An important voice for her people by the first published Native American female author

Lucy Thompson (or to give her the correct Yurok name Che-na-wah Weitch-ah-wah) was notable among authors since she was the first Native American woman ever to write a book and have it published in the English language. Although this book first appeared in 1916, it received 'The American Book Award' in 1992. Born in the Klamath River village of Pecwan, Northern California in the later 19th century as a member of the Yurok tribal elite, Lucy Thompson married Milton 'Jim' Thompson. Her original intention for the book was that it would record the traditional stories of the Yurok which were being lost to posterity though, perhaps inevitably, the book also brought attention to the injustices and violence that had been brought upon the indigenous peoples of her region by 'white' settlers in what she considered to be deliberate acts of attempted genocide. This is a remarkable book on many counts and is rightly considered outstanding as the voice of an early feminist and champion of Native American rights.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

The foot soldier during the American Civil War

This book will be of particular interest to all those who study the American Civil War, since it details, using text and diagrams, the drills of the ordinary infantryman on both sides of the conflict. The book confines itself to the drills of the foot soldier, as they appear in the W J Hardee and Silas Casey texts. There are, to be clear, few differences between these drills, but this makes the book authentically useful from a Confederate and Union Army perspective, as these procedures were applied throughout the war. Containing illustrations original to each edition, this text has been enhanced by the inclusion of the management and cleaning guide for the 1863 pattern Springfield Rifle Musket which includes useful and interesting illustrations of the component parts of the weapon. This is a useful book for modellers, wargamers, reenactors, television and film companies, professional and amateur theatrical companies, and for parades and other events.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

The winter of 1856-7 was a particularly severe one in Iowa, with prolonged heavy snowfall across the region. In March 1857 a chronic shortage of game and other food persuaded the renegade Santee Sioux leader, Scarlet Point, to lead a band of fourteen warriors into the widely separated settlements near the Okoboji and Spirit Lakes, in north western part of the state close to the Minnesota border. Whether or not the violence that followed could have been avoided is unclear, but certainly the Indians had enough experience to know that they could expect little charity from the settlers who had treated them harshly in the recent past. The raid resulted in the deaths of some 35-40 pioneer settlers as the Indians plundered their properties for provisions. The war party also took prisoners-three married women and a girl-whom they dragged northwards into the wilderness. A relief party from Fort Dodge, hampered by the extreme weather failed to defend the settlements and another from Fort Ridgely was unable to catch up to the fugitives. The youngest of the captives was fourteen year old Abie Gardner. She was held prisoner until the summer months of 1857 before being freed on payment of ransom. Two of the adult women were murdered but Margaret Ann Marble, the last of them, was also ransomed. This was the last Indian raid on settlers in Iowa though dissatisfaction among the Sioux was to lead to the Sioux Uprising and far greater bloodshed. Abie Gardner eventually married and, after a period away from her family home, returned to live in the cabin from which she was abducted and from there sold her book about the raid, her capture and ordeal to interested visitors.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

The early military career of a great American soldier and patriot

Students of the history of the American War of Independence will be familiar with Major-General John Stark of the Continental Army who served at Bunker Hill, Trenton, Princeton and notably at Bennington, 1777. However, in common with many American soldiers of his period, he had once been a soldier of the British Army. More interestingly he joined the elite rangers, serving with Robert Rogers, and it is this period of his life which forms the focus of this book. After a period of captivity with the Abenaki tribe when he was 24 years old, Stark was eventually ransomed and he and his brother, Will, joined Rogers Rangers. Stark's abilities led to his promotion to lieutenant and he served with the Rangers through the French and Indian War, including at the famous ambush that became known as 'The Fight on Snow-shoes' in 1757 and at the Battle of Carillon (Ticonderoga). He became second in command of the Ranger companies, retiring with the rank of captain in 1759. No library of the Rangers will be complete without this unique Leonaur edition, which has drawn together valuable information on Stark and his associates during this period.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

De Re Militari (Concerning Military Affairs), written in the 5th century by Vegetius and translated from the original Latin, is a treatise on warfare in the Roman world and is vital reading for any modern student of the subject as it clearly outlines the methods and practices of the type of warfare waged by the Roman Empire at the height of its power. So influential was Vegetius' book that it was considered as an essential field-guide well into the age of gunpowder. The author covers a broad range of military topics including the selection of personnel suitable for military service, training, logistics and supply, the qualities of leadership and command as well as tactical and strategic matters.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

