In em Dark Sparring/em, Selina Tusitala Marsh combats family loss with all the techniques of poetry, ritual & Thai kickboxing at her disposal. The book & accompanying CD brim with fluid, humming list poems, literary shoutouts & personal elegies, as Marsh takes us through her mother`s diagnosis with cancer & the long journey out the other side of her illness. Along the way, she shows us other parts of her world: scenes from Matiatia to ?rapiu to Apia; classroom politics; the importance of leadership; & the reasons New Zealand is a `lucky` country. Dark Sparring has an appealing voice, a strong right hook & an affecting, rhythmic heart. ...

Embarking on another ambitious journey, Paul Theroux travels on his Dark Star Safari from Cairo to Cape Town by train, boat & cattle truck. He sets out to travel the length of Africa & to see everything in-between. Travelling through some of the most beautiful & most ravaged landscapes on earth, he revisits countries after forty years` absence
- having been a teacher in Malawi, he revisits his old school, friends & colleagues. The book is infused with the past & Theroux examines the changes that have occurred in these African countries after almost four decades of independence. He reinserts himself into the bush, to wander the ancient savannah & finds the people poorer, hungrier, less educated, more pessimistic & more corrupt. But he also uncovers a vibrant energy in the face of privation & want. Endlessly curious, witty & observant, Theroux is the ideal guide on this epic, enlightening journey. Reviewed by Alex Stewart, retail product manager, Stanfords Covent Garden.* Shortlisted for the 2003 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award.*
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Everest
- the highest mountain in the world & the ultimate climbing challenge. In 2006, 11 people died attempting to reach the
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Wherein lies the beauty of the dark image? What is the attraction of the dark tourist attraction &, moreover, the disposition & practice of the dark tourist away from & upon return home? Dark Tourism: The Beauty in Death is a collection of photographs captured in places associated with death & tragedy around the world, where tourists visit with varying motivations from being reminded of how fragile life is, a prompt that life is precious & bad things happen so we need to make the most out of our lives. ...

Just before dawn one summer morning Bruno is summoned by the wail of the siren in the little town of St Denis in the Perigord. A fire is raging in a local barn & spreading to the surrounding fields. When Bruno arrives at the scene, the smell of petrol leaves no doubt
- it was arson. Meanwhile, a Californian producer wants to set up a wine-making business in the valley. Despite the money & jobs this would bring, many fear it would destroy their town. When a violent death follows the crop burning, it looks as though someone is prepared to do anything to stop the scheme. Bruno will have to draw on all his local knowledge to reach the truth.
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Dark Wind is the true story of Gordon Chaplin & his partner Susan Aitkinson. Both coming from broken first marriages, they rediscover passion & share a desire for adventure. But what started as an idyllic escapade through the Marshall Islands ends in tragedy when their yacht gets trapped in the path of a furious tropical storm ...

From the prize-winning screenwriter of The Theory of Everything, this is a cinematic, behind-the-scenes account of a crucial moment which takes us inside the mind of one of the world`s greatest leaders
- & provides a revisionist, more rounded portrait of his leadership. May, 1940. Britain is at war, European democracies are falling rapidly & the public are unaware of this dangerous new world. Just days after his unlikely succession to Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, faces this horror
- & a sceptical King & a party plotting against him. He wonders how he can capture the public mood & does so, magnificently, before leading the country to victory. It is this fascinating period that Anthony Mc Carten captures in this deeply researched, gripping day-by-day (and often hour-by-hour) narrative. In doing so he revises the familiar view of Churchill
- he made himself into the iconic figure we remember & changed the course of history, but through those turbulent & dangerous weeks he was plagued by doubt, & even explored a peace treaty with Nazi Germany. It`s a scarier, & more human story, than has ever been told.


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A monstrously funny debut from the new star of middle-grade adventure. THEY`RE COMING! Legends (also known as terrifying, human-eating monsters) have invaded the town of Darkmouth & aim to conquer the world. But don`t panic! The last remaining Legend Hunter
- Finn
- will protect us. Finn: twelve-years-old, loves animals, not a natural fighter, but tries really, really hard, & we all know good intentions are the best weapons against a hungry Minotaur, right? On second thoughts, panic. PANIC NOW!

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Darkness at Noon is set in an unnamed country ruled by a totalitarian government. Rubashov, once a powerful player in the regime, finds the tables turned on him when he is arrested & tried for treason. His reflections on his previous life & his experiences in prison form the heart of this moving & though-provoking masterpiece. ...

Darkness is the friend & enemy of those who hunt by night. Ellie & her friends have found safety after months of fighting. But the New Zealand Defence Force needs their help to infiltrate occupied Australian territory. & so the friends must fight on. ...