We all hear voices. Ordinary thinking is often a kind of conversation, filling our heads with speech: the voices of reason, of memory, of self-encouragement & rebuke, the inner dialogue that helps us with tough decisions or complicated problems. For others
- voice-hearers, trauma-sufferers & prophets
- the voices seem to come from outside: friendly voices, malicious ones, the voice of God or the Devil, the muses of art & literature. In The Voices Within, Royal Society Prize shortlisted psychologist Charles Fernyhough draws on extensive original research & a wealth of cultural touchpoints to reveal the workings of our inner voices, & how those voices link to creativity & development. From Virginia Woolf to the modern Hearing Voices Movement, Fernyhough also transforms our understanding of voice-hearers past & present. Building on the latest theories, including the new `dialogic thinking` model, & employing state-of-the-art neuroimaging & other ground-breaking research techniques, Fernyhough has written an authoritative & engaging guide to the voices in our heads.

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The Volcano Adventure Guide is the first book of its type. It contains vital information for anyone wishing to visit, explore, & photograph active volcanoes safely & enjoyably. Following an introduction that discusses eruption styles of different types of volcanoes, how to prepare for a volcano trip, & how to avoid volcanic dangers, the book presents guides to visiting 42 different volcanoes around the world. This section is packed full of practical information including tour itineraries, maps, transportation details, & warnings of possible non-volcanic dangers. Three appendices at the end of the book direct the reader to a wealth of further volcano resources. Aimed at non-specialist readers who wish to explore volcanoes without being foolhardy, it will fascinate amateur enthusiasts & professional volcanologists alike. The stunning colour photographs throughout the book will delight armchair travellers as well as inspire the adventurous to get out & explore volcanoes for themselves. ...

Susan Sontag’s The Volcano Lover is a novel of complexity, expression & passion set in late nineteenth century Naples, which re-imagines the real life events of the story of Horatio Nelson, Emma Hamilton & her husb&, the British Ambassador at the court of Naples, Sir William Hamilton. The British Ambassador has only two passions in life
- his precious art collection & his fascination with volcanoes
- until he agrees to take care of Emma, his nephew’s discarded mistress. He soon develops a new obsession & marries the girl, a beautiful, carefree & in some ways vulgar character. With the arrival of the British Navy, an affair erupts between its heroic captain & the ambassador’s wife which threatens to throw everyone’s life off course.

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Nyree & Cia live on a remote farm in the east of what was Rhodesia in the late 1970s. Beneath the dripping vines of the Vumba rainforest, & under the tutelage of their heretical grandfather, theirs is a seductive childhood laced with African paganism, mangled Catholicism & the lore of the Brothers Grimm. Their world extends as far as the big fence, erected to keep out the ` Terrs` whom their father is off fighting. The two girls know little beyond that until the arrival from the outside world of `the bastard`, their orphaned cousin Ronin, who is to poison their idyll for ever. ...

The first English-language book to document the men who emerged from the gulags to become Russia`s much-feared crime class: the vory v zakone Mark Galeotti is the go-to expert on organized crime in Russia, consulted by governments & police around the world. Now, Western readers can explore the fascinating history of the vory v zakone, a group that has survived & thrived amid the changes brought on by Stalinism, the Cold War, the Afghan War, & the end of the Soviet experiment. The vory-as the Russian mafia is also known-was born early in the twentieth century, largely in the Gulags & criminal camps, where they developed their unique culture. Identified by their signature tattoos, members abided by the thieves` code, a strict system that forbade all paid employment & cooperation with law enforcement & the state. Based on two decades of on-the-ground research, Galeotti`s captivating study details the vory`s journey to power from their early days to their adaptation to modern-day Russia`s free-wheeling oligarchy & global opportunities beyond. ...

The Voyage of the Beagle by James Taylor brings together, for the first time in a single volume, the circumstances that set the Beagle voyage in motion & the characters who circumnavigated the world together. Chapters include the career history of the Beagle, including cabin layouts & plans, biographies on Darwin & Captain Robert Fitzroy, & the work of the crewmembers & artists who accompanied the survey voyage. Beautifully illustrated with artworks, sketches & charts that were produced during & after the voyage by those onboard, & enriched with first-hand accounts from personal diaries & letters, James Taylor has woven together all the various strands of the Beagle story to produce a thoroughly engaging & highly informative read, which will appeal to scientists, art lovers, maritime historians, & anyone with a sense of adventure. ...

