Search results for ""Author Alex"
Little, Brown Book Group Earth, Air, Fire And Custard: J.W. Wells & Co. Book 3
'Frantically wacky and wilfully confusing ... gratifyingly clever and very amusing' - Mail on Sunday'Frothy, fast and funny' - Scotland on SundayJ.W. Wells seemed to be a respectable establishment, but the company now paying Paul Carpenter's salary is in fact a deeply sinister organisation with a mighty peculiar management team. Paul thought he was getting the hang of it (particularly when he fell head over heels for his strangely alluring colleague Sophie), but death is never far away when you work at J.W. Wells. Unlike the stapler - that's always going awol. Our lovestruck hero is about to discover that custard is definitely in the eye of the beholder. And that it really stings.Tom Holt's exceedingly comic fantasies are populated with evil goblins, annoying sprites and people like us. However, it's not always possible to tell the difference.The third book to follow the hilarious adventures of Paul Carpenter - Tom Holt at his inventive best.Books by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild Side
£9.99
Princeton University Press The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World
Amazons--fierce warrior women dwelling on the fringes of the known world--were the mythic archenemies of the ancient Greeks. Heracles and Achilles displayed their valor in duels with Amazon queens, and the Athenians reveled in their victory over a powerful Amazon army. In historical times, Cyrus of Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Roman general Pompey tangled with Amazons. But just who were these bold barbarian archers on horseback who gloried in fighting, hunting, and sexual freedom? Were Amazons real? In this deeply researched, wide-ranging, and lavishly illustrated book, National Book Award finalist Adrienne Mayor presents the Amazons as they have never been seen before. This is the first comprehensive account of warrior women in myth and history across the ancient world, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Great Wall of China. Mayor tells how amazing new archaeological discoveries of battle-scarred female skeletons buried with their weapons prove that women warriors were not merely figments of the Greek imagination. Combining classical myth and art, nomad traditions, and scientific archaeology, she reveals intimate, surprising details and original insights about the lives and legends of the women known as Amazons. Provocatively arguing that a timeless search for a balance between the sexes explains the allure of the Amazons, Mayor reminds us that there were as many Amazon love stories as there were war stories. The Greeks were not the only people enchanted by Amazons--Mayor shows that warlike women of nomadic cultures inspired exciting tales in ancient Egypt, Persia, India, Central Asia, and China. Driven by a detective's curiosity, Mayor unearths long-buried evidence and sifts fact from fiction to show how flesh-and-blood women of the Eurasian steppes were mythologized as Amazons, the equals of men. The result is likely to become a classic.
£22.50
Penguin Random House Children's UK It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
'This is the freshest, most honest collection of writings about mental health that I've read...searing wit, blinding passion, bleeding emotion and a fantastic, heroic, glorious refusal to lie down and take it' - Stephen Fry'Reading this book made me feel more normal about the things I feel sometimes...It's a great book; however you're feeling, it'll help' - Ed Sheeran'This is the book I needed when I was little. May this be a leap forward in the much needed conversation around mental health' - Jameela Jamil Everyone has a mental health. So we asked:What does yours mean to you? THE RESULT IS EXTRAORDINARY.Over 60 people have shared their stories. Powerful, funny, moving, this book is here to tell you:It's OK.With writing from: Adam Kay - Alastair Campbell - Alexis Caught - Ben Platt - Bryony Gordon - Candice Carty-Williams - Charlie Mackesy - Charly Cox - Chidera Eggerue - Claire Stancliffe - Davina McCall - Dawn O'Porter - Elizabeth Day - Elizabeth Uviebinené - Ella Purnell - Emilia Clarke - Emma Thompson - Eve Delaney - Fearne Cotton - Gabby Edlin - Gemma Styles - GIRLI (Milly Toomey) - Grace Beverley - Hannah Witton - Honey Ross - Hussain Manawer - Jack Rooke - James Blake - Jamie Flook - Jamie Windust - Jessie Cave - Jo Irwin - Jonah Freud - Jonny Benjamin - Jordan Stephens - Kai-Isaiah Jamal - Kate Weinberg - Kelechi Okafor - Khalil Aldabbas - KUCHENGA - Lauren Mahon - Lena Dunham - Maggie Matic - Martha Lane Fox - Mathew Kollamkulam - Matt Haig - Megan Crabbe - Michael Kitching - Michelle Elman - Miranda Hart - Mitch Price - Mona Chalabi - Montana Brown - Nadia Craddock - Naomi Campbell - Poorna Bell - Poppy Jamie - Reggie Yates - Ripley Parker - Robert Kazandjian - Rosa Mercuriadis - Saba Asif - Sam Smith - Scarlett Curtis - Scarlett Moffatt - Scottee - Sharon Chalkin Feldstein - Shonagh Marie - Simon Amstell - Steve Ali - Tanya Byron - Travon Free - Yomi Adegoke - Yusuf Al Majarhi
£9.04
HarperCollins Publishers Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind
‘Trippy, incisive, riotously funny’ ALEXANDRA KLEEMAN ‘[An] insightfully nightmarish parable ' HALLE BUTLER 'A stunner’ NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH ‘Luminous … as if George Saunders infiltrated the Severance writers’ room’ WASHINGTON POST A work place novel. A love story. A dream you can’t wake from… Jonathan Abernathy is a loser. Unemployed and behind on his student loan repayments, the only thing Abernathy has in abundance is debt. When a secretive government loan forgiveness programme offers him a job he can literally do in his sleep, Abernathy thinks he’s found his big break. Hired as a dream auditor, he finds himself entering the dreams of white-collar workers to flag their anxieties for removal at night so they'll be more productive in the day. If Abernathy can at least appear competent, might he have a chance at a new life? As Abernathy tries to find his footing in this new gig, reality and morality begin to warp around him. Soon, the lines between life and work, right and wrong, and even sleep and consciousness, have blurred and Abernathy begins to wonder just what he might have signed away… Wildly imaginative, laced with black humour and full of close-to-the-bone truths, Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind is the cult workplace novel that’s like nothing else you've read before. ‘Surrealist … A scathing critique of capitalism’ TIME ‘A rare and fine achievement.’ THE TELEGRAPH 'Imagine the movie Inception, but populated by the middle-management workers in David Graeber’s book Bullshit Jobs' NEW YORK TIMES 'An excitingly original writer, inventing much needed and killingly funny satires for contemporary work and dreams of success' HOLLY PESTER ‘A revelation’ HILARY LEICHTER ‘An original mind brimming over with invention’ BEN MARCUS ‘An exuberant, poignant, freewheeling debut … very funny’ JEFF VANDERMEER ‘The spiritual sibling of Severance, but creepier’ LITERARY HUB
£15.29
Orion Publishing Co Voices of History: Speeches that Changed the World
A new, updated edition including new speeches from Queen Elizabeth II and John Boyega in the year 2020.This collection of extraordinary speeches ranges from ancient times to the twenty-first century. Some are heroic and inspiring; some diabolical and atrocious; some are exquisite and poignant; others cruel and chilling. Among others we hear from Martin Luther King, Michelle Obama, Donald Trump, Lincoln, Emmeline Pankhurst, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Alexander the Great, Greta Thunberg, Elizabeth I, Cromwell, Churchill, JFK, Boudicca, Muhammad Ali and Malala. Voices of History shows how these unique speeches enlighten our past, enrich our present and inspire - and hold warnings for - our future.
