' This readable anthology is a good introduction to a civilization that fascinates like few others in this book there are animals who talk princesses who are locked up at the top of towers wicked stepmothers & many other themes An enjoyable book by a skilled author' Financial Times The civilization we know as Ancient Egypt stretched over three thousand years What was life like for ancient Egyptians? What were their beliefs
- & how different were they from ours? Myths & Legends of Ancient Egypt uses Egypt's vivid narratives to create a panorama of its history from the earliest settlers to the time of Cleopatra Gathered from pyramid texts archaeological finds & contemporary documents these stories cover everything from why the Nile flooded annually to Egyptian beliefs about childbirth & what happened after death They show us what life was really like for rich & poor man & woman farmer & pharaoh Myths & Legends of Ancient Egypt brings a long-dead culture back to life
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' Burning ice biting flame; that is how life began' The extraordinary Scandinavian myth cycle is one of the most enduring exciting dramatic & compelling of the world's great stories The Penguin Book of the Norse Myths compellingly retells these stories for the modern reader taking us from the creation of the world through the building of Asgard's Wall to the final end in Ragnarok You'll discover how Thor got his hammer & how Odin lost his eye the terrible price of binding the wolf Fenrir & why Loki the trickster can never be trusted The Norse myths are as thrilling to read as they are of vast cultural & historical importance In this gripping book Kevin Crossley-Holland brings alive the passion cruelty & heroism of these unforgettable stories ...

' Burning ice biting flame; that is how life began' The extraordinary Scandinavian myth cycle is one of the most enduring exciting dramatic & compelling of the world's great stories The Penguin Book of the Norse Myths compellingly retells these stories for the modern reader taking us from the creation of the world through the building of Asgard's Wall to the final end in Ragnarok You'll discover how Thor got his hammer & how Odin lost his eye the terrible price of binding the wolf Fenrir & why Loki the trickster can never be trusted The Norse myths are as thrilling to read as they are of vast cultural & historical importance In this gripping book Kevin Crossley-Holland brings alive the passion cruelty & heroism of these unforgettable stories ...

For the puzzle fanatic A collection of challenges from throughout history featuring some of the greatest ever puzzle masters -------------------------- A Sumerian Riddle (circa 18th Century) There is a house The blind enter it & then come out seeing What is that house? --------------------------A Charade I have wings yet never fly
- I have sails yet never go
- I cant keep still if I try Yet forever stand just so-------------------------- From the riddles of the ancients to puzzles that perplex the greatest minds of today The Penguin Book of Puzzles is a glorious compendium of conundrums from throughout history These challenges will require all the reader's wits to solve but range from the easy to the brain-bending & are suitable for novice & veteran puzzlers alike There is something here to suit every taste including crosswords mathematical challenges word games & logic conundrums but also some intriguing types of puzzles that have been unearthed from centuries gone by Timeless & entertaining there are hours of fun waiting in this miscellany of puzzlement

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The era between the accession of Henry VIII & the crisis of the English republic in 1659 formed one of the most fertile epochs in world literature This anthology offers a broad selection of its poetry &

Includes:: a wide range of works by the great poets of the age
- notably Sir Philip Sidney Edmund Sepnser John Donne William Shakespeare & John Milton Poems by less well-known writers also feature prominently
- among them significant female poets such as Lady Mary Wroth & Katherine Philips Compelling & exhilarating this landmark collection illuminates a time of astonishing innovation imagination & diversity



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' Eclectic entertaining almost all British if not human life is here' Boyd Tonkin Independent' Mind-stretching heart-breaking beautifully-crafted fiction' Claire Harman Evening Standard' She would tear the house down
- shatter the windows slash the furniture flood the baths fire the curtains!' Hilarious exuberant surreal subtle tender brutal spectacular & above all unexpected this extraordinary selection celebrates the British short story from the 1920s to the present day From Angela Carter to V S Pritchett Elizabeth Taylor to J G Ballard Ali Smith to a host of little-known works from magazines & periodicals & including tales of air-raids phone sex snobbery modern-day slavery grief desire the familiar & the strange here is the short story in all its limitless possibilities Edited & with an introduction by Philip Hensher the award-winning novelist critic & journalist
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The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle are the complete adventures of the original & best detective containing four novels & fifty-six short stories about the most engaging detective of all time with a foreword by crime writer Ruth Rendell The detective Sherlock Holmes
- who continues to enthral millions in film & TV adaptations starring actors like Robert Downey Jr & Benedict Cumberbatch
- was the creation of Arthur Conan Doyle whose crime stories have thrilled readers for well over a century Sherlock Holmes is not only the most famous character in crime fiction but arguably the most famous character in all fiction In sixty adventures that pit his extraordinary wits & courage against foreign spies blackmailers cultists petty thieves murderers swindlers policemen (both stupid & clever) & his arch-nemesis Moriarty Sherlock Holmes together with his faithful sidekick Doctor John H Watson proves himself to be not only the quintessential detective but also the most engaging & entertaining company any reader could ask for The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes allows readers to experience the entire case-history of Holmes & Dr Watson from start to finish
- the stories that have spawned such infamous characters as the devilish Moriarty the devious Irene Adler & of course the legendary hound of the Baskervilles This edition

Includes:: a foreword written by crime writer Ruth Rendell Penguin also publishes in individual volumes A Study in Scarlet The Sign of Four The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes The Hound of the Baskervilles The Valley of Fear His Last Bow & The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes' The immense talent passion & literary brilliance that Conan Doyle brought to his work give him a unique place in English letters Personally I'd walk a million miles in tight boots just to read his letters to the milkman' Stephen Fry' Holmes has a timeless intelligence that puts him head shoulders & deer-stalker above all other detectives' Alexander Mc Call Smith' Now as in his lifetime cab drivers statesmen academics & raggedy-assed children sit spellbound at his feet No wonder then if the pairing of Holmes & Watson has triggered more imitators than any other duo in literature' John Le Carre Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) studied medicine at Edinburgh University where he became the clerk to a surgeon whose diagnostic methods provided the model for the science of deduction perfected by Sherlock Holmes He set up as a doctor & it was while waiting for patients that he began to write Sherlock Holmes first appeared in A Study in Scarlet (1887) The Holmes stories soon attracted such a following that Conan Doyle felt the character overshadowed his other work In The Final Problem (1893) Conan Doyle killed him off but was obliged by public demand to restore the detective to life




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Need a handbook to your architect's business or studies? Struggling with your latest DIY project? Interested in the art of architecture? This classic work now in its fifth edition covers every aspect of architecture & landscape architecture Ranging from ancient times to contemporary trends it adopts a truly international perspective focussing on countries & cultures such as Coptic Tibet & De Stijl Without doubt this is the standard work in the field As reflected by its new title ' The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture & Landscape Architecture' has now been expanded to include recent developments in the field of landscape architecture Full account has been taken too of the huge range of building traditions around the world The text has been completely reset & all the illustrations redrawn ' Immensely useful succinct & judiciousthis is a book rich in fact & accumulated wisdom' The Times Literary Supplement ...

Accessing the huge selection of critical theory can be an intimidating experience This acclaimed dictionary is an invaluable introduction to the theories & theorists in the field & will prove an authoritative resource for all students ...

To 'put the cart before the horse' have 'the cheek of the devil' or be 'a pillar of society'
- these are just some of the thousands
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