Search results for ""bloomsbury publishing""

A revelatory uncovering of a vanished agricultural way of life by bestselling nature writer Sally Coulthard. 'A gem of a book' Country Smallholding 'Engaging and filled with gentle humour and fascinating facts' Get History 'Shows us the beauty and rich history of everyday things' Country Walking Magazine Across the foldyard from Sally Coulthard's North Yorkshire farmhouse, stands an old stone barn. When she discovered a set of witches' marks on one of its internal walls, she began to wonder about the lives of the people who had once lived and worked there. Both the intimate story of a building and its hinterland, and a wider social history, The Barn explores a hidden corner of rural Britain that has witnessed remarkable changes. From the eighteenth-century Enclosures to the Second World War, the fortunes of the Barn have been blown, like a leaf in a gale, by the unstoppable forces of new agriculture and industry. Seismic shifts in almost every area of society were all played out here in miniature – against a backdrop of scattered limestone villages and the softly rolling Howardian Hills.

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It seems the past has caught up with Alaska State Trooper Liam Campbell. After a party of hunters stumbles upon a desiccated human hand clutching an incredibly rare 'double-eagle' gold coin, Liam Campbell is led to the broken remains of a World War II-era transport plane emerging from the face of a calving glacier. For some sixty years the glacier has held its secrets close: Who was on the ill-fated flight? What were they doing? 74-year-old Newenham matriarch Lydia Tompkins might have had the answers Campbell is looking for, but now she's dead too, murdered in her own home. And she won't be the last to die as a once-buried secret returns to haunt the present.

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The story of the First World War in Africa, an almost forgotten conflict that devastated an area five times the size of Germany and killed more than two million people. 'A very well-researched account of that extraordinary and fascinating sideshow of the First World War' Antony Beevor 'Meticulously researched and written with tremendous lucidity and brio' William Boyd, Sunday Times 'The definitive history of that war... Minutely detailed yet entirely engrossing' Nigel Jones, Sunday Telegraph A 'small war', consisting of a few 'local affairs', was all that was expected of the East Africa campaign in August 1914. But two weeks after the Armistice was signed in Europe, British and German troops were still fighting in Africa. The expense of the campaign to the British Empire was immense, the Allied and German 'butchers bills' even greater. But the most tragic consequence of the two sides' deadly game of 'tip and run' was the devastation of an area five times the size of Germany, and civilian suffering on a scale unimaginable in Europe. Such was the cost of 'The White Man's Palaver' – the final phase of the European conquest of Africa.

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The Potter's Dictionary of Materials and Techniques provides a comprehensive guide to the tools, materials and techniques of ceramic art. Structured in an accessible A-Z format, and packed with full-colour illustrations and sound, practical explanations, this reference work is widely known as the potter's bible'. The 6th edition of this classic text has been thoroughly updated, with new entries on topics ranging from aerogel to smoke crackle, and from teabowls to 3D printing, as well as many revised and updated entries. The Dictionary also includes useful technical and resource information. For the first time, the book is presented in full colour, with images showing ceramics material, processes and products.A must-have resource for every potter's studio, workshop or bookshelf, The Potter's Dictionary is the essential companion for anyone working in clay.

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Give old furniture a new lease of life, save money and help the planet with this beautifully illustrated guide to upcycling.Renovating tired old furniture can make it look as good as new or even better! It can be a cost-effective and more sustainable solution than buying modern replacements, encouraging creative thinking and resulting in eye-catching and unique pieces.In this colourfully illustrated guide by furniture artist and upcycling expert Chloe Kempster, you can learn all the tricks of the trade to revitalise well-loved but worn out furniture. Throughout the 15 step-by-step examples in this book ranging from a textured bombe chest to a decoupaged wardrobe, and a hand-painted floral cupboard there is plenty of advice regarding design and preparation, the types of paint and variety of decoration that can be used, and ideas for how to make your project really stand out.Whether you are tailoring something to fit a new look in your home or revampi

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How to Read Gardens is the essential guide for garden lovers and visitors alike. Visiting gardens has never been more popular but not many of us understand what we are looking at when strolling through a beautiful garden - are we looking at an original landscaped site or a recreation? Is the planting matter authentic or made up of modern hybrids? Are the steps and terracing in the Italianate style or are they Arts and Crafts? The truth is that most gardens of any age are like a palimpsest: successive generations have changed and influenced the soft and hard fabric of the place over time. Inevitably many of the gardens we wander through today are an amalgam of changing fashions and circumstance. How to Read Gardens gives you all the knowledge you need to tease out the clues that will tell you the complete story of a garden's past. From the grandest estate to the smallest suburban plot, this book will enliven and inform every visit.

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A handy guide to cheaply and quickly make beads from polymer clays. How to Make Polymer Clay Beads is your handy guide to making beads from polymer clays such as Fimo. With clear instructions and step-by-step photographic sequences, the book teaches you the various bead techniques and how to produce various faux effects. Each section features a gallery of beautiful beads by internationally renowned artists, providing inspiration and showing you the wide range of effects that can be achieved. Polymer clays are readily available, come in a multitude of colours and can be fired in your kitchen oven. Making spectacular-looking beads doesn't require much space or equipment, making it a cheap and easy way to create professional-looking jewellery that you will be proud to wear or give away.

