Defence, who brings in an inter-agency task force to investigate. Jack Reacher, recently demoted from Major to Captain, is assigned as the Army's representative.Reacher may be an exceptional soldier, but sweeping other people's secrets under the carpet isn't part of his skill set.As he races to find the killer, he must navigate around the ulterior motives of his new 'partners'. And all while moving into the sight line of some of the most dangerous people he has ever encountered.His mission is to uncover the truth. Fast.The question is: will Reacher bring the bad guys to justice the official way . . .or his way? (knihydobrovsky.cz)

'A startling psychological mystery' Michael Greenberg. Benjamín Chaparro is a man haunted by his past. A retired detective, he remains obsessed with the decades-old case of the rape and murder of a young woman in her own bedroom. As he revisits the details of the investigation, he is reacquainted with his similarly long, unrequited love for Irene Hornos, then just an intern, now a respected judge. Set in the Buenos Aires of the 1970s, The Secret in Their Eyes reveals the underpinnings of Argentina's Dirty War, and asks what justice really means. And it explores the boundaries of love in all its forms: adoration, devotion and, finally, obsession. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Mistborn: Secret History is a companion story to the original Mistborn trilogy.As such, it contains HUGE SPOILERS for the books Mistborn (The Final Empire), The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages. It also contains very minor spoilers for the book The Bands of Mourning.Mistborn: Secret History builds upon the characterization, events, and worldbuilding of the original trilogy. Reading it without that background will be a confusing process at best.In short, this isn't the place to start your journey into Mistborn (though if you have read the trilogy - but it has been a while - you should be just fine, so long as you remember the characters and the general plot of the books).Saying anything more here risks revealing too much. Even knowledge of this story's existence is, in a way, a spoiler.There's always another secret. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