£9.99
Bookstorm Unshackled: My Journey From the Township to the Boardroom
Jeff van Rooyen was born into poverty in Alexandra township in 1950. Despitebeing shackled by the physical and emotional constraints of apartheid, he refused to compromise his personal dignity and professional ambitions, and against all the odds graduated as a chartered accountant.Through further perseverance and sheer hard work – and recognising and grabbing opportunities when he saw them – he climbed the corporate ladder, working for some of the biggest assurance and advisory services firms in the world, opening his own practice, serving on oversight bodies, advising government officials and wrapping up a stellar career with a series of directorships on the boards of major JSE-listed companies. And at every step, Jeff gave back to the communities in which he grew up.In this book, he charts his remarkable journey from the township to the boardroom, and gives hard-won advice for those embarking on their own personal voyages.
£23.36
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Making Mobiles
When observing an especially beautiful mobile, beginning artists often think, "Wow, I want to make one like THAT!" If you have stood under a mobile by Alexander Calder and entertained such thoughts, this book will help you "make one like that." This guide provides practical and encouraging step-by-step instructions for making horizontally balanced mobiles. From assembling the materials and tools through the designing, fabricating, assembly, painting, and hanging stages, you can create your own mobiles, with Bruce at your side the whole time. His 19 carefully written chapters and 190 color photographs let you see and understand all the stages toward creating your mobiles. He even shows you how to fix a mistake and pack it for shipping. By following Bruce's steps and positive attitude, hours of fun and challenge will be rewarded with art you are proud of.
£14.38
Penguin Random House Children's UK The Ordinary Princess
Once upon a time, there was the most beautiful, extraordinary princess. At least, until the day of her christening, when a grumpy fairy placed a spell to make her ORDINARY! Princess Amethyst Alexandra Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne (also known as Princess Amy) doesn't mind being ordinary- she gets to play in the woods, and run about to her heart's content! But when she realises that her parents intend for her to marry a dreary prince, she must take matters into her own hands. She may have been born ordinary, but Princess Amy's adventures are nothing but! Is Princess Amy your #GirlHero? Check out the other stories in our #GirlHero collection- which character is your favourite?A Wrinkle in TimePollyannaPride and PrejudiceAnnie Ballet ShoesChinese Cinderella The Borrowers A Little PrincessAnne of the Green Gables Little Women The Secret Garden
£8.42
Biblioasis Best Canadian Stories 2022
Selected by editor Mark Anthony Jarman, the 2023 edition of Best Canadian Stories showcases the best Canadian fiction writing published in 2021.A collection that takes us into a firey near-future and a notorious feminist’s personal past, from a near-drowning to a fake breakdown, through mothers who fail us to crummy jobs, to thieves, to grief, to revenge with a bottle of tabasco sauce. With work by established practitioners alongside that of lesser-known writers, this year’s Best Canadian Stories shows how the short form can evoke the experience of a person on the brink. Including 2023 Metcalf-Rooke Award winner Caroline Adderson, and featuring, in tribute, two stories by the late Steven Heighton, this year’s collection draws together beloved Canadian practitioners of the form and thrilling new voices to continue not only a series, but a legacy in Canadian letters.Featuring works by:Caroline Adderson • David Bezmozgis • Jowita Bydlowska • Kate Cayley • Tamas Dobozy • Omar El Akkad • Christine Estima • Naomi Fontaine • Sara Freeman • Steven Heighton • Philip Huynh • David Huebert • Alexandra Mae Jones • Carmelinda Scian
£13.60
Simon & Schuster World of Warcraft: Dawn of the Aspects
THE AGE OF DRAGONS IS OVER. Uncertainty plagues Azeroth's ancient guardians as they struggle to find a new purpose. This dilemma has hit Kalecgos, youngest of the former Dragon Aspects, especially hard. Having lost his great powers, how can he-or any of his kind-still make a difference in the world? The answer lies in the distant past, when savage beasts called proto-dragons ruled the skies. Through a mysterious artefact found near the heart of Northrend, Kalecgos witnesses this violent era and the shocking history of the original Aspects: Alexstrasza, Ysera, Malygos, Neltharion, and Nozdormu. In their most primitive forms, the future protectors of Azeroth must stand united against Galakrond, a bloodthirsty creature that threatens the existence of their race. But did these mere proto-dragons face such a horrific adversary alone, or did an outside force help them? Were they given the strength they would become legendary for . . . or did they earn it with blood? Kalecgos's discoveries will change everything he knows about the events that led to the . . . DAWN OF THE ASPECTS
£9.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The History of the World According to Facebook, Revised Edition
A revised and expanded edition of the bestselling parody that includes thirty-pages of new text, photos, and contemporary subjects—a clever and fresh historical chronicle.The Sun is now friends with Earth and 7 other planetsPluto: Not cool.What if Facebook had emerged with the Big Bang, and every historical event took place online? Imagine how we’d we see history if . . .On April 15, 1865, Abraham Lincoln updated his status: "Taking the missus to the theater"God and Stephen Hawking trolled each other in a comment war over the creation of the universe?Alexander the Great "checked into" all the countries he conqueredDonald Trump and Vladimir Putin "Liked" each other's cryptic statusesIrreverent and clever, The History of the World According to Facebook goes back through time, from the beginning of the world to the present, to cover all the major events and eras of human history, such as the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Information Age. Wylie Overstreet brings the book up to date with three-dozen pages of additional material on contemporary figures and topics, from Caitlin Jenner to Deflategate to MAGA and Trump.Filled with hundreds of actual figures from across the centuries and thousands of invented statuses, comments, and actions lampooning Facebook users’ penchant for oversharing, abbreviation, self-importance, and lazy jargon, The History of the World According to Facebook defies all attempts at taking the multi-billion user social media platform SRSLY. It is the funniest parody of history and the dawn of man since, well, the dawn of man.
