In just over a hundred years-from the death of Muhammad in 632 to the beginning of the Abbasid Caliphate in 750-the followers of the Prophet swept across the whole of the Middle East, North Africa, & Spain. Their armies threatened states as far afield as the Franks in Western Europe & the Tang Empire in China. The conquered territory was larger than the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion, & it was claimed for the Arabs in roughly half the time. How this collection of Arabian tribes was able to engulf so many empires, states, & armies in such a short period of time is a question that has perplexed historians for centuries. Most recent popular accounts have been based almost solely on the early Muslim sources, which were composed centuries later for the purpose of demonstrating that God had chosen the Arabs as his vehicle for spreading Islam throughout the world. In this ground-breaking new history, distinguished Middle East expert Robert G. Hoyland assimilates not only the rich biographical & geographical information of the early Muslim sources but also the many non-Arabic sources, contemporaneous or near-contemporaneous with the conquests. The story of the conquests traditionally begins with the revelation of Islam to Muhammad. In God`s Path, however, begins with a broad picture of the Late Antique world prior to the Prophet`s arrival, a world dominated by the two superpowers of Byzantium & Sasanian Persia, ”the two eyes of the world.” In between these empires, in western (Saudi) Arabia, emerged a distinct Arab identity, which helped weld its members into a formidable fighting force. The Arabs are the principal actors in this drama yet, as Hoyland shows, the peoples along the edges of Byzantium & Persia-the Khazars, Bulgars, Avars, & Turks-also played important roles in the remaking of the old world order. The new faith propagated by Muhammad & his successors made it possible for many of the conquered peoples to join the Arabs in creating the first Islamic Empire. Well-paced & accessible, In God`s Path presents a pioneering new narrative of one the great transformational periods in all of history. ...

The future flashed before my eyes in all its pre-ordained banality. Embarrassment, at first, to the exclusion of all other feelings. But embarrassment curled at the edges with a weariness.. .I got a joke in. ` So
- we`d better get cooking the meth, ` I said to the Poet. In August 2014, Jenny Diski was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer & given `two or three years` to live. She didn`t know how to react. All responses felt scripted, laden with cliche. Being a writer, she decided to write about it (grappling with the unoriginality even of this), & also to tell a story she has not yet told: that of being taken in, aged fifteen, by the author Doris Lessing, & the subsequent fifty years of their complex relationship. In September 2014 Jenny Diski began writing in the London Review of Books, describing her experience of living with terminal cancer, examining her life & history with Doris Lessing: the fairy-tale rescue from `the bin` as a teenager, the difficulties of being absorbed into an unfamiliar family & the influence this had on her. Swooping from one memory to the next
- alighting on the hysterical battlefield of her parental home, her expulsion from school, stacking shelves in Banbury & the drug-taking twenty-something in & out of psychiatric hospitals, Diski paints a portrait of two extraordinary writers
- Lessing & herself. From one of our most original voices comes a book like no other: a cerebral, witty, dazzlingly candid masterpiece about an uneasy relationship; about memory & writing, ingratitude & anger; about living with illness & facing death.


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` One of the most inventive, original & disturbing writers of her generation` Daily Telegraph In August 2014, Jenny Diski was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer & given `two or three years` to live. Being a writer, she decided to write about her experience
- & to tell a story she had not yet told: that of being taken in, aged fifteen, by the author Doris Lessing, & the subsequent fifty years of their complex relationship. Splicing childhood memories with present-day realities, Diski paints an unflinching portrait of two extraordinary writers
- Lessing & herself. Jenny Diski died a week after the publication of In Gratitude. A cerebral, witty, dazzlingly candid memoir, it is her final masterpiece.

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Martin Bell`s was BBC TV`s principal correspondent during the war in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995. The original version of this passionate & personal account of the conflict was written while the war was still going on, some of it late at night in the Holiday Inn in Sarajevo. In Harm`s Way is not only about the progress of the war; it is about its origins, how it began & how it could have been avoided; it is about the human costs of war in which all the peoples of Bosnia became the victims; it is about a massive failure by the United Nations, beginning with an inadequate peace-keeping mandate & ending with the Srebrenica massacre; & it is about the practices of war reporting itself. & it is about the journalists in the thick of it, the oddballs & the idealists, the wild adventurers & hardened professionals who were caught up in this war & tried to make some sense of it. In the introduction to this new edition, marking the twentieth anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities, Martin Bell reflects on the impact of what he calls the most consequential war of our time. ...

