The story of Black Gold, a winner of the Kentucky Derby.

Anne Cartier, a teacher of the deaf, accepts an offer to help a deaf child whose governess died in a fall down the stairs of the family's palatial mansion. Anne suspects the death might not have been an accident and begins to investigate. She is aided by her friend and suitor, Paul de Saint-Martin. They believe the young woman's death may have been the work of renegade French army officer Captain Fitzroy, already accused of a brutal rape in Paris. Fitzroy has found refuge at the mansion with his cousin and intimate friend, Lady Margaret, lady of the house and wife of slaver Sir Harry Rogers. Soon Anne discovers she must protect as well as teach young Charlie. Watching it all is Lord Jeff, a black footman and a bare-knuckle fighter of impressive skill who may win Sir Harry a large purse. But the slave has his own agenda. The abolition of slavery is a hot topic in Bath, a city that draws much of its wealth from that brutal business.

Oil is not pretty, but it is a resource that drives the modern world. It has made fortunes for the lucky few and provided jobs for millions of ordinary folks. Thick and slippery, crude oil has an evil smell. Yet without it, life as we live it today would be impossible. Oil fuels our engines, heats our homes, and powers the machines that make the everyday things we take for granted, from shopping bags to computers to medical equipment. Nations throughout the last century have gone to war over it. Indeed, oil influences every aspect of modern life. It helps shape the history, society, politics, and economy of every nation on earth. This riveting new book explores what oil is and the role this precious resource has played in America and the world.

In the years following the end of the Shah’s dynasty, a major petrochemical refinery is being constructed in northern Iran by the Islamic Regime. While this is good for Iran, it’s not so good for the West. Enter the Organization for Reorganizing Business (ORB), led by Murray Stockman. ORB sends their senior field operative, Matthew Black, into Iran to “fix” the refinery problem. But this won’t be an easy task. Black needs to refocus the Regime on being pro-West, a tall order that’s going to require all his skills and the support of many. During significant political unrest and social upheaval, Black and the other ORB operatives on the ground, use every element at their disposal to upset the Regime’s plans. Amid the rise of the Iranian working men’s union movement and the birth of the Friends of Iran youth organization, ORB works to sabotage the refinery, cut the Regime’s access to funds, and bring about the failure of the Revolutionary Guard. Can Stockman and his people cut Iran’s ties to Russia and China and wrest control of the Iranian oil industry from the Regime before it’s too late?

"There be gold on that there island." In 1767, privateer Mackenzie McGuire seizes a Spanish galleon and wins more than a superior ship—the logbook contains half a treasure map for a tiny island off Nova Scotia. But he needs to know how to get past the deadly booby traps. Staying clear of English patrols, he sneaks into Halifax to obtain the keys to these traps, written on the map's other half. Part of a mother-daughter team, Flora works the Halifax waterfront to survive, picking pockets. In rolling one ruffian, they wind up with more than coins. When her mother dies and Flora is pursued, her path crosses McGuire's. She's admired him from afar. Now, with her new piece of information, can she bargain for what she really wants in life?

It is March 2013. Teh 2012 U.S. elections have just been fiercely fought at a level of intensity that made 2004 and 2008 look mild. The key issue has been energy. The world is in an energy crisis. China wants energy and the world is in crisis...Will it be war?

The fascinating story of Dorset's oil industry. This is an essential book for those interested in Dorset’s industrial history.

In the latter part of the nineteenth century, a rustic village reminiscent of the Old West transitions to a thriving town. Discovery of a massive coal field in the area led to the development of a well-designed coal mining camp. The industry had both positive and negative effects: financial impact on the town and surrounding area and unintended consequences for the environment and people. The population of the camp is a mixture of ethnic groups all seeking opportunity in a new country. A number of interesting characters reside in the camp. Camp families encounter a number of trials and tribulations during WWII. Not the least was fear for the safety and survival of sons serving in the military. Salvatore Caminata, a formerly revered detective in Italy, conducted a careless investigation in his last case that led to a hasty conviction of an innocent person who later was brutally murdered while imprisoned. Caminata chooses to escape disgrace by immigrating to the United States. He finds employment in the county sheriff department that serves the coal camp. The mysterious murders of members of a Mexican-American family brings finger-pointing to a number of camp residents, but one person in particular stands out as the likely murderer. As the investigation of the murders twists and turns, Salvatore never forgets the lesson he learned in Italy.

The Danville Lady Tomahawks was one of the first all-African American women’s fastpitch softball teams, founded in the late 1960s in Danville, Illinois. The founder of this organization was Wilbur Adkisson, a professional baseball player, who played in the Negro Baseball League out of Nashville, Tennessee. In 1976, these ladies went from fastpitch to slow pitch and quickly became a traveling team in Illinois, Indiana, and even Tennessee. The Danville Lady Tomahawks were a strong force to be reckoned with, thriving as a team until the late 1990s. Over the course of all those years, Adkisson gave young African American women the opportunity to become involved in sports in their community for the first time in their lives. Black Diamond - Black Gold examines the early struggles of being an all-African American women’s softball team during an era when racism was still rampant. It highlights the women’s fortitude, resilience, and ability to adapt and play in any given situation. It showcases their strong commitment to the game, their team, and their community, where they instilled pride and joy. This book shows what dedication and devotion look like. It explores the strong bond that was developed between these young ladies, encouraged with loving guidance and leadership from Wilbur Adkisson.

Target: Assassin! The five members of Alpha Force are training in the Caribbean when an oil tanker runs aground, spilling oil - black gold - into the seas. Diving down to the stricken tanker, Alpha Force soon discover that all is not as it seems. But they will need all their skills and ingenuity - powerboating, scuba diving, jet skiing - when a bomb explodes and an assassin strikes . . . High-octane thrills from a master of adventure, bestselling author, TV presenter and an ex-SAS hero CHRIS RYAN. Includes Chris Ryan's top SAS tips on Safety and Survival in and around water.