FREE/BARGAIN - Non-Fiction - 2016

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Free

Q-Ships and Their Story by E. Keble Chatterton (1922)

Q-ships, also known as Q-boats, decoy vessels, special service ships, or mystery ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them.
They were used by the British Royal Navy (RN) during the First World War and by both the RN, the United States Navy and the German Kriegsmarine during the Second World War (1939-45).
Edward Keble Chatterton (1878-1944) was a sailor and prolific writer from Sheffield. His voyages across the English Channel, to the Netherlands, around the Mediterranean and through the French canals led to many articles and books. Joining the R.N.V.R. at the outbreak of WWI he commanded a motor launch flotilla, leaving the service in 1919 as a Lieutenant Commander.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0ZW41A/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M0ZW41A/
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01M0ZW41A/

I had looked up the term Q-ship when it was used in a book (I'm thinking one of the Honor Harrington ones), and I was fascinated by the story; so I am definitely snatching this one up. Thanks again for a great find!

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

I had looked up the term Q-ship when it was used in a book (I'm thinking one of the Honor Harrington ones), and I was fascinated by the story; so I am definitely snatching this one up. Thanks again for a great find!

Honor Among Enemies by David Weber

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Honor Among Enemies by David Weber

LOL. There ya go.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Free

Q-Ships and Their Story by E. Keble Chatterton (1922)...

Thanks for that. My now deceased father was on a cruiser tasked to hunt down an Axis Q-Ship operating in the Indian Ocean early in WWII. They found and sank it and saved all 100 plus members of the crew except for 2 who had been fatally injured in the engagement.

So getting this book free has a special interest for me.

[ATDrake]

X-link to the DRM-free thread for a Humble Bundle offering:

Humble Book Bundle Fan Faves + Digital Debuts presented by Make: contains even more of the popular DIY tech magazine's titles for hobbyist creators, with several new-to-bundle and new-to-digital offerings.

[rhari79]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

I didn't post Packt Publishing's free ebook of the day yesterday. I just haven't gotten any positive feedback (any feedback, for that matter) about the posts ....

But, if there is anyone out there who is interested in these freebies, let me leave you with two pieces of information.

Thanks much for this. I seem to have missed all the R book offers. But will keep watch on this henceforth.

[Little.Egret]

Add

Standard Oil Company: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Famous Monopoly

Mata Hari: The Controversial Life and Legacy of World War I's Most Famous Spy

Uruk: The History and Legacy of the Ancient World's First Major City

Charles River Editors, free

{still free}

The Formation of Saudi Arabia: The History of the Arabian Peninsula's Unification and the Discovery of Oil

Percy Fawcett and the Lost City of Z: The History of the Explorer's Mysterious Disappearance in Search of El Dorado

The Battle of Cloyd's Mountain: The History of the Civil War Battle that Split Virginia from the Western Theater during the Overland Campaign

The Virgin of Guadalupe: The History and Legacy of One of the Catholic Church's Most Venerated Images


https://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search...eractive+-kids

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?url=sear...eractive+-kids
https://www.amazon.ca/s/?url=search-...eractive+-kids

[sufue]

Two titles by Ernle Bradford have dropped to $1.99 at Kindle US and Kobo US (couponable). Both have been on sale before (since I have them).

I have read a couple of other titles by Bradford and quite enjoyed them, and am looking forward to reading these, although I read non-fiction at a rate of only about 1 non-fiction book to 10 mysteries. But eventually I'll get there!

Thermopylae: The Battle for the West - info and Amazon US link
in this previous post: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=3321208
Kobo US link: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/thermopylae-3

Hannibal
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J48FFJU
Kobo US: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/hannibal-28

Spoiler:

History has it that when Hannibal was a young boy, his father, ruler of Carthage, held his son over a fire and made him swear eternal enmity toward Rome. It was not necessary: The fire already burned in Hannibal’s breast. In time, that flame would destroy the flower of the Roman legions. In an almost unbelievable feat of courage and endurance, Hannibal led his army over the Pyrenees and Alps to challenge Rome’s hegemony. And he succeeded against astonishing odds. They clashed at last. In the Battle of Cannae, Hannibal’s foot soldiers, cavalry, and war elephants enveloped and massacred an army twice the size of his own contingent. In one of the bloodiest battles ever fought in all history, between fifty thousand and seventy thousand of Rome’s troops were massacred or captured.

[GtrsRGr8]

This is a book that I soooo wish was available on audio. I would much prefer to listen to it than read it. But, apparently, it is not--at least Audible doesn't have it. Ideally, it would be available as an (inexpensive) Whispersync deal. It's times like these that I have to remind myself of what a great, world-renowned philosopher once said, "you don't always get what you want" (Mick Jagger).

But it's a fiddle, not a violin! Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle! At least that's what all of my Bluegrass-playing buddies call it.

The topic is a fascinating one for me, even though I am not particularly musically-inclined. I am somewhat mechanically-inclined and historically-inclined, however, and therein may lie the the reasons for my interest. This book appears to be as much (or more) about building violins and the history of them, than the musical aspects.

The book is very highly rated.

And just look at the markdown--from a digital list price of $13.99 to $0.99 (93%!)! If the markdown were any greater, it'd be practically free!

The Violin Maker: A Search for the Secrets of Craftsmanship, Sound, and Stradivari. By John Marchese. Rated 4.6 stars, from 18 reviews at Amazon at the present moment; rated 3.92 from 202 ratings at GoodReads at the present moment. Print list price N/A; digital list price $13.99; Kindle price $0.99. HarperCollins e-books, publisher. 256 pages. https://www.amazon.com/Violin-Maker-.../dp/B0017SUYPA.