£11.99
Milkweed Editions A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars
A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2023A Library Journal Recommended Read for 2023A Ms. Magazine Most Anticipated Book of 2023A vibrant collection of personal and lyric essays in conversation with archival objects of Black history and memory.What are the politics of nature? Who owns it, where is it, what role does it play in our lives? Does it need to be tamed? Are we ourselves natural? In A Darker Wilderness, a constellation of luminary writers reflect on the significance of nature in their lived experience and on the role of nature in the lives of Black folks in the United States. Each of these essays engages with a single archival object, whether directly or obliquely, exploring stories spanning hundreds of years and thousands of miles, traveling from roots to space and finding rich Blackness everywhere.Erin Sharkey considers Benjamin Banneker’s 1795 almanac, as she follows the passing of seasons in an urban garden in Buffalo. Naima Penniman reflects on a statue of Haitian revolutionary François Makandal, within her own pursuit of environmental justice. Ama Codjoe meditates on rain, hair, protest, and freedom via a photo of a young woman during a civil rights demonstration in Alabama. And so on—with wide-ranging contributions from Carolyn Finney, Ronald Greer II, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Sean Hill, Michael Kleber-Diggs, Glynn Pogue, Katie Robinson, and Lauret Savoy—unearthing evidence of the ways Black people’s relationship to the natural world has persevered through colonialism, slavery, state-sponsored violence, and structurally racist policies like Jim Crow and redlining.A scrapbook, a family chest, a quilt—and an astounding work of historical engagement and literary accomplishment—A Darker Wilderness is a collection brimming with abundance and insight.
£14.99
John Murray Press The Hunt for Mount Everest
The height of Mt. Everest was first measured in 1850, but the closest any westerner got to Everest during the next 71 years, until 1921, was 40 miles. The Hunt for Mt. Everest tells the story of the 71-year quest to find the world's highest mountain. It's a tale of high drama, of larger-than-life characters-George Everest, Francis Younghusband, George Mallory, Lord Curzon, Edward Whymper-and a few quiet heroes: Alexander Kellas, the 13th Dalai Lama, Charles Bell. A story that traverses the Alps, the Himalayas, Nepal and Tibet, the British Empire (especially British India and the Raj), the Anglo-Russian rivalry known as The Great Game, the disastrous First Afghan War, and the phenomenal Survey of India - it is far bigger than simply the tallest mountain in the world. Encountering spies, war, political intrigues, and hundreds of mules, camels, bullocks, yaks, and two zebrules, Craig Storti uncovers the fascinating and still largely overlooked saga of all that led up to that moment in late June of 1921 when two English climbers, George Mallory and Guy Bullock, became the first westerners-and almost certainly the first human beings-to set foot on Mt. Everest and thereby claimed the last remaining major prize in the history of exploration.With 2021 bringing the 100th anniversary of that year, most Everest chronicles have dealt with the climbing history of the mountain, with all that happened after 1921. The Hunt for Mt. Everest is the seldom-told story of all that happened before.
£18.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Pioneering Life of Mary Wortley Montagu: Scientist and Feminist
300 years ago, in April 1721, a smallpox epidemic was raging in England. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu knew that she could save her 3-year-old daughter using the process of inoculation. She had witnessed this at first hand in Turkey, while she was living there as the wife of the British ambassador. She also knew that by inoculating - making her daughter the first person protected in the West - she would face opposition from doctors, politicians and clerics. Her courageous action eventually led to the eradication of smallpox and the prevention of millions of deaths. But Mary was more than a scientific campaigner. She mixed with the greatest politicians, writers, artists and thinkers of her day. She was also an important early feminist, writing powerfully and provocatively about the position of women. She was best friends with the poet Alexander Pope. They collaborated on a series of poems, which made her into a household name, an 'It Girl'. But their friendship turned sour and he used his pen to vilify her publicly. Aristocratic by birth, Mary chose to elope with Edward Wortley Montagu, whom she knew she did not love, so as to avoid being forced into marrying someone else. In middle age, her marriage stale, she fell for someone young enough to be her son - and, unknown to her, bisexual. She set off on a new life with him abroad. When this relationship failed, she stayed on in Europe, narrowly escaping the coercive control of an Italian conman. After twenty-two years abroad, she returned home to London to die. The son-in-law she had dismissed as a young man had meanwhile become Prime Minister.
£22.50
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Furious Heaven
The second book in The Sun Chronicles trilogy, a galactic-scale, gender-swapped space opera series inspired by the life of Alexander the Great. Shrewd, brutal, relentless and patient, Queen-Marshal Eirene has led the Republic of Chaonia from the brink of annihilation to the edge of victory. One by one, her enemies have fallen in defeat, and now she is ready to push her battle-hardened fleets into territories long controlled by the mighty Phene Empire. But her victories are not without cost. The Republic has endured decades of conflict, with factions simmering beneath the surface, waiting for their chance to boil. The Phene know this. While they might not be able to defeat the Queen-Marshal in open battle, there are other ways to strike back. And on the eve of Eirene’s attack on the rich and populous Karnos System, they will. In the aftermath, Eirene’s daughter, Princess Sun, will face her greatest challenge yet. Can she escape her mother’s shadow and forge her own legend, despite all that’s arrayed against her? Reviews for the Sun Chronicles: 'Epic starship battles, court intrigue and Machiavellian betrayals' Guardian 'Enthralling, edge-of-your-seat stuff hurtling along at warp speed' Kirkus 'Not only is this action-packed with fascinating women characters, there is very inventive world-building and twisty turny political scheming' Book Riot 'Non-stop action! Space battles! Intrigue! This is the kind of space opera that I love best – but Elliott does it even better' Ann Leckie 'Breathtaking and mindblowingly good' Aliette de Bodard
£10.99
Dorling Kindersley Ltd DK Eyewitness Berlin Mini Map and Guide
A pocket-sized travel guide, packed with expert advice and ideas for the best things to see and do in Berlin, and complemented with a sturdy pull-out map - perfect for a day trip or a short break.Whether you want to gaze at world-class art on Museum Island, climb the glittering dome of the Reichstag or find the best bars in Europe's coolest capital - this great-value, concise travel guide will ensure you don't miss a thing. Inside Mini Map and Guide Berlin:- Easy-to-use pull-out map shows Berlin in detail, and includes a U-Bahn and S-Bahn map- Colour-coded area guide makes it easy to find information quickly and plan your day- Illustrations show the inside of some of Berlin's most iconic buildings- Colour photographs of Berlin's museums, architecture, shops, cathedrals, and more- Essential travel tips including our expert choices of where to eat, drink and shop, plus useful transport, currency and health information and a phrase book- Chapters covering Unter den Linden, Museum Island, Alexanderplatz, North Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Tiergarten, Kreuzberg, Around Kurfürstendamm, and Around Schloss Charlottenburg Mini Map and Guide Berlin is abridged from DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Berlin.Staying for longer and looking for a more comprehensive guide? Try our DK Eyewitness Top Ten Berlin. About DK Eyewitness Travel: DK's Mini Map and Guides take the work out of planning a short trip, with expert advice and easy-to-read maps to inform and enrich any short break. DK is the world's leading illustrated reference publisher, producing beautifully designed books for adults and children in over 120 countries.
