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 ...

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.
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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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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. ...

Glenny investigates the roots of the bloodshed, invasions & nationalist fervour that have come to define our understanding of the south-eastern edge of Europe, & presents sharply observed portraits of its kings, guerrillas, bandits, generals, & politicians. Glenny shows that groups we think of as implacable enemies have, over the centuries, formed unlikely alliances, thereby disputing the idea that conflict in the Balkans is the ineluctable product of ancient grudges. He explores the often-catastrophic relationship between the Balkans & the rest of Europe, raising some disturbing questions about Western intervention. ...

A survey of two centuries of history, by Britain's commentator on the Balkans, Misha Glenny. It offers general readers a single narrative that explains the background to the terrible events on their television screens & provides insights into the roots of the region's reputation for violence. It also explores the origins of modern Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Greece, Bulgaria & Albania. ...

The Balkans on an interesting & informative wall map from the NGS combining a political map of the region with information on different ethnic groups & the history of this much-troubled part of Europe. The main map at 1:2, 850, 000 covers an area from Slovenia, Hungary & Romania to Greece. Countries are in different colours corresponding to the present political boundaries (Kosovo is still shown as part of Serbia) but within them areas with over 50% of ethnic minorities are coloured accordingly, e.g. Turks & Pomaks in Bulgaria, Hungarians in Transylvania, different groupings in Bosnia-Herzegovina, etc. Each country & each ethnic group has notes and/or pie charts providing further information. Also included are three historical insets showing the Balkans in the Ottoman Era, during World War I, & during World War II & its aftermath. ...