This is the story of Benedict Allen`s extraordinary quest to immerse himself in the heart of New Guinea, & learn the secrets of the people`s harmonious communion with the forest. Living among missionaries in West Papua, he heard talk of the mysterious Obini, & set out on an arduous journey to meet them
- only to find himself fleeing for his life in the jungle. Undeterred, he sought out members of a tribal crocodile cult who would permit him to take part in their traditional initiation rites into manhood, & finally became the first white man to be honoured with this privilege. But this was the beginning of a punishing ordeal, as Allen joined his fellow initiates in seclusion for weeks, enduring crocodile markings being carved into their skins, until finally, pushed to the limits of endurance, they came to embody the ”crocodile spirit”.
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What is it really like to be a firefighter? How does it feel to respond to an emergency call, to know that someone`s life hangs in the balance & every second is critical? What is it like to fight a fire, to battle through the heat & the smoke, to put your own life in danger to save others? How does it feel to rescue survivors, & what is it like to recover the bodies of those who you didn`t reach in time? & what is it like at the end of the day when you are alone with your thoughts, & your thoughts turn to those who you couldn`t save? How do you cope with the trauma of a life spent facing death? INTO THE FIRE offers an unforgettable insight into the highs & lows of the fire service. Edric Kennedy-Macfoy has spent over a decade serving in the London Fire Brigade, attending many of the capital`s biggest incidents, from the blaze at Grenfell Tower to the Croydon tram derailment. This is his remarkable story. ...

Take a step into the forest & join a young squirrel as she looks for her family in this sumptuous ”touch & feel” layered board book. The perfect introduction for preschool children to animals & their habitats, this simple, charming story unfolds across a series of layered pages that increase in size, & shows different animal families as they go about their daily lives. With gently rhyming text & beautiful illustrations, the book encourages children to interact with the book & turn each page, delighting in the increasingly expansive forest spreads. ...

Join Rebecca & her friends at Trebizon Boarding School, perfect for fans of Enid Blyton`s Malory Towers & St Clare`s. Rebecca can`t wait to start in the Fourth Year at Trebizon, with new rooms & a chance to play in an exciting hockey tournament. But with the arrival of Swedish exchange student Ingrid everyone starts falling out, Rebecca & Robbie included. Can Court House recover from Ingrid`s icy influence? The eighth exciting book in the classic Trebizon series. Praise for the Trebizon series: ” As warm & comforting as a cup of cocoa, the Trebizon books are a real treat.” (Katherine Woodfine, author of The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow). ” An absolute hug of a book, this is school storytelling at its warm, delightful, comforting best.” (Robin Stevens, author of Murder Most Unladylike). Follow Rebecca & her friends through all the ups & downs of boarding school in: First Term at Trebizon; Second Term at Trebizon; Summer Term at Trebizon; Boy Trouble at Trebizon; More Trouble at Trebizon; Tennis Term at Trebizon; Summer Camp at Trebizon; Into the Fourth at Trebizon; Hockey Term at Trebizon; &, Fourth Year Triumphs at Trebizon. Anne Digby is the author of Trebizon, several titles in Enid Blyton`s Naughtiest Girl series & the Me, Jill Robinson series. She lives in East Sussex. ...

A poignant, deeply human portrait of Egypt during the Arab Spring, told through the lives of individuals` Sweeping, passionate.. . An essential work of reportage for our time` Philip Gourevitch, author of We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families In 2011, Egyptians of all sects, ages & social classes shook off millennia of autocracy, then elected a Muslim Brother as president. The 2013 military coup replaced him with a new strongman, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has cracked down on any dissent or opposition with a degree of ferocity Mubarak never dared. New York Times correspondent David D. Kirkpatrick arrived in Egypt with his family less than six months before the uprising first broke out in 2011. As revolution & violence engulfed the country, he received an unexpected & immersive education in the Arab world. In this candid narrative, Kirkpatrick lives through Cairo`s hopeful days & crushing disappointments alongside the diverse population of his new city: the liberal yuppies who first gathered in Tahrir Square; the persecuted Coptic Christians standing guard around Muslims at prayer during the protests; & the women of a grassroots feminism movement that tried to seize its moment. Juxtaposing his on-the-ground experience in Cairo with new reporting about conflicts over Egypt in Washington & London, Kirkpatrick traces how authoritarianism was allowed to reclaim Egypt after thirty months of turmoil. Into the Hands of the Soldiers is a heartbreaking story with a simple message: the failings of decades of autocratic rule are the reason for the chaos we see today across the Arab world. Understanding the story of what happened in those years can help readers make sense of everything taking place across the region today
- from the terrorist attacks in North Sinai to the bedlam in Syria & Libya.
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The hold of the Mafia on southern Italy, from Naples, home of Mafia-controlled mozzarella & toxic waste, through no less rotten Calabria to Sicily, cradle of Cosa Nostra, is as strong as ever. In this memorable journey round the cities & villages of the Italian South, David Lane gives us out of his unrivalled knowledge of Italy a telling expose of the operations of the Mafia today. Lane shows how globalisation has transformed the Mafia into more than simply a local phenomenon. He describes in painful detail the daily accommodation to Mafia pressure endured by priests, politicians & prosecutors, businessmen, trade unionists & ordinary citizens. At the same time, he incorporates a portrait of the South`s long & tumultuous history & powerful flavours to provide a richly coloured portrait of a European region under siege. ...