Volume One containing two adventures: 'The Scarlet Pimpernel'& 'I Will Repay'

Sir Percy Blakeney is not to be taken too seriously. In late 18th century England he is little more than a man given to trivial pleasures, an aristocratic and wealthy fop, unconcerned with politics or events on the other side of the English Channel where the France of the Bourbons has been violently swept away by the zealots of revolution. What is it to Sir Percy that the 'Reign of Terror' has cast its shadow over all of France, or that the heads of innocents fall daily into the baskets of the guillotines of the Convention? Nothing? Well no, for Sir Percy is leading a double life with a dangerous secret identity. He is in reality the complete opposite of his apparently 'true' self. He is 'The Scarlet Pimpernel', an expert swordsman, a master of disguise, a dare-devil, quick-thinking escape artist and, together with his band of like-minded adventurers, a man on a mission to rescue those unjustly condemned to die. So successful is he in this endeavour that soon 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' is famous as an heroic defender of the weak and oppressed, and notorious as an opponent of the officers and agents of the revolution (including the dastardly Citizen Chauvelin) who are determined, at all costs, to bring him to account on the 'national razor'. They seek him here, there and everywhere but catching 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' is quite another matter In creating this fictional hero, Baroness Orczy (1865-1947) has given her readership a thrilling character in a unique series of historical, action-packed romps whose popularity is destined to endure. All the 'Scarlet Pimpernel' adventures have been gathered together by Leonaur in a coordinated collection of good value volumes.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' by Edgar Allan Poe is widely considered to be the first true detective story; also in this volume are the author's two other detective fiction classics featuring the same central character-'The Mystery of Marie Rog t' & 'The Purloined Letter.' The French detective who features in all three is Chevalier Auguste Dupin, an amateur sleuth who puts himself in the position of the criminal and then uses logical deduction to discover how a crime was committed. This is an opportunity for lovers of classic crime and detective fiction to own and read these important and groundbreaking mysteries in a single volume, available in paperback or hardback with dust jacket for collectors.

Elinore Pruitt Stewart is renowned for her books 'Letters of a Woman Homesteader' and its sequel 'Letters on an Elk Hunt, ' both of which are included in this Leonaur good value, two-in-one edition. Born in 1876 in the Oklahoma Indian Territory, the oldest of nine children, by the time she was 30 years old she had married Harry Rupert and was the widowed mother of a baby daughter. Three years later Elinore answered an advertisement for a housekeeper for rancher Henry Stewart at Burntfork, Wyoming. She filed a claim on 160 acres of land adjacent to Stewart's property and the couple were married soon afterwards. Elinore's life as the couple struggled to run their ranch and raise their family on the Wyoming prairie, was a harsh one, but her books show it be a life full of encounters with notable and memorable characters and rich in variety and experience. She has left us a rewarding, charming and poignant insight into the lives of American settlers who carved a living and a nation out of the western states. Her story epitomises the spirit of the pioneer women who tamed a wilderness and will resonate with everyone who enjoys reading about the lives of those determined to triumph over adversity.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

This special Leonaur edition combines the account of Harriet Ann Jacobs with that of Frederick Douglass. They were contemporaries and African Americans of note who shared a common background of slavery and, after their liberation, knew each other and worked for a common cause. The first account, a justifiably well known and highly regarded work, is that of Harriet Jacobs since this volume belongs in the Leonaur Women & Conflict series. Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery in North Carolina in 1813. Sold on as a child she suffered years of sexual abuse from her owner until in 1835 she escaped-leaving two children she'd had by a lover behind her. After hiding in a swamp she returned to her grandmother's shack where she occupied the crawl-space under its eaves. There she lived for seven years before escaping to Pennsylvania in 1842 and then moving on to New York, where she worked as a nursemaid. Jacobs published her book under the pseudonym of Linda Brent. She became a famous abolitionist, reformer and speaker on human rights. Frederick Douglass was just five years Jacobs' junior. He was born a slave in Maryland and he too suffered physical cruelty at the hands of his owners. In 1838 he escaped, boarding a train wearing a sailors uniform. Douglass became a social reformer of international fame principally because of his skill as an orator which propelled him to the status of statesman and diplomat as driven by his convictions regarding the fundamental equality of all human beings, he continued his campaigns for the rights of women generally, suffrage and emancipation.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

