A sparkling new translation of the classic work on violence & revolution as seen through mythology & art The Ruin of Kasch takes up two subjects the first is Talleyrand & the second is everything else wrote Italo Calvino when the book first appeared in 1983 Hailed as one of those rare books that persuade us to see our entire civilization in a new light its guide is the French statesman Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand who knew the secrets of the ancien regime & all that came after & was able to adapt the notion of legitimacy to the modern age Roberto Calasso follows him through a vast gallery of scenes set immediately before & after the French Revolution making occasional forays backward & forward in time from Vedic India to the porticoes of the Palais-Royal & to the killing fields of Pol Pot with appearances by Goethe & Marie Antoinette Napoleon & Marx Walter Benjamin & Chateaubriand At the centre stands the story of the ruin of Kasch a legendary kingdom based on the ritual killing of the king & emblematic of the ruin of ancient & modern regimes' Startling puzzling profound a work charged with intelligence & literary seduction' The New York Times' Unique idiosyncratic & vaultingly ambitious essential reading' Independent'A great fat jewel-box of a book gleaming with obscure treasures' John Banville ...

Craving an adventure to wake them from their lethargic Mexican holiday before they return home four friends set off in search of one of their own who has travelled to the interior to investigate an archaeological dig in the Mayan ruins After a long journey into the jungle the group come across a partly camouflaged trail & a captivating hillside covered with red flowers Lured by these the group move closer until they happen across a gun-toting Mayan horseman who orders them away In the midst of the confrontation one of the group steps inadvertently backwards into the flowering vine & at that moment their world changes for ever ...

The Ruins of Gorlan is the first thrilling book in John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series
- over eight million sold worldwide
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' Idleness is the enemy of the soul' Saint Benedict's advice to monks
- on everything from correct posture to the value
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St Benedict's inspirational work has been guiding Benedictine monks for fifteen centuries & the Penguin Classics edition of The Rule of Benedict is translated with an introduction & notes by Carolinne White Founder of a monastery at Monte Cassino between Rome & Naples in the sixth century St Benedict intended his Rule to be a practical guide to Christian monastic life Based on the key precepts of humility obedience & love its aim is to create a harmonious & efficient religious community in which individuals can make progress in the Christian virtues & gain eternal life Here Benedict sets out ideal monastery routines & regulations from the qualities of a good abbot the twelve steps to humility & the value of silence to such every day matters as kitchen duties care of the sick & the suitable punishment for lateness at mealtimes Benedict's legacy is still strong
- his Rule remains a source of inspiration & a key work in the history of the Christian church Carolinne White's accessible translation is accompanied by an introduction discussing Benedict's teachings what is known of his life & the influence & spread of his Rule Saint Benedict of Nursia (c 480-543 AD) founded twelve monasteries the best known of which was his first monastery at Monte Cassino in Italy Benedict wrote a set of rules governing his monks The Rule of Benedict one of the more influential documents in Western Civilization Benedict was canonized a saint in 1220 If you enjoyed The Rule of Benedict you might enjoy St Augustine's Confessions also available in Penguin Classics
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In the wake of the EU referendum the United Kingdom's border with Ireland has gained greater significance it is set to become the frontier with the European Union To uncover its secret landscape with a troubled past & an uncertain future Garrett Carr travelled Ireland's border on foot & by canoe This invisible line has hosted smugglers & kings runaways peacemakers protestors & terrorists revealing the tumult of a border changing the way we look at nationhood land & power From encounters with border dwellers to uncovering rituals hidden pathways & ancient monuments this book presents the borderland as a unique realm of its own & asks what it holds for the future ...

The racing rules bible completely updated for the latest 2017-2020 Racing Rules of Sailing You don't have to know all the rules off by heart but you do need to know your rights & obligations on the water
- the rules can be looked up afterwards This book takes you through the key situations that occur repeatedly on the racecourse showing from the point of view of each boat in turn what you may must or cannot do Colour diagrams throughout ensure concepts are easily understood The book also contains the new Racing Rules of Sailing in full with all the Appendices The latest rule changes are highlighted along with their impact on you as a sailor The Rules in Practice has been the racing rules bible for over 30 years written by Bryan Willis who is an acknowledged rules expert
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The Rule Book of The FA from 1863 is one of the most important books ever published
- according to the writer & broadcaster Melvyn
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Incisive controversial & startlingly funny The Rules of Attraction examines a group of affluent students at a small self-consciously bohemian liberal-arts college on America's East Coast Lauren who changes the man in her bed even more often than she changes course is dating Victor but sleeping with Sean Sean
- cool ambivalent & deeply cynical
- might be in love with Lauren but he's not going to let that stop him from bedding Paul Paul as shrewd as he is passionate is Lauren's ex-lover & the final point in this curious triangle From the author of American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis's The Rules of Attraction is a breathtaking tale of sex expectation desire & frustration

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Everyone needs a little magic in their lives The Rules of Magic is the long-awaited prequel to Practical Magic The Rules of Magic is a New York Times bestseller & Reese Witherspoon's Book Club pick! In this sparkling prequel we meet the Aunts from Practical Magic sisters Frances & Jet & Vincent their brother From the beginning their mother Susanna knew they were unique Franny with her skin as pale as milk & blood red hair who could commune with birds; Jet as shy as she is beautiful who knows what others are thinking & Vincent so charismatic that he was built for trouble Susanna needed to set some rules of magic no walking in the moonlight no red shoes no wearing black no cats no crows no candles & certainly absolutely no books about magic But the Owens siblings are desperate to uncover who they really are Each heads down a life-altering course filled with secrets & truths devastation & joy & magic & love Despite the warning handed down through the family for centuries
- Know that for our family love is a curse
- they will all strive to break the rules & find true love A perfect read for crisp autumn nights! Praise for The Rules of Magic The combination of magic with the universal themes of romantic love & the bond between siblings allows the reader to have one foot in a magical world & another in the realities of family life Much like the bewitching heroines in this book'
- The Lady Utterly spellbinding'
- Heat Shows the author at their best She neatly intertwines their lives with a backdrop that brims with periodic detail Gnomic maxims add to a wise seductive fabular tone Thrilling & transportive'
- Sunday Times Enchanting Spellbinding & entertaining'
- Sunday Express Hoffman explores Aunt Frances & Aunt Bridget's (known here as Jet) awakening to the craft in the 1960s Franny & Jet along with their brother Vincent stay with their Aunt Isabelle Each of their gifts grow but can they use them to break the family curse? The Rules of Magic is a gentle tale perfect as the nights draw in'
- Press Association As efficient a slice of escapism as you would expect from Hoffman Hoffman's skill is to ground her light-as-a-feather tale in a very specific time & place Manhattan in the Sixties Wisely she doesn't rely on the momentous times to do too much work but the heady atmospherics are expertly interwoven'
- Daily Mail A bewitching hard to put down tale of the consequences of magic love & family'
- Bookbag








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