” Sensitive, thoughtful & poetic. Rob Cowen rakes over a scrap of land with forensic care, leading us into a whole new way of looking at the world.” Michael Palin. `I am dreaming of the edge-land again` After moving from London to a new home in Yorkshire, Rob Cowen finds himself on unfamiliar territory, disoriented, hemmed in by winter & yearning for the nearest open space. So one night, he sets out to find it
- a pylon-slung edge-l&, a tangle of wood, meadow, field & river on the outskirts of town. Despite being in the shadow of thousands of houses, it feels unclaimed, forgotten, caught between worlds, & all the more magical for it. Obsessively revisiting this contested ground, Cowen ventures deeper into its many layers & lives, documenting its changes through time & season & unearthing histories that profoundly resonate & intertwine with transformative events happening in his own life. Blurring the boundaries of memoir, natural history & novel, Common Ground offers nothing less than an enthralling new way of writing about nature & our experiences within it. We encounter the edge-land`s inhabitants in immersive, kaleidoscopic detail as their voices & visions rise from the fields & woods: beasts, birds, insects, plants & people
- the beggars, sages & lovers across the ages. Startlingly personal & poetic, this is a unique portrait of a forgotten realm & a remarkable evocation of how, over the course of a year, a man came to know himself once more by unlocking it. But, above all, this is a book that reasserts a vital truth: nature isn`t just found in some remote mountain or protected park. It is all around us. It is in us. It is us.

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Justin Trudeau`s candid memoir reveals for the first time the experiences that have shaped him over the course of his life, revealing how his passion for politics took root. From his childhood at the prime ministerial residence of 24 Sussex to his leadership of the Liberal party, Trudeau captures the formative moments of his upbringing, including the influence of his father, Pierre, who was prime minister before him, & the tragic death of his brother, Michel. Filled with anecdotes, personal reflections, & never-before-seen photographs from his own collection, Common Ground is an intimate portrait of the man who has thrust Canada back onto the world stage. Not only this, but it also presents a moving case for a better kind of politics at a time when people are more disillusioned with politics than ever before. ...

This book is short listed for the 2014 Samuel Johnson Prize ` Part detective story, part Dickensian saga, part labour history. ”A thrilling & unnerving read.” (Observer). ” Mesmeric & deeply moving.” (Daily Telegraph). ” Remarkable, haunting, full of wisdom.” (The Times). Family history is a massive phenomenon of our times but what are we after when we go in search of our ancestors? Beginning with her grandparents, Alison Light moves between the present & the past, in an extraordinary series of journeys over two centuries, across Britain & beyond. Epic in scope & deep in feeling, Common People is a family history but also a new kind of public history, following the lives of the migrants who travelled the country looking for work. Original & eloquent, it is a timely rethinking of who the English were
- but ultimately it reflects on history itself, & on our constant need to know who went before us & what we owe them.
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Published anonymously in 1776, the year of the American Declaration of Independence, Paine`s ” Common Sense” became an immediate best-seller, with fifty-six editions printed in that year alone. It was this pamphlet, more than any other factor, which helped to spark off the movement that established the independence of the United States. From his experience of revolutionary politics, Paine drew those principles of fundamental human rights which, he felt, must stand no matter what excesses are committed to obtain them, & which he later formulated in his ” Rights of Man”. ...

East Africa boasts a tremendous natural wealth of flora
- indigenous, naturalized & exotic. This updated second edition of ” Field
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A powerful story of two families brought together by beauty & torn apart by tragedy, the new novel by the Orange Prize-winning author of Bel Canto & State of Wonder is her most astonishing yet It is 1964: Bert Cousins, the deputy district attorney, shows up at Franny Keating`s christening party uninvited, bottle of gin in h&. As the cops of Los Angeles drink, talk & dance into the June afternoon, he notices a heart-stoppingly beautiful woman. When Bert kisses Beverly Keating, his host`s wife, the new baby pressed between them, he sets in motion the joining of two families whose shared fate will be defined on a day seven years later. In 1988, Franny Keating, now twenty-four, has dropped out of law school & is working as a cocktail waitress in Chicago. When she meets one of her idols, the famous author Leon Posen, & tells him about her family, she unwittingly relinquishes control over their story. Franny never dreams that the consequences of this encounter will extend beyond her own life into those of her scattered siblings & parents. Told with equal measures of humour & heartbreak, Commonwealth is a powerful & tender tale of family, betrayal & the far-reaching bonds of love & responsibility. A meditation on inspiration, interpretation & the ownership of stories, it is Ann Patchett`s most astonishing work to date. ...

This book is a complete guide to all forms of communication at sea. It examines the international marine use of cell phones, satellites, amateur radio & email, cutting through the jargon & sales hype to enable readers to make the right choice for their needs & sailing territory. Comprehensive appendices on radio procedure, tables of radio frequencies & weather broadcast times provide invaluable reference information not available from any other single source. This book is an essential on-board reference for cruising sailors worldwide. ...

Sam Thompson`s compelling Man Booker-longlisted novel recognises that cities are made up of people`s stories: stories that collide & diverge, that touch on the normal & the unusual, that deal with crime & love. Communion Town is the tale of a location that never glances twice in the same direction; a destination conceived by each new visitor who strolls through its constantly-changing streets, hearing voices half-heard, learning of wishes half-acknowledged & seeing signs half-glimpsed. This is a story of urban renewal
- of people who keep discovering other people`s cities in places they thought they knew. Get your copy now!
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The ” Community Tourism Guide” will lead you to a new type of holiday. Tribal people & rural villagers in Africa, Asia, Australia, North & South America & the Pacific islands are setting up their own tours: tours from which they, & not the international hotel chains, derive some income. For the traveller, they offer uniquely exciting opportunities, far from the usual tourist ghettos, & they are based on fair trade, benefiting local communities & giving them hope of a better future. Written by Mark Mann for Tourism Concern, Europe`s leading ethical tourism organization, the Guide brings together the pick of these holidays. It describes hundreds of different holidays in many of the most beautiful places around the world, with full contact details & a range of further useful information. Chosen by Tourism Concern, & not available through conventional travel agents, they promise uniquely rewarding experiences to the adventurous & those concerned about the impacts of their visits. ...

On the eve of the railway age, London was the world s largest & most populous city & one of the most congested. Traffic-clogged roads & tightly packed buildings meant that travel across the city was tortuous, time-consuming & unpleasant. Then came the railways. They transformed the city & set it on a course of extraordinary development that created the metropolis of the present day. This is story that David Wragg explores in his fascinating new book. He considers the impact of the railways on London & the Home Counties & analyses the decisions taken by the railway companies, Parliament & local government. He also describes the disruptive effect of the railways which could not be built without massive upheaval. His study of the railway phenomenon will be thought-provoking reading for anyone who is keen to understand the city s expansion & the layout of the capital today. ...