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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One hundred years ago, Selma Lagerlof became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. She assured her place in Swedish letters with this sweeping historical epic, her first & best-loved novel, & the basis for the 1924 silent film of the same name that launched Greta Garbo to stardom. Set in 1820s Sweden, it tells the story of a defrocked minister named Gosta Berling. After his appetite for alcohol & previous indiscretions end his career, Berling finds a home at Ekeby, an ironworks estate owned by Margareta Celsing, the ` Majoress`, that also houses & assortment of eccentric veterans of the Napoleanic Wars. Berling`s defiant & poetic spirit proves magnetic to a string of women, who fall under his spell against the backdrop of political intrigue at Margareta`s estate & the magnificent wintry beauty of rural Sweden. ...

The action of the saga takes place at the end of the tenth century, at about the time Scandinavia was converting from worship of Norse gods to Christianity. A masterpiece of medieval literature, the story focuses on two families that of Hoskuld, a prominent farmer with several sons, & that of Gudrun, the most beautiful woman ever born in Icel&. ...

Part of a new series Legends from the Ancient North, The Saga of the Volsungs is one of the classic books that influenced JRR Tolkien`s The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings. ” They summoned their friends, readied their horses, & prepared their helmets, shields, swords, coats of mail”. (J.R.R). Tolkien spent much of his life studying, translating & teaching the great epic stories of northern Europe, filled with heroes, dragons, trolls, dwarves & magic. He was hugely influential for his advocacy of Beowulf as a great work of literature &, even if he had never written The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, would be recognised today as a significant figure in the rediscovery of these extraordinary tales. Legends from the Ancient North brings together from Penguin Classics five of the key works behind Tolkien`s fiction. They are startling, brutal, strange pieces of writing, with an elemental power brilliantly preserved in these translations. They plunge the reader into a world of treachery, quests, chivalry, trials of strength. They are the most ancient narratives that exist from northern Europe & bring us as near as we will ever get to the origins of the magical landscape of Middle-earth (Midgard) which Tolkien remade in the 20th century. ...

Based on Viking Age poems, ” The Saga of the Volsungs” combines mythology, legend & sheer human drama. At its heart are the heroic deeds of Sigurd the dragon slayer who acquires magical knowledge from one of Odin`s Valkyries. Yet it is also set in a very human world, incorporating strands from the oral narratives of the fourth & fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun & other warriors fought on the northern frontiers of the Roman Empire. One of the great books of world literature, the saga is an unforgettable tale of princely jealousy, unrequited love, greed & vengeance. With its cursed treasure of the Rhine, sword reforged & magic ring of power, it was a major influence for writers including William Morris & J. R. R. Tolkein & for Wagner`s Ring cycle. ...

A definitive & illuminating biography of one of the most famous
- & most famously unfinished
- buildings in the world, the

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The Sahara is the quintessence of isolation, epitomizing both remoteness & severity of environment unlike any other place on the face of the earth. Replete with myths & fictions, it is a wild l&, dotted with oases & camel trains trudging through sand dunes that roll like the waves on a sea, as far as the distant horizon. But this is just part of the picture. The largest desert in the world, the Sahara ranges from the river Nile running through Egypt & Sudan in the east, to the Atlantic coast from Morocco to Mauritania in the west; stretching from the Atlas Mountains & the shores of the Mediterranean in the north, to the fluid Sahelian fringe that delineates the desert in the south. Invaders & traders have come & gone for millennia, but the Sahara is also the place that some people call home. While larger than the continental United States, this vast area contains only three million people: Africans & Arabs, Berber & Bedu, Tuareg & Tebu. Eamonn Gearon explores the history, culture, & terrain of a place whose name is familiar to all, but known to few. Conquered & Cursed from the 50, 000-strong army of Cambyses, swallowed in a sandstorm in the sixth century BC, to the us marines first foreign engagement, in 1805; Hannibal & his elephants, Caesar against Anthony & Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, the armies of Islam, Napoleon, & Rommel versus Monty. Myths & Mysteries: from whales in the White desert to the arrival of camels in the Great Sand Sea; chariots of the gods & colonialists` motor-cars; from the Land of the dead to Timbuktu; salt & gold mines, fields of oil & gas & a man-made river. Artists, Writers & Filmmakers: from the ancient rock art of the Tassili frescoes to the modernism of Matisse & Klee; from Ibn Battuta to Paul Bowles; from Beau Geste`s French Foreign Legion to Star Wars. CONQUERED & CURSED: From the 50, 000-strong army of Cambyses, swallowed in a sandstorm in the Sixth century BC, to the US Marines first foreign engagement, in 1805, countless invaders have fought & died from the heart of the desert ”to the shores of Tripoli.” The legion of names

