Following his tremendous success in 2013 with The Ancient Pinewoods of Scotl&, Clifton Bain now turns his attention to the mixed oak, birch & other woodlands that line the west coasts of, north to south, Scotl&, Northern Engl&, Wales & Irel&. Correctly described as a rainforest, these trees take a higher rainfall than some areas of the Brazilian rainforest, the unbroken lineage since the Ice Age have provided resource for the human population, habitat for animals & birds, & acted as a lung for the planet. Published to the same high standards as The Ancient Pinewoods of Scotl&, The Celtic Rainforest will be furnished with maps, original artwork, & travel guidance. It will be introduced by Vanessa Collingridge ...

The Second World War was not fought by Britain alone. India produced the largest volunteer army in world history: over 2 million men. But, until now, there has never been a comprehensive account of India`s turbulent home front & the nexus between warfare & India`s society. In The Raj at War we hear the myriad voices of ordinary Indian people, from the first Indian to win the Victoria Cross to the three soldiers imprisoned as `traitors to the Raj` who returned to a hero`s welcome, from the nurses in Indian General Hospitals to labourers & their families in remote villages. Yasmin Khan presents the overlooked history of India at war, & shows how mobilisation for the war unleashed seismic processes of economic, cultural & social change
- decisively shaping the international war effort, the unravelling of the empire & India`s own political trajectory.
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From the foreword: ' Some years ago, I was asked by a member of a Rambling Club to which I belonged, what was the meaning of the word Lychgate. Not being able to give an explanation, I took the first opportunity of looking into the matter. From that day I have made it a duty & pleasure to keep a log of everything unusual discovered during my many wanderings. This little book is the result'. The Ward Lock & Co.'s Wayfarer's Guide is a treasure trove of countryside sights, lore & history. From understanding the relevance of standing stones in Wiltshire to looking out for hop pickers in Kent, from ancient crosses in Northumbria to archery in Edinburgh, & from bridges in Monmouthshire to country rhymes from around the British Isles, this little gem is a delightful collection of history, nature & a bygone age. Topics covered include barns, bench marks, bridges, churches, dew ponds, dovecots, haymaking, hopping, horse brasses, love spoons, market crosses, scarecrows, stiles, sundials, thatching, village greens, watermills, weathercocks, whipping posts & windmills. (A lychgate is the decorative entrance gate to churchyards. The word 'lych' is derived from the German word for corpse as it is traditionally under this gate that the coffin was rested before being brought into the church). ...

”A clarion call to all of us that we should not give up. Somewhere there is a voice in the wreckage.” (Michael Palin). Since ISIS occupied Raqqa in eastern Syria, it has become one of the most isolated & fear-ridden cities on earth. The sale of televisions has been banned, wearing trousers the wrong length is a punishable offence, & using a mobile phone is considered an unforgivable crime. No journalists are allowed in & the penalty for speaking yo the western media is death by beheading. Despite this, after several months of nervy & often interrupted conversations, the BBC was able to make contact with a small activist group, Al-Sharqiya 24. Finally, courageously, one of their members agreed to write a personal diary about his experiences. Having seen friends & relatives butchered, his community`s life shattered & the local economy ruined by these hate-fuelled extremists, Samer is fighting back in the only way he can: by telling the world what is happening to his beloved city. This is Samer`s story. ...

The first behind-the-scenes account of life with the ravens at Britain`s most famous national monument
- as seen in the Daily Mail.
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In this unconventional & accessible history, Italian best-seller Alberto Angela literally follows the money to map the reach & power of the Roman Empire. To see a map of the Roman Empire at the height of its territorial expansion is to be struck by its size, stretching from Scotland to Kuwait, from the Sahara to the North Sea. What was life like in the Empire, & how were such diverse peoples & places united under one rule? The Reach of Rome explores these questions through an ingenious lens: the path of a single coin as it changes hands & traverses the vast realms of the empire in the year 115. Admired in his native Italy for his ability to bring history to life through narrative, Alberto Angela opens up the ancient world to readers who have felt intimidated by the category or put off by dry historical tomes. By focusing on aspects of daily life so often overlooked in more academic treatments, The Reach of Rome travels back in time & shows us a world that was perhaps not very different from our own. & by following the path of a coin through the streams of commerce, we can touch every corner of that world & its people, from legionnaires & senators to prostitutes & slaves. Through lively & detailed vignettes all based on archeological & historical evidence, Angela reveals the vast Roman world & its remarkable modernity, & in so doing he reinforces the relevance of the ancient world for a new generation of readers. ...

For 15-year-old Michael Berg, a chance meeting with an older woman leads to far more than he ever imagined. The woman in question is Hanna, & before long they embark on a passionate, clandestine love affair which leaves Michael both euphoric & confused. For Hanna is not all she seems. Years later, as a law student observing a trial in Germany, Michael is shocked to realize that the person in the dock is Hanna. The woman he had loved is a criminal. Much about her behaviour during the trial does not make sense. But then suddenly, & terribly, it does
- Hanna is not only obliged to answer for a horrible crime, she is also desperately concealing an even deeper secret.
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An irresistible French sensation
- Mr Penumbra`s 24-hour Bookstore meets Amelie
- The Reader on the 6.27 explores the power

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An irresistible French sensation
- Mr Penumbra`s 24-hour Bookstore meets Amelie
- The Reader on the 6.27 explores the power

...

The New York Times Bestseller. Sara has never left Sweden but at the age of 28 she decides it`s time. She cashes in her savings, packs a suitcase full of books & sets off for Broken Wheel, Iowa, a town where she knows nobody. Sara quickly realises that Broken Wheel is in desperate need of some adventure, a dose of self-help & perhaps a little romance, too. In short, this is a town in need of a bookshop. With a little help from the locals, Sara sets up Broken Wheel`s first bookstore. The shop might be a little quirky but then again, so is Sara. & as Broken Wheel`s story begins to take shape, there are some surprises in store for Sara too...” The perfect summer read”. (Stylist). ...