Well, gentlemen, here`s a tale that people have told time & again.. . So begins the title story in this collection of fifty Sicilian folk & fairy tales edited & translated by noted folklore scholar Jack Zipes. But while some of the stories may sound as if they`ve been told time & again such as variations on Cinderella & Puss in Boots many will enchant English-language readers & storytellers for the first time. From ” The Pot of Basil” to ” The Talking Belly, ” ” The Little Mouse with the Stinky Tail” to ” Peppi, Who Wandered out into the World, ” the stories in Catarina the Wise range from simple tales of getting a new dress or something good to eat to fantastical plots for outwitting domineering husbands, rescuing impoverished fathers, or attracting wealthy suitors (frequently the Prince of Portugal). Many feature strong, clever women (usually daughters who become queen). Many are funny; many are wise. Some are very, very strange. As Zipes relates, the true story of their origins is as extraordinary as the tales themselves. Born to a poor family of sailors in Palermo, Giuseppe Pitre would go on to serve with Garibaldi, become a traveling country doctor, & gather one of the most vast collections of folk & fairy tales of the nineteenth century. But while his work as a folklorist rivaled that of the Brothers Grimm, Pitre remains a relative unknown. Catarina the Wise highlights some of the most delectable stories at the heart of his collection. Featuring new, original illustrations, this book is a beautiful, charming treasure for any fan of story, storytelling, & heroines & heroes living happily ever after sometimes. ...

From the best-selling author of All Hell Let Loose comes a magisterial chronicle of the calamity that befell Europe in 1914 as the continent shifted from the glamour of the Edwardian era to the tragedy of total war. In 1914, Europe plunged into the 20th century`s first terrible act of self-immolation- what was then called The Great War. On the eve of its centenary, Max Hastings seeks to explain both how the conflict came about & what befell millions of men & women during the first months of strife. He finds the evidence overwhelming, that Austria & Germany must accept principal blame for the outbreak. While what followed was a vast tragedy, he argues passionately against the `poets` view`, that the war was not worth winning. It was vital to the freedom of Europe, he says, that the Kaiser`s Germany should be defeated. His narrative of the early battles will astonish those whose images of the war are simply of mud, wire, trenches & steel helmets. Hastings describes how the French Army marched into action amid virgin rural landscapes, in uniforms of red & blue, led by mounted officers, with flags flying & bands playing. The bloodiest day of the entire Western war fell on 22 August 1914, when the French lost 27, 000 dead. Four days later, at Le Cateau the British fought an extraordinary action against the oncoming Germans, one of the last of its kind in history. In October, at terrible cost they held the allied line against massive German assaults in the first battle of Ypres. The author also describes the brutal struggles in Serbia, East Prussia & Galicia, where by Christmas the Germans, Austrians, Russians & Serbs had inflicted on each other three million casualties. This book offers answers to the huge & fascinating question `what happened to Europe in 1914?`, through Max Hastings`s accustomed blend of top-down & bottom-up accounts from a multitude of statesmen & generals, peasants, housewives & private soldiers of seven nations. His narrative pricks myths & offers some striking & controversial judgements. For a host of readers gripped by the author`s last international best-seller All Hell Let Loose, this will seem a worthy successor. ...

In the plethora of books published to coincide with the anniversary of the outbreak of The Great War, Max Hastings’ long-standing reputation as a military historian with a long list of titles to his name, especially about WWII, ensured that his account of WWI met with both critical & popular acclaim. The opening chapters describe the descent into the conflict, whilst the bulk of the book deals not only with the Western Front but also provides descriptions of the other theatres of war. The author’s narrative of the early battles will astonish those whose images of the war are simply of mud, wire, trenches & steel helmets. Hastings describes how the French Army marched into action amid virgin rural landscapes, in uniforms of red & blue, led by mounted officers, with flags flying & bands playing. The bloodiest day of the entire Western war fell on 22 August 1914, when the French lost 27, 000 dead. Four days later, at Le Cateau the British fought an extraordinary action against the oncoming Germans, one of the last of its kind in history. In October, at terrible cost they held the allied line against massive German assaults in the first battle of Ypres. The author also describes the brutal struggles in Serbia, East Prussia & Galicia, where by Christmas the Germans, Austrians, Russians & Serbs had inflicted on each other three million casualties. The causes of World War I will always divide the historians; Max Hasings is among those who find overwhelming evidence that Austria & Germany must accept principal blame for its outbreak. ...

Set in the closing months of World War II in an American bomber squadron off the coast of Italy, Catch-22 is the story of a bombardier named Yossarian who is frantic & furious because thousands of people he has never even met keep trying to kill him. Joseph Heller`s bestselling novel is a hilarious & tragic satire on military madness, & the tale of one man`s efforts to survive it. ...

Bob Marley was the undisputed sovereign of reggae music & the revolutionary soul-prophet whose music had
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With an introduction by Howard Jacobson. Explosive, subversive, wild & funny, 50 years on the novel`s strength is undiminished. Reading Joseph Heller`s classic satire is nothing less than a rite of passage. Set in the closing months of World War II in an American bomber squadron off the coast of Italy, Catch-22 is the story of a bombardier named Yossarian who is frantic & furious because thousands of people he has never even met keep trying to kill him. Joseph Heller`s bestselling novel is a hilarious & tragic satire on military madness, & the tale of one man`s efforts to survive it. ...

Explosive, subversive, wild & funny, 50 years on the novel`s strength is undiminished. Reading Joseph Heller`s classic satire is nothing less than a rite of passage. Set in the closing months of World War II, this is the story of a bombardier named Yossarian who is frantic & furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. His real problem is not the enemy
- it is his own army which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. If Yossarian makes any attempts to excuse himself from the perilous missions then he is caught in Catch-22: if he flies he is crazy, & doesn`t have to; but if he doesn`t want to he must be sane & has to. That`s some catch...
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The second book in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy. After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss & Peeta return to their district, hoping for a peaceful future. But their victory has caused rebellion to break out.. .and the Capitol has decided that someone must pay. As Katniss & Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol`s Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless they can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. Then comes the cruellest twist: the contestants for the next Hunger Games are announced, & Katniss & Peeta are forced into the arena once more. ...

The second book in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy. After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss & Peeta return to their district, hoping for a peaceful future. But their victory has caused rebellion to break out.. .and the Capitol has decided that someone must pay. As Katniss & Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol`s Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless they can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. Then comes the cruellest twist: the contestants for the next Hunger Games are announced, & Katniss & Peeta are forced into the arena once more. ...

Second in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy, this new foiled edition of CATCHING FIRE is available for a limited period of time. After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss & Peeta return to their district, hoping for a peaceful future. But their victory has caused rebellion to break out.. .and the Capitol has decided that someone must pay. As Katniss & Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol`s Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless they can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. Then comes the cruellest twist: the contestants for the next Hunger Games are announced, & Katniss & Peeta are forced into the arena once more. ...