In seventh-century China a young girl from the humble Wu clan entered the imperial gynaecium, housing ten thousand concubines. Inside the Forbidden City, she witnessed seductions, plots, murders, & brazen acts of treason
- but shrewdly masterminded her way to the ultimate position of power. From there she instigated positive reforms in government & culture. & yet, from the moment of her death to the present day, her name has been sullied, her story distorted, & her memoirs obliterated by men taking vengeance on a women who dared become Emperor. This amazing historical novelisation reveals a fascinating, complex figure who in many ways remains modern to this day.
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This is from the bestselling author of Wild Swans & Mao: The Unknown Story. In this groundbreaking biography, Jung Chang vividly describes how Empress Dowager Cixi
- the most important woman in Chinese history
- brought a medieval empire into the modern age. Under her, the ancient country attained virtually all the attributes of a modern state & it was she who abolished gruesome punishments like `death by a thousand cuts` & put an end to foot-binding. Jung Chang comprehensively overturns the conventional view of Cixi as a diehard conservative & cruel despot & also takes the reader into the depths of her splendid Summer Palace & the harem of Beijing`s Forbidden City, where she lived surrounded by eunuchs
- with one of whom she fell in love, with tragic consequences. Packed with drama, fast-paced & gripping, it is both a panoramic depiction of the birth of modern China & an intimate portrait of a woman: as the concubine to a monarch, as the absolute ruler of a third of the world`s population, & as a unique stateswoman. ” Powerful”. (Simon Sebag Montefiore). ” Truly authoritative”. (New York Times). ” Wonderful”. (Sunday Times). It is shortlisted for the James Tait Black Biography Prize.


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Solid brass with duotone bronze finish, moves up & down to different angles by adjusting a clever ball-joint. Weighted bass prevents tipping. Now a tool of study & fun, be it to study the lines on your palm, a picture, fingerprints, small print? A gift with excellent provenance, an accessory that delivers. This is a must-have for any desk. 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 ...

In 1611, thirty-four-year-old Nur Jahan, daughter of a Persian noble & widow of a subversive official, became the twentieth & favourite wife of the Emperor Jahangir who ruled the Mughal Empire. An astute politician as well as a devoted partner, she issued imperial orders; coins of the realm bore her name. When Jahangir was imprisoned by a rebellious nobleman, the Empress led troops into battle & rescued him. The only woman to acquire the stature of empress in her male-dominated world, Nur was also a talented dress designer & innovative architect whose work inspired her stepson`s Taj Mahal. Nur`s confident assertion of talent & power is revelatory; it far exceeded the authority of her female contemporaries, including Elizabeth I. Here, she finally receives her due in a deeply researched & evocative biography. ...

This title features striking, unique aerial photography of the largest truly-deserted expanses of land on Earth. Aerial photographer George Steinmetz, shooting from a motorized paraglider, has created an unparalleled portrait of Rub`al-Khali, or `the Empty Quarter`, one of the largest
- & harshest
- sand deserts in the world. Although only a fraction of the size of its giant neighbour, the Sahara, the Empty Quarter`s punishing terrain has rarely been captured on film & never from such a striking perspective. Old maps, satellite images & a dose of Arabic hospitality enabled Steinmetz to venture where few had ever been before, revealing through his photographs a true wilderness, without a single permanent human habitation or known point of water & preserved by its harsh climate & extreme remoteness, as well as a fascinating tradition of a hardy people living at its edges. For experienced travellers or explorers who have heard of Rub`al-Khali, entering the heart of the Arabian Desert is truly the ultimate experience.

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Ems Cycle Route, a 380-km long route from the source of the Ems to the North Sea, presented by Verlag Esterbauer in a German language guide with maps at 1:50, 000 showing the route & its variants including an alternative starting point in Dortmund reaching the Ems along the Dortmund – Ems Canal. Extensive information is conveyed by symbols, indicating road surface, campsites & other accommodation, repair workshops, recreational facilities, places of interest, etc. A list of various types of accommodation facilities is included. NB. This section of the Baltic Coast Route is also covered in the Bikeline series by an English language guide “ Iron Curtain Cycle Route Part 2: Usedom to the German/ Czech Border” with mapping at 1:85, 000.IMPORTANT
- PLEASE NOTE BEFORE ORDERING
- ALL THE TEXT IN THIS TITLE IS GERMAN ONLY. MAP LEGEND

Includes:: ENGLISH (please see our sample image) & the information provided on the maps is sufficient to use this title without any knowledge of German.ABOUT THE BIKELINE SERIES: all the titles have been meticulously researched & are highly regarded in their native Germany. Most titles, as indicated in their individual descriptions, also include a separate section listing selected accommodation, from hotels to campsites, youth hostels & rooms in private houses, all with addresses, telephone numbers & price range. Information on towns along each route

Includes:: a list of places of interest, with opening hours, etc. Several of the guides also have street plans. To see the list of other titles in the Bikeline series please click on the series link.





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East Frisia on a waterproof, tear-resistant, GPS compatible cycling map at 1:75, 000 from the ADFC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club
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Emsland Cycle Tour, a 297km cycle route between Papenburg & Rheine presented by the Verlag Esterbauer in guide with maps at 1:50, 000 showing the route & its variants. Extensive information is conveyed by symbols, indicating road surface, campsites & other accommodation, repair workshops, recreational facilities, places of interest, etc. A list of various types of accommodation facilities is included.IMPORTANT
- PLEASE NOTE BEFORE ORDERING
- ALL THE TEXT IN THIS TITLE IS GERMAN ONLY. MAP LEGEND

Includes:: ENGLISH (please see our sample image) & the information provided on the maps is sufficient to use this title without any knowledge of German.ABOUT THE BIKELINE SERIES: all the titles have been meticulously researched & are highly regarded in their native Germany. Most titles, as indicated in their individual descriptions, also include a separate section listing selected accommodation, from hotels to campsites, youth hostels & rooms in private houses, all with addresses, telephone numbers & price range. Information on towns along each route

Includes:: a list of places of interest, with opening hours, etc. Several of the guides also have street plans. To see the list of other titles in the Bikeline series please click on the series link.





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One of the titles in a series of maps from the Israeli Survey, in Hebrew
- with some Roman alphabet equivalents, providing coverage
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Following on from the success of the bestselling colouring books Secret Garden & Enchanted Forest by Johanna Basford, this set of notecards enables you to share some inky magic & will suit a variety of occasions. There are 12 notecards with 12 different designs for you or the lucky recipient to colour in. Each card is left blank inside for your message, & comes with an illustrated envelope. ...