Search results for ""Author Charles""

A book length collaboration between two underground legends, Charles Bukowski and Robert Crumb. Bukowski's last journals candidly and humorously reveal the events in the writer's life as death draws inexorably nearer, thereby illuminating our own lives and natures, and to give new meaning to what was once only familiar. Crumb has illustrated the text with 12 full-page drawings and a portrait of Bukowski.

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The ultimate guide to style and social success for the modern gentleman.Ever wondered how to decode the infamous smart casual dress code? How many shirts a man really needs? How to master the art of small talk? Or even which cocktail recipes every man simply must have in his repertoire of bar skills? The Modern Gentleman's Handbook will have all the answers the modern man requires to put his best foot forward for all occasions, from the office, to weddings and sporting events and even long weekends away.This essential collection of do's and don'ts, from the fundamentals to the obscure and eccentric, will ready any man to conquer all of life's daily challenges and opportunities with finesse and good spirit.Effortlessly elevate your style and reputation with this vital handbook.

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A beautiful paperback edition of Charles Causley's Collected Poems for Children with a foreword by poet Roger McGough and illustrated with line art by John Lawrence. This Macmillan Classics edition is a special gift to treasure, and the perfect start to a lifelong love of poetry.The poems in this collection were chosen and arranged the author. They feature a variety of subjects from funny to sad and seasons to fables – great to read aloud together.To illustrate this book, John travelled to Cornwall to meet Charles Causley. If you look carefully you will find many references to Cornwall and its history and traditions throughout the book.'Church bells ought to greet the arrival of Causley's Collected Poems for Children . . . it is so plum-pudding-rich in delight' – Children's Books History Society

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The Disney Princess is a one-of-a-kind celebration of the timeless Disney characters who have enchanted audiences for generations. This landmark book serves as the definitive visual history of the Disney princess from 1937 to today. Fans and collectors have the chance to get an inside look at how each of the princesses came to be, with behind-the-scenes stories and stunning art from the legendary Disney archive. From Snow White to Moana, The Disney Princess explores how the personality, style, and spirit of each princess developed and evolved. It features insights from directors and artists, and even photos of the live-action actors and models who inspired the animators. • Eye-catching hardcover with pink cloth, ribbon marker, and silver glitter page edges • Features over 200 colorful illustrations, photos, and graphics • Filled with never-before-seen concept art from the archive The Disney Princess spectacularly captures the enduring magic and legacy of the iconic Disney princess. • Features chapters on Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, and Moana • Perfect gift for Disney fans and must-have for collectors of all things Disney, especially nostalgic memorabilia • Perfect for those who loved The Art of the Disney Princess by Disney Book Group, Disney Princess: A Magical Pop-Up World by Matthew Reinhardt, The Art and Flair of Mary Blair by John Canemaker, and the Disney Animated Classics series ©2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Want to know how to use an electronic component? This third book of a three-volume set includes key information on electronics parts for your projects--complete with photographs, schematics, and diagrams. You'll learn what each one does, how it works, why it's useful, and what variants exist. No matter how much you know about electronics, you'll find fascinating details you've never come across before. Perfect for teachers, hobbyists, engineers, and students of all ages, this reference puts reliable, fact-checked information right at your fingertips--whether you're refreshing your memory or exploring a component for the first time. Beginners will quickly grasp important concepts, and more experienced users will find the specific details their projects require. Volume 3 covers components for sensing the physical world, including light, sound, heat, motion, ambient, and electrical sensors. Unique: the first and only encyclopedia set on electronic components, distilled into three separate volumes Incredibly detailed: includes information distilled from hundreds of sources Easy to browse: parts are clearly organized by component type Authoritative: fact-checked by expert advisors to ensure that the information is both current and accurate Reliable: a more consistent source of information than online sources, product datasheets, and manufacturer's tutorials Instructive: each component description provides details about substitutions, common problems, and workarounds Comprehensive: Volume 1 covers power, electromagnetism, and discrete semi-conductors; Volume 2 includes integrated circuits, and light and sound sources; Volume 3 covers a range of sensing devices.

