New Releases by Michael Grant

Lieutenant Neal Devlin is not only the best sharpshooter in the NYPD, he’s also skilled at shooting off his mouth. This time it gets him bounced off an elite SWAT team and into cop Siberia—the Traffic Division. Rather than face a slow death there, he takes a job as a security chief for Taggert Industries, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in a Manhattan skyscraper. “How hard can it be?” he wonders. This hard: In less than two weeks Devlin will discover that a killer is targeting the company’s CEO and that the building is accessible to entry and sabotage at a hundred critical points. With the help of a feisty and tough-talking female computer specialist and an ex-con, Devlin scrambles to secure the building’s severely vulnerable security system. And in less than three weeks, after a series of mysterious “accidental” deaths of certain employees, the killer will be revealed as a world-class assassin, expert at penetrating the most sophisticated security system. A highly sensitive deal-in-the-works prevents Devlin from going to the police, though all his instincts scream for him to do so. With time running out and bodies piling up, Devlin finds himself trapped at the summit of the skyscraper pitting his skills against a well-armed madman with nothing left to lose. Retribution features a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at high-tech surveillance and executive protection; an affecting portrait of a hard-edged loner, Neal Devlin, who believes he has just one more chance to get it right; and a frightening bathyscaph descent into a modern corporation where “acceptable causalities” has secured a foothold. At once an electrifying cat-and-mouse thriller and a parable of cost/benefit accounting taken to its extreme, this is a page-turning fiction at its best.

In the thrilling second book of the Magnificent 12 series, Mack MacAvoy is challenged by his spectral mentor, Grimluk—who only appears in the shiny chrome pipes of bathrooms. Mack must find the ancient ones, the great forgotten forces. Some will help; some not so much. But above all— Learn the ways of Vargran! Assemble the twelve! Go to the nine dragons of Daidu. Go to the Egge rocks. Beware of . . . the trap. Time is short! The wicked Pale Queen’s three-thousand-year banishment ends in thirty-five days, and she will be free to destroy the world. It’s up to Mack to stop her return. But what do all of Grimluk’s clues mean? Can Mack achieve everything he must do without getting killed by the evil Risky—and escape the trap? The Magnificent 12: The Trap is another fast-paced episode in bestselling author Michael Grant’s hilarious fantasy-adventure series.

Mack Macavoy, a seriously average twelve-year-old boy, is faced with a difficult decision when a three-thousand-year-old man appears in the boys'' bathroom and informs him that he is one of the Magnificent Twelve and is needed to find his eleven teammates and save the world.

Sometimes One Hero Isn’t Enough Mack MacAvoy suffers from a serious case of mediumness. Medium looks. Medium grades. And with a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy, Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life. And then one day a three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears and delivers some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent 12. An evil force is on its way and it’s up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds to stop it. He will battle the wicked Ereskigal, also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary and Mack doesn’t want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, was also a scholar, murderer, lover of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony and one of the most remarkable women in history. The distinguished historian and classicist Michael Grant confirms that her reputation as a temptress was well-founded. However, by unravelling the sources behind the tangle of myth, gossip and invention he shows that the popular image of a wayward woman opting for a life of sensuous luxury and neglecting her affairs of state is far from the truth. A brilliant linguist and the first of her Greek-speaking dynasty who learned Egyptian, she was reputed to be the author of treatises on agriculture, make-up and alchemy. Her love affairs were carefully calculated to further her plans to restore her empire to its former greatness and she was a ruthless foe to all who stood in her way. But dead on her golden couch in the palace at Alexandria her life seemed to have ended in failure; her dreams of empire shattered; her lover Mark Antony a suicide himself and she a prisoner of her conqueror Octavian. An unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary queen and her stormy life.

Saint Paul was not only a religious figure of exceptional power but one of the outstanding makers of history. This is the biography of a man who profoundly influenced people of widely divergent beliefs, races and epochs. Without the spiritual earthquake brought about by St Paul, Christianity would probably never have survived. Yet Paul''s importance extends very widely beyond the religious field. His effect upon Western thought has been immeasurable. This is the man Michael Grant has described in his book. Paul''s own authentic voice can still be heard in his surviving letters or Epistles, which not only contain numerous autobiographical clues, but are the earliest Christian documents in existence and rank high among the most valuable literature the world has ever produced. Dr Grant considers in detail this extant literature, along with material of Paul''s four evangelical journeys and discusses the reasons for his spectacular conversion on the road to Damascus. As in The Jews of the Roman World and Herod the Great, he brings together research on Israel on the one hand and Greece and Rome on the other, believing that it is necessary to study these cultures in conjunction, since Paul was a Jew who wrote in Greek and was a Roman citizen. The aim of this book, then, is to bring to life this many sided human being of outstanding and peculiar gifts.

An informative and accessible guide to the Roman world. Grant is ''justly recognised as an expert and civilized guide to the ancient world'' THE ECONOMIST The Romans changed the Western world and theirs became the first golden age. This is their empire of magnificence and corruption; the republic, the dictators and the slaves; the civilization and the Pax Romana, the brutality and the collapse.

