Ricardo Somocurcio is in love with a bad girl. He loves her as a teenager known as ` Lily` in Lima in 1950, where she claims to be from Chile but vanishes the moment her claim is exposed as fiction. He loves her next in Paris as ` Comrade Arlette`, an activist en route to Cuba, an icy, remote lover who denies knowing anything about the Lily of years gone by. Whoever the bad girl turns up as, & however poorly she treats him, Ricardo is doomed to worship her. Gifted liar & irresistible, maddening muse
- does Ricardo ever know who she really is?
...

Lemony Snicket`s simply told story offers a refreshing, thoughtful, & hilarious look at the ways in which a bad mood wreaks havoc as it moves from person to person, leaving an unexpected trail of surprise in its wake: opportunities for laughter, forgiveness & even love. ...

Another foolhardy Cambridge college-climber has died attempting Harding`s Folly. This time it`s John Talentire, one of the brightest young dons at St Agatha`s, & the verdict is accident, compounded by idiocy. But Imogen Quy
- her name rhymes with `why`
- can`t help wondering how such a clever young man died so stupidly. & when a wildly eccentric production of Hamlet is interrupted by a murder accusation, Imogen has to look into it, uncovering more crime than she expected.

...

Bernard Hinault is one of the greatest cyclists of all time. He is a five-time winner of the Tour de France & the only man to have won each of the Grand Tours on more than one occasion. Three decades on from his retirement, he remains the last Frenchman to win the Tour de France. His victory in 1985 marks the turning point when the nation who had dominated the first eight decades of the race they had invented suddenly found they were no longer able to win it. Hinault is the last `old-school` champion: a larger-than-life character from a working-class background, capable of winning on all terrains, in major Tours & one-day Classics. Nicknamed the ` Badger` for his combative style, he led a cyclists` strike in his first Tour & instigated a legendary punch-up with demonstrators in 1982 while in the middle of a race. Hinault`s battles with team-mates Laurent Fignon & Greg Le Mond provide some of the greatest moments in Tour history. In Bernard Hinault & the Fall & Rise of French Cycling, William Fotheringham finally gets to the bottom of this fascinating character & explores the reasons why the nation that considers itself cycling`s home has found it so hard to produce another champion. ...

Youth subculture in 20th Century Britain is a unique phenomenon. Throughout the decades, young people sought to define themselves sartorially, reflecting their identity in terms of regionalism, class & crucially, musical taste, through their clothes. This book is a comprehensive survey of over 50 underground `tribes` that roamed the streets of the UK from the `60s to the `90s. From Mod to Skinhead & Rocker to Riot Grrrl by way of Goth, the look of each movement is captured in meticulously researched, previously unseen archive photography. Explanatory texts in Sam Knee`s evocative tone provide context, & an illustration section at the back breaks down each look element by element. This is a key resource for fashion enthusiasts, musos & cultural historians, as well as a powerful, graphic document of Britain`s fashion evolution through the ages. ...

Baghdad 1917. Captain Jim Stringer, invalided from the Western Front, has been dispatched to investigate what looks like a nasty case of treason. He arrives to find a city on the point of insurrection, his cover apparently blown
- & his only contact lying dead with flies in his eyes. As Baghdad swelters in a particularly torrid summer, the heat alone threatens the lives of the British soldiers who occupy the city. The recently ejected Turks are still a danger
- & many of the local Arabs are none too friendly either. For Jim, who is not particularly good in warm weather, the situation grows pricklier by the day. Aside from his investigation, he is working on the railways around the city. His boss is the charming, enigmatic Lieutenant-Colonel Shepherd, who presides over the gracious dining society called ” The Baghdad Railway Club”
- & who may or may not be a Turkish agent. Jim`s search for the truth brings him up against murderous violence in a heat-dazed, labyrinthine city where an enemy awaits around every corner.


...

The Bahamas in the Countries & Regions series from Lonely Planet, market-leading comprehensive guides aimed at independent travellers & serving a large range of international destinations. Frank & informal in style, the guides explore an extensive range of sights, activities, accommodation, restaurants & nightlife & are designed for practical use while travelling on the road. Written & researched by a team of experts, each book is independent in its recommendations & suggestions, often offering individual takes on individual destinations. Widely recognised for their reliability, each Lonely Planet country & region guide has the same layout. Introductory sections profile the destination with individual chapters on particular highlights, getting started, (including when to go) itineraries, history, culture, arts, food & drink & the environment. Each guide is organised geographically by region, with individual sections detailing an extensive range of sights, places of interest, attractions, restaurants, nightlife, accommodation & any local activities. The guides have detailed explanations of historical context where relevant. There is also practical guidance on ...

In the spring of 1932, with Londoners terrorised by a series of brutal murders, the private detective agency of Messrs. Singleton & Trelawney quietly opens its doors in Bloomsbury. The first person to call on their services is a worried Lady Arthur Conan Doyle. She tells of mysterious events at 221 Baker Street
- & a premonition that the London murders signal terrible danger for mankind. Their investigation will take our intrepid heroes into a world of seances & spirits. Aided by the most famous detective of all time, they must draw on their knowledge of the imaginary to find the perpetrators of some very real & bloody crimes before they strike again.
...

1775. Commissioner Nicolas Le Floch is on a diplomatic mission to Vienna, ostensibly to deliver a bust of Marie Antoinette to her mother, the Empress Maria Theresa. His real task, however, is to investigate the breakdown of French secret intelligence in Austria. The city is a hotbed of plotting
- & Nicolas only just survives an attempt on his life. On his return to France, Paris is in turmoil. The soaring price of grain & bread is causing widespread social unrest, & Nicolas` first police case is the unexplained death of a baker. Could it be that events in the French capital are somehow connected to his experiences in Vienna...?
...

In nineteenth-century Istanbul, a Polish prince has been kidnapped. His assassination has been bungled & his captors have taken him to an unused farmhouse. Little do they realize that their revolutionary cell has been penetrated by their enemies, who use the code name La Piuma (the Feather). Yashim is convinced that the prince is alive. But he has no idea where, or who La Piuma is
- & has become dangerously distracted by falling in love. As he draws closer to the prince`s whereabouts & to the true identity of La Piuma, Yashim finds himself in the most treacherous situation of his career: can he rescue the prince along with his romantic dreams? Jason Goodwin`s bestselling ` Yashim` series has been published across the globe & received huge critical acclaim. In The Baklava Club, Goodwin takes Yashim on an adventure like no other, through the stylish, sensual world of Ottoman Istanbul.
...