In 1853 Karl Marx predicted the Indian Railways would foster the growth of parallel industries `not immediately connected with the railways.` But the most successful industry-which Marx could not possibly have dreamed of-was that of cultural representations of the railways, which began even before the railways, themselves. From Rudyard Kipling to Mark Twain to R.K. Narayan to Ruskin Bond-the aura of Indian trains & railway stations have enchanted many. What imperialism made opulent, nationalism embraced a swadeshi tool, Partition turned into theaters of the macabre, & the nation`s destiny marked for its favorite foster child, came to embody the portable architecture of India`s modernity. &, what with iconic railway cinematography from Aradhana (1969), Sonar Kella (1974), Gandhi (1982), Dil Se (1997), or Parineeta (2005), Indian cinema has forged mythical railroads in the national psyche. The Purveyors of Destiny brings together all these elements together, for the first time, in a book replete with anecdotes from colonial & Indian accounts, the battlefronts of the Indian nationalist movement, Indian cinema, advertisements, & much more, in an ever expanding cultural biography of the Great Indian Railways.` In this fascinating cultural history, Arup K Chatterjee charts the extraordinary journey of the Indian Railways, from the laying of the very first sleeper to the first post-Independence bogey. It evokes our collective accumulation of those innumerable memories of platform chai & rail-gaadi stories, bringing alive through myriad voices & tales the biography of one of India`s defining public institutions.`- Shashi Tharoor, Author, M.P., Lok Sabha` The Purveyors of Destiny is a fascinating & well-researched cultural biography of the Indian Railways-those intricate arteries of the soul of India, as have been experienced, written, filmed, & dreamed. We cannot all travel by rail to know India, as Gandhiji did, but we can & should read this book!`- Tabish Khair, Author, Professor` Drawing on an impressive repertoire of literature & film, this elegantly crafted biography of the railways takes us on a riveting journey through the cultural history of the Indian nation, from the 1850s to the present. Written with wit & verve, it is a delight to read.`- Sugata Bose, Author, Professor, M.P., Lok Sabha`A deeply engaging work that comfortably straddles, & masters, the worlds of academic research & modern nonfiction, offering countless delightful gems of India`s railway legends & narratives for the curious reader. Crafted with great skill & a keen understanding of modern culture from the region & beyond...a remarkable achievement!`- Kaushik Barua, Author`...a wonderfully eclectic account of the Indian Railways & the vital place they occupy in our cultural history, with memorable moments & motifs from literature, cinema & other elements of our collective imagination. A great train journey, replete with all of the essentials from garam chai & A.H. Wheeler to historic arrivals & departures...`- Stephen Alter, Author ...

`A real page-turner... captivating & deeply moving` Climb magazine In 2015 freeclimber Tommy Caldwell spent 19 days summiting Yosemite`s vertical, 3000-foot Dawn Wall
- the hardest climb in history. It was the culmination of seven years planning & a lifetime`s determination. Here, he recounts how he got there, the falls & set backs (being held hostage, losing his index finger, the break-up of his marriage), the summits conquered & the fears overcome. It is a story about drive, focus & how to achieve the impossible
- one toehold at a time. ` Caldwell`s story is one of the best. You get more than just a climbing adventure, you get the inside view of how a person can endure crushing setbacks & persist to fulfill a spectacular vision` Jim Collins, author of Good to Great ` Heart-stopping, absorbing` Daily Mail ` Captivating & unfailingly honest` Jon Krakauer ` This isn`t just a book about climbing, it`s about laser sharp focus in all aspects of life` Scott Jurek, author of Eat & Run ` Absolutely captivating, thrills, enriches` Denver Post

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` The most daring free climber on the planet` The Times A dramatic, inspiring memoir by legendary rock climber Tommy Caldwell, the first person to free climb the Dawn Wall of Yosemite`s El Capitan. On January 14, 2015, Tommy Caldwell, along with his partner, Kevin Jorgeson, summited what is widely regarded as the hardest climb in history Yosemite`s nearly vertical 3, 000-foot Dawn Wall, after nineteen days on the route. Caldwell`s odds-defying feat was the culmination of an entire lifetime of pushing himself to his limits as an athlete. This engrossing memoir chronicles the journey of a boy with a fanatical mountain-guide father who was determined to instill toughness in his son to a teen whose obsessive nature drove him to the top of the sport-climbing circuit. Caldwell s affinity for adventure then led him to the vertigo-inducing & little understood world of big wall free climbing. But his evolution as a climber was not without challenges; in his early twenties, he was held hostage by militants in a harrowing ordeal in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Soon after, he lost his left index finger in an accident. Later his wife, & main climbing partner, left him. Caldwell emerged from these hardships with a renewed sense of purpose & determination. He set his sights on free climbing El Capitan s biggest, steepest, blankest face the Dawn Wall. This epic assault took more than seven years, during which time Caldwell redefined the sport, found love again, & became a father. The Push is an arresting story of focus, drive, motivation, endurance, & transformation, a book that will appeal to anyone ...