Plague, Michael Grant''s fourth book in the bestselling Gone series, will satisfy dystopian fans of all ages. It''s been eight months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. They''ve survived hunger. They''ve survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach. But enemies in the FAYZ don''t just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they''ll escape—or even survive—life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love? “Grant’s sf-fantasy thrillers continue to be the very definition of a page-turner.” —ALA Booklist Read the entire series: Gone Hunger Lies Plague Fear Light Monster Villain Hero

The third book in Michael Grant''s New York Times bestselling Gone series, Lies is another heart-in-your-throat page-turner, both chilling and thought-provoking. It''s been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach, and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness—or so they thought. As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free? “Disturbing, brilliantly plotted, and boasting a balanced mix of action and scheming.” —ALA Booklist Read the entire series: Gone Hunger Lies Plague Fear Light Monster Villain Hero

The second book in Michael Grant''s New York Times bestselling Gone series, Hunger is a thrilling, action-packed story that is impossible to put down. It''s been three months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. Food ran out weeks ago and starvation is imminent. Meanwhile, the normal teens have grown resentful of the kids with powers. And when an unthinkable tragedy occurs, chaos descends upon the town. There is no longer right and wrong. Each kid is out for himself and even the good ones turn murderous. But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them. The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry. “Readers will be unable to avoid involuntarily gasping, shuddering, or flinching while reading this suspense-filled story.” —Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review) Read the entire series: Gone Hunger Lies Plague Fear Light Monster Villain Hero

The first in New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant''s breathtaking dystopian sci-fi saga, Gone is a page-turning thriller that invokes the classic The Lord of the Flies along with the horror of Stephen King. In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young. There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what''s happened. Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It''s a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: on your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else. . . . “A potent mix of action and thoughtfulness—centered around good and evil, courage and cowardice—renders this a tour de force that will leave readers dazed, disturbed, and utterly breathless.” —ALA Booklist (starred review) Read the entire series: Gone Hunger Lies Plague Fear Light Monster Villain Hero

Who''s Who in Classical Mythology is the most complete and detailed reference book of its kind. It offers scholarly, yet accessible accounts of those mythological tales surrounding such gods as Apollo, Zeus, Athena and Dionysus, and mortals such as Achilles, Odysseus, Jason, Aeneas, Romulus and Remus and Tarquin. It contains over 1200 extensive entries, covering both Greek and Roman characters, providing detailed biographical information, together with historical and geographical background. In addition there are comprehensive genealogical trees of important mythological families and a detailed list of all Greek and Latin writers referred to in the text.

It is today widely accepted that we do not get the whole truth from any historian. Greek and Roman Historians considers the work of ancient historians such as Herotudus, Tacitus and Thucydides in the the light of this attitude. In an enlightening new study, Michael Grant argues that misinformation, even deliberate disinformation, is abundant in their writings. Grant, one of the world''s greatest writers of ancient history, suggests new ways of reading and interpreting the ancient historians which maximise their usefulness as source material. He demonstrates how the evidence they provide can be augmented by the use of other, literary and non-literary, sources. Greek and Roman Historians shows us how we can use written history to learn about the ancient world, even if our conclusions are not those its historians intended. The author argues that their work remains our most important source of information, once we have learned to question and incorporate their imperfect regard for the truth. Grant''s account is an indispensible guide to the sources and their interpretation for all students of ancient history.

"Discover the fascinating history of the Roman emperors who were afflicted with physical and psychological ailments -- and the likely impact that these illnesses had upon their reigns. Included: Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Domitian, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Caracalla, Diocletian, Constantine."--Amazon.com.

Fascinating and readable biography by a great populariser of classical civilisation. Directly responsible for momentuos transformwations of the Imperial scene, Constantine will always be famous as the 1st Christian Emperor of Rome, and for refounding ancient Byzantium as Constantinople - events which rank amongst the most significant in history. In art, politics, economics and particularly in religion, the life of Constantine acts as a bridge between past and present. Was he the last notable Roman Emperor, or the first medieval monarch ? Was the Great convert a saunt and hero, or should we regard him as a murderer who killed his wife, his eldest son , and many of his friends to further his own ambitions? These are just some of the issues that are raised in thos stimulating biography.

A dazzling reinterpretation of one of the most momentous events in the history of the western world.

"Gladiators, an exciting account of the ancient Roman institution of arena combat, traces the bloody 800-year history of the bustuarii from their rise during the third century B.C. to their eventual abolition at the end of the fifth century A.D. The popularity of gladiatorial combat dramatizes the paradox of Roman civilization: poets, philosophers, and politicians glorifying this brutal and savage institution in a culture remarkable for its contributions to government, law, literature, philosophy, and art--a culture that was a cornerstone of Western civilization. Although no amount of explanation can mitigate the savagery, in some ways good things came out of this almost-supreme evil. It brought forth countless acts if individual courage, it created one of the world''s greatest architectural forms, and it inspired a number of thoughtful men to write down violent protests that stood firm against this overwhelming tide of brutality. Illustrations of mosaics, statuettes, reliefs, and the remains of arenas and amphitheaters illuminate the text."--Provided by publisher

A biography of the apostle and leader of the early Christians, based on scholarship in anthropology, archaeology, literature, philosophy, and religion. Includes sections on his relationship with Jesus, his role as a leader, and his death and burial-place.

