Forth & Clyde & Union Canals with the Crinan Canal double sided map by GEOproject shows details of navigation & facilities available to the boat user with details of boatyard & boat trip operators, as well as useful snippets of visitor information for places of interest not far from the water ...

Having recorded in pen & ink the -” Fishing Boats of Scotland” which she loves, Gloria Wilson here focusses her attention on the Peterhead yard of Richard Irvin & Sons, & the wooden, cruiser sterned fishing boats for which it became renowned in the second half of the twentieth century. Almost one hundred of her own photographs accompany her account of the boats & the people who made up a distinctive & now disappearing maritime culture. As Paul Gartside writes in his Foreword: ” Gloria Wilson truly belongs in the tradition of the folklorists-individuals moved initially by the discovery of beauty in the commonplace who are then compelled to understand & record what they find... One hopes her example will spur others to similar effort, for the capturing of culture & local knowledge before it slips away is always a noble pursuit.” ...

Set on the eve of the Sino-Japanese war, Fortress Besieged recounts the exuberant misadventures of the hapless hero Fang Hung-chien, who after aimlessly studying in Europe at his family`s expense returns to Shanghai armed with a bogus degree from a fake university. On the liner back, Fang`s life becomes deeply entangled with those of two Chinese beauties
- while when he does finally make it home, he obtains a teaching post at a newly established university, encounters effete pseudo-intellectuals, & falls into a marriage of disastrous proportions. A glorious tale of love, marriage, war, calamity, disillusionment & hope, this is one of the greatest Chinese novels: combining Eastern philosophy, Western traditions, adventure, tragicomedy & satire to create a unique feast of delights.
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As Stuart Laycock`s book All the Countries We`ve Ever Invaded: & the Few We Never got Round to shows, the British have not been backward in coming forward when it comes to aggressive visits abroad. But it hasn`t all been one way. In 1193 for example, the Danes teamed up with the most persistent offenders, the French, for a full-scale invasion. The French Prince Louis the Lion came close to success exactly 150 years after the Battle of Hastings. The 100 Years War saw multiple raids on British towns & ports by the Spanish & French. Following the Armada, there was the bloodless invasion of 1688, Bonnie Prince Charlie`s march south, the remarkable American John Paul Jones` attack on Whitehaven during the American War of Independence, the German occupation of the Channel Islands &
- the great what if of British, perhaps world history
- the threat of Operation Sealion. Ian Hernon brings his journalistic flair to bear in this dramatic narrative of the survival of an island race over 900 years
- sometimes, surprisingly, against the odds. Whilst such a history (one leaving out the boring bits) is bound to entertain, it also cannot fail to inform: where were shots last exchanged with an enemy on the mainland? At Graveney Marsh in Kent.


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In March & April 1942, more explosives were dropped on the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta ` smaller than the Isle of Wight ` than on the whole of Britain during the first year of the Blitz. Malta had become one of the most strategically important places in the world. From there, the Allies could attack Axis supply lines to North Africa; without it, Rommel would be able to march unchecked into Egypt, Suez & the Middle East. For the Allies this would have catastrophic. As Churchill said, Malta had to be held `at all costs.` FORTRESS MALTA follows the story through the eyes of those who were there: young men such as twenty-year-old fighter pilot Raoul Daddo-Langlois, anti-aircraft gunner Ken Griffiths, American Art Roscoe & submariner Tubby Crawford
- who served on the most successful Allied submarine of the Second World War; cabaret dancer-turned RAF plotter Christina Ratcliffe, & her lover, the brilliant & irrepressible reconnaissance pilot, Adrian Warburton. Their stories & others provide extraordinary first-hand accounts of heroism, resilience, love, & loss, highlighting one of the most remarkable stories of World War II.
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` Authentic & fresh
- the streets remain the preserve of those who live there
- & when photographing the people he is among

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You know what it`s like when your mum goes away on a business trip & Dad`s in charge. She leaves a really, really long list of what he`s got to do. & the most important thing is DON`T FORGET TO GET THE MILK. Unfortunately, Dad forgets. So the next morning, before breakfast, he has to go to the corner shop, & this is the story of why it takes him a very, very long time to get back. Featuring: Professor Steg (a time-travelling dinosaur), some green globby things, the Queen of the Pirates, the famed jewel that is the Eye of Splod, some wumpires, & a perfectly normal but very important carton of milk. The award-laden, bestselling Neil Gaiman, author of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Stardust, Neverwhere, The Graveyard Book & Coraline, brings his biggest ever publishing year to a spectacular conclusion with this gloriously entertaining novel about time-travel, dinosaurs, milk & dads. ...

A pad filled with fortunes tellers, a form of origami used in children`s games. With fortune tellers to tear out on a wide range of topics, from animals to robots. There are also lots of patterned sheets for you to write your own messages on. Simple step-by-step instructions show children how to create the fortune tellers & play games. ...

Africa has been coveted for its riches ever since the era of the Pharaohs. In past centuries, it was the lure of gold, ivory & slaves that drew fortune-seekers, merchant-adventurers & conquerors from afar. In modern times, the focus of attention is on oil, diamonds & other valuable minerals. Land was another prize. The Romans relied on their colonies in northern Africa for vital grain shipments to feed the population of Rome. Arab invaders followed in their wake, eventually colonising the entire region. In modern times, foreign corporations have acquired huge tracts of land to secure food supplies needed abroad, just as the Romans did. In this vast & vivid panorama of history, Martin Meredith follows the fortunes of Africa over a period of 5, 000 years. With compelling narrative, he traces the rise & fall of ancient kingdoms & empires; the spread of Christianity & Islam; the enduring quest for gold & other riches; the exploits of explorers & missionaries; & the impact of European colonisation. He examines too the fate of modern African states & concludes with a glimpse of their future. His cast of characters

Includes:: religious leaders, mining magnates, warlords, dictators & many other legendary figures, among them Mansa Musa, ruler of the medieval Mali empire, said to be the richest man the world has ever known. `I speak of Africa, ` Shakespeare wrote, `and of golden joys`. This is history on an epic scale.

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In this vast & vivid panorama of history, Martin Meredith, bestselling author of The State of Africa, follows the fortunes of Africa over a period of 5, 000 years. With compelling narrative, he traces the rise & fall of ancient kingdoms & empires; the spread of Christianity & Islam; the enduring quest for gold & other riches; the exploits of explorers & missionaries; & the impact of European colonisation. He examines, too, the fate of modern African states & concludes with a glimpse into their future. This is history on an epic scale. ...