A unique & hugely entertaining anthology of facts, amazing stories, snippets & lore about the birds, bugs & blooms of Britain. Hundreds of nuggets of practical (and not so practical) information to fascinate & amuse, including: how to identify animal footprints, the good manners guide on how to behave in a birdwatchers` hide, how gossamer got its name, how to tell the difference between a stoat & a weasel, the bizarre mating habits of dragonflies, & what the connection is between the table football game, Subbuteo & the small falcon-type bird, the hobby. ...

Colour & explore the natural world like never before with the beautiful, poster-sized Wildlife: A Map Colouring Book. With stunning, ...

The Will to Survive describes how a small country, for much of its existence squeezed between two empires, surrounded by hostile neighbours & subjected to invasion & occupation, survived the frequent tragedies of its eventful history to become a sovereign democratic republic within the European Union. The Mongol, Ottoman, Habsburg, Nazi & Soviet empires have all since vanished; but Hungary, a victim of all five & despite suffering the consequences of being on the losing side in every war she has fought, still occupies the territory the Magyar tribes claimed for themselves in the ninth century. The author, whose interest in Hungary stems from his service there as British Ambassador during the declining years of Kadar`s Communist regime, traces Hungary`s story from the arrival of the Magyars in Europe to the accession of Hungary to membership of NATO & the European Union. The eleven hundred years covered by this stirring account embrace medieval greatness, Turkish occupation, Habsburg domination, unsuccessful struggles for independence, massive deprivation of territory & population after the First World War, a disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany motivated by the hope of redress, & forty years of Soviet-imposed Communism interrupted by a gallant but brutally suppressed revolution in 1956. ...

Far from fading with time, Kenneth Grahame`s classic tale of fantasy has attracted a growing audience in each generation. Rat, Mole, Badger & the preposterous Mr Toad, have brought delight to many through the years with their odd adventures on & by the river, & at the imposing residence of Toad Hall. This gorgeous hardback edition is illustrated by Robert Ingpen, & is all the better for it. ...

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is an English classic loved by adults & children alike. Spend a season on the river bank & take a walk on the wild side... Spring is in the air & Mole has found a wonderful new world. There`s boating with Ratty, a feast with Badger & high jinx on the open road with that reckless ruffian, Mr Toad of Toad Hall. The four become the firmest of friends, but after Toad`s latest escapade, can they join together & beat the wretched weasels? Plus a behind-the-scenes journey, including author profile, a guide to who`s who, activities & more... Kenneth Graham (1859-1932) was born in Edinburgh, but grew up with relatives in Berkshire where he developed his love for the countryside surrounding the upper parts of the River Thames. He was educated at St Edward`s in Oxford, but instead of going on to Oxford University he joined the Bank of Engl&, where he rose to become Secretary. He wrote several books including The Golden Age & Dream Days which

Includes:: the short story ` The Reluctant Dragon` (later made into a Disney movie). Kenneth Grahame developed the character of Toad in The Wind in the Willows to amuse his young son, Alistair. It was published in 1908 & still remains a best-loved children`s classic.

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Kenneth Grahame`s classic children`s story The Wind in the Willows is brought to life in this exquisite three-dimensional cut-paper gift edition, beautifully illustrated by the award-winning Inga Moore. Presented in a slipcase, this charming book unfolds to reveal twelve of the most famous moments in Ratty, Mole, Badger & Toad`s adventures along the riverbank. ...

Kenneth Grahame`s classic tale was first published in 1908, & children & adults alike fell in love with the timid Mole, the friendly Water Rat, the erudite Badger, the mischievous Toad, & a host of other unforgettable creatures. The quiet life they lead on the banks of the River Thames is interspersed with adventures, normally instigated by Toad, who has a propensity for trouble, & whose sudden & all-consuming passion for motor cars eventually results in his being kept `a helpless prisoner in the remotest dungeon of the best-guarded keep of the stoutest castle in all the length & breadth of Merry Engl&.` His escape dressed as a washerwoman & his journey home to Toad Hall are among the most familiar & best-loved escapades in children`s literature. Over the years, the animals` adventures have been brought to life by many artists, including E. H. Shepard, who illustrated the original edition, & Arthur Rackham. This magnificent new edition brings the story to life with more than 70 new illustrations by award-winning artist Robert Ingpen, so fans of all ages can relive
- or enjoy for the first time
- this heart-warming tale.

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The Wind Off the Small Isles is beloved author Mary Stewart`s long-lost novella, now available in paperback for the first time in 40 years & perfect for fans of Anya Seton, Daphne du Maurier & Santa Montefiore.1879. Lanzarote. A wealthy young woman elopes with an impoverished fisherman, leaving her family distraught.1968. Perdita West, secretary to a famous author, visits Lanzarote on a research trip & begins to fall in love with the unusual, beautiful little isl&. When, while snorkelling, a landslide traps Perdita in an underwater cave, her efforts to save herself will reveal what happened to the ill-fated couple who fell in love at this very spot almost a century ago.. . This paperback edition also

Includes:: the recently rediscovered short story ` The Lost One`, first published in Woman`s Journal in 1960, & set against the backdrop of unfenced country & dark winding valleys at night.

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The first book in William Nicholson`s award-winning fantasy adventure series, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Mortal Engines & Star Wars. ` Gloriously cinematic & completely enthralling`
- Independent This Modern Classic edition contains special bonus material. I hate school! I hate ratings! I won`t reach higher! I won`t strive harder! I won`t make tomorrow better than today! In the walled city state of Aramanth, rules are everything. When Kestrel Hath dares to rebel, the Chief Examiner humiliates her father & sentences the whole family to the harshest punishment. Desperate to save them, Kestrel learns the secret of the wind singer, & she & her twin brother, Bowman, set out on a terrifying journey to the true source of evil that grips Aramanth... ` In terms of imagination & sheer scale, it`s as ambitious as books get... think Star Wars & then some`
- Daily Telegraph Fantasy books for children don`t get more spectacular than The Wind Singer. William Nicholson`s Wind on Fire trilogy has been translated into over 25 languages & won prizes including the Blue Peter Book Award & Smarties Prize Gold Award. One of the greatest writers of our time, William Nicholson has not only sold millions of children`s books worldwide, but has also written for the screen & the stage, including the Oscar-winning film Gladiator & the BAFTA-winning play Shadowlands.

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In Haruki Murakami`s increasingly surreal canon of work, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle is probably his most popular & widely read text. It resonates with contemporary Japan, exploring responsibility for both the past & the present, & also the effects of alienation & isolation; as usual though, Murakami goes about this by making some of the most mundane everyday moments unconventional, viewing them with a lyrical wit that can only be described as surreal &, at times, morbidly comic. Toru Okada`s cat has disappeared & this has unsettled his wife, who is herself growing more distant every day. Then there are the increasingly explicit telephone calls he has started receiving. As this compelling story unfolds, the tidy suburban realities of Okada`s vague & blameless life, spent cooking, reading, listening to jazz & opera & drinking beer at the kitchen table, are turned inside out, & he embarks on a bizarre journey, guided (however obscurely) by a succession of characters, each with a tale to tell. At first seemingly a mixture of different threads, Murakami slowly weaves them into a novel of considerable depth, exploring in particular detail how Japan of the late 20th century reconciles with & bears responsibility for Japan of the early 20th century, something that even Western authors seem tentative to do. Touching, humorous, witty & dark, view the world of emotions in a lyrically unconventional way: through the mind of Haruki Murakami. ...