A new one-volume hardback edition of the first five books in The History of Middle-earth.J.R.R. Tolkien is famous the world over for his unique literary creation, exemplified in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. What is less well known, however, is that he also produced a vast amount of further material that greatly expands upon the mythology and numerous stories of Middle-earth, and which gives added life to the thousand-year war between the Elves and the evil spirit Morgoth, and his terrifying lieutenant, Sauron.It was to this enormous task of literary construction that his Tolkien's youngest son and literary heir, Christopher, applied himself to produce the monumental and endlessly fascinating series of 12 books, The History of Middle-earth.This brand new hardback edition brings together the first five volumes of The History of Middle-earth - The Book of Lost Tales Parts 1 and 2, The Lays of Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle-earth and The Lost Road - into one volume.Epic in scope and extent, and featuring rare maps and illustrations drawn by J.R.R. Tolkien, this first standard hardback volume of a planned trilogy will present the reader with a unique opportunity to own the entire History of Middle-earth in three large but sensibly priced volumes. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The first volume of the graphic adaptation of Yuval Noah Harari's global phenomenon and smash Sunday Times #1 bestseller, with gorgeous full-colour illustrations and a beautiful package - the perfect gift for the curious beings in your life.One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one-homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?In this first volume of the full-colour illustrated adaptation of his groundbreaking book, renowned historian Yuval Harari tells the story of humankind's creation and evolution, exploring the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be "human". From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens challenges us to reconsider accepted beliefs, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and view specific events within the context of larger ideas.Featuring 256 pages of full-colour illustrations and easy-to-understand text covering the first part of the full-length original edition, this adaptation of the mind-expanding book furthers the ongoing conversation as it introduces Harari's ideas to a wider new readership. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The first one-volume, complete history of Europe, as told by Europeans themselves, from Homo Erectus to the Celts, to Greek wisdom and Roman grandeur, all of the way to the European phenomenon - the Industrial Revolution. This is the definitive way to discover the real, modern Europe progressively unfolding, because looking back to the past reveals more about our future than we ever expected, and only by knowing how Europe came to be, can we know what really lies ahead. Whilst experiencing constant turbulence and change, Europe has made an astonishing mark on the world. How did one small continent become so powerful? How did such diverse islands come together to act as one? How did a diplomatic society descend into bloodshed and what does that mean for Europe today? For two-millenia Europe has been a superpower; it's fretted coastlines, it's many religions and revolutions have all shaped what it is now, and with more change ahead Jean-Baptiste Duroselle's Europe including a special and up-to-date introduction from Anthony Teasdale, Director General for Parliamentary research and former Special Advisor for the Deputy Prime Minister, couldn't be better timed. It is a much needed portrayal of our ever turbulent Europe. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Chce to pořádnou kuráž, aby člověk dokázal zachránit sám sebe… Syrový i dojemný román nejen pro čtenáře bestselleru Kde zpívají raci. V románu úspěšné spisovatelky Donny Everhartové z prostředí terpentýnářských pracovních táborů, ukrytých v hloubi borových lesů, se odehrává drsný i vášnivý příběh o lásce, přátelství a boji o přežití. Pohnuté osudy tří románových hrdinů svádí dohromady smůla, vlastní špatná rozhodnutí i zlomyslná náhoda. Georgia, USA, 1932. Pracovní tábory na sběr a zpracování pryskyřice rostou jako houby po dešti. Dělníci tu dřou v drsných podmínkách, za prachbídnou mzdu, izolovaní v nedozírných lesích od zbytku světa, a tudíž zcela závislí na často hamižných a arogantních majitelích, kteří poskytují ubytování a stravu za nehorázné ceny. Pro mnohé z nich jsou však tato místa poslední a jedinou šancí. Patří k nim i hlavní postavy tohoto příběhu, které se setkají v táboře, jehož jméno, Swallow Hill, se dá chápat buď jako „Vlaštovčí kopec“, nebo – a možná poněkud příhodněji – jako „kopec všeho příkoří, které je tu třeba spolknout“, aby člověk vůbec vydržel. Del, Rae i Cornelie zde postupně nacházejí i ztrácejí naději, dokud nepochopí, že chtějí-li zachránit holý život, musí se pokusit z tohoto domnělého azylu uniknout. Nejprve se ovšem musí vypořádat se svou minulostí… (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The fourth in a gripping young fantasy series from the author of THE HUNGER GAMES. It's only a few months since Gregor and Boots returned from the Underland, leaving their mother behind to heal from the plague. Though Gregor's family receives frequent updates on her condition, they all know Gregor must return to fulfill his role as the warrior who is key to the Underlanders' survival. A ccompanied by his now-talkative little sister Boots, still considered the honorary "princess," Gregor joins forces with another princess - 12-year-old Luxa - and Ripred the rat to defend the Underlanders and the vulnerable "Nibblers," or mice, from the rat army. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows―ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity―for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts―from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The seventh book in the bestselling Chronicles of St Mary's series which follows a group of tea-soaked disaster magnets as they hurtle their way around History. If you love Jasper Fforde or Ben Aaronovitch, you won't be able to resist Jodi Taylor. Rules are meant to be broken, aren't they? 'I've done some stupid things in my time. I've been reckless. I've broken a few rules. But never before have I ruined so many lives or left such a trail of destruction behind me.' Max has never been one for rules. They tend to happen to other people. But this time she's gone too far. And everyone at St Mary's is paying the price. With the History Department disintegrating around her and grounded until the end of time, how can she ever put things right? (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Brunetti is forced to confront the price of loyalty, to his past and in his work, as a seemingly innocent request leads him into troubling waters.What role can or should loyalty play in the life of a police inspector? It's a question Commissario Guido Brunetti must face and ultimately answer in Give Unto Others, Donna Leon's splendid 31st installment of her acclaimed Venetian crime series.Brunetti is approached for a favor by Elisabetta Foscarini, a woman he knows casually, but her mother was good to Brunetti's mother, so he feels obliged to at least look into the matter privately, and not as official police business. Foscarini's son-in-law, Enrico Fenzo, has alarmed his wife (her daughter) by confessing their family might be in danger because of something he's involved with. Since Fenzo is an accountant, Brunetti logically suspects the cause of danger is related to the finances of a client. Yet his clients seem benign: an optician, a restaurateur, a charity established by his father-in-law. However, when his friend's daughter's place of work is vandalized, Brunetti asks his own favors--that his colleagues Claudia Griffoni, Lorenzo Vianello, and Signorina Elettra Zorzi assist his private investigation, which soon enough turns official as they uncover the dark and Janus-faced nature of a venerable Italian institution.Exploring the wobbly line between the criminal and non-criminal, revealing previously untold elements of Brunetti's past, Give Unto Others shows that the price of reciprocity can be steep. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