£6.52
Zaffre Cilka's Journey: The Sunday Times bestselling sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Cilka's Journey is the million copy bestselling sequel to the phenomenon The Tattooist of Auschwitz.Don't miss the conclusion to The Tattooist of Auschwitz Trilogy, Three Sisters. Available now.'She was the bravest person I ever met'Lale Sokolov, The Tattooist of Auschwitz In 1942 Cilka Klein is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator by the Russians and sent to a desolate, brutal prison camp in Siberia known as Vorkuta, inside the Arctic Circle. Innocent, imprisoned once again, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, each day a battle for survival. Cilka befriends a woman doctor, and learns to nurse the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under unimaginable conditions. And when she tends to a man called Alexandr, Cilka finds that despite everything, there is room in her heart for love.Cilka's Journey is a powerful testament to the triumph of the human will. It will move you to tears, but it will also leave you astonished and uplifted by one woman's fierce determination to survive, against all odds.- - - - - - - - 'Her truly incredible story is one to be read by everyone.' Sun'Cilka's extraordinary courage in the face of evil and her determination to survive against the odds will stay with you long after you've finished reading this heartrending book.' Sunday Express'Her courage and determination to survive makes for a heartrending read.' Daily Mirror
£9.99
Little, Brown Book Group The Witch Who Courted Death: A spellbinding read
*Winner of the Best Fantasy Novel Aurealis Award*'Maria Lewis is a must-read' Buzzfeed'Pay attention urban fantasy fans - Maria Lewis is a name you'll want to remember' One More PageConsidering her status as the world's most powerful medium, Casper von Klitzing and her twin brother Baristan have lived a pretty normal life - until now. After a horrific incident in her home city of Berlin, orchestrated by the mysterious Oct, Casper is consumed with vengeance towards an enemy she doesn't understand. But the only other person ever to escape Oct was a witch - and so Casper is soon on her trail. But this witch does not want to be found. Diving headfirst into the supernaturally secretive world of spells, charms and covens, it's not long before Casper is crossing more than just the line between the living and the dead . . . Reinventing witches and ghosts with a much-needed feminist twist, this is an unmissable new read from one of the most exciting voices in fantasy:'If you haven't heard about Maria Lewis you must have been living under a rock' Good Reading Magazine'I can't wait to find out what happens next!' Keri Arthur'Truly one of the best in the genre I have ever read.' Oscar-nominee Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans, Punisher: War Zone, Arrow, Supergirl)'Journalist Maria Lewis grabs the paranormal fiction genre by the scruff of its neck and gives it a shake' The West Australian'An intriguing take on a classic monster with vibrant, modern characters.' Sci Fi Bulletin'Pay attention urban fantasy fans - Maria Lewis is a name you'll want to remember.' One More Page
£12.59
University Press of Mississippi Black Hibiscus: African Americans and the Florida Imaginary
Contributions by Simone A. Alexander, José Felipe Alvergue, Valerie Babb, Pamela Bordelon, Taylor Hagood, Joyce Marie Jackson, Delia Malia Konzett, Jane Landers, John Wharton Lowe, Gary Monroe, Noelle Morrissette, Paul Ortiz, Lyrae Van Clef-Stefanon, Genevieve West, and Belinda Wheeler The state of Florida has a rich literary and cultural history, which has been greatly shaped by many different ethnicities, races, and cultures that call the Sunshine State home. Little attention has been paid, however, to the key role of African Americans in Floridian history and culture. The state’s early population boom came from immigrants from the US South, and many of them were African Americans. Interaction between the state’s ethnic communities has created a unique and vibrant culture, which has had, and continues to have, a significant impact on southern, national, and hemispheric life and history. Black Hibiscus: African Americans and the Florida Imaginary begins by exploring Florida’s colonial past, focusing particularly on interactions between maroons who escaped enslavement, and on Albery Whitman’s The Rape of Florida, which also links Black people and Native Americans. Contributors consider film, folklore, and music, as well as such key Black writers as Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, Gwendolyn Bennett, Colson Whitehead, and Edwidge Danticat. The volume features Black Floridians’ role in the civil rights movement and Black contributions to the celebrated Florida Writers’ Project. Contributors include literary scholars, historians, film critics, art historians, anthropologists, musicologists, political scientists, artists, and poets.
£33.26
Little, Brown Book Group Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth
The deepest cave on earth was a prize that had remained unclaimed for centuries, long after every other ultimate discovery had been made. This is the story of the men and women who risked everything to find it, earning their place in history beside the likes of Peary, Amundsen, Hillary, and Armstrong.In 2004, two great scientist-explorers attempted to find the bottom of the world. Bold, American Bill Stone was committed to the vast Cheve Cave, located in southern Mexico and deadly even by supercave standards. On the other side of the globe, legendary Ukrainian explorer Alexander Klimchouk - Stone's opposite in temperament and style - had targeted Krubera, a freezing nightmare of a supercave in the Republic of Georgia.Blind Descent explores both the brightest and darkest aspects of the timeless human urge to discover - to be first. It is also a thrilling epic about a pursuit that makes even extreme mountaineering and ocean exploration pale by comparison. These supercavers spent months in multiple camps almost two vertical miles deep and many more miles from their caves' exits. They had to contend with thousand-foot drops, deadly flooded tunnels, raging whitewater rivers, monstrous waterfalls, mile-long belly crawls, and much more. Perhaps even worse were the psychological horrors produced by weeks plunged into absolute, perpetual darkness, beyond all hope of rescue, including a particularly insidious derangement called 'The Rapture'.Blind Descent is a testament to human survival and endurance - and to two extraordinary men whose relentless pursuit of greatness led them to heights of triumph and depths of tragedy neither could have imagined.
£10.99
Oxford University Press Inc Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East
A unique history of the ancient Near East that compellingly presents the life stories of kings, priestesses, merchants, bricklayers, and others In this sweeping history of the ancient Near East, Amanda Podany takes readers on a gripping journey from the creation of the world's first cities to the conquests of Alexander the Great. The book is built around the life stories of many ancient men and women, from kings, priestesses, and merchants to brickmakers, musicians, and weavers. Their habits of daily life, beliefs, triumphs, and crises, and the changes that people faced over time are explored through their own written words and the buildings, cities, and empires in which they lived. Rather than chronicling three thousand years of rulers and states, Weavers, Scribes, and Kings instead creates a tapestry of life stories through which readers will come to know specific individuals from many walks of life, and to understand their places within the broad history of events and institutions in the ancient Near East. These life stories are preserved on ancient clay tablets, which allow us to trace, for example, the career of a weaver as she advanced to become a supervisor of a workshop, listen to a king trying to persuade his generals to prepare for a siege, and feel the pain of a starving young couple and their four young children as they suffered through a time of famine. What might seem at first glance to be a remote and inaccessible ancient culture proves to be a comprehensible world, one that bequeathed to the modern world many of our institutions and beliefs, a truly fascinating place to visit.