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From the explosive world of Jason Bourne emerges a new hero. Operation Treadstone made Jason Bourne, but he's not the only agent they trained. Adam Hayes was moulded into a weapon by Treadstone, the black-ops CIA programme that turns government agents into nearly superhuman assassins. To atone for his sins, he's left that life behind and is working as a pilot bringing medical supplies to endangered communities in Africa. But during a charitable mission in Burkina Faso, his quiet life is upended, when his aircraft is attacked by extremists. With his plane damaged, Hayes is forced to make an emergency landing, only to find a hornet's nest of trouble waiting for him on the ground. In order to get back in the air, Hayes agrees to transport a passenger – Zoe Cabot, the daughter of a tech baron – to a small coastal city. But what is supposed to be a simple job goes horribly wrong when Zoe is kidnapped right in front of his eyes. Determined to get her back, Hayes mounts a one-man rescue, but after being attacked from all sides, he realizes this is no ordinary kidnapping. Luckily for Zoe, Adam Hayes is no ordinary man and he'll stop at nothing to get her back – even if it means that his path to peace is littered with bodies.

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The world's most ruthlessly efficient assassin, Jason Bourne, has carved a bloody swathe through all his opponents but now he's facing the one force he can't defeat – his own past – in the latest thrilling entry in Robert Ludlum's New York Times bestselling series. Three years ago, Jason Bourne embarked on a mission in Estonia with his partner and lover, a fiery Treadstone agent codenamed Nova. Their job was to rescue a Russian double agent, recently been smuggled out of St. Petersburg in the midst of an FSB manhunt. They failed. Their charge died at the hands of a shadowy assassin. Now, three years later, everything has changed. Nova is gone, killed in a mass shooting in Las Vegas. Bourne is a lone operative working in the shadows for Treadstone. He's awaiting his next assignment when his handler bring him shocking news. The Estonian mission was a set up. The double agent is still alive, deep in hiding from the Russian State Intelligence Agency. In order to find her, Bourne will have to come face to face with the errors of his past — and the death of the woman he love. And with the body count rising. he comes to an invevitable conclusion: Some secrets should stay buried.

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'A gripping blockbuster... Thomas researches meticulously and writes with simmering even-handed anger' TELEGRAPH. Fashionopolis is the definitive book on the cost of fast fashion, and a blueprint for how we get to a more sustainable future. Fashion has blighted our planet. Today, one out of six people on earth work in fashion, churning out 100 billion garments a year. Yet 98 percent of them do not earn a living wage, and 2.1 billion tonnes of clothing is thrown away annually. The clothing industry's exploitation of fellow humans and the environment has reached epic levels. What should we do? Bestselling author and veteran journalist Dana Thomas has travelled the globe to find the answers. In Fashionopolis, she details the damage wrought by fashion's behemoths, and celebrates the visionaries – including activists, artisans, designers, and tech entrepreneurs – fighting for change. We all have been casual about our clothes. It's time to get dressed with intention. Fashionopolis is the first comprehensive look at how to start. Reviews: 'Fascinating... Powerful... Thomas has succeeded in calling attention to the major problems of the fashion industry' New York Times 'Thomas takes a story most of us think we know, but tells it better and in compelling, readable detail' The Times 'Engaging and thorough... Fashionopolis has implications beyond cloth and thread' Financial Times 'Thomas is a conscientious reporter – as evidenced in her research, which is studded with statistics' Times Literary Supplement

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Centuries after they were defeated and exiled to dark space, The Sturm have returned. The Sturm, an empire of species purists, have returned from the farthest reaches of Dark Space to wage a war against what they call mutants and borgs: any human being with genetic or neural engineering. In a sneak attack on the galaxy-spinning networks, they overwhelmed almost all of humanity's defenses, blasting dark code that transformed anyone connected to the system into a mindless psychotic killer. The Sturm's victory seemed complete, their final triumph inevitable, until one small band of intrepid, unlikely heroes struck back. Commander Lucinda Hardy and Admiral Frazer McLennan used the Armadalen Navy's final surviving warship to fend off the Sturm, destroying the massed power of an entire Attack Fleet. With brilliant tactics, this ragtag crew sent the Sturm running, managing to save Princess Alessia, the sole surviving heir to the gigantic Montanblanc Corporation and perhaps Earth's only remaining senator. Now left with the remains of a fallen civilization, they must work together to rebuild what was lost and root out the numberless enemies of Earth. The Sturm invaders remain vastly more powerful – and they may not be the only threat lurking in the darkness of space...

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Where do you come on your To Do list? Between juggling the demands of work, potentially toxic friendships, never ending life-min, parenting guilt, trying to be the best partner you can be – or looking for love – life can be totally overwhelming. And for so many of us, it's the bits we're not #winning at that appear to be flashing in neon lights as a daily reminder. That's where kindfulness comes in – blending mindfulness with being kind to yourself. Simply, remembering to treat yourself with kindness in all instances. That means no more self-flagellation over so-called 'failings', setting boundaries to get the best out of your relationships and making your emotional wellbeing a priority. From managing the impact of social media on your mental health to building self-confidence, Kindfulness will help equip readers with the tools they need to have a more positive mindset, put themselves first, identify the triggers in their life which can cause anxiety and generally take better care of themselves.

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Bestselling author Giles Tremlett traverses the rich and varied history of Spain, from prehistoric times to today, in a brief, accessible primer for visitors, curious readers and hispanophiles. 'Tremlett is a fascinating socio-cultural guide, as happy to discuss Spain's World Cup win as its Moorish rule' Guardian 'Negotiates Spain's chaotic history with admirable clarity and style' The Times Spain's position on Europe's south-western corner has exposed it to cultural, political and actual winds blowing from all quadrants. Africa lies a mere nine miles to the south. The Mediterranean connects it to the civilizational currents of Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginians, and Byzantines as well as the Arabic lands of the near east. Bronze Age migrants from the Russian steppe were amongst the first to arrive. They would be followed by Visigoths, Arabs, Napoleonic armies and many more invaders and immigrants. Circular winds and currents linked it to the American continent, allowing Spain to conquer and colonize much of it. As a result, Spain has developed a sort of hybrid vigour. Whenever it has tried to deny this inevitable heterogeneity, it has required superhuman effort to fashion a 'pure' national identity – which has proved impossible to maintain. In España, Giles Tremlett argues that, in fact, that lack of a homogenous identity is Spain's defining trait.

