The ferocious Taklamakan desert, the harshest on earth, is known by the Chinese as the `desert of death` or the `place of no return`
-
...

Trevor Fishlock puts the reader before the mast, on the dusty road, on the sledge, in the stagecoach & the howdah & aboard the clanking pioneer steamer. It is a thrilling journey. Here are the men of the Arctic ice, the desert fire, the jungles & the seas. Here are the engineers who bridge the chasms, build the roads & railways, fashion the machines, lay the cables & string the telegraph wires. Here, too, are the doctors groping for answers to terrible diseases, surveyors & cartographers slowly making sense & shape of the world, the unsung armies of labourers, & the artists & photographers who bring the stories home. Through it all, the vital supporting cast in the saga of triumph & frequent failure, are the elephants, horses, mules, camels, bullocks & sledge dogs. Conquerors of Time celebrates the courage, energy, innovation, resourcefulness & grand ideas of these pioneers. It wonders at the imperatives, beliefs & sheer confidence that powered their extraordinary achievements. Packed with detail, it is a narrative both vivid & moving. ...

As remarkable as Columbus & the conquistador expeditions, the history of Portuguese exploration is now almost forgotten. But Portugal`s navigators cracked the code of the Atlantic winds, launched the expedition of Vasco da Gama to India & beat the Spanish to the spice kingdoms of the East
- then set about creating the first long-range maritime empire. In an astonishing blitz of thirty years, a handful of visionary & utterly ruthless empire builders, with few resources but breathtaking ambition, attempted to seize the Indian Ocean, destroy Islam & take control of world trade. Told with Roger Crowley`s customary skill & verve, this is narrative history at its most vivid
- an epic tale of navigation, trade & technology, money & religious zealotry, political diplomacy & espionage, sea battles & shipwrecks, endurance, courage & terrifying brutality. Drawing on extensive first-hand accounts, it brings to life the exploits of an extraordinary band of conquerors
- men such as Afonso de Albuquerque, the first European since Alexander the Great to found an Asian empire
- who set in motion five hundred years of European colonisation & unleashed the forces of globalisation.



...

Author of the best-selling AGINCOURT, Juliet Barker now tells the equally remarkable, but largely forgotten, story of the dramatic years when England ruled France at the point of a sword. Henry V`s second invasion of France in 1417 launched a campaign that would put the crown of France on an English head. Only the miraculous appearance of a visionary peasant girl
- Joan of Arc
- would halt the English advance. Yet despite her victories, her influence was short-lived: Henry VI had his coronation in Paris six months after her death & his kingdom endured for another twenty years. When he came of age he was not the leader his father had been. It was the dauphin, whom Joan had crowned Charles VII, who would finally drive the English out of France. Supremely evocative & brilliantly told, this is narrative history at its most colourful & compelling
- the true story of those who fought for an English kingdom of France.


...

The Spanish conquest of the Americas in the 16th century was one of the most important & cataclysmic events in history. Spanish expeditions endured incredible hardships in order to open up the lands of the ` New World`, & few stories in history can match these for drama & endurance. In Conquistadors, Michael Wood follows in the footsteps of some of the greatest of the Spanish adventurers travelling from the forests of Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, the deserts of North Mexico, the snowpeaks of the Andes & the heights of Machu Picchu. He experiences the epic journeys of Cortes, Pizarro, Orellana & Cabeza de Vaca, & explores the turbulent & terrifying events surrounding the Spanish conquest of the Aztec & Inca empires. Wood brings these stories to vivid life, highlighting both the heroic accomplishments & the complex moral legacy of the European invasion. Conquistadors is Michael Wood at his best
- thoughtful, provocative & gripping history.
...

