Topographic survey of France at 1:25, 000 in IGN`s excellent TOP25 / Série Bleue series. All the maps are GPS compatible, with a 1km UTM grid plus latitude & longitude lines at 5’ intervals. Contours are at 5m intervals except for mountainous areas where the maps have contours at 10m intervals, vividly enhanced by hill shading & graphics for rocky terrain. Colouring with graphics indicates different types of vegetation or land use (deciduous or coniferous forests, moors, orchards, vineyards, etc). PLEASE NOTE: coverage of France at this scale is currently being revised – the format & the presentation of each title are indicated by the letters at the end of its Sheet Reference number (e.g. 0416ET, 3531ETR, 1923SB, etc.)MAPS WITH FULL TOURIST OVERPRINT & AN ENGLISH MAP LEGEND: all TOP25 maps & the SB editions of Série Bleue have an overprint highlighting waymarked walking trails including long-distance GR routes &, where appropriate, ski routes. Symbols indicate campsites, gîtes d’etape, refuges, equestrian centres & other recreational facilities or sites, tourist information centres, cultural heritage, etc. Towns & locations of particular interest are highlighted.- ET or OT = single-sided TOP25 map covering approx. 29x 21 km / 18x 13 miles.- ETR or OTR = waterproof & tear resistant TOP25 map covering the same area as the corresponding ET or OT number, but double-sided, printed on a smaller size sheet with a good overlap between the sides.- SB = Série Bleue map with full tourist overprint; these maps, first introduced in summer 2014, each cover approx. 29x 24km / 18x 15 miles.SÉRIE BLEUE maps with numbers ending in E (Est) or O (Ouest): most editions now indicate the GR routes, but do not show any other tourist information. Map legend is in French only. Each map covers approx. 14x 20km / 9x 12 miles. ...

The 1:50 000 topographic map gives a more general picture of the ground features than a basic map. It shows settlements, houses, roads, cultivated areas, waterways, cutting areas, mires, rock exposures, & relief. One map sheet covers an area of 30 x 40 km & one centimetre corresponds to 500 metres on the ground. The 1:50, 000 topographic map is also an ideal complement to nautical charts as it provides useful information about the land areas adjacent to waterways. For example, all Finnish sea areas are covered by 1:50 000 topographic map sheets. ...

The 1:50, 000 topographic map gives a more general picture of the ground features than a basic map. It shows settlements, houses, roads, cultivated areas, waterways, cutting areas, mires, rock exposures, & relief. One map sheet covers an area of 30 x 40 km & one centimetre corresponds to 500 metres on the ground. The 1:50, 000 topographic map is also an ideal complement to nautical charts as it provides useful information about the land areas adjacent to waterways. For example, all Finnish sea areas are covered by 1:50, 000 topographic map sheets. ...

Despite its reputation for religious intolerance, the Middle East has long sheltered many distinctive & strange faiths: one regards the Greek prophets as incarnations of God, another reveres Lucifer in the form of a peacock, & yet another believes that their followers are reincarnated beings who have existed in various forms for thousands of years. These religions represent the last vestiges of the magnificent civilizations in ancient history: Persia, Babylon, Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs. Their followers have learned how to survive foreign attacks & the perils of assimilation. But today, with the Middle East in turmoil, they face greater challenges than ever before. In Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms, former diplomat Gerard Russell ventures to the distant, nearly impassable regions where these mysterious religions still cling to survival. He lives alongside the Mandaeans & Ezidis of Iraq, the Zoroastrians of Iran, the Copts of Egypt, & others. He learns their histories, participates in their rituals, & comes to understand the threats to their communities. Historically a tolerant faith, Islam has, since the early 20th century, witnessed the rise of militant, extremist sects. This development, along with the rippling effects of Western invasion, now pose existential threats to these minority faiths. & as more & more of their youth flee to the West in search of greater freedoms & job prospects, these religions face the dire possibility of extinction. Drawing on his extensive travels & archival research, Russell provides an essential record of the past, present, & perilous future of these remarkable religions. ...