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Pip is a poor orphan, a boy with “no expectations” being raised by his unkind sister and her husband in a small home on the marshes of Kent. But when Pip meets the bizarre Miss Havisham and her beautiful ward, Estella, he starts to yearn for a life as a gentleman. However, Pip will discover that wealth and honesty do not go hand in hand, and that kindness can be found in the most surprising places. A love story, a mystery, and a sharp critique of upper-class English society, Great Expectations remains one of Dickens’s best-regarded works.

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The thrilling look into the High Republic era of Star Wars continues! After the destruction of STARLIGHT BEACON, the JEDI have faced one devastating blow after another! Who survived the catastrophes brought on by the DRENGIR, the NIHIL and the NAMELESS and who died? And most importantly who will step up to the forces causing chaos in the galaxy? YODA is joined by unexpected allies to form a council prepared to wage the ultimate war for justice and peace! Following the best-selling story set in the golden age of the Jedi. Collecting: Star Wars: The High Republic - Shadows of Starlight (2023) 1-4

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Septuagenarian Stew is a combination of poetry and stories written by Charles Bukowski that delve into the lives of different people on the backstreets of Los Angeles. He writes of the housewife, the bum, the gambler and the celebrity to evoke a portrait of Los Angeles

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The Roominghouse Madrigals is a selection of poetry from Charles Bukowski's early work. It shows a slightly softer side to the beloved barfly.

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Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame is poetry full of gambling, drinking and women. Charles Bukowski writes realistically about the seedy underbelly of life.

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The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses is a book of poems written by Charles Bukowski for Jane, his first love. These poems explore a more emotional side to Charles Bukowski.

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The UK's leading no-dig gardening expert, Charles Dowding, shares his organic approach to growing healthy, vibrant crops. The no-dig approach to gardening – based on the key principle of leaving the ground as undisturbed as possible – has gained popularity in recent years as a more efficient, economical and sustainable way to grow healthy plants. Packed with easy-to-follow advice, Organic Gardening reveals the art of the no-dig approach and the techniques required to grow organic crops while enhancing soil structure. By employing the simplicity of the no-dig technique and using a system of permanent, slightly raised beds, Charles Dowding shows how to grow a delicious variety of fruit and vegetables sustainably and organically: what to choose; when to sow, plant and harvest; and how best to avoid pests and diseases. From sowing seeds and making compost to harvesting summer salads and winter vegetables, this accessible guide is an essential resource for beginners and experienced gardeners.

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This highly illustrated volume covers the uniforms and insignia of Germany's military in transition from the trenches of the Western front, to street fighting in Berlin, Munich, and other cities, the bitter contests with the Poles and Communists in the Baltic, the Kapp.Luttwitz Putsch, and finally the campaign in the Ruhr. The Quasi-uniformed look of the Communist revolutionaries, as well as images of the tanks and armored cars operated by the Kokampf of the Provisional Reishswehr, are also examined in detail. The photographs and many color illustrations pained and drawn during this violent time, make this a unique volume for uniform and equipment researchers, historians, and modelers. A companion volume will cover the period 1924-1935 and will include uniforms of the: Reichswehr, Stahlhelm, SA, SS, Erhardt Brigade and other para-military units.

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Britain's royal history brought to life with 200 contemporary and historical illustrations, maps, shields and comprehensive genealogical tables. It includes the story of King Arthur, why William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings, how Robert the Bruce guarded Scottish independence, and the search for the body of Richard III. Throughout the book specially commissioned maps, plans, timelines and family trees highlight the vital events of every reign. It is a valuable reference book for any historian, with fact boxes to highlight important events for each reign. The royal history of the monarchs of Britain continues to fascinate. This book tells the story from the rise of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and Alfred the Great to the Union of the English and Scottish Crowns in 1603. Family trees trace the line of succession in the English royal houses of Wessex, the Danes, the Normans and the Plantaganets, and the Scottish houses of Macalpine, Dunkeld, Balliol, Bruce and Stewart. Pictures include paintings and contemporary portraits, manuscript drawings, sculptures and photographs. Charting nearly 1500 years of royal rule, this informative history brings the lives of Britain's ancient and medieval monarchs into focus.

