Search results for ""Author Simon Clark""

Compelling . . . Clark's enthusiasm shines through on every page' Sunday Times'An engaging and lively history' Financial Times__________A thin, invisible layer of air surrounds the Earth, sustaining all known life on the planet and creating the unique climates and weather patterns that make each part of the world different.In Firmament, atmospheric scientist and science communicator Simon Clark offers a rare and accessible tour of the ins and outs of the atmosphere and how we know what we know about it. From the workings of its different layers to why carbon dioxide is special, from pioneers like Pascal to the unsung heroes working in the field to help us understand climate change, Firmament introduces us to an oft-overlooked area of science and not only lays the ground work for us to better understand the debates surrounding the climate today, but also provides a glimpse of the future that is possible with this knowledge in hand.__________

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Toy soldiers have played a significant role in the history of toys since the days of ancient Egypt, reflecting real-world realities of the times in which they were produced. Written as a primer for toy soldier collectors, both new and experienced, as well as for those wishing to relive childhood memories, this highly illustrated volume conveys the reader from the early origins of toy soldiers to the so-called ‘golden age’ of the 1930s, then through the austerity of World War II and early post-war years to the plastic revolution of the 1960s. It moves on to look at the reintroduction of the traditional toy soldier in the 1980s and 90s and the emergence of the bespoke military miniature and commercial connoisseur ranges by the likes of King & Country, First Legion and similar makers, before ending with a brief examination of the future of the toy soldier. Brief histories of the major toy soldier makers both past and present are included, and most of their most prominent products are examined and evaluated in some detail. Useful hints on identifying and buying toy soldiers, as well as practical information on the storage and display of your toy soldier collection, how to start a collection and where to buy toy soldiers are also included in this meticulously researched work.

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It's 1890. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson return to Baker Street after a night pursuing a vicious criminal. Inspector Lestrade is waiting for Holmes with a proposition of national importance. Lestrade tells Holmes that a school of detection has been formed to train a new breed of modern investigators that will serve in Great Britain and the Empire. Most students will become police officers. Some, however, will become bodyguards and spies. Holmes begins instructing his decidedly curious assortment of students from home and abroad. He does so with his customary gusto and inventiveness.Scotland Yard, in the main, allocates crimes to solve and Holmes mentors his students. Occasionally, he shadows them in disguise in order to assess or even directly test their abilities with creative scenarios he devises. Certain crimes investigated by the students might appear trivial, such as the re-positioning of an ornament atop a garden wall, yet it will transpire an assassin has moved the ornament to create good sightlines in order to commit murder with a sniper's rifle. Other mysteries are considered outside the domain of the police. For example, the inexplicable disappearance of a stone gargoyle, which is linked to an ancient family curse. Or a man suffering from amnesia who discovers that not only has he acquired a secret life but also gained an implacable enemy, too. Holmes, with the ever- trustworthy Doctor Watson in his wake, is kept busy with his students' cases, ranging from minor to serious, sometimes rectifying their mistakes and saving them from a variety of disasters.These eleven wonderful new adventures and intrigues include tales such as 'The Gargoyles of Killfellen House', 'Sherlock Holmes and the Four Kings of Sweden' and 'The Case of the Cannibal Club'.

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AS FEATURED IN BBC TWO'S BILLION DOLLAR DOWNFALL: THE DEALMAKER DOCUMENTARYTwo Wall Street reporters investigate the man entrusted with millions to make profits and end poverty but now stands accused of masterminding one of the biggest, most brazen frauds in history.'Gripping' Guardian***Arif Naqvi was a man with an immeasurable dream: to end world suffering, poverty and disease. His vision? Capitalism used for good, progress and profit.He persuaded politicians he could help stabilize the Middle East after 9/11 by providing jobs. He got Bill Gates to help him start a billion-dollar fund to improve health care in poor countries. He won the support of Obama's administration and was even appointed to boards by the UN and Interpol.The only problem? In 2019 Arif Naqvi was arrested on charges of money laundering and misappropriating hundreds of millions of dollars. He now faces up to 291 years in jail. This is the true, jaw-dropping investigation into the smoke and mirrors world of The Key Man.***'Impeccably researched and sumptuous in its detail . . . It's a page-turner' The Economist'This book tells the story brilliantly. . . Well-paced and cleverly organised. It also draws some devastating conclusions' The Sunday Times'A pacy and deeply-reported tale' Financial TimesLONGLISTED FOR THE FT MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR