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SOON TO BE A MAJOR DISNEY+ TV SERIES! It was meant to be your daughter's first sleepover. Now it's an abduction. Lucia Blix went home from school for a playdate with her new friend Josie. Later that evening, her mother Elisa dropped her overnight things round and shared a glass of wine with Josie's mother. Then she kissed her little girl goodnight and drove home. That was the last time she saw her daughter. The next morning, the house was empty. No furniture, no family, no Lucia. In Playdate, Alex Dahl puts a microscope on a seemingly average, seemingly happy family plunged into a life-altering situation. Who has taken their daughter, and why? 'Quickly exerts a grip' Financial Times 'A tense thriller that felt utterly real' Jane Shemilt 'Fast-paced and unsettling' Guardian 'I couldn't put it down' Rachael Blok

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'An ambitious, riveting and essential book that has much to teach us about the recent history of this region, and about the human impulse towards populism that continues to shape the world' Ben Rhodes, bestselling author of The World As It Is 'A REVOLUTION IS A STRUGGLE TO THE DEATH BETWEEN THE FUTURE AND THE PAST.' FIDEL CASTRO For more than six decades, Fidel Castro's words have echoed through the politics of Latin America. His towering political influence still looms over the region today. The swing to the Left in Latin America, known as the 'Pink Tide', was the most important political movement in the Western Hemisphere in the 21st century. It involved some of the biggest, most colourful and most controversial characters in Latin America for decades, leaders who would leave an indelible mark on their nations and who were adored and reviled in equal measure. Parties became secondary to individual leaders and populism reigned from Venezuela to Brazil, from Central America to the Caribbean, financed by a spike in commodity prices and the oil-backed largesse of Venezuela's charismatic socialist president, Hugo Chávez. Yet within a decade and a half, it was all over. Today, this wave of populism has left the Americas in the hands of some of the most authoritarian and dangerous leaders since the military dictatorships of the 1970s.

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A dazzling mixture of crime, romance, magic and myth from the author of the bestselling The Psychology of Time Travel. The Kendricks have been making world-famous dolls for over 200 years. But their dolls aren't coveted for the craftmanship alone. Each has an emotion laid on it; a magic that can provoke bucolic bliss or consuming paranoia at a single touch. Persephone Kendrick longs to learn her ancestors' craft, but only men may know the secrets of the workshop. So when a handsome stranger arrives claiming doll-making talent and blood ties to the family she sees a chance to grasp all she desires. But then, one night, the firm's most valuable doll is stolen. Only someone with knowledge of magic could have taken her. Only a Kendrick could have committed this crime... 'Captivating, inventive and tender' ADELE PARKS 'An atmospheric examination of gender inequality' GUARDIAN 'A magical tale that blends very human people with a hidden world of enchantment' WOMAN & HOME 'An addictive fantasy with a smart feminist twist' iNEWS

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It is 1939 and the eve of the Second World War when the handsome sailor Ewan Mackinnon returns to his childhood home on the remote Hebridean island of Phetray. He was forced to run from the ignominy of a terrible event, the disgraced Minister's son. Arriving home, many years later, he is reunited with Minn Macfee, a cottar's daughter, instantly falling for her graceful beauty and enchanting voice. But Minn and Ewan are bound by the same misfortune that caused their separation in childhood. When Ewan joins the Special Boat Squadron and embarks for France, leaving Minn behind, it seems fate has intervened once more. Touched by tragedy and the weight of the past, their love seems destined to die. Or will the tides of time bring them together again?

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He looks the same. He looks like a stranger. Super recognisers are born with the ability to remember a face forever, even from a single glance. Kate was one of them. She worked for the police, using her gift to spot criminals and save lives. Then came the accident. Deprived of her abilities after a devastating car crash, Kate found refuge in a new relationship. She met Rob in hospital, and he nursed her back to health in his beautiful house in Cornwall. But now something feels horribly wrong. Rob looks the same, but Kate feels certain: the man she fell in love with has been replaced by an impostor. Is this the paranoia of a damaged mind? Or is it Kate's old instinct, screaming one last warning? This intricate, original and emotionally charged psychological thriller is perfect for fans of J.P. Delaney and Louise Candlish. Reviews for The Other You: 'Brilliantly original... Kept me guessing to the very end' Peter James 'A pacy, powerful psychological thriller that throws up questions on every page' Mari Hannah 'Pacy and propulsive' Daily Telegraph 'You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough' Heat 'Clever, imaginative and unusual' Daily Mail 'Compulsive and terrifying. A seriously high concept and mind-bending thriller' Chris Ewan Reviews for J.S. Monroe: 'Full of unpredictable twists' The Times 'Intricately woven and heart-stoppingly believable' Clare Mackintosh 'The most ingenious thriller you will read this year' M.J. Arlidge 'Cunning, captivating and creepy' J.P. Delaney 'A tightly coiled and crafted plot' Daily Mail 'Gripping and deeply sinister' Caroline Kepnes 'An intricate puzzle of a thriller' Lucie Whitehouse

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The Colour of Time spans more than a hundred years of world history from the reign of Queen Victoria and the US Civil War to the Cuban Missile Crisis and beginning of the Space Age. It charts the rise and fall of empires, the achievements of science, industry and the arts, the tragedies of war and the politics of peace, and the lives of men and women who made history. The book is a collaboration between a gifted Brazilian artist and a leading British historian. Marina Amaral has created 200 stunning images, using contemporary photographs as the basis for her full-colour digital renditions. Dan Jones has written a narrative that anchors each image in its context, and weaves them into a vivid account of the world that we live in today. A fusion of amazing pictures and well-chosen words, The Colour of Time offers a unique – and often beautiful – perspective on the past. This compact edition of The Colour of Time makes the perfect gift for anyone (and not just anyone interested in history).

