Search results for ""Author Nick"
Taschen GmbH Frida Kahlo. 40th Ed.
Among the women artists who have transcended art history, none had a meteoric rise quite like Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907–1954). Her unmistakable face, depicted in over fifty extraordinary self-portraits, has been admired by generations; along with hundreds of photographs taken by notable artists such as Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo, Nickolas Muray, and Martin Munkácsi, they made Frida Kahlo an icon of 20th century art.After an accident in her early youth, Frida became a painter. Her marriage to Diego Rivera in 1929 placed her at the forefront of an artistic scene not only in the cultural Renaissance of Mexico, but also in the United States. Her work garnered praise from the poet André Breton, who added the Mexican painter to the ranks of international surrealism and exhibited her work in Paris in 1939 to the admiration of Picasso, Kandinsky, and Duchamp.We access the intimacy of Frida’s affections and passions through a selection of drawings, pages from her personal diary, and an extensive illustrated biography featuring photos of Frida, Diego, and the Casa Azul, Frida’s home and the center of her universe.This book allows readers to admire Frida Kahlo’s paintings like never before, including unprecedented detail shots and famous photographs. It presents pieces in private collections and reproduces works that were previously lost or have not been exhibited for more than 80 years.
£25.00
Silvana Tarwuk: Ante mare et terras
The volume is dedicated to the work of New York-based Croatian artists TARWUK, presented, for the first time in Italy, at the Maramotti Collection in Reggio Emilia. A constant depiction of the human form – exploring the multiple ways it can exist and the flowing, expressive quality of the body – represents the formal result of TARWUK’s deep, probing research into identity and the marks that memories and subconscious tensions leave on our bodies, shaping them physically. The artists, who were born in socialist Yugoslavia and grew up in the Balkans during the Croatian War of independence (1991-5), see their anatomically dissected sculptures as symbolising loss and conflict. However, they are also organisms with the potential for regeneration and rebirth: traces of beauty and the opportunity for transcendence can be glimpsed amidst the waste technological materials and signs of devastation. Drawing is another essential part of TARWUK’s practice: TARWUK’s drawings, which are fully fledged forms of expression, not preparatory works, have a dreamy and immediate quality, with echoes of late 19th-century and early 19th-century symbolism and the Vienna Secession, a period the artists see as a sort of equilibrium, a moment of balance between opposing tensions – death and beauty, decadence and decoration – that competed for dominance. The volume includes a text by Mario Diacono and a conversation between Bob Nickas and TARWUK. Text in English and Italian.
£24.30
Hodder & Stoughton Eagle: Book One of the Saladin Trilogy
'Salah ad-Din, or Saladin as he is known to the Franks, was a Kurd, the son of despised people, and yet he became Sultan of Egypt and Syria. He united the peoples of Allah, recaptured Jerusalem, and drove the Crusaders to the very edge of the sea. He battled, and in the end tamed King Richard the Lionheart, who well deserved his savage name. He was a great man, the greatest man that I ever knew, but when I first met him, he was only a skinny child . . .' The Chronicle of Yahya al-DimashqBut alongside the legend of Saladin there is another story. When the Crusader army is routed beneath the walls of Damascus in 1148, a young Saxon named John is captured and enslaved. He is bought by Yusuf, a slight, bookish boy, for the price of a pair of sandals. And so begins the story of two enemies brought together by fate and of a friendship that will change the face of the Holy Land. Timid Yusuf will grow up to become the warrior Saladin, nicknamed 'the Eagle'; John will first teach his young master the art of war, before returning west to serve first the King of Jerusalem and then King Richard himself.From spectacular set-piece battles to the political manoeuvrings of the corrupt Crusader court, from the brutality of single combat to the sophistication of Islamic life, this is the first in a remarkable trilogy that will chart the story of the greatest leader the Middle East has ever known.
£9.99
Transworld Publishers Ltd Appassionata: A masterpiece of sex and drama from the Sunday Times bestseller Jilly Cooper
The most fun you can have under a Tenor...Abigail Rosen, nicknamed Appassionata, was the sexiest, most flamboyant violinist in classical music, but she was also the loneliest and the most exploited girl in the world. When a dramatic suicide attempt destroyed her violin career, she set her sights on the male-dominated heights of the conductor's rostrum.Given the chance to take over the Rutminster Symphony Orchestra, Abby is ecstatic, not realising the RSO is in hock up to its neck and is composed of the wildest bunch of musicians ever to blow a horn or caress a fiddle. Abby finds it increasingly difficult to control her undisciplined rabble and pretend she is not madly attracted to the fatally glamorous horn player, Viking O'Neill, who claims droit de seigneur over every pretty woman joining the orchestra. And then Rannaldini, arch-fiend and international maestro, rolls up with Machiavellian plans of his own to sabotage the RSO.Effervescent as champagne, Jilly Cooper's novel brings back old favourites like Rupert and Taggie Campbell-Black, but also ends triumphantly with a rampageous orchestral tour of Spain and the high drama of an international piano competition.-------------------------------------Praise for Appassionata:'Delicious ... I could not put the damned thing down' Sunday Express'A boisterous tale of sex and Chopin' Tatler'Sexy, dazzling protagonists... the humour comes thick and fast' Daily Express
£14.99
Little, Brown & Company Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America
The New York Times Editors' ChoiceNPR Science Friday Book Club SelectionAn intimate and revelatory dive into the world of the beaver-the wonderfully weird rodent that has surprisingly shaped American history and may save its ecological future.From award-winning writer Leila Philip, BEAVERLAND is a masterful work of narrative science writing, a book that highlights, though history and contemporary storytelling, how this weird rodent plays an oversized role in American history and its future. She follows fur trappers who lead her through waist high water, fur traders and fur auctioneers, as well as wildlife managers, PETA activists, Native American environmental vigilantes, scientists, engineers, and the colourful group of activists known as beaver believers.Beginning with the early trans-Atlantic trade in North America, Leila Philip traces the beaver's profound influence on our nation's early economy and feverish western expansion, its first corporations and multi-millionaires. In her pursuit of this weird and wonderful animal, she introduces us to people whose lives are devoted to the beaver, including a Harvard scientist from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, who uses drones to create 3-dimensional images of beaver dams; and an environmental restoration consultant in the Chesapeake whose nickname is the "beaver whisperer".What emerges is a poignant personal narrative, a startling portrait of the secretive world of the contemporary fur trade, and an engrossing ecological and historical investigation of these heroic animals who, once trapped to the point of extinction, have returned to the landscape as one of the greatest conservation stories of the 20th century. Beautifully written and impeccably researched, BEAVERLAND reveals the profound ways in which one odd creature and the trade surrounding it has shaped history, culture, and our environment.
£15.99
Faber & Faber Big Swiss: 'Incredible book. . . I couldn't put it down.' Jodie Comer
** SOON TO BE A MAJOR HBO SERIES STARRING JODIE COMER **A YOU MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEAR'A startlingly funny sex comedy with dark undertones that's high on quirk and scabrous wit.' Sunday Times, 'Books of the Year''By turns funny, eccentric and raunchy.' Grazia'Made me laugh and think too much (the right amount?) about sex and death and honesty.' MONICA HEISEY 'Offbeat, unhinged and brilliant.' Stylist'Utterly addictive. . . I laughed so hard it ached.' GILLIAN ANDERSON'Juicy, salacious and compelling. Trauma shouldn't be this fun.' SARA PASCOEGreta liked knowing people's secrets. That wasn't a problem. Until she met Big Swiss.Big Swiss. That's Greta's nickname for her - she is tall, and she is from Switzerland. Well that's how Greta imagines her; they haven't actually met in person. Nor has Greta actually ever been to Switzerland.What Greta doesn't know is that she's about to bump into Big Swiss in the local dog park. A new - and not entirely honest - relationship is going to be born.A relationship that will transform both of their lives . . .Readers are obsessed with Big Swiss:'Thing thing is a riot.' 'Slightly deranged, endlessly entertaining, and weirdly touching.' 'Kooky, funny, and very gripping.' 'Beagin really understands the human condition.' 'From the dark, dry comedy to the conversations surrounding sexuality, trauma and the complexities of our relationships to one another, this book had it ALL.' 'I absolutely adored this!' 'Bonkers but brilliant. I was hooked from the get go.''Darkly funny, wildly eccentric and impossibly great.' 'I loved this book all the way through, couldn't put it down.' 'I devoured this book.' 'Wonderful, witty, thought-provoking.' 'Got me out of a reading slump and heartbroken it's over.'
