A riveting spy story set in World War Two. Using declassified documents & extensive original research, Secret Pigeon Service tells the dramatic untold story of MI 14 (d) & its spy networks including the remarkable ` Leopold Vindictive`, a Belgian resistance cell who used the pigeon they found in 1941 to spy on the Nazis. Everyone has heard of MI5 & MI6. Some may even have heard of MI9 which helped downed airmen escape in World War II. Few have heard of MI14 (d)
- home to Operation Columba. In this new spy story set during the Second World War, Gordon Corera uses declassified documents & extensive original research to tell the story of the Secret Pigeon Service for the first time. Between 1941 & 1944, sixteen thousand pigeons were dropped in an arc from Bordeaux to Copenhagen as part of ` Columba`
- a secret British operation to bring back intelligence from those living under Nazi occupation. The messages flooded back written on tiny pieces of rice paper tucked into a canister & tied to the legs of the birds
- authentic voices from rural France, Holl&, Belgium
- sometimes comic, often tragic & occasionally invaluable with details of German troop movements & fortifications, new Nazi weapons, radar systems or the deployment of the V-1 & V-2 rockets that terrorized London. Who were the people who provided this rich seam of intelligence? Many were not trained agents nor people with experience of spying. At the centre of this book is the ` Leopold Vindictive` network
- a small group of Belgian villagers prepared to take huge risks. They were led by an extraordinary priest, Josef Raskin
- a man connected to royalty & whose intelligence was so valuable it was shown to Churchill, leading MI6 to parachute agents to assist him. A powerful & tragic tale of espionage, the book brings together the British & Belgian sides of Leopold Vindictive`s story & reveals for the first time the wider history of a quirky, quarrelsome band of spy masters & their special wartime operations as well as how bitter rivalries in London placed the lives of secret agents at risk. It is a book not so much about pigeons as the remarkable people living trapped in occupied Europe who were faced with the choice of how to respond to a call for help, & took the decision to resist.





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This intriguing book highlights some of West Dorset`s most beautiful & untouched places. It provides ideas for easy day visits & offers an insightful view of the rare beauty of this part of the county. An intimate guide, it reveals many places that are rarely frequented, & the clear directions & suggested walks allow you to explore for yourself & make your own further discoveries. Following secluded lanes & ancient tracks, you will visit tucked-away churches, curious sarsen stones, prehistoric sites, nature reserves & timeless villages. Mingle with ghosts & Black Dogs along the haunted byways & forgotten places, & discover local history, characters & folklore. Louise Hodgson shares her discoveries & reveals some extraordinarily special places. With an easy to read, poetic style, you are encouraged to challenge preconceptions. Adopting a philosophical approach she draws knowledgeable parallels with other parts of Britain; this leads to a richer insight & deeper understanding of the Dorset landscape & how we relate to it. ...

Far from the crowds & the usual cliches, Prague offers countless off-beat experiences & is home to any number of well-hidden treasures that are revealed only to residents & travellers who find their way off the beaten track. An indispensable guide for those who thought they knew Prague well or would like to discover the other face of the city. ...

Secret Provence in the Jonglez series of guides; profiling a range of European cities as well as thematic titles & designed to explore the undiscovered & hidden attractions usually hidden from tourists. The ‘ Secret’ titles present a range of sites
- including gardens, museums, squares, churches, parks & distinctive architecture
- that are often not covered by other guides. Double page spreads have a description of the site & a glossy full length photograph opposite. Addresses, opening times, contact details & relevant transport information is also provided. Jonglez also publish a range of “ Unusual…” titles, with an emphasis on thematic experiences, including hotels & shopping, to a range of destinations. Each guide has a similar format to the ‘ Secret’ series, with individual recommendations & suggestions accompanied by colour photographs throughout the text.