From one of the world's leading economists, a grand narrative of the century that made us richer than ever, yet left us unsatisfied.Before 1870, humanity lived in dire poverty, with a slow crawl of invention offset by a growing population. Then came a great shift: invention sprinted forward, doubling our technological capabilities each generation and utterly transforming the economy again and again. Our ancestors would have presumed we would use such powers to build utopia, but it was not so. When 1870-2010 ended, the world instead saw global warming, economic depression, uncertainty, inequality, and broad rejection of the status quo.Slouching Towards Utopia tells the sweeping story of how this unprecedented explosion?of material wealth?occurred,?how it transformed the globe, and?why?it?failed to deliver us to utopia.?Of remarkable breadth and ambition,?it?reveals how the last century was much less?a march of progress?than?a slouch?in the right direction. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The New York Times bestselling WINGS OF FIRE saga soars to the mysterious land of the NightWings, where Starflight must face a terrible choice -- his tribe, or his friends?In the shadows, trouble is brewing. . .The mysterious NightWings keep everything hidden, from their home and their queen to their allegiance in the war. Now they've kidnapped their own dragonet of destiny, and Starflight is finally meeting the rest of his tribe -- whether he wants to or not.The NightWings have also kidnapped several innocent RainWings, now trapped in the dark, barren, miserable place that is the NightWing kingdom. Starflight wants to help the RainWings, but he's busy saving his own scales and trying to find a way back to his friends. The fate of two kingdoms rests in his talons, and with no one to save him, Starflight will have to find a way to be brave . . . before it's too late. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

In 1850, China was the 'sick man of Asia'. Now it is set to become the most powerful nation on earth. The Penguin History of Modern China shows how turbulent that journey has been. For 150 years China has endured as victim of oppression, war and famine. This makes its current position as arguably the most important global superpower all the more extraordinary. Jonathan Fenby's comprehensive account is the definitive guide to this remarkable transformation. 'His book is a miracle of thoroughness, truthfulness and readability - the perfect primer for a time when China is about to enter all our lives' Sunday Telegraph 'Jonathan Fenby's ... illuminating book [is] the first major history that looks at the country with the eyes of the 21st century rather than the 20th' Rana Mitter, Financial Times 'Reads like a novel and is never less than thoughtful and compassionate for the fate of a much-abused people ... [Fenby has] a journalist's eye for telling detail' Herald 'Taut, anecdote-studded ... a great introduction for a general audience, with vivid scene setting and character sketches' Michel Sheridan, Sunday Times 'For an accessible, authoritative, fair and comprehensive and well written account, this would be hard to better' BBC History 'A wonderful history of modern China and a cracking good read' Chris Patten Jonathan Fenby, CBE, has been the editor of the Observer and the South China Morning Post. His books include Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the China He Lost and Dealing with the Dragon: A Year in the New Hong Kong. He is currently Editor-in-Chief and China Editor of the analytical service, Trusted Sources. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

From the author of the INTERNATIONAL NO. 1 BESTSELLER THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END comes an explosive examination of grief, mental illness, and the devastating consequences of refusing to let go of the past. Please note that covers may vary.You’re still alive in alternate universes, Theo, but I live in the real world where this morning you’re having an open casket funeral. I know you’re out there, listening. And you should know I’m really pissed because you swore you would never die and yet here we are. It hurts even more because this isn’t the first promise you’ve broken.Griffin has lost his first love in a drowning accident. Theo was his best friend, his ex-boyfriend and the one he believed he would end up with. Now, reeling from grief and worsening OCD, Griffin turns to an unexpected person for help. Theo's new boyfriend. But as their relationship becomes increasingly complicated, dangerous truths begin to surface. Griffin must make a choice: confront the past, or miss out on the future... PRAISE FOR HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME:'There isn't a teenager alive who won't find their heart described perfectly on these pages.' Patrick Ness, author of The Knife of Never Letting Go'This book will make you cry, think, and then cry some more.' Nicola Yoon, author of Everything, Everything'Sweetly devastating, passionately honest, breathtakingly human.' Becky Albertalli, author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Discover the secrets of St. Mark's Basilica with not a tourist in sight, finally crack the mystery of the pillars around the Doge's Palace, take a trip on the only underground canal in Venice in search of the alchemical sculpture of the winged horse, lunc (knihydobrovsky.cz)

One Last Secret ... would you kill to keep it?Another incredible domestic thriller from the Sunday Times Number One bestselling author of sensational books like Both Of You...One last clientA week at a beautiful chateau in the south of France - it should be a straightforward final job for Dora. She's a smart, stunning and discreet escort and Daniel has paid for her services before. This time, all she has to do is convince the assembled guests that she is his girlfriend. Dora is used to playing roles and being whatever men want her to be. It's all about putting on a front.One last chanceIt will be a last, luxurious look at how the other half lives, before Dora turns her back on the escort world and all its dangers. She has found someone she loves and trusts. With him, she can escape the life she's trapped in. But when Dora arrives at the chateau, it quickly becomes obvious that nothing is what it seems...One last secretDora finds herself face to face with a man she has never forgotten, the one man who really knows her. And as old secrets surface, it becomes terrifyingly apparent that one last secret could cost Dora her life...From the Sunday Times Number One bestseller Adele Parks comes a blisteringly provocative novel about power, sex, money and revenge. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

