Search results for ""Author Bird"

Lord Alanbrooke was Churchill's right-hand man during World War II, and as Chief of the Imperial General Staff he had an integral part in shaping the strategy of Britain and the Allies. Despite this crucial role, he is very little known compared to military commanders such as Montgomery, Alexander, Slim, Mountbatten, Patton, or Eisenhower. This new biography of Lord Alanbrooke uses archival material and his diaries to trace his life, including his experiences in World War I and the development of his military career in the interwar years, with a focus on his post as the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during World War II.Voted the greatest Briton of the 20th century, Churchill has long been credited with almost single-handedly leading his country to victory in World War II. However without Brooke, a skilled tactician, at his side the outcome might well have been disastrous. Brooke more often than not served as a brake on some of Churchill's more impetuous ideas. However, while Brooke's diaries reveal his fury with some of Churchill's decisions, they also reveal his respect and admiration for the wartime prime minister. In return Churchill must surely have considered Brooke one of his most difficult subordinates but later wrote that he was "fearless, formidable, articulate, and in the end convincing".As CIGS, Brooke was integral to coordination between the Allied forces, and so had to wrestle with the cultural strategy clash between the British and Americans. Comments in his diaries offer up his opinions of both his British and American military colleagues – his negative assessments of Mountbatten’s ability, and acerbic comments on the difficult character of de Gaulle and the weaknesses of Eisenhower. Conversely he was clearly over-indulgent in the face of Montgomery's foibles. Brooke was often seen as a stern and humourless figure, but a study of his private life reveals an little-seen lighter side, a lifelong passion for birdwatching, and abiding love for his family. The two tragedies that befell his immediate family were a critical influence on his life. Sangster completes this new biography with a survey of the way various historians have assessed Brooke, explaining how he has lapsed into seeming obscurity in the years since his crucial part in the Allied victory in World War II.

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This new, thoroughly updated edition of Bradt's award-winning guide to the Basque Country and Navarre remains the most comprehensive and in-depth guide available to this multi-lingual, multi-cultural borderland encompassing parts of southern France and northern Spain. This fully revised second edition includes all the elements required for an enjoyable holiday and also the unique aspects of Basque culture and traditions which make this such a fascinating part of the world. Bradt's The Basque Country and Navarre seeks to give a real insight into what is a strong regional identity, uncovering the peculiarities which imbue the area with its aura of intrigue and taking you way beyond the delightful, well-known cities and into the heart of the beautiful Basque countryside. When it comes to food, discover not just what to eat, but also how to eat it, for many Basque eating rituals apply! In this, the most complete guidebook to the Spanish and French Basque Country and Navarre, Murray Stewart covers the principal cities - rejuvenated Bilbao with its famous Guggenheim Museum, beautiful San Sebastián, verdant Vitoria-Gasteiz and lively Pamplona - and also delves deeper into the region's interior, capturing the quirkiness that makes it so special. With 36 maps, 16 walks, advice on where to cycle, horseride and surf, he guides travellers through an area whose profile is firmly 'on the up.' Find the best pintxos (Basque tapas) and txakoli wine, the finest chuletón (beef chop) and the freshest fish. From elegant Biarritz, via the French Basque Pyrénées, to the Navarran 'badlands' of Bardenas Reales, travel to fascinating, less-visited places. Here are the best festivals, including Pamplona's famous, bull-running San Fermin. Learn how the handing-over of three cows has kept the peace for centuries, or where you can see the annual 'Benediction of the Red Pepper'. Join the walkers on the Caminos de Santiago, the pilgrim routes which still sustain the local economy, 1,000 years after they began. Find information on the unique Basque and Navarran wines, top birdwatching sites, history, music, sports and culture - and when to visit. Bradt's The Basque Country and Navarre is the ideal companion.

