In 480 B.C., Xerxes I, king of the Persian Empire, led a vast and uncountable army intent on the domination of Europe. Only a tiny collection of Greek city-states stood in his path. At Thermopylae the Persians annihilated a small holding force commanded by King Leonidas of Sparta, then quickly marched on to Athens, reducing the city to ruins. Outnumbered and beset by treachery, Sparta, Athens and their allies gathered near the town of Plataea for one final battle. The future of Western civilization hung on the outcome. "In Kithairon's Shadow" is the story of five men from ancient Greece and the parts they would play in determining their future, and ours.

This book is written to acknowledge the Year of The Blues, 2003. The story is set in the south during the late 1950's. A teenager from New England joins the carnival and meets a girl while traveling through Alabama. They befriend an aging black blues musician and vow to get him recorded. Oblivious to the challenges of the southern culture and the music industry they are undaunted in their determination to get him a record deal. The perils they face bond them closer together as they travel throughout the south. The fact that it is written by a career musician lends the story more authenticity.

ChessBase Step-by-Step There's a general recognition among chess players at all levels that the ChessBase software application is critical for serious chess improvement, but many chess players are intimidated by the software. Now, for the first time, former U.S. correspondence champion Jon Edwards has created real-life scenarios that focus upon why the software is so important for chess players of every class, along with clear explanations of how to use ChessBase. The author will show you how, with ChessBase: (1) Opening preparation is quick, comprehensive, fully-up-to-date, and effective; (2) You can quickly locate and review important games in every opening, middlegame type, and endgame; (3) You can instantly see what worldwide engines think about most opening and many middlegame positions; (4) You can instantly see where you and your opponents erred; (5) You can reliably prepare chess books for publication in print or on the web... And much, much more There is in fact no aspect of using ChessBase which Edwards does not cover. It is all here, and all in one volume Know simply that ChessBase is instrumental to every aspect of chess. This book explains how the software can help you to improve your play, your learning, your teaching, your writing, or simply your love of and enthusiasm for the game. Jon Edwards explains all that you will need to know with concrete examples and simple instructions. After that, how strong a chess player, how good a chess teacher, how good a chess author you become is truly up to you.

"HEART SHAPED BOX: An EdwardianJackal Anthology" by Jon Edwards is the second in a series of combined short works. This edition explores the progression of love as triumph, but only in defeat. The purest form of love is that which asks nothing for itself.

In 480 B.C., Xerxes I, king of the Persian Empire, led a vast and uncountable army intent on the domination of Europe. Only a tiny collection of Greek city-states stood in his path. At Thermopylae the Persians annihilated a small holding force commanded by King Leonidas of Sparta, then quickly marched on to Athens, reducing the city to ruins. Outnumbered and beset by treachery, Sparta, Athens and their allies gathered near the town of Plataea for one final battle. The future of Western civilization hung on the outcome. "In Kithairon's Shadow" is the story of five men from ancient Greece and the parts they would play in determining their future, and ours.

Four hundred years ago, an Italian chess master, Gioachino Greco, discovered anextraordinary bishop sacrifice on h7 that often leads to checkmate or asignificant material advantage. More amazing still, he recorded the idea This book chronicles the history of that idea, what many have come tocall the Classic Bishop sacrifice, from its discovery and formativeyears through its remarkably complex uses in modern chess.During the past century, several annotators have attempted to explainthe circumstances under which the sacrifice works, and when it doesnt.Edwards reviews their efforts and, in a spectacular ninth chapter, provides a modern classification. His taxonomy of the sacrifice iscomprehensive and full of pleasant surprises for beginners and even accomplishedmasters.This book represents a thematic approach to chess tactics and strategy.Careful readers will suddenly discover that they are able, quickly andaccurately, to see 5-10 moves or more ahead in these lines.Here you will find hundreds of carefully annotated games. Learn frombrilliant moves and strategies; and take full advantage of othersinstructive mistakes.