History does not repeat, but it does instruct. In the twentieth century, European democracies collapsed into fascism, Nazism & communism. These were movements in which a leader or a party claimed to give voice to the people, promised to protect them from global existential threats, & rejected reason in favour of myth. European history shows us that societies can break, democracies can fall, ethics can collapse, & ordinary people can find themselves in unimaginable circumstances. History can familiarise, & it can warn. Today, we are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to totalitarianism in the twentieth century. But when the political order seems imperilled, our advantage is that we can learn from their experience to resist the advance of tyranny. Now is a good time to do so. ...

The highly anticipated cookbook from Jeremy Fox, the California chef who is redefining vegetable-based cuisine with global appeal Known for his game-changing approach to cooking with vegetables, Jeremy Fox first made his name at the Michelin-starred restaurant Ubuntu in Napa Valley. Today he is one of America`s most talked-about chefs, celebrated for the ingredient-focused cuisine he serves at the Los Angeles restaurant, Rustic Canyon Wine Bar & Seasonal Kitchen. In his first book, Fox presents his food philosophy in the form of 160 approachable recipes for the home cook. On Vegetables elevates vegetarian cooking, using creative methods & ingredient combinations to highlight the textures, flavours, & varieties of seasonal produce & including basic recipes for the larder. ...

This is not the first walk in the footsteps of W.G. Sebald, whose The Rings of Saturn was an account of his walk round Suffolk 20 years ago. But Phil Smith`s own walk soon becomes quite as extraordinary as Sebald`s & he matches Sebald`s erudition, originality & humour swathe for swathe. On one level On Walking describes an actual, lumbering walk from one incongruous B&B to the next, taking in Dunwich, Lowestoft, Southwold, Covehithe, Orford Ness, Sutton Hoo, Bungay & Rendlesham Forest
- with their lost villages, Cold War testing sites, black dogs, white deer & alien trails. On a second level it sets out a unique kind of walking that the author has been practising for many years & for which he is quietly famous. It`s a kind of walking that burrows beneath the guidebook & the map, looks beyond the shopfront & Tudor facade & feels beneath the blisters & disgruntlement of the everyday. Those who try it report that their walking [and their whole way of seeing the world] is never quite the same again. & the Suffolk walk described in this book is an exemplary walk, a case study
- this is exactly how to do it. And on a third level, On Walking is an intellectual tour de force, encompassing Situationism, alchemy, jouissance, dancing, geology, psychogeography, 20th century cinema & old TV, performance, architecture, the nature of grief, pilgrimage, World War II, the Cold War, Uzumaki, pub conversations, synchronicity, somatics & the Underchalk.

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Michael Holroyd confronts an army of automobiles in this charming book. Weaving together memoir & historical anecdote, he traces his relationship with cars through a lifetime of biography. Learning to drive was no easy matter for Michael: the lessons required military precision when practising how to get in & out of his car correctly. His biographical subjects also had their difficulties: Bernard Shaw drove with reckless gusto when overtaking his eightieth year; Vita Sackville-West`s car became a chamber for sudden romantic assignations & getaways; while Augustus John & his family careered through vulnerable villages as the poor vehicle, piled high with bohemian friends, stuttered & jerked along in first gear. Wry, thoughtful & very funny, On Wheels is an elegy to the glamour of the car. Subtle & perceptive, Michael Holroyd finds surprising ways to understand the past & challenge our view of the future. ...

The mere thought of traversing any part of the African continent in a Land Rover with only two other companions is a daunting proposition... that is until the Indiana Jones element within Penny Lees kicked in one day & announced that she was to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Notwithstanding the various irritations whilst travelling through rural France, the Pyrenees & southern Europe, these paled into insignificance when faced with the climatic & cultural hurdles encountered in Africa. Everything has its price they say... price is dependent on how much money you have... especially when out of food in the middle of the Sahara. From the author`s diary entries, this enthralling epic, plotting Penny Lees` journey, offers the reader a clear picture of the problems that can be encountered. Nevertheless, complimenting this are the colourful & variegated landscapes along with equally colourful & different ethnic people. ...

What is the role of the writer? Prophet? High Priest of Art? Court Jester? Or witness to the real world? Looking back on her own childhood & the development of her writing career, Margaret Atwood examines the metaphors which writers of fiction & poetry have used to explain
- or excuse!
- their activities, looking at what costumes they have seen fit to assume, what roles they have chosen to play. In her final chapter she takes up the challenge of the book`s title: if a writer is to be seen as `gifted`, who is doing the giving & what are the terms of the gift? Margaret Atwood`s wide & eclectic reference to other writers, living & dead, is balanced by anecdotes from her own experiences as a writer, both in Canada & on the international scene. The lightness of her touch is underlined by a seriousness about the purpose & the pleasures of writing, & by a deep familiarity with the myths & traditions of western literature.

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A collection of previously unpublished letters from America`s cult icon on the art of writing. Charles Bukowski was one of our most iconoclastic, raw & riveting writers, one whose stories, poems & novels have left an enduring mark on our culture. On Writing collects Bukowski`s reflections & ruminations on the craft he dedicated his life to. Piercing, unsentimental & often hilarious, On Writing is filled not only with memorable lines but also with the author`s trademark toughness, leavened with moments of grace, pathos & intimacy. In the previously unpublished letters to editors, friends & fellow writers collected here, Bukowski is brutally frank about the drudgery of work & uncompromising when it comes to the absurdities of life & of art. ...

On Your Bike! Bicycle Repair Kit by Wild & Wolf contains the essentials for an emergency repair. The tools come in a vintage style metallic tin. The kit

Includes:: 2 x Tyre Levers, Hexagonal key multi-tool, Dumbell spanner, Metal Rasp, Patches & Rubber Solution. The bicycle tool is a perfect accessory for your bike, & its vintage look packaging makes it a perfect gift for bicycle enthusiasts.

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The twenty circular rides in this book take you through some of the most beautiful countryside in the region. You will discover the beautiful south Cotswold villages of Little Badminton, Leighterton & Easton Grey. You will also have the chance to explore the 'prettiest village in England'- Castle Combe; the staircase of 16 locks on the Kennet & Avon Canal near Devizes; the vast parkl&, including 5000 acres of woodland that surrounds Longleat House; & the magical & mystical town of Glastonbury. The routes vary in length from 14 to 25 miles & are fully described in the text & shown on the accompanying sketch maps. There are also details on how to get to the start, where to park (if you are bringing your bike on a car) & where to find refreshments. In addition, there is advice on the terrain covered & brief notes about the places of interest en route. ...

This book is a collection of 20 circular cycle rides which include routes at Eyam, the Tissington Trail near Ashbourne, the Erewash Valley, D.H. Lawrence country, Retford & Leverton Mill, & the Vale of Belvoir. It contains full colour maps & photographs. ...