title: Mark Brandis

abstract: Nikolai von Michalewsky was a German writer and journalist best known for a series of science fiction novels published between 1970 and 1987.

text:
# Mark Brandis

**Nikolai von Michalewsky** (a.k.a. **Mark Brandis**) (17 January 1931  27 December 2000) was a German writer and journalist best known for a series of science fiction novels published between 1970 and 1987.

## Biography

Von Michalewsky was born in Dahlewitz, a town on the outskirts of Berlin. After having earned his living as a dock worker, a coffee harvester in the Congo, and a diver in the Mediterranean, he worked as a journalist in the Algerian war, eventually to start writing fictional works in the late 1950s, mostly juvenile novels. He expanded his field to documentary filming and writing of radio drama in the 1960s, an expertise he became very successful at. At the end of his life he would have more than 500 broadcast radio dramas to his name. In 1969 he was approached by German book publisher Herder to write a science fiction book for juveniles. Despite having no previous experience in the field of science fiction, von Michalewsky's first book in the genre, *Bordbuch Delta VII*, was an instant success.

Using the name of his protagonist as pen name and writing in first person perspective, von Michalewsky would pen approximately two books a year over the following decades to eventually complete a series of 31 novels. The series became the second best-selling German-language science fiction series of all time, eclipsed only by team effort Perry Rhodan. The books were translated into Danish, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish and Chinese. A late attempt to revive the series in 1999 was limited to one novel, *Ambivalente Zone*. This expanded universe series was cut short when von Michalewsky died at Grasberg shortly after Christmas 2000, leaving the second novel, *Negativer Sektor*, unfinished.

### Mark Brandis series

The Mark Brandis series can be categorized as hard science fiction space opera with many allusions to seafaring novels. Mankind has been exploring the solar system, setting up colonies on the Moon and Venus. Earth is controlled by two superpowers, the *Union of Europe, the Americas and Africa* ("EAAU") opposing the *United Oriental Republics* ("VOR", that is Asia). The respective capitals are Beijing and an artificial Atlantic city named Metropolis. Mark Brandis, a German-born astronaut, works as a test pilot for a nominally independent EAAU institution, the *Venus-Earth Astronautical Society* (VEGA). His work with the newest and therefore fastest and strongest spaceships often puts him and the international crews of his ships into danger, be it revolutions, ecological catastrophes, overpopulation issues, space exploration, equipment malfunctions and civil war.

After volume 20, Brandis quits his job to run an independent society dedicated to rescue ship crews suffering emergencies in space Operating a number of modern high-speed space rescue ships from an extraterritorial moon base, the society rescues numerous space crews and plays an important role in various adventures not too dissimilar in style to the VEGA adventures. As in the early novels, political diplomacy and difficult ethical choices play an important role, as well as the constant fighting to keep the space rescue service in operation on a tight budget and in spite of warring factions and interests.

The ships of the rescue service are named after people famous for their humanitarian efforts, such as Elsa Brändström, Florence Nightingale, Henri Dunant, Albert Schweitzer, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.

#### The novels

1. Bordbuch Delta VII (1970)
2. Verrat auf der Venus (1971)
3. Unternehmen Delphin (1972)
4. Aufstand der Roboter (1972)
5. Vorstoß zum Uranus (1972)
6. Die Vollstrecker (1973)
7. Testakte Kolibri (1973)
8. Raumsonde Epsilon (1974)
9. Salomon 76 (1974)
10. Aktenzeichen: Illegal (1975)
11. Operation Sonnenfracht (1975)
12. Alarm für die Erde (1976)
13. Countdown für die Erde (1976)
14. Kurier zum Mars (1977)
15. Die lautlose Bombe (1977)
16. Pilgrim 2000 (1978)
17. Der Spiegelplanet (1978)
18. Sirius-Patrouille (1979)
19. Astropolis (1980)
20. Triton-Passage (1981)
21. Blindflug zur Schlange (1981)
22. Raumposition Oberon (1982)
23. Vargo-Faktor (1982)
24. Astronautensonne (1983)
25. Planetaktion Z (1983)
26. Ikarus, Ikarus... (1984)
27. Der Pandora-Zwischenfall (1984)
28. Metropolis-Konvoi (1985)
29. Zeitspule (1985)
30. Die Eismensch-Verschwörung (1986)
31. Geheimsache Wetterhahn (1987)

* Ambivalente Zone (1999)

#### Audio dramas

Between 2007 and 2015 a total of 23 adventures of the Mark Brandis series had been adapted into audio drama format and published on CD.

1. Bordbuch Delta VII (2007) (ISBN 978-3-88698-918-8)
2. Verrat auf der Venus (2008) (ISBN 978-3-88698-773-3)
3. Unternehmen Delphin (2008) (ISBN 978-3-88698-939-3)
4. Aufstand der Roboter (2009) (ISBN 978-3-88698-436-7)
5. Testakte Kolibri 1 & 2 (2009) (ISBN 978-3-8291-2314-3 / ISBN 978-3-8291-2313-6)
6. Vorstoss zum Uranus 1 & 2 (2010) (ISBN 978-3-8291-2315-0 / ISBN 978-3-8291-2316-7)
7. Raumsonde Epsilon 1 & 2 (2010) (ISBN 978-3-8291-2317-4 / ISBN 978-3-8291-2318-1)
8. Die Vollstrecker 1 & 2 (2010) (ISBN 978-3-8291-2376-1 / ISBN 978-3-8291-2377-8)
9. Pilgrim 2000 1 & 2 (2011) (ISBN 978-3-8291-2436-2 / ISBN 978-3-8291-2437-9)
10. Aktenzeichen: illegal (2011) (ISBN 978-3-8291-2438-6)
11. Operation Sonnenfracht (2011) (ISBN 978-3-8291-2439-3)
12. Alarm für die Erde 1 & 2 (2011)
13. Sirius-Patrouille 1 & 2 (2012)
14. Lautlose Bombe 1 & 2 (2012)
15. Triton-Passage (2013)
16. Blindflug zur Schlange (2013)
17. Raumposition Oberon (2013)
18. Ikarus, Ikarus (2013)
19. Metropolis-Konvoi (2014)
20. Die Zeitspule 1 & 2 (2014)
21. Planetaktion Z (2014)
22. Geheimsache Wetterhahn (2015)
23. Der Pandora-Zwischenfall (2015)

## Footnotes


title: William W. Welch

abstract: William Wickham Welch was an American Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut's 4th congressional district from 1855 to 1857.

text:
# William W. Welch

**William Wickham Welch** (December 10, 1818 – July 30, 1892) was an American Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut's 4th congressional district from 1855 to 1857.

## Early life

Born in Norfolk, Connecticut, Welch studied medicine. He was the son of Dr. Benjamin Welch and Elizabeth Loveland Welch. He was graduated from the medical department of Yale College in 1839 and commenced practice in Norfolk.

## Political career

He served as member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1848 to 1850. He served in the Connecticut Senate in 1851 and 1852.

Welch served as a member of the Thirty-fourth Congress from March 4, 1855 to March 3, 1857. After his term, he resumed the practice of his profession.

He was again a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1869 and 1881.

He died in Norfolk, Connecticut, July 30, 1892. He was interred in Center Cemetery.

* United States Congress. "William W. Welch (id: W000266)". *Biographical Directory of the United States Congress*.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

## InfoBox

| William Wickham Welch | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut's 4th congressional district | |
| **In office**
March 4, 1855  March 3, 1857 | |
| Preceded by | Origen S. Seymour |
| Succeeded by | William D. Bishop |
| Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 17th district | |
| **In office**
1851– | |
| Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives | |
| **In office**
1848–1850 | |
| **In office**
1869– | |
| **In office**
1881– | |
|  | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1818-12-10)December 10, 1818
Norfolk, Connecticut |
| Died | July 30, 1892(1892-07-30) (aged 73)
Norfolk, Connecticut |
| Resting place | Center Cemetery |
| Political party | American Party |
| Spouse(s) | Emeline Collins(m. November 7, 1845), Emily Sedgwick (May 22, 1866) |
| Alma mater | Yale College (medicine, 1839) |
| Occupation | physician |
|  | |


title: West Harton

abstract: West Harton is an area of the town of South Shields, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is primarily a residential area, with several schools and leisure facilities, including St Wilfrid's College and Brinkburn Recreation Ground. South Tyneside District Hospital is also situated in the area. It is served by Tyne Dock Metro station on the Tyne and Wear Metro.

text:
# West Harton

**West Harton** is an area of the town of South Shields, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is primarily a residential area, with several schools and leisure facilities, including St Wilfrid's College and Brinkburn Recreation Ground. South Tyneside District Hospital is also situated in the area.

It is served by Tyne Dock Metro station on the Tyne and Wear Metro.

## InfoBox

| West Harton | |
| --- | --- |
| West HartonLocation in Tyne and Wear | |
| Coordinates: 54°58′19″N 1°26′35″W / 54.972°N 1.443°W / 54.972; -1.443 | |
| OS grid reference | NZ357643 |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| District | Tyne and Wear |


abstract: The 1989 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was a horse race held at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 22 July 1989. It was the 39th running of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The winner was Hamdan Al Maktoum's Nashwan, a three-year-old chestnut colt trained at West Ilsley in Berkshire by Dick Hern and ridden by Willie Carson. Nashwan's victory gave his owner Hamdan Al Maktoum his first win in the race whilst Carson and Hern had won the race with Troy, Ela-Mana-Mou and Petoski. In addition, Hern had trained the 1972 winner Brigadier Gerard.

text:
# 1989 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

The **1989 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes** was a horse race held at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 22 July 1989. It was the 39th running of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

The winner was Hamdan Al Maktoum's Nashwan, a three-year-old chestnut colt trained at West Ilsley in Berkshire by Dick Hern and ridden by Willie Carson. Nashwan's victory gave his owner Hamdan Al Maktoum his first win in the race whilst Carson and Hern had won the race with Troy, Ela-Mana-Mou and Petoski. In addition, Hern had trained the 1972 winner Brigadier Gerard.

## The race

The race attracted a field of seven runners, six trained in the United Kingdom and one trained in Italy. The favourite was Nashwan, who had won the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and Eclipse Stakes, by an aggregate margin of eleven lengths. His principal rival appeared to be Cacoethes, who had finished third to Nashwan in the Derby before winning the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. The best of the older horses, according to the betting, was Sheriff's Star, the winner of the Coronation Cup and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. The only overseas challenger was the Italian colt Tisserand, the winner of the 1988 Derby Italiano. The other runners were Carroll House (Grosser Preis von Baden, Princess of Wales's Stakes), Top Class (Geoffrey Freer Stakes) and Polemos, who was running as a pacemaker for Nashwan. Nashwan headed the betting at odds of 2/9 ahead of Cacoethes (6/1) and Sheriff's Star (10/1).

As expected, Polemos took the early lead and set the pace from Carroll House, Cacoethes and Nashwan. Three furlong from the finish, Top Class made a rapid move forward and led the field into the straight ahead of Carroll House, Nashwan and Cacoethes. Nashwan overtook Top Class with a furlong and a half left to run but was immediately challenged by Cacoethes on the outside. The two three-year-olds drew clear of the other five runners with the Derby winner prevailing by a neck after a prolonged struggle. There was a gap of seven lengths back to Top Class, who held off Sheriff's Star by a length to take third. The last three finishers were Carroll House, Polemos and Tisserand.