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The classic Seventies sci-fi series returns! It begins with just a few people falling ill. Another flu virus that spreads around the globe. And then the reports begin that people are dying. When most of the world's population is wiped out, a handful of survivors are left to pick up the pieces. Cities become graveyards. Technology becomes largely obsolete. Mankind must start again. 5.1 The Second Coming by Andrew Smith. Millions died when the plague swept the globe. Such a thing couldn't possibly happen again - or could it? When Abby Grant and Evelyn Piper both arrive at Carol Baker's Maythorne community, a chain of events is set in motion that could unleash a new wave of death across the country. 5.2 New Blood by Christopher Hatherall. Danger surrounds Whitecross when a simple border dispute exposes deadly tensions between those who live side by side. Greg Preston and Jenny Richards soon find themselves fighting for their lives, as people in the grip of a terrible new fear turn to the old ways to protect themselves. 5.3 Angel of Death by Simon Clark. Emerging from a quarantined Whitecross, Greg and Jenny discover that the danger they glimpsed at Springton is far from over.Meanwhile, as isolated communities find themselves exposed to a disease they know nothing about, Abby joins a desperate race to save lives. 5.4 Come the Horsemen by Andrew Smith.In times of crisis, rumour and fear run rife across the decimated landscape of Britain. Evelyn and Abby experience the lethal effects of this panic first hand. At such times the worst of humanity is exposed. Can Greg and Jenny find the best in those around them? Or is there no way to avoid the coming of the horsemen?This revisit and continuation of the hit 1970s BBC series has been one of producer Big Finish's most critically-acclaimed works and has been short-listed in nominations for both the 2015 and 2016 BBC Audio Drama Awards. This full-cast audio drama is brought to life with eerily engrossing sound design and a brand new, cinematic music score. Writer Andrew Smith has not only written a number of Doctor Who scripts for Big Finish, but wrote for the original TV series with 1980's acclaimed Full Circle story.C AST: Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant), Ian McCulloch (Greg Preston), Lucy Fleming(Jenny), Fiona Sheehan (Hannah), Evelyn Piper (Zoe Tapper), Neve McIntosh (Carol Baker), Sean Biggerstaff (Healy), Barnaby Edwards (John Woodley/Old Scavenger/Stuart), Andy Secombe (Ben Turner), Fintan McKeown (Patrick Regan),Richard Hope (Silas Broome), Alex Clatworthy (Summer Broome/Elsie), Donna Berlin (Pearl Ironsmith), Ekow Quartey (Dylan), Elizabeth Payne (Beatrice/Margo), Roger May(Lenny Bryson).

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Doom's Day is a multi-platform Doctor Who story to celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, introducing a brand-new character on a 24-hour pursuit of the Doctor. Someone has sent literal Death after Doom. She can only outrun it for 24 hours. Unless she can find the Doctor... Tick... Tock... As Doom's final hours come into sharp focus, she'll need to do whatever's necessary to complete her missions, find the Doctor, and escape what increasingly seems like the inevitable. But how best to find the person who can save Doom's life? Will the Doctor's friends be her salvation? Or perhaps the Doctor's enemies will be the route to survival? Doom is about to travel across thousands of years of time, and lightyears of space in search of her last, best hope. But even if she finds the Doctor, will a person who is all about saving lives help a person whose only job is to take them? Doom's day is almost over. Time is running out. This could be the end. Dawn of an Everlasting Peace by Jacqueline Rayner Venus, 3975. The day of the non-aggression pact. The perfect ironic location for an assassination! But Doom’s mission is about to become much more complicated thanks to an explosive plot to undermine the treaty itself. The Howling Wolves of Xan-Phear by Simon Clark A warring world of wolves. Doom’s target turns out to be the puppeteer of the warring Xan: a Silent. But what if she’s already completed her mission? How will she know? What if this wasn’t even her mission in the first place? No time to waste. The countdown is on. A Date with Destiny by Robert Valentine A romantic dinner turns life-threatening for an unsuspecting human in 2007. But this time, Doom has competition. And if she loses, then her last chance to find the Doctor could be snatched away. Cue an action-packed chase through the streets of London. But has Doom met her match? The Crowd by Lizzie Hopley “Follow the crowd”, that’s what they say, right? In this case, however, devastation, murder and destruction follow this particular Crowd - Doom’s next target. But amongst them - an unfamiliar face, with a familiar name. Could this be Doom’s salvation? CAST: Sooz Kempner (Doom), Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler), Paul McGann (The Doctor), India Fisher (Charlotte Pollard), Ben Arogundade (Dennis / Diamante Roxx), Yasmin Bannerman (Destiny), Nicholas Briggs (Chu’Lac), Jonathan Case (Shabby Youth), Rebecca Crankshaw (Jeppra), Jon Edgley Bond (Fettzer), Wayne Forester (Thin Man), Trevor Littledale (Klorin / Compuvac), Richard Reed (Karlton), Susie Riddell (Lonnet), Frog Stone (PO / Waitress), Tam Williams (Lan-Say), Becky Wright (Terri / Fynix / Stout Woman). Other parts played by members of the cast.

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