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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Mats & Enzo are back
- offering even more poo-related advice. They`ve saved your career in How to Poo at Work, eased your burden
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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. ...

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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What constitutes a village? What is the significance of the maypole? What was the true purpose of a village green? What is a `moot hall`? What is the origin of lich-gates? What was the real role of a yeoman? How come whole villages have disappeared over the centuries? This book reveals the answers & provides all the tools a village detective will need. Village history, points out the author, is embedded in the village landscape. Village stories can, therefore, be `read`: this book will reveal how. Arranging the book thematically, chapters cover ancient villages; the village green (including maypoles, pubs & ponds); the village church; cottages & farmsteads; village architecture (including lock-ups & market crosses); village casualties; fishing villages; clachans & fermtouns; &, villages of the modern era. Drawing on dozens of real villages as examples, the author, an expert on the landscape, matches up popular images & perceptions with the realities of old village life & history. Illustrating his theories with photographs, maps & drawings, he shows how amateur enthusiasts can pursue local village history with fascinating results. Covering the whole of Britain, he also points out key regional differences
- for example, why villages in Scotland follow a different pattern to villages in Engl&. This is a fascinating book that will delight lovers of local history everywhere.
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This book is a practical primer to looking at architecture & all the elements that are included in buildings, from cornices & friezes to columns & porticos
- all facets of buildings are included. Each chapter takes an architectural element & looks at its variety across various historical periods & geographical locations. Examples are shown through dozens of fine engravings with extended captions, creating a dip-in read & an effective I-Spy guide. Additional sections look at the clues offerred by history, geography & religion (with a timeline showing how & where architectural elements have been introduced), & at the significance of the ornaments.
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How to Read Castles is a travel-sized primer that takes a strictly visual approach to castle architecture, building up the reader`s vocabulary of castle types, styles, & materials, & showing how these aspects can be recognized across architectural features from the floor-plan & moat, to the towers & crenulations. Focusing on the period from the 10th to the 16th century, & crusading across the globe from a Welsh motte-&-bailey to a Japanese hirajiro, this is both architectural reference & visitor guide-showing the reader how to read the stories embedded in every castle`s stones. Castles once dominated the landscape as seats of power & symbols of wealth & status, providing a means of control over borders, passes, routes & rivers. Armed with this book you will be able to unpick their histories & see how they shaped the land around them. From rugged coastline defences to soaring mountain fortresses, this book takes the reader on an international journey of discovery, exploring some of the most inspiring & impressive architecture history has ever seen. ...