## Race details

* **Sponsor:** De Beers
* **Purse:** £354,380; **First prize:** £218,088
* **Surface:** Turf
* **Going:** Good to Firm
* **Distance:** 12 furlongs
* **Number of runners:** 7
* **Winner's time:** 2:32.27

## Full result

| **Pos.** | **Marg.** | **Horse (bred)** | **Age** | **Jockey** | **Trainer (Country)** | **Odds** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **1** |  | Nashwan (USA) | 3 | Willie Carson | Dick Hern (GB) | 2/9 fav |
| **2** | *nk* | Cacoethes (USA) | 3 | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood (GB) | 6/1 |
| **3** | *7* | Top Class (GB) | 4 | Michael Roberts | Clive Brittain (GB) | 50/1 |
| **4** | *1* | Sheriff's Star (GB) | 4 | Tony Ives | Lady Herries (GB) | 10/1 |
| **5** | *3* | Carroll House (IRE) | 4 | Walter Swinburn | Michael Jarvis (GB) | 33/1 |
| **6** |  | Polemos (GB) | 5 | Richard Hills | Harry Thomson Jones (GB) | 500/1 |
| **7** | *¾* | Tisserand (ITY) | 4 | L. Sorrentino | Mario Vincis (ITY) | 25/1 |

* Abbreviations: **nse** = nose; **nk** = neck; **shd** = head; **hd** = head; **dist** = distance; **UR** = unseated rider

## Winner's details

Further details of the winner, Nashwan

## InfoBox

39th King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
| King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Location | Ascot Racecourse |
| Date | 22 July 1989 |
| Winning horse | **Nashwan** (USA) |
| Jockey | Willie Carson |
| Trainer | Dick Hern (GB) |
| Owner | Hamdan Al Maktoum |
|  | |


abstract: The W. L. Adair General Mercantile Historic District is a 4 acres (1.6 ha) historic district in Polebridge in Flathead County, Montana which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It included five contributing buildings which were built during 1900–1914. It is located on Polebridge Loop Rd. 1/4 mi. E of its intersection with N. Fork Rd. in or near Polebridge. The Mercantile Store building is a wood frame, two story structure with a false front facade built in 1914. It has decorative pressed metal siding dating from 1925 or before covering the original wooden exterior. It has also been known as Polebridge Store and Polebridge Mercantile.

text:
# W.L. Adair General Mercantile Historic District

The **W. L. Adair General Mercantile Historic District** is a 4 acres (1.6 ha) historic district in Polebridge in Flathead County, Montana which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It included five contributing buildings which were built during 1900–1914.

It is located on Polebridge Loop Rd. 1/4 mi. E of its intersection with N. Fork Rd. in or near Polebridge.

The Mercantile Store building is a wood frame, two story structure with a false front facade built in 1914. It has decorative pressed metal siding dating from 1925 or before covering the original wooden exterior. It has also been known as **Polebridge Store** and **Polebridge Mercantile**.

## InfoBox

|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Adair, W. L., General Mercantile Historic District | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. Historic district | |
|  | |
|  | |
|  | |
| Location | On Polebridge Loop Rd. 1/4 mi. E of its intersection with N. Fork Rd., Polebridge, Montana |
| Coordinates | 48°45′43″N 114°17′1″W / 48.76194°N 114.28361°W / 48.76194; -114.28361 |
| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1900-1914 |
| Built by | Adair, William |
| Architectural style | Log construction |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000155 |
| Added to NRHP | February 6, 1986 |


title: Natasha Curry

abstract: Natasha Curry is the former anchor for HLN's Weekend Express with Natasha Curry. She also served as a replacement on the same network, when necessary, for Robin Meade on Morning Express with Robin Meade. She joined the network, then known as CNN's Headline News, in December 2008.

text:
# Natasha Curry

**Natasha Curry** is the former anchor for HLN's *Weekend Express with Natasha Curry*. She also served as a replacement on the same network, when necessary, for Robin Meade on *Morning Express with Robin Meade*. She joined the network, then known as CNN's Headline News, in December 2008.

## Personal

Curry received a bachelor's degree in biology from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. She has studied at the Sichuan Union University in China and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.

In 1998, Curry finished in the Top 10 in the Miss USA 1998 Pageant representing the state of Washington.

Curry served as a judge for the Miss USA 2018

## Career

Prior to joining CNN in 2008, Curry was a morning anchor at KOMO-TV and co-host of Northwest Afternoon in Seattle.

She was also anchored newscasts for WLTX-TV in Columbia, South Carolina. While in the palmetto state, Curry also produced the popular Midlands segment Restaurant Report Card and covered the passing of Senator Strom Thurmond. And the Space Shuttle Columbia Tragedy (STS-107). She also reported on a number of controversial issues, including protests over the Confederate flag being flown on State House grounds.

Curry also worked as an anchor and reporter at KYMA-TV in Yuma, Arizona.

## Filmography

| 2007 | *Nixon* |  | Fox News Reporter |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2013 | *40th Daytime Emmy Awards* |  | Self |
| 2019 | *The Fix (2019 TV series)* |  | Morning Host |

1. Natasha Curry at IMDb
2. Natasha Curry mahalo.com. Retrieved on 2011-01-08.
3. "Former CNN reporter, HLN anchor helped choose Miss USA 2018". 23 May 2018.
4. "News & Info on Talent". Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2009-01-01.

## InfoBox

| Natasha Curry | |
| --- | --- |
| Born | Natasha Vantramp
Puyallup, Washington |
| Education | Pacific Lutheran University, Sichuan University, Arizona State University |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist,
Television Talk Show Host |
| Notable credit(s) | HLN's *Weekend Express with Natasha Curry*, fill-in host for Robin Meade on *Morning Express with Robin Meade* |


title: The Compendium Archive

abstract: The Compendium Archive 1996–2006 is a compilation album by American metal band Agalloch. It was released through Licht Von Dämmerung Arthouse on March 20, 2010. The album was limited to 250 hand-numbered copies, and was sold exclusively at the band's two Romanian gigs in March 2010.

text:
# The Compendium Archive

**The Compendium Archive 1996–2006** is a compilation album by American metal band Agalloch. It was released through Licht Von Dämmerung Arthouse on March 20, 2010. The album was limited to 250 hand-numbered copies, and was sold exclusively at the band's two Romanian gigs in March 2010.

## Track listing

Disc 1
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | "The Wilderness" | *From Which of this Oak* | 11:18 |
| 2. | "As Embers Dress the Sky" | *From Which of this Oak* | 8:00 |
| 3. | "This Old Cabin" | *From Which of this Oak* | 13:18 |
| 4. | "Of Stone, Wind, and Pillor" | *Of Stone, Wind and Pillor* | 7:01 |
| 5. | "Foliorum Viridium" | *Of Stone, Wind and Pillor* | 2:41 |
| 6. | "Haunting Birds" | *Of Stone, Wind and Pillor* | 3:45 |
| 7. | "Hallways of Enchanted Ebony" | *Promo 1998* | 7:30 |
| 8. | "The Melancholy Spirit" | *Promo 1998* | 8:42 |
| Total length: | | | 62:15 |

Disc 2
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | "Kneel to the Cross" (Sol Invictus cover) | *Of Stone, Wind and Pillor* | 5:55 |
| 2. | "A Poem by Yeats" | *Of Stone, Wind and Pillor* | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Odal (Infinity Mix)" |  | 6:07 |
| 4. | "The Death of Man (Version III)" (Version III) | *Tomorrow Will Never Come* | 2:58 |
| 5. | "Tomorrow Will Never Come" | *Tomorrow Will Never Come* | 4:41 |
| 6. | "Fragment (Second Phase)" | *Nachtzauber – Mørkeskye Compilation* compilation | 4:27 |
| 7. | "The Wolves of Timberline" | *Agalloch / Nest split EP* | 4:52 |
| 8. | "Falling Snow (Alternate Mix)" |  | 9:40 |
| 9. | "Scars of the Shattered Sky" | *Ashes Against the Grain* (LP version only) | 18:26 |
| 10. | "Fragment 4" |  | 13:19 |
| Total length: | | | 74:31 |

## Personnel

* John Haughm – guitar, percussion, vocals
* Don Anderson – guitar
* Shane Breyer – vocals
* Jason William Walton – bass

## InfoBox

| The Compendium Archive 1996 – 2006 | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Compilation album by Agalloch | |
| Released | March 20, 2010 |
| Genre | Folk metal, black metal, doom metal, neofolk |
| Length | 136:46 |
| Label | Licht Von Dämmerung Arthouse |
| Agalloch chronology | |
| *The Silence of Forgotten Landscapes*
(2009) ***The Compendium Archive 1996 – 2006***
(2010) *Marrow of the Spirit*
(2010) | |


title: The Complete Book of Villains

abstract: The Complete Book of Villains is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.

text:
# The Complete Book of Villains

***The Complete Book of Villains*** is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the *Advanced Dungeons & Dragons* fantasy role-playing game.

## Contents

*The Complete Book of Villains* covers villainous organizations, the role of henchmen, and the construction of intelligent adventures.

## Publication history

*The Complete Book of Villains* was written by Kirk Botula, and published by TSR, Inc.

## Reception

Rick Swan reviewed *The Complete Book of Villains* for *Dragon* magazine #213 (January 1995). He commented that: "Rather than serve up a collection of pre-rolled NPCs, this engaging source book shows how to create believable bad guys from the ground up." He complimented Botula on writing using "clear language and with plenty of examples". Swan concluded by saying: "Botula correctly asserts that motivations and objectives are more important than Strength scores and armor classes; in fact, the near-absence of statistics makes this an excellent reference for all fantasy RPGs, not just the *AD&D* game."

## InfoBox

The Complete Book of Villains
|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Genre | Role-playing games |
| Publisher | TSR |


title: The Crimson Banner

abstract: "The Crimson Banner" is a traditional Irish song, also known as "The Eighteenth of December" and "No Surrender!". Written by William Blacker in 1818, it is part of the Protestant Loyalist tradition. The song celebrates the closing of the gates of the Ulster city of Derry to the approaching Jacobite Irish Army on 18 December 1688. Its lyrics also cover the subsequent Siege of Derry in 1689 when the Williamite forces held out until being relieved. The siege popularised the term "No Surrender!", which had previously been used by the defenders of Bandon earlier the same year. The song's title refers to the crimson banner, a traditional gesture of defiance during sieges, which flew throughout the Derry campaign.

text:
# The Crimson Banner

"**The Crimson Banner**" is a traditional Irish song, also known as "**The Eighteenth of December**" and "**No Surrender!**". Written by William Blacker in 1818, it is part of the Protestant Loyalist tradition.

The song celebrates the closing of the gates of the Ulster city of Derry to the approaching Jacobite Irish Army on 18 December 1688. Its lyrics also cover the subsequent Siege of Derry in 1689 when the Williamite forces held out until being relieved. The siege popularised the term "No Surrender!", which had previously been used by the defenders of Bandon earlier the same year.