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Charles Bukowski's brilliant, fantastical pastiche of a detective story. Packed with wit, invention and Bukowski's trademark lowlife adventures, it is the final novel of one of the most enjoyable and influential cult writers of the last century.Nicky Belane, private detective and career alcoholic, is a troubled man. He is plagued not just by broads, booze, lack of cash and a raging ego, but also by the surreal jobs he's been hired to do. Not only has been hired to track down French classical author Celine - who's meant to be dead - but he's also supposed to find the elusive Red Sparrow - which may or may not be real.

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A definitive intellectual history of landscape urbanismIt has become conventional to think of urbanism and landscape as opposing one another—or to think of landscape as merely providing temporary relief from urban life as shaped by buildings and infrastructure. But, driven in part by environmental concerns, landscape has recently emerged as a model and medium for the city, with some theorists arguing that landscape architects are the urbanists of our age. In Landscape as Urbanism, one of the field's pioneers presents a powerful case for rethinking the city through landscape.Charles Waldheim traces the roots of landscape as a form of urbanism from its origins in the Renaissance through the twentieth century. Growing out of progressive architectural culture and populist environmentalism, the concept was further informed by the nineteenth-century invention of landscape architecture as a "new art" charged with reconciling the design of the industrial city with its ecological and social conditions. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, as urban planning shifted from design to social science, and as urban design committed to neotraditional models of town planning, landscape urbanism emerged to fill a void at the heart of the contemporary urban project.Generously illustrated, Landscape as Urbanism examines works from around the world by designers ranging from Ludwig Hilberseimer, Andrea Branzi, and Frank Lloyd Wright to James Corner, Adriaan Geuze, and Michael Van Valkenburgh. The result is the definitive account of an emerging field that is likely to influence the design of cities for decades to come.

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'Brilliant and epoch-making.' Times Literary SupplementThe Classical Style is an established classic which has remained in print since its first publication in 1971. With his experience as a world-class pianist as well as as teacher at Harvard and Oxford, Charles Rosen produced the definitive survey of the language of the music of the classical period. In the book, Rosen concentrates on the three major figures of the time - Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven - because 'it is in terms of their achievements that the musical vernacular can best be defined'.In this expanded edition, Rosen follows the development of each composer's best known genres: for Haydn, the symphony and string quartet; for Mozart, the concerto, string quintet and comic opera; for Beethoven, the piano sonata. In addition, the author ranges widely through the material of classical music which falls outside these categories. 'The word "masterpiece" should be used rarely if at all. But it applies to The Classical Style . . . this book sets new standards for the application of language to music.' George Steiner

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This revised collection of poems gathers together Charles Causley’s poetry spanning a period of more than fifty years and includes previously unpublished work as well as some of his poems for children.‘There are poems in this superb volume that will shine for as long as there are humans to read them’ –Kevin Crossley-Holland, Times Educational Supplement

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This stimulating history of early Christianity revisits the extraordinary birth of a world religion and gives a new slant on a familiar story The relevance of Christianity is as hotly contested today as it has ever been. A New History of Early Christianity shows how our current debates are rooted in the many controversies surrounding the birth of the religion and the earliest attempts to resolve them. Charles Freeman’s meticulous historical account of Christianity from its birth in Judaea in the first century A.D. to the emergence of Western and Eastern churches by A.D. 600 reveals that it was a distinctive, vibrant, and incredibly diverse movement brought into order at the cost of intellectual and spiritual vitality. Against the conventional narrative of the inevitable “triumph” of a single distinct Christianity, Freeman shows that there was a host of competing Christianities, many of which had as much claim to authenticity as those that eventually dominated. Looking with fresh eyes at the historical record, Freeman explores the ambiguities and contradictions that underlay Christian theology and the unavoidable compromises enforced in the name of doctrine.Tracing the astonishing transformation that the early Christian church underwent—from sporadic niches of Christian communities surviving in the wake of a horrific crucifixion to sanctioned alliance with the state—Charles Freeman shows how freedom of thought was curtailed by the development of the concept of faith. The imposition of "correct belief," religious uniformity, and an institutional framework that enforced orthodoxy were both consolidating and stifling. Uncovering the difficulties in establishing the Christian church, he examines its relationship with Judaism, Gnosticism, Greek philosophy and Greco-Roman society, and he offers dramatic new accounts of Paul, the resurrection, and the church fathers and emperors.

