Winner of an English PEN Award ` He is not a good writer, thank goodness. He is a great one` Jonathan Safran Foer A gripping novel about an unusual family`s breakdown, set in 1950s-60s South America Loosely based on real events, Affections tells the story of the eccentric, fascinating Ertl family, headed by the egocentric & extraordinary Hans, once Leni Riefenstahl`s famous cameraman & Rommel`s `personal photographer`. Having fled Germany shortly after the country`s defeat in the war, the family now lives in Bolivia. However, shortly after their arrival Hans
- an enthusiastic adventurer & mountaineer
- decides to embark on an expedition in search of Paititi, a legendary Inca city. The failure of their outlandish quest into the depths of the Amazon rainforest proves fateful, initiating the end of a family whose subsequent voyage of discovery ends up eroding everything which once held it together. Against the backdrop of the both optimistic & violent 1950s & 1960s, Affections traces the Ertls` inevitable breakdown through the various erratic trajectories of each family member
- from Hans & his constant engagement in colossal projects, to his daughter Monika, heir to his adventurous spirit, who joins the Bolivian Marxist guerrillas & becomes known as ` Che Guevara`s avenger`
- & the story of a woman in search of herself, the story of the heartrending relationship between a father & a daughter, the story of a family adrift. ` Hasbun`s writing has a strange power. He likes to reach into the darkest places. Reading him is like...a journey to the brink of an abyss` El Pais



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Set in & around the women`s prison at Milbank in the 1870`s, AFFINITY is an eerie & utterly compelling ghost story, a complex & intriguing literary mystery & a poignant love story with an unexpected twist in the tale. Following the death of her father, Margaret Prior has decided to pursue some `good work` with the lady criminals of one of London`s most notorious gaols. Surrounded by prisoners, murderers & common thieves, Margaret feels herself drawn to one of the prisons more unlikely inmates
- the imprisoned spiritualist
- Selina Dawes. Sympathetic to the plight of this innocent-seeming girl, Margaret sees herself dispensing guidance & perhaps friendship on her visits, little expecting to find herself dabbling in a twilight world of seances, shadows, unruly spirits & unseemly passions.

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The Affric Kintail Way in Scotl&, a 71km / 44 mile long-distance trail leading westwards from Drumnadrochit by Loch Ness to Morvich in Kintail by Loch Duich, presented at 1:40, 000 on a light, waterproof & tear-resistant map from Harvey Map Services. The route is shown on four panels. Maps in the Harvey’s series covering Great Britain’s national trails & other long-distance footpaths are printed on light, waterproof & tear-resistant synthetic paper & cover the routes at 1:40, 000 or 1:60, 000. Topography is shown by contours at 15m intervals, with additional spot heights plus colouring and/or graphics to provide a very detailed picture of the terrain (boulder fields, scree, crags, etc) & vegetation / land use (pastures, moorl&, woodlands, etc). In Scotland peaks & hills classified as Munros, Corbetts & Donalds are marked. The overprint for the long-distance trail shows sections on local or main roads (highlighting danger points), on tracks, & on footpaths, indicating intermittent or not visible paths. The maps also show other right of way paths, including permissive paths & bridleways. Symbols indicate various facilities & accommodation options (including campsites & youth hostels), pubs & refreshments, food shops, banks, information points, etc, both along the route itself & in the nearby locations. All maps are GPS compatible, with the British National Grid overprinted on each panel. The maps also include useful contact details & general advice. To see other titles in this series please click on the series link. ...

In a timely & eye-opening book Rodric Braithwaite examines the Russian experience in that most recent war in Afghanistan (after Alexander`s conquests & the many British imperial wars & skirmishes). Largely basing his account on Russian sources & interviews he shows the war through the eyes of the Russians themselves
- politicians, officers, soldiers, advisers, journalists, women. As former ambassador to Moscow, Rodric Braithwaite brings unique insights to the Soviet war in Afghanistan. The story has been distorted not only by Cold War propaganda but also by the myths of the nineteenth century Great Game. It moves from the high politics of the Kremlin to the lonely Russian conscripts in isolated mountain outposts. The parallels with Afghanistan today speak for themselves. ”A superb achievement of narrative history, sensitive writing & exciting fresh research”: so wrote Simon Sebag Montefiore about Rodric Braithwaite`s bestseller ” Moscow 1941”. But those words, & many others of praise that were given it, could equally apply to his new book.
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The people of Afghanistan are wonderful & photogenic, not always understood by an outside world used to seeing images of the country`s ongoing & painful conflict. To address the balance author John Casson has produced this high quality photographic book offering a unique insight into the people of this troubled country. Producing the book was a huge challenge involving a high risk visit to Afghanistan in August 2010 for John & professional photographer Jeremy Rata. There they joined former ITN reporter & presenter of ” News at Ten” Sandy Gall, who has written the books foreword. During their visit the team faced the harrowing scene of a terrorist attack that had happened only a few hours earlier. All profits from the book are being donated to Help for Heroes, the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund (supporting injured armed forces personnel returning from Afghanistan) & Sandy Gall`s Afghanistan Appeal. ...

