This is the story of a drop of water, told by a science writer & illustrated with remarkable paintings. Meredith Hooper takes us back thousands of years to see where the Earth`s water came from, & how life began in the oceans & later moved onto l&. She describes the water cycle, the relationship between water & living things & between water & erosion. She also discusses important environmental issues & provides a fascinating collection of water facts. ...

` It is time Mick Herron was recognised in his own right as the best thriller writer in Britain today` Sunday Express Old spooks carry the memory of tradecraft in their bones, & when Solomon Dortmund sees an envelope being passed from one pair of hands to another in a Marylebone cafe, he knows he`s witnessed more than an innocent encounter. But in relaying his suspicions to John Bachelor, who babysits retired spies like Solly, he sets in train events which will alter lives. Bachelor himself, a hair`s breadth away from sleeping in his car, is clawing his way back to stability; Hannah Weiss, the double agent whose recruitment was his only success, is starting to enjoy the secrets & lies her role demands; & Lech Wicinski, an Intelligence Service analyst, finds that a simple favour for an old acquaintance might derail his career. Meanwhile, Lady Di Taverner is trying to keep the Service on an even keel, & if that means throwing the odd crew member overboard, well: collateral damage is her speciality.A drop, in spook parlance, is the passing on of secret information. It`s also what happens just before you hit the ground. ...

Jonathan is a private investigator in a decaying eastern European city, consumed by his work & his failing marriage. Approached one day by an elderly couple, he is presented with a faded photograph of their daughter, missing for nearly two decades. Troubled by the image of the little girl, who was the same age when she vanished as his own daughter is now
- he is compelled to find her. But one night, soon after taking on the case, as he walks across the bridge spanning the river that divides the city, he encounters a young woman crouched at the foot of a stone angel
- a woman who suddenly leaps into the icy water below. Without thinking, Jonathan plunges after her, & is soon drawn into her ghostly world of confusion, coincidence & intrigue, & the city he thought he knew turns strange & threatening. Haunting & deeply moving, The Drowned Detective is an intoxicating, atmospheric exploration of relationships, lies & betrayal
- confirming Neil Jordon as a master storyteller & a vital literary voice.


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When London is lost beneath the rising tides, unconscious desires rush to the surface in this apocalyptic tale from the author of ` Crash` & ` Empire of the Sun`, reissued here with a new introduction from Martin Amis. Fluctuations in solar radiation have melted the ice caps, sending the planet into a new Triassic Age of unendurable heat. London is a swamp; lush tropical vegetation grows up the walls of the Ritz & primeval reptiles are sighted, swimming through the newly-formed lagoons. Some flee the capital; others remain to pursue reckless schemes, either in the name of science or profit. While the submerged streets of London are drained in search of treasure, Dr Robert Kerans
- part of a group of intrepid scientists
- comes to accept this submarine city & finds himself strangely resistant to the idea of saving it. First published in 1962, Ballard`s mesmerising & ferociously imaginative novel gained him widespread critical acclaim & established his reputation as one of Britain`s finest writers of science fiction. This edition is part of a new commemorative series of Ballard`s works, featuring introductions from a number of his admirers (including Robert Macfarlane, Martin Amis, James Lever & Ali Smith) & br&-new cover designs.

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This quirky guide explains the chemistry & botanical history of over 150 plants, trees, flowers & fruits, showing how they form the bases of our favourite cocktails. Amy Stewart offers gardeners growing tips & provides cocktail enthusiasts with 50 drink recipes, as well as a rounded knowledge of the processes & plants which go into popular concoctions. ...

Dubliners is a wonderfully engaging & accessible collection of stories by James Joyce, an author famed for being difficult to read. It contains The Dead, made into a memorable film by John Huston. This beautiful new edition has been chosen as the One Book, One City title for Dublin in 2012 & will be heavily promoted with events & advertising as well as in the press. ...

In her relationship with Charles that has survived for more than forty years, Camilla`s story has seen a great many myths. This book is the definitive account. The relationship between Charles, Prince of Wales & Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is one of the most remarkable love stories of the age. It has endured against all the odds, & in the process nearly destroyed the British monarchy. It is a rich & remarkable story that has never been properly told
- indeed, it is one of the most extraordinary, star-crossed love stories of the past fifty years.
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The Duchesses tells the story of the ` Princess Coronation` class of locomotives -the streamlined embodiments of raw, bulked-up muscle & formidable power that any enthusiast will tell you were the finest steam engines in Britain. Conceived of by the London, Midland & Scottish Railway to rival the LNER`s illustrious `A4 Pacifics`, these trains heralded in the last golden age of steam. Designed by the great William Stanier, theirs is a story of grand beginnings, a slow trajectory of decline & a recent, celebrated rebirth. Today, there are two ` Duchesses` still in existence: Duchess of Hamilton & Duchess of Sutherland are now restored to their original streamlined appearance. As The Duchesses` beautiful cover illustration suggests, these Coronation locomotives were beautiful to behold; truly majestic feats of engineering. Andrew Roden`s book tells the story of their time in British Railways service; the class` decommissioning in the 1960s; the extraordinary saga of two trains` unlikely preservation by Billy Butlin at his holiday camps; & their eventual return to steam on the main line. The Duchesses completes a trilogy of railway books from Aurum, joining Mallard
- the story of the world`s fastest steam locomotive
- & Flying Scotsman -that of the world`s most famous.

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One of the few works written in Casanova`s native Italian, The Duel is an important example of the infamous lothario`s vivid prose & inimitable style. Having escaped from the infamous Piombi Prison in Venice, Casanova became an exile, travelling through Western Europe & being given shelter on account of his fame. The story recounts the duel he fought with a Polish nobleman, Count Branicky, who had insulted Casanova over a ballerina. Describing the deadly encounter & the surprising events it precipitated with sardonic & even blase wit, Casanova proves his literary prowess. ...

In the world of rare books everything has its price. But when the book is a satanic tract, the currency is not money but life. A well-know bibliophile is found hanged days after selling a rare manuscript of Alexander Dumas`s classic, The Three Musketeers. Across Madrid, Spain`s wealthiest book dealer has finally laid his hands on a 17th-century manual for summoning the devil. Lucas Corso, solitary & obsessive, is the detective hired to authenticate both texts. But the further he follows the trail of devil worship, the more it leads him back to Dumas. He`s the unwitting protagonist in someone`s evil plot, but is he sleuth or hero, Sherlock Holmes or d` Artagnan? ...