Includes:: Hannibal & his elephants, Caesar against Anthony & Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, the Armies of Islam, Napoleon, & Rommel versus Monty. MYTHS & MYSTERIES, from ANCIENT EMPIRES to MODERN NATIONS: From whales in the White Desert to the arrival of camels in the Great Sand Sea; from chariots of the gods to motor-cars of the colonialists; from the Land of the Dead to Timbuktu; mines of salt & gold, fields of oil & gas, & a Man-Made River. ARTISTS, WRITERS, & FILMMAKERS: From the ancient rock art of the Tassili frescoes to the modernist canvases of Matisse & Klee; From Ibn Battuta to Paul Bowles, via St. Augustine & Saint-Exupery; From Beau Geste`s French Foreign Legion to the inter-stellar Star Wars, via Ice Cold in Alex & The English Patient. The Sahara inspired them all.

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Sail with the experts! The Sailing Bible is the complete, user-friendly, hands-on manual packed with detailed step-by-step diagrams, lively action photos, & helpful advice on getting the most out of your sailing at whatever level. Whether you are a dinghy or yacht sailor just learning the basics or wanting tips on sailing with the best, this is the book that will give you all the answers you are looking for. It's all in here! Dinghies & yachts Cruising & racing Launching, helming, trapezing, & capsizing Racing techniques & tactics Buoyage, tides, charts & navigation Anchoring & marina berthing Knots, ropes & flags Boat etiquette & seamanship Rules of the road, safety & emergencies Boat maintenance & repair & much more... The Sailing Bible is an ideal companion to enjoyable sailing whether in a dinghy or a yacht. ...

Sail with the experts! The Sailing Bible is the complete, user-friendly, hands-on manual packed with detailed step-by-step diagrams, lively action photos, & helpful advice on getting the most out of your sailing at whatever level. Whether you are a dinghy or yacht sailor just learning the basics or wanting tips on sailing with the best, this is the book that will give you all the answers you are looking for. It`s all in here! Dinghies & yachts Cruising & racing Launching, helming, trapezing, & capsizing Racing techniques & tactics Buoyage, tides, charts & navigation Anchoring & marina berthing Knots, ropes & flags Boat etiquette & seamanship Rules of the road, safety & emergencies Boat maintenance & repair & much more... The Sailing Bible is an ideal companion to enjoyable sailing whether in a dinghy or a yacht. ...

The Sailing Handbook is the ideal guide for anyone who wants to get the most out of sailing. Brightly presented, clear & accessible, it is designed to teach the basics of sailing, increase your enjoyment of the sport, improve your technique, & ultimately, enable you to take part in professional competitions. Designed for easy reference, with over 500 colour photographs & explanatory illustrations, it presents clear & comprehensive guidance on the different parts of a boat * choosing a boat for pleasure & performance * how a boat sails * its fittings & equipment * how to anchor & pick up a mooring * handling ropes * navigating * understanding tides & buoyage * using radar * reading the weather * safety at sea * care & repair of the boat * buying, selling, chartering & insuring. The Sailing Handbook is ideal for novices of all ages. ...