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African myth and magic beat in the dark heart of this fable about witchcraft, superstition, the bonds we choose and those we cannot. Born into a family of West African witches, Sheba's terrified of her mother who is deadly dangerous. But like mother, like daughter – magic runs through her blood and Sheba discovers powers of her own. Her touch can unravel people's innermost thoughts; their hopes, their fears – their secrets. Sheba too can shape-shift. Through the communion of ancient magic, blood and friendship, she slowly uncovers the murderous truth about her stolen childhood and steels herself for the future. She must protect the hunted from the hunter – her mother. Praise for Lionheart Girl: 'A dark and dazzling coming-of-age novel, rich in atmosphere and magic realism' Guardian Best Books of 2021 'Lionheart Girl is deeply atmospheric, stunningly original, and sizzling with ancient myth and magic. Utterly unmissable' Sophie Anderson, The Castle of Tangled Magic 'Loved it! Yaba's best so far – a wonderful tale of magic and family' Catherine Johnson, author of Queen of Freedom: Defending Jamaica

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'Heart-warming, wonderful escapism and brimming with charm. I marvelled!' Christie Barlow. 'I absolutely LOVED this! The Note was fabulous and this follow-up was a real treat!' Mandy Baggot. The sequel to the bestselling phenomenon The Note – based on the true story of one girl and her 'Train Man'... A year after the kiss that brought them together in a snowy train-station doorway, Maya and James are embarking on another journey – this time around the world. The trip starts promisingly, with an opulent and romantic Indian wedding. But as their travels continue, Maya fears that 'love at first sight' might not survive trains, planes and tuk tuks, especially when she realises that what she really wants is a baby, and James doesn't feel the same. Can Maya and James navigate their different hopes and dreams to stay together? Or is love at first sight just a myth after all... Perfect for fans of One Day in December, Our Stop and Marian Keyes. The Postcard continues the once-in-a-lifetime love story that readers so took to their hearts.

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A collection of exquisitely crafted essays by Ben Okri, one of Britain's foremost poets, and a Booker Prize-winning novelist, that explore such diverse themes as childhood and creativity, beauty, censorship, art and politics. 'A single line,' writes Ben Okri, 'can lead the mind to terraces of contemplation. Naturally it depends on the line and the view.' This is a collection of exquisitely crafted essays on themes as diverse as childhood and creativity, beauty, censorship, art and politics. They are responses to the world and the times we live in. They ask unsettling questions. They provoke thoughts and they make us dream. 'Profound and enchanting' The Times. 'There can be no mistaking Okri's passion and intelligence. A powerful piece of work' Sunday Telegraph.

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An evocative novel of secrets, love and redemption under the Greek sun. Perfect for fans of Kate Furnivall and Julia Gregson. They have come to Santaniki for different reasons. Some with a dream of happiness. Some running from sadness and failure. But all of them have fallen in love with this most beautiful of Greek islands. When bossy retired bookseller, Ariadne Blunt, suggests that the English residents form a choir, she did not expect it would unleash quite so much drama. Secrets surface, old rivalries spring up, new friendships are formed and passions are rekindled. In this bittersweet tale of love and loss, people quite literally find their voices – showing that life can begin again when you let go of the past.

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A sweeping history of Athens, telling the three-thousand-year story of the birthplace of Western civilization, from Runciman Award winner Bruce Clark 'A stunning retrospect and beautifully written overview of one of the world's greatest cities' Paul Cartledge 'Courageously grand in scale yet sensitive to the details that make Athens' extraordinary history come alive' Sofka Zinovieff 'Bruce Clark brings an eye for the quirky, human detail, a pithy turn of phrase, and an affection for his subject honed over many decades' Roderick Beaton 'Bruce Clark's enchantingly readable history revealed how little I knew' Literary Review Dominated by the pillars and pediments of the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena, goddess of wisdom, the ancient Greek city of Athens is for many synonymous with civilization itself. Athens: City of Wisdom tells the tale of a city that occupies a unique place in the cultural memory of the West. Each of the book's twenty-one chapters focuses on a critical 'moment' in the city's long history, from the reforms of the lawmaker Solon in the sixth century BCE to the travails of early twenty-first-century Athens, as a rapidly expanding city struggles with the legacy of a global economic crisis. Bruce Clark has a rich and revealing sequence of stories to tell – not only of the familiar golden age of Classical Athens, of the removal from the Acropolis of the Parthenon marbles by agents of the 7th Earl of Elgin in the early nineteenth century, or of the holding of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896; but also of the less fêted later years of antiquity, when St Paul preached on the Areopagus and neo Platonists refounded the Academy that Sulla's legions had desecrated. He also delves into Athens' forgotten medieval centuries, unearthing jewels gleaming in the Byzantine twilight, and tales of Christian fortitude and erratic Turkish governance from the four centuries of Ottoman rule that followed. Few places have enjoyed a history so rich in artistic creativity and the making of ideas as Athens; or one so curiously patterned by alternating cycles of turbulence and quietness. Writing with scholarly rigour and undisguised affection, Bruce Clark brings three thousand years of Athenian history vividly to life.