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Alison Swan's collection of poems, A Fine Canopy, illustrates how the natural world envelops and encloses us with so many beautiful things: crowns of leaves, the ubiquitous blue sky, our luminous moon, and snow. So much snow. An ecopoet whose writing shows her advocacy for natural resources, in this collection Swan calls the reader to witness, appreciate, and sustain this world before it becomes too late. These poems were written out of an impulse to track down wisdom in the open air, outside of the noisy world of cars and commerce. Swan seeks insight on shores and in scraps of woods and fields-especially on four particular peninsulas: Michigan's upper and lower, Florida, and Washington state's Olympic-and also inside motherhood, which might be the wildest place of all.These are poems about the interconnection of all things, and "knowing things we cannot see". A journey through seasons with a soundtrack of birdsong, Swan's words are incredibly sensory. The reader is made to feel the weight of muddy jeans, the jolt at the tug of a dog's leash, and to see the bright flash of a cardinal's red plumage. Swan's poems remind us that although we all want to make a mark on our world, the smaller the better: stepping into fresh snow, dashing through forests atop dry leaves, laying wet bodies on warm concrete. These quiet interactions with places are as hopeful as they are harmless.Without necessarily tackling the topics head-on, A Fine Canopy evokes the devastation of climate change and the destruction of natural resources. This book engages deeply with the other-than-human to express and investigate alarm, dismay, anger, admiration, adoration in what feels like the end of the world unless we begin to think outside the box. These poems will carry weight with all readers of poetry, especially those who are interested in ecopoetry and connecting with the world around them.

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An accomplished storyteller returns with her biggest, boldest, most entertaining novel yet—a hilarious, heartfelt story about books, love, sisterhood, and the surprises we discover in our DNA that combines the wit of Jonathan Tropper with the heart of Susan Wiggs.Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister. When Washington, DC based journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested on a whim a few weeks earlier, she learned she had a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor—Maggie Sweeney of Southport, Connecticut. It seems Serena’s chilly WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney—one that has remained totally secret until now.Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?By turns revealing, insightful, and uproarious, The Sweeney Sisters is equal parts cautionary tale and celebration—a festive and heartfelt look at what truly makes a family.

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Years before Charles Lindbergh’s flight from New York to Paris electrified the nation, a group of daredevil pilots, most of them veterans of the World War I, brought aviation to the masses by competing in the sensational transcontinental air race of 1919. The contest awakened Americans to the practical possibilities of flight, yet despite its significance, it has until now been all but forgotten. In The Great Air Race, journalist and amateur pilot John Lancaster finally reclaims this landmark event and the unheralded aviators who competed to be the fastest man in America. His thrilling chronicle opens with the race’s impresario, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, who believed the nation’s future was in the skies. Mitchell’s contest—critics called it a stunt—was a risky undertaking, given that the DH-4s and Fokkers the contestants flew were almost comically ill-suited for long-distance travel: engines caught fire in flight; crude flight instruments were of little help in clouds and fog; and the brakeless planes were prone to nosing over on landing. Yet the aviators possessed an almost inhuman disregard for their own safety, braving blizzards and mechanical failure as they landed in remote cornfields or at the edges of cliffs. Among the most talented were Belvin “The Flying Parson” Maynard, whose dog, Trixie, shared the rear cockpit with his mechanic, and John Donaldson, a war hero who twice escaped German imprisonment. Jockeying reporters made much of their rivalries, and the crowds along the race’s route exploded, with everyday Americans eager to catch their first glimpse of airplanes and the mythic “birdmen” who flew them. The race was a test of endurance that many pilots didn’t finish: some dropped out from sheer exhaustion, while others, betrayed by their engines or their instincts, perished. For all its tragedy, Lancaster argues, the race galvanized the nation to embrace the technology of flight. A thrilling tale of men and their machines, The Great Air Race offers a new origin point for commercial aviation in the United States, even as it greatly expands our pantheon of aviation heroes.

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The perfect gift for any golf loverDo you know your albatross from your eagle? Your birdie from your bogey?Whether you’re a golfing pro or simply a Sunday driver you’ll enjoy working your way around the nine chapters of The Golf Pocket Bible. Beginning with the myths and legends surrounding the sport’s origin, The Golf Pocket Bible follows a course from the rules of the game, through the rough and smooth of famous wins and losses to the final test of a golfing quiz.Discover the history of golf, explore famous golf courses from Gleneagles to St Andrews and Pebble Beach and learn fascinating facts about major golf tournaments from the Ryder Cup to the US Open. Inside this pocket golf guide you’ll also find profiles of famous golfers from Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo through to Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods all at your fingertips, as well as a list of the best (and worst) golfing films. From mini golf and crazy golf to extreme golf and golf at the 2016 Olympics, The Golf Pocket Bible will take you through every aspect of the game from the driving range to the putting green.If you want to learn more about the fascinating world of golf, make sure you read The Golf Pocket Bible. The whole game. In one book."I'd give up golf if I didn't have so many sweaters." -Bob Hope"Golf is 90 percent inspiration and 10 percent perspiration." -Johnny Miller"I know I'm getting better at golf because I'm hitting fewer spectators." -Gerald Ford"Golf always makes me so damned angry" King George V"Golf is a game whose aim it is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose" Winston ChurchillThis beautiful hardback edition has both dust-cover and gold embossing on the spine making it the perfect gift. Every Pocket Bible is lovingly crafted to give you a unique mix of useful references, handy tips and fascinating trivia that will enlighten and entertain you at every page. There is a Pocket Bible for everyone...Other titles in the series: The Football Pocket Bible, The DIY Pocket Bible, The Railway Pocket Bible, The Dog Lover's Pocket Bible and The Cricket Pocket Bible.