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Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.Visit the Penguin Readers websiteExclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.Oliver Twist's parents are dead and he grows up in the workhouse, where life is very hard. One day Oliver runs away to London. There, he enters a life of crime with the old man Fagin, the Artful Dodger, frightening Bill Sykes and kind-hearted Nancy. How will Oliver live in this dangerous world?

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Not For Turning is the first volume of Charles Moore's authorized biography of Margaret Thatcher, the longest serving Prime Minister of the twentieth century and one of the most influential political figures of the postwar era. Charles Moore's biography of Margaret Thatcher, published after her death on 8 April 2013, immediately supersedes all earlier books written about her. At the moment when she becomes a historical figure, this book also makes her into a three dimensional one for the first time. It gives unparalleled insight into her early life and formation, especially through her extensive correspondence with her sister, which Moore is the first author to draw on. It recreates brilliantly the atmosphere of British politics as she was making her way, and takes her up to what was arguably the zenith of her power, victory in the Falklands. (This volume ends with the Falklands Dinner in Downing Street in November 1982.) Moore is clearly an admirer of his subject, but he does not shy away from criticising her or identifying weaknesses and mistakes where he feels it is justified. Based on unrestricted access to all Lady Thatcher's papers, unpublished interviews with her and all her major colleagues, this is the indispensable, fully rounded portrait of a towering figure of our times.

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The classic guide to how computers work, updated with new chapters and interactive graphics "For me, Code was a revelation. It was the first book about programming that spoke to me. It started with a story, and it built up, layer by layer, analogy by analogy, until I understood not just the Code, but the System. Code is a book that is as much about Systems Thinking and abstractions as it is about code and programming. Code teaches us how many unseen layers there are between the computer systems that we as users look at every day and the magical silicon rocks that we infused with lightning and taught to think." - Scott Hanselman, Partner Program Director, Microsoft, and host of Hanselminutes Computers are everywhere, most obviously in our laptops and smartphones, but also our cars, televisions, microwave ovens, alarm clocks, robot vacuum cleaners, and other smart appliances. Have you ever wondered what goes on inside these devices to make our lives easier but occasionally more infuriating? For more than 20 years, readers have delighted in Charles Petzold's illuminating story of the secret inner life of computers, and now he has revised it for this new age of computing. Cleverly illustrated and easy to understand, this is the book that cracks the mystery. You'll discover what flashlights, black cats, seesaws, and the ride of Paul Revere can teach you about computing, and how human ingenuity and our compulsion to communicate have shaped every electronic device we use. This new expanded edition explores more deeply the bit-by-bit and gate-by-gate construction of the heart of every smart device, the central processing unit that combines the simplest of basic operations to perform the most complex of feats. Petzold's companion website, CodeHiddenLanguage.com, uses animated graphics of key circuits in the book to make computers even easier to comprehend. In addition to substantially revised and updated content, new chapters include: Chapter 18: Let's Build a Clock! Chapter 21: The Arithmetic Logic Unit Chapter 22: Registers and Busses Chapter 23: CPU Control Signals Chapter 24: Jumps, Loops, and Calls Chapter 28: The World Brain From the simple ticking of clocks to the worldwide hum of the internet, Code reveals the essence of the digital revolution.

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USA Today BestsellerIn this newest installment of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling series, Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge is faced with his most perplexing case yet: a murder with no body, and a killer who can only be a ghost.Spring, 1921. Scotland Yard sends Inspector Ian Rutledge to the sea-battered village of Walmer on the coast of Essex, where amongst the salt flats and a military airfield lies Benton Abbey, a grand manor with a storied past. The lady of the house may prove his most bewildering witness yet. She claims she saw a violent murder—but there is no body, no blood. She also insists she recognized the killer: Captain Nelson. Only it could not have been Nelson because he died during the war.Everyone in the village believes that Lady Benton’s losses have turned her mind—she is, after all, a grieving widow and mother—but the woman Rutledge interviews is rational and self-possessed. And then there is Captain Nelson: what really happened to him in the war? The more Rutledge delves into this baffling case, the more suspicious tragedies he uncovers. The Abbey and the airfield hold their secrets tightly. Until Rutledge arrives, and a new trail of death follows…