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A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. 'Francis Pryor brings the magic of the Fens to life in a deeply personal and utterly enthralling way' TONY ROBINSON. 'Pryor feels the land rather than simply knowing it' GUARDIAN. Inland from the Wash, on England's eastern cost, crisscrossed by substantial rivers and punctuated by soaring church spires, are the low-lying, marshy and mysterious Fens. Formed by marine and freshwater flooding, and historically wealthy owing to the fertility of their soils, the Fens of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire are one of the most distinctive, neglected and extraordinary regions of England. Francis Pryor has the most intimate of connections with this landscape. For some forty years he has dug its soils as a working archaeologist – making ground-breaking discoveries about the nature of prehistoric settlement in the area – and raising sheep in the flower-growing country between Spalding and Wisbech. In The Fens, he counterpoints the history of the Fenland landscape and its transformation – from Bronze age field systems to Iron Age hillforts; from the rise of prosperous towns such as King's Lynn, Ely and Cambridge to the ambitious drainage projects that created the Old and New Bedford Rivers – with the story of his own discovery of it as an archaeologist. Affectionate, richly informative and deftly executed, The Fens weaves together strands of archaeology, history and personal experience into a satisfying narrative portrait of a complex and threatened landscape.

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Following the success of their first two adventures Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Blue Moon and Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Sea Dragon, the intrepid pair join Betsy's mum, Myrtle the mermaid, beneath the waves, from bestselling author Sally Gardner and illustrated by Nick Maland. Crumble cakes! When Betsy joins Myrtle the mermaid in her underwater world, she discovers there may be monsters . . . shipwrecks, lost treasure and secret cities. A seapig's prize seahorse, Pudding Pie, has been stolen by a cantankerous giant octopus and Betsy and Mr Tiger must go to the rescue in their new submarine. But what happens when a tiger's whiskers and tail are simply too long to squeeze into forgotten dark caverns where even the moon cannot shine, and Betsy has to take the final steps of the adventure on her own? The paperback edition of this book is printed in blue ink in Dyslexie, a font specially designed to make reading easier – and more fun. Praise for Sally Gardner: 'This enchanting series is an absolute delight... Striking just the right note of whimsy and magic' THE BOOKSELLER 'An idiosyncratic genius' THE TIMES 'Gardner's skill is to contain even her wildest ideas within a meticulous plot' DAILY TELEGRAPH

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Matthew Dennison's elegant and magisterial biography of Her late Majesty, updated following the death of Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III. 'A worthy and balanced overview of the Queen's life. Dennison is especially good on her childhood... quietly, tactfully, tastefully reverent.'The Times The death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022 was more than just a moment of profound sadness; her passing marked the end of an era in our national life – and the final closing of the Elizabethan Age. For millions of people, both in Britain and across the world, Elizabeth II was the embodiment of monarchy. Her long life spanned nearly a century of national and global history, from a time before the Great Depression to the era of Covid-19. Her reign embraced all but seven years of Britain's postwar history up to the accession of her son King Charles III; she was served by fifteen UK prime ministers from Churchill to Truss, and witnessed the administrations of fourteen US presidents from Truman to Biden. In this brand-new biography of the longest-reigning sovereign in British history, Matthew Dennison traces her life and reign across an era of unprecedented and often seismic social change. Stylish in its writing and nuanced in its judgements, The Queen charts the joys and triumphs as well as the disappointments and vicissitudes of a remarkable royal life; it also assesses the achievement of a woman regarded as the champion of a handful of 'British' values endorsed – if no longer practised – by the bulk of the nation: service, duty, steadfastness, charity and stoicism.

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A startling and gripping novel, Suzy, Suzy follows a teenage girl trying to understand the chaos of her family life. Suzy lives in a dysfunctional household. She can't stand her mother; her father is keeping secrets; and her brother only seems to egg on their parents' erratic and unpredictable behaviour. Alongside her friends, Suzy finds herself drawn into the downward spiral of her parents' relationship, and as a result is drawn into the centre of a mystery surrounding a murder. Forced to make impossible choices, Suzy must navigate the increasingly disturbing antics of her family and the oddities of the mystery she finds herself involved in, while also trying to survive the horrors of secondary school. Narrated by a troubled young woman, the novel weaves a tale of secrets, lies and betrayal in the pressure cooker of her formative years. William Wall is an underrated Irish master with a powerful, distinctive writing style, and an uncanny ability to create astonishingly complex and well-realised female protagonists.

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'A very special book' DIANA HENRY. 'Perfect' NINA STIBBE. The Little Library Year takes you through a full twelve months in award-winning food writer Kate Young's kitchen. Here are frugal January meals enjoyed alone with a classic comfort read, as well as summer feasts to be eaten outdoors with the perfect beach read to hand. Beautifully photographed throughout, The Little Library Year is full of delicious seasonal recipes, menus and reading recommendations. 'A wonderful, brilliant book' RUBY TANDOH. 'The best present a food-obsessed bookworm could ask for' OLIA HERCULES. 'Tender, gorgeous, clever and generous' ELLA RISBRIDGER. 'Bibliophile foodies have a treat in store for them. Many treats, in fact' JASPER FFORDE.