£31.28
Hodder & Stoughton Looking to Sea: Britain Through the Eyes of its Artists
*One of The Times Best Art Books of the Year*'Looking to Sea is a remarkable and compelling book... I loved it.' Edmund de Waal'In her first, transporting book, Lily Le Brun sweeps the beaches of the past century of British art, collecting treasures from sea, shingle and shore... A book to pack in your picnic basket for shivering dips, heatwave day trips and ice-cream Sundays' The TimesAn alternative history of modern Britain, Looking to Sea is an exquisite work of cultural, artistic and philosophical storytelling. Looking to Sea considers ten pivotal artworks, from Vanessa Bell's Studland Beach, one of the first modernist paintings in Britain, to Paul Nash's work bearing the scars of his experience in the trenches and Martin Parr's photographs of seaside resorts in the 1980s, which raised controversial questions of class. Each of the startlingly different pieces, created between 1912 and 2015, opens a window onto big ideas, from modernism and the sublime, the impact of the world wars and colonialism, to issues crucial to our world today like the environment and nationhood. In this astonishingly perceptive portrait of the twentieth century, art critic Lily Le Brun brings a fresh eye to a vast idea, offering readers an imaginative new way of seeing our island nation.'Le Brun's writing is at once bold and delicate, far-reaching and fine-tuned. Her book explores the inexhaustible variety of human perception.' Alexandra Harris'A smart and clear-eyed set of meditations on marine gaze, made with a painterly touch worthy of the chosen artists. Empathy and intelligence lift memoir into cultural history.' Iain Sinclair'Elegant and endlessly interesting . . . as much a rich compendium of social history as it is a hard consideration of art itself' Critic
£22.50
Notting Hill Editions The Wrong Turning: Encounters with Ghosts
Why do people love ghost stories, even if they don’t believe (or say they don’t believe) in ghosts? Is it simply the adrenaline rush that comes from being mesmerized and terrified by a great storyteller, or do these tales yield deeper meanings—telling us things about our own inner shadows? Stephen Johnson brings together some of the most memorable encounters with ghosts in world literature, from Europe, Russia, the United States, and China. Recurring themes and imagery are noted, interpretations suggested—but only suggested, since ambiguity and resistance to rational interpretation are key elements in the best ghost stories. As the writer Robert Aickman observed, often the decisive moment comes when someone, somehow, makes a “wrong turning”—literally, perhaps, but at the same time psychologically, even morally—and some mysterious nemesis takes over. Old favorites by M. R. James, Ambrose Bierce, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman are interlaced with extracts from longer works by Emily Brontë, Henry James, and Alexander Pushkin,, along with slightly left-field apparitions from Tove Jansson and Flann O’Brien. With such expert guides, who knows what we will be led to encounter in the haunted chambers of our minds?
£14.99
Amberley Publishing Rasputins Killer and his Romanov Princess
When the Tsar's eighteen-year-old niece Princess Irina Romanov announced her marriage to Prince Felix Youssoupov, heir to the richest fortune in Russia, the Imperial family were shocked. Prince Felix and his wife Princess Irina had it all. When they married in St Petersburg in 1914 immense wealth and social standing were theirs. But fate had other ideas.In 1916 Felix was involved in one of the most famous crimes of the twentieth century the murder of Gregory Rasputin, evil genius of Empress Alexandra. It was Irina's royal blood that ensured Felix was never prosecuted for what many saw as a patriotic act. The following year revolution swept the country and in 1919 Felix and Irina were forced into exile for the rest of their lives. How did they survive in the real world when the money began to run out? Why did they live their lives in the shadow of Rasputin? How did Rasputin save them? And how did Felix redeem himself for Rasputin's murder?No joint biography of Irina and Felix has ever
£10.99
Schiffer Publishing Ltd The Colors of Heisey Glass
The fine quality of Heisey glass, made in Newark, Ohio, from 1896 to 1958, prompted many decorating companies to buy Heisey blanks on which to apply their own decorations. Heisey made both clear crystal and some of the finest colors available for Bonita Art, Central Glass, Lotus Glass, Oriental Glass, Rainbow Glass, Wheeling Decorating and many others. Cut and etched patterns were applied to Heisey glass by Eagle Cut Glass, Hawkes, Monogram, Pairpoint, Sinclair, and Susquehanna. Even silver overlay and applied metal ormolu were added to Heisey pieces by Apollo, National Silver, Poole, Reed and Barton, and Tuttle silver companies. This new and carefully constructed book fully explores Heisey's 16 beautiful regular production colors, from Alexandrite to Zircon, along with several experimental colors, in 541 clear color photographs. Each color is defined with its production dates and illustrated with a broad sampling of pieces in many shapes and patterns. The picture captions include the color, pattern name, pattern number, measurements, and value of each piece shown. Both advanced and beginning collectors will find this book a necessary and convenient reference to stimulate their enjoyment of beautiful Heisey glass.
£28.79
Simon & Schuster What My Mother and I Don't Talk About: Fifteen Writers Break the Silence
In the early 2000's, as an undergraduate, Michele Filgate started writing an essay about being abused by her stepfather. It took many years for her to realize what she was actually trying to write about: the fracture this caused in her relationship with her mother. When her essay, “What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About,” was published by Longreads in October of 2017, it went on to become one of the most popular Longreads exclusives of the year and was shared on social media by Anne Lamott, Rebecca Solnit, Lidia Yuknavitch, and other writers, some of whom had their own individual codes of silence to be broken. The outpouring of responses gave Filgate an idea and the resulting anthology offers an intimate, therapeutic and universally resonant look at our relationships with our mothers. As Filgate poignantly writes, “Our mothers are our first homes and that’s why we’re always trying to return to them.”Contributions by Cathi Hanauer, Melissa Febos, Alexander Chee, Dylan Landis, Bernice L. McFadden, Julianna Baggott, Lynn Steger Strong, Kiese Laymon, Carmen Maria Machado, André Aciman, Sari Botton, Nayomi Munaweera, Brandon Taylor, and Leslie Jamison.
£10.99
Hay House UK Ltd Code Red: Know Your Flow, Unlock Your Superpowers, and Create a Bloody Amazing Life. Period.