£9.99
Amberley Publishing Illustrated Tales of Wiltshire
Wiltshire’s very landscape is steeped in folklore and mythology, with almost every hill, standing stone and barrow having its own stories and legends. With so much of this history still visible on the land it is no wonder that the county has more than its fair share of mysterious happenings and strange tales from ancient times to the modern day. This book will explore a multitude of these tales, from how locals earned nicknames such as Moonrakers, Dabchicks, Snuffy, Gudgeons and Knobs, to tales of buried treasure and origin myths of the county’s stone circles. It will look at the folklore around sites such as Oliver’s Castle, Hackpen Hill, Old Sarum, Collingbourne Wood and, not least, Stonehenge and Avebury. Folk tales have developed around the county’s personalities, such as the ‘flying’ monk of Malmesbury, the Devizes Wizard, the Seend Giant and the wonderful oddities of Jack Spratt’s amazing clocks at Wootton Rivers. Other unusual aspects of Wiltshire’s history and traditional customs that have entered into local legend include Thomas Lambert (who died before he was born), the election song at Salisbury, the annual fairs on Cley Hill and Cow Down and the healing waters of Purton. Some stories are founded in historical fact, such as the sudden death of a woman in Devizes Market, the reason why Bristol’s cross now stands in Wiltshire, the discovery of somewhat ‘mysterious’ mud springs at Royal Wootton Bassett and Salisbury’s memorial to a woman killed by a tiger. Modern mysteries also form part of the county’s folklore including the rumours surrounding Rudloe Manor, the alleged Boscombe Down spy plane, the dart embedded in the tower of Calne’s church, the tunnels at Corsham and the monolith that suddenly appeared on Laverstock Down in 2021.
£15.99
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Boeing 747: A Legends of Flight Illustrated History
More than half a century ago the Boeing 747 took to the air for the first time; it is considered the first large-capacity civilian airliner. Lovingly nicknamed the “Jumbo Jet,” the aircraft quickly became the flagship of any airline that operated it. While sales were initially modest, the unmistakable four-engine jet became a bestseller after much-improved and more-advanced versions became available in the 1980s. Though recent technological developments have caused the age of the big four-engine passenger jet to slowly come to an end, the elegant 747 is undoubtedly an aviation legend that still turns heads at airports. Sadly, after a 50-year-plus service career, the last 747s are due to come off the factory line in 2022. The history of the 747’s design, development, and operational use is presented in detail in this book, as is its use by many of the world’s most famous airlines, including TWA, Pan Am, Lufthansa, Qantas, British Airways, El Al, Air France, and nearly 100 others throughout its long career. Governments and militaries worldwide have also flown the 747, for missions including ferrying NASA's former space shuttle fleet, and the current US Air Force One presidential aircraft. Technical specifications for the 747 and its variants, as well as period photographs, bring to life the fascinating history of one of Boeing’s most iconic aircraft.
£25.19
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Confessions of a Video Vixen
Part tell-all, part cautionary tale, this emotionally charged memoir from a former video vixen nicknamed 'Superhead' goes beyond the glamour of celebrity to reveal the inner workings of the hip-hop dancer industry-from the physical and emotional abuse that's rampant in the industry, and which marked her own life-to the excessive use of drugs, sex and bling. Once the sought-after video girl, this sexy siren has helped multi-platinum artists, such as Jay-Z, R. Kelly and LL Cool J, sell millions of albums with her sensual dancing. In a word, Karrine was H-O-T. So hot that she made as much as $2500 a day in videos and was selected by well-known film director F. Gary Gray to co-star in his film, A Man Apart, starring Vin Diesel. But the film and music video sets, swanky Hollywood and New York restaurants and trysts with the celebrities featured in the pages of People and In Touch magazines only touches the surface of Karrine Steffans' life. Her journey is filled with physical abuse, rape, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and single motherhood-all by the age of 26. By sharing her story, Steffans hopes to shed light on an otherwise romanticised industry and help young women avoid the same pitfalls she encountered. If they're already in danger, she hopes to inspire them to find a way to dig themselves out of what she knows first-hand to be a cycle of hopelessness and despair.
£10.99
HarperCollins Publishers Secretariat
The remarkable true story of ‘Big Red,’ one of America’s finest racehorses. When her beloved Meadow Stables is faced with closure following her father’s illness, housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over. Despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge she calls in assistance from trainer Lucien Laurin and a host of successful jockeys. Pitted against the Phipps’ racing dynasty, Penny takes the decision to breed her mare Somethingroyal to the Phipps’ Bold Ruler, the nation’s favourite stallion. With the toss of a coin it is agreed that one family will take Somethingroyal’s first foal with the losing stable taking the colt out of Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal’s second foal. Penny loses the toss, but the wait for the unborn foal proves fortuitous when a bright red chestnut colt is born, Secretariat. Nicknamed “Big Red,” with Laurin’s guidance, Penny manages to navigate the male-dominated business of horse racing, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time. Now, more than 30 years after its initial publication, the story of "Big Red" continues to be a classic. Secretariat is the tale of a great racehorse but also a testimony to the dedication of Penny Chenery. Following her triumph with Secretariat she was elected as the first female member of The Jockey Club, changing the face of American horse racing forever.
£9.99
Cornerstone Duckling: A gripping, emotional, life-affirming story you’ll want to recommend to a friend
Duckling's a nickname Lucy has never been able to shake off.And, if she's honest, maybe it suits her.She just isn't the type to socialise with other people.You might say she's reluctant to leave her nest.Lucy's life is small, but safe. She's got a good routine. But all that's about to change...When Lucy's neighbour asks her to look after her little girl for a couple of hours - and then doesn't come back - Lucy is suddenly responsible for someone other than herself.It takes courage to let the outside world in, and Lucy's about to learn there's much more to life - but only if she's brave enough to spread her wings...________________________________Praise for Duckling'A poignant read' Woman's Own'[I] loved this gorgeous, funny, poignant and very human book' Rowan Coleman'Underlines the importance of friendship, community and family while maintaining a galloping plot that keeps you gripped until the last page' Sarah J Harris'A lovely, heart-warming story about the importance of friendship and family, the power of forgiveness and about learning to love yourself' Clare Swatman'Duckling is joyous, life-affirming and refreshing' - Joanne Harris'Combines uplifting and poignant moments with a plot that is so gripping it had me feverishly turning the pages!' Jessica Ryn'Charming and compassionate, dark at times yet peppered with joy' Eleanor Ray
£9.99
Fonthill Media Ltd Kettenhund!: The German Military Police in the Second World War
In almost every army in the World, the Military Police rank amongst those who are least liked by other soldiers despite the essential duties that they carry out, often being amongst the first in and last out in any theatre of war. In the German armed forces, however, opinions of the military police were often those of fear as much as dislike, so great were the powers held by these troops. Germany created a plethora of different branches of what were termed 'Ordnungstruppe' - Troops for Maintaining Order. Many wore a distinctive metal gorget plate on a chain around the neck, leading to their pejorative nickname 'Kettenhund' or Chain Dogs. Despite certainly being involved in often brutal treatment of partisans and other unfortunates who fell into their grasp, their skills were sufficiently appreciated by the allies that on Germany's surrender, a number of military police units of the Wehrmacht were allowed to remain in post under allied control to assist in controlling the vast number of now disarmed German troops. Kettenhund!The German Military Police in the Second World War, using primarily previously unpublished photographic material from private sources, provides a detailed study of the organisation of these units and the distinctive uniforms and insignia they wore.
