This magical collection of stories, gathered from the rich treasury of Persian folk & fairytales, tells of love & longing, fate & human ingenuity, loss & grace. Although sources of these tales have been lost over the ages, their memory runs through the collective psyche of the Iranian people. Handed down through generations, told by professional storytellers in bazaars & gatherings, these tales have been made popular the world over by great poets such as Rumi & Firdowsi. At the same time, beneath these charmed narratives, they reflect deep cultural & psychological insights into the attitudes, values & structures which constitute Iranian society. In her own unique voice
- with style, charm & humour
- Shusha Guppy narrates these timeless fables of princes & princesses; dervishes & miracle-working saints; jinns & giants; flame-breathing dragons & winged horses; sorcerers & magicians.

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A priest who blesses animals, winemaking firefighters, a tree in a church, an inverted phallus at a well-known entrance, an atomic bomb shelter under Gare de l Est, a real Breton lighthouse near Montparnasse, unsuspected traces of former brothels, a patron saint of motorists, royal monograms hidden in the Louvre courtyard, the presentation of Christ s crown of thorns, a prehistoric merry-go- round, a sundial designed by Dali, war-wounded palm trees, bullet holes at the ministry, religious plants in a priest s garden, a mysterious monument to Freemasonry at the Champ-de-Mars, a solid gold sphere in parliament, a Chinese temple in a parking lot, the effect of the Bievre river on Parisian geography, a blockhouse in the Bois de Boulogne For those who thought they knew Paris well, the city is still teeming with unusual & secret places that are easily accessible.” ...

A priest who blesses animals, winemaking firefighters, a tree in a church, an inverted phallus at a well-known entrance, an atomic bomb shelter under Gare de l` Est, a real Breton lighthouse near Montparnasse, unsuspected traces of former brothels, a patron saint of motorists, royal monograms hidden in the Louvre courtyard, the presentation of Christ`s crown of thorns, a prehistoric merry-go- round, a sundial designed by Dali, war-wounded palm trees, bullet holes at the ministry, religious plants in a priest`s garden, a mysterious monument to Freemasonry at the Champ-de-Mars, a solid gold sphere in parliament, a Chinese temple in a parking lot, the effect of the Bievre river on Parisian geography, a blockhouse in the Bois de Boulogne.. . For those who thought they knew Paris well, the city is still teeming with unusual & secret places that are easily accessible. ...

Secret Paris Bars & Restaurants in the Jonglez series of guides; profiling a range of European cities as well as thematic titles & designed to explore the undiscovered & hidden attractions usually hidden from tourists. The ‘ Secret’ titles present a range of sites
- including gardens, museums, squares, churches, parks & distinctive architecture
- that are often not covered by other guides. Double page spreads have a description of the site & a glossy full length photograph opposite. Addresses, opening times, contact details & relevant transport information is also provided. Jonglez also publish a range of “ Unusual…” titles, with an emphasis on thematic experiences, including hotels & shopping, to a range of destinations. Each guide has a similar format to the ‘ Secret’ series, with individual recommendations & suggestions accompanied by colour photographs throughout the text.

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An atmospheric love story with a twist by the author of The Rabbit Back Literature Society In a small hillside town, Olli Suominen
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A riveting spy story set in World War Two. Using declassified documents & extensive original research, Secret Pigeon Service tells the dramatic untold story of MI 14 (d) & its spy networks including the remarkable ` Leopold Vindictive`, a Belgian resistance cell who used the pigeon they found in 1941 to spy on the Nazis. Everyone has heard of MI5 & MI6. Some may even have heard of MI9 which helped downed airmen escape in World War II. Few have heard of MI14 (d)
- home to Operation Columba. In this new spy story set during the Second World War, Gordon Corera uses declassified documents & extensive original research to tell the story of the Secret Pigeon Service for the first time. Between 1941 & 1944, sixteen thousand pigeons were dropped in an arc from Bordeaux to Copenhagen as part of ` Columba`
- a secret British operation to bring back intelligence from those living under Nazi occupation. The messages flooded back written on tiny pieces of rice paper tucked into a canister & tied to the legs of the birds
- authentic voices from rural France, Holl&, Belgium
- sometimes comic, often tragic & occasionally invaluable with details of German troop movements & fortifications, new Nazi weapons, radar systems or the deployment of the V-1 & V-2 rockets that terrorized London. Who were the people who provided this rich seam of intelligence? Many were not trained agents nor people with experience of spying. At the centre of this book is the ` Leopold Vindictive` network
- a small group of Belgian villagers prepared to take huge risks. They were led by an extraordinary priest, Josef Raskin
- a man connected to royalty & whose intelligence was so valuable it was shown to Churchill, leading MI6 to parachute agents to assist him. A powerful & tragic tale of espionage, the book brings together the British & Belgian sides of Leopold Vindictive`s story & reveals for the first time the wider history of a quirky, quarrelsome band of spy masters & their special wartime operations as well as how bitter rivalries in London placed the lives of secret agents at risk. It is a book not so much about pigeons as the remarkable people living trapped in occupied Europe who were faced with the choice of how to respond to a call for help, & took the decision to resist.





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This intriguing book highlights some of West Dorset`s most beautiful & untouched places. It provides ideas for easy day visits & offers an insightful view of the rare beauty of this part of the county. An intimate guide, it reveals many places that are rarely frequented, & the clear directions & suggested walks allow you to explore for yourself & make your own further discoveries. Following secluded lanes & ancient tracks, you will visit tucked-away churches, curious sarsen stones, prehistoric sites, nature reserves & timeless villages. Mingle with ghosts & Black Dogs along the haunted byways & forgotten places, & discover local history, characters & folklore. Louise Hodgson shares her discoveries & reveals some extraordinarily special places. With an easy to read, poetic style, you are encouraged to challenge preconceptions. Adopting a philosophical approach she draws knowledgeable parallels with other parts of Britain; this leads to a richer insight & deeper understanding of the Dorset landscape & how we relate to it. ...

Far from the crowds & the usual cliches, Prague offers countless off-beat experiences & is home to any number of well-hidden treasures that are revealed only to residents & travellers who find their way off the beaten track. An indispensable guide for those who thought they knew Prague well or would like to discover the other face of the city. ...

Secret Provence in the Jonglez series of guides; profiling a range of European cities as well as thematic titles & designed to explore the undiscovered & hidden attractions usually hidden from tourists. The ‘ Secret’ titles present a range of sites
- including gardens, museums, squares, churches, parks & distinctive architecture
- that are often not covered by other guides. Double page spreads have a description of the site & a glossy full length photograph opposite. Addresses, opening times, contact details & relevant transport information is also provided. Jonglez also publish a range of “ Unusual…” titles, with an emphasis on thematic experiences, including hotels & shopping, to a range of destinations. Each guide has a similar format to the ‘ Secret’ series, with individual recommendations & suggestions accompanied by colour photographs throughout the text.

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An exacting quest for boutique-hotels, farmhouses & period homes with an intimate, hidden dimension that ensures the utmost privacy; a selection of places chosen with a collector`s discrimination. This book is a journey to track down that side of Puglia that is nurtured by those who have sought & achieved excellence, purposefully choosing & offering the very best, & sharing it with their guests, each following their own particular course of different colours, scents & flavours. ...