Human domination of our earth is now so complete that it is easy to forget how recently our role in the history of our planet began: the earliest apes evolved around 20 million years ago, yet Homo Sapiens has existed for a mere 160, 000 years. In the intervening period, dozens of species of early ape & human have lived & died out, leaving behind the fossilized remains that have helped to build up the detailed picture of our evolution revealed in this exciting new book. Every aspect of the study of ape & human evolution is explored in three accessible sections, lavishly illustrated throughout with photographs, diagrams, timelines & specially commissioned drawings. This compelling & authoritative account is essential reading for anyone interested in, or studying, the story of human origins. ...

The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook

Includes:: in one handy-size if inevitably thick volume

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Whether moored at their home marina, or visiting a less familiar port in a distant country, yachtsmen need to pay just as much attention to the security of their yacht as they would their home or car. By being aware of potential dangers & taking some prudent steps in advance, yachtsmen can ensure that voyages to even the more adventurous of destinations will be less stressful. The aim of this book is not to scare yachtsmen but to equip them with the knowledge & confidence to minimise risk. With practical advice & real-life stories to illustrate security solutions, it guides skippers & crew through the whole process, from planning the journey, setting up the boat & equipment, to preparing & dealing with actual threats. It covers:- Achieving a security balance: how to assess risks & counter them, & knowing whether it`s better to avoid a risk or prepare more thoroughly- Preparing the boat & equipment: boat layout, communication, distress signals, alarm systems, access barriers, training, & the pros & cons of weapons- Hands-on security: safe marina layouts, deterring thieves, what to do if boarded- Background to attacks on yachts: the difference between inexperienced criminals, pirates & terrorists, understanding their intentions, tactics & appropriate methods to defend yourself- Risk classification for all global cruising grounds- Security checklists for various types of voyage With many full colour photos, illustrations & tables, this book is an indispensable handbook for yachtsmen to have at their side when planning a voyage. It may not be possible to eradicate the risks completely, but this book will help yachtsmen assess them realistically & prepare to counter them confidently. ...

The Complete Yachtmaster has been a bestseller since first publication & has established itself as the standard reference for Yachtmaster students as well as skippers of all levels of experience. In this fully revised & up-to-date 9th edition, Tom Cunliffe brings together all the essentials of modern cruising in one volume. He presents an analysis of a good skipper, the theory & practice of sailing & sail trim, the art of seamanship, accurate navigation including chart plotters & PCs, understanding meteorology, heavy weather preparation, understanding yacht stability & coping with emergencies. The Complete Yachtmaster builds knowledge as it builds sailing confidence, guiding examination candidates as authoritatively & reassuringly through the RYA syllabus as a sea pilot bringing a ship safely to harbour. Required reading for all skippers & budding skippers, both on board or in the classroom.`A gem, distilled from decades of experience` Yachting Monthly` Cunliffe`s competence & authority radiate from the pages... thoroughly recommended` Little Ship Club Introduction 1. The skipper 2. The theory of sailing 3. Efficient sailing 4. Basic seamanship under sail 5. Boat handling under sail 6. Boat handling under power 7. Ropes & ropework 8. Anchoring 9. Yacht engines 10. Sailing in heavy weather 11. Navigation – an introduction 12. Charts, publications & chart table tools 13. Aids to navigation 14. Tidal heights 15. Tidal streams 16. Traditional navigational inputs 17. The estimated position 18. Classical position fixing 19. Satellites & radar 20. Course shaping 21. Navigational strategy 22. Passage planning 23. Pilotage 24. Passage navigation 25. Domestics of a passage 26. Fog 27. Collision avoidance in poor visibility 28. Tactics & navigation in heavy weather 29. Damage control 30. Emergencies 31. Man overboard 32. Weather Appendix: stability in sailing yachts Index ...

Did you know:
- that, with more than 17, 000 skeletons in its collection, the Museum of London has over three times the amount
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Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone & historian Peter Kuznick examine the dark side of American history from the beginning of the twentieth century right up to the Obama administration. Looking at American intervention in foreign conflicts in Latin American, Asia & the Middle East, including taking part in covert operations & interfering to overthrow elected leaders in favour of right-wing dictators, they ask whether US involvement around the globe is about democratic ideals, or political & economic gain. From Hiroshima & Nagasaki to the Watergate scandal & the transformation of America into a national security state, The Concise Untold History lays bare how US presidents have ignored the constitution & international law to influence the course of world events for the interest of the few. Based on the critically acclaimed documentary series of the same name, this book compellingly unmasks the shocking & unforgettable truth behind the American Empire. ...

It`s China, 1907. Sixteen-year-old orphan Cassia is sold by her aunt to a brothel. There, she works as a lowly maid for Madame Emerald until a powerful & dangerous client plucks her from obscurity. Master Chang is the boss of the fearsome Shanghai Triad & he always gets what he wants. Despite her unbound feet & breasts, Cassia swiftly becomes Chang`s favourite mistress. He showers her with luxuries as he embarks on her sexual awakening. But Chang`s world is violent & precarious, & those such as Cassia who depend on him are bound to his fate. ...

This title features with an introduction by Pico Iyer. In September 1947, long before mass tourism & with no knowledge of Spanish, Christopher Isherwood & William Caskey left for a six-month tour of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, & Argentina. ” The Condor & the Cows” is Isherwood`s unsentimental & wonderfully rich account of that journey, during which he bumped into a handful of old acquaintances on a br&-new continent. ...

Peter Sis`s deeply felt adaptation tells the story of a flock of birds who fly through seven valleys
- quest, love, understanding,
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Recently made into a film starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Pete Doherty & Lily Cole, this French novel of love & betrayal is now available in a new English translation for the first time in over a hundred years. Inspired by his scandalous real-life affair with the flamboyant woman who called herself George S&, Alfred de Musset`s Confession is a searingly honest, passionate account of a young man`s rite of passage. It tells the story of Octave, desperate to be more than an `average man`, who searches for happiness first as a debauched libertine, until his mistress Elise is unfaithful, & then in an austere life in the countryside, where he falls in love with the selfless Brigitte. But as he becomes consumed by insane jealousy & convinced that Brigitte will betray him, Octave brings about his own destruction. A vivid, opulent portrayal of obsession & despair, this is also a philosophical portrait of a man & his times, expressing the failed idealism of the Romantic generation of the early nineteenth century. David Coward`s vibrant translation is accompanied by an introduction discussing de Musset`s affair with Sand & his work`s place in the confessional genre. This edition contains a chronology, notes & further reading. ...