When Christopher Columbus set out to discover the New World, was it because he wanted to serve the king and queen of Spain or because he wanted to escape them? Did he have stronger ties to Jerusalem than anyone suspected? Was Columbus actually a Jew fleeing the Spanish Inquisition? And could uncovering those secrets prevent international disaster in a world of terrorism today?

Secret Service agent John Winters is determined to find the answers in this riveting novel based on recent scholarly discoveries.

In The Columbus Code, Middle East historian and New York Times best-selling author Mike Evans uses rich story to unscramble a historical puzzle and remind us how the past is always a part of who we are.

Charting the history of the blues from its rural roots in the American South, and focusing on the key musicians and singers who brought it recognition worldwide, The Blues: A Visual History is a unique and fully illustrated account of the development of the blues. This deceptively simple, 12-bar musical form has become the common denominator that has driven the popular music of the last hundred years. As John Lee Hooker put it: "The music we play . . . that music is the roots. Rock music, everything else, is like a branch on the same tree. It all comes from the Blues."

Paul McCartney's songwriting output as a member of the Beatles, mainly with his co-writer John Lennon, has been exhaustively documented over the years. Now, taking 50 key songs from his five-decade career since the break-up of the Fab Four, Paul McCartney: The Stories Behind 50 Classic Songs takes an in-depth look at the post-Sixties work of one of popular music's most versatile and prolific composers and performers. Paul McCartney has been a genuine pop idol, a cutting-edge experimenter, and in later years recognized as an international musical treasure. The 50 selections from his vast songwriting catalogue highlighted in Paul McCartney: The Stories Behind 50 Classic Songs mark half a century of musical creativity by a true icon of popular music. Each song includes full session details, personnel lists and chart data and is described in detail, from original inspiration to the final release. Quotes from session musicians and studio personnel – and star guests such as Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello and Kanye West – bring the making of every song to life, alongside a wealth of related photographs in and out of the studio.

Tonga, the South Pacific island kingdom located east of Fiji and south of Samoa, is one of the world's few remaining constitutional monarchies. Although Tonga has long been linked to the world system through markets and political relationships, in the last few decades emerging regional and global structures have had particularly intense and transformative effects. Today, because of greatly increased labour migration, people, money, and resources are in constant circulation among Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.

In "Persistence of the Gift, " Evans provides a detailed ethnographic and historical analysis of how, in spite of superficial appearances to the contrary, traditional Tongan values continue to play key roles in the way that Tongans make their way in the modern world. But this ethnography is neither that of a timeless "ethnographic present" nor of a remote coral atoll. Instead, like the inhabitants of Tonga themselves, the monograph begins in the islands, and works outward, tracing how Tongans seek to meet their own, culturally specific goals, within the constraints, challenges, and opportunities of the world system.

Tongan culture, like our own, continues to transform in the face of global change, but the changes experienced by Tongans everywhere are patterned and managed by the values of Tongan agents. Both creative and conservative, the emerging transnationalist system continues to be discernibly and proudly Tongan.

For more than four decades, Leonard Cohen's mournful ballads of desire, heartbreak and lost faith have captivated audiences the world over. Now more popular than ever, the award-winning Canadian songwriter, novelist and poet is revered as a cultural icon and master of his craft.
Published to coincide with Cohen's 80th birthday in September 2014, this is the first complete guide to his studio and live albums -- from his studio debut, "Songs of Leonard Cohen" (1967), to his most recent record, "Old Ideas" (2012). Offering a comprehensive overview of each LP -- from writing and recording through to release and legacy -- "Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows" is a richly illustrated tribute to the body of recorded work that has made Cohen a legend in his own lifetime.

Before he starred for one of the most dynamic offenses in college and the pros, he had to survive middle school. Mike Evans is entering his eighth season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The three-time Pro Bowl selection is one of the NFL's most consistent and feared receivers. He played a key role in helping the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV, leading his team in every major receiving category during the regular season and catching 11 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the postseason. He and his wife, Ashli, started the Mike Evans Family Foundation in 2017, focusing on empowering youth, encouraging education, and taking a stand against domestic violence. The Middle School Rules of Mike Evans highlights the adversity Mike had to overcome in his childhood, the impact of growing up in Galveston (an island city on the Gulf Coast of Texas that was greatly affected by Hurricane Ike), and the people who shaped him most--especially after the devastating loss of his father.