Henry V is regarded as the great English hero. Lionised in his own day for his victory at Agincourt his piety & his rigorous application of justice he was elevated by Shakespeare into a champion of English nationalism for all future generations. But what was he really like? Does he deserve to be thought of as the greatest man who ever ruled England?. In this groundbreaking & ambitious book Ian Mortimer portrays Henry in the pivotal year of his reign. Recording the dramatic events of 1415 on a day-by-day basis he offers the fullest most precise & least romanticised view we have of Henry & what he did. In addition the kings story is told against the background of other important developments in Europe in particular the struggle for power within the Catholic Church & official attempts to eradicate any deviant religious beliefs. In so doing the reader encounters unexpected & eye-opening explanations for why Henry tried to unify the kingdoms of England & France
- & why he was prepared to burn men alive as heretics. The result is not only a fascinating reappraisal of Henry; it brings to the fore many unpalatable truths which biographers & military historians have largely ignored. While Henry retains the essential qualities of his greatness his legend is stripped of its Shakespearean rhetoric & compassion. At the centre of the book is the campaign which culminated in the battle of Agincourt: a slaughter ground designed not to advance Englands interests directly but to demonstrate Gods approval of Henrys royal authority on both sides of the Channel. 1415 was a year of religious persecution personal suffering & one horrendous battle. This is the story of that year as seen over the shoulder of its most cold-hearted most ambitious & most celebrated hero.
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On 8 March 1421 the largest fleet the world had ever seen set sail from China. The ships some nearly five hundred feet long were under the command of Emperor Zhu Dis loyal eunuch admirals. Their mission was to proceed all the way to the end of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas & unite the world in Confucian harmony. Their journey would last for over two years & take them around the globe but by the time they returned home China was beginning its long self-imposed isolation from the world it had so recently embraced. & so the great ships were left to rot & the records of their journey were destroyed. & with them the knowledge that the Chinese had circumnavigated the globe a century before Magellan reached America seventy years before Columbus & Australia three hundred & fifty years before Cook... The result of fifteen years research 1421 is Gavin Menzies enthralling account of the voyage of the Chinese fleet the remarkable discoveries he made & the persuasive evidence to support them: ancient maps precise navigational knowledge astronomy & the surviving accounts of Chinese explorers & the later European navigators as well as the traces the fleet left behind
- from sunken junks to the votive offerings left by the Chinese sailors wherever they landed giving thanks to Shao Lin goddess of the sea. Already hailed as a classic this is the story of an extraordinary journey of discovery that not only radically alters our understanding of world exploration but also rewrites history itself.
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In his bestselling book 1421: The Year China Discovered the World Gavin Menzies revealed that it was the Chinese that discovered America not Columbus. Now he presents further astonishing evidence that it was also Chinese advances in science art & technology that formed the basis of the European Renaissance & our modern world. In his bestselling book 1421: The Year China Discovered the World Gavin Menzies presented controversial & compelling evidence that Chinese fleets beat Columbus Cook & Magellan to the New World. But his research has led him to astonishing new discoveries that Chinese influence on Western culture didnt stop there. Until now scholars have considered that the Italian Renaissance
- the basis of our modern Western world
- came about as a result of a re-examining the ideas of classical Greece & Rome. A stunning reappraisal of history is about to be published. Gavin Menzies makes the startling argument that a sophisticated Chinese delegation visited Italy in 1434 sparked the Renaissance & forever changed the course of Western civilization. After that date the authority of Aristotle & Ptolemy was overturned & artistic conventions challenged as was Arabic astronomy & cartography. Florence & Venice of the 15th century attracted traders from across the world. Menzies presents astonishing evidence that a large Chinese fleet official ambassadors of the Emperor arrived in Tuscany in 1434 where they met with Pope Eugenius IV in Florence. A mass of information was given by the Chinese delegation to the Pope & his entourage
- concerning world maps (which Menzies argues were later given to Columbus) astronomy mathematics art printing architecture steel manufacture civil engineering military machines surveying cartography genetics & more. It was this gift of knowledge that sparked the inventiveness of the Renaissance
- Da Vincis inventions the Copernican revolution Galileo etc. Following 1434 Europeans embraced Chinese intellectual ideas discoveries & inventions which formed the basis of European civilization just as much as Greek thought & Roman law. In short China provided the spark that set the Renaissance ablaze.



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This book features 150 chicken recipes for all occasions from simple stir-fries & grills to substantial pies & casseroles. Every recipe comes with step-by-step how-to information & a glorious photograph of the finished dish. Discover the exciting flavours of chicken dishes from around the world including Japanese Udon Pot Cannelloni al Forno Chicken Peri-peri & Stir-fried Crispy Duck. Make the most of poultry's low fat content with versions of classics that won't affect your waistline. The book offers easy-to-follow instructions on how to bone joint & carve a chicken spatchcock a poussin & make delicious stock & gravy. 150 Quick & Easy Chicken Recipes" provides inspiration for all occasions whether you are preparing a midweek supper or entertaining. Those on a low-fat diet are also catered for with a section devoted to delicious recipes that won't pile on the pounds. As well as tempting recipes "150 Quick & Easy Chicken Recipes"

Includes:: essential information about different cuts of chicken & turkey & a useful techniques section shows you how to prepare them for cooking. With its easily accessible text colour photographs & fabulous selection of recipes "150 Quick & Easy Chicken Recipes" is perfect for every cook."

