” My name is Karim Amir, & I am an Englishman born & bred, almost...”. The hero of Hanif Kureishi`s debut novel is dreamy teenager Karim, desperate to escape suburban South London & experience the forbidden fruits which the 1970s seem to offer. When the unlikely opportunity of a life in the theatre announces itself, Karim starts to win the sort of attention he has been craving
- albeit with some rude & raucous results. With the publication of Buddha of Suburbia, Hanif Kureishi landed into the literary landscape as a distinct new voice & a fearless taboo-breaking writer. The novel inspired a ground-breaking BBC series featuring a soundtrack by David Bowie.
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This title is about the `other` decimated twin Wonders of the World & the tragic country of Afghanistan. The Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, carved in the sixth century AD, represented two aspects of the Buddha, universal & historical. In March 2001 the Taleban destroyed them. They were massive, 55m & 38m tall, hewn out of the solid rock face & it took weeks to bring them down. The Buddhas have a remarkable story to tell, from their creation at a time when Greek culture left behind by conquest influenced Buddhism to their role in the lead up to the destruction of two other colossi from a different era in New York in that same year. This title about the Buddhas is also a book about Bamiyan, a place that occupies one of the most strategic positions on earth & is also stunningly beautiful. & about the remarkable Hazara people who live in that valley & have played a central historical role in the history of the whole region. It is rare that a historical account of an extraordinary monument can also be of urgent contemporary relevance. ...

The Buenos Aires is a clear & elegant 10“ illuminated globe featuring the innovative dual-mapping system. You can view political borders in contrasting colours when the globe lamp is turned off & physical features when the light is turned on. The cartography offers a wealth of current information & the map image is printed on a strong plexiglass ball for durability, giving it a shiny finish. The globe features a half meridian in silver plastic, a silver base in conveniently heavy plastic & an adjustable world time zone disk. This globe is suitable for people of all ages as it is an ideal reference globe & an inspiring learning aid. ...

When Pepe Carvalho`s uncle asks him to find his son, Raul, in Buenos Aires, Pepe is reluctant. All he knows about Argentina is `tango, Maradona, & the disappeared` & he has no desire to find out more. But family is family & soon Carvalho is in Buenos Aires, getting more caught up in Argentina`s troubled past than is good for anybody. As he gets nearer to finding Raul, he begins to realise the full impact of the traumas caused by a military junta who went so far as to kidnap the children of the political activists they tortured. A few excellent tangos, bottles of Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon & a sexy semiotician are no compensation for the savage brutality Carvalho experiences in his attempt to come to grips with Argentina`s recent history. ...

For over thirty years, Jeannie & Sam Chesterton have lived high in the hills of Spain`s western Andalusia at Finca Buenvino, their welcoming pink farmhouse, which they have run as a guesthouse
- achieving international acclaim for their cooking & also their cookery courses. On their 100-acre estate the Chestertons grow their own organic vegetables, fruits & chestnuts, & raise Iberian pigs which are killed for jamon Iberico, salchichon, & chorizo. violet Andalusian hens, a rare breed which they are helping to conserve, produce fresh eggs for breakfast, & homemade breads & jams are always on the table in the morning. Dinners are a social occasion, with summer dining under the stars, or in winter guests assemble at the table in the panelled dining room. Talk of food is of the essence always!
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All at once, it was as if the stars leapt closer. Grandma grabbed the boy, raising him high above the rooftiles on her head. She was alive! The boy`s grandma was a famous architect. Her garden is still full of old building materials. Unwilling to accept she has gone, the boy builds a giant structure from the bricks & girders he finds. & then.. . Grandma comes to life! The boy is whisked away on an epic adventure across fields, through oceans & atop roofs. But where is Grandma taking him? Beautiful, thrilling & extremely moving: the extraordinary debut picture book from much-loved author, Ross Montgomery. ...

From awe-inspiring Norman castles, to the homes we live in, Simon Thurley explores how the architecture of this small island influenced the world. The Building of England puts into context the significance of a country`s architectural history & unearths how it is inextricably linked to the cultural past
- & present. Saxon, Tudor, Georgian, Regency, even Victorian & Edwardian are all well-recognised architectural styles, displaying the influence of the events that mark each period. Thurley looks at how the architecture of England has evolved over a thousand years, uncovering the beliefs, ideas & aspirations of the people who commissioned them, built them & lived in them. He tells the fascinating story of the development of architecture & the advancements in both structural performance & aesthetic effect. Richly illustrated with over 500 drawings, photographs & maps, Simon Thurley traces the history & contemplates the future of the buildings that have made Engl&.
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It is summer, & as tourists, drawn by the legend of a priceless missing artifact, disembark on the sun-drenched quay of Mithros, the languid calm of the island is broken by the unorthodox arrival of a stranger who has been thrown overboard in the bay. Lacking money or identification, he is forced for a while to remain on Mithros. But is he truly a stranger? To some, his face seems familiar. The arrival of the investigator Hermes Diaktoros, intrigued himself by the island's fabled bull, coincides with a violent & mysterious death. This violence has an echo in Mithros's recent past: in a brutal unsolved crime committed several years before, which, although apparently forgotten may not yet have been forgiven. As Hermes sets about solving the complex puzzle of who is guilty & who is innocent, he discovers a web of secrets & unspoken loyalties, & it soon becomes clear that the bull of Mithros may only be the least of the island's shadowy mysteries. ...

Drawn to the sun-drenched island of Mithros by the myth of its fabled bull, the arrival of investigator Hermes Diaktoros coincides with a violent & troubling death. The death has echoes in Mithros`s past, in a brutal unsolved crime from years ago which, it seems, is neither forgotten, nor forgiven. Hermes sets out to solve a complex puzzle where shadowy secrets & unspoken loyalties are intertwined. & before long it`s clear that the fate of the mythical bull may be the least of the island`s mysteries... ...

There`s a new bee at Bee School. But that bee is not a bee... It`s a Bear! Cheeky, sneaky Norman has a cunning plot to trick the bees & steal their honey. In his best bee onesie, Norman makes quite a convincing bee
- but how long will his disguise last? & when the hive is endangered can he finally discover his true destiny & become The Bumblebear?
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