Grant offers a study of the primary historians of Greece and Rome, discussing the works and methods of the founders of the historical discipline. These philosophers studied history as a moral discipline that bears meaningfully not only on the past but on future human conduct.

"The Emperor Constantine was one of the great, charismatic figures of the ancient world. He was directly responsible for two momentous transformations that greatly affected our history and civilization: the founding of Constantinople as the Roman capital and the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity. With knowledge gained from modern research in all relevant fields, including archaeology, papyrology, and art history, Michael Grant traces the controversies that surround this intriguing ruler back to their very beginnings. He draws a compelling portrait of Constantine, assessing the emperor''s achievements as a general in command of his armies and as a resourceful politician and reformer." "In art, politics, economics, social developments, and particularly in religion, the life of Constantine acts as a bridge between past and present. Michael Grant goes beyond the bias of literary sources and reveals the private man behind the public persona: the superstitious beliefs underpinning Constantine''s hallucinatory visions and dreams that heralded his conversion to Christianity; his persecution of paganism in the name of Christianity that set precedents for centuries to come; and the relationship between church and state that gave way to the totalitarianism of the Late Roman Empire. Was he the last notable Roman emperor, or the first medieval monarch? Was the great convert a saint and hero, or should we regard him as a murderer who killed his wife, his eldest son, and many of his friends to further his own ambitions? These are just some of the issues raised in this revelatory biography."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Demonstrates the vital role played by archaeology in understanding ancient Greeks and romans.

Drawing on recent techniques practiced in archaeology and anthropology, Michael Grant reveals the ancient Greece and Rome of the common people--men and women citizens as well as slaves and freedmen and women--and adds a human dimension to more standard accounts of political and military events. "Grant blows the dust off our timeworn images. . . ".--Publishers Weekly.

This book discusses not only the fictional myths,fairy-tales & folk-tales but also the sagas and legends which have some historical basis.These myths are as important as their history for us to understand their beliefs.

In this biography of Nero, Michael Grant penetrates the mists of ancient myth and fantasy, and paints a balanced picture of Nero, man and emperor. Ruler of the gigantic Roman Empire at a time of great material and cultural splendor, he refused to fit into the traditional mold. Preferring Greek custom to Roman, he was an enlightened patron of the visual arts and passionately fond of athletics, music and the theatre. It was unprecedented for a ruler to attach more importance to his role as artist than to affairs of state. And this, inevitably, contributed to Nero''s downfall -- but not for fourteen years. Meanwhile, whenever he was frightened for his own safety, he murdered. But the vast majority of the peoples of the Empire remained unaffected by his acts of violence, and in some areas he was acclaimed for the good sense of his government. It remains for Michael Grant to explore the legend of Rome''s most infamous emperor. -- From publisher''s description.

Written by eminent classical scholar Michael Grant. The Ancient Mediterranean is a wonderfully revealing, unusually comprehensive history of all the peoples who lived around the Mediterranean from about 15,000 B.C. to the time of Constantine (306-337 A.D.). Many volumes, including Professor Grant''s own previous works, trace the histories of the great civilizations of Greece and Rome. But this unique work looks at the influences and cultures of the entire region, including Egypt, Israel, Crete, Carthage, Ionia and the Eastern colonies. Syria, and the Etruscans, as well as the Greek and Roman states. Drawing on archaeology, geography, anthropology, and economics. Professor Grant shows how the great Oriental civilizations—Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia—originated attitudes and institutions ultimately passed on to the West. He describes the effect on the people and their achievements of the long, irregular coastline, the mountainous terrain surrounding small fertile plains, the typical plant life of olive and grape, and the rapidly changing weather. Further, he investigates how the demographic factors around this deep and stormy sea caused or influenced the great periods of ancient history, such as that of fifth-century Athens and of Rome in the first century A.D. Appealing and fascinating reading, this impeccably researched history brings a fresh perspective to understanding our ancient heritage.

Grant has brought together all the diverse achievements of the Roman people that he considers the most fundamental to our understanding of Rome''s dominant role in the evolution of our modern world: the magnificence and corruption; the republic, the dictators and the slaves, the civilization and Pax Romana, the brutality and the collapse, Rome at the time of her unequalled power from 133 B.C. to 217 A.D. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

This useful companion to classical history reveals the ancient world, from Scotland to India and from Spain to the Black Sea, through the numerous sites of its history and legends. Covering nations, provinces, cities, towns, rivers, seas, straits, mountains, plains, and battle sites, the author describes about 900 historically significant places in Europe, Asia, and Africa.