Siamo in una cittadina del Delaware, sulla costa est degli Stati Uniti, nel 1957. Una domenica mattina stranamente calda di novembre, Kathleen, madre di famiglia middle class, invece di andare in chiesa insieme al marito Virgil e ai due figli, decide di tuffarsi nella piscina condominiale. Lì resterà per tutta la giornata, senza dare spiegazioni al marito che, a più riprese, cerca di convincerla a uscire dall'acqua. Perché questa improvvisa sovversione della routine? Pagina dopo pagina ci viene svelata la storia di un matrimonio fatto tanto di amore quanto di ambizioni mancate (Kathleen è un'ex tennista che ha rinunciato alla carriera, Virgil un appassionato di jazz che non ha mai imparato a suonare), di reciproci segreti, di nodi destinati a venire al pettine - mentre, sullo sfondo, una navicella russa appena lanciata in orbita con una cagnetta a bordo potrebbe cambiare gli equilibri della Guerra fredda. Elegantissimo nelle sue ambientazioni d'epoca, scritto con un ritmo impeccabile che fa crescere sottilmente la tensione fino alla scena finale, 'Il colpo segreto' è anche un romanzo che palpita di umanità, di desiderio, di dilemmi laceranti: una storia d'amore imperfetta in un mondo che ancora si illude della propria perfezione.

'La Croazia lascia a bocca aperta con i suoi tesori naturali, che vanno dalle famose cascate alle spiagge nascoste, e con le sue meraviglie architettoniche.' Per pianificare un viaggio da ricordare: le meraviglie del Parco Nazionale dei Laghi di Plitvice; gli angoli nascosti del Parco Nazionale del Krka; i 2000 anni di storia di Spalato; a caccia di tartufi nei boschi di Motovun.

Ad Alexander Wilson, giovane e rampante deputato repubblicano con un'elezione da vincere (e una relazione gay da nascondere), viene recapitato a sorpresa un oritteropo impagliato: un curioso mammifero africano con la proboscide da formichiere e le orecchie da coniglio. Parte così un romanzo incalzante e imprevedibile, che segue da un lato, nella Washington di oggi, le tragicomiche vicende di Alex, a cui il bizzarro dono rischia di rovinare la carriera; dall'altro, nell'Inghilterra vittoriana, la storia di Titus Downing, l'imbalsamatore dell'oritteropo, perseguitato a sua volta dal fantasma di una relazione clandestina. L'incrocio di destini fra un animale-feticcio e due uomini ambiziosi e repressi diventa una riflessione profonda sulla nostra volontà di dominazione e di controllo, e un monito sulla potenza del mondo della natura, dell'eros e del mistero.

Un omino barbuto e muto vende carne da un autobus guasto nel mezzo di un prato in Virginia: il suo nome è Rovar Ákos Pfliegman ed è l'ultimo Pfliegman rimasto sulla faccia della Terra. L'autobus è anche la sua casa, e l'unica compagnia che ha è un grosso scarabeo domestico. 'Il convalescente' è il racconto della vita grottesca e solitaria di Rovar, tempestata di sfortune e acciacchi, e allo stesso tempo è la narrazione di migliaia di anni di storia ungherese, tormentata dalla costante e fastidiosa presenza della inetta tribù dei Pfliegman.

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher

Lonely Planet Middle East is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Be awed by the grandeur of Istanbul's Aya Sofia, contemplate history at Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock, and explore the wonder of Giza's Pyramids; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of the Middle East and begin your journey now!

Inside Lonely Planet Middle East:

• Colour maps and images throughout
• Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
• Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
• Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
• Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
• Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, religion, architecture, cuisine, arts, landscape, environment, traveller etiquette, safe travel, women travellers
• Over 75 maps
• Covers Egypt, Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and more

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Middle East, our most comprehensive guide to the Middle East, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled.

• Looking for a guide focused on Turkey, Egypt or Iran? Check out Lonely Planet'sTurkey, Egypt or Iran guides for a comprehensive look at all these countries have to offer.
• Also check out Lonely Planet Istanbul, a detailedguide to the city's most renowned attractions, or Pocket Istanbul, a handy-sized guide focused on the can't-miss sights for a quick trip.

Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Anthony Ham, Sofia Barbarani, Jessica Lee, Virginia Maxwell, Daniel Robinson, Anthony Sattin, Andy Symington, Jenny Walker

About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher

Lonely Planet Egypt is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Visit the ancient wonders of the Pyramids of Giza, cruise the Nile to a waterside temple, or see the glittering finds in the Egyptian Museum; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Egypt and begin your journey now!