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The Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year. 80 of the funniest stories ever written, selected and introduced by Paul Merton. From Anton Chekhov to Ali Smith, from P.G. Wodehouse to Nora Ephron, the greatest writers are those who know how to laugh. Here, award-winning comedian and broadcaster Paul Merton brings together his favourite funny stories of all time. Whether it's the silly, surreal, slap-stick or satirical that makes you smile, there's a story here to tickle every funny bone. From prize-winners and literary giants, to stand-up comedians and the rising stars of funny literature, this brilliant anthology is guaranteed to cheer your day.

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A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE YEAR. Tenth-century Iceland. In the midwinter darkness, on the lifeless black soils of a newly settled land, two friends kill a man. Kjaran, an itinerant storyteller, and Gunnar, a once-feared warrior, must make a choice: conceal the deed or confess to it and pay the blood price to the dead man's brothers. For the right reasons, they make the wrong choice. Kjaran and Gunnar's fateful decision will leave them fighting for their lives, fighting to retain their humanity as Iceland's unyielding code of honour ignites a remorseless blood feud that will consume all it touches. 'Smile of the Wolf bares its fangs from the first page. Like a medieval tapestry, the storytelling is rich with imagery. Readers will be lured spellbound into this lyrical and evocative Icelandic saga. It deserves huge success' DAVID GILMAN.

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From Joyce Carol Oates, literary icon and author of Blonde, now a major motion picture, six feverishly unsettling tales of suspense. A woman sits naked except for her high-heeled shoes, in an apartment she cannot afford, as her married lover rushes, amorously, murderously, to her door. An ageing, jealous wife crafts an unusual game of Russian roulette involving a pair of Wedgwood teacups, a strong Bengal brew, and a lethal concoction. A former Sunday School teacher's corpse turns up and the blighted adolescent she had by turns petted and ridiculed confesses to her murder – but is he really responsible? In a fantastic ode to H.P. Lovecraft, a young outsider is haunted by apparitions at the very edge of the spectrum of visibility after the death of his tortured father. Revelling in the uncanny, this taut collection stands at the crossroads of sex, violence, and longing – challenging us to interrogate the intersection of these impulses within ourselves. Reviews for Joyce Carol Oates: 'A writer of extraordinary strengths.' Guardian ‘Oates chillingly depicts the darkness lurking within the everyday.' Sunday Express 'Both haunting and sublime.' Literary Review 'Splendidly chilling.' Financial Times 'Visceral, psychologically involving, and socially astute.' Booklist 'Few writers better illuminate the mind's most disturbing corners.' Seattle Times

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Helen Stockton DeFoe's world disintegrates after her mother is gunned down on the streets of Richmond. The more intently she begins to observe her remote, detached father, the more she learns about her place within the rarefied world she inhabits. Just when it appears she is at last becoming closer to him, it all falls apart as he coldly undermines her abiding passions, causing her to question the identity she's created. Her rebellion leads her to Europe on a disturbing path dominated by chance and evolving self-realisation. A hugely impressive, beautifully written debut novel narrated by an increasingly obsessive teenager as she embarks on a physical and psychological journey towards maturity.

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Love at first sight - based on the true story of one girl and her 'train man'... One very ordinary day, Maya Flowers sees a new commuter board her train to London, and suddenly the day isn't ordinary at all. Maya knows immediately and irrevocably that he is The One. Every day they go through the same routine; he with his head in a book and her dreaming of their happily-ever-after. But eventually, Maya plucks up the courage to give Train Man a note asking him out for a drink. And so begins a story of sliding doors, missed opportunities and finding happiness where you least expect it. Based on the true story that everyone is talking about, The Note is an uplifting, life-affirming reminder that taking a chance can change everything... Perfect for fans of David Nicholls' One Day, Jojo Moyes and Sophie Kinsella. The Note is a once-in-a-lifetime love story for hopeless romantics everywhere.

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'Ashes of the Sun is fantasy at its finest' Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld Four hundred years ago, a cataclysmic war cracked the world open. Amid the ashes, the Dawn Republic now stands guard over lands littered with eldritch relics and cursed by plaguespawn outbreaks. But a new conflict is looming and brother and sister Gyre and Maya have found themselves on opposite sides of it. At the age of five, Maya was taken by the Twilight Order and trained to be a centarch, wielding forbidden arcana to enforce the Dawn Republic's rule. On that day, her brother, Gyre, swore to destroy the Order that stole his sister... whatever the cost. Twelve years later, brother and sister are two very different people: she is the Twilight Order's brightest prodigy; he is a thief, bandit and revolutionary. Together, the siblings will discover that not even ties of blood will keep them from splitting the world in two. Praise for Ashes of the Sun: 'Wexler's best work yet... Ashes of the Sun has scale and pace, and tension and batshit cool scenery, and I enjoyed it a hell of a lot' Tor.com 'A fast-paced and highly entertaining ride through a compelling and original world' Anthony Ryan 'Wexler is a master of high fantasy' S.M. Stirling 'A perfect page turner and a phenomenal start to a new series' Peter Clines

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PAPERBACK EDITION INCLUDES AN AFTERWORD WITH NEW INFORMATION ON THE KELLY CASE. A DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR. 'A compelling, authoritative insight into possibly the most controversial death in Britain this century' The Observer. 'Goslett's like Poirot; he asks questions... Spooky and scary' Evening Standard. 'Masterful... This book made me proud of my trade as a journalist' Daily Mail. 'This searing excavation of the mysterious death of Dr David Kelly is investigative journalism at its best. It is brave, relentless, dazzlingly revealing' Peter Oborne. In March 2003 British forces invaded Iraq after Tony Blair said the country could deploy weapons of mass destruction at 45 minutes' notice. A few months later, government scientist Dr David Kelly was unmasked by Blair's officials as the assumed source of a BBC news report challenging this claim. Within days, Dr Kelly was found dead in a wood near his home. Blair immediately convened the controversial Hutton Inquiry, which concluded Dr Kelly committed suicide. Yet key questions remain: could Dr Kelly really have taken his life in the manner declared? And why did Blair's government derail the coroner's inquest into Dr Kelly's death? In this meticulous account, award-winning journalist Miles Goslett shows why we should be sceptical of the official story of what happened in that desperate summer of 2003.