£27.00
O'Reilly Media 97 Things Every Cloud Engineer Should Know: Collective Wisdom From the Experts
If you create, manage, operate, or configure systems running in the cloud, you're a cloud engineer--even if you work as a system administrator, software developer, data scientist, or site reliability engineer. With this book, professionals from around the world provide valuable insight into today's cloud engineering role. These concise articles explore the entire cloud computing experience, including fundamentals, architecture, and migration. You'll delve into security and compliance, operations and reliability, and software development. And examine networking, organizational culture, and more. You're sure to find 1, 2, or 97 things that inspire you to dig deeper and expand your own career. "Three Keys to Making the Right Multi-Cloud Decisions," Brendan O'Leary "Serverless Bad Practices," Manases Jesus Galindo Bello "Failing a Cloud Migration," Lee Atchison "Treat Your Cloud Environment as If It Were On-Premises," Iyana Garry "What Is Toil, and Why Are SREs Obsessed with It?", Zachary Nickens "Lean QA: The QA Evolving in the DevOps World," Theresa Neate "How Economies of Scale Work in the Cloud," Jon Moore "The Cloud Is Not About the Cloud," Ken Corless "Data Gravity: The Importance of Data Management in the Cloud," Geoff Hughes "Even in the Cloud, the Network Is the Foundation," David Murray "Cloud Engineering Is About Culture, Not Containers," Holly Cummins
£35.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Golf Lover's Guide to England
EVERY GOLF COURSE around the world has one thing in common – they are all unique. Golf provides a different experience wherever you go. No two courses are ever the same and each has their own captivating story to tell. Blessed with a rich and varied landscape, England has a prolific collection of coastal links and inland courses created by some of golf’s most cherished craftsmen; Sunningdale (Park Jr. & Colt), Walton Heath (Fowler), St Enodoc (Braid), Alwoodley and Moortown (MacKenzie) to name just a few. This guide offers a golfer everything they would require to enjoy a great round of golf at the best courses England has to offer. All the information you need is right here - par scores, yardage, green-fee price indicators, booking procedure, history of each club and how best to play the course. England is where golf’s greatest artists have gifted us moments to treasure for eternity. A young Ballesteros lifting the claret jug at Royal Lytham & St Annes, Bobby Jones storming to victory at Hoylake on his way to the grand slam, and who can ever forget Nicklaus and Jacklin bringing their titanic Ryder Cup battle to a close with a famous handshake at Royal Birkdale. Sharing a border with its spiritual home, England is undoubtedly golf's exquisite front garden.
£14.99
Transworld Publishers Ltd My Brief History
'His clarity, wit and determination are evident, his understand and good humour moving' New ScientistMy Brief History recounts Stephen Hawking’s improbable journey, from his post-war London boyhood to his years of international acclaim and celebrity. Lavishly illustrated with rarely seen photographs, this concise, witty and candid account introduces readers to a Hawking rarely glimpsed in previous books: the inquisitive schoolboy whose classmates nicknamed him ‘Einstein’; the jokester who once placed a bet with a colleague over the existence of a black hole; and the young husband and father struggling to gain a foothold in the world of academia.Writing with characteristic humility and humour, Hawking opens up about the challenges that confronted him following his diagnosis of motor neurone disease aged twenty-one. Tracing his development as a thinker, he explains how the prospect of an early death urged him onwards through numerous intellectual breakthroughs, and talks about the genesis of his masterpiece A Brief History of Time – one of the iconic books of the twentieth century.Clear-eyed, intimate and wise, My Brief History opens a window for the rest of us into Hawking’s personal cosmos.'Read it for the personal nuggets . . . but above all, it's worth reading for its message of hope' Mail on Sunday
£9.04
Taschen GmbH Frida Kahlo. The Complete Paintings
Among the few women artists who have transcended art history, none had a meteoric rise quite like Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907–1954). Her unmistakable face, depicted in over fifty extraordinary self-portraits, has been admired by generations; along with hundreds of photographs taken by notable artists such as Edward Weston, Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo, Nickolas Muray, and Martin Munkácsi, they made Frida Kahlo an icon of 20th century art. After an accident in her early youth, Frida became a painter. Her marriage to Diego Rivera in 1929 placed her at the forefront of an artistic scene not only in the cultural Renaissance of Mexico, but also in the United States. Her work garnered praise from the poet André Breton, who added the Mexican painter to the ranks of international surrealism and exhibited her work in Paris in 1939 to the admiration of Picasso, Kandinsky, and Duchamp. We access the intimacy of Frida’s affections and passions through a selection of drawings, pages from her personal diary, letters, and an extensive illustrated biography featuring photos of Frida, Diego, and the Casa Azul, Frida’s home and the center of her universe. This large-format XXL book allows readers to admire Frida Kahlo’s paintings like never before, including unprecedented detail shots and famous photographs. It presents pieces in private collections and reproduces works that were previously lost or have not been exhibited for more than 80 years, forming the most extensive study of Kahlo’s work and life to date.
£135.00
Anness Publishing Cake Pops!
This title features 25 bite-sized sweet treats. You can celebrate the irresistible world of cake pops with this delightful collection of little sweet creations on sticks - from cakes and cookies to tarts and pies. Recipes range from fun and frivolous, such as Frog Pops and Fairy Wand Pops, to exquisite adult indulgences, such as Tiramisu Pops and Amaretto Pops. There are some wonderfully seasonal pops, including Easter Cookie Pops, 4th July Pops and Christmas Tree Pops. A concise introduction covers key techniques and ingredients and the book is illustrated with fabulous photographs by Nicki Dowey. The latest sensation taking the baking world by storm, cake pops are the ultimate in cakey cuteness. A cross between a cake and a lollipop, these bite-sized morsels look almost too good to eat. The classic cake pop is a dense round ball made from a mixture of crumbled cake and rich frosting, dipped in a candy coating. In this little gift book, we take the concept even further with 25 winning recipes of miniature cakes, cookies, tarts, pies and many more sweet treats.Try handing them out at the end of a child's birthday party instead of party bags, or use Alphabet Pops as fun place settings at a dinner party - and Halloween Ghost Pops will be popular with trick-or-treaters of all ages. All the recipes are written in clear step-by-step format and are illustrated throughout. Whatever the occasion, with this selection of recipes you are sure to impress friends and family.
£6.52
Quercus Publishing Killing Goldfinger: The Secret, Bullet-Riddled Life and Death of Britain's Gangster Number One - As Featured in BBC Drama 'The Gold'
The inside story of the life and death of Britain's criminal kingpin and the empire he builtKILLING GOLDFINGER charts the extraordinary rise and spectacular bullet-riddled fall of John Palmer, the richest, most powerful criminal ever to have emerged from the modern British underworld. During the late 1990s, Palmer was rated as rich as The Queen by the Sunday Times Rich List.Palmer earned his nickname Goldfinger after smelting (in his back garden) tens of millions of pounds worth of stolen gold bullion from the 20th century's most lucrative heist; the Brink's-Mat robbery. Palmer then used his share of the millions to become the vicious overlord of a vast illegal timeshare property empire in Tenerife. At the same time,Goldfinger financed huge international drugs shipments as well as some of the most notorious UK robberies of the past 30 years, including the £50m Securitas heist in Kent in 2006 and, many believe, the Hatton Garden heist in 2015.Palmer vowed to hunt down all his underworld enemies. But in the end it was those same criminals who decided to bring his life to an end. Murdered in June 2015, with charges of fraud, money laundering and worse pending, this book tells his murky story for the first time.As outrageous and bullet-riddled as the hit Netflix series Narcos, Killing Goldfinger tells the true story of Britain's underworld kingpin, who turned the sunshine holiday island of Tenerife into his very own Crime Incorporated and then paid the ultimate price.
£10.99
Little, Brown Book Group The Last Yakuza: A Life in the Japanese Underworld
'The Last Yakuza might be a work of non-fiction, but it reads more like a thriller... a gripping read' - Irish News'Sacred, ferocious, and businesslike, Adelstein describes the Japanese mafia like nobody else' Roberto Saviano, on Tokyo ViceMakoto Saigo is half-American and half-Japanese in small-town Japan with a set of talents limited to playing guitar and picking fights. With rock stardom off the table, he turns toward the only place where you can start from the bottom and move up through sheer merit, loyalty, and brute force - the yakuza.Saigo, nicknamed "Tsunami", quickly realizes that even within the organization, opinions are as varied as they come, and a clash of philosophies can quickly become deadly. One screw-up can cost you your life, or at least a finger.The internal politics of the yakuza are dizzyingly complex, and between the ever-shifting web of alliances and the encroaching hand of the law that pushes them further and further underground, Saigo finds himself in the middle of a defining decades-long battle that will determine the future of the yakuza.Written with the insight of an expert on Japanese organized crime and the compassion of a longtime friend, investigative journalist Jake Adelstein presents a sprawling biography of a yakuza, through post-war desperation, to bubble-era optimism, to the present. Including a cast of memorable yakuza bosses - Coach, The Buddha, and more - this is a story about the rise and fall of a man, a country, and a dishonest but sometimes honorable way of life on the brink of being lost.