The song's title refers to the crimson banner, a traditional gesture of defiance during sieges, which flew throughout the Derry campaign.

## Bibliography

* Allan Blackstock & Eoin Magennis. *Politics and Political Culture in Britain and Ireland, 1750-1850: Essays in Tribute to Peter Jupp*. Ulster Historical Foundation, 2007.

## InfoBox

| "The Crimson Banner" | |
| --- | --- |
| Song | |
| Written | Lieutenant-Colonel William Blacker |
| Published | 1818 |
| Songwriter(s) | William Blacker |


title: The Centre, Bristol

abstract: The Centre is a public open space in the central area of Bristol, England, created by covering over the River Frome. The northern end of The Centre, known as Magpie Park, is skirted on its western edge by Colston Avenue; the southern end is a larger paved area bounded by St Augustine's Parade to the west, Broad Quay the east, and St Augustine's Reach to the south, and bisected by the 2016 extension of Baldwin Street. The Centre is managed by Bristol City Council. The name 'The Centre' appears to have been applied to the area from the mid-twentieth century; before that, from 1893 when the upper part of St Augustine's reach was covered, it was known as the Tramways Centre and Magpie Park. The Centre is not the historic or civic centre of Bristol, nor is it a major shopping area. It is, however, an important local transport interchange and cultural destination. Many local bus services terminate at or pass through here, and it is also served by ferry services to Hotwells and Bristol Temple Meads station, and has busy taxi ranks. The Centre has been altered on a number of occasions, originally to ease traffic flow but latterly to try to strike a balance between its use as both public open space and an important traffic corridor. In 2017, alterations to accommodate the MetroBus bus rapid transit scheme were completed.

text:
# The Centre, Bristol

**The Centre** is a public open space in the central area of Bristol, England, created by covering over the River Frome. The northern end of The Centre, known as Magpie Park, is skirted on its western edge by Colston Avenue; the southern end is a larger paved area bounded by St Augustine's Parade to the west, Broad Quay the east, and St Augustine's Reach (part of the Floating Harbour) to the south, and bisected by the 2016 extension of Baldwin Street. The Centre is managed by Bristol City Council.

The name 'The Centre' (or 'The City Centre') appears to have been applied to the area from the mid-twentieth century; before that, from 1893 when the upper part of St Augustine's reach was covered, it was known as the Tramways Centre and Magpie Park.

The Centre is not the historic or civic centre of Bristol, nor is it a major shopping area. It is, however, an important local transport interchange and cultural destination. Many local bus services terminate at or pass through here, and it is also served by ferry services to Hotwells and Bristol Temple Meads station, and has busy taxi ranks.

The Centre has been altered on a number of occasions, originally to ease traffic flow but latterly to try to strike a balance between its use as both public open space and an important traffic corridor. In 2017, alterations to accommodate the MetroBus bus rapid transit scheme were completed.

## History

### Before the culvert

The Centre owes its form to the channel dug in the 1240s to provide additional quays and wharves for the burgeoning Bristol Docks.

This channel, St Augustine's Reach, became the heart of Bristol Docks. As trade flourished and ships became larger the docks expanded, but the completion of the Floating Harbour in 1809, and the building of docks at Avonmouth and Portishead, made the wharves at the northern end of St Augustine's Reach increasingly marginal.

The northern end of St Augustine's Reach was narrower and accessed by opening The Drawbridge, which crossed the docks at the end of Clare Street (where present-day Baldwin Street was built in 1881). The Drawbridge was rebuilt for the fourth and final time in 1868, but by 1893 when it was replaced by a fixed structure it had been a source of "great congestion" to traffic (including the new trams) for many years, often being left open for twenty minutes while ships were roped up.

### Magpie Park

In 1892 The Drawbridge was replaced by the elegant stone St Augustine's Bridge; at the same time the docks to the north were infilled. The new area, which was called Magpie Park, was enclosed by Colston Avenue. It was named after the newspaper *The Bristol Magpie*, whose offices were on the western side of Colston Avenue. The Bristol Industrial and Fine Arts Exhibition was held here in 1893; this popular attraction saw 500,000 attendees and raised £2200 for charity.

This is now the site of the Bristol Cenotaph, unveiled in 1932. The Cenotaph continues to be the focus of local remembrance.

### Tramways Centre

During the 1890s, Bristol's tramway system was expanded and electrified. In 1896 the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company (BT&CC) moved their head office to premises at 1–3 St Augustine's Parade, where they remained until 1970. The need for a central interchange was recognised and to this end a large triangular traffic island, later nicknamed 'Skivvy's Island' because of its use by domestic servants, was built between the BT&CC offices and St Augustine's Bridge. The Tramways Centre became the most important of the BT&CC's three central termini, serving more routes than the others at Bristol Bridge and Old Market. It was the terminus for trams from the north and east of the city, and trams from Hotwells to Temple Meads station and Brislington also stopped here. Passengers could straightforwardly alight from one tram and board another to continue their journey without the need to cross roads. A large three-faced ornamental clock was fixed high on the Tramways offices, and 'under the clock on The Centre' became a popular meeting place.

J. B. Priestley visited Bristol in 1933, and described The Centre as 'a place where trams and coastal steamers seemed in danger of collision'.

Buses first started to use the Tramways Centre in 1910, initially only on the route to Clifton. By 1913, ten bus routes started from The Centre. In 1938 and 1939 the tram routes serving the Tramways Centre were replaced by buses, so that trams ceased to use the island. Trams elsewhere in the city ceased completely in 1941.

### Inner Circuit Road

In 1938 construction started on a culvert covering the area between St Augustine's Bridge and the southern end of Broad Quay. This created a route for the Inner Circuit Road, which had already bisected Queen Square, to continue northwards. Construction continued despite the outbreak of war. A large elongated roundabout was formed, with the central space initially being used as a car park. The Tramways Centre island remained, devoid of trams.

After the war the central space was planted with lawns, ornamental borders and golden Irish yews and became known as the Centre Gardens.

### 1957 remodelling

The Inner Circuit Road was extended northwards into Colston Avenue in 1957–58. The Tramways Centre island was removed and the Centre Gardens island was extended to a point near the end of St Stephen's Street. Magpie Park was reduced in length, Colston Avenue was widened and many of the (by then) mature plane trees were felled.

### 1998 remodelling

It had been recognised since the 1960s that the southern half of the Inner Circuit Road had badly impacted the amenity of Queen Square and The Centre, and by the 1990s tentative steps were being taken towards downgrading this part of the road and transferring traffic along less sensitive routes. By the mid-1990s, the road across Queen Square had been closed and plans were being developed to re-balance The Centre in favour of pedestrians and public transport.

Bristol City Council launched a consultation exercise in 1996, in which the public were asked to choose between a 'Dock Option' (reopening the old harbour as far as St Augustine's Bridge) and a cheaper 'Promenade Option'. Both options involved closing the road across Quay Head; the Promenade Option used the new space to create a larger pedestrianised area in place of the Centre Gardens, with fountains, a cascade leading down to the waterside, and a sail structure to evoke Bristol's maritime past. The remaining road space in both options would be designed to give greater priority to public transport.

The Council decided to build the 'Promenade Option'. This soon came under criticism for its poor safety, particularly after a number of pedestrians were injured by vehicles and at least two people struck by buses and killed. The new design was also criticised for its traffic noise and fumes, "dribbling" fountains, poor traffic flow, poor cycling infrastructure, and delays to public transport. Few were happy with the new design, and many were disappointed that the 'Dock Option' had not been pursued.

The area around the pedestrian crossing at the Baldwin Street end of Broad Quay was altered in 2003 after the Bristol Coroner called for improvements following an inquest on the death of a pedestrian hit by a bus.

Despite remedial work in 2007, the sail structure was found to be unsafe and removed in 2009.

In 2011 plans were again being developed for major changes to The Centre. These plans include the possibility of prohibiting private vehicles from crossing The Centre on the east–west axis, as mooted in the 1996 consultation.

### 2015 remodelling for MetroBus

Between 2015 and 2018 the layout of The Centre was changed once more, this time to accommodate the MetroBus bus rapid transit scheme.

Private motor traffic was routed along the western edge of The Centre, and the gyratory traffic system was replaced by extended and more accessible pedestrian spaces. The new layout reduced the number of routes available to general traffic, some of which was diverted away from the area, whilst improving segregation for cycles and buses. The taxi ranks were relocated, and new bus stops were constructed for MetroBus services. Early indications suggested that journey times had been improved by these changes.

## Sites of interest

As well as the Cenotaph, Magpie Park has a bronze statue by James Havard Thomas of MP Edmund Burke (1894) and had a statue of Edward Colston (1895, by John Cassidy). On 7 June 2020, the statue of Colston was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter demonstration, following the murder of George Floyd in the United States. A drinking fountain commemorates the 1893 Industrial and Fine Art Exhibition.

St Mary on the Quay stands on Colston Avenue to the west of the park, and St Stephen's Church stands nearby to the east.

The southern end of The Centre (the Centre Promenade) has a 1723 lead statue of Neptune, moved to The Centre from Temple Street in 1949 and now Grade II\* listed. There is a modern water feature with fountains, and another stepped water feature leads down to a ferry landing stage at the current head of St Augustine's Reach. There is a busy taxi rank on Colston Avenue, near its junction with Baldwin Street.

The Hippodrome stands to the west of the Centre Promenade on St Augustine's Parade. Further north are the high-rise Beacon Tower and just west of this on Colston Street, Bristol's concert hall Bristol Beacon (both renamed in 2020, formerly bearing Colston's name).

On Broad Quay, the former head office tower of the Bristol and West Building Society was repurposed in 2011 into a hotel and serviced flats.

The Centre is part of the College Green Conservation Area.

**Sources**

* Hulin, P (1974). *Bristol's Buses*. Published by the author. ISBN 0-9503889-0-4.
* Appleby, John B (1969). *Bristol's Trams Remembered*. J.B. Appleby.
* Winstone, Reece (1980). *Bristol in the 1940s* (3rd ed.). Reece Winstone. ISBN 0-900814-61-6.
* Appleby, John B; Butcher, Edward W A; Gailey, T W H; Hulin, Peter; Mathieson, John; Urwin, Thomas J; Robinson, Philip A; Rootham, Bernard L; Wellman, Kenneth H (1974). *The People's Carriage 1874-1974*. Bristol Omnibus Company Ltd.
* Rossiter, Stuart (1976). *Blue Guide England*. Ernest Benn.
* Insole, Pete; Porter, Hannah (2016). "College Green-Conservation Area Character Appraisal". *Bristol City Council*.