Into the Jungle is a modern classic in the making, as Katherine Rundell creates charming & compelling origin stories for all Kipling`s best-known characters, from Baloo & Shere Khan to Kaa & Bagheera. As Mowgli travels through the Indian jungle, this brilliantly visual tale, which weaves each short story together into a wider whole, will make readers both laugh & cry.A gorgeously produced gift hardback with foiled cover, a ribbon marker & colour illustrations throughout by creative genius Kristjana S Williams, this is truly a book for all the family to treasure & share. Rudyard Kipling`s The Jungle Book, first published by Macmillan in 1894, is one of the most enduring books of children`s literature, delighting generations of children. Katherine Rundell has taken this as the basis of her new & enchanting tale, sharing the early years of favourite characters & informing the creatures they become in Kipling`s classic, with stories about family & friendship, loyalty & jungle law, & a final battle which will decide the future of the forest. ...

The adventurer & artist John Castle, of mixed British & Prussian descent, was one of several foreigners commissioned by the Russian Empire to take part in the Orenburg Expedition which started in 1734. Its aims were to secure & encircle Bashkiria, to the north of present-day western Kazakhstan. The Russians planned to establish a line of forts, a trading base & centre for overseeing the Kazakhs at Orenburg at the junction of the Or & Ural (Jaik) rivers & to investigate the natural resources of the region. The Expedition attracted numerous merchants, surveyors & curious travellers. Castle volunteered to visit Khan Abulkhayir of the Lesser Kazakh Horde & to negotiate with him on behalf of the Russians. At the time Abulkhayir had been compelled, against the will of his people, to swear an oath of allegiance to Russia, & the situation with the Kazakhs remained volatile. Castle set off into virtually uncharted territory in the midst of chaos due to a major Bashkir rebellion prompted by the Orenburg Expedition. During his two-month journey he recorded his impressions of places, people & customs. Castle`s diary describes this dangerous journey, subsequent events & his return to safety. It provides information on the tense political dynamics of the time, on the ethnography, geography & natural resources of Kazakhstan & on the difficult interactions between foreign members of the Expedition & Russian officials. The diary`s rich ethnographic content, which

Includes:: first-hand observations of exorcism & divination rituals & the local administration of justice, gives clear
- & for its time extremely rare
- insights into the combined use of customary Kazakh steppe practices & Islam. It is a major historiographical source because it is written from the point of view of a foreigner & not a Russian. This book is the first English translation (by Sarah Tolley) & edition of John Castle`s Journal von der AO 1736 aus Orenburg zu dem Abul Geier Chan der Kirgis-Kaysak Tartarichen Horda
-, Riga 1784 (Journal of a Journey undertaken in AO 1736 from Orenburg to Abul Geier, Khan of the Kirgis Caysak Horde
- ). It reproduces the diary in full, with its glossary & 13 plates. These include unique illustrations of the Khan, his yurt & life on the steppe. An introduction provides the context of the Expedition, & footnotes accompany the text giving further clarifications & explanations.





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The second sophisticated & dark installment in Jake Woodhouse`s Amsterdam Quartet, featuring returning series character Inspector Jaap Rykel. A body is found on a rooftop, the dead man`s hands blowtorched, his head removed. The man tasked with tracking down the killer is Amsterdam Inspector Jaap Rykel. But as he searches the headless body for clues Rykel finds something which makes his blood run cold
- a picture of himself on the victim`s phone. & then a message from the killer reveals the location of a second mutilated corpse. It`s another day in Western Europe`s murder capital.
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Dive into the ocean to join a young turtle on a game of hide-&-seek, & learn about sea creatures & their habitat, with this beautiful, ”touch & feel” layered board book. The perfect introduction for preschool children to sea creatures & their habitats, this simple, charming story, which unfolds across a series of layered pages that increase in size, is about a turtle playing hide-&-seek with his friends, & shows different animal families as they go about their daily lives. With gently rhyming text & beautiful illustrations, the book encourages children to interact with the book & turn each page, delighting in the increasingly expansive ocean spreads. ...