Afghanistan in the Countries & Regions series from Lonely Planet, market-leading comprehensive guides aimed at independent travellers & serving a large range of international destinations. Frank & informal in style, the guides explore an extensive range of sights, activities, accommodation, restaurants & nightlife & are designed for practical use while travelling on the road. Written & researched by a team of experts, each book is independent in its recommendations & suggestions, often offering individual takes on individual destinations. Widely recognised for their reliability, each Lonely Planet country & region guide has the same layout. Introductory sections profile the destination with individual chapters on particular highlights, getting started, (including when to go) itineraries, history, culture, arts, food & drink & the environment. Each guide is organised geographically by region, with individual sections detailing an extensive range of sights, places of interest, attractions, restaurants, nightlife, accommodation & any local activities. The guides have detailed explanations of historical context where relevant. There is also practical guidance on ...

Ancient Afghanistan was the crossroads of civilization in Central Asia. Its archaeological treasures date back more than four thousand years & bear the imprint of numerous cultures, attesting to Afghanistans pivotal importance in the exchange of goods & ideas from Asia to the Mediterranean. Nearly 230 artefacts from the rich mosaic of Afghanistans cultural heritage are explored in this outstanding book. The extraordinary objects presented here range in date from 2200 BC to AD 200 & are drawn from four different archaeological sites. This lavish volume not only focuses on the cultural significance of the objects but also relays the story of their discovery, excavation, & heroic rescue in modern-day Afghanistan. ...

Administrative map of Afghanistan showing the country’s provinces with their boundaries & names. Only main roads & the rivers are shown, with is no other indication of topography. The map is indexed. Also induced is a basic plan of Kabul, showing main streets, governmental offices, embassies, places of interest & various facilities. ...

Afghanistan in the Odyssey Guides series; aimed at travellers particularly interested in the culture & history of their destination; the guides focus on the atmosphere, customs, & distinctive character of a country, region or city. As the only English language publisher based in China, Odyssey Guides specialize in Asian destinations, relying on the expertise of local writers. This gives readers more of an insider’s perspective, in companion with the practicalities of navigating through remote Asian landscapes. Each title is heavily dedicated to the culture of the destination, all with accompanying colour photography. The guides also showcase a range of literary excerpts which are taken from travel writers together with translations from the work of indigenous writers & poets, creating a distinctive tone unique to the publisher. There are also basic overview location maps & concise practical advice for visitors, including information on getting there & around, itineraries, climate, health, clothing & equipment, money, photography, communications, security, shopping, media, food & drink, holidays & behavior, customs & etiquette. ...

” Afghanistan” traces the historic struggles & the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of the world, from the Mughal Empire in the sixteenth century to the Taliban resurgence today. Thomas Barfield introduces readers to the bewildering diversity of tribal & ethnic groups in Afghanistan, explaining what unites them as Afghans despite the regional, cultural, & political differences that divide them. He shows how governing these people was relatively easy when power was concentrated in a small dynastic elite, but how this delicate political order broke down in the nineteenth & twentieth centuries when Afghanistan`s rulers mobilized rural militias to expel first the British & later the Soviets. Armed insurgency proved remarkably successful against the foreign occupiers, but it also undermined the Afghan government`s authority & rendered the country ever more difficult to govern as time passed. Barfield vividly describes how Afghanistan`s armed factions plunged the country into a civil war, giving rise to clerical rule by the Taliban & Afghanistan`s isolation from the world. He examines why the American invasion in the wake of September 11 toppled the Taliban so quickly, & how this easy victory lulled the United States into falsely believing that a viable state could be built just as easily. ” Afghanistan” is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how a land conquered & ruled by foreign dynasties for more than a thousand years became the `graveyard of empires` for the British & Soviets, & what the United States must do to avoid a similar fate. ...