1. Prince's Wharf, including M Shed, Pyronaut and Mayflower adjoining Prince Street Bridge
2. Dry docks: SS *Great Britain*, the *Matthew*
3. St Augustine's Reach, Pero's Bridge
4. Bathurst Basin
5. Queen Square
6. Bristol Temple Meads railway station
7. Castle Park
8. Redcliffe Quay and Redcliffe Caves
9. Baltic Wharf marina
10. Cumberland Basin & Brunel Locks
11. The New Cut
12. Netham Lock, entrance to the Feeder Canal
13. Totterdown Basin
14. Temple Quay
15. The Centre
16. Canons Marsh, including Millennium Square and We The Curious
17. Underfall Yard
18. Bristol Bridge and Welsh Back

## InfoBox

The Centre, Bristol
| View of northern end of The Centre, March 2018, before removal of Colston statue | |
| --- | --- |
| Location within Central Bristol | |
| Former name(s) | Tramways Centre |
| Maintained by | Bristol City Council |
| Location | Bristol, England |
| Postal code | BS1 |
| Coordinates | 51°27′14″N 2°35′50″W / 51.4540°N 2.5972°W / 51.4540; -2.5972 |
| North | Lewins Mead, Rupert Street |
| East | Baldwin Street |
| South | Anchor Road |
| West | College Green |


title: The Cool School (album)

abstract: The Cool School is a 1960 album by June Christy of songs sung by children the world over accompanied by the Joe Castro Quartet. June’s daughter Shay was pictured on the LP/CD cover wearing a blue smock. The album was re-issued in 2006 as a double-CD together with Do-Re-Mi.

text:
# The Cool School (album)

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  |

***The Cool School*** is a 1960 album by June Christy of songs sung by children the world over accompanied by the Joe Castro Quartet. June’s daughter Shay (then aged 5) was pictured on the LP/CD cover wearing a blue smock.

The album was re-issued in 2006 as a double-CD together with *Do-Re-Mi*.

## Track listing

1. Give a Little Whistle” (Leigh Harline, Ned Washington)
2. “Magic Window” (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke)
3. “Baby’s Birthday Party” (Ann Ronell)
4. When You Wish upon a Star” (Leigh Harline, Ned Washington)
5. Baubles, Bangles, & Beads” (Robert Wright, Chet Forrest)
6. Aren't You Glad You're You?” (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke)
7. “Kee-mo, ky-mo” (Bob Hilliard, Roy Alfred)
8. Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)” (Evelyn Danzig, Jack Segal)
9. Looking for a Boy” (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
10. Small Fry” (Hoagy Carmichael, Frank Loesser)
11. Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead” (Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg)
12. Swinging on a Star” (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke)

## Personnel

* June Christy - vocals

The Joe Castro Quartet

## InfoBox

| The Cool School | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by June Christy | |
| Released | 1960 (1960) |
| Recorded | Hollywood, California, September 1959 |
| Genre | Vocal jazz, Children's music |
| Label | Capitol |
| Producer | Bill Miller |
| June Christy chronology | |
| *Road Show*
(1959) ***The Cool School***
(1960) *Off-Beat*
(1960) | |


title: The Cool Sound of Pepper Adams

abstract: The Cool Sound of Pepper Adams is an album led by baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams which was recorded in late 1957 and originally released on the Regent label. The album was rereleased on Savoy as Pure Pepper in 1984 with an additional previously unreleased track.

text:
# The Cool Sound of Pepper Adams

***The Cool Sound of Pepper Adams*** is an album led by baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams which was recorded in late 1957 and originally released on the Regent label. The album was rereleased on Savoy as *Pure Pepper* in 1984 with an additional previously unreleased track.

## Reception

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz |  |
| *Allmusic* |  |
| *The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide* |  |

*The Penguin Guide to Jazz* states "*The Cool Sound of Pepper Adams* is hardly an appropriate title for a session by this leader, although the plodding tempos of three of the four pieces here don't generate much heat".

The Allmusic review by Jason Ankeny states "A wonderfully soulful session featuring striking contributions from pianist Hank Jones and drummer Elvin Jones, its four lengthy cuts pulsate with energy and invention. Despite complementing Adams' baritone leads with Bernard McKinney's euphonium, the music never sounds bloated. Instead, it's supple and slinky, with a dexterity that's utterly winning".

## Track listing

1. "Bloos, Blooze, Blues" (P. David) – 10:12
2. "Seein' Red" \[Alternate take\] (Bernard McKinney) – 7:41 Bonus track on reissue
3. "Like...What Is This?" (McKinney) – 7:35
4. "Skippy" (Abe Woodley) – 7:47
5. "Seein' Red" (McKinney) – 7:22

## Personnel

## InfoBox

| The Cool Sound of Pepper Adams | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by Pepper Adams | |
| Released | 1958 |
| Recorded | November 19, 1957 |
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Length | 33:11 |
| Label | Regent
MG 6066 |
| Producer | Ozzie Cadena |
| Pepper Adams chronology | |
| *Critics' Choice*
(1957) ***The Cool Sound of Pepper Adams***
(1958) *The Pepper-Knepper Quintet*
(1958) | |
|  | |
| *Pure Pepper* cover | |
|  | |
|  | |
|  | |
|  | |


title: The Comic Reader

abstract: The Comic Reader (TCR) was a comics news-fanzine published from 1961 to 1984. Debuting in the pre-direct market era, TCR was the first regularly published comics industry news fanzine, and was able to secure many contacts from within the ranks of the larger publishers. As TCR increased in popularity and influence, it was able to attract professional artist to illustrate the covers. TCR also proved to be a launching pad for aspiring comic book creators, many of whom published work in the fanzine as amateurs. Contributors from the world of fandom included founding editor Jerry Bails, key editor Paul Levitz, Paul Kupperberg, Tony Isabella, Byron Preiss, Neal Pozner, Don Rosa, Carl Gafford, and Doug Hazlewood. The fanzine was founded in 1961 as On the Drawing Board by Jerry Bails, the "Father of Comics Fandom", changing its name to The Comic Reader in 1962 and being named the official bulletin of the Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors (ACBFC). During its run, TCR won a number of industry awards, including the Alley Award and the Goethe Award/Comic Fan Art Award. In its last incarnation, published by Street Enterprises, it was more professional magazine than fanzine, and was known colloquially as "the TV Guide of the comics industry".

text:
# The Comic Reader

***The Comic Reader*** (***TCR***) was a comics news-fanzine published from 1961 to 1984. Debuting in the pre-direct market era (before the proliferation of comics retailers), *TCR* was the first regularly published comics industry news fanzine, and was able to secure many contacts from within the ranks of the larger publishers. As *TCR* increased in popularity and influence, it was able to attract professional artist to illustrate the covers. *TCR* also proved to be a launching pad for aspiring comic book creators, many of whom published work in the fanzine as amateurs. Contributors from the world of fandom included founding editor Jerry Bails, key editor Paul Levitz, Paul Kupperberg, Tony Isabella, Byron Preiss, Neal Pozner, Don Rosa, Carl Gafford, and Doug Hazlewood.

The fanzine was founded in 1961 as *On the Drawing Board* by Jerry Bails, the "Father of Comics Fandom", changing its name to *The Comic Reader* in 1962 and being named the official bulletin of the Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors (ACBFC). During its run, *TCR* won a number of industry awards, including the Alley Award and the Goethe Award/Comic Fan Art Award. In its last incarnation, published by Street Enterprises, it was more professional magazine than fanzine, and was known colloquially as "the *TV Guide* of the comics industry".

## Publication history

### *On the Drawing Board*

Jerry Bails founded and published *On the Drawing Board* in October 1961, to showcase the latest comic news. Spinning-off from Bails' other zine, *Alter Ego* (after appearing for three issues as a column within that publication), *On the Drawing Board* "was devoted to blurbs and news items pertaining to upcoming events in pro comics".

Released in stand-alone form as "a single-page news-sheet", *On the Drawing Board* #4 (#1-3 being applied to the columns appearing in those issues of *A/E*) debuted on October 7, 1961. Comics fandom historian Bill Schelly described its impact:

> Suddenly, fans had a way to see what was coming up on the newsstands. In some cases, they also found out the names of the writers and artists of certain features, in an era before such credits were routinely given. While there was considerable interest in developments at DC (especially the revival of Hawkman), fans also closely followed the entrance of other companies into the costumed hero sweepstakes: Archie Comics, Gold Key, Charlton, and Marvel.

### Birth of *The Comic Reader* and a succession of editors

In March 1962, issue #8 of *On the Drawing Board* was retitled *The Comic Reader*. The "On the Drawing Board" name was retained for the periodical's news section. The (generally) monthly title became "a mainstay of fandom", winning a 1963 Alley Award.

In January 1964, Bails announced the merger of *The Comic Reader* with another of his fanzines, *The Comicollector*, under the editorship of Bill White. However, a death in White's family prevented the merger from happening, at which point Florida-based published G. B. Love merged *The Comicollector* into his own fanzine *Rocket's Blast*, as well as offering to absorb *The Comic Reader*. The ACBFC board, however, voted to maintain *TCR* as a standalone publication, and in mid-1964 New Mexico-based comics enthusiast Glen Johnson stepped forward to take over editorial duties.

Johnson was followed by a succession of editors, including Derrill Rothermich, who switched the fanzine to offset printing in late 1965. Mark Hanerfeld took over *TCR* in 1968 with issue #65, but by mid-1969 was having trouble maintaining a consistent publication schedule. Hanerfeld was doing double-duty as executive secretary of the ACBFC, and apparently this workload was too much for him. The ACBFC went defunct in mid-1969; and despite winning a 1969 Alley Award, by early 1970 *TCR* was no longer being published.

### Levitz era

In early 1971, New York teenager Paul Levitz bought the property and revived *The Comic Reader* with issue #78, merging it with *Etcetera*, a zine he had previously co-published with Paul Kupperberg. From issues #78–#89, the merged zine was called *Etcetera & The Comic Reader*; after issue #90 the zines split up again.

Under Levitz's editorship, *TCR* increased circulation (going monthly after a previous schedule of eight issues per year) and changed format, usually featuring an illustrated cover and typically 16 pages in length. As the zine gained in popularity and influence, it was able to attract industry professionals, such as Jack Kirby, Rich Buckler, Walt Simonson, and Howard Chaykin, to illustrate the covers. During this period, *TCR* won two Best Fanzine Comic Fan Art Awards. Due to his work on the zine, Levitz became well known at the offices of DC Comics, where he eventually ended up working for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles.

*TCR* published ballots for the 1973 Goethe Awards (for comics published in 1972); *TCR* staff also produced the program booklet for the 1973 Comic Art Convention.

Issue #99 (July 1973) featured *TCR*'s first color cover.

### Street Enterprises

In November 1973, with issue #101, Wisconsin-based publisher Street Enterprises took over *TCR*, and Mike Tiefenbacher took over as editor. Under Street Enterprises' oversight, *TCR* changed format to digest size, giving it even more the impression of being "the *TV Guide* of the comics industry". The magazine also began licensing its U.S. comics news material to the British fan press, particularly Richard Burton's *Comic Media News* and Martin Lock's *BEM*.

In early 1979, due to the cancellation of another Street Enterprises title, *The Menomonee Falls Gazette*, the publisher moved many of the strips featured in *The Gazette* over to *The Comic Reader*.

The emergence of *Amazing Heroes* in 1981, published by Fantagraphics Books, ate into *TCR*'s readership. As long-time Fantagraphics co-publisher Kim Thompson put it: "If you want to look at it cynically, we set out to steal *The Comic Reader*'s cheese. Which we did".

*The Comic Reader* published its final issue, #219, in September 1984.