Consett, Derwent Reservoir & Stanhope area on a detailed topographic & GPS compatible map No. 307, waterproof version, from the Ordnance Survey’s 1:25, 000 Explorer series. MOBILE DOWNLOADS: this title & all the other OS Explorer maps include a code for downloading after purchase the digital version onto your smartphone or tablet for viewing on the OS smartphone app.OS EXPLORER SERIES: to see the list of all the titles in the OS Explorer series, both paper & waterproof versions, please click on the series link. The Explorer series, Ordnance Survey’s most detailed maps recommended for anyone enjoying outdoor activities, provides topographic coverage of Great Britain at 1:25, 000 on GPS compatible maps with hiking trails, cycling routes & extensive tourist information. Each printed map is available either on paper or as a waterproof & tear-resistant OS Active Map, as indicated in its title. Britain’s National Parks & other areas of particular tourist interest are presented on often double-sided OL (Outdoor Leisure) maps, whilst most standard format Explorers cover an area of 30 x 20km (approx. 19 x 12 miles). All three versions (paper, waterproof & digital) are the same & provide plenty of recreational & tourist information, indicating the traditional public right of way paths (except in Scotland where different laws apply), including bridleways & byways. National Trails & other long-distance paths are marked, as well as permissive footpaths or bridleways & on-road or traffic-free cycle routes with, where appropriate, their National/ Regional Cycle Network numbers. Boundaries of access land are clearly marked. A wide range of symbols provides additional tourist information, highlighting camping & caravanning sites, information offices & visitors’ centres, parking & picnicking places, country pubs, sport & recreational facilities including cycle hire locations & mountain biking trails, historic buildings & museums, etc. Exceptionally clear presentation of the landscape is provided by contours at 5m or in the uplands at 10m intervals, with additional spot heights plus colouring and/or graphics for different types of woodlands, orchards, heath, marshl&, scree or boulders, & other topographic features. For GPS users the maps have British National Grid lines at 1km intervals, with latitude & longitude given by margin ticks at 1`. Clearly laid out map legend

Includes:: French & German translations for the tourist information symbols.

...

Consett, Derwent Reservoir & Stanhope area on a detailed topographic & GPS compatible map No. 307, paper version, from the Ordnance Survey’s 1:25, 000 Explorer series. MOBILE DOWNLOADS: this title & all the other OS Explorer maps include a code for downloading after purchase the digital version onto your smartphone or tablet for viewing on the OS smartphone app.OS EXPLORER SERIES: to see the list of all the titles in the OS Explorer series, both paper & waterproof versions, please click on the series link. The Explorer series, Ordnance Survey’s most detailed maps recommended for anyone enjoying outdoor activities, provides topographic coverage of Great Britain at 1:25, 000 on GPS compatible maps with hiking trails, cycling routes & extensive tourist information. Each printed map is available either on paper or as a waterproof & tear-resistant OS Active Map, as indicated in its title. Britain’s National Parks & other areas of particular tourist interest are presented on often double-sided OL (Outdoor Leisure) maps, whilst most standard format Explorers cover an area of 30 x 20km (approx. 19 x 12 miles). All three versions (paper, waterproof & digital) are the same & provide plenty of recreational & tourist information, indicating the traditional public right of way paths (except in Scotland where different laws apply), including bridleways & byways. National Trails & other long-distance paths are marked, as well as permissive footpaths or bridleways & on-road or traffic-free cycle routes with, where appropriate, their National/ Regional Cycle Network numbers. Boundaries of access land are clearly marked. A wide range of symbols provides additional tourist information, highlighting camping & caravanning sites, information offices & visitors’ centres, parking & picnicking places, country pubs, sport & recreational facilities including cycle hire locations & mountain biking trails, historic buildings & museums, etc. Exceptionally clear presentation of the landscape is provided by contours at 5m or in the uplands at 10m intervals, with additional spot heights plus colouring and/or graphics for different types of woodlands, orchards, heath, marshl&, scree or boulders, & other topographic features. For GPS users the maps have British National Grid lines at 1km intervals, with latitude & longitude given by margin ticks at 1`. Clearly laid out map legend

Includes:: French & German translations for the tourist information symbols.

...