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The award-winning architectural practice Hawkins\Brown, founded in 1988, is well-known for its thoughtful, innovative and sustainable new buildings and refurbishments of all types. The practice prides itself on bringing a fresh and collaborative approach, creating places that are well-made, well-used and well-loved. This new book examines 14 of its projects in detail, interspersed with essays on various themes by members of the practice. The book begins with an examination by the eminent architecture journalist Hugh Pearman of the founding, history and approach of Hawkins\Brown, based on personal interviews with the practice’s two founding principals, Roger Hawkins and Russell Brown. A full discussion of the projects follows, each comprehensively illustrated with photographs, plans and renderings. The Bartlett School of Architecture in London had been outgrown by the School; it has been stripped back and reconfigured to create a building that staff and students alike are delighted to use. The Corby Cube is a well-equipped, multi-purpose civic and cultural centre that is beloved of this East Midlands town’s inhabitants. Here East, the repurposing of the Olympic press and broadcast centres in east London into space for creative and digital industries, is an excellent example of collaboration between client, architect and stakeholders. At Hilden Grange Preparatory School in Kent, Hawkins\Brown slotted exemplary new teaching spaces into natural woodland in a sustainable and sympathetic way. The University of East Anglia’s Bob Champion Building is part of the Norwich Medical School’s vision to become a world leader in clinical research and teaching, and was completed in less than a year. Park Hill housing estate in Sheffield has been updated with a charismatic new facade treatment and revitalized flats, taking it from eyesore to icon. Another housing estate, Peabody Burridge Gardens in southwest London, has been rebuilt completely, and is now more pleasant and better integrated. Tottenham Court Road station in central London – part of the enormous Crossrail project – has been sympathetically but radically redesigned to provide for the extra people who will use it, and includes artworks by Daniel Buren, Richard Wright and Douglas Gordon. At Hackney Town Hall in east London, the refurbishment of an important art deco building required all numerous skills, from reuse and repair to conversion and conservation. A combined refurbishment and new building on Great Suffolk Street just south of the river in central London, meanwhile, has created an expanded commercial building that sits comfortably in its semi-industrial setting. For the City of London Freemen’s School in Surrey, Hawkins\Brown created a new swimming pool that is simultaneously functional, beautiful and sympathetic to its rural location. With the University of Oxford Beecroft Building – where environment is also deeply important – the practice produced a new Physics research facility that both satisfies the city’s stringent historical and conservation controls and is a genuinely groundbreaking scientific building. East Village Plot No. 6 is a `build-to-rent’ development in Stratford, east London, where architecture has been used to create community. Finally, the Thames Tideway Tunnel is a crucial yet little-known infrastructure project that will extend and modernize London’s sewerage system to cope with future demand. The visible architecture here involves various surface points along the river, including at Chelsea Embankment and at Blackfriars. The essays demonstrate Hawkins\Brown’s pride in the input of its staff. Seth Rutt explains the architect’s desire for creative autonomy and wish to follow the process of creating a new building all the way from designing it to supervising the construction. Darryl Chen explains the importance of taking time away from day-to-day work to focus on broader themes, and introduces the practice’s own think tank. Nicola Rutt discusses the importance of refurbishment in the output of the practice, emphasizing its importance to the urban fabric and to the people who inhabit our towns and cities. Morag Morrison writes about the integration of art with architecture, and Katie Tonkinson examines mixed-use architecture in the context of the architect’s approach rather than the client’s brief. Harbinder Birdi explains the importance of urban planning and considering the human context for all projects, and, finally, Oliver Milton and Jack Stewart celebrate the opportunities afforded by new technology.

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