Book Description
How does a simple piece of wood become a violin, the king of instruments? Watch and find out as Eugene Drucker, a member of the world–renowned Emerson String Quartet, commissions Sam Zygmuntowicz, a Brooklyn craftsman, to make him a new violin. As he tells this extraordinary story, journalist John Marchese shares the rich lore of this beloved instrument and illuminates an art that has barely changed since the Renaissance.

Marchese takes readers from start to finish as Zygmuntowicz builds the violin, from the first selection of the wood, to the cutting of the back and belly, through the carving of the scroll and the fingerboard, to the placement of the sound peg. Though much of the story takes place in the craftsman's museum–like Brooklyn workshop, there are side trips across the river to the rehearsal rooms of Carnegie Hall and Lincoln center, and across the world. Stops on the itinerary include Cremona, Italy, the magical city where Antonio Stradivari (and a few of his contemporaries) achieved a level of violin–making perfection that has endured for centuries, as well as points in France and Germany integral to the history of the violin.

A stunning work of narrative nonfiction that's also a finely crafted, loving homage to the instrument that most closely approximates the human voice.

[sufue]

The Middle East by Bernard Lewis has dropped to $3.99 at Kindle US. It's subtitled "A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years" and although it IS a history of the last 2,000 years, I'm not sure I'd call it brief. I read it many years ago in DTB prior to and during a trip to the Middle East, and IMS it was about 600 pages in the edition I read - the ebook purports to be 448 pages. Still, if you're trying to cover 2.000 years, even at a few hundred pages, you have to cover several years per page . Although Lewis' political views bleed through very occasionally, it's still an enjoyable read, and I recommend it, especially at this price. It definitely gave me a better understanding of the history of the region, which is not usually well-taught in schools here.

link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00309CNI0

Spoiler:

In a sweeping and vivid survey, renowned historian Bernard Lewis charts the history of the Middle East over the last 2,000 years, from the birth of Christianity through the modern era, focusing on the successive transformations that have shaped it.

Drawing on material from a multitude of sources, including the work of archaeologists and scholars, Lewis chronologically traces the political, economical, social, and cultural development of the Middle East, from Hellenization in antiquity to the impact of westernization on Islamic culture. Meticulously researched, this enlightening narrative explores the patterns of history that have repeated themselves in the Middle East.

From the ancient conflicts to the current geographical and religious disputes between the Arabs and the Israelis, Lewis examines the ability of this region to unite and solve its problems and asks if, in the future, these unresolved conflicts will ultimately lead to the ethnic and cultural factionalism that tore apart the former Yugoslavia.

Elegantly written, scholarly yet accessible, The Middle East is the most comprehensive single volume history of the region ever written from the world’s foremost authority on the Middle East.

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Adding

Standard Oil Company: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Famous Monopoly

Mata Hari: The Controversial Life and Legacy of World War I's Most Famous Spy

Uruk: The History and Legacy of the Ancient World's First Major City

Charles River Editors, free

{still free}

The Formation of Saudi Arabia: The History of the Arabian Peninsula's Unification and the Discovery of Oil

Percy Fawcett and the Lost City of Z: The History of the Explorer's Mysterious Disappearance in Search of El Dorado

The Battle of Cloyd's Mountain: The History of the Civil War Battle that Split Virginia from the Western Theater during the Overland Campaign

The Virgin of Guadalupe: The History and Legacy of One of the Catholic Church's Most Venerated Images

See all


https://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search...eractive+-kids

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?url=sear...eractive+-kids
https://www.amazon.ca/s/?url=search-...eractive+-kids

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

See all


https://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search...eractive+-kids

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?url=sear...eractive+-kids
https://www.amazon.ca/s/?url=search-...eractive+-kids

Thanks for keeping us informed of the CRE freebies. I "buy" most of them.

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Thanks for keeping us informed of the CRE freebies. I "buy" most of them.

Glad you find them useful.

I sometimes forget so if you click daily you will never miss any.

https://www.amazon.com/s/?tag=mr060-...eractive+-kids

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Glad you find them useful.

I sometimes forget so if you click daily you will never miss any.

https://www.amazon.com/s/?tag=mr060-...eractive+-kids

Thanks for the web addy.

CRE reruns a lot of their previous offerings. So, when I mess up and miss out on a bunch one time, I feel that I'll have another chance at them sometime in the future.

While I'm thinking of it, I find it sooooo annoying when publishers repeat over and over promotion of a particular title, though. It seems that religious publishers may be the worst about it. And these are usually publishers that have a huge numbers of titles in print. I have a Bachelor's degree in Marketing, and I still don't understand the rationale (but the B.S. was long prior to public access to the Internet, digital books, etc. and therein may lie the reason for my bewilderment).

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

{. . . }

While I'm thinking of it, I find it sooooo annoying when publishers repeat over and over promotion of a particular title, though. It seems that religious publishers may be the worst about it. And these are usually publishers that have a huge numbers of titles in print. I have a Bachelor's degree in Marketing, and I still don't understand the rationale (but the B.S. was long prior to public access to the Internet, digital books, etc. and therein may lie the reason for my bewilderment).

Yes it is annoying, but they may be right or at least not wrong all the same.

Consider the vast number of non-customers who don't know much and don't pay much attention either. The repeats may be effective for converting them to customers. The same has been suggested for book covers, the regulars may dislike them or ignore them but they serve or can serve as a means of getting over the kind of book being offered and so avoiding poor-mouthing from those who don't like that kind of thing.