Le Noir, Sartine`s successor as Lieutenant General of Police, distrusts Le Floch. Monsieur de Saint-Florentin, the King`s new minister, entrusts Commissioner Le Floch with the investigation into the murder of a chambermaid whose throat was cut in unusual circumstances at Saint-Florentin`s home. His inquiry takes place both in Paris & Versailles, where he secures his position alongside the King & must confront the mysteries of the Trianon & the horrors of Bicetre. This fifth exciting adventure for Nicolas Le Floch has it all: serial crimes & a bizarre murder weapon, as well as debauchery, espionage, & the follies of a young court where ancient rivalries & grudges still linger. ...

Maigret`s past comes to life in this vivid new translation of this evocative novel, set in the Inspector`s home town. Book thirteen in the new Penguin Maigret series. Maigret savoured the sensations of his youth again: the cold, stinging eyes, frozen fingertips, an aftertaste of coffee. Then, stepping inside the church, a blast of heat, soft light; the smell of candles & incense. The last time Maigret went home to the village of his birth was for his father`s funeral. Now an anonymous note predicting a crime during All Souls` Day mass draws him back there, where troubling memories resurface & hidden vices are revealed. Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels. ” Compelling, remorseless, brilliant”. (John Gray). ” One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century... Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories”. (Guardian). ”A supreme writer.. .unforgettable vividness”. (Independent). Georges Simenon was born in Liege, Belgium, in 1903. Best known in Britain as the author of the Maigret books, his prolific output of over 400 novels & short stories have made him a household name in continental Europe. He died in 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerl&, where he had lived for the latter part of his life. ...

Set against the backdrop of war, revolution, & regicide, & moving from London to Venice, Mantua, Madrid, Paris & the Low Countries, Jerry Brotton's colourful & critically acclaimed book explores the formation & dispersal of King Charles I's art collection. Following a remarkable & unprecedented Parliamentary Act for ' The sale of the late king's goods', Cromwell's republican regime sold off nearly 2, 000 paintings, tapestries, statues & drawings in an attempt to settle the dead king's enormous debts & raise money for the Commonwealth's military forces. Brotton recreates the extraordinary circumstances of this sale, in which for the first time ordinary working people were able to handle & own works by the great masters. He also examines the abiding relationship between art & power, revealing how the current Royal Collection emerged from this turbulent period, & paints its own vivid & dramatic picture of one of the greatest lost collections in English history. A rip-roaring slice of seventeenth-century England.. . Readable history at its best
- Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth.
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The Salmon People is a masterful history of Canada`s west coast. From the first people`s tales of salmon to BC`s first cannery, to overfishing & the environmental concerns that still exist today, this comprehensive early history is a must-read for anyone interested in how BC`s fishing industry reached where it is today. Told from the strong & witty voice of Hugh Wilford Mc Kervill, who once fished alongside the First Nations peoples of Bella Bella, The Salmon People is both an historically accurate account of the fishing industry & a salty buoyant memoir. In the author`s own words, ”so long as there fish surging from the sea there will be salmon people willing to brave the torments of nature to catch them, & the salmon will probably come forever.. .if man does not destroy them.” The Salmon People provides a colourful overview of the salmon fishing industry, especially the unique stories of some of the people involved, often found nowhere else. It also

Includes:: a passionate argument against fish farming & an examination of how we have seriously endangered the Pacific salmon.

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The Salmon Run Cycle Route: Dundee to Pitlochry via Perth along the River Tay at 1:100, 000 in a series of cycling maps from Sustrans, the charity behind developing UK’s National Cycle Network. The whole route No. 77 is presented on one panel with five suggestions for day rides. Each title in the Sustrans series of cycling maps covers either a single route, presented in sections on separate strip maps, or a wider area with the main cycling route (s) prominently highlighted but other recommendations for cyclists also marked. The area covered each map is shown on our website on its individual “coverage” image. The route has markers indicating steep gradients, controlled access, distances & possible danger points. Route profiles indicate riding surface & the density of traffic (main road, minor road & traffic-free) &, where appropriate, street plans show the course of the route across towns & cities. On maps covering a wider area around the main National Cycle Route suggestions of possible day ride excursions are also marked. A range of symbols highlight various facilities & places of interest, including tourist information centres, youth hostels, cafes & pubs, grocery shops, cycle shops & hire, historical & natural sites, etc. For access by rail, the rail network is shown with stations &, where appropriate, metro stations are also marked. Topography is shows by altitude colouring. Unless specifically indicated in the individual description, the maps do not show British National Grid lines for GPS. Each title also contains contact addresses for various useful organizations, etc. Many titles are printed on light, waterproof & tear-resistant synthetic paper. ...

A fascinating journey into the extraordinary world of the king of fish: the salmon. This beautiful book explores the natural history of this most mysterious of fishes. Michael Wigan explores the life cycle of the salmon, weaving his own experiences & stories of salmon fishing & spotting into an evocative narrative. Crucially, he addresses the pressing matter of conservation issues & human management, which in the past has led to fast decreasing populations. History suggests it is the pressure of human development which has narrowed down the survival zone of the salmon, & the author questions whether we can go on altering natural systems & freshwater rivers in order to make space for human populations, & do so in sync with fish needs. In his unique & passionate voice, the author transports us to another world
- his writing is beautifully evocative & his excitement for the salmon palpable throughout.
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` Only the villages are asleep, the eternal reservoir of all kinds of soldiery, the inexhaustible source of physical strength` At the beginning of the twentieth century the villagers of the Carpathian mountains lead a simple life, much as they have always done. The modern world has yet to reach the inhabitants of this isolated & remote region of the Habsburg Empire. Among them is Piotr, a bandy-legged peasant, who wants nothing more from life than an official railway cap, a cottage with a mouse-trap & cheese, & a bride with a dowry. But then the First World War comes to the mountains, & Piotr is drafted into the army. All the weight of imperial authority is used to mould him into an unthinking fighting machine, so that the bewildered peasant can be forced to fight a war he does not underst&, for interests other than his own. The Salt of the Earth is a classic war novel, a powerful pacifist tale about the consequences of war on ordinary men. ...

` The Salt Path is a life-affirming tale of enduring love that smells of the sea & tastes of a rich life. With beautiful, immersive writing, it is a story heart-achingly & beautifully told.` Jackie Morris Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, their home is taken away & they lose their livelihood. With nothing left & little time, they make the brave & impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon & Cornwall. Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea & sky. Yet through every step, every encounter & every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable journey. The Salt Path is an honest & life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief & the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, & how it can be lost, rebuilt & rediscovered in the most unexpected ways. ...

The Salvation Army is a byword for philanthropy & charitable work, with its brass bands & uniformed officers indelible parts of the fabric of British life
- yet many may not be aware of the real extent of its work & influence. This is the story of how Reverend William Booth`s East London Christian Mission of 1865 (which became the Salvation Army in 1878) has become a truly global enterprise, one that in Britain is still second only to the government in the provision of social care. It is a symbol of charity that was forged in the crucible of mid-Victorian Britain & is now known in more than 120 countries, & Susan Cohen here explains & illustrates its activities & structures, its history & present, & its very important legacy.
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Twenty-one years ago, with the Allies on their heels, the Nazis hid a sealed chest in the dark, forbidding waters of the Finstersee, a lake surrounded by the brooding peaks of the Austrian Alps. One of the few men who knows of its existence is Richard Bryant, a British agent. He sets out alone to discover the secret of the lake & unleashes a series of violent reactions
- & violent deaths...
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