An encyclopedic compendium of every element of a yacht, this book contains a wealth of information for the aficionado as well as the newcomer, taking apart the sailboat to explore every part of it in depth. Gloriously illustrated with beautiful photography & explanatory diagrams, each page is packed with fascinating & satisfying detail. Looking first at the history of yachting & boatbuilding techniques, the book arms the reader with the knowledge to understand the lineage & characteristics of the sailboat parts that are focused on in the later more detailed chapters. All the main features of contemporary vessels
- ranging from keels & masts to portholes & binnacles
- are then analysed, with explanations of how they came to be the size, shape & material that they are, what they have in common, why they differ, all spiced with relevant historical anecdotes. This is a wide-ranging, trailblazing & stunning treasure trove of fascinating information, which will delight & absorb anyone who has ever sailed on or gazed in wonder at a yacht.

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A fully updated edition of one of the most original accounts of evolution ever written, featuring new fractal diagrams, six new `tales` & the latest scientific developments. THE ANCESTOR`S TALE is a dazzling, four-billion-year pilgrimage to the origins of life: Richard Dawkins & Yan Wong take us on an exhilarating reverse journey through evolution, from present-day humans back to the microbial beginnings of life. It is a journey happily interrupted by meetings of fellow modern animals (as well as plants, fungi & bacteria) similarly tracing their evolutionary path back through history. As each evolutionary pilgrim tells their tale, Dawkins & Wong shed light on topics such as speciation, sexual selection & extinction. Written with unparalleled wit, clarity & intelligence; taking in new scientific discoveries of the past decade; & including new `tales`, illustrations & fractal diagrams, THE ANCESTOR`S TALE shows us how remarkable we are, how astonishing our history, & how intimate our relationship with the rest of the living world. ...

This is an authoritative & clear translation of the spells & prayers depicted on the Papyrus of Ani, illustrated with photographs of the original vignettes, now preserved in the British Museum Sales points. It is written by a leading authority on Egyptian funerary texts. This is the most reliable translation of the Papyrus of Ani, one of the greatest treasures of the British Museum. It is illustrated with more than 140 colour & black & white photographs. The Book of the Dead is the name now given to sheets of papyrus covered with religious & magical texts & accompanying illustrations, which the ancient Egyptians placed in the tombs of their dead in order to guide them safely through the dangers of the Underworld & to achieve a blissful afterlife. This authoritative book contains the translated text of the Papyrus of Ani, one of the greatest treasures of the British Museum. The spells are numbered & shown alongside photographs of the illustrative vignettes & complimented by a concise introduction & extensive glossary. Dr Faulkner's work is widely acknowledged as containing the most reliable translation of this fascinating collection of spells, prayers & incantations making this an essential purchase for anybody interested in Ancient Egypt. The late Dr. R.O. Faulkner, for many years the assistant of the great Egyptologist Sir Alan Gardiner, was an expert in ancient Egyptian military & nautical matters & taught Egyptian language at University College London. ...

” The Ancient Egyptians” allows children to meet at close quarters the people of ancient Egypt. This is a highly visual resource book, packed with authentic pictures, that shows at first hand how the Egyptians lived & worked & how they wished to be remembered by later generations. The book contains a wealth of fascinating images from the British Museums world-renowned Egyptian collections, showing the people of ancient Egypt & the objects they made & used. The text offers supporting information, descriptions & explanations alongside the images, encouraging children to engage with the photographs in detail. A special feature is the"ations from ancient Egyptian sources ranging from royal decrees to personal letters that allow children to read about the Egyptians in their own words. A fascinating way to explore the daily lives of people in the past, through a close look at the objects & artwork they left behind. ...

