From the extraordinary Machu Picchu set high in the Andes to Uluru in the central Australian desert, & from Britain's Glastonbury Tor to Saint Catherine's Monastery beneath Mount Sinai, this book is a homage to those sites around the world that have inspired faith, devotion & mystical experiences. Understand the spiritual significance of major buildings such as Borobudur in Java & Chartres Cathedral in France, learn about the sacred traditions associated with each monument & unlock the symbolic meaning of incredible landscapes & natural landforms. Featuring reconstructions, location maps & plans of the sites as they would have appeared at their height, along with key pilgrimage routes & advice on when to visit them, The Sacred Sites Bible is an essential guide to these ancient wonders. ...

The Sacrifice is the fourth gruesome & horrifying book in Charlie Higson`s brilliant zombie series. The sickness destroyed everyone over the age of fourteen. All across London diseased adults are waiting, hungry predators with rotten flesh & ravaged minds. Small Sam & his unlikely ally, The Kid, have survived. They`re safe with Ed & his friends at the Tower of London, but Sam is desperate to find his sister. Their search for Ella means Sam & The Kid must cross the forbidden zone. & what awaits them there is more terrifying than any of the horror they`ve suffered so far...” Lord of the Flies with zombies”. (Rick Riordan, creator of the Percy Jackson series). Charlie Higson is the bestselling author of Young Bond, & creator of The Fast Show. It is perfect for bloodthirsty fans of Darren Shan & 28 Days Later. ...

An atmospheric, chilling page turner from rising star Martin Stewart, reminiscent of Stand by Me & Stranger Things. Sep, Arkle, Mack, Lamb & Hadley: five friends thrown together one hot, sultry summer. When they discover an ancient stone box hidden in the forest, they decide to each make a sacrifice: something special to them, committed to the box for ever. & they make a pact: they will never return to the box at night; they`ll never visit it alone; & they`ll never take back their offerings. Four years later, the gang have drifted apart. Then a series of strange & terrifying events take place, & Sep & his friends understand that one of them has broken the pact. As their sacrifices haunt them with increased violence & hunger, they realise that they are not the first children to have found the box in their town`s history. & ultimately, the box may want the greatest sacrifice of all: one of them. ...

` The seed of madness exists in all of us & with no warning may attack, overpower, crush & bury us...` Policarpo Quaresma
- fastidious
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A tantalising tale of what befalls nine different individuals travelling the desert route between Mecca & Medina in the middle of the nineteenth century, as they encounter a mysterious saddlebag that changes each of their lives. It seems a perfectly ordinary saddlebag when the Thief steals it from a Pilgrim; but what are its contents, so precious & so powerful that they can wreak death or joy, ruin or salvation? ` Like CATCH 22 & THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS, when you finish reading Bahiyyih Nakhjavani`s debut novel, you wonder how on earth she is ever going to be able to follow it up, such is the uniqueness of its form, the precise simplicity of its language & the vaguely unsettling nature of its premise` BIG ISSUE ...

Throughout Britain`s history, one factor above all others has determined the fate of the nation: its navy. N. A. M. Rodger`s definitive account reveals how the political & social progress of Britain has been inextricably intertwined with the strength
- & weakness
- of its sea power, from the desperate early campaigns against the Vikings to the defeat of the great Spanish Armada. Covering policy, strategy, ships, recruitment & weapons, this is a superb tapestry of nearly 1, 000 years of maritime history. ` No other historian has examined the subject in anything like the detail found here. The result is an outstanding example of narrative history` Barry Unsworth, Sunday Telegraph

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The safety bicycle, with front-wheel steering & pedal-driven rear wheel, has existed in some form since the experiments of Kirkpatrick Macmillan in 1839, but his ideas were almost forgotten when the front-wheel driven boneshakers & penny farthings reigned supreme. Then, in the 1870s, experimental safeties appeared, culminating in Henry Lawson`s Bicyclette of 1879. Within ten years the modern bicycle had developed, to remain basically unchanged for over seventy years. Many specialist & experimental designs have appeared since the late nineteenth century most of which, if they passed the prototype stage, failed to attract the public & now languish in museums. ...

