The collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991 appeared to usher in a remarkable new era of peace & co-operation with the West. This, we were told, was the end of history: now the entire world would embrace enlightenment values & liberal democracy. Reality has proved very different. Russia emerged from the 1990s battered & humiliated, a latter day Weimar Germany, its protests ignored as NATO expanded eastwards to take in Moscow`s former satellites. Vladimir Putin offered a new start when he took the place of the erratic Boris Yeltsin in the Kremlin, but, determined to restore his country`s bruised pride, he has wrong footed the West with his incursions into Georgia, Ukraine & Syria. A cold war threatens to turn hot once again. In this provocative new work, based on exclusive interviews with key players either side of the new divide, Peter Conradi addresses the failures of understanding on both sides over the past twenty-five years & outlines how we can get relations back on track before it`s too late. ...

The collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991 appeared to usher in a remarkable new era of peace & co-operation with the West. This, we were told, was the end of history: now the entire world would embrace enlightenment values & liberal democracy. Reality has proved very different. Russia emerged from the 1990s battered & humiliated, a latter day Weimar Germany, its protests ignored as NATO expanded eastwards to take in Moscow`s former satellites. Vladimir Putin offered a new start when he took the place of the erratic Boris Yeltsin in the Kremlin, but, determined to restore his country`s bruised pride, he has wrong footed the West with his incursions into Georgia, Ukraine & Syria. A cold war threatens to turn hot once again. In this provocative new work, based on exclusive interviews with key players either side of the new divide, Peter Conradi addresses the failures of understanding on both sides over the past twenty-five years & outlines how we can get relations back on track before it`s too late. ...

In this work of historical speculation Terry Jones investigates the mystery surrounding the death of Geoffrey Chaucer over 600 years ago. A diplomat & brother-in-law to John of Gaunt
- one of the most powerful men in the kingdom
- Chaucer was celebrated as his country`s finest living poet, rhetorician & scholar: the pre-eminent intellectual of his time. & yet nothing is known of his death. In 1400 his name simply disappears from the record. We don`t know how he died, where or when; there is no official confirmtion of his death & no chronicle mentions it; no notice of his funeral or burial. He left no will & there`s nothing to tell us what happened to his estate. He didn`t even leave any manuscripts. How could this be? What if he was murdered? What if he & his writings had become politically inconvenient in the seismic social shift that occurred with the overthrow of the liberal Richard II by the reactionary, oppressive regime of Henry IV. Would the dogs of suppression, unleased by Archbishop Arundel, have been snapping at the heels of a dangerous poet? Terry Jones` hypothesis is the introduction to a reading of Chaucer`s writings as evidence that might be held against him, interwoven with a portrait of one of the most turbulent periods in English history, its politics & its personalities.

...

Welcome to the secret world of skeletons! From the largest elephant to the smallest mouse, each animal is different, & that goes for their bones, too! Meet a whole host of amazing skeletons & learn about what makes each one unique, from how to tell a gorilla from a human to how to recognize a turtle just from its skull. Lift the flaps to discover each skeleton`s animal owner, & find out amazing anatomy facts along the way! Can you work out Who Owns These Bones? ...

At the end of the day, At the start of the night, When the earth is half dark, When the sky is half light, Who puts the animals to bed? A strong bedtime theme, a host of adorable animals & a fantastic read-aloud story combine to create the perfect book for snuggling up with. ...

A new book on the state of the world today -- from one of the most respected & revered political commentators alive Noam Chomsky: philosopher, political writer, fearless activist. No one has done more to question the hidden actors who govern our lives, calling the powers that be to account. Here he presents Who Rules the World?, his definitive account of those powers, how they work, & why we should be questioning them. From the dark history of the US & Cuba to China`s global rise, from torture memos to sanctions on Iran, this book investigates the defining issues of our times & exposes the hypocrisy at the heart of America`s policies & actions. The world`s political & financial elite are now operating almost totally unconstrained by the so-called democratic structure. With climate change & nuclear proliferation threatening our very survival, dissenting voices have never been more necessary. Fiercely outspoken & rigorously argued, Who Rules the World? is an indispensable guide to how things really are. ...