£22.50
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa: Shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards 2023
** AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVELIST AND BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR 2023 ** ** SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARDS 2023: DEBUT FICTION ** ‘A voice unlike any other’ OBSERVER ‘I fell in love immediately’ MAX PORTER ‘A writer of imagination and flair’ ECONOMIST ‘Smart, subversive, funny, heartbreaking’ KAMILA SHAMSIE ‘Buoro's writing deserves to inspire a generation of superheroes’ THE TIMES Fifteen-year-old Andrew Aziza lives in Kontagora, Nigeria, where his days are spent about town with his droogs, Slim and Morocca, grappling with his fantasies about white girls – especially blondes – and wondering who his father is. When he’s not in church, at school or attempting to form ‘Africa’s first superheroes’, he obsesses over mathematical theorems, ideas of black power and HXVX: the Curse of Africa. Sure enough, the reluctantly nicknamed ‘Andy Africa’ soon falls hopelessly and inappropriately in love with the first white girl he lays eyes on, Eileen. But at the church party held to celebrate her arrival, multiple crises loom. An unfamiliar man claims, despite his mother’s denials, to be Andy’s father, and the gathering of an anti-Christian mob is headed for the church – both set to shake the foundations of everything Andy knows and loves. The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa announces a dazzling, distinctive, new literary voice. Profound, exhilarating and highly original, this tragicomic novel is a stunning exploration of the contemporary African ‘condition’, the relentless infiltration of Western culture and, most of all, the ordinary but impossible challenges of coming of age in a turbulent world.
£15.29
Minotaur Books,US The Body by the Sea
In all of Commissaire Georges Dupin's time living in Brittany, there has never been a murder on his home turf, until now, in Jean-Luc Bannalec''s The Body by the Sea.A town on the sea, Concarneau's nickname is Ville Bleue, or the Blue Town. With three harbors at its center, visitors can see enormous ships, sailors, fishermen, and the industry that goes alongside it. Because of its geographical location, Concarneau has shown it's perfectly positioned to protect its inhabitants from enemy attacks.For this reason and more, including his favorite restaurant, the Amiral, Commissaire Georges Dupin calls this town home. Most of his colleagues are on vacation for the Pentecost long weekend, but Dupin remains. His future in-laws are coming to visit.But what happens when an enemy attacks from within? Dupin's plans as host must change when the body of Doctor Chaboseau is discovered. Chaboseau fell to his death, pushed from his home above the Amiral. With o
£13.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The House of Gucci [Movie Tie-in] UK: A True Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed
SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE from director Ridley Scott, starring Lady Gaga and Adam DriverThe sensational true story of murder, madness, glamour, and greed that shook the Gucci dynasty, now fully updated with a new afterwordOn March 27, 1995, Maurizio Gucci, heir to the fabulous fashion dynasty, was slain by an unknown gunman as he approached his Milan office. In 1998, his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani Martinelli--nicknamed "The Black Widow" by the press--was sentenced to 29 years in prison, for arranging his murder. Did Patrizia murder her ex-husband because his spending was wildly out of control? Did she do it because her glamorous ex was preparing to marry his mistress, Paola Franchi? Or is there a possibility she didn't do it at all?The Gucci story is one of glitz, glamour, intrigue, the rise, near fall and subsequent resurgence of a fashion dynasty. Beautifully written, impeccably researched, and widely acclaimed, The House of Gucci will captivate readers with its page-turning account of high fashion, high finance, and heart-rending personal tragedy.
£8.99
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training
Grey’s Anatomy meets One L in this psychiatrist’s charming and poignant memoir about his residency at Harvard. Adam Stern was a student at a state medical school before being selected to train as a psychiatry resident at one of the most prestigious programs in the country. His new and initially intimidating classmates were high achievers from the Ivy League and other elite universities around the nation. Faculty raved about the group as though the residency program had won the lottery, nicknaming them “The Golden Class,” but would Stern ever prove that he belonged? In his memoir, Stern pulls back the curtain on the intense and emotionally challenging lessons he and his fellow doctors learned while studying the human condition, and ultimately, the value of connection. The narrative focuses on these residents, their growth as doctors, and the life choices they make as they try to survive their grueling four-year residency. Rich with drama, insight, and emotion, Stern shares engrossing stories of life on the psychiatric wards, as well as the group’s experiences as they grapple with impostor syndrome and learn about love and loss. Most importantly, as they study how to help distressed patients in search of a better life, they discover the meaning of failure and the preciousness of success. Stern’s growth as a doctor, and as a man, have readers rooting for him and his patients, and ultimately find their own hearts fuller for having taken this journey with him.
£25.39
New Haven Publishing Ltd ARGH!: The Ups and Downs of Life as a Comic Book Creator: I was Spider-Man's Editor
"ARGH!!" was the first word Tim Quinn uttered on arrival on this planet back in 1953. The way things are going he believes it is likely to be the last word he utters too. He certainly manages to cram a lot in between birth and death. As he explains, "Life is all downhill after the age of....two." While still in his crib, the world of comic books enters his life as his elder brother's copy of the 'Beano' causes a house fire leaving tiny Tim trapped in a smoke-filled room. Even earlier than that we hear how he was born striped due to his mother's wartime diet of powdered eggs causing her to nickname him 'Tiger Tim' after her favourite comic book character. Education under the iron fist of the Irish Christian Brothers leaves Quinn with a diploma for playing truant. They insist on him entering either the banking or holy clerical professions. Instead, at age sixteen, he runs away to become a clown in Blackpool Tower Circus. And so begins a life in what he describes as the world of synchronicity. "I always seemed to meet the right people at exactly the right time." One job leads to another as we follow Tim's hilarious life of ups and downs across the multiverse of circus, theatre, BBC television, comic books, newspapers, magazines, books, documentaries and music. Celebrities abound round every corner from Beatles to Stan Lee, and the Pope to Hugh Hefner. Fully illustrated with Tim's own personal behind-the-scenes photos and memorabilia.
£17.99
Headline Publishing Group The Little Book of Weed: Smoke it up
Bill Hicks asks: 'Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn't the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit... unnatural?' The Little Book of Weed looks at marijuana use from its first ever references to parents naming their children after their favourite varietals and asks the same question. Ganja, weed, cannabis, Mary Jane, blunt, chronic. The list of nicknames for marijuana is as numerous and varied as the users it appeals to. Grown in fields and hotboxes around the world, weed's influence on culture is far beyond teenagers trying pot for the very first time or chronic hippies fully immersed in the lifestyle. Howlers from politicians struggling to balance reality with perception, hilarious stand-up comedians in smoke-filled clubs, musicians whose albums defined eras and movies that put it all on film owe much of their infamy to the infamous herb. So sit back, chill out and roll up roll up for the Little Book of Weed as it emblazons the leafs. 'Herb is the healing of the nation, alcohol is its destruction.' Television interview with Bob Marley. 'When I was a kid, I inhaled, frequently. That was the point.' Barack Obama, when running for president in 2008. 'After 25 years of being fake weed dealers, it feels nice to be real weed dealers.' Kevin Smith on the launch of three new varieties of 'Snoogans' weed ahead of the long-awaited launch of the Jay and Silent Bob sequel, The Hollywood Reporter, 2020.
