Most Popular Books by Michael HURLEY

This book briefly examines the history, people, and environment of the United States of America.

In 1851, a Gypsy princess and her young lover escape from her father''s camp. The boy steals Prodigal, a sailing ship blessed with unnatural speed, and the lovers escape to sea. More than 150 years later on Ocracoke Island, Aidan Sharpe, an aging lawyer, is struggling to rebuild his life in this lonely outpost of the Outer Banks. He is caught up in a two-thousand-year-old mystery that unfolds with the sudden reappearance of Prodigal off the coast.

''The new master of menace'' Sunday Times A blizzard a century ago has passed into fable in the Endlands. Trapped by the snow, the residents of the valley found themselves at the mercy of the Devil, who brought death and destruction before being driven back to the moors. Now, the three farming families of the Endlands face a new test. The patriarch of the community, the Gaffer, has died and his grandson, John Pentecost, must decide if he will return and work the land in his grandfather''s stead. He feels the pull of duty, loyalty and tradition: obligations that his pregnant wife, Kat, finds hard to understand as an outsider. And as the celebrations of the Devil''s exile draw near, she realises that there is a darkness in this place which cannot be repelled. BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, FT, METRO AND MAIL ON SUNDAY ''A work of goose-flesh eeriness'' The Spectator

Presents different facts about the sport of football and its players, including which game was known as the "Ice Bowl", who are the Cheeseheads, and which team holds the record for the longest winning streak.

This book highlights ten of the world''s skyscrapers.

Introduces some of the greatest soccer players from around the world, including Pele, Zinedine Zidane, and David Beckham, who have participated in the World Cup championship.

Eight bestselling, award-winning writers return to the time-honoured tradition of the seasonal ghost story in this spellbinding collection of new and original haunted tales. Long before Charles Dickens and Henry James popularized the tradition of supernatural horror, the shadowy nights of winter have been a time for people to gather together by the flicker of candlelight and experience the intoxicating thrill of a spooky tale. Now nine bestselling, award-winning authors—all of them master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre—bring the tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding new collection of original spine-tingling tales. Taking you from the frosty fens of the English countryside, to the snow-covered grounds of a haunted estate, to a bustling London Christmas market, these mesmerizing stories will capture your imagination and serve as your indispensable companion to cold, dark nights. So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the ghostly spell of winters past . . .

Which mountain has the highest point on the Earth''s surface? Why is K2 known as the "Savage Mountain"? Which species of frog lives only on Table Mountain? The world has many mountains--from high, snowy peaks to wide, flat, plateaus. Find out about the incredible weather systems that help shape these landforms, the animals make their homes here, and the brave explorers who first climbed them.

John Richardson was Canada''s first native-born poet-novelist and ''The Father of Canadian Literature.'' Michael Hurley offers the first detailed account of Richardson''s fiction rather than of his life or sociological importance. Hurley makes a convincing case for Richardson as an important early cartographer of the Canadian imagination and the originator of ''Southern Ontario Gothic.'' He explores Richardson''s influence on James Reaney, Alice Munro, Robertson Davies, Christopher Dewdney, Frank Davey, and Marian Engel. Arguing that Wacousta and The Canadian Brothers hold central places in our literature, Hurley shows how these two works established a set of boundaries that our national literary discourse has largely kept hidden. Focusing on the protean concept of the border in the fiction of this man from the periphery, The Borders of Nightmare underlines the importance of boundaries, margins, shifting edges, and the coincidence of equally matched opposites in necessary balance to both Richardson and subsequent writers. In an age of postmodernism these novels – riddled as they are with discontinuities, paradoxes, ambiguity, and unresolved dualities that problematize the whole notion of a stable, coherent national or personal identity – anticipate and define a number of concerns that preoccupy us today.

This book briefly examines the history, people, and environment of Canada.