From the author of the number 1 global bestseller Sapiens **The Top Ten Sunday Times Bestseller** Sapiens showed us where we came from. Homo Deus shows us where we're going. War is obsolete. You are more likely to commit suicide than be killed in conflict. Famine is disappearing. You are at more risk of obesity than starvation. Death is just a technical problem. Equality is out – but immortality is in. What does our future hold? Yuval Noah Harari, author of the bestselling phenomenon Sapiens envisions a not-too-distant world in which we face a new set of challenges. Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century – from overcoming death to creating artificial life. It asks the fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? And how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers? 'Homo Deus will shock you. It will entertain you. Above all, it will make you think in ways you had not thought before' Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking Fast, and Slow Dr Yuval Noah Harari has a PhD in History from the University of Oxford and now lectures at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specialising in World History. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind has become an international phenomenon attracting a legion of fans from Bill Gates and Barack Obama to Chris Evans and Jarvis Cocker, and is published in nearly 40 languages worldwide. It was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller and was in the Top Ten for over six months in paperback. His follow-up to Sapiens, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow was also a Top Ten Bestseller and was described by the Guardian as ‘even more readable, even more important, than his excellent Sapiens’. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Rodinná knížka Dějiny udatného českého národa je určena nejen těm, co nedávali ve škole pozor (dozvědí se překvapivé informace z naší historie), ale i šprtům, ty zase pobaví (pro tyto vzdělanější čtenáře jsou připraveny zadní strany s podrobnějšími informacemi a zajímavostmi). Když rozložíme knihu jako harmonikovité leporelo, otevře se před námi 9 metrů dlouhá krajina v níž se odehrávají drobné děje od pravěkých lovců po současnost. Fakta, informace, chronologické tabulky ke všem obdobím nechybí a komiksové textíky a kreslené postavičky umožní hledět na minulost a naše předky s humorem, nadsázkou a ironií. Petr Prchal (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Rodinná knížka Dějiny udatného českého národa je určena nejen těm, co nedávali ve škole pozor (dozvědí se překvapivé informace z naší historie), ale i šprtům, ty zase pobaví (pro tyto vzdělanější čtenáře jsou připraveny zadní strany s podrobnějšími informacemi a zajímavostmi). Když rozložíme knihu jako harmonikovité leporelo, otevře se před námi 9 metrů dlouhá krajina v níž se odehrávají drobné děje od pravěkých lovců po současnost. Fakta, informace, chronologické tabulky ke všem obdobím nechybí a komiksové textíky a kreslené postavičky umožní hledět na minulost a naše předky s humorem, nadsázkou a ironií. Petr Prchal (patro.cz)

BOOK 14 IN THE CHRONICLES OF ST MARY'S SERIES, FROM THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER JODI TAYLOR. 'Brilliant, hilarious, keeps you on your toes' Reader review 'The characters make me come back time and time again' Reader review 'I have not found another author who can tell a story involving time travel as well' Reader review St Mary's is under investigation. Their director has been shot and Max is Number One Suspect.Can things get any worse? We all know the answer to that one. Max needs to get away - fast - and a Brilliant Idea soon leads her to a full-scale uprising in twentieth-century China. If she can come by a historical treasure or two in the process, even better.That is, if she makes it out alive. Then there's the small matter of Insight - the sinister organisation from the future hell bent on changing History for their own dark ends. Having successfully infiltrated their ranks, Max is perfectly placed to stop them.But she knows her cover will soon be blown - because it's already happened. Can Max take down Insight before they come after her? The circle is closing, and only one can survive... For fans of Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde, Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series and Doctor Who. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

With an introduction by James NaughtieTake a Valium. Have a party. Go on a demo. Shoot a soldier. Make a bang. Bed a friend. That's your problem-solving system . . . But haven't we tried all that?Howard Kirk, product of the Swinging Sixties, radical university lecturer, and one half of a very modern marriage, is throwing a party. The night will have all sorts of repercussions: for Henry Beamish, Howard's desperate and easily neglected friend, and for Howard's wife Barbara, promiscuous '70s liberal and exhausted victim of motherhood.The History Man is Malcolm Bradbury's masterpiece, the definitive campus novel and one of the most influential novels of the 1970s. Funny, disconcerting and provocative, Bradbury brilliantly satirizes a world of academic power struggles as his anti-hero seduces his away around campus. But beneath the surface is an altogether more affecting portrait: it reveals a marriage in crisis and demonstrates the fragility of the human heart. (knihydobrovsky.cz)