£7.15
Transworld Publishers Ltd I Owe You One: The Number One Sunday Times Bestseller
The irresistible standalone from Sophie Kinsella is a story of love, empowerment and an IOU that changes everything . . .Fixie Farr can't help herself. Straightening a crooked object, removing a barely-there stain, helping out a friend . . . she just has to put things right. It's how she got her nickname, after all. So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees, she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank her, the computer's owner, Sebastian, scribbles her an IOU - but of course Fixie never intends to call in the favour.That is, until her teenage crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and needs her help - and Fixie turns to Seb. But things don't go according to plan, and now Fixie owes Seb: big time.Soon the pair are caught up in a series of IOUs - from small favours to life-changing debts - and Fixie is torn between the past she's used to and the future she deserves. Does she have the courage to fix things for herself and fight for the life, and love, she really wants? ***** EVERYBODY LOVES SOPHIE KINSELLA: *****'Left me giddy with laughter. I loved it' JOJO MOYES'Life doesn't get much better than a new Sophie Kinsella novel' RED'One of the most relatable books I've read in a long time, I couldn't put it down.' LOUISE PENTLAND (SprinkleofGlitter)OUT NOW the joyful new standalone novel from Sophie Kinsella: LOVE YOUR LIFE
£9.99
Penguin Young Readers Delete That: (and Other Failed Attempts to Look Good Online)
A candid and irreverent look at the ridiculous ways we all try to make ourselves look better online—from a popular standup and internet comedian whose videos have been viewed over one billion times.“John is one of my top-three all-time favorite comedians, next to me and Foxworthy. Buy this book—you’ll be glad you did.”—Larry the Cable Guy John Crist wasn’t always recognizable as “the guy from that hilarious video in the grocery store.” Growing up part of a homeschool family of ten in rural Georgia with Mennonite grandparents and a high-school job at Chick-fil-A, he was an unlikely candidate for internet fame. Despite all that, or perhaps because of it, Crist passionately pursued his dream of stand-up comedy. In his first book, Crist offers heartfelt, laugh-out-loud observations on the absurd ways we all try to make ourselves look better online: like how we all post filtered pictures of our super healthy kale salads but somehow neglect to post about our 1 A.M. Uber Eats Big Mac. Or how quick we all are to post our “I Voted” sticker pictures but fail to post about the ways we vote with our dollars every day in ways that don’t align with our loudly and publicly espoused values. With self-deprecating wit, Crist chronicles his meteoric rise as an online and stand-up comedian, but he doesn’t gloss over the ways his own life choices did not align with his online image—a gap between perception and reality that eventually led to a stint in rehab. In Delete That, Crist takes responsibility for his actions, offers some reflections on how to do better, and encourages us all to stop capitulating to the fear of “But what will they think?!” Instead, this book offers a bold invitation to stop curating life and start living it . . . one Nickelback concert at a time.
£19.80
Amberley Publishing Secret Twickenham, Whitton, Teddington and the Hamptons
For centuries, Twickenham, Teddington, Whitton and the Hamptons were bucolic places, a string of villages alongside the great highway of the Thames. Hampton Court is most famous for its connections with Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey and its royal palace, but it was the river that offered a livelihood to many, through fishing and boatbuilding and access to London, and also for its many fruit, vegetable and flower gardens. Twickenham particularly became a fashionable retreat for Londoners with pleasure gardens and grand houses, many of which survive today, but the area later became a hotbed of British R&B in the 1960s on Eel Pie Island. Twickenham film studios produced many classics of British cinema including The Italian Job, and Teddington Studios was the home of Thames TV. Twickenham is also the home of English rugby and one of the many fascinating stories revealed in this book is the controversy around how the stadium nicknamed ‘the cabbage patch’ came to be built here. Secret Twickenham Whitton, Teddington and the Hamptons explores the lesser-known episodes and characters in the history of Twickenham and the surrounding towns of Whitton, Teddington and the Hamptons through the years. With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, it will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this corner of South West London.
£15.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Breaking the Siegfried Line: Rhineland, February 1945
In this second of Tim Saunders’ volumes on the opening stage of the 1945 Rhineland Campaign, the focus is to the north of the Reichswald, on the flood plain of the River Rhine and a narrow strip of slightly higher ground. Amidst the rapidly rising flood waters, 3rd Canadian Division earned the nickname ‘The Water Rats’ as they fought to clear villages and dykes, while on their right, the 15th Scottish Division fought through the Germans’ outer defences with tanks becoming deeply bogged before facing the Siegfried Line defences. Even though deceived by a faulty estimate of allied intent, German resistance to the Guards Armoured Brigade, the specialist assault vehicles of 79th Armoured Division and the Scottish infantry, was stiff as they broke through the anti-tank ditches and bunkers. Aiming to maintain momentum, General Horrocks, the commander of XXX Corps, released 43rd Wessex Division and 8 Armoured Brigade into the narrow corridor between the floods and the Reichswald, which resulted in a terrible traffic jam. Despite this, the West Country soldiers and tanks were soon in the badly bombed ruins of Kleve, the first substantial German city to be taken by the British. German reaction to the attack on the ‘Reichswald plug’ was to send their surviving panzer and panzergrenadier formations south into counter attacks to blunt the allied offensive that was poised to spill out into the Rhineland.
£22.50
Three Rooms Press Yippie Girl: Exploits in Protest and Defeating the FBI
HONORABLE MENTION, Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award, Autobiography & Memoir!Lifelong activist Judy Gumbo, an original member of The Yippies, a 1960s anti-war satirical protest group, offers an insider feminist memoir of her involvement with the Yippies, Black Panthers, women's rights, environmental actions, and a life of activism. In 1968, a 24-year-old woman moved to Berkeley, California and immediately became enmeshed in the Youth International Party, aka The Yippies, an anti-war satirical protest group. In the next few years, Judy Gumbo (a nickname given her by Eldridge Cleaver), was soon at the center of counter-cultural activity—from protests in People’s Park, to meetings at Black Panther headquarters, to running a pig for President at the raucous Democratic National Convention in Chicago, a protest that devolved into violent attacks by the police and arrests that led to the notorious Chicago Conspiracy Trial. In this historical account, Gumbo reveals intimate details of—and struggles with—her fellow radicals Jerry Rubin, Anita & Abbie Hoffman, Eldridge Cleaver, Paul Krassner, Stew Albert, and more, detailing their experiences in radical protests. This deep dive into her activism includes details of her organization of a national women's rights group, her visit to North Vietnam during the war, her travels around the globe to promote women's liberation and anti-war protest, and her environmental activism. It also includes extensive excerpts from illegal wiretaps and surveillance by the FBI.“A welcome addition to the literature of radical activism.” —Kirkus Reviews “A fun read and a valuable political document, long overdue.” —Counterpunch Yippie Girl explores Gumbo’s life as a protester to show that, while circumstances always change, protesters can stay loyal to the causes they believe in and remain true to themselves. She also reveals how dogmatism, authoritarianism, and interpersonal conflict can damage those same just causes, offering a timeless and strategic guide for activists today protesting against injustice in all its forms.
£11.99
Royal Society of Chemistry The Carcinogenicity of Metals: Human Risk Through Occupational and Environmental Exposure
This book re-evaluates epidemiological and occupational health studies, experimental studies in animals and in vitro experiments relating to the toxicity of 27 metal and metalloid elements for which evidence of carcinogenicity has been presented. Human carcinogenic risk is substantiated in relation to arsenic, beryllium, thorium, chromium, radioactive elements, probably lead, and some nickel and cobalt compounds, and respirable silica particles, but the carcinogenicity of iron, aluminium, titanium, tungsten, antimony, bismuth, mercury, precious metals, and certain related compounds in humans is unresolved. The toxicity and carcinogenicity of each element is specific but correlates poorly with its position in the Periodic Table. Carcinogenicity differs according to the valency of the ion and its ability to interact with and penetrate membranes in target cells and to bind, denature or induce mutations by genotoxic or epigenetic mechanisms. This important text comprehensively examines each of the elements providing detailed information on the carcinogenicity and toxicity and detailing the most up-to-date research in this area. The book is an essential tool for toxicologists, medicinal and biochemists, and environmental scientists working in both industry and academia.
