Imagine that all around you, hidden from sight, there are thousands of tiny people. They are four inches tall, brave, stubborn & resourceful. They are the nomes. The nomes in this story live under the floorboards of a large Department Store & have never been outside. In fact, they don`t even believe in outside. But new nomes arrive, from
- where else?
- & they bring with them terrifying news: the Store is closing down & Everything Must Go.. . The fantastically funny first book of the nomes, from the author of the bestselling Discworld series.

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When J. R. Daeschner first heard about 'shin kicking' he was intrigued. As an American who had lived in Britain for some time, he thought he knew a thing or two about the country. But he'd never come across this centuries-old 'sport', which had to be one of the most painful & infuriating ever invented. J. R. had to find out more, & soon discovered that Britain has dozens, if not hundreds, of similar acts of lunacy enshrined as traditions; strange-named events such as cheese rolling, gurning, bog snorkelling... True Brits is a funny & fascinating travel guide to Britain's oddest places. people & traditions. Readers can follow J. R. as he meets some of the great British eccentrics who involve themselves in a host of bizarre pastimes which include hurling themselves down a grassy cliff in pursuit of a cheese, coating themselves in prickly green burrs, hanging toast on trees & prancing around with reindeer antlers on their heads. In an attempt to understand why seemingly ordinary people do such extraordinarily strange things, J. R. talks to countless characters, watches them in action, & even participates in many of the events himself, encountering plenty of occupational hazards along the way. ...

Bear Grylls knows what it takes to survive. But he's not the first. Take the American bombardier Louis Zamperini, who survived 47 days stranded at sea by catching & killing hungry sharks & drinking the warm blood of albatrosses
- only to be captured by the Japanese & horrifically tortured for years in their most brutal POW camps. Or Marcus Luttrell, a Navy SEAL who single-handedly took on a Taliban regiment before dragging his bleeding, bullet-ridden body for days through the harsh mountains of Afghanistan. Or Nando Parrado, one of the survivors of a horrific air-crash high in the ice-bound Andes, who only lived because he was willing to eat the flesh of his dead companions. In this gripping new book, Bear tells the stories of the adventurers, explorers, soldiers & spies whose refusal to quit in the most extreme situations has inspired him throughout his life. Some of them make uncomfortable reading
- survival is rarely pretty. But all of them are tales of eye-watering bravery, death-defying resilience & extraordinary mental toughness by men & women who have one thing in common: true grit.

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Bear Grylls knows what it takes to survive. But he`s not the first. Take the American bombardier Louis Zamperini, who survived 47 days stranded at sea by catching & killing hungry sharks & drinking the warm blood of albatrosses -- only to be captured by the Japanese & horrifically tortured for years in their most brutal POW camps... Or Marcus Luttrell, a Navy SEAL who single-handedly took on a Taliban regiment before dragging his bleeding, bullet-ridden body for days through the harsh mountains of Afghanistan... Or Nando Parrado, one of the survivors of a horrific air-crash high in the ice-bound Andes, who only lived because he was willing to eat the flesh of his dead companions... In this gripping new book, Bear tells the stories of the adventurers, explorers, soldiers & spies whose refusal to quit in the most extreme situations has inspired him throughout his life. Some of them make uncomfortable reading
- survival is rarely pretty. But all of them are tales of eye-watering bravery, death-defying resilience & extraordinary mental toughness by men & women who have one thing in common: true grit.
...

Who are the people that inspired Bear Grylls to become one of the world`s toughest adventurers? From famous explorers whose never-say-die attitude led them to achieve astonishing feats, to everyday people unexpectedly caught up in life-threatening situations, True Grit is a collection of some of the toughest feats of survival ever accomplished. Learn what it takes to make it through alive in some of the planet`s most dangerous locations from these exciting tales of death-defying resilience. Abridged for younger readers. ...

In a dazzling act of ventriloquism, Peter Carey gives Ned Kelly a voice so wild, passionate & original that it is impossible not to believe that the famous bushranger himself is speaking from beyond the grave. True History of the Kelly Gang is the song of Australia, & it sings its protest in a voice at once crude & delicate, menacing & heart-wrenching. Carey gives us Ned Kelly as orphan, as Oedipus, as horse thief, farmer, bushranger, reformer, bank-robber, police-killer &, finally, as his country's beloved Robin Hood. ...

`I lost my own father at 12 yrs of age & know what it is to be raised on lies & silences my dear daughter you are presently too young to understand a word I write but this history is for you & will contain no single lie may I burn in hell if I speak false.` In a dazzling act of ventriloquism, Peter Carey gives the Australian outlaw Ned Kelly a voice so wild, passionate & original that it is impossible not to believe that the famous bush ranger himself is speaking from beyond the grave. Carey gives us Ned Kelly as orphan, as Oedipus, as horse thief, farmer, bush ranger, reformer, bank-robber, police-killer &, finally, as his country`s beloved Robin Hood. In 1878 Francis Harty, a poor farmer, said, ` Ned Kelly is the best bloody man that has ever been in Benalla, I would fight up to my knees in blood for him
- I have known him for years, I would take his word sooner than another man`s oath`. By the time of his hanging in 1880 a whole country would seem to agree
- & it is a measure of Peter Carey`s achievement that he has not only made art from his country`s great story but that he persuades us all to understand the true measure of that `best bloody man`.

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Abysmal weather, slag heaps, funny accents; the bleak uplands of a landscape carved out of millstone grit; townscapes of abandoned mills & shipyards; &, the detritus of an industrial revolution well past its sell-by date. These, all too often, are the gloomy perceptions of 'the north', the foundations for the belief that northerners spend their lives battling hardship & misery, & that nothing beyond Watford is worth a bag of chips. With an insider's sensitivity & a journalist's enquiring mind, northerner Martin Wainwright swiftly dispels these & other myths. He reaches back through the historical record to uncover where
- & how
- many of the old cliches arose, & goes on to paint a picture of the north as it is today & has always been: a setting of wild coastline, lakes, & green dales inhabited by indomitably inventive northeners, proud of their past & forging a future of brilliant new enterprises. Lavishly illustrated with over 100 stunning images from the Guardian's archives, Wainwright's incisive & wittily observant assessment of a region that is flourishing socially & culturally leaves us in no doubt that true north is as vibrant & exciting as it is beautiful.

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The stark, vast beauty of the remote Arctic Europe landscape has been the focus of human exploration for thousands of years. In this striking blend of travel writing, history & mythology, Gavin Francis offers a unique portrait of the northern fringes of Europe. His journey begins in the Shetland Isles, takes him to the Faroes, Icel&, Greenl&, Svalbard & on to Lapl&. Following in the footsteps of the region`s early pioneers, Francis observes how the region has adapted to the 21st century, giving an observed insight into the lives of people he encounters along the way. As with all the best travel writing, ” True North” is an engaging, compassionate tale of self-discovery, whilst blending historical & contemporary narratives in the tradition of Bruce Chatwin & Robert Macfarlane. ...

A collection of real-life stories: extreme cold, perilous danger & daring exploration, including several stories of tragedy the mountain`s slopes.

Includes:: maps, a glossary of mountaineering words; further resources
- including photos, video clips & a virtual climb of Mount Everest
- are available via Usborne Quicklinks.



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