This is a Booker-longlisted novel of art, absence, loss & passion, from Britain`s most exciting contemporary writer. Moving between Italy & Engl&, the lives of four people intertwine across half a century: a dying painter considers the sacrifices & losses that have made him an enigma; a blind girl tries to make sense of a world she can no longer see; a landscape artist finds himself trapped in dangerous terrain, & a young woman embarks on a dangerous affair of darkness & sexual abandon. ...

Most boatowners will find themselves with paintbrush in hand at least once during a season but with the vast range of products now available, how do you know which to select for the job? This book answers all the DIY boatowner`s questions, & provides practical advice on painting every type of material. It explains: correct surface preparation dealing with defects correct application methods estimating quantities drying times brushes, rollers, pads & sprays resins, epoxies, solvents & thinners colour matching. There is also a handy fault-finding section for when things go wrong. ` This is a brilliant book...I recommend it for beginner & old-timer alike` Cruising ...

` Wonderfully written & characteristically brilliant` Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads ` Elegant, readable.. .an impressive synthesis.. . Not many historians could have done it`
- Jonathan Sumption, Spectator ` Tyerman`s book is fascinating not just for what it has to tell us about the Crusades, but for the mirror it holds up to today`s religious extremism`
- Tom Holl&, Spectator Thousands left their homelands in the Middle Ages to fight wars abroad. But how did the Crusades actually happen? From recruitment propaganda to raising money, ships to siege engines, medicine to the power of prayer, this vivid, surprising history shows holy war
- & medieval society
- in a new light.



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This book presents a lively & compelling account of how the crusades really worked, & a revolutionary attempt to rethink how we understand the Middle Ages. The story of the wars & conquests initiated by the First Crusade & its successors is itself so compelling that most accounts move quickly from describing the Pope`s calls to arms to the battlefield. In this highly original & enjoyable new book, Christopher Tyerman focuses on something obvious but overlooked: the massive, all-encompassing & hugely costly business of actually preparing a crusade. The efforts of many thousands of men & women, who left their lands & families in Western Europe, & marched off to a highly uncertain future in the Holy Land & elsewhere have never been sufficiently understood. Their actions raise a host of compelling questions about the nature of medieval society. How to Plan a Crusade is fascinating on diplomacy, communications, propaganda, the use of mass media, medical care, equipment, voyages, money, weapons, credit, wills, ransoms, animals, & the power of prayer. It brings to life an extraordinary era in a novel & surprising way. ...

Learn to play one of Bach`s most exquisite preludes in just 6 weeks, even if you have never played the piano before. An accessible & inspiring book by the pianist & international bestselling writer James Rhodes, who promises that it gives anyone with two hands, a piano or an electric keyboard & just 45 minutes a day the tools they need to learn to play Bach`s Prelude No. 1 in C Major in 6 weeks, even if they know nothing about music & have never even touched a piano before. How often do we convince ourselves that it`s just too late
- too late to learn how to ride a bike, too late to know how to meditate, too late to travel the world... As we get older & time slips through our fingers like water, we become resigned, almost defeatist, about abandoning our dreams. For James Rhodes, after the inevitable ” How many hours a day do you practice?” & ” Show me your hands”, the most common thing people say to him when they hear he`s a pianist is ”I used to play the piano as a kid. I really regret giving it up”. Where does this mourned & misplaced creativity go? For Rhodes, it`s still there to be tapped into by all of us, at any point. This inspirational book gives us the means to do this, by breaking up Bach`s seminal Prelude No. 1 from the Well-Tempered Clavier into manageable segments, teaching us the basics of piano playing
- how to read music, the difference between the treble & the bass clef, sharp & flat notes, how to practice etc..
- & encouraging personal interpretation in a way that is guaranteed to soothe the mind, feed the soul & unleash creative powers we didn`t know we still had. All of this will culminate in an ability to perform one of Bach`s masterpieces.” If listening to music is soothing for the soul, then playing music is achieving enlightenment. It`s going from kicking a ball around with a few pals to playing alongside Ronaldo.”


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Thanks to Mats & Enzo you know what to do at work (How to Poo at Work, How to Bonk at Work). But what about when you are farther afield? ` Abroad` is far away & mysterious & famous for toilet confusion so this incredibly useful little book will be a godsend as you wonder how to ask Loic for the preveziou or Jesus for the banheiro or as you struggle to flush Tokyo`s finest electro-loo or even how to avoid falling into a dunny heap when you`re in the outback. Filled with fun advice & real-life situations, you`d be mad to go to the toilet on holiday without this amazing book. ...

The truth about quitting smoking & how it can work for you.YOU CAN STOP SMOKING FOR GOOD. How to Quit Smoking reveals the TRUTH about stopping smoking from leading expert Professor Robert West. This book shows, for the first time, how you can create your personal Smoke Free Formula so that you are free from cigarettes for good. Professor Robert West is a world authority on smoking & addiction & has been helping smokers stop for more than 30 years. He is an advisor to the Department of Health & helped set up the NHS Stop Smoking Services. The book was written with Chris Smyth, Health Correspondent at The Times, & Jamie West. How to Quit Smoking is the ultimate guide to stopping smoking once & for all. ...

The best selling author of The Night Before series creates this unique new dinosaur novelty book. With flaps to open & dino bites taken out of the pages, How To Raise A Dinosaur is perfect for every young dinosaur lover! How to Raise a Dinosaur answers every child's question on how they can raise their very own dinosaur. From picking a meat-eater or a plant-eater, to how to handle teaching your dinosaur tricks, children will have fun entertaining the idea of having a real dinosaur for a pet. ...

Churches & cathedrals are visited by millions of tourists as well as worshippers each year. But many people do not realise that church buildings are packed with images, symbols & meanings that often need explanation. This handy guide will unlock all the treasures they contain. The stunning colour photographs show the very best in church art & architecture
- from paintings, fonts & altars, to pew ends, choir stalls & stained glass windows, & the accessible text talks you through the significance of church features. It

Includes:: sections on:
- The basics: imagery, themes & history
- Church architecture, inside & out
- Symbols, colours & words
- Representations of God, Jesus Christ & the Virgin Mary
- Recognising Saints & Angels
- Scenes from the Old Testament. It is the ultimate reference for anybody who wants to know more about what they see in a church or cathedral from the significance of church layouts, the symbolism of key scenes & the importance of small details.








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Why was heraldry so important to the families for whom houses were built? How does the layout of a house reveal the values of the people who lived in it? By reading the architectural features of a house
- even simple items such as windows, doors, chimneys & staircases
- we can learn so much about the past. Interiors, as well as exteriors, have a story to tell, with floor layouts & contents of rooms revealing much about the people who built & lived in them. We can also read the iconography of a house: its symbols & images, spanning subjects such as classical mythology, religion & British history. Heraldry too is an essential tool for understanding much of the details found in country houses, from coats of arms to crests, or fireplace decorations & ceiling bosses. Through all this, we gain a glimpse into the social world of the families who lived there
- & discover that the stories of many country houses are inextricably linked by marriage, royalty or political or military service. Richly illustrated with stunning photographs from the unique archive of Country Life magazine, this book is a joy for all those who want to learn more about our heritage, art & architecture, & the essential characteristics of a classic country house.


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