What needs to be said about the relationship between Napoleon and Josephine that has not become legend? He was a humble Corsican who rose meteorically through the ranks of the armies of Revolutionary France to be become First Consul and then Emperor of the First Empire. She was his lover from the earliest days, swept up in his rising fortunes until she became Empress by his side, only to be cast away in favour of an Austrian princess who could give the Emperor an heir. Yet theirs was never a straightforward or easy relationship. Both took lovers and despite his own infidelities and tolerance, Napoleon felt extreme pangs of jealousy and wrote of them plainly in his correspondence. Napoleon reveals himself to be a man of raging passions both for Josephine and the creation of an Empire worthy of his genius. As one would expect, these letters are barely confined to pillow talk. Here was a soldier at the head of a conquering army that set Europe ablaze. Much of the progress of his campaigns is reported in the most personal detail. Here are those who surrounded the Emperor most closely-the soldiers, the court and the ever troublesome family. Here are the great events of the age from great campaigns, battles and fallen monarchs to assassination attempts. Here are the highs and the lows of two incredible turbulent lives. Essential reading for those fascinated by the Napoleonic age and who wish to listen to the immediate thoughts of the great man to his lover across time on all the issues that touched him closest. Available in soft cover and hard cover with dustjacket.

The modern 'Joan of Arc' of the Great War and Russian Revolution

This the story of an astonishing life told in her own words. Maria Botchkareva (whose nickname was Yashka) was not only a soldier in the Russian Army who fought in combat during the First World War, she was also the first woman to command a military unit in the Russian Army. Born a peasant, Yashka left home at 16 years old, coerced into prostitution and tramped into exile on foot following her abusive criminal lover. When the First World War broke out in 1914, Yashka then age twenty-five and motivated by national pride, attempted to join the army. Although she was initially rejected she was eventually accepted following the intercession of the Tsar. Sent to the front Yashka was decorated for rescuing fifty wounded soldiers from the battlefield and was wounded herself several times. In 1917 she proposed the creation of an all-female combat unit which would not only fight, but provide inspiration for the flagging morale of male Russian troops at that point in the war. This eventually gave rise to the creation of the incredibly titled 1st Russian Women's Battalion of Death. The unit served on the Russian Western Front where once again Yashka was wounded in action. Botchkareva's inspirational initiative attracted international attention and she was visited by Emiline Pankhurst, the political activist and suffragette who proclaimed her 'the greatest woman of the century'. By this time Yashka was associating herself with the White Russians and had been placed on a Bolshevik 'death list', the fatal consequences of which she narrowly escaped, making her way to the USA where she pleaded with President Woodrow Wilson to aid Russia in its time of need. She was also granted an audience in Britain with King George V. Yashka returned to Russia, was eventually captured by the Bolsheviks and against Lenin's orders shot by the Cheka as an 'enemy of the state' in 1920.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

This book is widely regarded a classic of sailing literature because it is an account written by the sailor who made the first solo navigation of the globe under sail. A biography of Joshua Slocum would make riveting reading in its own right, for inherent in him were all the attributes of the ideal seaman of the latter half of the nineteenth century. An unquenchable spirit of adventure propelled him through many voyages and hairsbreadth escapes from the forces of nature and pirates. In 1895 he set sail from America in 'Spray, ' a 36' 9'' gaff rigged sloop oyster boat he had rebuilt himself. Navigating mainly without using his chronometer and only by 'dead-reckoning' Slocum sailed 'Spray' without actually touching the helm. His circumnavigation, which took three years to complete, covered a distance of some 46,000 miles. His triumphant return to America went virtually unnoticed-because the newspapers were focussed on the recent outbreak of war between Spain and America. This book, detailing his epic voyage and many adventures, was written shortly after his return, was serialised in magazines and became a rapid bestseller, earning glowing encomiums from many notably figures, especially from highly regarded authors of the time, including Arthur Ransome and Mark Twain, which elevated Joshua Slocum to international fame. This edition of his work is beautifully illustrated and is available in soft cover and hard cover with dust jacket. Leonaur hard covers are ideal for collections or to be presented as a forever treasured gift.

