Presents a reconstruction of the eighteenth-century empress's life that covers her efforts to engage Russia in the cultural life of Europe, her creation of the Hermitage, and her numerous scandal-free romantic affairs.

Paris, 1938. As the shadow of war darkens Europe, democratic forces on the Continent struggle against fascism and communism, while in Spain the war has already begun. Alan Furst, whom Vince Flynn has called "the most talented espionage novelist of our generation," now gives us a taut, suspenseful, romantic, and richly rendered novel of spies and secret operatives in Paris and New York, in Warsaw and Odessa, on the eve of World War II. Cristián Ferrar,...

"Describes disgusting details about daily life in the Middle Ages, including housing, food, and sanitation"--Provided by publisher.

"1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind. Seeking help, Hannah joins...

"Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this powerful debut novel reveals an incredible story of love, redemption, and terrible secrets that were hidden for decades. New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline's world is forever changed when Hitler's army invades Poland in September 1939--and then sets its sights on France. An ocean away from...

Looks behind fortress walls to explore how they were built to house hundreds of people and animals, the important rooms, the people who lived in them, and what castle life was like.

"In 1784, travel wrenched Thomas Jefferson out of the darkest period of his life. He sailed to France a broken man, but on the road, he rediscovered a world of hidden beauty and penned a guide he called Hints for Americans Traveling in Europe. During a crisis of his own, Derek Baxter dares himself to follow Jefferson's route. On a series of journeys (piloting a Dutch canal boat, hiking the French Alps, and fishing in the Atlantic), Baxter follows...