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An exacting quest for boutique-hotels, farmhouses & period homes with an intimate, hidden dimension that ensures the utmost privacy; a selection of places chosen with a collector`s discrimination. This book is a journey to track down that side of Puglia that is nurtured by those who have sought & achieved excellence, purposefully choosing & offering the very best, & sharing it with their guests, each following their own particular course of different colours, scents & flavours. ...

Visit palaces closed to the public, admire exceptional works of art away from the tourist circuit, listen to a concert in a magnificent hidden oratory, have your dog or car blessed, puzzle over a rare catoptric meridian or a wonderful anamorphic fresco, discover the remarkable motorized Rubens, enter into the secrets of the Vatican, rediscover a lost Bernini masterpiece, say a prayer before an image of the Holy Face of Jesus like that deposited on the moon in 1968, organize a dinner for two in a private palace, protect your throat from the rigors of winter. Far from the crowds & the usual cliches, Rome is still a reserve of well-concealed treasures only revealed to those who know how to wander off the beaten track, whether residents or visitors. An indispensable guide for those who thought they knew Rome well, or who would like to discover the hidden face of the city. ...

Visit palaces closed to the public, admire exceptional works of art away from the tourist circuit, listen to a concert in a magnificent hidden oratory, have your dog or car blessed, puzzle over a rare catoptric meridian or a wonderful anamorphic fresco, discover the remarkable motorized Rubens, enter into the secrets of the Vatican, rediscover a lost Bernini masterpiece, say a prayer before an image of the Holy Face of Jesus like that deposited on the moon in 1968, organize a dinner for two in a private palace, protect your throat from the rigors of winter.. . Far from the crowds & the usual cliches, Rome is still a reserve of well-concealed treasures only revealed to those who know how to wander off the beaten track, whether residents or visitors. An indispensable guide for those who thought they knew Rome well, or who would like to discover the hidden face of the city. ...

A br&-new book from the UK & Ireland`s best-loved comedian, Dara O Briain! So you think everyday life is boring?! WHAT?! Hoo-ee, are you wrong! No, seriously. There`s so much EXTRAORDINARY science going on right from the minute you wake up to when you go to sleep. Actually, while you`re asleep, too. Science is a non-stop EVERYWHERE, everything adventure with some incredibly cool stuff going on, too. You`ve got your incredible brain, which has worked out how to read these words & make playing a video game feel as EXCITING as real life; you`ve got aeroplanes that can somehow get from the ground into the sky with all those people & their luggage on board; you`ve got electricity & artificial intelligence & GPS & buses coming in threes (that`s science too) & LOADS more. In Secret Science, Dara O Briain takes you on a journey from the comfort of your favourite chair to the incredible science behind your everyday life & on into the future! ...

The sequel to the Sunday Times bestseller Bletchley Park Brainteasers & perfect for fans of The GCHQ Puzzle Book. Whether you have linguistic flair, an instinct for technology or good old common sense, pit your wits against some of the greatest minds of our time with ingenious brainteasers including secret languages, sabotage themed brain bogglers, deadly countdowns & hidden codes. Weaving astonishing stories of the men & women who operate from the shadows, the secret heroes & heroines of MI5 & MI6 who have faced extraordinary & terrifying challenges & a wide range of mind twisting puzzles, Secret Service Brainteasers will test your mental agility to discover: Do YOU have what it takes to be a spy? ...

A startlingly original picture book about a little girl who creates a garden on a disused car park rooftop Funni loves the old, disused car park, & spends a lot of time there flying her kite & playing her recorder. But something is missing. Definitely. So Funni decides to create a garden in the neglected space & after weeks of careful nurture, her garden in the sky takes shape. One day, a little boy, Zoo, spots the square of colour amongst the grey from an incoming flight, & decides to try to find it. & slowly, not only do Funni`s flowers bloom, but a very special friendship blossoms too. Beautifully illustrated in line & watercolour by up-&-coming talent, Fiona Lumbers, this is a poignant & memorable story from award-winning author, Linda Sarah. ...