£159.99
John Murray Press Megathreats: Our Ten Biggest Threats, and How to Survive Them
A Financial Times Economics Book of the YearA Times Business Book of the YearA Sunday Independent (Ireland) Book of the Year'People who like horror films will love this book' Financial Times'Forewarned is forearmed. Read and pay attention' Martin Wolf'Not only will the reader be better off after reading this book, but the world will be a better place' Nassim Nicholas TalebWe are heading towards the worst economic catastrophe of our lifetimes - unless we can defend against ten terrifying threats.World renowned economist Nouriel Roubini was nicknamed Dr. Doom until his warnings of the 2008 housing crisis and Great Financial Crisis came true - when it was too late. Now he's back with much scarier predictions, ones that we ignore at our peril. There are no fewer than ten overlapping, interconnected threats that are so serious Roubini describes them as megathreats - with each one potentially amplifying the others. From the worst debt crisis the world has ever seen, to governments pumping out too much money and causing inflation, to borders that are blocked to workers and many shipments of goods, to the rise of a new superpower competition between China and the US, to pandemics and climate change that strike directly at our most populated cities, to the threat to jobs coming from AI, we are facing not one, not two, but ten causes of disaster.Today, we are heading towards a Great Stagflation that will make the 1970s look moderate. There is a slight chance we can avoid it, if we come to our senses - but we must act now.
£11.69
Harriman House Publishing Leveraged Trading: A professional approach to trading FX, stocks on margin, CFDs, spread bets and futures for all traders
With the right broker, and just a few hundred dollars or pounds, anyone can become a leveraged trader. The products and tools needed are accessible to all: FX, a margin account, CFDs, spread-bets and futures. But this level playing field comes with great risks. Trading with leverage is inherently dangerous. With leverage, losses and costs – the two great killers for traders – are magnified. This does not mean leverage must be avoided altogether, but it does mean that it needs to be used safely. In Leveraged Trading, Robert Carver shows you how to do exactly that, by using a trading system. A trading system can be employed to tackle those twin dangers of serious losses and high costs. The trading systems introduced in this book are simple and carefully designed to use the correct amount of leverage and trade at a suitable frequency. Rob shows how to trade a simple Starter System on its own, on a single instrument and with a single rule for opening positions. He then moves on to show how the Starter System can be adapted, as you gain experience and confidence. The system can be diversified into multiple instruments and new trading rules can be added. For those who wish to go further still, advice on making more complex improvements is included: how to develop your own trading systems, and how to combine a system with your own human judgement, an approach Robert has nicknamed Semi-Automatic Trading. For those trading with leverage, looking for a way to take a controlled approach and manage risk, a properly designed trading system is the answer. Pick up Leveraged Trading and learn how.
£27.00
Monacelli Press Flower Flash
From Lewis Miller, the celebrated floral designer and "Flower Bandit" himself, an intimate and joyous behind-the-scenes look at his signature Flower Flashes as they introduced bright moments of natural beauty into the city when they were needed most. Before dawn one morning in October 2016, renowned New York-based floral designer Lewis Miller stealthily arranged hundreds of brightly colored dahlias, carnations, and mums into a psychedelic halo around the John Lennon memorial in Central Park. The spontaneous floral installation was Miller's gift to the city - an effort to spark joy during a difficult time. Nearly five years and more than ninety Flower Flashes later, these elaborate flower bombs - bursts of jubilant blooms in trash cans, over bus canopies, on construction sites and traffic medians - have brought moments of delight and wonder to countless New Yorkers and flower lovers everywhere, and earned Miller a following of dedicated fans and the nickname the "Flower Bandit." After New York City entered lockdown, Miller doubled down, creating Flower Flashes outside hospitals to express gratitude to frontline health workers and throughout the city to raise spirits. This gorgeous and poignant visual diary traces the phenomenon from the first, spontaneous Flower Flash to the even more profound installations of the pandemic through a kaleidoscopic collage of photos documenting the Flower Flashes, behind-the-scenes snapshots, Miller's inspiration material, fan contributions, and more.
£35.96
Little, Brown Book Group The Last Yakuza: A Life in the Japanese Underworld
'Sacred, ferocious, and businesslike, Adelstein describes the Japanese mafia like nobody else' Roberto Saviano, on Tokyo ViceMakoto Saigo is half-American and half-Japanese in small-town Japan with a set of talents limited to playing guitar and picking fights. With rock stardom off the table, he turns toward the only place where you can start from the bottom and move up through sheer merit, loyalty, and brute force -- the yakuza.Saigo, nicknamed 'Tsunami', quickly realizes that even within the organization, opinions are as varied as they come, and a clash of philosophies can quickly become deadly. One screw-up can cost you your life, or at least a finger.The internal politics of the yakuza are dizzyingly complex, and between the ever-shifting web of alliances and the encroaching hand of the law that pushes them further and further underground, Saigo finds himself in the middle of a defining decades-long battle that will determine the future of the yakuza.Written with the insight of an expert on Japanese organized crime and the compassion of a longtime friend, investigative journalist Jake Adelstein presents a sprawling biography of a yakuza, through post-war desperation, to bubble-era optimism, to the present. Including a cast of memorable yakuza bosses -- Coach, The Buddha, and more -- this is a story about the rise and fall of a man, a country, and a dishonest but sometimes honorable way of life on the brink of being lost.'Terrific, expertly told and highly entertaining' George Pelecanos, on Tokyo Vice
£16.99
Canelo Tell No Lies
Now they’re coming after Caelan’s team…A tortured body is found in a basement. Drug dealing and people smuggling is on the rise. Then police start going missing.There seems to be no connection between the crimes, but Detective Caelan Small senses something isn’t right.Plunged into a new investigation, lives are on the line. And in the web of gangs, brothels and nerve-shattering undercover work, Caelan must get to the truth – or be killed trying.And then there’s Nicky...Utterly gripping, written with searing tension and remarkable dexterity, Tell No Lies is a blistering crime novel for fans of Angela Marsons, Rebecca Bradley and Faith Martin. Praise for Tell No Lies 'A brilliantly gripping crime thriller. This book will have you hooked from the very start.' Reader review'A must read. It is spine tingling and addictive. I can't wait for the next one in the series… Had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down!' Reader review'I was hooked from the start, and I couldn’t wait to get home to continue reading!!!' Reader review'Gritty and raw... it had me on the edge of my seat.' Stardust book reviews'I was hooked by its reality... Its pace is breathless... right up till the last page I had no idea how it was going to end...I loved it.' Nigel Adams Book Worm'The storylines are intricate with wonderful twists that caught me unawares (my notes for the BIG twist were just a string of expletives)' Reader reviewThe Detective Caelan Small Series1. Ask No Questions2. Tell No Lies
£8.99
Transworld Publishers Ltd Manchester's Finest: How the Munich air disaster broke the heart of a great city
On 6 February 1958, British European Airways flight 609 crashed in a blizzard on its third attempt to take off from an icy runaway in Munich. On board were the Manchester United football team as well as a number of journalists and other passengers. News of the disaster sent shockwaves around the world. For people who lived in Manchester at the time and for football fans throughout Britain it was one of those moments when everybody remembers exactly where they were and how they heard the terrible news. Manchester United, nicknamed the Busby Babes after their manager, Matt Busby, who had created the world-beating side, were the leading team of the day. Seven of their players were killed instantly in the crash. Three weeks later Duncan Edwards, one of the most promising players ever to come out of England, lost his battle for life. Two other players, Jackie Blanchflower and Johnny Berry, were so severely injured that they were never able to play again.Manchester's Finest tells of this terrible air crash, but it is also the story of the immediate aftermath of the disaster and the effect on the city of Manchester. It paints a vivid picture of Manchester at that time, from February 1958 to the end of the season in May when a patched-up team, carried along on a great wave of emotion, reached the FA Cup Final. It is about the fans, the people of Manchester and about the place of a football team in the heart of a city.