Your period has power. Embrace your natural cycle, work with your hormones and connect to the innate feminine wisdom of your menstrual cycle.Your period is way more than PMS, carb cravings and lady rage - it's actually a 4-part lady code that, once cracked, will uncover a series of monthly superpowers that can be used to enhance your relationships with others, build a better business, have incredible sex and create a 'bloody' amazing life.Code Red, from the Creatrix of www.thesassyshe.com, Lisa Lister, is a call to action. A rallying cry that dares you to explore, navigate and most importantly, love your lady landscape.You'll learn how to live and work in complete alignment with the rhythms of nature, the moon and your menstrual cycle, be inspired by insights from Wise + Wild Women like Meggan Watterson, Alexandra Pope and Uma Dinsmore Tuli, and gain access to easy-to-follow strategies and SHE Flow yoga practices. You'll be invited to connect with your true nature as a woman, tap into the transformational power of your innate feminine wisdom and use your menstrual cycle as an ever-unfolding map to crack your lady code.
£13.49
Yale University Press Xerxes: A Persian Life
The first full-scale account of a Persian king vilified by history Xerxes, Great King of the Persian Empire from 486–465 B.C., has gone down in history as an angry tyrant full of insane ambition. The stand of Leonidas and the 300 against his army at Thermopylae is a byword for courage, while the failure of Xerxes’ expedition has overshadowed all the other achievements of his twenty-two-year reign. In this lively and comprehensive new biography, Richard Stoneman shows how Xerxes, despite sympathetic treatment by the contemporary Greek writers Aeschylus and Herodotus, had his reputation destroyed by later Greek writers and by the propaganda of Alexander the Great. Stoneman draws on the latest research in Achaemenid studies and archaeology to present the ruler from the Persian perspective. This illuminating volume does not whitewash Xerxes’ failings but sets against them such triumphs as the architectural splendor of Persepolis and a consideration of Xerxes’ religious commitments. What emerges is a nuanced portrait of a man who ruled a vast and multicultural empire which the Greek communities of the West saw as the antithesis of their own values.
£25.00
Quercus Publishing Measuring the World
Measuring the World recreates the parallel but contrasting lives of two geniuses of the German Enlightenment - the naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt and the mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss. Towards the end of the 18th century, these two brilliant young Germans set out to measure the world. Humboldt, a Prussian aristocrat schooled for greatness, negotiates savannah and jungle, climbs the highest mountain then known to man, counts head lice on the heads of the natives, and explores every hole in the ground. Gauss, a man born in poverty who will be recognised as the greatest mathematician since Newton, does not even need to leave his home in Göttingen to know that space is curved. He can run prime numbers in his head, cannot imagine a life without women and yet jumps out of bed on his wedding night to jot down a mathematical formula. Measuring the World is a novel of rare charm and readability, distinguished by its sly humour and unforgettable characterization. It brings the two eccentric geniuses to life, their longings and their weaknesses, their balancing act between loneliness and love, absurdity and greatness, failure and success.
£8.99
Verso Books The Rise of a New Left: How Young Radicals Are Shaping the Future of American Politics
A new progressive generation is on the rise in the United States, reflected in the mushrooming rolls of the Democratic Socialists of America (90,000 mostly twentysomething members), Marxist explainers in Teen Vogue, and perhaps most famously of all, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.The Rise of a New Left is the first book to look closely at this new politics. Propelled by interviews with AOC and the other key figures and organizations who have shaken up American politics, the book includes portraits of groups like the Democratic Socialists of America, the Sunrise Movement, and Justice Democrats, explaining who they are, where they come from, and what they want. Investigating the panoply of strategies employed by the new movements and their relationship to politicians from Bernie Sanders to Nancy Pelosi, the book describes how the generational focus on insurgent electoral campaigns both aims to transform the Democratic Party and threatens to be captured by it.Written with panache by a member of this rising generation, this book immerses the reader in a youth culture the likes of which hasn't been seen since the Sixties.
£16.99
Libri Publishing Annabelle and the Talking Squawking Ducks
Annabelle and the Talking Squawking Ducks follows the second character in the Alexander Books series – Annabelle – and her journey in learning right from wrong. Annabelle loves feeding ducks but, when it is time to go and have lunch, she wonders if the ducks are still hungry want more. Annabelle knows that stealing is wrong, but after having taken bread from the local café she is met by an elderly wizard duck. He shows her the error of her ways and, by using a bit of magic, he is able to reset her error and help Annabelle. When Mum realises Annabelle has snuck away to go back to the ducks … Annabelle is in trouble again!Educating Through Reading – The book is written to allow children to learn to read through rhyme. The simple style allows children to sound words out and recognise them. There is regular repetition of words which allows children to become familiar with larger words, having to read them more often. There may be a number of words that they have not read before or do not recognise – this is intended to spark conversation. The book has bright illustrations for the younger reader which are eye catching and detailed.
£10.76
Canelo Dauntless
The odds are against Commander Smith in this epic story of battle on the high seas.Autumn, 1917: Britain is just about surviving against incessant U-boat attacks, but there are mutinies in France, a revolution in Russia and stalemate on the Western Front. The Allies must get the upper hand and, in London, plans are hatched to renew the pressure in the Middle East.Commander David Cochrane Smith finds himself on a formidable assignment in the Mediterranean. He is wily, experienced and tough but his mission is dangerous and his force is small. With this ramshackle squadron he must elude the U-boats and sink a heavily armed enemy cruiser whose captain is as able and daring as Smith himself. The action is fierce on land and on sea – and the odds are uneven. But this is an assignment designed to test Smith to the utmost and he is determined to succeed…Dauntlessis an unputdownable First World War Thriller perfect for fans of David Black, Patrick O’Brian and Alexander Fullerton.Praise for Dauntless 'I think a 21 gun salute is required... Alan Evans has produced a cracking thriller' Daily Mirror'Evans provides a different sea story, sustained suspense and vivid battle scenes' Publishers Weekly
£8.99
Vintage Publishing Genghis Khan: The Man Who Conquered the World
Genghis Khan was by far the greatest conqueror the world has ever known, whose empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to central Europe, including all of China, the Middle East and Russia. So how did an illiterate nomad rise to such colossal power, eclipsing Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon? Credited by some with paving the way for the Renaissance, condemned by others for being the most heinous murderer in history, who was Genghis Khan? His actual name was Temujin, and the story of his success is that of the Mongol people: a loose collection of fractious tribes who tended livestock, considered bathing taboo and possessed an unparallelled genius for horseback warfare. United under Genghis, a strategist of astonishing cunning and versatility, they could dominate any sedentary society they chose.Combining fast-paced accounts of battles with rich cultural background and the latest scholarship, Frank McLynn brings vividly to life the strange world of the Mongols, describes Temujin’s rise from boyhood outcast to become Genghis Khan, and provides the most accurate and absorbing account yet of one of the most powerful men ever to have lived.