When Kurt Wallander first appeared in Faceless Killers back in 1990, he was a senior police officer, just turned forty, with his life in a mess. His wife had left him, his father barely acknowledged him; he ate badly & drank alone at night. The Pyramid chronicles the events that led him to such a place. We see him in the early years, doing hours on the beat whilst trying to solve a murder off-duty; witness the beginnings of his fragile relationship with Mona, the woman he has his heart set on marrying; & learn the reason behind his difficulties with his father. These thrilling tales provide a fascinating insight into Wallander's character, & demand to be read in one sitting. From the stabbing of a neighbour in 1969 to a light aircraft accident in 1989, every story is a vital piece of the Wallander series, showing Mankell at the top of his game. ...

The Pyramid of Mud is the twenty-second Montalbano mystery from Italy`s finest crime writer, Andrea Camilleri. It`s been raining for days in Vigata, & the persistent downpours have led to violent floods overtaking the Inspector`s beloved hometown, sweeping across the land & leaving only a sea of mud behind. It is on one of these endless grey days that a man
- a Mr Giuglu Nicotra
- is found dead. His body discovered in a large sewage tunnel, half naked & with a bullet in his back. The investigation is slow & slippery to start with, but when Montalbano realizes that every clue he uncovers & every person he interviews is leading to the same place: the world of public spending
- & with it, the Mafia
- the case begins to pick up pace. But there`s one question that keeps playing on Montalbano`s mind: in his strange & untimely death, was Giuglu Nicotra trying to tell him something?



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This is the perennially fascinating Egyptian pyramids introduced by a world expert. How did a people who lived nearly five thousand years ago, who knew neither iron nor bronze & who lacked mastery of elementary rules of calculation, manage to construct enormous stone structures with a precision seldom matched even by modern architecture? By one of the world`s leading Egyptologists, ” The Pyramids” sets our knowledge of these unique, haunting & perennially fascinating edifices into the context of ancient Egyptian culture & politics. ...

The Pyramids of Giza are the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that still stands today. Defying the centuries, these gigantic tombs, built more than 4, 500 years ago by three great pharaohs of the 4th Dynasty, have long been objects of wonder, speculation & mystery, but it was not until the archaeological discoveries of the 19th century that a true picture of their fascinating history began to emerge. This pocket-sized, profusely illustrated book separates fact from fiction to tell the ongoing story of the Great Pyramids. ...

The Pyrenees is accomplished walker Kev Reynolds’ large-format Cicerone guide to one of Europe’s most famous & impressive mountain ranges. The guide gives a valley-by-valley description of the High Pyrenees from west to east & is a very useful reference to help identify the best locations for walking, mountaineering, skiing & climbing. Reynolds explores the entire stretch of the 400km long Pyrenees- from the Cirque de Lescun on the edge of the Basque country in the west, to the Carlit massif & Cerdagne to the east of Andorra. The guide is divided into five main chapters
- The Western Valleys, Cirques & Canyons, The Central Pyrenees, Enchanted Mountains & Andorra & the Eastern High Pyrenees
- detailing the diverse outdoor opportunities throughout the Pyrenean chain. Classic walks & climbs are identified, as are routes up the classic peaks of the range. The guide is a useful reference tool for those intending to walk the longer routes of the GR11, GR10 & the Pyrenean Haute Route, as well as for visitors wanting to plan shorter trips or a variety of mountain activities. An extensive introduction gives practical advice on when to go, weather, getting there, travel within the Pyrenees, accommodation, maps & guidebooks & health considerations. Detailed area descriptions are accompanied by information boxes describing the best way to tackle certain routes & the varying possibilities available at each peak & valley, in addition to colour photographs illustrating some of the highlights of the Pyrenean chain.

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Michael Palin`s diaries begin when he was newly married & struggling to make a name for himself in the world of television comedy. But Monty Python was just around the corner.. . Enjoying an unlikely cult status early on, the Pythons then proceeded to tour the USA & Canada. As their popularity grew, so Palin relates how the group went their separate ways, later to re-form for stage shows & the celebrated films THE HOLY GRAIL & LIFE OF BRIAN. Living through the three-day week & the miners strike, & all the trials of a peripatetic life are also essential ingredients of these perceptive & funny diaries. ...

This is the definitive, the official, the most lavish, the completely-different-to-anything-done-before Pythons` autobiography, reissued to coincide with the eagerly-anticipated live shows. Over forty years ago, a group of five Englishmen
- & one wayward American
- rewrote the rules of comedy. MONTY PYTHON`S FLYING CIRCUS, an unheralded, previously unseen half-hour show of sketches, hilarities, inanities & animations, first appeared on the BBC late one night in 1969. Its impact has been felt on the world ever since. From its humble beginnings, it blossomed into the most influential movement in modern comedy. THE PYTHONS` AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY THE PYTHONS is a unique look at arguably the most important comic team of the modern age, with 64 pages of photographs, many culled from the team`s own personal collections, many more seen for the first time. This is the definitive word on all things Pythonesque.

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