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100 poems to reach for on dark nights, selected by Julia Copus. These are poems to wander about in and commit to memory so they can be stored away in the deep heart's core; places to visit and return to at will. Poems that reawaken the senses and offer new ways of looking; that unsettle us and reconnect us to the world that surrounds us; that bring us to a place of greater clarity. Life Support includes a star-studded cast of authors including William Wordsworth, Frank O'Hara, Robert Frost, Denise Levertov and Sylvia Plath, all selected by award-winning poet Julia Copus.

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Anna lives in a flat with dad. He is a hoarder, and together they have spent the last 12 years constructing the Insomnia Museum, a labyrinth built from dead TVs, old cuckoo clocks, stacks of newspapers and other junk Dad has found. Anna is 17. She can't remember ever having seen outside the flat, but noises penetrate her isolated world: dogs bark in the walls; music plays in the floor, and a ship sails through the canyons between the tower blocks. Then one day dad falls asleep and won't wake up, and Anna must leave the museum and try to survive in a place that turns out to be stranger and more dangerous than she could have imagined. It this dazzlingly original debut novel, Laurie Canciani has created a world that is terrible, magical, and richly imagined.

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A fabulous large format, full-colour gift book of original timed tales and poems, perfect for sharing at bedtime – or any time. Doogle the dinosaur, Buttons the bear and Cabbage the cat live in Storyland where stories grow on the story tree. One night a storm blows them all away. Join the three friends to find a wicked witch, a dragon with a sweet tooth, bouncing bed bugs, a lonely giant, a frightened ghost, aliens... to name a few, and bring them back safely. This is a top quality collection of magical and familiar everyday stories which tap into early learning skills and will become a family favourite. You can spend as much time as you like in Storyland. Mix and match easy to spot leaf symbols to decide how long.

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Even though she's terrified of the sea, a girl who believes her mum might have been a mermaid runs away to the ocean to solve the mystery of who she really is. Stella is the odd one out. She sleepwalks, is terrified of water, yet obsessed by the ocean. Her mum who died when Stella was eight remains the biggest mystery of all. Who was she and why did she give Stella a necklace called 'the word of the sea' before she died? Nobody can give her any answers. Her father is consumed by grief and her grandmother's memories are fading with dementia. When Stella's only friend in the world, Cam, moves house, Stella runs away. She's determined to find out who her mum was and who she is too. She ends up in the Crystal Cove, a run-down aquarium with a mermaid show. There she meets Pearl who reveals disturbing secrets. It's only by facing her fear of the ocean that Stella will truly uncover the truth. This is an exquisitely imagined story about a girl on an adventure above and below the waves.

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Guardian Books of the Year 2019. Here are eight princesses for the Rebel Girls generation: bold, empowered, full of curiosity, adventure and determined to be true to themselves. Natasha Farrant's original stories are set in different times all around the world, blending modern and traditional storytelling with glowing full colour illustrations by debut artist Lydia Corry in a glorious gift book. 'Mirror, mirror on the wall... what makes a princess excellent?' An enchantress flings her magic mirror into our universe. Reflected in it are princesses who refuse to be pretty, polite or obedient. Through the centuries and around the world these girls are fierce, brave, and determined to do the rescuing themselves. The desert princess protects her people from the king with the black and gold banner. The forest princess takes a crocodile for a pet. An island princess explores the high seas. A mountain princess puts kindness above being royal. And in a tower-block in a city, Princess saves her community garden from the hands of urban developers.

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In 1623 the actors John Heminges and Henry Condell assembled Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, better known as The First Folio. In doing so they preserved literature's most dramatically vital and poetically rich account of our human world. Endlessly reinterpreted by critics and performers, Shakespeare's inexhaustible work has remained abreast of contemporary concerns ever since, and it continues to hold a mirror up to the nature of our troubled society and our contradictory selves. The plays accompany us through the ages of mankind, from comic springtime to wintry age, compressing our life in time into the three hours' traffic of the stage; the characters in them have shaped the way we think about politics and war, consciousness and morality, love and death. Peter Conrad examines the world-view of the plays, their generic originality and their astonishingly inventive language. He goes on to explore Shakespeare's global legacy as his characters migrate to every continent and are reinvented by later writers, painters, composers, choreographers and film-makers.

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'An astonishing debut... Breathtakingly tender and wryly understated' NEW YORK TIMES. 'Genre-defying... Witty and inventive' GUARDIAN. 1967. Four female scientists invent a time travel machine. But then one of them suffers a breakdown and puts the whole project in peril... 2017. Ruby knows her Granny Bee was the scientist who went mad, but they never talk about it. Until they receive a message from the future, warning of an elderly woman's violent death... 2018. Odette found the dead women at work – shot in the head, door bolted from the inside. Now she can't get her out of her mind. Who was she? And why is everyone determined to cover up her murder? 'A page-turning temporal safari. Part murder mystery, part extrapolation of a world in which time travel has become a commercial reality, it is written with an acute sense of psychological nuance' GUARDIAN. 'Intriguing and multi-layered' DAILY MAIL. 'Captivating, delightful and thoroughly original' JENNIE MELAMED. 'Troubling and inspiring, comforting and horrifying' SCIFINOW.

