The peatlands of the Outer Hebrides are half l&, half water. Their surface is a glorious tweed woven from tiny, living sphagnums rich in wildlife, but underneath is layer upon layer of dead mosses transforming into the peat. One can, with care, walk out onto them, but stop & you begin to sink into them. For time immemorial the peatlands have been places
- for humans at least
- of seasonal habitation but not of constant residence. In this book Robin A. Crawford explores the peatlands over the course of the year, explaining how they have come to be & examining how peat has been used from the Bronze Age onwards. In describing the seasonal processes of cutting, drying, stacking, storing & burning he reveals one of the key rhythms of island life, but his study goes well beyond this to include many other aspects, including the wildlife & folklore associated with these lonely, watery places. Widening his gaze to other peatlands in the country, he also reflects on the historical & cultural importance that peat has played, & continues to play
- it is still used for fuel in many rural areas & plays an essential role in whisky-making
- in the story of Scotl&.



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In the tradition of The Perfect Storm & Into Thin Air, Rachel Slade`s Into the Raging Sea is a nail-biting account of the sinking of the container ship El Faro, the crew of thirty-three who perished onboard, & the destructive forces of globalisation that put the ship in harm`s way. On October 1, 2015, Hurricane Joaquin barreled into the Bermuda Triangle & swallowed the container ship El Faro whole, resulting in one of the worst shipping disasters in decades. No one could fathom how a vessel equipped with satellite communications, a sophisticated navigation system, & cutting-edge weather forecasting could suddenly vanish
- until now. Relying on hundreds of exclusive interviews with family members & maritime experts, as well as the words of the crew members themselves
- whose conversations were captured by the ship`s data recorder
- journalist Rachel Slade unravels the mystery of the sinking of El Faro. As she recounts the final twenty-four hours onboard, Slade vividly depicts the officers` anguish & fear as they struggled to carry out Captain Michael Davidson`s increasingly bizarre commands, which, they knew, would steer them straight into the eye of the storm. Taking a hard look at America`s aging merchant marine fleet, Slade also reveals the truth about modern shipping
- a cutthroat industry plagued by razor-thin profits & ever more violent hurricanes fueled by global warming. A richly reported account of a singular tragedy, Into the Raging Sea takes us into the heart of an age-old American industry, casting new light on the hardworking crew of El Faro who paid the ultimate price in the name of profit.



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In 1924, an expeditionary team headed by George Mallory attempted to conquer Everest. Britain was reeling from the effects of the First World War, & there was a hope that scaling the world`s highest mountain would hand a much-needed boost to the nation`s psyche. But it was to be a journey shrouded in mystery, for nobody knows if Mallory or Sandy Irvine, a fellow climber, made it. Rather than asking if Mallory & Irvine reached the summit, Davis contemplates what encouraged them to keep climbing on the day they lost their lives. Harking back to the Great War & its effects, Wade`s epic book explains how Mallory & his disappearance became representative of the millions who died on the Western Front between 1914 & 1918. ...

How did they do it? Find out how the greatest explorers in history pieced together the picture of our world that we now take for granted, in this dynamic unfolding cross-sections book! Join acclaimed illustrator Stephen Biesty & popular children's history writer Stewart Ross, as they themselves explore some of the boldest, most daring expeditions of all time, using fold-out pages, cross-section drawings & dramatic storytelling. Twist through the waves of the stormy North Atlantic in a Viking knarr with Leif Ericsson or burst into the stratosphere in a balloon with Auguste Piccard, cross the deserts of the Silk Road in a caravan with Marco Polo or land on the moon in the Apollo 11 lunar module... With this book, you can travel through time & space, in non-fiction that's as exciting as exploration itself! ...

Set in Italy in the summer of 1940, this trio of stories explores the relationships between the different generations caught up in the war as well as Calvino`s own experiences as a teenager. In the title story, ” Into the War”, we are given an insight into what life was really like for those too young to be conscripted into Mussolini`s army, while in ” The Avanguardisti in Menton”, Calvino & his friends take a revealingly anti-climactic trip to the garrisoned French town of Menton, the sole Italian conquest of the early months of the conflict. The final story, ”UNPA Nights”, is a touching, comic tale of friendship in a blackout, where the narrator`s imagination wanders as he roams through the seedier parts of the darkened town instead of guarding the school buildings. ” Into the War” is Calvino at his autobiographical best, combining brilliantly recollected memory with compelling wit & perfect prose. ...

Just days before her sister plunged to her death, Jules ignored her call. Now Nel is dead. They say she jumped. & Jules must return to her sister`s house to care for her daughter, & to face the mystery of Nel`s death. But Jules is afraid. Of her long-buried memories, of the old Mill House, of this small town that is drowning in secrecy... & of knowing that Nel would never have jumped.*****‘ Paula Hawkins does it again! Into the Water is a moody & chilling thriller that will have you madly turning the pages. A gripping, compulsive read!’ Shari Lapena, bestselling author of The Couple Next Door‘ Fans of Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train rejoice: her second novel Into the Water is even better. A brilliantly plotted & fast-paced juggernaut of a read that hurtles to a heart-stopping conclusion.’ Good Housekeeping (Book of the Month)‘A twisting whodunnit that leaves you both gratified & surprised (also the best kind)... Not just a brilliant thriller but also a furious feminist howl... ’ Stylist‘ Dark, gothic & twisty as a snake in the grass. I read it in one sitting.’ Erin Kelly, author of He Said, She Said‘ Into the Water is superb. Sinister layers, complex characters & a plot that`ll keep you guessing.’ Ali L&, author of Good Me, Bad Me ...

This is the story of Robert Falcon Scott`s Terra Nova expedition & the memorable characters, who with a band of shaggy ponies & savage dogs, followed a man they trusted into the unknown. Battling storms at sea, impenetrable pack ice, man-eating whales, crevasses, blizzards, bad food, extreme temperatures, & equal measures of hunger, agony & snow blindness, the team pushes on against all odds. But will the weather hold? Will their rations be adequate? How will they know when they get there? & who invited the Norwegians? Into the White will leave you on the edge of your seat, hoping against hope that Scott & his men just might survive their Antarctic ordeal & live to tell the tale. ...

In April 1992, Chris Mc Candless, a young man from a well-to-do family, hitchhiked to Alaska & walked alone into the wilderness. He had given all his savings to charity, abandoned his car & possessions, burnt all the money in his wallet & in doing so created a new life for himself. What emerges from this mesmerizing, heartbreaking story is a version of the wilderness that is hard & seductive; a place where one can quite possibly find the pure self, but in turn leading us to the dark chance that we might find our own nature strange & disturbing. It is using Mc Candless’ restless progress around the wilds of North America that author Jon Krakauer (“ Into Thin Air”) explores the call of the wild & the mentality of those who succumb to it. ...

Reading like more a gripping mystery novel, this is the true story of Chris Mc Candless, a young man who in 1992 embarked upon a solo odyssey with the express purpose of finding himself. Hitting the road with the minimum of baggage & money, he aimed to fulfil his dream of living off the l&, alone & in the wilderness of Alaska. Jon Krakauer draws similarities with his own experiences & conversations with those who encountered Chris during his life & travels, & here endeavours to unravel the web of circumstances that led to Chris`s lonely death in an abandoned bus, ironically closer to civilization than he realised. Review by Marion Benn, Assistant Manager, Stanfords Bristol ...

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska & walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. Mc Kinley. His name was Christopher Johnson Mc Candless. He had given $25, 000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car & most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, & invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. ...