Place Called Armageddon (PB)

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To the Greeks who love it, it is Constantinople. To the Turks who covet it, the Red Apple. Safe behind its magnificent walls, the city was once the heart of the vast Byzantine empire.

1453. The empire has shrunk to what lies within those now-crumbling walls. A relic. Yet for one man, Constantinople is the stepping stone to destiny. Mehmet is twenty when he is annointed Sultan. Now, seeking Allahs will and Mans glory, he brings an army of one hundred thousand, outnumbering the defenders ten to one. He has also brings something new the most frightening weapon the world has ever seen...

But a city is more than stone, its fate inseparable from that of its people. Men like Gregoras, a mercenary and exile, returning to the hated place he once loved. Like his twin and betrayer, the subtle diplomat, Theon. Like Sofia, loved by two brothers but forced to make a desperate choice between them. And Leilah, a powerful mystic and assassin, seeking her own destiny in the flames.

This is the tale of one of historys greatest battles for one of the worlds most extraordinary places. This is the story of people, from peasant to emperor - with the citys fate, and theirs, undecided... until the moment the Red Apple falls.

About the Author

Chris (C.C.) Humphreys was born in Toronto and grew up in the UK. All four grandparents were actors and since his father was an actor as well, it was inevitable he would follow the bloodline. He has acted all over the world and appeared on stages ranging from Londons West End to Hollywoods Twentieth Century Fox. Favorite roles have included Hamlet, Caleb the Gladiator in NBCs Biblical-Roman epic mini-series, AD - Anno Domini and Jack Absolute in Sheridans The Rivals.

Chris has written seven historical novels. The first, The French Executioner told the tale of the man who killed Anne Boleyn and was runner up for the CWA Steel Dagger for Thrillers 2002. Its sequel, Blood Ties, was a bestseller in Canada. Having played Jack Absolute, he stole the character and has written three books on this 007 of the 1770s - Jack Absolute, The Blooding of Jack Absolute and Absolute Honour- short listed for the 2007 Evergreen Prize by the Ontario Library Association. All have been published in the UK, Canada, the US and been translated into Russian, Italian, German, Greek and Czech.

He has also written a trilogy for young adults The Runestone Saga. A heady brew of Norse myth, runic magic, time travel and horror, the first book in the series The Fetch was published in North America in July 2006, with the sequel, Vendetta in August 2007 and the conclusion, Possession, August 2008. They are also published in Russia, Greece, Turkey and Indonesia. His latest Young Adult novel THE HUNT OF THE UNICORN was released by Knopf in North America in March 2011 and will be published soon in Spain.