A brief meeting with a Buddhist nun in India made a deep impression on Christine Toomey. It sent her on a two year, 60, 000-mile odyssey to learn more about the contemporary women choosing in their thousands to become part of a long tradition of female spirituality that stretches back through the centuries & now embraces the radical possibility that the next Dalai Lama could be female. In The Saffron Road, Toomey follows in the footsteps of earlier generations of Buddhist nuns to trace the routes by which the philosophy has spread, from a solitary order in a remote area of India in the 5th century BC, via 1950s San Francisco where Zen was popularised by the Beat generation, to the globally-renowned practitioners of mindfulness of today. Beginning her journey in the Himalayas, close to the birthplace of the Buddha, Toomey travels from Nepal, to India, through Burma, Japan & on to North America & Europe, along the way visiting contemporary nunneries to meet the women who practise there. Amongst those she talks to are a group of ”kung fu” nuns, an acclaimed novelist, a princess, a concert violinist, a former BBC journalist, & a one-time Washington political aide. Through these conversations, the daily reality of the Buddhist existence is gradually revealed, together with the diverse spiritual paths leading these women towards nirvana. Combining travelogue, history, interviews & personal reflection, The Saffron Road opens the door to a rarely glimpsed world of ritual, discipline & enlightenment. ...

Shortlisted for a 2016 Edward Standford Travel Writing Award.` Barberries, fresh herbs, date molasses, dried limes, saffron; Yasmin`s Persian pantry staples are a roll call of my favourite ingredients. Her recipes are a mouthwatering showcase of a beautiful country` Yotam Ottolenghi ` Not just a great cookbook but a book full of stories
- a love letter to Iran & its people` Diana Henry Armed with little more than a notebook & a bottle of pomegranate molasses, British-Iranian cook Yasmin Khan traversed Iran in search of the country`s most delicious recipes. Her quest took her from the snowy mountains of Tabriz & the paddyfields of Gilan to the cosmopolitan cafes of Tehran & the pomegranate orchards of Isfahan, where she was welcomed into the homes of artists, farmers, electricians & teachers. Through her travels, she gained a unique insight into the culinary secrets of the Persian kitchen & the lives of ordinary Iranians today. In The Saffron Tales, Yasmin weaves together a tapestry of stories from Iranian home kitchens with exclusive photography & fragrant, modern recipes that are rooted in the rich tradition of Persian cooking. All fully accessible for the home cook, Yasmin`s recipes range from the inimitable fesenjoon (chicken with walnuts & pomegranates) to kofte berenji (lamb meatballs stuffed with prunes & barberries) & ghalyieh maygoo (prawn, coriander & tamarind stew). She also offers a wealth of vegetarian dishes, including tahcheen (baked saffron & aubergine rice) & domaj (mixed herb, flatbread & feta salad), as well as sumptuous desserts such as rose & almond cake, & sour cherry & dark chocolate cookies. With stunning photography from all corners of Iran & gorgeous recipe images, this lavish cookbook rejoices in the l&, life, flavours & food of an enigmatic & beautiful country.
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Once, there was a girl who loved saffron. She loved its secrets, its mystery, & best of all, she loved its hint of magic. After the death of her beloved mother, Nell travels from rural Cornwall to the colour & chaos of Marrakech. Her marriage may be on the rocks, but exploring the heady delights of Moroccan cuisine could help her fulfil her dream of opening her own restaurant. It`s there she meets Amy
- a young photographer trying to unravel the story behind her family`s involvement in the Vietnam War. The two women develop a close friendship & discover a surprising connection between their own pasts. This connection will take Nell & Amy on a journey to find their own `saffron trail`
- from the labyrinthine medina & bustle of Moroccan bazaars all the way back home to Cornwall & to the heart of their families` origins.

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