A tragic family event reveals devastating news that rips apart Bella`s comfortable existence. Embarking on a personal journey to uncover the truth, she faces a series of traumatic discoveries that take her to the ruggedly beautiful Cornish coast, where hidden truths, past betrayals & a 25-year-old mystery threaten not just her identity, but her life. Chilling, complex & profoundly moving, In Her Wake is a gripping psychological thriller that questions the nature of family
- & reminds us that sometimes the most shocking crimes are committed closest to home.
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IN HIS OWN WORDS is a selection of Nelson Mandela`s speeches, providing a lively, memorable profile of his lifelong commitment to freedom & reconciliation, democracy, & the flourishing of all the people of South Africa, Africa & the world. Arranged thematically, each section of speeches is introduced by a leading figure, such as Kofi Annan & Desmond Tutu. In these introductory essays, the authors pay tribute to Nelson Mandela`s achievements, animating their accounts with personal memories, stories & reflections. Covering a range of topics of our times
- struggle & reconciliation, freedom, religion & nation building, culture, education & health, children & development
- the book also features Mandela`s own tributes to South African heroes such as Steve Biko, Oliver Tambo & Walter Sisulu.

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Lahore: the Mughal city of gardens. At once contemporary & ancient, Lahore is full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. In Lahore is your insider`s guide to help you make the most of your visit.
- Walk the back alleys of one of the oldest walled cities in the world.
- Visit the tombs, mosques & gardens of Mughal emperors.
- Experience the cuisine & hospitality of Punjab. Plus all you need to know about how to travel, security, where to stay, arts, culture, music, shopping, activities & much more!


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We all know who`s next in line to the throne. Or do we? Well, yes, of course we do. It goes Charles, William, George, Charlotte, & then Harry. But what if by some fluke of intervention these five lost their stake to claim the crown & sceptre? What then? Can you name the next five in line? Or the five after that? In Line to the Throne boldly imagines the day Edward, Prince of Blunders, takes the reins. We`re readying ourselves for the coronation of Queen Beatrice of Headpieces; envisioning the moment a little person named Isla sits in the big chair & orders the muzzling of her grandmother`s rogue dogs; & we`re even getting ready to welcome in, as King, a boy named after a tree. So, come on, get yourself acquainted with some right royal knowledge about the lesser-known heirs to the British monarchy. ...

Hayes`s masterpiece is an exquisite depiction of a doomed love affair set in noirish, 1950s New York. In a Manhattan bar, a middle-aged man tells a pretty girl a story: of how he fell into a relationship with a lonely young divorcee; of how one night she was offered a thousand dollars to sleep with a stranger; & of how he & she would subsequently betray each other in turn. In Alfred Hayes`s exquisite novella, love
- in all its bewildering turns of longing, elation, heartbreak & regret
- is dissected with unforgettable honesty & heartbreaking clarity.

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In Love in New York guides the reader to the most romantic sights & destinations the city has to offer. Whether you want to watch the sun rise over the East River like Woody & Diane or enjoy a Cary Grant/ Deborah Kerr moment at the top of the Empire State Building, there is no greater city than New York for couples in love. The book begins with first impressions, the iconic New York sights that never fail to dazzle: the skyline (and the best places to view it), the most beautiful blocks & neighbourhoods, the famous views (rooftops, bridges, riverside parks). Chapters follow on great date ideas, including destination museums & unusual dinner-&-a- movie/theatre combinations. For readers ready to commit, the authors detail the best proposal spots; where to go ring shopping; the coolest places to register for gifts; & information about the legal requirements for marrying in the city (gay & straight), including a rundown on the classic City Hall wedding-with the best places to buy flowers & to celebrate afterwards, naturally. There are also ideas for planning honeymoons & anniversaries. Throughout, sidebars offer romantic options such as wonderful bars with fireplaces, the prettiest park benches, great New York literary & film affairs to inspire your visit, & romantic day trips within & near the five boroughs. From champagne on the Peninsula rooftop in midtown to ice skating in Bryant Park, In Love in New York is the perfect gift for any couple dreaming of experiencing the romance of New York. ...