£12.99
Cornerstone The Toll-Gate: Gossip, scandal and an unforgettable Regency historical romance
If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer! 'The greatest writer who ever lived' Antonia Fraser'Beautifully crafted' Philippa Gregory'Incisively witty, quietly subversive' Joanne Harris_____________Captain John Staple's exploits against Napoleon's armies in the Spanish Peninsula have earned him the nickname 'Crazy Jack' amongst his comrades in the Dragoon Guards.But once the Battle of Waterloo brings the Napoleonic Wars to a decisive end, the adventure-loving Captain finds life in peacetime intolerably dull.When he finds himself lost in the Pennines, he takes refuge at an unmanned toll-house.It's there that he encounters a lady of extraordinary qualities - and suddenly, his soldiering days pale in comparison to a new adventure in which he must rescue a woman and investigate a scandalous murder . . ._____________'If you haven't read Georgette Heyer yet what a treat you have in store' HARRIET EVANS'Elegant, witty and rapturously romantic' KATIE FFORDE'Utterly delightful' GUARDIAN'Absolutely delicious tales of Regency heroes. . . Utter, immersive escapism' SOPHIE KINSELLA'Georgette Heyer's Regency romances brim with elegance, wit and historical accuracy, and this is one of her finest and most entertaining ... Escapism of the highest order' DAILY MAIL'If you haven't read Georgette Heyer yet, what a treat you have in store!' HARRIET EVANS'Georgette Heyer is unbeatable.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH_____________Readers love The Toll-Gate . . .***** 'Heyer's writing is fantastic - I must read more.'***** 'Umpteenth re-read. I love this book.'***** 'I've read this at least twice before ... and I'm still wonderfully regaled.'***** 'Most highly recommended.'***** 'The whole read is very entertaining.'
£9.99
Simon & Schuster The Gotti Wars: Taking Down America's Most Notorious Mobster
“Riveting…an electrifying true crime story of the Mafia-smitten eighties and nineties. Suspenseful and multifaceted, The Gotti Wars can’t be missed.” —Esquire, The Best Nonfiction Books of the YearA “meticulous chronicle of good triumphing over evil” (The Washington Post) from the determined young prosecutor who, in two of America’s most celebrated trials, managed to convict famed mob boss John Gotti—and ultimately took down the Mafia altogether. John Gotti was without a doubt the flashiest and most feared Mafioso in American history. He became the boss of the Gambino Crime Family in spectacular fashion—with the brazen and very public murder of Paul Castellano in front of Sparks Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in 1985. Not one to stay below law enforcement’s radar, Gotti instead became the first celebrity crime boss. His penchant for eye-catching apparel earned him the nickname “The Dapper Don;” his ability to beat criminal charges led to another: “The Teflon Don.” This is the captivating story of Gotti’s meteoric rise to power and his equally dramatic downfall. Every step of the way, Gotti’s legal adversary—John Gleeson, an Assistant US Attorney in Brooklyn—was watching. When Gotti finally faced two federal racketeering prosecutions, Gleeson prosecuted both. As the junior lawyer in the first case—a bitter seven-month battle that ended in Gotti’s acquittal—Gleeson found himself in Gotti’s crosshairs, falsely accused of serious crimes by a defense witness Gotti intimidated into committing perjury. Five years later, Gleeson was in charge of the second racketeering investigation and trial. Armed with the FBI’s secret recordings of Gotti’s conversations with his underboss and consigliere in the apartment above Gotti’s Little Italy hangout, Gleeson indicted all three. He “flipped” underboss Sammy the Bull Gravano, killer of nineteen men, who became history’s highest-ranking mob turncoat—resulting in Gotti’s murder conviction. Gleeson ended not just Gotti’s reign, but eventually that of the entire mob. A spellbinding, page-turning courtroom drama, The Gotti Wars “tells us in electrifying detail how the good guys finally won, how justice triumphed over evil, and how Gleeson himself was transformed by his long war” (Nelson DeMille).
£9.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Aberdeen at War 1939-45
Scotland was of grave strategic importance during the war due to its geographical position, while its capital was the location of a significant number of important military and civil organisations. Aberdeen possessed important shipbuilding facilities, including Hall, Russell & Co., which built a number of vessels during the war, such as corvettes and frigates, resulting in the yard being targeted by the Luftwaffe on a number of occasions. The fishing fleet was also of prime importance in supplying food for a war-starved Britain and many Aberdeenshire men constantly risked their lives putting out to sea in order to land fish. Many were killed in attacks by enemy aircraft or mines. No member of the population of Aberdeen escaped the war, whether it was the huge numbers of men and women from the area who came forward for service in the military or in roles such as the Home Guard, ARP services, nursing, working in vital war industries, or struggling to maintain a household under strict rationing and the stresses of wartime life. Evacuation proved a thorny issue as Aberdeen was originally classed as a neutral area' and no plans were made for evacuation. By 1940, however, there was anger and frustration as several groups petitioned for this classification to be changed. These petitioners were probably proved correct as Aberdeen went on to become the most frequently raided city (after London) in Britain suffering 32 attacks and 364 air raid warnings earning the city the nickname the Siren City'. Aberdeen also suffered the final Luftwaffe attack on Scottish soil when a concerted attack was made on 21 April 1943, resulting in 125 deaths and an estimated 12,000 houses being either destroyed or damaged. Aberdeenshire also played a significant role in the war effort in the air. It was ideally placed to enable the RAF to patrol not only the north-east of Scotland, but also the North Sea and the vital approaches to the naval base at Orkney, while the RAF also launched raids on occupied Norway and enemy shipping. Aberdeen at War 1939-1945 poignantly commemorates the efforts and achievements of Aberdeen: workers, fighters, families divided, all surviving astounding tests.
£12.99
Taschen GmbH Frida Kahlo. 40th Ed.
Among the women artists who have transcended art history, none had a meteoric rise quite like Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954). Her unmistakable face, depicted in over fifty extraordinary self-portraits, has been admired by generations; along with hundreds of photographs taken by notable artists such as Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo, Nickolas Muray, and Martin Munkácsi, they made Frida Kahlo an icon of 20th century art. After an accident in her early youth, Frida became a painter. Her marriage to Diego Rivera in 1929 placed her at the forefront of an artistic scene not only in the cultural Renaissance of Mexico, but also in the United States. Her work garnered praise from the poet André Breton, who added the Mexican painter to the ranks of international surrealism and exhibited her work in Paris in 1939 to the admiration of Picasso, Kandinsky, and Duchamp. We access the intimacy of Frida's affections and passions through a selection of drawings, pages from her personal diary, and an extensive illustrated biography featuring photos of Frida, Diego, and the Casa Azul, Frida's home and the center of her universe. This book allows readers to admire Frida Kahlo's paintings like never before, including unprecedented detail shots and famous photographs. It presents pieces in private collections and reproduces works that were previously lost or have not been exhibited for more than 80 years.
£24.08
Regnery Publishing Inc Angels Against the Sun: A WWII Saga of Grunts, Grit, and Brotherhood
In the tradition of Band of Brothers, historian and former paratrooper James M. Fenelon offers a grunt’s-eye view of the 11th Airborne’s heroic campaign to liberate the Philippines in World War II. A soldier’s history at its best.A Grunt’s-Eye View of Pacific WarfareThe Pacific theater of World War II pitted American fighting men against two merciless enemies: the relentless Japanese army and the combined forces of monsoons, swamps, mud, privation, and disease. General Joseph Swing’s rowdy paratroopers of the 11th Airborne Division— nicknamed the “Angels”—fought in some of the war’s most dramatic campaigns, from bloody skirmishes in Leyte’s unforgiving rainforests to the ferocious battles on Luzon, including the hellish urban combat of Manila. The Angels were trained as elite shock troops, but high American casualties often forced them into action as ground-pounding infantrymen. Surviving on airdropped supplies and reinforcements, the Angels fought their way across nearly impassable terrain, emerging as one of the most lethal units in the Pacific War. Their final task was the occupation of Japan, where they were the first American boots on the ground. Angels Against the Sun is an unforgettable account of the liberation of the Philippines. In the tradition of Band of Brothers, historian and former paratrooper James M. Fenelon offers a grunt’s-eye view of the war. This is a soldier’s history at its best.