The Beagle has become synonymous with Charles Darwin & his groundbreaking title On the Origin of Species. But how did Darwin come to be on board? Now reissued in paperback, in a single volume all the various strands of the Beagle story have been woven together to reveal the circumstances that set the expedition in motion & the characters who circumnavigated the world together. Enriched with first-hand commentary from personal letters & diaries, & the official narrative of the voyage, as well as artworks, sketches & charts produced by the shipboard artists & surveyors, James Taylor has produced a thoroughly engaging & informative account that will appeal to historians, scientists, art lovers, & anyone with a sense of adventure. ...

` Gentlemen-` Fitzmaurice`s eyes gleamed & he revealed many teeth `-- lace up your stoutest boots & pack your warmest underwear -- we`re all off to the bloody Arctic!` It is Dublin in the spring of 1916: while war rages across Europe & rebellion threatens the Irish capital, three young College friends embark on a foolhardy seafaring mission to find the lost skeleton of an Irish giant. With mishaps, mischief, & a little romance, their voyage is a hilarious odyssey round the edges of history & into a curious, wonderful adventure that will change their lives forever. Ernest Shackleton meets P.G. Wodehouse in this heart-warming tale of three men in a ship (to say nothing of the dog, a foul-mouthed Scotsman & an iguana...) By the author of Jammy Dodger, nominated for the 2013 Desmond Elliott Prize for new fiction ...

This inspirational & comprehensive handbook leads the reader step by step through choosing, planning & following the voyager's life. Whether long distance sailor or armchair cruiser; contemplating a cruise for a few months or even a year; sailing on a shoestring or a CEO's pension; this new edition is the most comprehensive, best organised & authoritative treatment of how to prepare & execute a major voyage under sail. Packed with detailed information on finding & equipping the right boat, selecting crewmembers, financing the voyage, weather forecasting, passage planning, heavy-weather sailing, staying healthy & sane, & mid-ocean repairs, The Voyager's Handbook is the ultimate resource for anyone planning, preparing for, or just dreaming about the adventure of a lifetime. ' Belongs on the bookshelf of every cruising vessel' Blue Water Sailing ' If you are serious about that extended voyage, read ' The Voyager's Handbook' Sailing ...

Captain James Cook is probably the most famous explorer of all time, & not without good reason. The three Pacific voyages of discovery he made between 1768 & 1779 set new standards in navigation, surveying & shipboard health; & he discovered & charted numerous lands, resulting in lasting trade & the development of British interests abroad. The interest & influence of the Royal Society in the expeditions meant that a group of scientists & artists accompanied Cook & his crew to record the people & places that they encountered. In turn, the samples they collected & catalogued, & the paintings & drawings they made not only advanced the botanical & natural sciences, but left us with a vivid visual reminder of those voyages. Many books have been written on the subject of Cook`s voyages & his maritime career, but this is the first to approach them from the point of view of the reader with a healthy curiosity rather than a scholarly interest. Similarly, for someone who has been been inspired & intrigued by a visit to the Endeavour replica, or to one of the many museums devoted to Captain Cook, this is a concise & readable guide that pulls out the key questions & provides clear, engaging answers, detailing essential information on the many aspects of Cook`s voyages. The 101 Questions & Answers structure is an ideal format for dealing with such diverse yet frequently-asked questions as: How many ships took part in the voyages? What were their names? What is a collier? What were Cook`s secret instructions? Did Cook discover Antarctica? Who said ” Ne plus ultra”? Where did Cook learn his surveying techniques? What was the transit of Venus? How did they measure longitude? Which voyage did the artist William Hodges accompany Captain Cook on? What is breadfruit? All these questions & many more are answered simply & accurately, employing contemporary paintings, charts & other images to illustrate each point where necessary. ...