A great collision of armies under the banners of the crescent and the cross

The Battle of Tours (also called Poitiers) in 732 A.D. was one of the most significant battles fought during the last two millennia. This book is far more than just a description of the battle, it also recounts, through the writings of several academic contributors, the story of two emergent empires, drawn together on converging paths which resulted in a collision not simply between two armies, but between two uncompromisingly different cultures and faiths. Described in these pages is the violent and turbulent rise of the Franks in Europe who, by the time of the battle of Tours, were led by their warrior king, Charles Martel--'the Hammer'--whose dynasty brought forth the Emperor Charlemagne. From the Middle East, Islam was conquering and spreading its political influence, which are outlined as they bore upon the invasion of Europe. By the sixth century, Umayyad Caliphate armies had swept along the Mediterranean coastline of North Africa, crossed over into Spain and could see no impediment in the mountain barrier of the Pyrenees to their farther expansion. So France faced an invasion by an army accompanied by their families and belongings who had come to stay and rule. That army, under Abdul Rhaman al Ghafiqi, in the valley of the Loire and less than 140 miles from Paris collided with the Frankish and Burgundian battle host and was brought to ruin. In later centuries the Moors successfully ruled Spain and the Ottoman Turks also attempted to invade western Europe but were defeated before Vienna. However, after Tours never again did a Muslim army drive so far westwards and despite the sectarian blood-letting that lay ahead, for which the Europeans themselves were responsible, this fact defined the culture and dominant religion of the modern continent. Included are illustrations which did not accompany the original texts.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

Chamberlain left Boston as a mere youth and joined the United States Army. He became a soldier in the 1st US Dragoons and determined to become the very ideal of the daring cavalryman both on and off the battlefields of the American-Mexican War. His is a tale-not a little tall-that includes accounts of passionate love affairs, duels to the death, pitched battles and exploits of daring in which Chamberlain himself features as the central heroic figure. Certainly he was a larger than life character, as his accounts of constant troubles with his superiors for brawling, drunkenness and insubordination appear with a detail and frequency which suggest authenticity. At the end of the war Chamberlain became a wagon master-possibly after deserting the army-and then threw himself into a series of adventures with a notorious band of scalp hunters led by the infamous John Glanton. A highly entertaining and informative account of the United States cavalry at war, in which many of the principal characters of the American Civil War-who appear within it's pages-learned their craft.

These are the first two adventures of H. Rider Haggard's famous character-Allan Quatermain. Quatermain is the ultimate white man in Africa--the Great White Hunter, adventurer and guide. These are stories brim full of action, romance, big game hunting, hairsbreadth escapes from dangerous animals and the fierce peoples of the Dark Continent, fantastical landscapes and strange hidden cultures--with lost cities from a time when vast expanses of this mysterious land remained untrodden by the feet of Western man and it seemed that anything was yet possible. In this first volume of the complete Quatermain novels and short stories--available from Leonaur in hard and soft cover--are the ever popular 'King Solomon's Mines' and 'Allan Quatermain'. These books will be a joy for all collectors who will relish the opportunity to own all the adventures in a coordinated collection.

A unique assessment of the Great War in sub-Saharan Africa in all its theatres

The great conflict fought between 1914 and 1918 set Europe ablaze, but, as the definition of 'world war' implies, embraced battlefields where the colonial interests of the protagonist nations inevitably collided. How this occurred on the continent of Africa has always fascinated military history students of the period, not least because these campaigns unconfined by the stagnation of trench warfare, as was the case on the Western Front, were fought over exotic terrains by national, militia and native forces often commanded by able and imaginative officers on both sides. Much focus has been given to the campaigns in East Africa, which features in detail in this book, but also included is the campaign fought in the arid landscape of South-West Africa (now Namibia) and those which took place in Equatorial Togoland (Ghana Volta) and The Cameroons in West Africa. The 'South African Rebellion' is also described. The author of this book, John Buchan, a writer of great talent and economy of phrase, was primarily known for his superlative adventure fiction. However, he was commissioned to write a multi-volume history of the First World War which enabled him to reveal his talent as an historian and from which this single volume edition has been selectively edited. Buchan's text, appearing in this form for the first time in this Leonaur edition, includes many excellent maps and has been further enhanced by photographs and illustrations which were not present in earlier publications of the text.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

