Wherever you go in the English-speaking world, there are linguistic riches from times past awaiting rediscovery. All you have to do is choose a location, find some old documents, & dig a little. In The Disappearing Dictionary, linguistics expert Professor David Crystal collects together delightful dialect words that either provide an insight into an older way of life, or simply have an irresistible phonetic appeal. Like a mirror image of The Meaning of Liff that just happens to be true, The Disappearing Dictionary unearths some lovely old gems of the English language, dusts them down & makes them live again for a new generation. dabberlick [noun, Scotland] A mildly insulting way of talking about someone who is tall & skinny. ` Where`s that dabberlick of a child?` fubsy [adjective, Lancashire] Plump, in a nice sort of way. squinch [noun, Devon] A narrow crack in a wall or a space between floorboards. `I lost sixpence through a squinch in the floor`. ...

Graham Robb’s The Discovery of France is a book of genuine interest, redefining what we thought we knew about the history of France, with an assured, analytical, good-humoured & sympathetic understanding of the subject. It’s easy to reduce France to the sum of its parts: weekend breaks amid the culture of Paris or summer holidays basking in the sunshine of the south; accounts of the Revolution
- Madame Defarge knitting beside the guillotine
- & Napoleon’s battle at Waterloo ill-remembered from school; a country famous for its intellectuals, artists & philosophers, its fashion, food & wine. Despite this, however, the notion of ‘the French’ as one nation is relatively recent &, historically speaking, quite misleading; in order to discover the ‘real’ past of France, it is not only necessary to go back in time, but also to go at a slower pace than modern life generally allows.

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With an introduction by Colm Toibin Ten years ago, I began to explore the country on which I was supposed to be an authority.. . France is a country famous for its intellectuals, its philosophers & writers, its fashion, food & wine. & yet the notion of `the French` as one nation is relatively recent &
- historically speaking
- quite misleading. In order to discover the `real` past of France, Graham Robb realised it was not only necessary to go back in time, but also to go at a slower pace than modern life generally allows. The Discovery of France, illuminating, engrossing & full of surprises, is the result of Robb`s 14, 000 mile journey across France on a bicycle. Winner of both the Duff Cooper & the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje prizes, The Discovery of France is a modern non-fiction classic, a literary exploration of a remarkable nation. From maps & migration to magic, language & landscape, it reveals a France few will recognize. ` An extraordinary journey of discovery` Daily Telegraph ` Robb`s concise & fast-paced writing pedals along with never a dull paragraph.. .dazzling` Sunday Times

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Mario Vargas-Llosa, the Nobel Prize for Literature winner & author of The War of the End of the World, The Feast of the Goat, Aunt Julia & the Scriptwriter & Conversation in the Cathedral brings us a story set in the Peruvian town of Piura. This tale is about love & betrayal, a younger generation that can no longer tell the difference between reality & desire, & the destructive effects of media fantasies. Felicito Yanaque has raised himself from poverty to ownership of a trucking business. He receives a threatening letter demanding protection money. The police don`t take him seriously, Felicito refuses to pay up & gets sucked into a nightmare. He becomes a reluctant public hero. Then his mistress is kidnapped, & matters become seriously complicated. & he finds that his troubles have begun very close to home. His fate is interwoven with the story of Rigoberto, a wealthy Lima insurance executive. His boss & old friend, Ismael, suddenly announces that he is marrying his housekeeper, a chola from Piura, to the consternation of his twin sons, a pair of brutal wasters. Ismael escapes to Europe with his new bride, leaving Rigoberto to face the twins` threats, & their claims that he connived with a scheming woman to rob an old man of his fortune. Rigoberto is hounded by the press & TV. Meanwhile, his only son is having visions of a mysterious stranger who may or may not be the devil. ...

Felicito Yanaque has raised himself from poverty to ownership of a trucking business. His two sons work for him. He receives a threatening letter demanding protection money. The police don`t take him seriously, Felicito refuses to pay up & gets sucked into a nightmare. He becomes a reluctant public hero. Then his mistress is kidnapped, & matters become seriously complicated. & he finds that his troubles have begun very close to home. His fate is interwoven with the story of Rigoberto, a wealthy Lima insurance executive. His boss & old friend, Ismael, suddenly announces that he is marrying his housekeeper, a chola from Piura, to the consternation of his twin sons, a pair of brutal wasters. Ismael escapes to Europe with his new bride, leaving Rigoberto to face the twins` threats, & their claims that he connived with a scheming woman to rob an old man of his fortune. Rigoberto is hounded by the press & TV. Meanwhile, his only son is having visions of a mysterious stranger who may or may not be the devil... ...

Spain has had a long history of exiles. Since the destruction of the last Muslim territories in Granada in 1492, wave after wave of its people have been driven from the country. ” The Disinherited” paints a vivid picture of Spain`s diverse exiles, from Muslims, Jews & Protestants to Liberals, Socialists & Communists, artists, writers & musicians. Kamen describes the ways in which many of these expelled citizens have shaped Spanish culture
- or impoverished it by leaving
- & enriched their adopted homes through their creative responses to exile & to encounters with new worlds, Picasso, Miro, Dali & Bunuel among them. Henry Kamen`s compelling & sympathetic account tells the story of their incalculable impact on the world.

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Celebrate the world of Disney in The Disney Book, from the beautiful animations & amazing live action movies to the magical Disney parks & attractions. Go behind-the-scenes of Disney`s famous movies & find out how they were made, follow Disney`s entire history using the timeline, & marvel at concept art & story sketches. Perfect for Disney fans who want to know everything about the magical Disney world, The Disney Book delves into Disney`s incredible archives & lets fans explore classic Disney animated & live action movies, wonder at fascinating Disney collectibles & even see original story sketches from Disney films. Check out ” Hero” pages that focus on amazing Disney props or artworks from the archives, beautifully photographed & annotated. The ideal gift for Disney fans & animation & movie buffs, The Disney Book also

Includes:: 3 original movie frames from Disney Pixar`s Brave.

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In January 2017, Donald Trump signed an executive order stopping entry to the United States from seven predominantly Muslim countries & dramatically cutting the number of refugees allowed to resettle in the United States each year. The American people spoke up, with protests, marches, donations, & lawsuits that quickly overturned the order. But the refugee caps remained. In The Displaced, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Viet Thanh Nguyen, himself a refugee, brings together a host of prominent refugee writers to explore & illuminate the refugee experience. Featuring original essays by a collection of writers from around the world, The Displaced is an indictment of closing our doors, & a powerful look at what it means to be forced to leave home & find a place of refuge. ...

Growing up in a strict religious family between the wars, Annie Lang wasn t convinced that Jesus was such a great friend to little children. Or why would he have snatched away her lovely mother when she was only six? Witness to disturbing events that no one can explain, Annie is confused & sister Bea can t help. Six years on & student Annie returns from France to find her brother in the local mental hospital, her father rarely home & her friend & Sunday School teacher missing. With the help of her childhood diary Annie turns detective to try & understand the past. Her journey leads to a discovery that she believes will ruin all their lives, unless they can somehow atone for what has happened. Impulsive, brave & lovable, Annie Lang is formidable when she takes matters into her own hands. ...

The award-winning Number One bestseller & Queen of crime fiction Val Mc Dermid carves out a stunning psychological thriller. ...