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Rupert Murdoch’s extraordinary career has no parallel. His control of Fox news, which so successfully supports the Trump presidency, is a key force in American politics. In the UK, his control of The Sun and The Times leaves politicians scrambling to get him onside. But what do we know about the man himself? This book looks closely at the Murdochs, focusing on Rupert's father Keith, who built the family’s media power and cultivated the anti-establishment instincts that his son Rupert is known for. Roberts traces the life of the Murdochs, how Rupert Murdoch’s view of the world was formed, and assesses it's impact on the media that influences our politics today.

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In 13th century, the Szeklers were granted a territory (Terra Sirulorum) on the eastern border of the kingdom of Hungary. These lands were donated by the king to the community as a whole, in exchange for the armed border guard service. The use of Szekler customary law, based on a military-judicial -- and most likely multi-ethnic – clan structure was confirmed by the Hungarian crown. Based on extensive archival sources from the 13th to 16th centuries, this fascinating book examines how customary law maintains complex structures of clan membership as a condition of access to judicial and military dignities, and how the Szeklers developed rules for land ownership and devolution. These documents recall legal principles in which the clan has pre-eminence over individuals, all free and equal before their laws. In this period, one can observe an evolution towards individual property, a factor of inequality, constantly shaped and limited by the Szeklers' determination to safeguard their freedom. This unique text is vital reading for scholars interested in Hungarian history, medieval law, and clan structures.

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A unique and visionary generation of young Chinese artists are coming to prominence in the art world – just as China cements its place as the second largest art market on the planet. Building on the new frontiers opened up by the Chinese artists of the late 1980s and 1990s, artists such as Ai Wei Wei who came to the West and became household names, this new generation are provocative, exciting and bold. But what does it mean to be a Chinese artist today? And how can we better understand their work? Here, renowned critic Barbara Pollack presents the first book to tell the story of how these Chinese millennials, fast becoming global art superstars, negotiate their cultural heritage, and what this means for China’s impact on the future of global culture. Many young Chinese artists have declared they are “not Chinese, but global” – this book investigates just what that means for China, the art market, and the world. Brand new Art from China is the first collection to showcase the dynamic new art coming from Chinese artists, and features full-colour photos and video stills throughout – with many works being published in book-form for the first time. Featuring an in-depth interview with Zhang Xiaogang, probably the most well-known artist in China itself, whose sombre portraits of Chinese families during the Cultural Revolution sell for as much as $12 million at auction, alongside unparalleled access to the tastemakers of today’s art scene, Brand New Art from China is the essential guide to Chinese contemporary art today - its vision, values and aesthetics.

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Alice Bacon was one of the twentieth-century’s most remarkable female politicians. Born and raised in the Yorkshire town of Normanton, she defied the odds to be elected Labour MP for Leeds North East in the 1945 General Election. Famed in her home town for her unlikely love of sports cars, she was a much-respected, no-nonsense, hard-working representative for her beloved Yorkshire home in Westminster. Mentored by Herbert Morrison and Hugh Gaitskell, she rose through the party becoming a Home Office minister under Roy Jenkins and latterly an Education Minister with responsibility for the introduction of comprehensive schools. In the Home Office in the 1960s she oversaw the introduction of substantial societal changes, including the abolition of the death penalty, the decriminalisation of homosexuality and the legalisation of abortion. Her political career spanned some of the most momentous decades in Britain’s postwar history and she played an integral part in some of the most significant social, educational and political changes which the country has ever witnessed. Labour MP Rachel Reeves here tells Alice Bacon’s story, narrating one woman’s extraordinary progression from the coalfields to the Commons.

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In 1939, a ten-year-old Igor Golomstock accompanied his mother, a medical doctor, to the vast network of labour camps in the Russian Far East. While she tended patients, he was minded by assorted 'trusty' prisoners – hardened criminals – and returned to Moscow an almost feral adolescent, fluent in obscene prison jargon but intellectually ignorant. Despite this dubious start he became a leading art historian and co-author (with his close friend Andrey Sinyavsky) of the first, deeply controversial, monograph on Picasso published in the Soviet Union. His writings on his 43 years in the Soviet Union offer a rare insight into life as a quietly subversive art historian and the post-Stalin dissident community. In vivid prose Golomstock shows the difficulties of publishing, curating and talking about Western art in Soviet Russia and, with self-deprecating humour, the absurd tragicomedy of life for the Moscow intelligentsia during Khruschev's thaw and Brezhnev's stagnation. He also offers a unique personal perspective on the 1966 trial of Sinyavsky and Yuri Daniel, widely considered the end of Khruschev's liberalism and the spark that ignited the Soviet dissident movement. In 1972 he was given ‘permission’ to leave the Soviet Union, but only after paying a ‘ransom’ of more than 25 years’ salary, nominally intended to reimburse the state for his education. A remarkable collection of artists, scholars and intellectuals in Russia and the West, including Roland Penrose, came together to help him pay this astronomical sum. His memoirs of life once in the UK offer an insider's view of the BBC Russian Service and a penetrating analysis of the notorious feud between Sinyavsky and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Nominated for the Russian Booker Prize on its publication in Russian in 2014, The Ransomed Dissident opens a window onto the life of a remarkable man: a dissident of uncompromising moral integrity and with an outstanding gift for friendship.

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