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the gas line is leaking, the bird is gone from the cage, the skyline is dotted with vultures; Benny finally got off the stuff and Betty now has a job as a waitress; and the chimney sweep was quite delicate as he giggled up through the soot. I walked miles through the city and recognized nothing as a giant claw ate at my stomach while the inside of my head felt airy as if I was about to go mad. it's not so much that nothing means anything but more that it keeps meaning nothing, there's no release, just gurus and self- appointed gods and hucksters. the more people say, the less there is to say. even the best books are dry sawdust. -from "fingernails; nostrils; shoelaces"

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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The inside story of Mikel Arteta’s astonishing transformation of Arsenal November 2019. Unai Emery’s final game as Arsenal manager sees the Gunners languishing eighth in the league. Appointed in the dying embers of the Wenger years, Emery’s 18 months as Arsenal boss has seen the team and the club go backwards – playing unimaginative, pragmatic football, and recently losing to London rivals Chelsea in the final of the Europa League. Something had to change; a fresh head with fresh ideas. A new leader. This is the story of how Mikel Arteta turned Arsenal into one of the most exciting, innovative and feared teams in the league. From cutting his teeth as an assistant under Pep Guardiola before joining Arsenal in the winter of 2019, through to title contenders years later – including bust-ups, Covid, disappointments, FA Cup wins, fan revolt, and eventually the rise of an extraordinary young team standing on the edge of greatness – this book will be the first of its kind to explore the workings of Arteta’s philosophy and how he transformed the club from outsiders to title challengers. With chapters on his tactical innovations, in-game strategies, transfer insight and, of course, an account of the memorable 2022-23 season – Revolution is the story of an extraordinary football ascent and the first draft of Arsenal’s new history.

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HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. There is probably a smell of roasted chestnuts and other good comfortable things all the time, for we are telling Winter Stories… This heart-warming collection of festive short stories and novellas perfectly captures the spirit of Christmas. Focused on the journeys taken through life and the inherent goodness of mankind, these tales explore the true meaning of Christmas and revel in the joyful season of goodwill. Imbued with a moral message, Dickens’s writing gives a voice to the plight of working-class families during a period of social and political change in Victorian England. With such tales as ‘The Chimes’, ‘The Cricket on the Hearth’ and ‘What Christmas Is, As We Grow Older’, this is a beautiful collection for Dickens fans, and a wonderful companion for all those who cherish ‘A Christmas Carol’.

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A Sunday Times top ten bestseller perfect for fans of John le Carré, from the winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of the Year and ‘the master of the modern spy thriller’ (Mail on Sunday). A NEW COLD WAR IS LOOMINGFormer MI6 officer Thomas Kell thought he was done with spying. Until the Russian agent he blames for the death of his girlfriend is spotted at a Red Sea resort – in dangerous company. ONE SPY WANTS REVENGETaking the law into his own hands, Kell embarks on a mission to recruit his rival. Only to find himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse in which it becomes increasingly difficult to know who is playing whom. THIS TIME IT’S PERSONALAs the mission reaches boiling point, rumours of a terrorist attack suggest a massacre on Britain soil is imminent. Kell is faced with an impossible choice. Loyalty to MI6 – or to his own conscience?

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This is a story that has never been told before, pulling back the Iron Curtain to reveal the lives of the jet airliners of the Soviet Union, full of previously unseen stories and previously unpublished information. The Tupolevs, Ilyushins and Yakovlevs, including the supersonic Tu-144, get a chapter each, lavishly illustrated with rare photos from the past and present. An introductory essay details the history of Aeroflot and the Soviet aerospace establishment. Tragedy and triumph, crushing defeats and stratospheric successes in the parallel world of the airline scene during the Cold War. This book tells the story of every jetliner produced by the Soviet Union, including the Tupolev Tu-104 (the world's first successful passenger jet), the Ilyushin Il-62 (Aeroflot's flagship) and the supersonic rival to Concorde, the Tu-144. Other chapters cover the Tu-154 workhorse, the Il-86/-96 jumbo jet and the world's first regional jet, the Yak-40 (and -42). The meltdown of political certainties coincided with the Tu-204, which was able to form a bridge out of the old Soviet era into the current age. The story of commercial aviation and aero engineering behind the Iron Curtain is told in fascinating detail accompanied by beautiful illustrations taken from Russian archives by Charles Kennedy, one of aviation's best-known writers. Not only for aviation fans but also a fascinating look Soviet history, European socialism and the evolution of technology. Additional info Chapter each on the Tu-104/-124, -134, -144, -154 & -204; Il-62 & -86/-96; Yak-40/-42; and an essay on the history of Aeroflot. Bonus feature: SU's epic winter 1985/86 timetable reproduced in full. 158 pages and over 250 classic pics.

