A seasonal anthology of Christmas-themed writings to savour during the highs & lows of Christmas Day. This delightful book offers a diverse array of classic & contemporary writers who have expressed their thoughts about Christmas over the centuries
- with joy, nostalgia & dazzling wit.

Includes:: selections from Dostoevsky, Truman Capote, A.A. Milne, Jerome K Jerome, & modern day diarists, this beautiful volume is as full of delight & nostalgia as Christmas itself.


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” Oh! that the faculty would look deeper into & make themselves better acquainted with the crying evil of obesity
- that dreadful
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On Courage is a collection of twenty-eight moving & inspirational stories of valour displayed by recipients of the Victoria Cross & George Cross. *GBP2.70 of the publisher`s RRP of all copies of this book sold in the United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland will be donated to Combat Stress.*WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM: Alexander Armstrong, Baroness Hale, Bear Grylls, Bill Beaumont, Bobby Charlton, Katherine Grainger, Kelly Holmes, Derek Jacobi, Eddie Redmayne, Frank Bruno, Geoffrey Palmer, Jeremy Irons, Joanna Kavenna, Joanna Lumley, John Simpson, Joseph Calleja, Julian Fellowes, Kate Adie, Ken Dodd, Margaret Mac Millan, Mark Pougatch, Mary Berry, Michael Whitehall & Jack Whitehall, Miranda Hart, Richard Chartres, Tom Ward, Will Greenwood, & Willie Carson. From RAF flight engineer Norman Jackson, who climbed out onto the wing of a Lancaster bomber in flight to put out a fire, using a twisted parachute as a rope, on the night his first child was born; children`s writer turned Assistant Section Officer Noor Inayat-Khan, who was the first female operator to infiltrate occupied France & refused to abandon what had become the most dangerous post in the country; to Irish seaman & Antarctic explorer Tom Crean, who struck out alone for a supply depot during Captain Scott`s expedition to the South Pole to save the life of his ailing companion, these courageous men & women are an inspiration to us all. Written by leading historians & authors Tom Bromley, Saul David, Paul Garlington, James Holland & Dr Spencer Jones, these incredible accounts tell of the recipients` determination & selfless actions in times of war. Each story is introduced by a public figure, including Mary Berry, Bear Grylls, Sir Bobby Charlton, Joanna Lumley, Eddie Redmayne & the late Sir Ken Dodd. ...

A compelling first-hand look at one of today`s most fascinating food trends
- the practice of cooking with & eating insects The
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This is a nostalgic pre-war journey on the ` Flying Scotsman`, from London King`s Cross (via York, Durham & Newcastle) to Edinburgh & beyond. Including a colour fold-out map of the old LNER system, it is the perfect guide for any time traveller boarding a train on today`s railway. Famous engines like the Flying Scotsman, The Coronation & the Mallard have sped up & down the East Coast of Britain, between London & Edinburgh, for more than 150 years. The mere mention of the service
- itself known as the Flying Scotsman
- evokes the romance of long night-time journeys beginning in one capital city & ending in another, journeys that traverse some of the most beautiful & diverse landscapes that the British Isles have to offer. For anyone interested in Britain`s social or railway history there could be no better guide to the route than this book: first published in 1939 by the LNER itself, beautifully illustrated & with a cover by the renowned poster artist Frank Newbould, On Either Side is a vintage historical guide that describes in charming detail what could have been seen by the pre-war traveller as they gazed from the carriage window, from unexpected gems (many now lost) to more famous landmarks that remain to this day. It also

Includes:: a beautiful fold-out, full-colour map of all the LNER routes.



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First published in her pioneering treatise Statecraft, the opinions & projections of the former Prime Minister on Europe remain potent & resoundingly prophetic. Margaret Thatcher foresaw the European Union as a swelling superstate, gradually eroding Britain`s freedom. Irreparable & doomed, European integration did not allow for the birthright of nationhood. It was the most recent incarnation of an idea that has been tried many times before, & the outcomes were far from happy. ” During my lifetime, ” she says, ”most of the problems the world has faced have come, in one fashion or other, from mainland Europe, & the solutions from outside it.” ...

The destruction of nature as a consequence of modern human lifestyles, industries & agriculture is leading to the Earth`s sixth great extinction of species. Current estimates suggest that the rate of extinction is now thousands of times that counted in the fossil record before the emergence of modern man. At the same time, human societies themselves are in a cultural extinction crisis, with experts anticipating that of the world`s nearly seven thousand languages as few as ten percent may survive into the next century. Melanie Challenger`s extraordinary book is an exploration of how we might live to resist these extinctions & why such disappearances must be of concern to us. Adventurous, curious & passionate about her subject, Challenger takes us on a very personal journey as she tries to restore her own relationship with nature. The narrative unfolds through a series of landscapes haunted by extinction. From the ruined tin mines of Cornwall & the abandoned whaling stations of South Georgia to the Inuit camps of the Arctic & the white heart of Antarctica, she probes the critical relationship between human activities & environmental collapse. This is the first book to weave together the strands of cultural, biological & industrial extinctions into a meditation on the way we live beside nature in the modern world. ...

The most memorable & evocative fact about birds is that they fly, but most of the great bird illustrators, arts & photographers show us birds at rest. Not so the seven photographers whose work is collected in ” On Feathered Wings”. This international group specializes in capturing birds in flight & each strives to out-do the others in documenting the lives of birds in the air. The most intrepid flyers among the birds are the long distance migrators & the birds of prey. These creatures are built for endurance or speed. Most birds can do in the air almost anything they can do at rest, including eating & sleeping. The only exception is breeding. ” On Feathered Wings” explains the basics of bird flight: from how they do it to how it evolved. But the indisputable stars of On Feathered Wings are the birds themselves, seen in vivid sharp focus & amazing detail: a Peregrine falcon in a 100-mph dive; two black skimmers fighting in mid-air; a snowy owl keying in on dinner; an arctic tern fishing; a barn sallow feeding her young. This is a book for all bird lovers & anyone who has ever dreamed of flying. ...

In ” On Fishing at Sea” you see how through twenty-two casts, Britain`s best-known freshwater fisherman quits land in favour of the sea. There, he discovers the many pleasures of the coast: wild shores, unpredictable waves, the violent collision of the elements, &, of course, fish that glisten & dart beneath a never-still surface. From childhood remembrances of saltwater escapades to more recent discoveries, Chris Yates brings the sea & its many wonders to life. ...

On Foot in North Lesvos is Mike Maunder & Sigrid van der Zee`s walking guide to exploring the northern fringes of Greece`s third largest isl&. The guide features 25 walks around Molivos, Petra & the northern coastline region & is written by knowledgeable local authors. An introductory section

Includes:: useful information for walkers, with details of pre-walk preparation, equipment, co-ordinates, distances & times, references, GPS co-ordinates, distances, timings, definitions & local flora & fauna. There is also important information on local transport, where the authors give guidance on local buses & taxis, in addition to emergency phone numbers. There is also a brief note about the original name of the city state that once ruled the northern regions of Lesvos. Each walk opens with an overview map of the route, with details of the total distance, approximate walking time & brief details of the walk. Each walk has precise walking directions to guide walkers & GPS co-ordinates, where relevant, are provided at appropriate points in the text. A range of routes are included, catering for walkers of different abilities & typically range from 2.5 – 9.5km.* This guide to walking in Lesvos is highly recommended by Stanfords.*

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