In the summer of 1849, cholera threatens the city & the people of London. The authorities send millions of gallons of sewage cascading into the Thames
- for many Londoners the only source of drinking water. Joshua Jeavons, a young & idealistic engineer, embarks on an obsessive quest to find the cause of the epidemic. As he labours in a fog of incomprehension, his domestic life is troubled by the baffling coldness of his beautiful bride, Isobella. But when she suddenly disappears, his desperate search for her takes him to a netherworld of slum-dwellers, pickpockets & scavengers of subterranean London.
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In 1939, on the eve of the Second World War, Robert Gibbings launched his home-made punt on the River Thames & began a slow journey downstream, armed with a sketchpad & a microscope. From the river`s source at the edge of the Cotswold Hills to the bustle of London`s docks, Sweet Thames Run Softly is a charming, often eccentric, account of an artist-naturalist adrift in English waters. First published as the Battle of Britain raged overhead, this gentle boating tale was an antidote to the anxieties of wartime & became an immediate best-seller. Our new edition

Includes:: the original engravings Robert Gibbings made from his journey.

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Serena Frome, the beautiful daughter of an Anglican bishop, has a brief affair with an older man during her final year at Cambridge, & finds herself being groomed for the intelligence services. The year is 1972. Britain, confronting economic disaster, is being torn apart by industrial unrest & terrorism & faces its fifth state of emergency. The Cold War has entered a moribund phase, but the fight goes on, especially in the cultural sphere. Serena, a compulsive reader of novels, is sent on a 'secret mission' which brings her into the literary world of Tom Haley, a promising young writer. First she loves his stories, then she begins to love the man. Can she maintain the fiction of her undercover life? & who is inventing whom? To answer these questions, Serena must abandon the first rule of espionage
- trust no one. Mc Ewan's mastery dazzles us in this superbly deft & witty story of betrayal & intrigue, love, & the invented self.
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”A web of spying, subterfuge, deceit & betrayal... Acute, witty.. .winningly cunning”. (” Sunday Times”). The year is 1972. The Cold War is far from over. Britain is being torn apart by industrial unrest & terrorism. Serena Frome, in her final year at Cambridge, is being groomed for MI5. Serena is sent on a secret mission
- Operation Sweet Tooth
- which brings her into the world of Tom Haley, a promising young writer. First she loves his stories, then she begins to love the man. Can she maintain the fiction of her undercover life? & who is inventing whom? To answer these questions, Serena must abandon the first rule of espionage
- trust no one.


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The pages of Guatemala's telephone directory are perhaps an indication of the character of this elusive Central American republic. The names & numbers of some of the most infamous military dictators & deposed politicians are listed alongside the thousands of missionary societies, grocery stores & faith healers. The author of this book
- the sceptical doctor, as he styled himself in an earlier book
- intended to pay only a short visit to this volatile, violent country, but he ended up spending eight months there & left regarding it as a second home. Guatemala's affairs are complex, unpredictable & often beyond categorization. In addition to being a travel book, this is a work of politics, history, religion & philosophy, set in a bemusing & dangerous l&. The author's previous travel books include Coups & Cocaine & Zanzibar to Timbuktu.

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Sugar & spice & all things nice. Levi's latest collection of recipes is all about indulgence. From luscious cakes & bakes, to creamy puds, from cool ice-creams to wicked cocktails, this is food to share & make everyone feel good. What does sweet mean to you? It could be those sweet moments by yourself, watching TV & getting out the popcorn or having a nice chunk of cake or a chocolate bar. Or it could be a celebration. Your birthday's arrived
- & that means it's everybody's birthday. From Almond Cake with Lime & Cardamom Syrup or Salted Caramel Cheesecake to Pears in Ginger Syrup & Mango Bellini, the recipes here are about celebrating & sharing, getting together & enjoying the moment with great food.
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Tess is the 22-year-old narrator of this stunning first novel. Moving to New York, a place at the centre of the universe, ...

All Arto der Haroutunian`s twelve cookbooks written in the 1980s became classics; it was his belief that the rich culinary tradition of the Middle East is the main source of many of our Western cuisines & his books were intended as an introduction to that tradition. His Sweets & Desserts of the Middle East is regarded as the seminal work on the subject but it had been out of print for almost thirty years. At last here in a new edition is the Middle Eastern cookbook that everyone wants. In this book he takes us on a sumptuous & erudite tour of one of the delights of Middle Eastern cuisine. Sweets & desserts occupy a special place in those lands where natutal food resources can sometimes be limited. The people have made supreme the art of creating delights from very little & in doing do have enriched their world with wafer-thin pastries, luscious halvas, crunchy biscuits, exotic fruits & cool refreshing sorbets. Many Middle Eastern desserts are very sweey (literally soaked in honey or syrup) & yet their variety is infinite. It reflects the multifarious origins & races of the people of the region & combines ancient traditions & modern influences. One basic sweet may have been adapted in a dozen different ways. Tantalisingly fragrant, sweet & succulent or dry & spiced with the aroma of the East they transport us as if by magic carpet to the exotic lands of the orient. There are recipes for sesame & date baklavas, almond & pistachio coated biscuits, tempting stuffed fruits, rich mousses, delicate sorbets & syrups, jams & preserves, all of which may tempt you to conjure up these Middle Eastern delicacies in your own home. ...

These days, swimming may seem like the most egalitarian of pastimes, open to anyone with a swimsuit
- but this wasn`t always
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SHORLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 These days, swimming may seem like an egalitarian pastime, open to anyone with a swimsuit
- but this wasn`t always the case. In the 19th century, swimming was almost exclusively the domain of men. Women were (barely) allowed to swim in the sea, but even into the 20th century they could be arrested if they dared dive into a lake. It wasn`t until the 1930s that women were reluctantly granted equal access. This is the story of the swimming suffragettes who made that possible; women who took on the status quo, & won. Part social history, part memoir, Swell shines a light on these `swimming suffragettes`. It celebrates some amazing achievements, some ridiculous outfits & some fantastic swimmers who challenge the stereotypes of what women are capable of. It`s also the story of how Jenny eventually came to be a keen swimmer herself. Swell is a joyful hymn to the sport & an exploration of why swimming attracts so many women. It is a book dedicated to our brilliant swimming foremothers who collectively made it possible for any woman to plunge in however & wherever we choose.
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