” Discovering the Moscow Countryside” is a fascinating voyage into the history, architecture, people, & archaeology of the country that surrounds Moscow. The towns & villages dotted around this wooded landscape are rich in associations. Wave after wave of invaders--Tatars, Poles, French, & Germans--sought to conquer Russia through these lands. Now, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of the beautiful monasteries & little ruined country churches are coming back to life. This is also the land of the dacha--that special haven to which all city dwellers, at the first melting of the snow, escape: whether it be to a wooden mansion or a tiny room lost in the woods. This book is a practical guide for the tourist keen to explore this fascinating area of Russia, as well as for the curious armchair traveler. ...

Although Dubai tends to capture the headlines, the transformations of Abu Dhabi, the capital, & Sharjah, the third major city, have been scarcely less dramatic. So what`s it like to live in this idiosyncratic Arab federation, where so many different cultures meet & co-exist with such apparent ease? & what lies beneath the veneer of economic success? In answering these questions, Discovering the United Arab Emirates is designed to appeal not only to students of all nationalities but also to the growing number of families who choose to make their home here. For many, the business agenda is so all-consuming & modern creature comforts so extensive that they can spend months, even years, in the United Arab Emirates without understanding anything about the region`s history & culture. But that attitude is changing. The government is vigorously promoting its culture & heritage, encouraging Emiratis, residents & tourists to visit cultural sites. Historic buildings are being renovated & opened up to the public. Meanwhile, international students are becoming increasingly interested in the region, & not just for its record-breaking buildings & economic success. Lavishly illustrated with photographs of people & places not on the tourist trail, the book offers its audience a wealth of information in an easy, accessible manner. It is also an invaluable resource to schools & teachers, & prompts the reader to investigate & explore further. ...

Discovering the Universe is the story of man`s quest through the ages to unlock the secrets of our universe & understand where we come from & where we are going. Lavishly illustrated throughout with both historic images & the latest satellite photography, it follows the journey for knowledge from the first musings of Stone Age people to the position of the stars & planets in the sky, via Galileo`s first visions of Orion through a telescope, to our first steps on the Moon, & right up to the photographs of our magnificent universe which are being sent back from the Plank telescope today. Beautifully reproduced documents make it possible for the reader to experience hands-on, & to appreciate at each stage what over ten thousand years of history astronomers were discovering, & how & why this was significant. ...

Half-timbered houses, cottages & barnes are a familiar feature of the landscape, but only rarely do we have an opportunity to see below the surface & understand how they were planned & constructed. Timber-framed buildings catch the imagination of those who work with them because of their beauty, their strength & the quality of the material of which they were made: English oak. Many thousands of buildings of all ages still remain to remind us the strength of the tradition. This book looks behind the commong image of `black & white` houses, showing how timber buildings were built & how they vary from region to region. ...

This engaging & practical travel guide takes you on a journey through the best of Tudor London, to sites built & associated with this fascinating dynasty, & to the museums & galleries that house tantalising treasures from this rich period of history. Join the author as she explores evocative historical sites, including the magnificent great hall of Eltham Palace, the most substantial surviving remnant of the medieval palace where Henry VIII spent time as a child, & the lesser-known delights of St Helen`s Church, dubbed the ` Westminster Abbey of the City` for its impressive collection of Tudor monuments. A range of photographs, maps & visitor information, together with an informative narrative, bring the most intriguing personalities & stories of the thirty plus sites across Greater London vividly to life. This a must have companion for both those planning their own ` Tudor pilgrimage` & for the armchair traveller alike. ...

Every family has a history. Most people in Britain & Ireland are able to trace their ancestry back through a dozen generations (or more) discovering along the way a pageant of forebears
- rich & poor; heroic & tragic; bad & ugly. In this new enlarged & updated edition, the authors describe how, step by step, the history of a family may be discovered & a pedigree drawn up. This book shows how the framework of a family three may be constructed from the accessible official records of birth, batptism, adoption, marriage, divorce, death & burial. From these bare branches the family tree blossoms into life with biographical information gleaned from the archives of church, state & local administration.
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The life story of a house is told by the stones, bricks, timber, tiles & thatch that make up its walls, floors & roof. This book describes how different structural techniques adopted by house builders down the centuries may provide clues to the date of construction. An unfolding story of alteration, improvement, extension (and occasional dilapidation) may be read in the layout f rooms or the style of features, fixtures & fittings. The history of an old house is also discovered in manuscripts & printed books, in archives & public libraries. These crucial sources are described & explained with the help of apt"ations & old documents & reproductions of maps, plans & pictures. Separate chapters unravel the intricacies of old title deeds, place-names & on-site survey methods. ...

A build your own set, the globe comes with everything you need to construct your own stand & axis, plus two different globe maps representing day & night for you to fix & slot into place. The `day` map features a standard map of the Earth, with all the world`s major landmarks labelled. The `night` map is based on the night sky, & features the major star constellations accurately portrayed & labelled. Both maps are easy to assemble, with double sided tape & instructions provided. ...

Pocket magnifying glass. Solid bronze surround with durable glass. Our Discovery Glass allows detailed examination of maps, coins, & other wonders. If we do not have this item in stock we will order it for you from our supplier. Delivery generally takes 3 weeks within the UK. For overseas delivery queries please email sales@stanfords.co.uk ...

Make your own globe & discover more about the people & places on it with this stylish kit, containing all the pieces for an easy-to-make spinning model plus a highly-illustrated atlas. The sturdy card globe features icons labelling everything from natural wonders to famous faces, topics which can then be explored in more detail in the atlas. As well as referring closely to the model globe, the atlas covers a variety of themes including the Earth`s biomes, animals & World Heritage sites, providing a fascinating introduction to the world, its people & places. This beautifully-designed kit has everything any armchair adventurer needs to begin exploring their very own globe. ...