Discover the peoples & places of the Ancient Greek World. Discover how the ancient Greeks traded with peoples all around the Mediterranean Sea & beyond, & founded new cities that became great centers of culture in the ancient world. Visit the Mycenaean & Minoan sites where the heroes of the Bronze Age had their citadels & palaces. Explore two contrasting city-states of Classical Greece Athens (the birthplace of theater, philosophy, & democracy) & Sparta (the ultimate military super-state). Look inside the temples, theaters, schools, sports stadia & gymnasia, houses & palaces. Examine the objects that the Greeks left behind, & what they have to tell us about life in those ancient times. ...

Learn everything you need to know about the Ancient Greeks, & some of the things they`d rather you didn`t find out! Packed full of facts & witty asides, this book, which

Includes:: a fold-out map & timeline, uses comic strips to explore a different theme or topic on every spread. Created by graphic novelist Isabel Greenberg & her sister, Imogen Greenberg, the Discover...series offers a fresh & accessible entry point to history for children 8+.

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They gave us democracy, philosophy, poetry, rational science, the joke. They built the Parthenon & the Library of Alexandria. They wrote the timeless myths of Odysseus & Oedipus, & the histories of Leonidas` three hundred Spartans & Alexander the Great. But who were the ancient Greeks? & what was it that enabled them to achieve so much? Here, Edith Hall gives us a revelatory way of viewing this geographically scattered people, visiting different communities at various key moments during twenty centuries of ancient history. Identifying ten unique traits central to the widespread ancient Greeks, Hall unveils a civilization of incomparable richness & a people of astounding complexity
- & explains how they made us who we are today. ”A thoroughly readable & illuminating account of this fascinating people... This excellent book makes us admire & like the ancient Greeks equally.” (Independent). ”A worthy & lively introduction to one of the two groups of ancient peoples who really formed the western world.” (Sunday Times). ” Throughout, Hall exemplifies her subjects` spirit of inquiry, their originality & their open-mindedness.” (Daily Telegraph).”A book that is both erudite & splendidly entertaining.” (Financial Times).
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The Ancient Near East reveals three millennia of history (c. 3500-500 bc) in a single work. Liverani draws upon over 25 years` worth of experience & this personal odyssey has enabled him to retrace the history of the peoples of the Ancient Near East. The history of the Sumerians, Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians & more is meticulously detailed by one of the leading scholars of Assyriology. Utilizing research derived from the most recent archaeological finds, the text has been fully revised for this English edition & explores Liverani`s current thinking on the history of the Ancient Near East. The rich & varied illustrations for each historical period, augmented by new images for this edition, provide insights into the material & textual sources for the Ancient Near East. Many highlight the ingenuity & technological prowess of the peoples in the Ancient East. Never before available in English, The Ancient Near East represents one of the greatest books ever written on the subject & is a must read for students who will not have had the chance to explore the depth of Liverani`s scholarship. ...

When Graham Robb made plans to cycle the legendary Via Heraklea, he had no idea that the line he plotted -- stretching from the south-western tip of the Iberian Peninsula, across the Pyrenees & towards the Alps -- would change the way he saw a civilization. It was an ancient path that took him deep into the world of the Celts: their gods, their art, &, most of all, their sophisticated knowledge of science. Gradually, a lost map revealed itself, of an empire constructed with precision & beauty across vast tracts of Europe. Oriented according to the movements of the Celtic sun god, the map had been forgotten for almost two millennia. Its implications were astonishing. Minutely researched & rich in revelations, The Ancient Paths brings to life centuries of our distant history & reinterprets pre-Roman Europe. Told with all of Robb's grace & verve, it is a dazzling, unforgettable book. ...

Graham Robb`s new book will change the way you see European civilization. Inspired by a chance discovery, Robb became fascinated with the world of the Celts: their gods, their art, &, most of all, their sophisticated knowledge of science. His investigations gradually revealed something extaordinary: a lost map, of an empire constructed with precision & beauty across vast tracts of Europe. The map had been forgotten for almost two millennia & its implications were astonishing. Minutely researched & rich in revelations, The Ancient Paths brings to life centuries of our distant history & reinterprets pre-Roman Europe. Told with all of Robb`s grace & verve, it is a dazzling, unforgettable book. ...