` Beware of Small States` wrote Mikhail Bukanin in 1870. He could have meant Lebanon: a sectarian state no bigger than Wales that has become battleground for one of the defining conflicts of twentieth-century history. Throughout its short existence, it has been attacked, invaded, occupied or interfered with to serve the political interests of foreign powers, resulting a series of devastating wars & crises. To understand Lebanon`s history is to understand the history of the entire region
- &, with the rise of Hizbullah, it has come to assume a disproportionate, dangerous power of its own. Iran & Israel now face each other in the hills of south Lebanon. David Hirst, author of ” The Gun & the Olive Branch, ” is a hugely respected commentator on the Arab-Israeli crisis. In a masterly narrative, he gives a much-needed, comprehensive history of the country & its conflicts, culminating with the recent war in Gaza & its fallout in Lebanon. Powerful & often moving, ” Beware of Small States” is a magisterial book, essential reading for understanding Lebanon or the current political climate of the Middle East.
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Russia...is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Winston Churchill`s words were never truer than in 1917, when the Russian Revolution morphed with dizzying speed from the orderly abdication of the Tsar to the barbaric murder of his entire family, & the violent seizure of power by Lenin s Bolsheviks. Yet the outside world was slow to grasp what was happening. Russia had long seemed due for change, & the western European powers were eager to keep the new Soviet state as an ally in the war against Germany. Politicians & public alike were unaware that a reign of terror unequalled since the French Revolution was gripping a nation the size of a continent. It was left to a handful of British adventurers to expose the brutality of a new order which was to shake western democracy to its very foundations. Who were these whistle-blowers? Some were diplomats or spies; others were scholars, novelists or journalists; one was a clergyman. Then there were the English governesses: young women hired to look after the scions of aristocratic Russian families, yet who suddenly found themselves living in perilous circumstances, their employers sworn enemies of a murderous new regime. John Ure, who himself lived as a diplomat in Russia & knew several of these extraordinary men & women personally, brings their stories unforgettably to life ...

Bewdley in 1926 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. The map extends eastward to Sandbourne House, & westward to Tanner`s Hill. Wribbenhall on the north-eastern bank of the Severn is also covered. Features include GWR railway with Bewdley station, River Severn, All Saints church Wribbenhall, St Anne`s church, Sandbourne House, Winterdyne, Kateshill House, Manor House, Tickenhill, Snuffmill Dingle, many orchards, Bark Hill area, Patchett`s Hill, etc. On the reverse is the commercial entry from an 1896 directory, plus a section from the GWR Severn Valley Branch timetable for 1906. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25” OS Series: 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. The plans have been taken from the Ordnance Survey mapping & reprinted at about 15 inches to one mile (1:4, 340). On the reverse most maps have historical notes & many also include extracts from contemporary directories. Most maps cover about one mile (1.6kms) north/south, one & a half miles (2.4kms) across; adjoining sheets can be combined to provide wider coverage.FOR MORE INFORMATION & A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE TITLES PLEASE CLICK ON THE SERIES LINK. ...

Spanning fifty years from the days of the British Raj to the granting of full independence after the Japanese conflict, Bewitched by Burma tells a vivid & often humorous tale of the challenges of life in Burma faced by Anglican missionaries. Setting out on the five-week sea passage to Burma, these men & women left comfortable but boring lives in Edwardian Britain in search of adventure. Their task was to preach Christianity in a Buddhist land about which they knew little. Once there, they rapidly fell in love with the country, its rich culture & warm people, whom they grew to respect deeply. From descriptions of tea on the lawn with the Viceroy to daily struggles with insects, illness & climate, & adventures with bullock carts & early motor cars, their letters home contain fascinating vignettes of a long-extinct colonial way of life alongside a daily life in Burma which is largely unchanged today. Author & narrator Anne starts the book with stories of the myths & legends lying behind the country`s past, & recounts many memories from her childhood in Burma. She also gives a key insight into its politics, history & geography, & reproduces a vivid first-hand account of the devastating trek from Burma to India to escape the Japanese occupation, written in the mid-1940s. Her husband shared her interest in Burma, having served there in the Indian army, & some of his memories are included. As Aung San Suu Kyi takes her rightful seat in parliament & Myanmar re-emerges onto the world stage after many decades of exclusion, Bewitched by Burma gives a unique insight into the country`s complex past. The book will appeal equally to today`s travellers & business people, to families of servicemen who served there, & to those interested in the early life of the church
- & even in the introduction of Girlguiding.
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Bexenden in 1909 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 Baxenden area, south of Accrington. Coverage stretches from Gaulkthorn eastward to Baxenden, & from Hollins Hill southward to Accrington Moor. Higher Baxenden is also included. The Manchester Road, with tramway, is on the right side of the map & other features include Baxenden Colliery, Alliance Mill, St John's church, Ing, smallpox hospital, White Croft Works, tramways, Green Haworth Quarry, Adelphi Works, Rothwell Heights, Bedlam, Cross Edge, Fern Gore. Extracts from an Accrington trade directory are included on the reverse. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25 ...

