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. ...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR ARABIC FICTION 2018 For fans of The Kite Runner comes this remarkable debut, the number one bestselling title in Iraq, Dubai & the UAEIt`s 1991 & the Gulf War is raging. Two girls, hiding in an air raid shelter, tell stories to keep the fear & the darkness at bay, & a deep friendship is born. & while the city collapses around them, the sanctions bite & friends begin to flee, life goes on. People tend their gardens, go dancing & celebrate weddings, & the girls share their dreams, desires, school routines & first loves. In her brilliant debut novel, Shahad Al Rawi takes readers beyond the familiar images in the news to show the everyday struggle of Baghdad`s people, revealing the reality of growing up in a war-torn city that`s slowly disappearing in front of your eyes. ...

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.


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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 ...

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...?
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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.
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What if our homes could tell the stories of others who lived there before us? To those who have ventured past it over the years, this small estate in a village outside Paris has always seemed calm & poised. But should you open the gates & enter inside, you will find rooms which have become the silent witnesses to a century of human drama: from the young American au pair developing a crush on her brilliant employer to the ex-courtesan shocking the servants, & the Jewish couple in hiding from the Gestapo to the housewife who begins an affair while renovating her downstairs. The stories of those who have lived within the estate have been many & varied. But as the years unfold, their lives inevitably come to haunt the same spaces & intertwine, creating a rich tapestry of the relationships, life-altering choices, & fleeting moments which have kept the house alive through the last hundred years... ` Sweeping, suspenseful, rich with surprises & eerie atmosphere` Jennifer Egan ...

In the middle of the First World War, the British War Cabinet approved & issued a statement in the form of a letter that encouraged the settlement of the Jewish people in Palestine. Signed by the Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, the Balfour Declaration remains one of the most important documents of the last hundred years. Jonathan Schneer explores the story behind the declaration & its unforeseen consequences that have shaped the modern world, placing it in context paying attention to the fascinating characters who conceived, opposed & plotted around it
- among them Lloyd George, Lord Rothschild, T.E. Lawrence, Prince Faisal & Aubrey Herbert (the man who was ` Greenmantle`). The Balfour Declaration brings vividly to life the origins of one of the world`s longest lasting & most damaging conflicts.
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As well as being an acute portrait of a marriage, The Balkan Trilogy is Olivia Manning’s epic, ironic comedy of manners & a haunting evocation of a vanished way of life. Living & working in Romania, Guy & Harriet Pringle are forced to evacuate to Greece before the steady advance of the German army…personally & professionally this ultimately has consequences neither of them thought they would face. ...