## Features

In addition to news about creators, publishers, conventions, and the like, *TCR* ran recurring comic strips and features such as:

* "Bullet Crow" by Chuck Fiala (strips reprinted in 2 issues published by Eclipse Comics in 1987)
* "Captain Kentucky" by Don Rosa
* "Dateline @!!?#" by Fred Hembeck
* "Dick Duck, Duck Dick" by Jim Engel
* "Fandom Confidential" by Jim Engel and Chuck Fiala
* "Fowl of Fortune" by Chuck Fiala

## Awards

1. Rhoades, Shirrel (2008). *A Complete History of American Comic Books*. Lausanne, Switzerland: Peter Lang. p. 94. ISBN 9781433101076.
2. Yutko, Nick. "1961", Absolute Elsewhere, Oct. 3, 1998. Archived 2009-10-15 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved July 16, 2008.
3. Bill Schelly, "Jerry Bails' Ten Building Blocks of Fandom" in *Alter Ego* Vol. 3 Issue #25 (June 2003) pp. 5-8
4. Bails, Jerry (Jan 1964). "Special Announcement". *The Comic Reader*. No. 22.
5. Bails, Jerry (March 1964). "The Comic Reader". *The Comic Reader*. No. 23.
6. Bails, Jerry (May 1964). "Hope for The Comic Reader". *The Comic Reader*. No. 24.
7. Cooke, Jon B. (March 2000). "CBA Interview: Mark Hanerfeld: Abel with Caine: The Late Assistant Editor on his DC Days in a 1998 Interview". *Comic Book Artist*. No. 7. pp. 17–19.
8. Hanerfeld, Mark (1969). "Academy Forum". *The Comic Reader*. No. 75.
9. *The Comic Reader* #100 (Aug. 1973).
10. *The Comic Reader* #s 84–85 (Mar. & Apr. 1973).
11. *The Comic Reader* #99 (July 1973).
12. *The Comic Reader* #94 (Feb. 1973).
13. "Comic-Con International Special Guests", *Comic-Con Magazine* (Winter 2010), p. 42.
14. Miller, John Jackson (July 19, 2005). "GOETHE/COMIC FAN ART AWARD WINNERS, 1971-74". *Comics Buyer's Guide*. Archived from the original on September 20, 2010.
15. *The Comic Reader* #93 (Jan. 1973).
16. Willis, Russell. "AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN LOCK (PART 1 | THE BEM YEARS)", *Under the Stairs* (2013). Retrieved Jan. 8, 2020.
17. Beginning in *The Comic Reader* #164 (Jan. 1979).
18. "'Everything Was in Season'", *The Comics Journal* (DEC. 08, 2016).
19. Levitz entry, *Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999*. Accessed Feb. 4, 2016.
20. *The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom* #123 (March 26, 1976).
21. "The Eagle Awards - Results: 1983", Eagle Awards website. Archived at the Wayback Machine. Accessed Jan. 27, 2020.
22. "Eagle Nominations Announced; American Flagg Nominated for 10", *The Comics Journal* #89 (May 1984), p. 11.

## InfoBox

*The Comic Reader*
| The cover of the final issue of *The Comic Reader*, featuring Evangeline. | |
| --- | --- |
| Editors | Jerry Bails (issues #1–25)
Glen Johnson (issues #26–40)
Derrill Rothermich (issues 42–48)
Bob Schoenfeld (issues #49–64)
Mark Hanerfeld (issues #65–77)
Paul Levitz (issues #78–100)
Mike Tiefenbacher (issues #101–219) |
| Categories | Comics criticism and news |
| Frequency | Generally monthly |
| Publisher | Jerry Bails (1961–1963) |
| Total circulation
(c. 1972) | 3,500 |
| First issue | Oct. 1961 |
| Final issue
Number | Sept. 1984
219 |
| Company | Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors (1963–1969)
TCR Publications (1971–1973)
Street Enterprises (1973–1982) |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Brooklyn, New York (1971–1973)
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin (1973–1984) |
| Language | English |


title: The Desert Rose Band

abstract: The Desert Rose Band was an American country rock band from Los Angeles, California, founded in 1985 by Chris Hillman, with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson. The original lineup included Bill Bryson on bass guitar, JayDee Maness on pedal steel guitar, and Steve Duncan on drums. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band charted several hit singles on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts until disbanding in February 1994.

text:
# The Desert Rose Band

**The Desert Rose Band** was an American country rock band from Los Angeles, California, founded in 1985 by Chris Hillman (formerly of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers), with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson. The original lineup included Bill Bryson on bass guitar, JayDee Maness on pedal steel guitar, and Steve Duncan on drums. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band charted several hit singles on the US *Billboard* Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts until disbanding in February 1994.

## Formation

The Desert Rose Band was formed in 1985 by frontman Chris Hillman (born December 4, 1944), formerly a member of The Byrds, and co-founder, along with the late Gram Parsons of the country-rock band The Flying Burrito Brothers. Additional members included John Jorgenson (born July 6, 1956), who was mainly responsible for the instrumental arrangements of the songs, and Herb Pedersen (born April 27, 1944), responsible for the vocal arrangements. Jorgenson and Pedersen sang three-part harmony with Hillman. Each Desert Rose Band album featured Pedersen on one lead vocal. Pedal steel player JayDee Maness (born January 4, 1945), drummer Steve Duncan (born July 28, 1953), and bassist Bill Bryson (1946–2017) rounded out the group.

## Career

### 1987-1989: *The Desert Rose Band* and *Running*

Their eponymous debut album was issued in 1987 on MCA/Curb. It contained their first hit "Ashes of Love", which was originally a Johnnie & Jack song from the early 1950s. It was the second time Hillman and Pedersen recorded "Ashes of Love," the first being on Hillman's just prior album *Desert Rose* on the Sugar Hill label. The Desert Rose Band's debut also featured a remake of Chris Hillman's "Time Between" which he previously wrote and recorded as a member of the Byrds, as well as the band's first chart-topper "He's Back and I'm Blue".

Their second album *Running* (1988) featured the John Hiatt-penned hit "She Don't Love Nobody", "Running", and a remake of Buck Owens's "Hello Trouble".

### 1990-1993: *Pages of Life*, *True Love* and *Life Goes On*

The third album *Pages of Life* (1990) featured a remake of "Desert Rose" as well as a remake of Pedersen's folk song about his daughter "Our Baby's Gone" which was originally recorded on his 1976 album *Southwest*. JayDee Maness left the band in 1990 and was replaced on pedal steel guitar by Tom Brumley whom Jay Dee replaced in the Buckaroos. Maness would again play with Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen on their post Desert Rose Band duo albums *Bakersfield Bound* and *Way Out West*.

The fourth studio album, *True Love*, was released in 1991. It was followed by 1993's *Life Goes On*, released only in Europe. Several prominent country and bluegrass musicians made guest appearances on *Life Goes On* including Sam Bush on fiddle, Tony Rice and Larry Park (of Boy Howdy) on guitar, and Al Perkins on dobro. Before the release of this final studio album, was the 1993 compilation *Traditional*.

John Jorgenson and Steve Duncan left the band in 1991. Jorgenson went on to form the Hellecasters with Will Ray and Jerry Donahue; Duncan also joined the Hellecasters. John Jorgenson is currently playing gypsy jazz with his John Jorgenson Quintette. Chris and Herb recorded an acoustic album called *The Other Side* in 2005. They continue to tour as an acoustic duo. Former Buck Owens steel player Tom Brumley played with Joey Riley's band in Branson, Missouri. He died on February 3, 2009.

## Awards

The Desert Rose Band was nominated for two Grammy Awards, in the category Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: the debut album *The Desert Rose Band* (1987), and the single "She Don't Love Nobody" (1989).

The band was a three-time winner of the Band of the Year/Touring Award presented by the Academy of Country Music Association, in 1988, 1989, and 1990.

The band earned the Country Music Association's "Horizon Award" in 1989, and was nominated Vocal Group of the Year in 1989 and 1990.

Broadcast Music Inc., recognized "One Step Forward" and "Love Reunited" for having achieved the benchmark of *One Million Broadcast Radio Performances.*

## Discography

### Studio albums

| Title | Album details | Peak positions | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | US Country
 | US
 |
| *The Desert Rose Band* |  | 24 |  |
| *Running* | * Release date: September 6, 1988 * Label: MCA/Curb Records | 26 |  |
| *Pages of Life* | * Release date: January 16, 1990 * Label: MCA/Curb Records | 17 | 187 |
| *True Love* | * Release date: October 1, 1991 * Label: Curb Records |  |  |
| *Life Goes On* | * Release date: September 21, 1993 * Label: Curb Records |  |  |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | | | |
|

### Compilation albums

| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| | | US Country
 |
| *A Dozen Roses – Greatest Hits* | * Release date: January 4, 1991 * Label: MCA/Curb Records | 44 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | | |

### Singles

| Year | Single | Peak positions | | Album |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | US Country
 | CAN Country
 | |
| 1987 | "Ashes of Love" | 26 | 37 | *The Desert Rose Band* |
| | "Love Reunited" | 6 | | 5 |
| | "One Step Forward" | 2 | | 2 |
| 1988 | "He's Back and I'm Blue" | 1 | | 1 |
| | "Summer Wind" | 2 | 2 | *Running* |
| | "I Still Believe in You" | | 1 | 1 |
| 1989 | "She Don't Love Nobody" | | 3 | 4 |
| | "Hello Trouble" | | 11 | 11 |
| | "Start All Over Again" | 6 | 3 | *Pages of Life* |
| 1990 | "In Another Lifetime" | | 13 | 18 |
| | "Story of Love" | | 10 | 6 |
| 1991 | "Will This Be the Day" | 37 | 44 | *A Dozen Roses – Greatest Hits* |
| | "Come a Little Closer" | 65 | | 67 |
| | "You Can Go Home" | 53 | 64 | *True Love* |
| | "Twilight Is Gone" | | 67 | 82 |
| 1993 | "What About Love" | 71 |  | *Life Goes On* |
| | "Night After Night" |  | |  |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | | | | |
|

### Music videos

| Year | Video | Director |
| --- | --- | --- |
|
| 1988 | "He's Back and I'm Blue" |  |
| | "Summer Wind" |  |
| 1989 | "She Don't Love Nobody" | Bill Pope |
| 1990 | | "In Another Lifetime" |
| 1991 | "Will This Be the Day" | Gerry Wenner |
| | "You Can Go Home" | Gustavo Garzón |
| 1993 | "What About Love" | Michael Merriman |

## InfoBox

| The Desert Rose Band | |
| --- | --- |
| Pictured from left to right Herb Pedersen, Chris Hillman and John Jorgenson | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres |  |
| Years active | 1985–1994 |
| Labels | MCA, Curb |
|  | |
| Past members | Chris Hillman
Herb Pedersen
John Jorgenson
JayDee Maness
Steve Duncan
Tom Brumley
Jeff Ross
Tim Grogan
Bill Bryson |


title: The Cost of a Kiss

abstract: The Cost of a Kiss is a 1917 British silent drama film directed by Adrian Brunel and starring Bertram Wallis, Marjorie Day and Edward Cooper. It marked the feature film debut of Brunel who went on to become a leading British director of the 1920s. It was the only film produced by Mirror Films, a company set up by Brunel and the screenwriter H. Fowler Mear.

text:
# The Cost of a Kiss

***The Cost of a Kiss*** is a 1917 British silent drama film directed by Adrian Brunel and starring Bertram Wallis, Marjorie Day and Edward Cooper. It marked the feature film debut of Brunel who went on to become a leading British director of the 1920s. It was the only film produced by Mirror Films, a company set up by Brunel and the screenwriter H. Fowler Mear.