Despite its reputation for religious intolerance, the Middle East has long sheltered many distinctive & strange faiths: one regards the Greek prophets as incarnations of God, another reveres Lucifer in the form of a peacock, & yet another believes that their followers are reincarnated beings who have existed in various forms for thousands of years. These religions represent the last vestiges of the magnificent civilizations in ancient history: Persia, Babylon, Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs. Their followers have learned how to survive foreign attacks & the perils of assimilation. But today, with the Middle East in turmoil, they face greater challenges than ever before. In Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms, former diplomat Gerard Russell ventures to the distant, nearly impassable regions where these mysterious religions still cling to survival. He lives alongside the Mandaeans & Ezidis of Iraq, the Zoroastrians of Iran, the Copts of Egypt, & others. He learns their histories, participates in their rituals, & comes to understand the threats to their communities. Historically a tolerant faith, Islam has, since the early 20th century, witnessed the rise of militant, extremist sects. This development, along with the rippling effects of Western invasion, now pose existential threats to these minority faiths. & as more & more of their youth flee to the West in search of greater freedoms & job prospects, these religions face the dire possibility of extinction. Drawing on his extensive travels & research, Russell provides an essential record of the past, present, & perilous future of these remarkable religions. ...

Mountain areas of central & northern Sweden on waterproof & tear-resistant, GPS compatible topographic “ Fjällkartan” maps at 1:100, 000 & 1:50, 000 from Lantmäteriet
- the country’s national survey organization, with hiking & ski routes, campsites & youth hostels, etc. Relief is shown by contours at 20m intervals & enhanced by relief shading, plus colouring and/or graphics to indicate different types of vegetation or land use. An overprint shows trails for hiking & cross-country skiing, indicating waymarked or unmarked & summer or winter only routes. Also shown are mandatory & recommended trails for snowmobiles & areas prohibited for cross-country vehicles. Symbols indicate locations of campsites, youth hostels, huts & wind shelters, mountain lodges & other types of tourist accommodation, emergency telephones, etc. The maps have both a 1-km UTM grid & a latitude/longitude grid in steps of 10`. Map legend

Includes:: English. On the reverse there are descriptions of the area in Swedish only, GPS coordinates for selected locations, etc. Most sheets also include a brief note in English on public access regulations. To see the list of titles in this series please click on the series link.


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Helambu
- Langtang region at 1:100, 000 in a series of detailed topographic maps of selected trekking areas of Nepal originally
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Trekking routes in the Helambu region south of the Langtang National Park in the Nepa Maps series which provides extensive coverage of trekking areas of Nepal on detailed contoured maps with trekking routes & hiking trails, huts & camp sites, local places of interest & other tourist information. Cartography is based on the country’s topographic survey, with contours usually at 40m or 50m intervals, enhanced by relief shading, colouring & graphics to show various features of the terrain, including glaciers, forested or cultivated areas, etc. Numerous peaks, with additional spot heights, plus names of glaciers & mountain ranges are prominently shown. The network of rivers, streams & lakes is shown in great detail, with many smaller rivers & lakes named. Overprint highlights main trekking routes & numerous local trails, with symbols indicating various places of interest & tourist facilities. Most maps are indexed & include additional information such as route profiles, glossaries, etc. All the information is in English & heights are given in metres.* In this title:* trekking routes in the Helambu region south of the Langtang National Park. Contours are at 40m intervals, with relief shading & vegetation colouring. Index lists places, peaks, lakes & passes. Margin ticks show latitude & longitude at intervals of 5’. Additional information

Includes:: a profile of the Helambu circuit & a table showing the route in stages with altitudes in metres & feet & trekking times.

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As soon as men began to write, they made Helen of Troy their subject; for close on three thousand years she has been both the embodiment of absolute female beauty & a reminder of the terrible power that beauty can wield. Because of her double marriage to the Greek King Menelaus & the Trojan Prince Paris, Helen was held responsible for an enduring enmity between East & West. For millennia she has been viewed as an exquisite agent of extermination. But who was she? Helen exists in many guises: a matriarch from the Age of Heroes who ruled over one of the most fertile areas of the Mycenaean world; Helen of Sparta, the focus of a cult which conflated Helen the heroine with a pre-Greek fertility goddess; the home-wrecker of the Iliad; the bitch-whore of Greek tragedy; the pin-up of Romantic artists. Focusing on the `real` Helen
- a flesh-&-blood aristocrat from the Greek Bronze Age
- acclaimed historian Bettany Hughes reconstructs the context of life for this elusive pre-historic princess. Through the eyes of a young Mycenaean woman, Hughes examines the physical, historical & cultural traces that Helen has left on locations in Greece, North Africa & Asia Minor. Vivid & compelling, this remarkable book brilliantly unpacks the facts & myths surrounding one of the most enigmatic & notorious figures of all time.

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Pictura is a stunning range of black-&-white artworks to collect & colour, for ages 9 to 90. In Hedgerow Year, the beautiful ...