£16.99
Amazon Publishing The Last Guardian
In this thrilling installment of the Clayton White series, the former Secret Service agent must sift through layers of deception to uncover the truth behind the FBI director’s assassination and avert a global catastrophe. Fighting the fentanyl epidemic in the United States is a top priority for President Alexander Hammond, and there’s only one man he trusts—however begrudgingly—to lead the task force: former Secret Service agent and soon-to-be son-in-law Clayton White. Once reckless in his line of work, White is now determined to keep his future in mind. He and his fiancée, Veronica, are expecting their first child, and there are some risks White is no longer willing to take. But when his investigation into the Red Dragon Triad drug cartel appears to lead to the assassination of the FBI director, White is forced to put his life on the line to find out who is behind the attack and what they’re planning next. Amid a series of secret identities, betrayals, and terrorist plots, Clayton White must join forces with allies he’s not sure he can trust to save the country he’s sworn to protect and the family he’s vowed to love.
£9.15
Hodder & Stoughton Papyrus: THE MILLION-COPY GLOBAL BESTSELLER
The bestselling phenomenon - an enthralling 6,000-year journey through the history of books and readingA FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST AND MAIL ON SUNDAY BOOK OF THE YEAR'Outstanding, universal and unique' NEW YORK TIMES'A literary phenomenon.' TLS'Masterly.' ECONOMIST'Mindboggling' TELEGRAPHLong before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of the earth to bring them back.In Papyrus, celebrated classicist Irene Vallejo traces the dramatic history of the book and the fight for its survival. This is the story of the book's journey from oral tradition to scrolls to codices, and how that transition laid the very foundation of Western culture. And it is a story full of heroic adventures, bloodshed and megalomania - from the battlefields of Alexander the Great and the palaces of Cleopatra to the libraries of war-torn Sarajevo and Oxford.An international bestseller, Papyrus brings the ancient world to life and celebrates the enduring power of the written word.
£22.50
Hodder & Stoughton Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death: Oscar Wilde Mystery: 2
In OSCAR WILDE AND THE RING OF DEATH, the second in Gyles Brandreth's acclaimed Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries series featuring Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle, a parlour game of 'Murder' has lethal consequences... 'Intelligent, amusing and entertaining' Alexander McCall Smith 'I see murder in this unhappy hand...' When Mrs Robinson, palmist to the Prince of Wales, reads Oscar Wilde's palm she cannot know what she has predicted. Nor can Oscar know what he has set in motion when, that same evening, he proposes a game of 'Murder' in which each of his Sunday Supper Club guests must write down those whom they would like to kill. For the fourteen 'victims' begin to die mysteriously, one by one, and in the order in which their names were drawn from the bag... With growing horror, Wilde and his confidantes Robert Sherard and Arthur Conan Doyle, realise that one of their guests that evening must be the murderer. In a race against time, Wilde will need all his powers of deduction and knowledge of human behaviour before he himself - the thirteenth name on the list - becomes the killer's next victim.
£10.04
Biteback Publishing Putin's Killers: The Kremlin and the Art of Political Assassination
Ever since Vladimir Putin came to power, his critics have been turning up dead. According to Amy Knight, one of the West’s foremost scholars of the KGB, this is no coincidence. Here, she links together dozens of deaths, exposing a far-reaching campaign of killing that is even tied to the Boston Marathon bombing. Russia is no stranger to political murder, from the Tsars and the Soviets through to the current regime, during which many journalists, activists, and political opponents have been slain. However convenient these deaths are for the Russian president, Kremlin defenders assert that there is no evidence against him. Because he controls all the murder investigations, Putin will never be seen holding a smoking gun. With new information about the most famous cases—such as Alexander Litvinenko, Boris Nemtsov, and the Salisbury poisoning victims—Knight assesses Putin’s role in these deaths, and asks: is there nothing we can do to stop him?
£9.99
Hodder & Stoughton Irresponsible Adult
''So good! Warm and funny, and I was rooting for Robyn from the very first page'' MILLY JOHNSON''Funny, perceptive and oh-so-relatable, Robyn''s reluctant mission to clean up her world is full of laughs and also some heart-twisting surprises'' ALEXANDRA POTTER''A funny, relatable read with some surprise twists'' STYLISTDEFINITELY OLDER. NOT NECESSARILY WISER...Sisters Cleo and Robyn may be close in age but their attitudes to life could not be further apart. While Cleo''s a fully-fledged adult with a family, a business and a signature scent, Robyn is still waiting for the instruction manual to Adult Life and success is keeping her houseplant alive. Skating by at her job as an estate agent, she''s adept at avoiding housework, ignoring admin, and evading her mother''s anxious questions about her love life. But then Robyn''s fired in the most publicly humiliating way imaginable - and her chaos catches up with her.Alth
£16.99
Eland Publishing Ltd The Light Garden of the Angel King
From time immemorial Afghanistan has been both a fortress of faith and a mountainous crossroads. Through its high valleys merchants traded Chinese porcelains, bundles of indigo cloth, sacks of lapis lazuli, golden jewellery, emeralds and fine carvings from both east and west. Ancient scrolls and beliefs entered the land in the satchels of Buddhist pilgrims and in the baggage of military invaders - from Alexander the Great to Mughal, Persian and Arab conquerors and even the ill-fated armies of the British Raj. In this resonant account, Peter Levi seeks the clues which each migration left, in the company of the young Bruce Chatwin. Since his journey in the 1970s, Afghanistan has suffered forty years of invasion and civil war, making it all the more poignant to rediscover, with Levi, not a rocky wilderness guarded by fearsome tribes, but 'this highway of archangels/this theatre of heaven/the light garden of the God-forgiven angel King.'
£12.99
University of California Press The Cultural Legacy of the Pre-Ashkenazic Jews in Eastern Europe
A free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press's Open Access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more. This book uncovers cultural traces of the ancient Jewry of Eastern Europe from the 10th to 15th centuries. These traces take the form of translations from Hebrew into East Slavic, ranging from accounts of Old Testament prophets and other historical figures of interest to both Jews and Christians, such as Alexander the Great, to scientific and philosophical texts on everything from astronomy to physiognomy to metaphysics. Moshe Taube's fine-grained analysis teases out a robust picture of this massive cultural enterprise: the translators, their erudition, their biases, and their collaborative method of translation with neighboring Christians. Summarizing over thirty years of philological and linguistic research, this book offers a substantial original contribution to the cultural history of Jews in Eastern Europe and their interaction with, and influence on, Slavic culture in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period.