## Cast

## Bibliography

* Murphy, Robert & Brown, Geoff & Burton, Alan. *Directors in British and Irish cinema: A Reference Companion*. BFI, 2006.

## InfoBox

| The Cost of a Kiss | |
| --- | --- |
| Directed by | Adrian Brunel |
| Written by | H. Fowler Mear |
| Production<br>company | Mirror Films |
| Distributed by | Mirror Films |
| Release date | * February 1917 (1917-02) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |


title: The Dancing Floor

abstract: The Dancing Floor is a 1926 novel by the Scottish author John Buchan featuring Edward Leithen. It is the third of Buchan's five Leithen novels.

text:
# The Dancing Floor

***The Dancing Floor*** is a 1926 novel by the Scottish author John Buchan featuring Edward Leithen. It is the third of Buchan's five Leithen novels.

## Plot

Edward Leithen, the eminent lawyer, is introduced by his young nephew Charles to Vernon Milburne. In spite of the age difference, Leithen and Vernon become close friends. Vernon confides that since childhood he has had an annually-recurring dream in which he finds himself in a panelled chamber. A closed door faces him, and he knows that beyond that is another identical room, and another, and so on interminably. In one of the rooms something is moving towards him, one room closer each year.

In 1914, Leithen and Vernon join a friend on a cruising holiday in the Aegean. Anchoring the yacht by the island of Plakos, they go ashore near a large fortified house that looms over the harbour. Vernon is fascinated, but Leithen finds the place menacing and sinister.

The friends see less of each other during the war years, but after the armistice Leithen investigates the history of Plakos. He learns that until his recent death the island had been owned by one Shelley Arabin, a man with a reputation for violence and evil who had used the house for dissolute orgies at which ancient pre-Christian Greek gods were worshipped.

Leithen and Vernon are introduced to Koré, a young woman who outrageously flouts the expected manners of her class. She, it transpires, is Shelley Arabin's daughter, and the current owner of Plakos. Not fully understanding the depths of the Greek locals' fear and hate, Koré is stubbornly determined to return to the island to expiate her father's evil legacy. Leithen recognises Koré's naivety behind her confident facade, but in spite of his advice she leaves England for Plakos. Leithen follows. Vernon, meanwhile, and unknown to Leithen, has anchored his yacht in Plakos harbour. He has been preparing himself year by year to meet the closing crisis of his dreams, the final episode of which is now due.

Aided by a Greek army officer, Captain Maris, Leithen attempts but fails to gain access to Koré's house, where she is being held prisoner. The locals intend to burn the building and to sacrifice her as part of an ancient Greek rite. He watches in the moonlight as on a flat area of land known as the Dancing Floor young men take part in a ritual race, the winner having the honour of selecting the male victim who is to die with Koré. Unrecognised by Leithen, the winning runner is Vernon who has disguised himself as a Greek youth. Vernon selects Maris as the male sacrifice, and both enter the house, expecting to find an opportunity to escape. But there is none. Finally, as the flames rise, Koré and Vernon are seen boldly walking out towards the silent villagers, dressed in white as pagan deities summoned by the ancient rite. The villagers panic and flee.

In the house, Vernon had recognised the room that appeared in his dreams, and Koré as his yearly-advancing presence. Now a couple, Vernon and Koré escape from the island on Vernon's yacht along with Leithen, who looks back at the house flaming on the headland.

## Principal characters

* Sir Edward Leithen \- lawyer and member of parliament
* Vernon Milburne - tall, handsome young man, friend of Leithen
* Koré Arabin - stubborn yet vulnerable daughter of a pagan-worshipping father
* Captain Maris - Greek army officer

## Background

In an introductory note, the author states that an episode of the story is taken from his earlier short story "Basilissa". In a 1933 essay, Mary Butts described *The Dancing Floor* as "one of the first novels to owe its origin to *The Golden Bough*".

## InfoBox

The Dancing Floor
| First British edition | |
| --- | --- |
| Author | John Buchan |
| Language | English |
| Series | Edward Leithen |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Set in | Greece and England |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton (UK)<br>Houghton Mifflin (US) |
| Publication date | 1926 |
| Media type | Print |
| Pages | 311 |


title: The Darkness Series

abstract: Darkness, also known as World at War, is a series of six fantasy novels by Harry Turtledove. Though a fantasy, its general history, geography, and combatants are analogs of World War II, called the "Derlavai War" in this universe. Many of its characters are also the equivalents of historical people. Magic and other fantastic beasts, like dragons, are also stand-ins for World War II technology. Important battles in the series are also based on famous World War II battles. For example, the Battle of Sulingen is an analog to the Battle of Stalingrad.

text:
# The Darkness Series

**Darkness**, also known as **World at War**, is a series of six fantasy novels by Harry Turtledove.

Though a fantasy, its general history, geography, and combatants are analogs of World War II, called the "Derlavai War" in this universe. Many of its characters are also the equivalents of historical people. Magic and other fantastic beasts, like dragons, are also stand-ins for World War II technology. Important battles in the series are also based on famous World War II battles. For example, the Battle of Sulingen is an analog to the Battle of Stalingrad.

## Novels

## World of Derlavai

Most of the action in the series takes place on the main continent of Derlavai, located in the southern hemisphere of an unnamed planet. There are also some lesser land masses and island chains mentioned in the story and on the map included in the novels. The planet also has the smaller continents of Siaulia and The Land of the Ice People.

There are only 12 independent countries: Algarve, Forthweg, Gyongyos, Jelgava, Sibiu, Kuusamo, Lagoas, Ortah, Unkerlant, Valmiera, Yanina, and Zuwayza. There are also three dependent territories (Bari, Grelz, and Rivaroli). Populations are for the most part homogeneous enough that a difference in hair color is easily enough to make one stand out. The vast majority of the members of a given Derlavaian ethnic group have the same hair and eye color combination.

All nations in the *Darkness* series are monarchies with the exception of Kuusamo, in which seven princes have a hereditary power-sharing arrangement. While by no means all absolute monarchies, in all of them kings (or princes in Kuusamo) seem to have the executive power. There are foreign ministers, but no prime ministers and no cabinets - a foreign minister evidently reporting directly to the King. None of the people have family names, even if they are members of the nobility. To the extent that monarchs are limited in their power, the limitation comes mainly from hereditary aristocracies which still maintain many privileges of feudal times.

The nations in the Darkness series do not have randomly invented names for their people and locations. Rather, each nation has personal and geographical names taken from a real nation on Earth. Turtledove has, however, mixed up the attributes so that any given Derlavaian kingdom is not instantly recognizable as a cognate of the countries which took part in World War II. For example, Unkerlant has Germanic (German, Low German, and Frankish) place and personal names. Forthweg has a Germanic language, Old English. Similarly, the Algarvic nations all speak Latin-derived languages: Algarve speaks Italian, Lagoas has Portuguese, and Sibiu Romanian. Kaunian languages are based on modern Baltic languages \- Lithuanian is Classical Kaunian and Latvian for Valmerian and Jelgavian.

Unkerlant, though German-speaking, is an unmistakable Russia in both its culture and politics. On the other hand, Kuusamo - though playing the strategic role of the United States - has a Scandinavian culture, fitting with its Finnish language. Similarly, while politically and strategically Algarve is a clear analogue of Nazi Germany - including its committing genocide against the Kaunians/Jews - its culture seems more Italian than German, fitting with its language.

## Magic

Magic in the *Darkness* series is not created by mages but rather harnessed by them. The mages of Derlavai gather magical power from the various power points scattered around the planet and the ley lines which link them, a recent discovery made only 200 years before the start of the books. Mages can also gather magic from human sacrifice. As such, the operation of magic is heavily reliant on location. Large, modern cities tend to be located on or near strong power points which provide the energy for the operation of the city's lighting, heating and other comforts. In addition, large power points tend to be linked to greater numbers of ley lines, which are utilised for transportation between cities and towns.

### Mages

There are fundamental laws of magic, which require intense studying to master in order to become a mage. Though popular "how-to" books for the general public do exist, the spells published in them are not always reliable, and can backfire in dangerous or embarrassing ways. Professional mages are divided into "theoretical" and "practical." Theoretical mages research the relationships and underlying laws governing the behaviour of matter and energy, formulate hypotheses expressed in complicated mathematical formulas, and devise careful experiments in order to prove or disprove these hypotheses empirically. Practical mages use the theories devised by theoretical mages to make devices that can be used by the general public.

### Magic and Technology

Derlavai has gone through a "Thaumaturgical Revolution" instead of an Industrial Revolution, using magic as the basis for much of its technology. Because of magic, there appears to be less of a need for mass industry. There are plants producing pottery, for example, in large amounts, but behemoths and dragons are bred on farms and clothing appears to be made by tailors instead of in factories.

On the civilian scene, magic is much less important, being limited to applications such as rest boxes (an analogue to the refrigerator which operates by slowing the effects of time on its contents), lighting (in places where such sorcerous power is available) and ley line ships, while in the military magic is involved in the production and use of almost all their weapons and supplies.

Most of the magical items in the world of Derlavai are analogues to everyday, or military, devices in our world. While the series is more concerned with military affairs than with economic ones, it seems that there are three competing ways of producing things:

* By direct magic, using the law of similarity which can obviously be applied to mass production. This method is fast, but can produce inferior goods if not conducted with skill and effort.
* By artisans, who work by hand and use a limited amount of magic. Each profession has some spells, and the knowledge and use of them is considered a normal part of that trade rather than a form of magecraft.
* Mass production by machines, as in our world.

There is a mention of the Kuusamans rapidly building a new port in a newly conquered island by magic, which is evident from all buildings being the same (indicating that the spells made extensive use of the law of similarity). It is noted that only a country with many skilled mages could have spared the resources for such construction. In another place it is noted that printing is usually done by mechanical means, but the Valmieren resistance utilises magic for reproducing a propaganda sheet in order to avoid detection by the occupying authorities. The result of this magical duplication is readable, but the ink smudges easily as it was produced without the aid of a power point or an experienced mage.

### Magical Items in the Darkness series

**Crystals**: Described as smooth spheres of glass, crystals are imbued with spells which allow them to be used for communication, and thus take the place of radios in the world. If operated away from a power point or ley line, they require regular recharging by some other means, which in one instance in the series involves the sacrifice of captive humans for their life energy which is used to power the crystal. Crystals can operate as videophones, showing an image of the person at the other end, as well as in audio-only mode. The emanations by which speech and images are transmitted between them are subject to interception by other mages, something at the forefront of the minds of most military planners in the series.

