Monsieur Goriot is one of a disparate group of lodgers at Mademe Vauquer`s dingy Parisian boarding house. At first his wealth inspires respect, but as his circumstances are mysteriously reduced he becomes shunned by those around him, & soon his only remaining visitors are his two beautifully dressed daughters. Goriot`s fate is intertwined with two other fellow boarders: the young social climber Eugene Rastignac, who sees a way to gain the acceptance & wealth he craves, & the enigmatic figure of Vautrin, who is hiding darker secrets than anyone. Weaving a compelling & panoramic story of love, money, self-sacrifice, corruption, greed & ambition, Old Man Goriot is Balzac`s acknowledged masterpiece. A key novel in his ” Comedie Humaine” series, it is a vividly realized portrait of bourgeois Parisian society in the years following the French Revolution. ...

A Septuagenarian Odyssey Simon Gandolfi has never been one to grow old gracefully & following two heart attacks he decides not to rest up, as many might, but to ride the length of Hispanic America on a 125cc motorbike. & why not? His wife may have plenty of reasons why not, but used to the intrepid septuagenarian`s determination to complete any plan he comes up with, she shrugs her shoulders & waves him goodbye. At 73 years old, Simon Gandolfi sets off from Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico to embark on a five & a half month journey culminating at `the end of the world`, Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. For Simon this is a journey of discovery. Leaving behind the safety & sanctuary of friends & family, he is truly alone but along the way he meets & talks with rich & poor, old & young, officials & professionals, agricultural & industrial workers. This expertly written travelogue reveals not only the stories of those he meets, & his own, but also that of Latin America, its attitudes to itself, to the USA & the UK in the aftermath of the Iraq war & the realities of the poverty & endemic corruption throughout much of this continent. But whilst guide books often warn of thieves, corrupt police & border officials, Gandolfi writes of the incredible kindness & generosity he encounters, of hope & joy, understanding & new friendships, & ultimately, an old man`s refusal to surrender to his years. ` The journey begins tomorrow at 8 a.m with a flight from the UK to Boston. I fly Aer Lingus & have bought & will wear a green shirt & a Clancy Brothers Arran sweater in hope of an upgrade. I will be away from home for many months & I have a long long way to ride. Am I nervous? Yes. Scared? A little.` Simon Gandolfi, 18 April 2006 Outrageously irresponsible & undeniably liberating, Gandolfi`s travels will fire the imaginations of every traveller, young or old. ...

In this book, the fascinating cast of characters

Includes:: the French & Spanish explorers, Desoto, Marquette,

...

Old Masters is Thomas Bernhard`s devilishly funny story about the friendship between two old men. For over thirty years Reger, a music critic, has sat on the same bench in front of a Tintoretto painting in a Viennese museum, thinking & railing against contemporary society, his fellow men, artists, the weather, even the state of public lavatories. His friend Atzbacher has been summoned to meet him, & through his eyes we learn more about Reger
- the tragic death of his wife, his thoughts of suicide &, eventually, the true purpose of their appointment. At once pessimistic & exuberant, rancorous & hilarious, Old Masters is a richly satirical portrait of culture, genius, nationhood, class, the value of art & the pretensions of humanity.
...

This epic exploration of thirteen countries takes Gandolfi across desert & over mountains, through the Amazon forest & the length of the Appalachians. Guide books may warn of thieves, bandits, corrupt police & border officials; Gandolfi writes of the remarkable kindness & generosity he encounters. Courtesy, patience & good humour are his passports while hurry is his anathema. Whether in village or city, his joy is in leisurely conversation. Gauchos, oil workers, peasant farmers, officials, owners of vast haciendas, Venezuelan revolutionaries, students at Texas A&M
- all excite his curiosity & he faithfully records their opinions while submitting his own thoughts, beliefs & fears to an often merciless inspection. Above all this is a jubilant chronicle of hope & understanding, of new friendships, glorious country, sublime architecture, good food, & ultimately, an old man`s determination to surmount his years. Outrageously irresponsible & undeniably liberating, Gandolfi`s travels will fire the imaginations of every traveller, young or old.
...

This addition to the Britain in Old Photographs series brings together a collection of black-&-white pictures spanning the late 19th & early 20th centuries. Drawn from family albums, local collections & professional photographers, they show the way things were & how they have changed. Every photograph is captioned, providing names & dates where possible, revealing historical & anecdotal detail & giving life to the scenes & personalities captured through the camera lens. Bringing together all aspects of daily life
- celebrations & disasters, work & leisure, people & buildings
- the collection should inspire memories, as well as serve as an introduction to visitors.

