Art historians & art lovers will find this book to be a unique resource on a fascinating time in history; a time that yielded remarkable artistic & architectural treasures. This wide-ranging book explores the art of Persia prior to the emergence of Islam through exceptional photographs & an authoritative text. This spectacularly illustrated volume reaches back to prehistoric times to provide an overview of the main cultures that developed in this ancient area of the Middle East. In addition to strictly Iranian sites, it spotlights sites built in Mesopotamia, eastern Anatolia, & along the upper Euphrates. From the ceramics of northern Iran to the magnificent palaces of Persepolis, & from the adventures of Alexander the Great to the military power & art of the Sassanians, Ancient Persia explores the artistic & historical legacy of this fascinating region. superb photographs, accompanied by the informative text of Henri Stierlin, depict the varied architecture & artistic treasures to come out of this era, which ended in the mid-7th century A.D. This wide-ranging book explores the art of Persia prior to the emergence of Islam. It features superb photographs, accompanied by the informative text ...

This is an illustrated study of the splendour of Mamluk art & architecture. Before the dawn of medieval Europe`s Renaissance, the city of Cairo under the Mamluks had become the centre of a powerful empire. The reign of the Mamluk Sultans
- descendants of Turkic & Circassian slaves captured by the Ottomans
- marked a dramatic flowering of Islamic art & architecture. Having defeated the Mongols in the Middle East & broken the bonds of their former Ottoman overlords, they established themselves as masters of Egypt & Syria & the holy sites of Arabia & Palestine. In the process they established dominion over trade & commerce in the region. The wealth this created enabled the Mamluks to produce art & architecture on a scale & at a level of splendour which had not previously been known in the medieval world.

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This illustrated volume tells the stories of the civilizations that succeeded one another over the centuries high up on the dry plateaus & snowy peaks of the Andes between 3000 BC & 1533 AD, the year that brought the collapse of the Inca world. Chapter One outlines the Nazca, Moche & Chimu cultures, whilst the second chapter describes the daily life of the Incas. Chapter Three is an exploration of their arts & crafts, in particular weaving & metalwork, but also touching on aspects of religion, society & thought. The last part of the book considers the most interesting archaeological sites, from the ancient mudbrick pyramids of the ceremonial coast centres to the amazing stone Inca cities. There is also a short discussion of the cultures of Bolivia, Ecuador & Colombia, which have always been connected with those of Peru. At the end of this section Professor Walter Alva presents the extraordinary & rich treasure found in Sipan. ...

For any seafarer, splicing rope is an essential skill. But the traditional 3-strand rope is fast disappearing. So how do you splice braided rope? This is the definitive guide to this crucial skill. Most of the techniques are quite easy to master
- & also fun to do. See why splices are better
- & stronger
- than knots or shackles for joining or shortening rope, & follow the step-by-step photographs & clear instructions to find out how to splice efficiently. Learn how to * make strong, reliable splices in braided rope * select ropes in the materials that best suit your on-board requirements * customise your ropes to make your setup easier & safer * optimise your deck layout & save weight on board * taper your sheets for ease of handling * splice an extra cover on your ropes to give better grip in clutches, avoid chafe & make them last longer While a knot can reduce the strength of a rope by as much as 50%, a well-spliced rope loses only 5-10%. The techniques, insights & suggestions within these pages will be invaluableto all boaters, whether recreational or commercial.


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` That day, waiting had been almost unbearable. He wanted something more spectacular, something that couldn`t be ignored. These deaths needed to make a mark.. .` Psychological profiler Tony Hill is trained to see patterns, to decode the mysteries of human behaviour, & when he comes across a series of suicides among women tormented by vicious online predators, he begins to wonder if there is more to these tragedies than meets the eye. Similar circumstances, different deaths. Could it be murder? But what kind of serial killer wants his crimes to stay hidden? Former DCI Carol Jordan has her own demons to confront, but with lives at stake, Tony & Carol begin the hunt for the most dangerous & terrifying kind of killer
- someone who has nothing to fear & nothing to lose.. .
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` My father & I head towards a nervous breakdown as he attempts to erase three years of Communist indoctrination in the course of a single evening. I simply cannot comprehend that Lenin, the friend of all children, is now allegedly an arsehole.` When 7-year-old Mischka & her family flee the oppressive USSR for the freedom of Vienna, her world seems to divide neatly in two: there`s life as she knew it before, & life as she must re-learn it now. But even as she`s busy dressing her new Barbie, perfecting her German, & gorging on fresh fruit, Mischka is aware that there`s part of her that can never escape her homel&, with its terrifying folktales, its insidious anti-Semitism, & its old family secrets. As her parents` marriage splinters & her sister retreats into silence, Mischka has to find her own way of living when her head & her heart are in two places at once. There is darkness galore in this novel. But there is also much comedy to be had in its twisted enchanted tales. It is as seductive & unsettling as similar work by Angela Carter or Margaret Atwood, while it shares a geography with Everything Is Illuminated & If I Told You Once. ...

It is the spring of 2003 & coalition forces are advancing on Iraq. Images of a giant statue of Saddam Hussein crashing to the ground in Baghdad are being beamed to news channels around the world. Nineteen-year-old Specialist Cassandra Wigheard, on her first deployment since joining the US army two years earlier, is primed for war. For Abu al-Hool, a jihadist since the days of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, war is wearing thin. Two decades of fighting have left him questioning his commitment to the struggle. When Cassandra is taken prisoner by al-Hool’s mujahideen brotherhood, both fighters will find their loyalties tested to the very limits. ...

NEW STREET PLAN CARTOGRAPHY FROM RAND Mc NALLY: Rand Mc Nally are currently changing the cartography of their street plans to a more “ European” style. In many titles streets are now shown by parallel lines, providing a much clearer, easier to read presentation. Better use of colouring indicates different types of land use and/or institutions (parks, shopping centres, academic institutions, etc) &, in most titles, different administrative units. More streets are annotated with block numbers. Some new editions still retain the traditional American presentation of streets by a single line, but with more prominent marking for various institutions, facilities & places of interest. Our cartography sample indicates which style is used in this title.COVERAGE: Rand Mc Nally street plans cover cities with their outer suburbs, prominently highlighting principal traffic arteries & connecting main streets. Railway & subway stations are marked. ...

Half the world`s languages are threatened with extinction over the next century, as English & the rest of the world`s top twenty languages drive all before them. What ways of looking at the world will die along with them, what cultural riches, what experiences, histories & memories? & how does it feel to be one of the last remaining speakers of a languages that is on its way to extinction? What chance is there of saving any of these languages? & is it feasible in the long term or even worthwhile? Mark Abley`s journeys among the speakers of languages at the brink take him to aboriginal Australia (where he meets the last surviving fluent male speaker of Mati Ke, who cannot speak to the only other fluent speaker, as she is his sister & in their culture it is forbidden to speak to siblings once one has reached puberty), & to American Indian reservations, as well as to places where the languages are fighting back
- Wales, the Faeroe islands, the Isle of Man
- as well as charting the triumphant return of Hebrew.

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These Spokies colourful Spokin Bike Beads are ideal for decorating your bike & personalise its look. Easy to snap on, these charms will fit any standard bike spoke. In the box you will find a total of 36 beads, 6 in 6 different bright colours. This collection is a fantastic idea for cyclists or anyone wishing to add artistic & colourful details to their ride. ...