Hailed as “a masterful excursion into terror” by the Sunday Times—the eerie, suspenseful debut novel from the author of Devil’s Day and Starve Acre. Winner of the Costa First Novel Award A Best Book of the Year, London Times and Daily Mail “The terrors of this novel feel timeless . . . There are abominations here, and miracles.”—New York Times Book Review “An amazing piece of fiction.”—Stephen King “Completely terrifying.”—Paula Hawkins “Vibrantly written.” —Entertainment Weekly “Stunning” —Jeff VanderMeer When Smith was a boy, he and his family went on an Easter pilgrimage with their local parish to the Loney, a bleak stretch of the English coastline, to visit an ancient shrine in search of healing for Smith’s disabled brother. But the locals were none too pleased to welcome them, and the two brothers soon became entangled in a troubling morass of dangerous rituals. For years after, Smith carries the burden of what happened that spring. And when he hears that the body of a young child has been found during a storm at the Loney, he’s forced to finally reckon with his darkest secrets—and the terror they carry with them. “The masterpiece by which Hurley will enter the Guild of the Gothic”—Guardian “Fans of Shirley Jackson are sure to savor . . . Tight, suspenseful writing makes this masterful novel unsettling in the most compelling way.”—Washington Post

An atmospheric and unsettling story of the depths of grief found in an ancient farm in northern England—now a major motion picture starring Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark. The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby''s son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place. Convinced Ewan still lives there in some form, Juliette seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, to try and keep the boy out of his mind, has turned his attention to the field opposite the house, where he patiently digs the barren dirt in search of a legendary oak tree. But as they delve further into their grief, both uncover more than they set out to. Starve Acre is a devastating novel by the author of the prize-winning bestseller The Loney. It is a novel about the way in which grief splits the world in two and how, in searching for hope, we can so easily unearth horror.

Introduces wheel sports, including BMX racing, NASCAR, and inline skating.

Introduces board sports, including surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding.

Learn facts about the Olympics and some of the greatest moments.

Learn about some of the Olympics greatest champions.

Michael Hurley watched his world unravel in the wake of infidelity, divorce and failure. In August 2009, he was short of money, out of a job, and seeking to salvage a life that had foundered. Deeply in need of perspective, he took to the open seas in a 32-foot sailboat, Gypsy Moon. The story of his 2-year outward odyssey, deterred by rough weather and mechanical troubles, combines keen observation, poignant thoughts, and deeper introspection with glorious prose. Once Upon a Gypsy Moon also presents a rare and much-needed point of view on the familiar spiritual-journey narrative. It offers a star-crossed love story wrapped inside a rollicking good sea tale, but it also has something important to say to the reader about relationships, faith and disbelief, life and death, love and marriage, and what really matters.

What is the longest bridge in South America? When did the Golden Gate Bridge open? Could a bridge ever connect Russia and Alaska? To find out the answers to these questions and more, open this book and go on an exploration of the world''s most amazing bridges!

Introduces lakes from around the world, and includes information about formation, size, and the animals, plants, and people that populate the nearby areas.

This title takes you on a journey through the alphabet, in which each letter reveals a fun and interesting fact about football.

Looks at ten of the most distinctive stadiums in the world, from the ancient Colosseum in Rome to the most massive and technologically advanced new stadiums from around the world.

This title tells you everything you need to know about the countries and teams that take part in World Cup tournaments.

THE DAZZLING SECOND GHOST STORY COLLECTION FROM THE CREATORS OF THE HAUNTING SEASON, NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK. ''Terrific - every bit as good as an MR James collection'' ROSIE ANDREWS, author of THE LEVIATHAN Featuring new and original stories from: Bridget Collins Imogen Hermes Gowar Kiran Millwood Hargrave Andrew Michael Hurley Jess Kidd Natasha Pulley Elizabeth Macneal Laura Purcell Susan Stokes-Chapman Laura Shepherd-Robinson Stuart Turton Catriona Ward The tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. These twelve stories - authored by some of today''s most loved and lauded writers of historical and gothic fiction - are all centred around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience. Taking you from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret,, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for frosty nights. So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of winters past . . .

Presents some of the most memorable moments in World Cup history, including shocking results, strange trivia, and game-winning goals.

Provides scattershot accounts of record-breaking trivia. Colorful photographs are of various sizes and shapes, creating a browsing or skimming effect to the facts.

Discusses the professional history of the sport and the World Cup championship, including soccer''s most famous players and their fans.

Presents facts about baseball players, records, achievements, and crowds, revealing such information as the tallest player in baseball history and unique athlete superstitions.

This title looks at all the brightest stars from football''s past and present.