**Eggs**: The name given to the Derlavaian equivalent of bombs and shells, eggs are thin metal shells filled with magical energy which burst, or explode, when they impact a target or are triggered by an appropriate spell. A variety of uses for eggs are seen in the series. Armies launch them like shells from magically powered 'egg-tossers', which may be standalone devices or mounted on ley-line ships or behemoths. Dragons can carry eggs beneath their bellies for their fliers to drop on enemy forces or cities. Eggs may also be buried in the ground and enchanted to explode like landmines if they sense pressure, or can be buried along ley lines and set to explode if a ley line caravan passes over them, which simultaneously destroys the caravan and overloads the ley line's controlling spells. Leviathan riders also use eggs for mining enemy ships. Later in the series, the Algarvian army develops a hand held egg which can be thrown like a hand grenade; these eggs are encased in small pottery sugar bowls rather than metal shells. The reason for the term "egg" is never explicitly explained; apparently, originally armies used natural dragon eggs which are explosive in themselves, and then more powerful ones were developed by mages - but this is not explicitly stated.

**Sticks**: Sticks are the analogue to guns in the world of Derlavai. A stick emits a beam of energy which leaves behind a sharp scent like that of a nearby lightning strike. A soldier's stick is a large device and is activated when bare flesh such as an uncovered finger is inserted into its 'blazing hole'. The beam from a soldier's stick can burn a hole through a person with little difficulty, although they are largely ineffective against dragons and behemoths, which are not only naturally tough but also armored or painted silver to reflect beams. Smaller sticks are seen owned by civilians for blazing vermin or hunting game, or used by constables. Larger sticks, known as heavy sticks, are carried by behemoths on the battlefield, and can blaze through several men, another behemoth's armor or even take down dragons. Even larger heavy sticks can be used as fixed installations on the ground, used for air and sea defense, and carried on ley-line warships for use against ships, dragons and leviathans. Portable sticks used away from a power point or ley line require periodic recharging, which can be achieved in some unspecified way through the delivery of what is only described as 'charges' in supply wagons, or by the interventions of a mage drawing energy from a power point or sacrifice.

**Rest crates**: in function, much like a refrigerator or freezer, only considerably more effective. Rest crates are often mentioned as an archetypal application of modern sorcery, based on a spell used by the ancient Kaunian Empire to paralyze enemy soldiers. After counterspells were developed, it fell into disuse until modern systematic sorcery discovered that it operates by dramatically slowing the rate at which time affects objects under its influence. The rest crate, therefore, operates by slowing down the passage of time within its volume while its lid is shut. Food placed within it does not decay at a noticeable rate, but also requires no defrosting or other preparation before being used. A variant on this technique is also used by medical mages, who can slow down people suffering from serious injury in order to give them time to perform surgery, or to transport the victim to a place of treatment.

### The Naantali Project

The equivalent of the Manhattan Project. The project included over a hundred mages working on a secret project for Kuusamo to create a new magical weapon. Due to the inability to hide their magical experiments, attempts were made by Algarve to disrupt it but this failed. At one point it is led by the viewpoint character Pekka.

The weapon requires grandparent and grandchild rats, rabbits or any other living creatures. Given the appropriate spells and mages able to perform them, the grandparent is pushed forward in time and the grandchild backward, killing them in the process and deriving enormous magical energy. Moreover, the mages themselves can deliver the energy to any target, by simply pointing out the spot on the globe. The magic can also create a protective spell to defend a city and deflect the magical energy hurled against it. It is speculated that using humans may make a more powerful magical explosion.

## Nations

Turtledove depicts his nations as being analogous to real European nations, including as far as possible actual linguistic relationships. For example, the Derlavaian analogs of the Germanic nations are the Algarvic nations of Algarve, Sibiu, and Lagoas, but to confuse things somewhat, each uses names drawn from a different Romance language. In addition, the vast majority of the individuals belonging to each language group share the same hair and eye color; Algarvic peoples have red hair and green eyes, Kaunian peoples have blond hair and blue eyes, and the Unkerlantic peoples and most others have dark hair and eyes.

### Algarve

The equivalent to Nazi Germany, ruled by King Mezentio, who is analogous to Adolf Hitler. Algarve was defeated in the Six Years' War a generation ago, which was analogous to World War I, and forced to sign the humiliating Treaty of Tartus. Mezentio and his generals have spent much time and energy in preparing for a revenge on all their foes - especially the Kaunians. Located in the center of the continent, Algarve's people are characterized as red-headed and green-eyed, given to flamboyancy in word and gesture, and its males exhibit manifest macho behavior. Their typical dress includes kilts. To their enemies, Algarvians often seem arrogant and overbearing, and their conduct amply earns them the hatred of those who had the misfortune to live under their rule. While capable of great cruelty, Algarvians can also be quite generous on occasion; they doff their hats (sometimes literally) to an enemy whose conduct earned their grudging respect; and the same cultural traits which make them seem insufferably arrogant in victory also enable them to face adversity - even the certainty of imminent death - with admirable courage and fortitude. Algarvian names are drawn from Italian.

### Forthweg

The equivalent to Poland. Its people are dark-haired, stocky, bearded, and prone to wearing long tunics. Part of the Kaunian Empire many centuries ago, about one-tenth of the prewar population were blond ethnic Kaunians, the only people in Derlavai to speak classical Kaunian as a birth language. Previous to Six Years' War Forthweg was partitioned between Algarve and Unkerlant, but later gained independence after that war. King Penda declared war on Algarve as part of the initial coalition against Algarve, but was attacked by both Algarve and Unkerlant and the country got re-partitioned; later, the whole is occupied by Algarve and at the end of the war is occupied by Unkerlant, which decides not to annex it outright but make it a satellite. Forthweg has a subtropical climate, with olive and citrus groves a prominent part of its agriculture. Forthwegians and Kaunians alike are extremely fond of gathering mushrooms. Forthweg's largest city as well as its capital is Eoforwic. Forthwegian names are drawn from Old English.

### Gyongyos

The equivalent to Imperial Japan. Located in far-western Derlavai, it is separated from Unkerlant by a vast mountain range. Its people are described as tall, broad, and muscular, with wirey blonde hair and beards, and are the only nation described as having varying eye colors. Names in their language come from Hungarian. It is ruled by an ekrekek (emperor) instead of a king; he is seen as a direct descendant of the stars and is the person with whom the stars commune. Their religion is different from that of all other nations, distinguished by worship of the stars (those upon whom the stars shine are blessed, while those who are denied their light are cursed) and a very strong taboo against eating of the flesh of goats.

Gyongyos and Kuusamo had been fighting a war over possession of islands in the Bothenian Ocean when the Derlavian War broke out. In the second year of the war, Gyongyos attacked Unkerlant from the west, but never threatened the Unkerlant homeland in the same way Algarve did, partly because Unkerlant stretches a "fourth of the way around the world" and the valleys that Gyongyos seizes are very sparsely populated. For several years, the Kuusamans made slow headway against Gyongyos in the Bothenian theater, capturing several key islands. In the sixth year of the war, Kuusaman magic destroyed the island of Becsehely; Gyongyosian prisoners of war watched the display, but could not convince the ekrekek's government to capitulate. Kuusamo responded with a magic attack on the capital, killing the ekrekek and forcing the horrified and demoralised Gyongyosians into surrender. Another contributing factor to their ultimate defeat was the simultaneous invasion of Gyongyos by Unkerlant, a move analogous to the 1945 Soviet invasion of Manchuria.

### Jelgava

The equivalent of Spain and Portugal. Jelgava is portrayed as a smaller nation closely akin to Valmiera in language, ethnicity, and culture, and possesses colonies in Siaulia. Jelgava is dominated by an oppressive and reactionary aristocracy, and is ruled by the odious King Donalitu who was replaced by Algarvian King Mezentio's brother when the nation was occupied by Algarve (in this case, based more closely on the Napoleonic Wars than on World War II). Jelgava has a subtropical climate where olives and oranges grow, and is separated from the rest of the continent by a high mountain chain. The capital of Jelgava is Balvi.

### Kuusamo

The equivalent of the United States. It occupies most of the island it shares with Lagoas. Instead of a king, Kuusamo is ruled by seven hereditary princes who share power between each other (roughly equivalent to the US federal structure). The largest city is Yliharma. Its people are East Asian in appearance and are deliberate and low-key in their work, and names in their language are taken from Finnish. While clearly filling the strategic role of the US in WWII, Kuusamo's history and culture are quite different from that of the US. Rather than a new nation created by immigrants, the Kuusamans are proud of their heritage of having been in their land before the Kaunians and the Lagoans came; a chant to this effect is recited as a ceremony before classes and before spells. Also, Kuusamian culture seems far more Scandinavian than American.

Kuusamo was involved in a war with Gyongyos over the possession of islands in the Bothenian Ocean when the Derlavian War started; they stayed neutral until the second year of the war, when Kuusamo declared war against Algarve over the massacre of Kaunians for their life force. The Algarvians retaliated with a magic strike against the capital city, killing two of the Seven Princes and destroying the princely palace in the city. Kuusaman sorcerers succeed in discovering a new method of magical energy release, first using it to counter Algarve's murder-fueled spells, and eventually, a more powerful version of the spell is used to destroy the capital of Gyongyos. Unlike in the historical World War II, the Kuusamans first demonstrate the power of the weapon for Gyongyosian captives (who are then released) but the Gyongyosian government refuses to believe in the demonstration and the spell is used to devastating effect.

### Lagoas

The equivalent of Great Britain, with names drawn from Portuguese. Its capital is Setubal and it is ruled by King Vitor. It and Kuusamo share a large island off of the southeast coast of Derlavai, which is described as being considerably larger than Algarve. Its people are also Algarvic in blood and mannerisms - red-haired and wearing kilts like Algarvians - which is sometimes startling for other members of other peoples who had learned to hate Algarvians. Lagoans are, however, unique in the habit of tying their hair in ponytails - which Algarvians do not, and many of them have noticeable Kuusaman ancestry, including the viewpoint character Fernao. Lagoas joined the war against Algarve when Sibiu was invaded and underwent several air attacks from Algarvian dragons based in Valmiera. Lagoan and Kuusaman forces invaded Derlavai from the east in the fifth year of the war under the command of Kuusaman Grand General Nortano. Lagoas capital, Setubal, is described as being the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan city in the world. This is due in part to Setubal sitting at the confluence of more ley lines than any other city. Setubal has an extensive public transportation network and is described as having many unusually tall buildings.

### Ortah

The equivalent of Switzerland. Isolationist, mountainous, and protected by swamps - its people are generally left alone on the political stage. Ortah is sandwiched between Algarve and Unkerlant. As a result, Ortah is invaded near the end of the war, and ends up an Unkerlanter satellite like Forthweg and Yanina. The people of Ortah are supposed to be related to the Ice People, and their language is similar to theirs, in both cases drawn from Hebrew.

### Sibiu

Equivalent to Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands. It is an island chain nation off of the southern coast of Derlavai. Its people are Algarvic in blood, but it allies against Algarve. Sibiu, a member of the initial coalition, was overrun in a surprise attack by Algarve in the first year of the war, and freed in the third year of the war. It is mentioned that some 300 to 250 years in the past Sibiu fought a series of naval wars with Lagoas, over trade and control of the sea. Sibiu is named after a town in Transylvania. The capital of Sibiu is Tirgoviste. Sibian names are drawn from Romanian.