£27.00
Everyman Chess The Killer Sicilian: Fighting 1 e4 with the Kalashnikov
Are you searching for a new weapon against 1 e4? Look no furtherchoose the Killer Sicilian! In this book, opening expert Tony Rotella presents a Sicilian repertoire for Black, the backbone of which consists of the Kalashnikov Variation. The Kalashnikov is an ideal choice for those looking to take up the Sicilian. Black follows an easy-to-learn system of development, with clear strategic aims. What's more, in many lines Black can choose between aggressive and positional options. It's no coincidence that the Kalashnikov has attracted such attacking talents as World Championship candidate Teimour Radjabov and four-time US Champion Alexander Shabalov. Rotella critically examines the main lines and explains the key positional and tactical ideas for both sides. He also demonstrates what Black should do against White's numerous Anti-Sicilian options. Read this book and unleash the Killer Sicilian! *A Sicilian repertoire for Black*Includes Anti-Sicilian coverage*Packed with new ideas and analysis
£19.99
Little, Brown Book Group The House of the Vestals
Wonderfully entertaining mystery stories set in the world of the acclaimed ROMA SUB ROSA series. It is the Rome of the Late Republic, and Gordianus the Finder has a knack for finding trouble - and dead bodies. Known to many as the one man in the ancient world who can both keep a secret and uncover one, Gordianus lays bare some of his most intriguing adventures in this new volume in Steven Saylor's highly acclaimed mystery series. In 'Little Caesar and the Pirates', Gordianus must act as a go-between for kidnappers, but he begins to wonder who is really being held hostage; in 'The Alexandrian Cat', a mischievous girl and a tell-tale sneeze reveal an ingenious plot of murder and thievery; and in 'The House of the Vestals', blackmail goes horribly wrong and there is no one to take the blame. The result is an engrossing collection of finely wrought mystery tales with all the suspense and craft that are the trademark of Saylor's work.
£9.99
Penguin Books Ltd Blessing The Boats
An award-winning collection from one of America's most beloved twentieth-century poets'The love readers feel for Lucille Clifton - both the woman and her poetry - is constant and deeply felt' Toni MorrisonLucille Clifton was one of the most distinguished American poets of the twentieth century. This award-winning collection of her poems showcases the simplicity and song-like grace with which she addressed the whole of human experience: birth, death, children, dreams, spirituality, womanhood, illness, sexuality and racial injustice.'Physically small poems with enormous and profound inner worlds' Elizabeth Alexander, New Yorker'Clifton's earliest poems could have been written yesterday, and her later works could have been written decades ago' Reginald Dwayne Betts, The New York Times'A poetry so pared down that its spaces take on substance, become a shaping presence as much as the words themselves' Peggy Rosenthal
£9.99
Quercus Publishing Larchfield: The moving, gripping and wonderful debut about finding human connection
'Gripping' Margaret Atwood 'Captivating' Louis de Bernières 'Magnificent' Alexander McCall SmithIn 1930, a young man, torn apart by his illegal desire, stands on a deserted Scottish beach. Wystan H. Auden is only twenty-four and longing to be a great poet; longing too, for someone who understands him. He scribbles his telephone number on a piece of paper, puts it in an empty milk bottle, and flings it into the sea.Decades later, Dora Fielding stands on the same beach, lost and desperate. Struggling to cope alone with her baby and suffocating in the small town, she yearns for connection. This is when she finds the message in the bottle. And calls the number.What happens next is a breathtaking leap of faith that rejoices in the power of the human imagination.
£9.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Secret Life of Salmon
Via philosophy, technique and knowledge, Giles encourages the reader to question and ponder, sharing expert insight.- _The Field_ (Alexandra Henton, editor). _The Secret Life of Salmon_ is something both personal and intimate, and macro and global. The life story of Atlantic, Chum, Sockeye, King, Silver and Pink salmon, has gripped the human consciousness since the dawn of time. Now we have a new interactive angle on the existential eco status of the king of fish. A mirror held up to our warming world - via science, sporting and aquacultural viewpoints. This book takes in the start of a salmon's life cycle with gravel covered eggs hatching in a specific river pool, we hear fascinating secrets with a backdrop of the time-lapsed seasons changing overhead and specified times of year. We follow the salmon's epic journey of quest through icy and wild northern waters to its conclusion in an upland stream. Read about the great success stories of conservation - the 21st-century buy-out o
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Galatians: Celtic Invaders of Greece and Asia Minor
The eastern Celtic tribes, known to the Greeks as Galatians, exploited the waning of Macedonian power after Alexander the Great's death to launch increasingly ambitious raids and expeditions into the Balkans. In 279 BC they launched a major invasion, defeating and beheading the Macedonian king, Ptolemy Keraunos, before sacking the Greeks' most sacred oracle at Delphi. Eventually forced to withdraw northwards, they were defeated by Antigonus Gonatus at Lysimachia in 277 BC but remained a threat. A large Galatian contingent was invited to cross to Asia to intervene in a war in Bithynia but they went on to seize much of central Anatolia for themselves, founding the state of Galatia. Antiochos I curbed their power in the Elephant Victory in 273 BC' but they remained a force in the region and their fierce warriors served as mercenaries in many armies throughout the eastern Mediterranean. John Grainger narrates and analyses the fortunes of these eastern Celts down to their eventual subjugation by the Romans, Galatia becoming a Roman province in 30 BC.
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd With Winston Churchill at the Front: Winston in the Trenches 1916
Following his resignation from the Government after the disastrous Gallipoli campaign, Winston Churchills political career stalled. Never one to give in, Churchill was determined to continue fighting the enemy. He was already a Major in the Territorial Reserve and he was offered promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and with it command of a battalion on the Western Front. On 5 January 1916, Churchill took up his new post with the 6th (Service) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. The battalions adjutant was Captain Alexander Dewar Gibb who formed a close relationship with Churchill that lasted far beyond their few weeks together in the war. Dewar Gibb subsequently wrote an account of his and Churchills time together in the trenches. Packed with amusing anecdotes and fascinating detail, Gibbs story shows an entirely different side to Churchills character from the forceful public figure normally presented to the world. Churchill proved to be a caring and compassionate commander and utterly fearless. Despised on his arrival, by the time he departed he was adored by his men. Supplemented with many of Churchills letters, the observations of other officers and additional narrative this is the most unusual and absorbing account of this part of Churchill's life that has ever been told.
£14.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Straits from Troy to Constantinople: The Ancient History of the Dardanelles, Sea of Marmara and Bosporos
In ancient times, the series of waterways now known as the Turkish Straits, comprising the Dardanelles (or Hellespont), Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus, formed both a divide and a bridge between Europe and Asia. Its western and eastern entrances were guarded, at different times, by two of the most fabled cities of all time: respectively Troy (in Asia) and Byzantion (or Byzantium, on the European coast). The narrow crossing points at the Hellespont and Bosporus were strategically important invasion routes while the waters themselves were vital routes of travel and commerce, particularly the supply of grain from the hinterland of the Black Sea to the Greek cities. This made them sought after prizes and sources of friction between successive empires, Persians, Macedonians and Romans among them, and ensured they were associated with some of the great names of history, from Odysseus to Xerxes, Alexander to Constantine the Great. John D Grainger relates the fascinating history of this pivotal region from the Trojan War to Byzantion's refounding as the new capital of the Roman Empire. Renamed Constantinople it dominated the straits for a thousand years.
£22.50