Book Description Athens, 440 BC. Under Pericles, the democracy is building its imperial legacy in blood, stone, and ballots. Ruling the stage, Sophocles premieres the tragedy of Antigone, earning renown that propels him to an honorary generalship. But the honor turns serious when war breaks out with the powerful island of Samos. Can Sophocles the playwright now direct real soldiers in a war that will decide the fate of Athens sea empire? ............................. Author Bio: Nicholas Nicastro was born in Astoria, New York in 1963. He has also worked as a film critic, a hospital orderly, a...

In the chilly summer of 1888, the city of London was introduced to an innovation in evil. A brutal series of prostitute murders cast the city into a frenzy of fear and suspicion, pushing it to the brink of ethnic strife not seen in centuries. Jack the Ripper had arrived. "'The Passion of the Ripper' is a different kind of Ripper story: not a whodunit, but an unflinching exploration of the killer, his city, and his times. It tells this well-known story from the inside out, from the points of view of the cops, his final victim, and the man who--years later--became the case's prime suspect....