“ Under the Banyan Tree” is yet another book from one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers, R. K. Narayan. Here, he has crafted together a collection of short stories & tall tales that look warmly at characters from all walks of Indian life that are so well observed they all come together to give an insight into the human experience. As with his other great works, “ Under the Banyan Tree” sees an author conveying expertly (and wryly) the very Indian rhythms of the world around these wonderful characters, giving you a palpable sense of time & place. Narayan died aged 94 in 2001, & “ Under the Banyan Tree” is as good a place as any to delve into the wonderful worlds he created in those years. ...

Trees are the lungs of the world. They have inspired our stories, myths & culture. Every climate, every nation has its tales of trees, true or legendary, that help us understand ourselves & the beauty of the natural world around us. This gorgeously illustrated book explores the cultural significance that trees have in different societies. From the olive trees of Athens to the Eucalyptus trees of Australia, discover the place of trees in history & mythology across the world. ...

Roland decides to travel to London
- & not just in order to progress the inquiry. It`s also a chance to escape his troubled marriage.
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Exploring a boy`s childhood in Barcelona during the Franco dictatorship, ” Under the Dust” is based on the autobiographical experience of prize-winning Catalan author Jordi Coca. In period & location
- an oppressive late 1940s & early 50s when the dictatorship`s repression was strongly felt at all levels of people`s everyday lives
- the novel echoes the recent bestseller ” The Shadow of the Wind”. But the affecting closeness of the boy`s first-person narrative & its pitiless realism set this book apart. The boy`s bewildered responses to his father`s violence & authoritarianism are played out at home & in a neighbourhood dominated by street gangs, where politics is never more than a block away. This novel was awarded the Sant Jordi prize in 2000. ”A tough implacable novel that makes no concessions...its ending has a rawness to chill the spirit of the hardiest reader.”
- Avui.


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A police inspector is investigating a strange murder, a case in which all the suspects are eager to claim responsibility for the act. Set in a former Portuguese fort which stored slaves & ivory, Under the Frangipani combines fable & allegory, dreams & myths with an earthy humour. The dead meet the living, language is invented, reality is constantly changing. In a story which is partly a thriller, partly an exploration of language itself, Mia Couto surprises & delights, & shows just why he is one of the most important African writers of today. ...

Under the Greenwood Tree is Hardy`s most bright, confident & optimistic novel. This delightful portrayal of a picturesque rural society, tinged with gentle humour & quiet irony, established Hardy as a writer. However, the novel is not merely a charming rural idyll. The double-plot, in which the love story of Dick Dewey & Fancy Day is inter-related with a tragic chapter in the history of Mellstock Choir, hints at the poignant disappearance of a long-lived & highly-valued traditional way of life. ...

Jingqiu, an innocent young woman from a politically questionable family in the city, is selected as one of a small group of students to be sent to the countryside to work on a project that will further the Cultural Revolution. Clever, curious & eager, she tries to fit in with her hosts & the rural way of life, & it isn't appropriate for her to fall in love. But she does, with the son of a mighty army general. This beautiful, simple story of love against the odds will break your heart. ...

Jingqiu, an innocent young woman from a politically questionable family in the city, is selected as one of a small group of students to be sent to the countryside to work on a project that will further the Cultural Revolution. Clever, curious & eager, she tries to fit in with her hosts & the rural way of life, & it isn`t appropriate for her to fall in love. But she does, with the son of a mighty army general. This beautiful, simple story of love against the odds will break your heart. ...

A couple on an epicurean journey across Mexico are excited by the idea of a particular ingredient, suggested by ancient rituals of human sacrifice. Precariously balanced on his throne, a king is able only to listen to the sounds around him
- sure that any deviation from their normal progression would mean the uprising of the conspirators that surround him. & three different men search desperately for the beguiling scents of lost women, from a Count visiting Madame Odile`s perfumery, to a London drummer stepping over spent, naked bodies.
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At the close of the First World War, propaganda mapping played a crucial role in the creation of a consensus about German national territory. Under the Map of Germany provides a detailed & vivid analysis of the history & techniques of nationalist mapping in inter-war Germany. Using extensive archival documentation
- including many previously undiscovered maps
- the author charts the development of new concepts of national territory & the establishment of an effective propaganda mapping network. His research demonstrates that a consensus about the extent of the Greater German nation was not created by skillful Nazi propagandists, but by the collaborate efforts of respected scholars & nationalist activists during the Weimar Republic. Challenging the belief that national self-determination is a just cause, Under the Map of Germany reveals that national territories are not tangible entities that can be clearly delimited, but are artificial constructs open to a wide range of interpretations.

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