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From their early days as budding artists to winning Eurovision, storming the global charts this is the history of arguably the most iconic pop act the world has ever seen. With in-depth analysis of all nine studio albums, accounts from their tours and a look at how the band managed to keep turning out the smash hits.

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The distinctive combination of manic comedy, bitter satire and fierce melodrama separates this novel from its author's other works. Published in 1844 after Dickens returned from America, the action moves between Britain and United States in ways which highligh the failing of both societies. The Everyman edition is being published to tie in with a major BBC TV serialization in the autumn.

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In his international bestseller The Power of Habit, Pulitzer Prize-winner Charles Duhigg explained why we do what we do. Now he applies the same relentless curiosity and masterful analysis to the question: how can each of us achieve more?Drawing on the very latest findings in neuroscience, psychology and behavioural economics, he demonstrates the eight simple principles that govern productivity. He demonstrates how the most dynamic and effective people – from CEOs to film-makers to software entrepreneurs – deploy them. And he shows how you can, too.‘Charles has some wonderful advice for increasing productivity . . . the tips he highlights have most definitely played a huge part in helping me to build the Virgin brand.’ Richard Branson‘In Smarter Faster Better Duhigg finds provocative answers to a riddle of our age: how to become more productive (by two times, or even ten times) and less busy.’ Jim Collins‘There are valuable lessons in Smarter Faster Better . . . I never felt like putting it down.’ Financial Times

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"One of the most famous and celebrated Victorian coming-of-age novels, David Copperfield charts the adventures and vicissitudes of its eponymous hero’s life, from the misery of his childhood after his mother’s marriage to the tyrannical Mr Murdstone, through to his first steps as a writer and his search for love and happiness. Along the way he encounters a vast array of gloriously vivid characters – many of whom number among the most memorable in literature – such as the eccentric aunt Betsey Trotwood, the eloquent debtor Wilkins Micawber and the obsequious villain Uriah Heep. Replete with comedy and tragedy in equal measure, and cited by Dickens as “his favourite child"", this partially autobiographical work provides tantalizing glimpses into Dickens’s own childhood and remains one of the most enduringly popular novels in the English language."

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The interminable case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has gone on for so long that it has become a subject of mirth in legal circles and a source of great profit to those professionally engaged in it. Held in its inexorable grip - along with a diverse cross section of mid-Victorian society, from baronets to crossing-sweepers - are two wards of court, Ada Clare and Richard Carstone, who, along with the selfless Esther Summerson, are taken in by the kindly philanthropist John Jarndyce, owner of the eponymous Bleak House. But as the legal machinery grinds mercilessly on, the quixotic but feckless Richard, determined to resolve the lawsuit once and for all, seems doomed to be crushed under its weight, while Esther uncovers a shocking mystery concerning her own past. Elsewhere, others are driven to ever more heinous acts, including blackmail - and even murder. Part panoramic social satire and - with the introduction of the indefatigable police investigator Mr Bucket - part prototype of the detective genre, this dark, complex and intricately plotted book is considered by many to be both Dickens's greatest work and the finest novel of the Victorian age.

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When Richard Hannay finds the corpse of freelance spy Franklin P. Scudder in his London flat, he goes on the run, fearing that his life is in danger. Scudder had previously revealed that he was investigating a ring of German spies, who were conspiring to sabotage Britain's war capability. Hannay becomes both hunter and hunted as he struggles to unravel the tangled threads of this plot while staying one step ahead of his pursuers, who will stop at nothing to keep their nefarious secrets. First published in 1915, John Buchan's definitive spy novel was the first in a long line of espionage thrillers to delve into the underbelly of the British establishment. Over a hundred years later, The Thirty-Nine Steps remains resonant, and the various film, television and theatre adaptations of this classic - most notably Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 version - are a testament to its capacity to thrill.