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Up until very recently it was believed that in 1491 the year before Columbus landed the Americas one-third of the earth's surface were a near-pristine wilderness inhabited by small roaming bands of indigenous people. But recently unexpected discoveries have dramatically changed our understanding of Indian Life. Many scholars now argue that the Indians were much more numerous were in the Americas for far longer & had far more ecological impact on the land than previously believed. This knowledge has enormous implications for today's environmental disputes yet little has filtered into textbooks & even less into public awareness. Mann brings together all of the latest research & the results of his own travels throughout North & South America to provide a new fascinating & iconoclastic account of the Americas before Columbus. ...

Nothing else comes close to touching the magic of vertical flight; from the moment you lift into the air to the second the helicopter settles gracefully back on the ground it is a truly exciting & unforgettable experience. You will be welcomed & briefed by one of our specialist team & given the opportunity to see & hear our modern helicopter at close quarters. Then its your turn; climbing gracefully to over 1 000 feet & accelerating to over 120 miles an hour you will interact with the pilot via the headset (dont forget to listen out for air traffic on the radio!) swooping over the landscape & then settling gently back on the ground. Cameras are positively encouraged
- with an experience this exhilarating you will want to relive it as often as possible! Lauch sites (subject to change): Aberdeen (Harbour & River Dee Tour) Ayr (Ayr & Prestwick Tour) Barton (Bolton & Reebok Stadium) Bedford (Milton Keynes Tour) Bicester Oxfordshire (Waddesdon Manor) Bournemouth Dorset Bristol (Cheddar Gorge) Chester (City Tour) Cotswold Airport Gloucestershire (Cotswolds Tour) Coventry (Castle Tour) Denham Middlesex Edinburgh (City Tour) Exeter (Dunkeswell) Glasgow (City Tour) Gloucester Gloucestershire Greenock (Greenock Gourock & Inverkip Tour) Hornchurch Essex (East of London Tour) Hull (City Tour) Inverness (Cawdor Castle & Coast Tour) Lake District (Lake Windermere Tour) Liverpool (City Tour) Llangollen (Horseshoe Pass) Nottingham (City Tour) Newcastle upon Tyne (City Tour) Peak District Derbyshire (Chatsworth) Preston Lancashire Redhill Surrey Snowdonia (Giants & Waterfalls) Stirling (Campsies Stirling & Falkirk Wheel Tour) St Ives* Cornwall Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare Tour) Welshpool Mid Wales Wolverhampton West Midlands York (Breighton) * At St Ives we will fly two Summer camps in June & August What You Will Receive On purchasing this experience you will receive a Silver A5 Presentation Pack. Your Silver A5 Presentation Pack is embossed with a ribbon design great if you are buying this experience as a gift. Included within your presentation pack: Your Gift Experience Voucher
- Keep this safe! You will need this to book your experience & may be required to take this with you on the day of your experience. An Information Booklet
- Detailing all you need to know about your experience including personal injury cover cancellation cover & full terms & conditions of the experience. How to Book Guide
- A personal guide based on your chosen experience detailing all the available locations & contact numbers you need to ensure you experience runs smoothly. "



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The Fifteen Minute Rule" sets out to help us tackle those things that we are always putting off: starting an exercise regime looking for a new job doing our tax returns or learning a new skill. Or perhaps doing something to improve the quality of life by learning to fight depression or confront an annoying habit. Perhaps it's simply clearing the huge pile of clutter from your desk. Whatever it is all you need is fifteen minutes & before you know it some weeks later you have accomplished a task you couldn't bring yourself to start. The hardest thing to overcome when you're trying to start something daunting & new is to actually start. That mountain of paperwork in front of you that looks like it will take hours to go through & hours of mind-numbing sorting is hard to contemplate for most
- but fifteen minutes isn't. Fifteen minutes is manageable & can bring minor & major results each one providing satisfaction & a boost in self-esteem. This book is for those people who need instant gratification & also those long-term players who recognise the benefits of consistency & dedication."
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Say thank you congratulations or simply write a good old fashioned letter to a loved one with these colourful Orla Kiely notecards. The notecards are decorated with a Flower Abacus print & feature 3 different colours. The cards measure H 17.5 x W 12.5 & there are 15 notecards included in the box together with envelopes. ...

A total white knuckle stay-up-all-night thrill ride (Harlan Coben) from the bestselling author of Reckless & Killing Hour. Fifteen seconds can tear a life apart. OUT OF TOWN Dr Henry Steadman has it all: a booming business a daughter he loves & plenty of time to enjoy life. But while visiting upstate Florida a police-stop ends in the shooting of a local cop
- with Henry as the prime suspect. OUT OF LUCK Framed for a second murder this time of a close friend Henry goes on the run. His only lifeline is state-trooper Carrie Holmes no stranger to tragedy herself who can help prove his innocence. But they are in a dead-end
- the police are closing in the killer is getting away. OUT OF TIME This is not just a set-up it s far more personal. Henry s nightmare is complete when his daughter is kidnapped. Suddenly survival is not enough: he must save his daughter. Everything has been taken away from him
- but now Henry has nothing left to lose...


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Learn to confidently speak & understand Arabic in just 15 minutes a day with this book & CD pack. From going to the supermarket & booking a hotel to ordering dinner learn to speak Arabic in no time. Follow this unique system & practise will make you perfect in just 15 minutes a day five times a week over three months. Two 60-minute CDs will help you perfect your pronunciation & a unique visual approach with test-yourself flaps makes it quick & easy to learn. Pocket-sized book

Includes:: a complete survival guide for when youre out & about. Whether youre starting from scratch or just in need of a refresher there is no easier way to learn Arabic
- fast.


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