Books with author Michael Schur

A dramatic, deeply informed account of one of the most consequential elections and periods in American history 1968—rife with riots, assassinations, anti–Vietnam War protests, and realpolitik—was one of the most tumultuous years in the twentieth century, culminating in one of the most consequential presidential elections in American history. The Contest tells the story of that contentious election and that remarkable year. Bringing a fresh perspective to events that still resonate half a century later, this book is especially timely, giving us the long view of a turning point in American culture and politics.Author Michael Schumacher sets the stage with a deep look at the people with important roles in the unfolding drama: Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert F. Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, George Wallace, Richard Nixon, and especially Hubert H. Humphrey, whose papers and journals afford surprising new insights. Following these politicians in the lead-up to the primaries, through the chaotic conventions, and down the home stretch to the general election, The Contest combines biographical and historical details to create a narrative as intimate in human detail as it is momentous in scope and significance.An election year when the competing forces of law and order and social justice were on the ballot, the Vietnam War divided the country, and the liberal regime begun with Franklin D. Roosevelt was on the defensive, 1968 marked a profound shift in the nation’s culture and sense of itself. Thorough in its research and spellbinding in the telling, Schumacher’s book brings sharp focus to that year and its lessons for our current critical moment in American politics.

Nicholas Flamel appeared in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series—but did you know he really lived? And he might still be alive today! Discover the truth behind Michael Scott’s New York Times bestselling series the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel with “Aoife and Scathach, Shadow Twins,” an ebook original that includes two short stories. Discover two lost stories from the life of the Shadow Twins, Scathach and Aoife, told now for the first time. . . . “Aoife of the Shadows” Lost on a distant Shadowrealm, Aoife is tempted by a crystal skull older than most civilizations. If she worships it, she will be given the power to kill her twin sister, Scathach. “Scathach the Shadow in the Land of Youth” The Warrior Maid Scathach is hiding out in a dangerous Shadowrealm, the Land of Youth, and must use all her skills to prevent a war. “Fans of adventure fantasies like Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series will eat this one up.” —VOYA Read the whole series! The Alchemyst The Magician The Sorceress The Necromancer The Warlock The Enchantress

Dr John Dee has destroyed Paris in his mission to find Nicholas Flamel and Sophie and Josh Newman. The two missing pages of the book of Abraham the Mage are still with them and the Dark Elders need them for the Final Summoning. They will not rest until they are in power and the human race has been destroyed.Nicholas Flamel knows he must protect Josh and Sophie and the pages from the Dark Elders. For this he must rely on Clarent - the sister sword to Excalibur - and the sword's evil power makes it nearly impossible to use without darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.What will be the price to pay for the twins to remain protected and the Dark Elders to be defeated?

A planet on strike, an alien love triangle, and a giant politician-eating artichoke: Galactic Senator Plunkitt is, literally and figuratively, up a tree. The trouble began when Plunkitt’s old school chum Flotsam Drang—a startlingly malodorous Denebian with an insatiable appetite for the pleasures of the flesh—set his eye-stalks upon the worst possible paramour: the secret tweet-heart of the planet Tree's most powerful bird.Their unlikely rivalry soon draws Plunkitt into a thicket of insider trading schemes, labor negotiations, and political skulduggery as dense and impenetrable as the rapacious jungles of Tree itself. But it's the Senator’s own knack for turning a bad situation worse that lands him, Flotsam, and Tree's favorite tweet-heart in deadly peril.Naturally, it falls to your humble narrator Jobs, armed only with a million-credit brain and a ten-credit weed-whacker, to untangle the threads, rescue the Senator, and deliver the planet Tree from itself.

Nicholas Flamel appeared in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter—but did you know he really lived? And he might still be alive today! Discover the truth in Michael Scott’s New York Times bestselling series the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel with the first three books: The Alchemyst, The Magician, and The Sorceress.   The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330.   The legend: Nicholas Flamel discovered the secret of eternal life.     The records show that he died in 1418.   But his tomb is empty.   Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries.    The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it.    Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.    Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.   “[A] A riveting fantasy…While there is plenty here to send readers rushing to their encyclopedias…those who read the book at face value will simply be caught up in the enthralling story. A fabulous read.”—SLJ, Starred   Read the whole series! The Alchemyst The Magician The Sorceress The Necromancer The Warlock The Enchantress

Nicholas Flamel appeared in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter—but did you know he really lived? And he might still be alive today! Discover the truth in Michael Scott’s New York Times bestselling series the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel with the first three books: The Alchemyst, The Magician, and The Sorceress. The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. The legend: Nicholas Flamel discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty. Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time. “[A] A riveting fantasy…While there is plenty here to send readers rushing to their encyclopedias…those who read the book at face value will simply be caught up in the enthralling story. A fabulous read.”—SLJ, Starred Read the whole series! The Alchemyst The Magician The Sorceress The Necromancer The Warlock The Enchantress

