It is the mid-1980s, the era of so-called reformist apartheid, and South Africa is in flames. Police and military are gunning down children at the forefront of the liberation struggle. Far from such action, it seems, a small party of four is traveling by minibus to the north of the country, close to the border with Zimbabwe. Their aim is to shoot a documentary on the discovery of a prehistoric skull that Professor Digby Bamford boasts is evidence that, "True man first arose in southern Africa." Boozy, self-absorbed Professor Bamford is unaware that his young lover, Vicky, brings with her some complications. Rian, the videographer, was once in love with her, and his passion has been reignited. Bucs, a young man from the townships, is doing his best not to be involved in the increasingly deadly tensions. Powerful and provocative, brilliantly written, The Unspeakable is as unforgettable as it is unsettling. Told in the first person by Rian, it centers on the conflicted being of the white male under apartheid. Unlike many of the great novels of the era, it renounces any claim to the relative safety zone of moralistic dissociation from the racist crime against humanity, and cuts instead to the quick of complicity. It is sometimes said of Albert Camus's The Stranger that everything would have turned out very differently, had the murder only taken place "a few hundred miles to the south." This is that South with a vengeance.

It's Only the Enemy Screaming tells of one man's struggle with faith in the American experiment as the country's first made-for-media war unfolds. Perhaps I would be called upon to fight, I thought. I did not want to go. I did not want to sacrifice my life. I felt remorse for the boys who had already. What would be my family's reaction if I were to go and die? But these are not things to consider if you are in the desert with sand slipping away under your feet, cleaning your gun, smelling the oil, staring in the face of your enemy. The preparations of a warrior do not include doubt. They do not include consideration of the life left behind. The preparations of a warrior consist of absolute commitment, undaunted determination, and complete sobriety. All other considerations are made before the decision to go to war. If they are not, the warrior is doomed. 'It's Only the Enemies Screaming is the emotionally intense story of one man's descent into the psychological underbelly of American culture during the Persian Gulf War. spectator's view during the first Iraq conflict couldn't be timelier - but his ultimate focus transcends the political moment. It is a riveting, occasionally hallucinogenic, and always intelligent portrait of America's love affair with violence. - Michael Lynch, author of True to Life.

On March 12, 1938, the German Army marched into Austria, greeted enthusiastically by much of the population, making the country part of Nazi Germany. Overnight, 200,000 Austrian Jews were turned from citizens into hated and hunted outsiders, unprotected by law or custom.

Jacob Abels is one of them; a young Jewish man in beautiful Vienna, immersed in the youthful world of friendships and new love. Suddenly, his familiar and beguiling city is a place of danger and fear.

"Vienna Farewell" is the story of people-Gentiles and Jews, Nazis and anti-Nazis, rich and poor, young and old-lives and fates intertwined, trying in many different ways to make their personal adjustments to this new historical reality; some by attempting to escape abroad, others by resigned and hopeless waiting for the improbable return of better days, and others-Nazis and their allies-by taking brutal advantage of their newly won powers.

David Jordan, drawing on his personal experiences, describes the actions and motivations of his contemporaries with the clarity of the inside observer who "knows his Viennese." Part history, part novel, "Vienna Farewell" shines a revealing light on a place in a time of darkness.

In 1953, Alfonso Candela is a likeable rogue who loves his privileged life in Santiago de Cuba. Unfortunately, Fidel Castro has other plans for him.

As the Cuban Revolution takes root and irrevocably tears at the fabric of Alfonso's personal paradise, he and his family attempt to go about their daily lives, despite the mounting threats that surround them. When approached by a rebel who wants their weekend home to help dethrone Batista in the name of democracy, the Candelas are seemingly left with no choice but to comply. His wife, Mirta, befriends Teodora, who channels her interest in her neighbors' affairs into revolutionary purpose and tries to recruit Alfonso to join the militia. With their family splintered and in exile, the Candelas must reinvent their lives in an alien land. But when Castro finally opens the gates of Mariel, Alfonso returns, intent on seeking redemption.

In this historical saga, the essence of the Cuban Revolution is captured through one family's eyes as they reflect on a life that could have been and the generation that must create a new paradise in exile.

"When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again" spotlights the stories of three soldiers in three wars.

Three soldiers. Each someone's Johnny. Father, son. Brother, cousin. Husband, lover. Just plain buddy.

Three conflicts. Civil War, pitting brother against brother, North against South, Yank against Johnny Reb. Vietnam War, North-South strife with Orwellian overtones. War on Terror, Afghanistan theater.

Three life-and-death stories in screenplay format:

'Owl Creek Bridge," based on the Civil War stories of Ambrose Bierce, and expanded to feature-film length by incorporating the Siege of Vicksburg.

'Sleeping With Charlie," adapted from the author's short story 'Cu Chi."

'Dawn's Early Light," P.O.W. drama inspired by a Leo Tolstoy tale and a cinematic rendition thereof by Sergei Bodrov Senior.

Everyone says Pete Cardinal sounds just like John Wayne on the radio. People who have never seen him are often surprised to meet a six-foot mustang lieutenant instead of a six-four admiral. Leaving San Diego with just a year to go before retirement, he's headed to a cushy desk job in Memphis. Or so he thinks...

Pilots Jerry and Psycho are just getting a handle on their secret mission's special weapons and tactics when a crash landing ruins their day. Also ruined is the career of the guy who put bad fuel in their plane as well as Pete's plan for an easy year in Memphis. Bidding his family a hasty goodbye, he heads for a bay in Vietnam where he isn't sure he will live to see tomorrow. With Pete's support from the mother ship, Jerry and Psycho can focus on their mission, eliminating North Vietnamese supply boats using an obsolete seaplane meant for hunting submarines.

In this military tale, things that actually happened meld with war stories (things that might have happened) to bring to life a little known episode from the Vietnam War.

Unable to find work in London in 1771, Samuel Daniels comes to America as an indentured servant to farmer Silas Weatherby. Although Weatherby is nothing but generous and kind, Samuel wants more in life than the lowly position of farmhand. But he will not repay Weatherby's kindness by breaking his agreement, and he stays on until his indenture is fulfilled.

Meanwhile, rebellion rages through the colonies, and Samuel sees his chance to secure his future. He joins the Continental Army, and his fi rst day in camp forms a friendship with a man named Spencer. A few days later, outside Hartford, Connecticut, he befriends a twelve-year-old orphan and forms another lasting friendship. Th ough life as a soldier isn't what he thought it would be, Samuel savors his independence and earning his own income. But the reality of war intrudes as they struggle against the cold and the British.

Wounded at Saratoga, Samuel is cared for by the beautiful Mary Elizabeth-and he can't help but fall in love with her. But she is promised to Samuel's good friend and fellow soldier, Jeptha Isaacson. Confused and tormented, Samuel decides to return to his unit before he is fully healed.

Dark days lie ahead on the battlefield, and now, Samuel must fight for the birth of a new nation, one where he will finally find true freedom.

Set in the early 19th century amid the ships and seamen of a nascent United States Navy, Lieutenant Matty Graves is recovering from his ordeal during the slave rebellion in the French Caribbean colony of Saint-Domingue when he is ordered to Washington to answer questions about the death of his former captain. On home soil he must deal with the mystery and shame surrounding his birth as well as the attractions of his best friend's sister. But when he is offered a command of his own, he seizes the opportunity to seek his fortune and make a name for himself, even if it means destroying those closest to him.