Lawrence Block's THE NAKED AND THE DEADLY in deluxe softcover

 

Reissuing Lawrence Block's long-lost work for men's adventure magazines in the Men's Adventure Library collection The Naked and the Deadly is a milestone for the series, and a considerable source of great pride for us.

We had two primary goals for the project: First, to issue Block's work in the kind of deluxe presentation it deserves. Second, to try to ensure that the book's sticker price would allow anyone who wants to read the book the opportunity to own a copy—even readers on tighter budgets.

So we issued the book in multiple editions: A deluxe signed and numbered hardcover, and a deluxe (unsigned) hardcover, both printed in full color and packed with supplementary history, context, and illustrations.

We also put together a relatively no-frills ebook edition, and a compact mass market paperback edition—both focused on the stories alone.

But we are so wild about the hardcover presentations, we decided to issue another edition: a softcover that (mostly) replicates the contents and design of the hardcovers: a deluxe softcover edition.

Priced at $29.95 for a big 368 color pages, it's $16 less than the hardcover, but includes everything that's in the hardcover—minus the hardcover's bonus story.

It's been available for a while now. The problem is, many of our readers buy our books from Amazon, and Amazon doesn't seem to know what to do with a title that's been released in two softcover editions—despite the many differences between those softcover editions. Even searching for the deluxe softcover on Amazon can be a frustrating experience.

So, here's a direct link to the deluxe softcover on Amazon: https://amzn.to/41W23fl

Of course, copies are always available from the book's co-editor Bob Deis via his webstore at MensPulpMags.com. Bob often offers deals and discounts on all our books there, and he's always glad to sign or personalize books on request. Order directly from Bob by clicking HERE.

Now, please feel free to get Naked!

Todd Pierce's ATTACHÉ CASE: BACKSTAGE AT THE EMBASSY

"The Kitchen Confidential of the State Department."

"Denial and minimizing are at least 50 percent of diplomacy, and as a gay man raised Catholic in Connecticut, I had those skills down pat."

You've seen them on the news, looking competent and concerned in their navy suits. They're in Beijing, Riyadh, Nairobi, Geneva, and of course Washington, DC. They look uneasy on camera. When they speak (which is as little as possible), it's with caution, hemmed in by protocol and the fear of causing an incident.

These are the diplomats.

Opening up a famously tight-lipped profession, 25-year State Department veteran Todd Pierce takes you backstage at the embassy, sharing what it's like to serve as a working-level diplomat.

Pierce traces his postings around the world, and tells what goes on backstage at the embassy. Sure, there are clashes over policy, but there’s also a visit to a Turkish supermax to visit a detained friend, a career near-death experience on the Acropolis, and a testy exchange, in Rangoon, about the Oscars. There are gaffes galore (usually his own) as he navigates the error-prone translation of one culture for another. There is public diplomacy, illustrated by Tom of Finland.

Find out what a working-level diplomat does every day, and what happens, come evening, at receptions. (Do they really serve Ferrero Rocher chocolates?) What does the US have in common with celebrities? How does the dance between reporters and flacks work, exactly? And what on earth is a minister extraordinary and plenipotentiary? 

Funny, revealing, pointed, and deeply human, Attaché Case tells what it feels like to represent the celebrity country-the US-a place everyone thinks they know and has an opinion about. 

This is how your diplomacy gets made.

Click HERE to preview a section from the book on Todd's Substack.

Attaché Case: Backstage at the Embassy is available in hardcover, softcover, and ebook editions. Click HERE to buy on Amazon.

WEASELS recommended by THE WASHINGTON POST!

(click image to enlarge)

The Washington Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning book critic Michael Dirda has singled out our new edition of Weasels Ripped My Flesh! as one of his holiday gift recommendations for 2024. 

We also appreciated this "rule" posted at the head of his list:

"When possible, avoid buying titles from the bestseller lists. This shows a lack of imagination. If you’ve ever gone to a 'pick-your-own' farm, you know that the sweetest strawberries aren’t those on top of the plant in full sun, but those nestled in the shade of the leaves. You just have to search a little to find them."

We couldn't agree more. Thank you, Mr. Dirda.

Read Dirda's column in full HERE on the Post's site.

Edited by Robert Deis and Wyatt Doyle with Josh Alan Friedman, the new edition of Weasels Ripped My Flesh! is part of the Men's Adventure Library series, and is available now in softcover and hardcover editions. Get it from Amazon HERE.