J.J. Meerman Books

The year is 1667. Sir Francis Courtney and his son Hal are on patrol in their fighting caravel off the Agulhas Cape of South Africa. They are lying in wait for one of the treasure-laden galleons of the Dutch East India Company returning from the Orient. so begins a quest for adventure and the spoils of war that sweeps them from the settlement of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa to the Great Horn of Ethiopia far to the north - at a time when international maritime law permitted acts of piracy, rape, and murder otherwise punishable by death. Wilbur Smith introduces a generation of the indomitable Courtneys and thrillingly re-creates their part in the struggle for supremacy and riches on the high seas. From the very first pages, Wilbur Smith spins a colorful and exciting tale, crackling with tension and drama, that builds and builds to a stunning climax. Packed with vivid descriptive passages of the open seas, breathless pacing, and an extraordinary cast of characters, Birds of Prey is a masterpiece from a storyteller at the height of his powers.

Vintage paperback

Autobiografisch verhaal over de man die van 1977 tot aan de val van de Muur in 1989 leiding gaf aan het West-Duitse Elitecommando Ost die de opdracht had overlopers uit Oost-Duitsland naar het Westen te brengen.

A novel about an American Vietnam War veteran sent to hunt down a Serbian warlord.

Praise for Qiu Xiaolong highlights his impressive storytelling in this sequel, which transitions from a poetic, exotic setting to a more modern and commercial portrayal of China. The novel features Inspector Chen of the Shanghai Police Bureau, appealing to Sinophiles who wish for an insider's view of Shanghai. The narrative skillfully balances travelogue elements with critical insights, using the murder mystery as a vehicle to explore deeper social issues. Inspector Chen is tasked by his mentor to escort U.S. Marshal Catherine Rohn, who is on a mission to bring Wen, the wife of a key witness in a major criminal trial, to the U.S. However, Chen discovers that Wen has mysteriously disappeared from her village in Fujian, raising suspicions about the situation. Despite his desire to investigate a triad killing in Shanghai's Bund Park, Chen is compelled to prioritize his duty to maintain good relations with Inspector Rohn. As he navigates this delicate situation, he strives to balance his roles as a diligent cop, a principled man, and a loyal Party member. Qiu Xiaolong, a celebrated poet and critic from China, now resides in St. Louis with his family.

Baba Lavelle is a stranger in New York. A stranger with a mission to break the Mafia stranglehold on the city's drug traffic, and take it over himself. He has no guns, no army of hoods, no friends in high places. But he has the Power - magical, ancient, and terrifyingly brutal. The power that thrives in darkness.

A day-by-day account of Aron Ralston's unforgettable survival story. In April 2003, whilst hiking in the Utah canyons, he was trapped by the hand for six days by an 800-pound boulder. Finally, he faced a terrible decision: he had cut off his hand or face death.

Autobiografisch verhaal van een jonge Chinese vrouw, die na veel moeilijkheden trouwt met een Amerikaanse professor en hem volgt naar de Verenigde Staten.

A new generation is growing up on the island paradise of Camelot, ignorant of the Great Grendel Wars fought when their parents and grandparents first arrived from Earth. Setting out for the mainland, this group of young rebels feels ready to fight any grendels that get in their way. On Avalon, however, there are monsters which dwarf the ones their parents fought, and as the group will soon learn, monsters also dwell in the human heart.

Part memoir and part education, this book chronicles NPR contributor A.J. Jacobs's hilarious quest to read the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z. To address the gaps in his Ivy League education, Jacobs embarks on the daunting task of reading all thirty-two volumes. His wife, Julie, thinks it's a waste of time, friends question his sanity, and his father, who once attempted the same feat, is supportive yet skeptical. With self-deprecating humor and candor, Jacobs details the unexpected and comical disruptions this project brings to his life, affecting his new marriage, his relationship with his father, and his job as an editor at Esquire. This endeavor tests his stamina and prompts him to explore the true meaning of intelligence as he aims to join Mensa, compete on Jeopardy!, and absorb 33,000 pages of knowledge. Along the way, he discovers strange, funny, and profound facts about various topics while grappling with fatigue, ridicule, and the anxiety of impending fatherhood. This memoir is a captivating exploration of one man's intellectual journey, neuroses, and obsessions, highlighting the tension between the pursuit of knowledge and the value of hard-won wisdom.

Shirley MacLaine's seven bestselling books have all touched on the film business, but she has never dealt with it head-on--until now. In My Lucky Stars, this phenomenally successful author, a movie star for a remarkable 40 years, shares her favorite memories and shrewd observations of the Hollywood she knows as few others do. 50 photos. Excerpted in Vanity Fair.

Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Bureau is taking a vacation, in part because he is annoyed at his boss, Party Secretary Li, but also because he has been made an offer he can’t refuse by Gu, a triad-connected businessman. For what seems to be a fortune—with no apparent strings attached— he is to translate a business proposal for the New World, a complex of shops and restaurants to be built in Central Shanghai, evoking nostalgia for the “glitter and glamour” of the 1930s. It is up to Detective Yu, Chen’s partner, to take charge of a new case. Yin, a novelist, has been murdered in her room. At first it seems that only a neighbor could have committed the crime, but when one confesses, Yu cannot believe that he is really the killer. As Yu looks further into Yin’s life, ample motives begin to surface, even on the part of Internal Security. But it is only when Inspector Chen steps back into the investigation that the culprit is apprehended. And then Chen discovers how Gu has played him and how he, in turn, can play the new capitalist system.

Describes the author's experiences during her six-year captivity by FARC, her friendship with fellow hostage Ingrid Betancourt, how she gave birth to a son who was taken away from her, and their joyful reunion three years later.

Een voormalig toptennister is tijdens het Grand Slam-toernooi van Roland Garros getuige van de dramatische dood van een jonge vrouw.

Autobiografisch verhaal van een jonge Chinese vrouw, die na veel moeilijkheden trouwt met een Amerikaanse professor en hem volgt naar de Verenigde Staten.

Ingeleide (gedeelten van) cruciale toespraken uit de wereldgeschiedenis.

Verhalen en recepten uit de Provence.

Geheim agent James Bond krijgt opdracht samen met een assistente informatie over een geheim project los te krijgen van een zeer gevaarlijke gangster.

De commandant van een Amerikaanse torpedojager onderneemt op eigen houtje pogingen om een aanval van een Libische onderzeeër op een Amerikaans vliegkampschip voor de kust van Florida te voorkomen.