Bexhill-on-Sea in 1908 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. The map covers the seaside resort of Bexhill, which grew from a small village into a substantial town during the 19th century; the population rose from 2, 452 in 1881 to 15, 330 by 1911, by which time it was the 24th largest resort in England & had achieved some fame for its pioneering motor races on the front. The map provides a splendid portrait of Bexhill when it was at its peak as a fashionable resort, covering an area from the Sackville Hotel westward to Collington Wood & from the Old Town southward to the coast. Features include the main railway with Bexhill station, also the SE&CR line with its terminus & engine shed; Egerton Park, Metropole Hotel, Kursaal, Granville Hotel, Station Square, Town Hall, tramway, St Barnabas church, Bellehill Farm, Beaconsfield Terrace. In the Old Town are St Peter`s church, Manor House & Convalescent Home. A list of private residents from a 1903 directory is included. West Worthing 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. Worthing is covered on two maps. The West Worthing map covers the area from Christchurch Road westward to Elm Grove & to the boundary with Goring parish. Much of this map is in the parish of Heene &

Includes:: St Botolph`s church there. Features include West Worthing & Worthing stations, Heene Windmill, numerous nursery greenhouses, Westbrooke, Park Crescent, Marine Parade, Shelley Road, Holy Trinity church, St Andrew`s church, Christ Church. Street directory extracts on the reverse show entries for Clifton Road, Crescent Road, Heene Road, Marine Parade, Montague Street & Richmond Road. The Worthing map continues coverage eastward & stretches to the end of Brougham Road & to Seamill Farm. Features include the pier, Chapel Road, South Street, St Paul`s church, Brighton Road (where Oscar Wilde wrote The Importance of Being Earnest), Infirmary, Homefield Park, more nursery greenhouses, Poors Ten Acres, St Georges church. Directory extracts on the reverse show street entries for Brighton Road, Chapel Road, Marine Parade, Marine Place, South Street, Warwick Road & Warwick Street. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25” OS Series 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. The plans have been taken from the Ordnance Survey mapping & reprinted at about 15 inches to one mile (1:4, 340). On the reverse most maps have historical notes & many also include extracts from contemporary directories. Most maps cover about one mile (1.6kms) north/south, one & a half miles (2.4kms) across; adjoining sheets can be combined to provide wider coverage.FOR MORE INFORMATION & A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE TITLES PLEASE CLICK ON THE SERIES LINK.

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Folded street map of Bexley, showing Bexleyheath, Dartford, Eltham, Erith, Greenwich, Sidcup & Woolwich. Motorways, A roads, B roads, dual carriageways, one way streets, pedestrianized/restricted access roads & car parks are shown. The run of street numbers on A & B roads is indicated. The location of speed cameras, with their mph limits, is provided, as is information on the low emission zone. Tracks & footpaths are mapped, as are selected cycleways, railways, stations, level crossings & rail bridges. Colour coding distinguishes land use, e.g. shopping centre, educational establishment or industrial building. Post offices, churches, tourist information centres & emergency services are located, as are public toilets with & without disabled access. Post town & postcode boundaries are demarcated & the atlas is indexed by street name & places of particular interest. This edition printed 2010 ...

Bexley in 1870 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. The map covers the area from Bridgen & Hurst eastward to the village of Bexley. The Dartford Loop railway crosses the map west-east, including Bexley station. Other features include Vale Mascal, River Cray, Manor House, St Mary`s church, Bexley Park Wood, Applepie Corner, Building Fields, Spring Place, Bourne House, water mill, Kent Brewery. With the river meandering past leafy banks the map appears to portray an idyllic rural scene. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25” OS Series: 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. The plans have been taken from the Ordnance Survey mapping & reprinted at about 15 inches to one mile (1:4, 340). On the reverse most maps have historical notes & many also include extracts from contemporary directories. Most maps cover about one mile (1.6kms) north/south, one & a half miles (2.4kms) across; adjoining sheets can be combined to provide wider coverage.FOR MORE INFORMATION & A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE TITLES PLEASE CLICK ON THE SERIES LINK. ...

Bexley Heath in 1862 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. The map covers what was still called Bexley Heath
- the name did not become Bexleyheath until later in the century. Coverage extends from Crook Log & Upton Lane eastward to Gravel Hill & a little beyond. The principal feature of the map are the many houses in leafy gardens spread along the Dover Road, which goes west-east across it. Features include Mill Road with a corn windmill, Warren Farm, church, Essex Place, Markall Lane, & several pubs on the main road. Beyond this it remains a rural scene. A directory of Bexley Heath is on the reverse. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25” OS Series: 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. The plans have been taken from the Ordnance Survey mapping & reprinted at about 15 inches to one mile (1:4, 340). On the reverse most maps have historical notes & many also include extracts from contemporary directories. Most maps cover about one mile (1.6kms) north/south, one & a half miles (2.4kms) across; adjoining sheets can be combined to provide wider coverage.FOR MORE INFORMATION & A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE TITLES PLEASE CLICK ON THE SERIES LINK.
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Bexleyheath North in 1895 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. The map covers what was still a largely rural area. The Bexley Heath Railway, completed only in 1895, runs west-east across the lower part of the map, with Bexleyheath station towards the south-western corner. Past it Pickford Lane runs north-south, later joining Long Lane, but both are still country roads. To the east are Crooked Wood, Bursted Wood, a few houses of Northumberland Heath, the Travellers Rest pub, an isolation hospital, & some orchards. A directory is included on the reverse. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25” OS Series: 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. The plans have been taken from the Ordnance Survey mapping & reprinted at about 15 inches to one mile (1:4, 340). On the reverse most maps have historical notes & many also include extracts from contemporary directories. Most maps cover about one mile (1.6kms) north/south, one & a half miles (2.4kms) across; adjoining sheets can be combined to provide wider coverage.FOR MORE INFORMATION & A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE TITLES PLEASE CLICK ON THE SERIES LINK. ...