‘De Loney is niet zozeer goed, het is geweldig. Het is literatuur van formaat.’ Stephen King De ontdekking van een kinderlijkje aan de stormachtige Engelse kust van Lancashire dwingt Smith, de verteller van dit verhaal, terug te denken aan de pelgrimsreis die hij in 1976 met zijn ouders en geestelijk gehandicapte broer Hanny ondernam naar dat kustgebied, dat daar de Loney wordt genoemd. De bewoners van de Loney zijn niet allemaal even blij met het katholieke gezelschap, en er gebeuren raadselachtige dingen. Niet alleen wordt er gebeden voor Hanny in de hoop dat hij zal genezen, de jongen raakt ook verzeild in andere verontrustende rituelen. Smith is de enige die weet wat er is gebeurd en legt zichzelf de loodzware last van het zwijgen op. Maar zal hij dat zijn leven lang volhouden? De Loney is een angstaanjagende roman over geloof, schuld, jaloezie en opoffering. Tegelijkertijd is het een gevoelig portret van de relatie tussen twee broers met realistische karakters en een observerende hoofdpersoon. Andrew Michael Hurley, een begenadigd literair debutant, voert ons langzaam langs de griezelige Engelse kustlijn mee naar een huiveringwekkende ontknoping. Andrew Michael Hurley groeide op in het graafschap Lancashire, waar tussen de rivieren de Wyre en de Lune het kustgebied ‘de Loney’ ligt. Zijn kennis van de katholieke symboliek komt voort uit zijn jeugd, toen hij misdienaar was. De Loney is zijn debuut. ‘Hedendaagse klassiekers in het genre spannende boeken zijn zeldzaam, en onmiddellijke klassiekers al helemaal, maar De Loney lijkt dit allebei te zijn.’ the Sunday Telegraph ‘De Loney is een meesterlijke uitweiding over doodsangst. Hurleys sterke, geloofwaardige karakteriseringen en levensechte dialogen zorgen ervoor dat je snel betrokken raakt bij de inwoners van de retraite. Zijn griezelige en atmosferische vertelling zit vol herkenning en scherpte.’ the Sunday Times ‘Direct door critici erkend als horrorklassieker. De Loney gaat over een ongelukkige familie, broederschap, geloof en adolescentie. Hurleys opvallende personages, een mix van sinistere inwoners en katholieke pelgrims, zijn perfect uitgewerkt. Het resultaat is een adembenemende en dubbelzinnige roman die je ’s nachts wakker houdt.’ Daily Express ****

Presents facts about hockey players, records, achievements, and crowds, revealing such information as the highest scoring game and the largest number of spectators for an event.

The great value of this book is that it helps people to explore together how they can live life more fully and with authentic freedom. It has all the more relevance today in an impact of Covid 19 is to push us to a new depth of interiority and to seek new answers that give meaning and vitality. This book has three distinct parts: Part one outlines three convictions that guide its direction and the program it describes. Firstly, God desires what is best for all people and invites each one personally to know him and to live with responsible freedom, self-determination and confidence in his wisdom and mercy. Secondly, every baptized Christian is called to evangelize, namely, to reach out beyond themselves in a way that proclaims and expresses the goodness of God, through action and words and thus enriches those whom they meet Thirdly, the parish is an important entity in the renewal of Godu0092s people as a dwelling place of God among them. Here people meet in communion with one another to worship God, to encounter him, and to be send forth. The author admits that these three convictions are deeply held by him, and have provided compass points for his ministry. Part two is the central core of the book. It outlines a program that gives flesh and reality to its three underpinning convictions. It provides a practical step- by step outline for people to plan, launch and direct the program in a way that helps participants come to know Godu0092s providence and love amid the contradictions and joys of daily living, and live as his beloved children. It then forms and inspires them to live their relationships in a spirit of joyful service and with love towards all whom they meet, and in a way that enhances renewal and community connections within their parish. Each week presents an important facet of Christian living in a style that is easy to follow, while at the same time inspirational. It all means that hosting this program is within the capacity of anyone who knows a genuine encounter with God, and a desire to share his love with others. Part three consists of a scripture passage and a brief reflection for each day for the duration of the program. It supports the theme of each week. It seeks to help people to pray with the help of the scriptures; to inspire a new or more personal relationship with Christ; and to yield to the mystery of Godu0092s loving. Then what may have proved to be elusive in the past becomes part of oneu0092s own personal story. Part three can equally be looked upon as a booklet, which stands on its own, and which can be used with profound effect as a personal support in recognizing God who is continually searching for them. In an easy to read style, this book will provide possibilities and sightlines for individuals, communities and parishes, in their search for authentic freedom, renewal, and community.

Presents facts about basketball players, records, achievements, and crowds, revealing such information as the highest scoring game and the tallest player.