The story of the land that became Scotland is one of dramatic geological events & impressive human endeavour. Alistair Moffats gripping narrative ranges from the great thaw at the end of the Ice Age which was instrumental in shaping Scotlands magnificent landscape through the megalith builders, the Celts & the Picts, to the ascension of King Constantine II. Moffat deploys his knowledge with wit & deftness, interweaving the story with numerous special features on topics as diverse as cave drawings of dancing girls, natural birth control, the myth of Atlantis & the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence all of them valuable, sometimes quirky, additions to the whole picture. Rounding out the account is a selection of carefully chosen colour photographs that give a strong sense of the Scottish landscape & monuments. Erudite & entertaining, ” Before Scotland”, newly available in paperback, transforms our understanding of a neglected period. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the land that became Scotl&. ...

Winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2011 Graham Hendrick, an historian, has left his wife Barbara for the vivacious Ann, & is more than pleased with his new life. Until, that is, the day he discovers Ann`s celluloid past as a mediocre film actress. Soon Graham is pouncing on old clues, examining her books for inscriptions from past lovers, frequenting cinemas & poring over the bad movies she appeared in. It`s not that he blames Anne for having a past before they met, but history has always mattered to him... ...

Around 1900, the Salierno family, Italian peasant farmers, make a tough living in a village in a mountainous & volcanic region in the South. Their youngest daughter, Concetta, 15, is seriously injured in a devastating earthquake &, when she wakes up from a coma, suffers memory loss of everything leading up to the disaster. When she later discovers she is pregnant, her family marries her off hastily to neighbours who owe a debt of honour. Marriage arrangements according to traditional restrictions are also made for her sisters Nunzia & Immacolata, after their dangerous trip to the carnival at the neighbouring town of San Michele. Concetta, with the help of grieving signora Clara & her remaining son, Francesco, (Peppe having lost his life in the earthquake) tries to piece together the mysterious events that occurred before the earthquake. Continued doubt about the father of her child casts a shadow over her marriage & her family relationships, but her stoical determination leads through a personal journey of self-discovery, full of dramatic & revealing surprises. Concetta's future & past become gradually clearer through one long hot summer in a rocky landscape. The mystery of her memory loss is played out against a world of constant agricultural work, church, eel fishing in the river & the underground passages beneath the village. ...

Sunday Times top thriller read of the year 2016 The rich are different. But fate is blind. Down-on-his-luck artist Scott Burroughs would usually take the ferry back to New York from Martha`s Vineyard, but he is unexpectedly offered a spare seat on the Bateman family`s private jet. Then just minutes after take-off, the plane crashes into the ocean & of the eight passengers & three crew, only Scott & the Batemans` small son, JJ, are left alive. The extraordinary nature of their survival, combined with the fact that David Bateman was CEO of a populist TV news channel, means that Scott will not be returning to anonymity. Along with the orphaned boy, he is engulfed by a maelstrom of speculation, which soon overtakes the official investigation into the tragedy. Who else was on the plane? Was there a bomb, a missile? Who is Scott Burroughs? As the chapters drive towards their heart-stopping conclusion, weaving with ever-increasing suspense between the shocking aftermath of the crash & the intimate backstory of each of the passengers & crew members, Noah Hawley creates a searching, thrilling novel of love, fame, wealth, art, entertainment & power. ...

It`s the night before the feast in the village of Furstenfelde (population: an odd number). The village is asleep. Except for the ferryman
- he`s dead. & Mrs Kranz, the night-blind painter, who wants to depict her village for the first time at night. A bell-ringer & his apprentice want to ring the bells
- the only problem is that the bells have gone. A vixen is looking for eggs for her young, & Mr Schramm is discovering more reasons to quit life than smoking. Someone has opened the doors to the Village Archive, but what drives the sleepless out of their houses is not that which was stolen, but that which has escaped. Old stories, myths & fairy tales are wandering about the streets with the people. They come together in a novel about a long night, a mosaic of village life, in which the long-established & newcomers, the dead & the living, craftsmen, pensioners & noble robbers in football shirts bump into each other. They all want to bring something to a close, in this night before the feast.

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Before the Heroes Came
- Antarctica in the 1890s is an appreciation of the pioneering ventures in the far south before the arrival
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This is a gripping portrait of a country poised between peace & war. In the mid-1960s, Cambodia`s position within South East Asia was highly vulnerable. The Americans were embroiled in war in Vietnam, the Viet Cong were gaining clandestine control over Cambodian frontier areas, while the Cambodian government
- under the leadership of a charming but difficult Head of State, Prince Norodom Sihanouk
- wanted nothing more than to preserve their neutrality & keep out of the war. Highly distrustful of any perceived foreign interference, the Cambodians had even rioted & attacked the American & British Embassies in Phnom Penh & their debris was still strewn on the streets when Leslie Fielding arrived in the city. Yet against this grim & dramatic backdrop, the daily round of international foreign policy somehow had to continue & ” Before the Killing Fields” offers a compelling & fascinating account of how this was achieved. As well as a political history this is also a portrait of an exotic but overlooked country at a critical stage in its development. Violence, intrigue & even the supernatural mingle with issues of day-to-day management & office morale. From diplomatic meetings conducted in opium dens & dancing lessons with beautiful princesses at the Royal Palace to candid portraits of the rest of the international community of Phnom Penh, ” Before the Killing Fields” is an illuminating insight into a lost world.

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A romantic, heart-wrenching tale of love against the odds from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author 1930, Rajputana, India. Since her husband`s death, 28-year-old photojournalist Eliza`s only companion has been her camera. When the British Government send her to an Indian princely state to photograph the royal family, she`s determined to make a name for herself. But when Eliza arrives at the palace she meets Jay, the Prince`s handsome, brooding brother. While Eliza awakens Jay to the poverty of his people, he awakens her to the injustices of British rule. Soon Jay & Eliza find they have more in common than they think. But their families
- & society
- think otherwise. Eventually they will have to make a choice between doing what`s expected, or following their hearts...

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Abridged version of the global bestseller. This historic volume showcases tribal cultures around the world. With globalization, these societies are to be prized for their distinctive lifestyles, art & traditions. They live in close harmony with nature, now a rarity in our modern era. Jimmy Nelson not only presents us with stunning images of customs & artifacts, but also offers insightful portraits of people who are the guardians of a culture that they
- & we
- hope will be passed on to future generations in all its glory.

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This historic volume showcases tribal cultures around the world. With globalization, these societies are to be prized for their distinctive lifestyles, art & traditions. They live in close harmony with nature, now a rarity in our modern era. Jimmy Nelson not only presents us with stunning images of customs & artifacts, but also offers insightful portraits of people who are the guardians of a culture that they
- & we
- hope will be passed on to future generations in all its glory. Nelson`s large-plate field camera captures every intricate detail & fine nuance for posterity. What`s more, this splendid pageantry is set against a vivid backdrop of some of the world`s most pristine landscapes.

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