Laminated waterproof edition of a detailed topographic map of Consett & Derwent Reservoir from the Ordnance Survey Explorer series, covering Stanhope. Edition A1 with minor changes; Publication date February 2012 About this series: These highly detailed maps show all the administrative boundaries, settlements as small as isolated farms, the road network down to unfenced roads & country tracks, & field boundaries (hedges & drystone walls) which make navigation across the countryside much easier. Steep gradients on roads are indicated. Various landmarks, e.g. powerlines, archaeological sites, windmills, churches & lighthouses are shown & additional graphics indicate natural terrain features such as cliffs, scree, mud & vegetation variations. The contour interval is 5 metres in the lower parts of the country & 10 metres in the uplands, & spot heights are marked. Each map covers an area of 30 x 20km (i.e. approx. 19 x 12 miles), with some double-sided maps covering more, as indicated in the individual descriptions. The maps are fully GPS compatible, with the National Grid shown at 1km intervals & latitude & longitude indicated by margin ticks at 1'. The Explorer series has replaced the earlier, green-cover Pathfinder maps. The Explorer series is now complete & covers all of Engl&, Wales & Scotl&. Some sheets for popular areas like the National Parks are still branded as Outdoor Leisure (OL) maps, but are now included in this series as the cartography is the same as that in the Explorer Maps. The Explorer maps offer a substantial improvement on the Pathfinder series, with greater use of colour, larger area per map, & stronger emphasis on information for ramblers & tourists. This series is ideal for walking & other outdoor pursuits & each map shows a large amount of information for ramblers & tourists. Public rights of way are shown (except in Scotland), together with other routes with public access: National Trails & Recreational Paths, permitted paths & bridleways, & selected cycle routes. Open access land created under the Countryside & Rights of Way Act 2000 is marked. Tourist information

Includes:: caravan & camp sites, Park & Ride locations, recreation/leisure/sport centres, museums, historic buildings, English Heritage & National Trust sites, rural pubs, etc. The map legend is in English only, except for the tourist information content which is also in French & German.

...

A detailed topographic map of Consett & Derwent Reservoir from the Ordnance Survey Explorer series, covering Stanhope. Edition: A1 with minor changes; Publication date April 2011 About this series: These highly detailed maps show all the administrative boundaries, settlements as small as isolated farms, the road network down to unfenced roads & country tracks, & field boundaries (hedges & drystone walls) which make navigation across the countryside much easier. Steep gradients on roads are indicated. Various landmarks, e.g. powerlines, archaeological sites, windmills, churches & lighthouses are shown & additional graphics indicate natural terrain features such as cliffs, scree, mud & vegetation variations. The contour interval is 5 metres in the lower parts of the country & 10 metres in the uplands, & spot heights are marked. Each map covers an area of 30 x 20km (i.e. approx. 19 x 12 miles), with some double-sided maps covering more, as indicated in the individual descriptions. The maps are fully GPS compatible, with the National Grid shown at 1km intervals & latitude & longitude indicated by margin ticks at 1'. The Explorer series has replaced the earlier, green-cover Pathfinder maps. The Explorer series is now complete & covers all of Engl&, Wales & Scotl&. Some sheets for popular areas like the National Parks are still branded as Outdoor Leisure (OL) maps, but are now included in this series as the cartography is the same as that in the Explorer Maps. The Explorer maps offer a substantial improvement on the Pathfinder series, with greater use of colour, larger area per map, & stronger emphasis on information for ramblers & tourists. This series is ideal for walking & other outdoor pursuits & each map shows a large amount of information for ramblers & tourists. Public rights of way are shown (except in Scotland), together with other routes with public access: National Trails & Recreational Paths, permitted paths & bridleways, & selected cycle routes. Open access land created under the Countryside & Rights of Way Act 2000 is marked. Tourist information

Includes:: caravan & camp sites, Park & Ride locations, recreation/leisure/sport centres, museums, historic buildings, English Heritage & National Trust sites, rural pubs, etc. The map legend is in English only, except for the tourist information content which is also in French & German.

...

Consett in 1896 in a fascinating series of reproductions of old Ordnance Survey plans in the Alan Godfrey Editions, ideal for anyone interested in the history of their neighbourhood or family. Selected towns in Great Britain & Ireland are covered by maps showing the extent of urban development in the last decades of the 19th & early 20th century. In this title: the map covers the steel town of Consett, which developed from a hamlet of just 146 people in 1831. The Derwent Iron Company was formed in 1841 & this was succeeded in 1864 by the Consett Iron Company. By 1891 the population was 8, 760. The town is in the top right quadrant of the map; the massive iron works dominates the western half & is shown here with all its railway tracks, blast furnaces, coke ovens. To the west is Consett Hall & Consett Grove. South of the town are railways: the NER Annfield Plain Branch, Iveston Railway, Consett Iron Works Railway. Other features include Templetown, Delves Brick Works, Latterday Saint Pit, Puddlers Row, Town Hall, Carrhouse Quarry, Christ Church, Buildings Farm. On the reverse are extracts from two directories of Consett. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25 ...