The fast moving political situation of the latter part eighteenth century in America impacted upon the indigenous Indian tribes of the eastern woodlands as old loyalties and allegiances were fractured by the wars between European powers. The French in North America had but lately been deposed by the British when a new war broke out between the American colonists and the Crown. The Iroquois had remained loyal to the British but now the six nations were divided. Four tribes, the Mohawks, Cayugas, Onondagas and Senecas, remained faithful to their British allies whilst the Tuscaroras and Oneidas allied themselves to the new nation of the United States. Now Iroquois fought Iroquois. Nevertheless the power of the four nations, especially operating as guerrilla troops combined with Tory troops and Rangers could not be ignored as a substantial threat. In 1779 Congress decided to break the influence of the Iroquois decisively and forever. General John Sullivan and his troops of the Continental Army embarked on a scorched earth campaign which destroyed numerous Indian villages and brought the Indians and Tories to defeat at the Battle of Newtown. The action all but put an end to attacks by Loyalists and Indians. The survivors reeled back into Canada, but the hardship caused to the tribes by this crushing defeat resulted in many deaths by starvation and cold in the following winter. This history of the Sullivan Campaign is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

History is full of notable figures, but far fewer in number are those who have become iconic. An indisputably iconic figure, even among the many great kings of England, is the towering figure of the Tudor monarch, King Henry VIII. He was, of course, the father of Queen Elizabeth I, Gloriana, an equally renowned monarch of her own golden age. She sought always to be and be seen as her father's daughter, but posterity preserves what it will of a life in the public consciousness and so aside from Henry's unmistakable and imposing personal appearance what is most remembered of him by many is that he was married on six occasions and habitually terminated his relationships with an axe at the executioner's block-though this occurred only twice perhaps indicating more moderation in Henry's character as a husband than he is usually credited with. There has always been something seductively attractive about this powerful man, capable of great tenderness and romance, an artist, poet and musician-and yet a ruthless and unscrupulous tyrant capable of incredible insensitivity and cruelty. This volume contains an engrossing selection of correspondence, reports and other documents concerning Henry and his wives. The central part of the book is a famous collection of love letters sent by the king to his second wife Anne Boleyn, one of his spouses who lost her head to be superceded by another beauty of the court Jane Seymour, one of Anne's ladies in waiting. In this special and unique Leonaur edition these letters are added to by the inclusion of correspondence and other documents concerning the fate of Henry's sometimes unfortunate women and the events that surrounded them.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

De Re Militari (Concerning Military Affairs), written in the 5th century by Vegetius and translated from the original Latin, is a treatise on warfare in the Roman world and is vital reading for any modern student of the subject as it clearly outlines the methods and practices of the type of warfare waged by the Roman Empire at the height of its power. So influential was Vegetius' book that it was considered as an essential field-guide well into the age of gunpowder. The author covers a broad range of military topics including the selection of personnel suitable for military service, training, logistics and supply, the qualities of leadership and command as well as tactical and strategic matters.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

Volume four containing two adventures: 'Sir Percy Hits Back' & 'A Child of the Revolution'

Sir Percy Blakeney is not to be taken too seriously. In late 18th century England he is little more than a man given to trivial pleasures, an aristocratic and wealthy fop, unconcerned with politics or events on the other side of the English Channel where the France of the Bourbons has been violently swept away by the zealots of revolution. What is it to Sir Percy that the 'Reign of Terror' has cast its shadow over all of France, or that the heads of innocents fall daily into the baskets of the guillotines of the Convention? Nothing? Well no, for Sir Percy is leading a double life with a dangerous secret identity. He is in reality the complete opposite of his apparently 'true' self. He is 'The Scarlet Pimpernel', an expert swordsman, a master of disguise, a dare-devil, quick-thinking escape artist and, together with his band of like-minded adventurers, a man on a mission to rescue those unjustly condemned to die. So successful is he in this endeavour that soon 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' is famous as an heroic defender of the weak and oppressed, and notorious as an opponent of the officers and agents of the revolution (including the dastardly Citizen Chauvelin) who are determined, at all costs, to bring him to account on the 'national razor'. They seek him here, there and everywhere but catching 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' is quite another matter In creating this fictional hero, Baroness Orczy (1865-1947) has given her readership a thrilling character in a unique series of historical, action-packed romps whose popularity is destined to endure. All the 'Scarlet Pimpernel' adventures have been gathered together by Leonaur in a coordinated collection of good value volumes.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.