Bill Bryson has the rare knack of being out of his depth wherever he goes
- even (perhaps especially) in the land of his birth.
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Sacco paved the way for Palestine with his powerful triptych on modern war & its innocent victims, originally published in his comic Yahoo & collected here: ` When Good Bombs Happen to Bad People` chronicles the effect of aerial warfare on civilians, from Germany & Japan in World War II to Libya in 1986; ` More Women, More Children, More Quickly` is written from a victim`s perspective, as Sacco illustrates his mother`s harrowing experiences during Italian & German WWII raids on Malta; & ` How I Loved the War`, Defeatist`s centrepiece, is Sacco`s impassioned but sardonic reflection on the Gulf War, & the surrounding propaganda & media circus. Published during the reign of Bush I, it has since acquired an even sharper relevance. Defeatist also features Sacco`s first (relatively) long-form piece, ` In the Company of Long Hair`, a hilarious roadie`s-eye view of an American punk band`s eventful European tour from Amsterdam to Madrid, as well as ` Cartoon Genius`, ` Voyage to the End of the Library`, `A Disgusting Experience`, & ` On My Day Off`, a cycle of funny & rueful autobiographic comics that display Sacco`s graphic verve to its fullest extent. Defeatist is rounded off with a large section of Sacco`s earliest, pointedly satirical strips (none of which has been collected in book form before) & new introductions & notes by the author. A combination of youthful indiscretions & mature masterworks, Notes from a Defeatist spotlights the work of a brilliant young artist as he defines the capabilities & potential of his chosen medium. ...

Having lived in the UK for nearly two decades & about to return to America, Bill Bryson finally does Britain in Notes From a Small Isl&, in a farewell tour. He takes an unstructured route around the country, travelling here & there as & when he wants, but by the end of the trip he has covered most of the country & made fun of many of the Britons ...

In 1995, before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire to move back to the States for a few years with his family, Bill Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green & kindly island that had so long been his home. His aim was to take stock of the nation`s public face & private parts (as it were), & to analyse what precisely it was he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite; a military hero whose dying wish was to be kissed by a fellow named Hardy; place names like Farleigh Wallop, Titsey & Shellow Bowells; people who said ` Mustn`t grumble`, & ` Ooh lovely` at the sight of a cup of tea & a plate of biscuits; & Gardeners` Question Time. Notes from a Small Island was a huge number-one bestseller when it was first published, & has become the nation`s most loved book about Britain, going on to sell over two million copies. ...

After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson took the decision to move back to the States for a while but before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain. His aim was to take stock of the nation`s public face & private parts (as it were), & to analyse what precisely it was he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite, a military hero whose dying wish was to be kissed by a fellow named Hardy, place names like Farleigh Wallop & Shellow Bowells, people who said ` Mustn`t grumble`, & Gardeners` Question Time. ...

Renowned Canadian artist Rachel Kelly
- now of Penzance
- has buried her past & married a gentle & loving Cornish man. Her life

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Colonel Wyvern, stationed with the army in Madras during the height of British imperial rule, opened a cookery school upon his return to England & was a passionate enthusiast for both European & Indian cuisine. In these vivid, common-sense & entertaining writings, he gives advice on re-creating French classics in the steaming heat; describes tiffin parties & cooking while at camp; & laments the declining popularity of curry in the Raj, providing foolproof recipes for curry powder, tamarind chutney, korma & `mulligatunny` soup. With devotees including Elizabeth David, Wyvern`s unique brand of anglo-Indian cookery is still reflected in the way we eat today. ...

The 900-day siege of Leningrad (1941-44) was one of the turning points of the Second World War. It slowed down the German advance into Russia & became a national symbol of survival & resistance. An estimated one million civilians died, most of them from cold & starvation. Lydia Ginzburg, a respected literary scholar (who meanwhile wrote prose `for the desk drawer` through seven decades of Soviet rule), survived. Using her own using notes & sketches she wrote during the siege, along with conversations & impressions collected over the years, she distilled the collective experience of life under siege. Through painful depiction of the harrowing conditions of that period, Ginzburg created a paean to the dignity, vitality & resilience of the human spirit. This original translation by Alan Myers has been revised & annotated by Emily van Buskirk. This edition

Includes:: `A Story of Pity & Cruelty`, a recently discovered documentary narrative translated into English for the first time by Angela Livingstone.

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Notes from the Jam Cupboard by Mary Tregellas is a delicious collection of over 90 easy-to-follow recipes for sweet & savoury preserves, sauces, liqueurs & breads including a few recipes for dishes that use them. After an introduction on useful equipment, key ingredients & general preserving tips the book is structured in chapters & according to fruits & vegetables. These, Luscious berries, Wholesome vegetables, Aromatic herbs & spices, Intoxicating alcoholic drinks & Breads, to name just a few, will show you how to make a wide range of products. Thus, in the Luscious berries section you will find Fruits of the forest jam, Strawberry & Redcurrant Cordial as well as Summer Fruit Trifle recipe & including a brief of its history for the curious minded. Accompanying the instructions are tantalising pictures & anecdotes that make this book more than just recipe collection, Notes from the Jam Cupboard is a friend in the kitchen you will relish. ...

An introduction to what was France`s last undiscovered Mediterranean secret
- the Languedoc. This is a guide to the Languedoc composed
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