Inside Lonely Planet Egypt Travel Guide:

• Colour maps and images throughout
• Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
• Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
• Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
• Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
• Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, art, literature, cuisine, etiquette, sports, politics, landscapes, wildlife, architecture
• Over 102 maps
• Covers Cairo, the Nile Valley, Minya, Luxor, Esna, Siwa Oasis, Western Desert, Alexandria, Suez Canal, Red Sea Coast, Sinai and more

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Egypt, our most comprehensive guide to Egypt, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled.

• Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Discover Egypt, a photo-rich guide to the city's most popular attractionsor Lonely Planet's Africa or Middle East travel guides,for a comprehensive look at all the region has to offer.

Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Anthony Sattin and Jessica Lee

About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.

The New York Times bestselling memoir of humanitarian aid worker Jessica Buchanan’s kidnapping by Somali land pirates, praised as “spellbinding.…written with clarity and compassion” (The New York Journal of Books).

On October 25, 2011, thirty-two year-old Jessica Buchanan was working as a teacher for a humanitarian NGO in Somalia. But on that day she and a colleague were kidnapped at gunpoint and held for ransom by Somali pirates who had moved their operations from the sea onto the land. Finally, after ninety-three days of fruitless negotiations, and with Jessica’s rapidly failing health raising her medical state to a life and death issue, President Barack Obama ordered Navy SEAL Team Six to raid the location. On January 25, 2012, nine heavily armed hostiles were killed with no harm to the hostages, who were quickly airlifted out on a military rescue helicopter.

Throughout the ordeal, every moment Jessica Buchanan spent suffering in captivity was matched by that of her adoring husband, Erik Landemalm. In riveting detail, Impossible Odds chronicles their mutual journey during those torturous months. Together they relate the events prior to the kidnapping, the drama of Jessica’s fight to stay alive, and Erik’s efforts to bolster and support the hunt for her while he acted as a liaison between their two families, the FBI, professional hostage negotiators, and the United States government.

Both a testament to two people’s courage and a nail-biting look at a life-or-death struggle, this is a harrowing and deeply personal story about their triumph over impossible odds.

A New York Times bestseller!

In 2006, twenty-seven-year-old Jessica Buchanan stepped off a plane in Nairobi, Kenya, with a teaching degree and long-held dreams of helping to educate African children. By 2009, she had met and married a native Swede named Erik Landemalm, who worked to coordinate humanitarian aid with authorities in Africa. Together the two moved from Nairobi to Somalia, and with hopes of starting a family, their future couldn’t have been brighter. . . .

But on October 25, 2011, Jessica and a colleague were kidnapped at gunpoint and held for ransom by a band of Somali pirates. For the next three months, Jessica was terrorized by more than two dozen gangsters, held outdoors in filthy conditions, and kept on a starvation diet while her health steadily deteriorated. Negotiations for ransom dragged on, and as the ordeal stretched into its third month, the captors grew increasingly impatient. Every terrifying moment Jessica Buchanan spent suffering in captivity was matched by that of her adoring husband working behind the scenes to deal with her captors. After ninety-three days of fruitless negotiations, and with Jessica’s medical state becoming a life-or-death issue, President Barack Obama ordered Navy SEAL Team Six to attempt a rescue operation. On January 25, 2012, just before the president delivered his State of the Union speech, the team of twenty-four SEALs, under the cover of darkness, attacked the heavily armed hostiles. They killed all nine with no harm to the hostages, who were quickly airlifted out on a military rescue helicopter.

In riveting detail, this book chronicles Jessica and Erik’s mutual journey during those torturous months. Together they relate the events prior to the kidnapping, the drama of Jessica’s fight to stay alive, and Erik’s efforts to bolster and support the hunt for her while he acted as liaison between their two families, the FBI, professional hostage negotiators, and the United States government. Both a testament to two people’s courage and a nail-biting look at a life-or-death struggle, this is a harrowing and deeply personal story about their triumph over impossible odds.

Caitlin Decter, a formerly blind sixteen-year-old math genius, desperately wants to protect her friend, Webmind--the consciousness that sprang from the infrastructure of the World Wide Web--but the Pentagon views him as a threat.

Caitlin Decter, a formerly blind sixteen-year-old math genius, desperately wants to protect her friend, Webmind--the consciousness that sprang from the infrastructure of the World Wide Web--but the Pentagon views him as a threat.