£22.50
Hal Leonard Corporation The History of Canadian Rock 'n' Roll
Rock and roll was born in the United States during the 1950s. Its popularity rapidly grew spreading across the Atlantic to England. The Brits transformed rock bringing it back to the States in a new form with the British Invasion. Since that time the two countries have dominated headlines and histories in terms of rock music.ÞWhat's often forgotten in these histories is the evolution of Canadian rock and roll during the same period. Over the years a huge contingent of Canadian artists has made invaluable contributions to rock and roll. The list of innovative Canadian artists is quite impressive: Neil Young Joni Mitchell Paul Anka Arcade Fire The Band Bryan Adams Rush Leonard Cohen Celine Dion Diana Krall Gordon Lightfoot Sarah McLachlan Alanis Morissette Tegan and Sara Feist Nickelback and many others not to mention the all-star producers such as Daniel Lanois (U2 Bob Dylan Peter Gabriel) Bob Rock (Metallica Aerosmith Bon Jovi) Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd Alice Cooper Kiss) and David Foster (Michael Jackson Celine Dion).ÞThe history of Canadian rock and roll is a lively entertaining and largely untold tale. Bob Mersereau presents a streamlined informative trip through the country's rich history and depth of talent from the 1950s to today covering such topics as: Toronto's club scene the folk rock and psychedelic rock of the 1960s Canadian artists who hit major stardom in the United States the challenges and reform of the Canadian broadcasting system the huge hits of the 1970s Canadian artists' presence all over the pop charts in the 1990s and Canada's indie-rock renaissance of the 2000s.
£17.09
Little, Brown Book Group The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13 3/4
'Essential...A complex blend of overexcited Adrian Mole-like anecdotes mixed with shocking moments of racism and insights into Muslim religious practices' Sunday TimesThe hilarious and pubescent debut book from your favourite British Muslim comedian (that's Tez Ilyas, by the way) is coming to a shop near you. You may know and love Tez from his stand-up comedy, his role as Eight in Man Like Mobeen, his Radio 4 series TEZ Talks, or panel shows such as Mock the Week and The Last Leg. Where you won't know him from is 1997 when he was 13 ¾. (But now you will - because that's what the book is about.) In this suitably dramatic rollercoaster of a teenage memoir, Tez takes us back to where it all began: a working class, insular British Asian Muslim community in his hometown of post-Thatcher Blackburn. Meet Ammi (Mum), Baji Rosey (the older sister), Shibz (the fashionable cousin), Was (the cool cousin), Shiry (the cleverest cousin) and a community with the most creative nicknames this side of Top Gun.Running away from shotgun-wielding farmers, successfully dodging arranged marriages, getting mugged, having front row seats to race riots and achieving formative sexual experiences doing stomach crunches in a gym, you could say life was fairly run of the mill. But with a GCSE pass rate of 30% at his school, his own fair share of family tragedy around the corner and 9/11 on the horizon, Tez's experiences of growing up as a British Muslim wasn't the fun, Jihad-pursuing affair the media wants you to believe. Well ... not always.At times shalwar-wettingly hilarious and at others searingly sad, The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13¾ shows 90s Britain at its best, and its worst.
£15.29
Taschen GmbH Bruegel
The great Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1526/31–1569) was an astoundingly inventive painter and draftsman, who made his art historical mark with beautiful, evocative landscapes as well as religious subjects, both notable for their vernacular language and attention to everyday, contemporary life. Immersing himself in rural or small-town communities, Bruegel is particularly notable for his depiction of peasant experience and folk culture, earning the artist nickname “Peasant Bruegel.” Whether hunters shivering in the snow or a boisterous country fair, Bruegel raised the farming, festivals, gatherings, and games of peasant culture to the status of high art. Bruegel’s imposing religious and moral subjects, meanwhile, such as The Triumph of Death and The Tower of Babel are as awestriking and influential today as they were in the 16th century, inspiring contemporary culture from The Lord of the Rings cinematic battle scenes to Don DeLillo’s novel Underworld. From the corn harvest to the conversion of Saul, from quaint wedding processions to Christ’s road to Calvary, this book brings together the rich range of Bruegel’s subjects to introduce his powerful compositions of both biblical and earthly tableaux.
£15.00
Schiffer Publishing Ltd The History of German Aviation: The First Jet Aircraft
This book, the first in a multi-volume history of German aviation, provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of of jet aircraft design and development in Germany. The solid description, unique photo material, historical documents, numerous drawings and complete data tables – published for the first time – make this book not only a gripping story but also an indispensable reference work for anyone with an interest in the development of aviation. In August 1939 in Germany a small propellerless aircraft took off on its maiden flight under conditions of utmost secrecy: the world’s first jet aircraft. Apart from Ernst Heinkel, Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain (inventor of the turbojet engine) and a small circle of their co-workers, no one suspected the profound effect that the successful flight of the tiny He 178 would have on aviation. Spurred on by Heinkel’s success, very high speed aircraft were also put into the air by Messerschmitt, Arado and Junkers. On the other hand the designers of jet engines initially encountered almost insuperable problems, for in wartime high-quality raw materials such as nickel, cobalt and molybdenum were unobtainable and substitute materials had to be used in their place. But the designers, who were rushing ahead with their own projects, found a way around this with the help of experienced test pilots: in 1940 the Heinkel 280, the first twin-engined jet aircraft, was flown without engines as a towed glider; Messerschmitt installed an auxiliary piston engine in the nose of its twin-engined Me 262; Arado equipped its twin-engined Ar 234 with jet engines intended for ground tests only. The test pilots became accustomed to landing on just one working engine or none at all. In spite of shortages of strategic materials and the use of replacements, jet engines reached the production stage by the end of the war. But it was only possible to put small numbers of the very high speed aircraft into service, too late to have any decisive effect on the war. The development work on these first jet aircraft led to a tremendous technological leap forward; it was the beginning of advanced technology in aircraft design.
£33.29
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Chasing the Demon: A Secret History of the Quest for the Sound Barrier, and the Band of American Aces Who Conquered It
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • At the end of World War II, a band of aces gathered in the Mojave Desert on a Top Secret quest to break the sound barrier–nicknamed "The Demon" by pilots. The true story of what happened in those skies has never been told. Speed. In 1947, it represented the difference between victory and annihilation. After Hiroshima, the ability to deliver a nuclear device to its target faster than one’s enemy became the singular obsession of American war planners. And so, in the earliest days of the Cold War, a highly classified program was conducted on a desolate air base in California’s Mojave Desert. Its aim: to push the envelope of flight to new frontiers. There gathered an extraordinary band of pilots, including Second World War aces Chuck Yeager and George Welch, who risked their lives flying experimental aircraft to reach Mach 1, the so-called sound barrier, which pilots called “the demon.” Shrouding the program in secrecy, the US military reluctantly revealed that the “barrier” had been broken two months later, after the story was leaked to the press. The full truth has never been fully revealed—until now. Chasing the Demon, from decorated fighter pilot and acclaimed aviation historian Dan Hampton, tells, for the first time, the extraordinary true story of mankind’s quest for Mach 1. Here, of course, is twenty-four-year-old Captain Chuck Yeager, who made history flying the futuristic Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound on October 14, 1947. Officially Yeager was the first to achieve supersonic flight, but drawing on new interviews with survivors of the program, including Yeager’s former commander, as well as declassified files, Hampton presents evidence that a fellow American—George Welch, a daring fighter pilot who shot down a remarkable sixteen enemy aircraft during the Pacific War—met the demon first, though he was not favored to wear the laurels, as he was now a civilian test pilot and was not flying the Bell X-1.Chasing the Demon sets the race between Yeager and Welch in the context of aviation history, so that the reader can learn and appreciate their accomplishments as never before.
£10.99
Nova Science Publishers Inc Sustainable Soil Fertility Management
Sustainable Soil Fertility Management mainly focuses on issues related to soil management at the field level, which is a prime concern for crop production that may be improved by adopting several sustainable management practices. Soil fertility is the capability of soil to sustain plant growth and optimize crop yield. This can be enhanced through the use of organic and inorganic fertilizers. Several techniques are suggested that enhance soil fertility and crop production while minimizing environmental impact. Soil fertility canbe further improved by incorporating cover crops that add organic matter to thesoil, which leads to improvedsoilstructure and promotes a healthy, fertile soil; by using green manure or growing legumes to fix nitrogen from the air through the process of biological nitrogen fixation; and by microbes. Fertile soilcontains all the majornutrients necessary to sustain basic plant nutrition (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), as well as othernutrientsneeded in smaller quantities (e.g., calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, boron, molybdenum, nickel). The book focuses on global strategies with a possible solution for managing the fertility of soil. The book covers soil science, soil fertility, crop production, soil sustainability, and soil management with a modern scientific approach that is helpful for researchers, the scientific community, academicians, business farmers and policymakers.
£183.59