...

Old Portsmouth & Gosport in 1896 in a fascinating series of reproductions of old Ordnance Survey plans in the Alan Godfrey Editions, ideal for anyone interested in the history of their neighbourhood or family. Portsmouth is covered by a block of six maps. This map covers part of Old Portsmouth & parts of Gosport on the other side of the Harbour. Coverage stretches from Alexandra Road westward to Willis Road & Henry Street, & from Gosport High Street southward to Clarence Pier. Features include Haslar Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar Lake, Haslar Bridge, Horse Field, Holy Trinity church, High Street on Gosport side. The Point, Inner & Outer Camber, Victoria Pier, Garrison Chapel, Clarence Barracks, Clarence Pier, Cambridge Barracks, Government House, tramways, Colewort Barracks, St Thomas church on the Portsmouth side. Note that some sites are left blank for security reasons. On the reverse are street directory entries for Broad Street, Gosport High Street & St Thomas`s Street. About the Alan Godfrey Editions of the 25” OS Series Selected towns in Great Britain & Ireland are covered by maps showing the extent of urban development in the last decades of the 19th & early 20th century. The plans have been taken from the Ordnance Survey mapping & reprinted at about 15 inches to one mile (1:4, 340). On the reverse most maps have historical notes & many also include extracts from contemporary directories. Most maps cover about one mile (1.6kms) north/south, one & a half miles (2.4kms) across; adjoining sheets can be combined to provide wider coverage.FOR MORE INFORMATION & A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE TITLES PLEASE CLICK ON THE SERIES LINK. ...

Journeying through Southern France in the first years of the 20th century, Theodore Andrea Cook discovers a landscape where the presence of Phoenicians, Greeks & Romans is still evident in the Mediterranean`s surviving architecture. In Arles, Nimes, Orange & Frejus, he witnesses the wonders of Roman arenas, temples & monuments. At the imposing aqueduct of the Pont du Gard he sees the genius of Roman engineering. Cook`s survey of Provencal history also encompasses the Middle Ages, when religious conflict & bloody warfare scarred the region. At Les Baux he explores the ruins of a once-great stronghold; in Avignon he traces the footsteps of 14th-century popes in their palace; in Beaucaire & Tarascon he visits the sites of thriving medieval market towns & royal castles. First published in 1905, this is an insight not only into the area`s history & architecture, but also its literary & cultural significance. Looking at the work & influence of writers such as Petrarch & Mistral, Cook reveals the importance of language, romance & regional identity in Provence. ...

In recent years, tourists have discovered the rustic charms of Puglia, also known as Apulia, the heel stretching down from the spur of the Italian boot. The region boasts beautiful landscapes & miles of dramatic coastline, cities with Romanesque cathedrals, Gothic castles, & a tremendous wealth of Baroque architecture, as well as rupestrian churches containing Byzantine frescoes. Yet until this book, almost nothing about the region had been published in English since the days of Norman Douglas & the Sitwells. Filling that gap, ” Old Puglia” is an entertaining exploration of the area & its historical influences, cultural sites, & emerging popularity. Now fashionable as the new Tuscany, Puglia is featured on radio & television; travel supplements describe its beaches & cooking; & supermarkets worldwide stock Apulian wine, olive oil, bread, & pasta. Desmond Seward & Susan Mountgarret introduce readers to the story behind the destination, as they combine in-depth writing on Puglian history with discussions of the area s contemporary culture. A fascinating look at a region whose ancient roots continue to delight modern enthusiasts, ” Old Puglia” will entertain travelers, history buffs, & everyone with a taste for Italy.” ...

Apulia (or Puglia) is the heel of Italy, stretching down from the spur of the Italian boot. Its landscape is often very beautiful & it has wonderful old cities with Romanesque cathedrals, Gothic castles & a great wealth of Baroque architecture, together with rupestrian' churches that contain Byzantine frescoes. But, although far from inaccessible, until quite recently it was seldom visited by Anglo Saxons. Today, however, Apulia is becoming fashionable, an alternative to Tuscany. It is featured on radio & television; travel supplements describe its beaches & its cooking, supermarkets stock Apulian wine, oil, bread & pasta. Yet almost nothing about the region has been published in English since the days of Norman Douglas & the Sitwells. One can find holiday histories of Tuscany, but there is no popular introduction to Apulian history, not even in Italian. Our book, which grew out of what was originally intended as a travel book, has been written to fill the gap by providing a simple, readable account. ...