The Lure Of Story

The Lure

The Lure of the Beach

A human and global take on a beloved vacation spot. The crash of surf, smell of salted air, wet whorls of sand underfoot. These are the sensations of the beach, that environment that has drawn humans to its life-sustaining shores for millennia. And while the gull’s cry and the cove’s splendor have remained constant throughout time, our relationship with the beach has been as fluid as the runnels left behind by the tide’s turning. The Lure of the Beach is a chronicle of humanity's history with the coast, taking us from the seaside pleasure palaces of Roman elites and the aquatic rituals of medieval pilgrims, to the venues of modern resort towns and beyond. Robert C. Ritchie traces the contours of the material and social economies of the beach throughout time, covering changes in the social status of beach goers, the technology of transport, and the development of fashion (from nudity to Victorianism and back again), as well as the geographic spread of modern beach-going from England to France, across the Mediterranean, and from nineteenth-century America to the world. And as climate change and rising sea levels erode the familiar faces of our coasts, we are poised for a contemporary reckoning with our relationship—and responsibilities—to our beaches and their ecosystems. The Lure of the Beach demonstrates that whether as a commodified pastoral destination, a site of ecological resplendency, or a flashpoint between private ownership and public access, the history of the beach is a human one that deserves to be told now more than ever before.

The Lure

In this thriller from an author who “deftly mix[es] history, science and science fiction,” researchers discover alien life and global conspiracy (Publishers Weekly). A signal from space, a conspiracy on Earth. An underground research station in Eastern Europe is suddenly bombarded with rhythmic bursts of subnuclear particles from beyond Earth—a pattern so complex it can only come from a highly evolved intelligence. As the messages are decoded, the scientists are amazed by the information they reveal: secrets of a technology far in advance of our own, suggesting that a benign civilization wishes to share knowledge with humankind. Surely, the scientists argue, the signal should be acknowledged? But the world’s superpowers have other ideas, and suddenly the scientists find themselves at the heart of a global conspiracy . . . The Lure is an extraordinary and original thriller, perfect for fans of Scott Mariani, Dan Brown and Clive Cussler. Praise for the writing of Bill Napier: “Fans of Dan Brown take note.” —Jack DuBrul, New York Times–bestselling author of the Philip Mercer series “The most exciting book I have ever read.” —Arthur C. Clarke, New York Times–bestselling author of 2001: A Space Odyssey “Fans of Michael Crichton will find a kindred spirit in Napier.” –Publishers Weekly