Internationally renowned political commentator Noam Chomsky examines America`s pursuit & exercise of power in a post 9/11 world Noam Chomsky is the world`s foremost intellectual activist. Over the last half century, no one has done more to question the great global powers who govern our lives, forensically scrutinizing policies & actions, calling our politicians, institutions & media to account. The culmination of years of work, Who Rules the World? is Chomsky`s definitive intellectual investigation into the major issues of our times. From the dark history of the US & Cuba to China`s global rise, from torture memos to sanctions on Iran, Chomsky explores how America`s talk of freedom & human rights is often at odds with its actions. Delving deep into the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, & Israel/ Palestine, he provides nuanced, surprising insights into the workings of modern-day imperial power. The world`s political & financial elite have become ever more insulated from democratic constraints on their actions. Chomsky shines a powerful light on this inconvenient truth. With climate change & nuclear proliferation threatening the survival of our civilization, the message has never been more pertinent or more urgent: the need for an engaged & active public to steer the world away from disaster grows ever greater. Fiercely outspoken & rigorously argued, Who Rules the World? is an indispensable guide to how things really are from the lone authoritative voice courageous & clear-sighted enough to tell us the truth. ...

If your funny older sister were the former deputy chief of staff to President Barack Obama, her behind-the-scenes political memoir would look something like this... Alyssa Mastromonaco worked for Barack Obama for almost a decade, & long before his run for president. From the then-senator`s early days in Congress to his years in the Oval Office, she made Hope & Change happen through blood, sweat, tears & lots of briefing binders. But for every historic occasion
- meeting the queen at Buckingham Palace, bursting in on secret climate talks, or nailing a campaign speech in a hailstorm
- there were dozens of less-than-perfect moments when it was up to Alyssa to save the day. Like the time she learned the hard way that there aren`t nearly enough bathrooms at the Vatican. Full of hilarious, never-before-told stories, Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? is an intimate portrait of a president, a book about how to get stuff done, & the story of how one woman challenged, again & again, what a ` White House official` is supposed to look like. Here Alyssa shares the strategies that made her successful in politics & beyond, including the importance of confidence, the value of not being a jerk, & why ultimately everything comes down to hard work (and always carrying a spare tampon). Told in a smart, original voice & topped off with a couple of really good cat stories, Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? is the brilliantly funny, frank & inspirational memoir from a savvy political star.

...

This is an accessible & informative guide to the major pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, their names & their cartouches. It is a concise guide arranged chronologically. It is illustrated with colour photographs for the first time. It is a perfect reference for beginners & scholars alike. In Ancient Egypt, a name did more than express ones identity; it incorporated it, forming a profound element of it. Names of kings were especially important as the king of Egypt acted as the earthly counterpart to the sun-god. At his accession to the throne, a pharaoh would take five names to distinguish him from ordinary human beings; the first being his birth name & the remaining four composed specially for the coronation. The first four chapters of this book are divided by period, covering 3000 years of history from the dawn of Egyptian writing to the use of royal names under the Roman emperors in Egypt. With the help of ancient hieroglyphic texts & modern research, they give an indepth but accessible history of Ancient Egyptian royalty & society. The final chapter provides an extensive list of royal names & displays the principal cartouches for all the major kings of Ancient Egypt as well as some lesser-known but equally intriguing pharaohs. It also details the key events & characteristics of each reign. This book is an indispensible guide to the identity of the Egyptian pharaohs for people of all levels of knowledge. The Author Stephen Quirke was formerly a Curator in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum. He is now Curator of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in the Institute of Archaeology at UCL. ...

In this charming follow-up to 2015`s hit Who Done It?, each page asks the reader a question about the lineup of characters featured on the spread. Sharp eyes & keen observation are necessary. There`s only one right answer, & it`s not always easy! Kids will love learning early concepts like expressions & positions as a natural consequence of their hunt for clues in the details of the lineup. It`s a book for all audiences: the seek-&-find call to action of every page makes Who What Where? a wonderful lap or parent read, while the whimsical art, distinctive horizontal format & hip exposed board ensures this book will be equally appealing as coffee table decor. ...