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One of Dickens's finest novels, Great Expectations chronicles the fortunes of its young protagonist Pip as he is unexpectedly endowed by a mysterious benefactor with the life of a gentleman, enabling him to escape to London from the prospect of a humble blacksmith's career in rural Kent. In the bustling, unforgiving capital he must learn for himself the pitfalls of love and wealth, and how to sort his friends from his enemies. Through the lives of its unforgettable and iconic characters - such as Magwitch, Miss Havisham and Estella - Great Expectations charts the course of an England undergoing rapid social and economic change, and tells a tale that is among the foremost classics of the English language.

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Charles Dickens wrote a number of supernatural and horror stories, some of which were included in his longer works, while others were published in magazines. This collection provides an invaluable insight into the author's storytelling apprenticeship and his steady growth towards excellence. As well as offering a further dimension to the world of his better-known masterpieces, these tales - from `The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton' to the celebrated `The Signalman' - illustrate Dickens's well-known love of a spooky story told around a blazing fire, the pastime of a bygone age to be rediscovered for our own delight.

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A short history of the ancient civilization of Angkor, home to the spectacular temple of Angkor Wat.In the late sixteenth century a mythical encounter was reported on an elephant hunt in the dense jungle north of the Tonle Sap, or Great Lake, of central Cambodia. King Satha of Cambodia and his retainers were beating a path through the undergrowth when they were halted by stone giants, and then a massive wall. The King, the fable reported, ordered 6,000 men to bring down the wall, thereby exposing the city of Angkor 'lost' for over a century.Subsequent reports from Portuguese missionaries described its four gateways, with bridges flanked by stone figures leading across a moat. There were idols covered in gold, inscriptions, fountains, canals, and 'a temple with five towers, called Angor [sic]'. For four centuries, this huge complex has inspired awe amongst visitors from all over the world, but only now are its origins and history becoming clear.This book begins with the progress of the prehistoric communities of the area and draws on the author¿s recent excavations to portray the rich and expansive chiefdoms that existed at the dawn of civilization. It covers the origins of early states, up to the establishment, zenith and decline of this extraordinary civilization, whose most impressive achievement was the construction of the gilded temple mausoleum of Angkor Wat, in the twelfth century, allegedly by 70,000 people.

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It was called in as a robbery at Hayek Associates, an online game company. So you can imagine Sergeant Sue Smith's mood as she watches the video footage of the heist being carried out by a band of orcs and a dragon, and realises that the robbery from an online game company is actually a robbery from an online game.Just wonderful. Like she has nothing better to do. But online entertainment is big business, and when the bodies of real people start to show up, it's clear that this is anything but a game. For Sue, computer coding expert Jack Reed, and forensic accountant Elaine Barnaby, the walls between the actual and the virtual are about to come crashing down. There is something very dangerous and very real going on at Hayek Associates, and those involved are playing for keeps. No cheats, no back doors, no extra lives - make a wrong call on this one and it's game over.

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His most ambitious novel to date, ACCELERANDO is a multi-generational saga following a brilliant clan of 21st-century posthumans. The year is some time between 2010 and 2015. The recession has ended, but populations are ageing and the rate of tech change is accelerating dizzyingly. Manfred makes his living from spreading ideas around, putting people in touch with one another and leaving a spray of technologies in his wake. He lives at the cutting edge of intelligence amplification technology, but even Manfred can take on too much. And when his pet robot cat picks up some interesting information from the SETI data, his world - and the world of his descendants - is turned on its head.

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In the twenty-first century man created the Eschaton, a sentient artificial intelligence. It pushed Earth through the greatest technological evolution ever known, while warning that time travel is forbidden, and transgressors will be eliminated.Distant descendants of this ultra high-tech Earth live in parochial simplicity on the far-flung worlds of the New Republic. Their way of life is threatened by the arrival of an alien information plague known as the Festival. As forbidden technologies are literally dropped from the sky, suppressed political factions descend into revolutionary turmoil. A battle fleet is sent from Earth to destroy the Festival, but Spaceship engineer Martin Springfield and U.N. diplomat Rachel Mansour have been assigned rather different tasks. Their orders are to diffuse the crisis or to sabotage the New Republic's war-fleet, whatever the cost, before the Eschaton takes hostile action on a galactic scale.

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