Why not? After all, no-one had ever done it before. It would be one of the longest of all overland journeys-half-way round the world, from the English Channel to Singapore. They knew that several expeditions had already tried it. Some had got as far as the deserts of Persia; a few had even reached the plains of India. But no-one had managed to go on from there: over the jungle-clad mountains of Assam & across northern Burma to Thailand & Malaya. Over the last 3, 000 miles it seemed there were ”just too many rivers & too few roads”. But no-one really knew... In fact, their problems began much earlier than that. As mere undergraduates, they had no money, no cars, no nothing. But with a cool audacity, which was to become characteristic, they set to work-wheedling & cajoling. First, they coaxed the BBC to come up with some film for a possible TV series. Then they gently ”persuaded” Rover to lend them two factory-fresh Land Rovers. A publisher was even sweet-talked into giving them an advance on a book. By the time they were ready to go, their sponsors (more than 80 of them) ranged from whiskey distillers to the makers of collapsible buckets. In late 1955, they set off. Seven months & 12, 000 miles later, two very weary Land Rovers, escorted by police outriders, rolled into Singapore-to flash-bulbs & champagne. Now, fifty years on, their bestselling book, First Overl&, is republished-with a foreword by Sir David Attenborough. After all, it was he who gave them that film. ...

The Great Wall of China is the largest man-made structure ever built, stretching for over 4, 000 kilometres from central Asia, across the Gobi Desert, through the remote, cold mountains of northern China to end on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Nathan Gray, a young New Zealand lawyer, wanted to be the first person in history to walk the entire length of the Great Wall. In October 2000 he set off with four fellow travellers
- a Buddhist monk from Singapore, a Jewish photojournalist from Argentina, a Catholic recording artist from Italy & a Mormon golfer. Conceived as an idealistic trek to mark the millennium in cultural, racial & religious harmony, one month in reality bit. Blizzards, lightning strikes, thirst, starvation, snakes & police detention all took their toll. After 3, 000 kilometres, having witnessed the fatal stabbing of a Chinese friend & being chased at gunpoint by soldiers, Nathan succumbed to physical & mental fatigue & returned to New Zeal&. Unable to accept defeat, he returned three months later to complete the challenge; the final 1, 000 kilometres.
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Young & penniless, Kif Kehlmann, is rung in the middle of the night by notorious con man & corporate criminal, Siegfried Heidl. About to go to trial for defrauding the banks of $700 million, Heidl proposes a deal: $10, 000 for Kehlmann to ghostwrite his memoir in six weeks. Kehlmann accepts but soon begins to fear that he is being corrupted by Heidl. Is he ghostwriting a memoir, or is Heidl is rewriting him? As the deadline draws closer everything that is certain grows uncertain as he begins to wonder: who is Ziggy Heidl
- & who is Kif Kehlmann?
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Six weeks to write for your life... In this blistering story of a ghostwriter haunted by his demonic subject, the Man Booker Prize winner turns to lies, crime & literature with devastating effect A young & penniless writer, Kif Kehlmann, is rung in the middle of the night by the notorious con man & corporate criminal, Siegfried Heidl. About to go to trial for defrauding the banks of $700 million, Heidl proposes a deal: $10, 000 for Kehlmann to ghostwrite his memoir in six weeks. Kehlmann accepts but begins to fear that he is being corrupted by Heidl. As the deadline draws closer, he becomes ever more unsure if he is ghostwriting a memoir, or if Heidl is rewriting him?his life, his future. Everything that was certain grows uncertain as he begins to wonder: who is Siegfried Heidl?and who is Kif Kehlmann? ...

Whether your child is learning English or Polish, Oxford First Polish Words gives your child a head start in learning another language by taking a picture-book journey through a day, with familiar settings, everyday things, & cute little dinosaurs. There is a bird`s eye view of getting ready for school in the morning, the journey to school, inside the classroom, a birthday party, & even a trip to the seaside. As a first picture word book, this is perfect for children & their language teacher, or native speaker, to share together picking out the familiar items, playing the matching game, recognizing numbers, shapes & time words. It is ideal for supporting the language skills children are learning in school, language clubs, & for those learning English as a 2nd language. Over 400 Polish words & their English translations are given next to their illustrations, on every page. There is also an expertly-levelled supplementary section at the back
- a picture/word matching game, counting the ladybirds up to twenty, shapes, opposites, weather, time, & a comprehensive index. The David Melling (The Kiss that Missed, Fidget & Quilly) illustrations make this an adorable first bilingual word book.
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This series presents brilliant books to help build vocabulary & literacy in a variety of languages. Each page contains a large detailed farmyard scene with objects clearly labelled which children then match the stickers to. Using the stickers helps children build their vocabulary & reinforce key words which they already know. It is illustrated by Stephen Cartwright. ...

All the engines love springtime! Read about this special season on the Island of Sodor, when flowers bloom & lambs are born & the most exciting day of all
- the day of the Great Sodor Easter Egg Hunt! With a young rhyming text & bright colourful pages this is the perfect first Thomas book.
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Over the course of several months during 1931 & 1932, Robert Byron journeyed to three countries teetering on the brink of change. In Russia, which was stricken by famine, Lenin had just died, Stalin`s dictatorship was in its infancy & the Great Terror was yet to begin. Having taken the first commercial flight to India, which took a week, Byron was thrown into the tumultuous last years of the British Raj. Gandhi was imprisoned while rioting & clashes between Hindus & Muslims had become commonplace. Finally Byron entered Tibet, the forbidden country. Exploring the Land of Snows, he saw Tibet as it was when the then Dalai Lama was still ensconced in the Potala Palace, twenty years before China`s invasion. Blending classic travel writing with passionate observations on the deeper political & social issues of the time, Byron writes with uncanny prescience of the eventual horrors of the Soviet Union & the downfall of the Raj. As a piece of travel literature, ” First Russia, Then Tibet” is compelling & beautifully-written. As a portrait of these countries in the 1930s, it is invaluable. Ultimately, it illuminates the constant quest for meaning that underscored Robert Byron`s life & travels. ...

Look out. Now look up. From the sky one flake falls, then another. & just like that—it`s snowing. In this beautiful book from debut creator Bomi Park, a young girl wakes up to the year`s first snowy day. From her initial glimpse out the window to her poignant adventures—rolling a snowman, making snow angels—the girl`s quiet quests are ones all young readers will recognise. Simple, muted text & exquisite, evocative art conjure the excitement of a day spent exploring the wonder of snow—and the magic that, sometimes literally, such a day brings. As subtly joyful as a snow day itself, this book will find its home in the hearts of young adventurers everywhere. ...

Zoom off into the galaxy & investigate all the planets, from Earth to Mars with First Space Encyclopedia. Packed full of stunning ...