Book Three in The New York Times bestselling series.Nicholas Flamel's heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was destroyed by Dee and Machiavelli, but Flamel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flamel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders.But Nicholas grows weaker with each passing day. Perenelle is still trapped in Alcatraz, and now that Scatty has gone missing, the group is without protection. Except for Clarent—the twin sword to Excalibur. But Clarent’s power is unthinkable, its evil making it nearly impossible to use without its darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.If he hopes to defeat Dee, Nicholas must find an Elder who can teach Josh and Sophie the third elemental magic—Water Magic. The problem? The only one who can do that is Gilgamesh, and he is quite, quite insane. Favorite Moments from the First Two Books in the Series The Alchemyst Twins, Sophie and Josh discover that Nicholas Flamel is alive - and living in San Francisco. The magical battle in the bookshop between Flamel and his enemy, Dr John Dee. A terrifying chase across the Golden Gate bridge. The twins enters a Shadowrealm, the world of the Three-Faced Goddess. Although this series is set in the contemporary world, Scott occasionally steps out into fully realized magical landscapes populated by characters and creatures from world mythology. The battle in the Shadowrealm. And then south to Ojai to meet a famous Elder. Unfortunately, Dee arrives there too and the scene is set for the final battle The Magician Magically transported to Paris, France, the twins encounter another of Flamel's enemies: Niccolo Machiavelli. Protected by the ancient warrior Scathach, they are rescued by Flamel's old student, a master of fire. When Dee arrives in Paris he calls upon an ancient prehistoric creature to attack St Germain's house. Scott draws upon his vast knowledge of world mythology to conjure up one of the great monsters and the chase across Paris is thrilling. In the catacombs beneath the city, they encounter The Sleeping God and Josh is made a dangerous offer. And finally, before Notre Dame Cathedral, Scott once again mixes the real and the magical to fashion and extraordinary and thrilling climax.

The fourth book in the New York Times bestselling series The Secrets of the Nicholas Flamel--The Necromancer San Francisco:After fleeing to Ojai, then Paris, and escaping to London, Josh and Sophie Newman are finally home. And after everything they've seen and learned in the past week, they're both more confused than ever about their future. Neither of them has mastered the magics they'll need to protect themselves from the Dark Elders, they've lost Scatty, and they're still being pursued by Dr. John Dee. Most disturbing of all, however, is that now they must ask themselves, can they trust Nicholas Flamel? Can they trust anyone? Alcatraz:Dr. Dee underestimated Perenelle Flamel's power. Alcatraz could not hold her, Nereus was no match for her, and she was able to align herself with the most unlikely of allies. But she wasn't the only one being held on the island. Behind the prison's bars and protective sigils were a menagerie of monsters-an army for Dee to use in the final battle. And now Machiavelli has come to Alcatraz to loose those monsters on San Francisco.Perenelle might be powerful, but each day she weakens, and even with Nicholas back at her side, a battle of this size could be too much for her. Nicholas and Perenelle must fight to protect the city, but the effort will probably kill them both. London:Having been unable to regain the two final pages of the Codex, Dee has failed his Elder and is now an outlaw-and the new prey of all the creatures formerly sent to hunt down Flamel.But Dee has a plan. With the Codex and the creatures on Alcatraz, he can control the world. All he needs is the help of the Archons. But for his plan to work, he must raise the Mother of the Gods from the dead. For that, he'll have to train a necromancer. And the twins of legend will make the perfect pupils. . . .

National Book Critics Circle Award FinalistIn this stunning volume of epic breadth, Michael Schmidt connects the lives and works of more than 300 poets over the last 700 years--spanning distant shores from Scotland to Australia to the Caribbean, all sharing the English language. Schmidt reveals how each poet has transformed "a common language of poetry" into the rustic rhythms and elegiac ballads, love sonnets, and experimental postmodern verse that make up our lyrical canon.A comprehensive guided tour that is lively and always accessible, Lives of the Poets illuminates our most transcendent literary tradition.

Nicholas Flamel appeared in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter—but did you know he really lived? And he might still be alive today! Discover the truth in Michael Scott’s New York Times bestselling series the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel with The Enchantress, book six. The two that are one must become the one that is all. One to save the world, one to destroy it. Sophie and Josh Newman traveled ten thousand years into the past to Danu Talis when they followed Dr. John Dee and Virginia Dare. And it’s on this legendary island that the battle for the world begins and ends. Scathach, Prometheus, Palamedes, Shakespeare, Saint-Germain, and Joan of Arc are also on the island. And no one is sure what—or who—the twins will be fighting for. Today the battle for Danu Talis will be won or lost. But will the twins of legend stand together? Or will they stand apart—one to save the world and one to destroy it."The pacing never lets up, and the individual set pieces are fine mixtures of sudden action, heroic badinage and cliffhanger cutoffs."-Kirkus ReviewsRead the whole series! The Alchemyst The Magician The Sorceress The Necromancer The Warlock The Enchantress

The amazing, perilous, sometimes hilarious adventures of Samuel Clemens on the Moon continue in The Deirdre, book two of the Mark Twain on the Moon saga.At the end of book one, Prospectors!, Sam and his partner Calvin found themselves stranded in a remote crater, down to their last cylinder of air.In book two, they are dramatically rescued by the men of The Deirdre, an ice mine on the crater’s rim, and forced into indentured servitude, digging for ice deep under the surface of the Moon. But when the Deirdres jump a neighboring claim, and no-nonsense Calvin hears the cries of a long-dead miner on his radio, life inside the Moon turns deadly, and soon Sam needs all of his wits, and a six-gun, to keep himself and the Deirdres alive.

Winner of a Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award, 2012The Newman twins have finally been divided. The end is near.In San Francisco, Josh has chosen a side - and he will not stand with his sister, Sophie, or the Alchemyst, Nicholas Flamel. He has chosen to fight along side John Dee and the mysterious Virginia Dare. Sophie will do anything she can to find her brother, but her training must continue. With Perenelle and Nicholas as weak as they are, Niten must help her to master Earth Magic. Without this, she will fail and the human race will be doomed forever...Can she save the world alone?