### Unkerlant

The equivalent to the Soviet Union. It occupies nearly all of the western part of Derlavai. Ethnic Unkerlanters are dark-haired and stocky, clean-shaven, and wear long tunics (the tendency to be clean-shaven being what distinguishes them from the Forthwegians), but Unkerlant is apparently home to ethnic minorities such as the people of the Mamming Hills in the south, who look "more like Kuusamans than anything else." Its people are brutally treated by the paranoid and ruthless King Swemmel, analogous to Joseph Stalin. Swemmel is a hard, suspicious man who is fond of boiling his enemies alive. Swemmel defeated his brother Kyot in the Twinking's War, the equivalent to the Russian Civil War, shortly after the Six Years' War. The capital of Unkerlant is Cottbus. Names in Unkerlant are of German or pseudo-German origin.

### Valmiera

Equivalent to France. It is located on the southeastern section of Derlavai. Its people are descendants of the ancient Kaunian Empire and as such are slim, blonde and blue-eyed and their dress is typically trousers and tunics. Valmiera was one of the states which declared war on Algarve in the first year of the war. The Algarvian offensive in the spring of the second year led to the defeat and occupation of the country. Activities of the Valmieran Resistance under the occupation, seen through the eyes of the character Skarnu, are closely equivalent to the French Resistance in World War II, while the collaboration of most nobles and the Valmieran police with the occupiers resembles the Vichy regime.. However, the corrupt Valmieran aristocracy is reminiscent of a much earlier period in French history, the pre-1789 Ancien Regime. Kuusaian and Lagoan victors give the Valmierans a share in the spoils after the war is over (like the British and Americans to 1945 France). Valmiera's capital is Priekule, describes as a center of high culture.

### Yanina

The equivalent of Italy and Nazi Germany's other allies in general, although, strangely, their names are clearly Greek (e.g. Yanina, Patras). Allied with Algarve in the beginning of the war, its people are most noted for being incompetent militarily, though individual soldiers and dragon flyers sometimes show bravery. Also, Yanina has a colonial possession in the strategic Land of the Ice People, which it is unable to defend against Lagoas, and is being forced to pass effective conduct of the war there into the hands of the Algarvians (equivalent of Italy passing the war in North Africa to the Germans under Erwin Rommel). However, in the last phase of the war, when the Unkerlanter/Soviet army approaches its border and the Yaninan King quickly changes sides. The pom-poms which Yaninans wear on their shoes are the source of constant ridicule by members of other nations. Yaninas are described as being small, swarthy, dark-haired, and big-nosed, somewhat like Unkerlanters but shorter and less stocky. They share with the Algarvians a love for ostentatious mustaches and macho behavior; arguing is semi-humorously considered the national sport. The capital city is Patras.

### Zuwayza

The equivalent of Finland. Located on a peninsula on the far northern part of Derlavai. Due to the hot climate, the people of Zuwayza typically go nude except for jewelry, sandals, and broad-brimmed hats. They are described as very dark-skinned, and Zuwayzin names are taken from Arabic. The Zuwayzi are known to use camels when fighting. Zuwayza was once ruled directly by Unkerlant but gained independence after the Six Years' War. Unkerlant attacked Zuwayza in the first year of the war and gained territory. In retaliation, Zuwayza allied with Algarve against Unkerlant. When Algarve was driven back, Zuwayza was forced to sign a separate peace, allowing Unkerlant great advantages, but preserving its independence. The Zuwayzin capital is Bishah.

### The Land of the Ice People

The equivalent of North Africa located on an icy continent near the south pole. Ice People of both sexes have extensive body hair, on the order of primates. Their language is represented by Hebrew, as in Ortah. Ice People introduce themselves by describing their genealogy into the remote past ending by saying they are related to a god. Magic that works well in Derlavai will not work well in the Land of the Ice People; the Algarvians learned this to their disadvantage when they tried murdering Kaunians there. The Ice People are the only people known to worship gods, instead of spirits.

### The Duchy of Bari

Roughly, the equivalent of the Rhineland or Austria. Once the southern part of Algarve, it was politically separated at the conclusion of the Six-Year war and given independence under Duke Alardo. Algarve's annexation of the region caused Valmiera, Forthweg, Jelgava, and Sibiu to attack, sparking the Derlavaian War.

### The Duchy of Grelz

The equivalent of Ukraine. Located in the southern part of Derlavai. Its people are Unkerlanter but speak with a strong accent. While under Algarvian occupation, it is made into a puppet "Kingdom of Grelz" and is ruled by Mezentio's cousin Raniero. Support for the foreign king is very mixed.

### The Marquisate of Rivaroli

Equivalent of Alsace-Lorraine and the Sudetenland. It is an area long disputed between Algarve and Valmiera, which was incorporated in the latter at the end of the Six Years' War. The people of Rivaroli have an Algarvian allegiance, revolting upon the approach of the Algarvian army in the early part of the war - for which they pay dearly at the war's end, being expelled en masse by the Valmierans.

## Kaunians

Kaunians are both equivalents of the Roman Empire and Jews. Kaunians are characterised as on the slender and tall side, with fair skin and blonde hair. Kaunians face suspicion and prejudice, a separate and vaguely detested minority in many nations. Kaunian names (including those in Valmiera and Jelgava) are drawn from the Baltic languages.

Originally most of the continent was covered by the Kaunian Empire. When the Kaunian Empire fell thanks to the "Algarvian Irruption" - analogous to the Germanic invasions of the late Roman Empire \- the Kaunians remained the dominant cultural and ethnic group in Eastern Derlavai. First they lived in independent city states and small principalities which later coalesced into the successor-states Jelgava and Valmiera. Jelgavan and Valmieran have developed to the point that their speakers don't understand the classical language unless they study it especially. Ancient Kaunian is a language of many tenses and verb forms, which makes for a language of precision. Kaunians bring this precision into play when they switch to a more modern language, generally to the disdain of others.

In the parts of Lagoas and Kuusamo which were part of the empire, Kaunians disappeared completely. In the more westward parts of the continent, in contrast, Kaunians became an ethnic minority in countries formed by the invading "barbarians": maintaining a distinct and largely separate minority culture, keeping the ancient language in more or less its original form as their daily speech, clinging to the short tunics and trousers common in the days of Empire, and frowning at the idea of mixed marriages. The wearing of trousers by the Kaunian women tends to be a distraction for other peoples, as the tight pants reveal more than the more modern knee-length tunics do. This often results in Kaunian women being regarded as sexually promiscuous - a widespread racial stereotype which is deliberately used by King Mezentio in fomenting hatred of Kaunians.

In Algarve itself, Kaunians seem, already for several generations, to be deeply assimilated in the surrounding society. They speak Algarvian, wear kilts, call themselves by Algarvian names, and their males have Algarvian-style moustaches and behave in the blatant macho way encouraged by Algarvian culture. Until their persecutions started, there were prominent Kaunian scholars at the University of Trapani.

What happens to the Kaunians in the *Darkness* series is the equivalent to the Holocaust, where Kaunians under Algarvian control are systematically stripped of their rights and violence against them is ignored by the authorities. Eventually, Algarve, facing a desperate stalemate against Unkerlant, begins slaughtering Kaunians *en masse* to fuel vast quantities of death-energy-powered sorcery in an attempt to break the impasse. Mezentio's official aim is not to exterminate Kaunians but to win the war, thus Kaunians are provided with adequate food to keep them alive until they need to be sacrificed for the war effort. Unkerlant responds to these magical attacks by sacrificing their own people to attack Algarve in the same way.

Many Kaunians do not die without any resistance. The remaining Kaunians in Eoforwic join in the uprising in the city which is the equivalent to the Warsaw Uprising. Other Kaunians use magic to make themselves look like everyone else and are able to hide in plain sight.

Late in the war, as they got desperate, and as it became obvious to the Algarvians that non-Kaunians were now far more of a worry than the thoroughly cowed blonds, the Algarvians began to display a somewhat more pragmatic, open attitude toward the Kaunians. They allowed Valmierans and Jelgavans to join their army, and they played an important role on the southern front against the Unkerlanters and in Jelgava. Their mages still defaulted toward wanting to kill Kaunians out of habit, including the soldiers fighting on their side, but Algarvian officers increasingly refused to allow this, leading the mages to turn to killing Yaninan deserters or turning to other magics.

## Viewpoint characters

## InfoBox

*Darkness*
| *Into the Darkness* (1999)<br>*Darkness Descending* (2000)<br>*Through the Darkness* (2001)<br>*Rulers of the Darkness* (2002)<br>*Jaws of Darkness* (2003)<br>*Out of the Darkness* (2004)  --- | |
| --- | --- |
| Author | Harry Turtledove |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Published | 1999–2004 (1999–2004) |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |


title: The Countess's Calamity

abstract: The Countess's Calamity is a 2003 children's book written and illustrated by Sally Gardner. It won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award. It is the first of the Tales from the Box series about sentient toys.

text:
# The Countess's Calamity

***The Countess's Calamity*** is a 2003 children's book written and illustrated by Sally Gardner. It won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award. It is the first of the Tales from the Box series about sentient toys.

## Plot summary

After a box of toys is abandoned at a park, the intervention of some friendly mice helps the toys go on with their lives. One of the dolls, the Countess, has trouble adapting.

## InfoBox

The Countess's Calamity
|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Author | Sally Gardner |
| Illustrator | Sally Gardner |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury |
| Publication date | 7 April 2003 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Pages | 96 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-7475-5940-5 |
| OCLC | 59364102 |


title: The Countess Died of Laughter

abstract: The Countess Died of Laughter is a 1973 Austrian-Italian sex comedy film directed by Franz Antel. It is the final entry in Franz Antel's series Frau Wirtin and incorporates a great deal of archive footage from earlier films.

text:
# The Countess Died of Laughter

***The Countess Died of Laughter*** (German: *Frau Wirtins tolle Töchterlein*, Italian: *Leva lo diavolo tuo dal... convento*) is a 1973 Austrian-Italian sex comedy film directed by Franz Antel. It is the final entry in Franz Antel's series *Frau Wirtin* and incorporates a great deal of archive footage from earlier films.

## Plot

Susanne Delberg, who has become Countess Süderland, dies under absurd circumstances. It is revealed that Susanne had a daughter, whom she had named heiress to her inheritance. However, the only thing known about the heiress's identity is that she lives in a convent. Handsome executor Vincent van der Straten is tasked with uncovering her identity. There are five possible candidates: Françoise, Clarissa, Susanne , Piroschka, and Anselma. Van der Straten decides to stay at the convent to find the real heiress but things soon prove to be difficult for him since all the candidates happen to be just as raunchy as the late Susanne.

## Cast

## InfoBox

| The Countess Died of Laughter | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Directed by | Franz Antel |
| Written by | Kurt Nachmann
Vittoria Vigorelli |
| Produced by | Franz Antel
Carl Szokoll |
| Starring | Gabriele Tinti
Teri Tordai |
| Cinematography | Siegfried Hold |
| Edited by | Femi Benussi |
| Music by | Stelvio Cipriani |
| Production
companies | Cinemar
Neue Delta Filmproduktion |
| Distributed by | Constantin Film (West Germany) |
| Release dates | * 11 April 1973 (1973-04-11) (Italy) * 19 April 1973 (1973-04-19) (West Germany) |
| Running time | 86 minutes |
| Countries | Austria
Italy |
| Language | German/Italian |