The difficult is what takes a little time; the impossible is what takes a little longer said Fridtj of Nansen who personally repatriated more than 400 000 prisoners of war after World War I & helped save millions of Russians from starvation. Albert Einstein prudently advised Not everything that counts can be counted & not everything that can be counted counts & Cseslaw Milosz warned In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence one word of truth sounds like a pistol shot. Since 1901 the Nobel Prize has been the hallmark of genius but Nobel laureates tend to be more than merely brilliant
- their idealism courage & concern for humanity have also made them sources of inspiration & wisdom. Contrary to the notion that geniuses are absentminded eccentrics many Nobel laureates have been social activists & political leaders & some have been polymaths whose interests & talents were diverse such as Philip Noel-Baker winner of the 1959 Peace Prize who ran in three Olympic Games. The"ations here are grouped by such themes as achievement truth & falsehood war & conflict technology & most have never been anthologised previously.
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Was the Battle of Hastings a French victory? Non! William the Conqueror was Norman & hated the French. Were the Brits really responsible for the death of Joan of Arc? Non! The French sentenced her to death for wearing trousers. Was the guillotine a French invention? Non! It was invented in Yorkshire. Ten centuries' worth of French historical 'facts' bite the dust as Stephen Clarke looks at what has really been going on since 1066... ...

Now newly revised this fascinating book is the ultimate critical guide to historys greatest albums spanning more than 50 years of outstanding music across all genres from the genesis of 1950s rock n roll to the technological & electronic innovations of the 2000s. With inside knowledge & incisive criticism from 90 internationally acclaimed music journalists this updated edition provides an indispensable companion to the music itself. Illustrated with more than 900 iconic images of album covers bands & artists 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a must-have for the musically inspired. ...

From the familiar to the exotic children will love finding the animals to spot in this revised picture puzzle book full of different habitats. Bright busy scenes provide plenty of material for both readers & pre-readers to talk about with things to find & count on every page. Simple text & eye-catching illustrations combine to help children develop skills in reading counting matching & identification. ...

1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History traces the history of warmongering from the small-scale battles of the ancient world to the devastation of modern conflicts. It provides a comprehensive record of the armed combats that have shaped the political & cultural landscape of the world & is fully illustrated with images ranging from ancient triumphal stone carvings through to the very latest war photography. This is much more than a straightforward military history title; it reveals the fascinating & sometimes surprising ways in which key military events have shaped the world in which we live. From the earliest recorded conflicts involving just a few thousand foot soldiers to the horrors of modern chemical warfare 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History looks at the reasons why people go to war & both the short- & long-term consequences of battles of all sizes. To understand modern conflicts people need to know what has gone before. This book traces the changing face of warfare around the globe from the Battle of Troy the Fall of Babylon & the Siege of Antioch to the Battle of Gettysburg the bombing of Guernica the Siege of Leningrad & the Battle of Fallujah. ...

Theyre called the classics for good reason. Whether theyre a work of wacky imagination a piercing insight into social & cultural traditions at the time of writing or simply a fantastically absorbing story all the books featured in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" have come about out of peoples desires to communicate a story a message or a lesson. From much loved tales to off-beat cult fiction & the timeless classics of the nineteenth century discover the influences on the authors plots & characters of the books that really should make up part if not all of your library. Battle orks with Frodo & Aragorn in " Middle Earth" go on the road with Kerouac in search of freedom get involved with questions of gender & androgyny with Orlando immerse yourself into the full & expansive portrait of India created by Seth in "A Suitable Boy" & enter the world of Christoper Boone in his touching & amusing quest to find the killer of his neighbours pet dog. All of these books & many more are reviewed with fresh perspectives in terms of plot the ideas that they bring out & why they deserve above others to be recommended & read." ...

Completely revised & updated to include the most up-to-date selections this is a bold & bright reference book to the novels & the writers that have exited the worlds imagination. This authoritative selection of novels reviewed by an international team of writers critics academics & journalists provides a new take on world classics & a reliable guide to whats hot in contemporary fiction. Featuring more than 700 illustrations & photographs & presenting"es from individual novels & authors & completely revised for 2012 this is the ideal book for everybody who loves reading. ...

A new edition of the popular title from the 1001 Things to Spot" series colorfully illustrated by Teri Gower. Bright & busy bug-filled scenes include a craggy cave a grassy meadow jungle treetops & even a garden shed! Plenty of things for readers & pre-readers to look at & talk about helping them to develop skills in reading counting matching & identification." ...

1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die is a visual testament to the beauty grace & fortitude of the world's greatest architectural achievements. Beginning in the ancient & Near East the book explores middle age Byzantine & Gothic examples such as Notre Dame Cathedral Paris goes on to St Paul's Cathedral London & continues through the Chrysler Building New York City with its art deco metal pinnacle to splendid contemporary innovations such as Norman Foster's Reichstag parliament building Berlin & Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall Los Angeles. The book is not only concerned with size
- it also

Includes:: some of the world's most remarkable domestic buildings such as the Mongolian yurt & houses of the American pioneers as well as railway buildings chapels casinos concert halls gentlemen's clubs & museums cherished often for the way they represent & capture a particular moment in history in their details & atmosphere. 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die is the complete companion to the outstanding architecture of the world. A fascinating mixture of familiar landmarks & little-known gems.


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Over the centuries comic books & their offshoots such as graphic novels & bandes dessinees have evolved into a phenomenally popular influential & unique art form with which we can express our opinions our fantasies our nightmares & our dreams. In short: comics are emphatically no longer just for kids. This diverse constantly evolving medium is truly coming into its own in the 21st century from Hollywoods blockbuster adaptations of super-powered caped crusaders to the global spread of Japans manga & its spinoffs & from award-winning graphic novels such as Maus & Persepolis to new forms such as online webcomix. But comics also have a long & rich history dating back at least to the Swiss teacher Rodolphe Topffer in the early 19th century & far earlier in China. 1001 Comic Books You Must Read Before You Die is the perfect introduction to this dynamic & globally popular medium. There have been other guides to the best comic books but none has embraced every genre & scoured the globe to glean the very greatest works of sequential art graphic literature bandes dessinees tebeos fumetti manga manhwa komiks strips historietas quadrinhos beeldverhalen & plain old comics. This authoritative guide is organized according to the year of first publication in the country of origin. An opening section acknowledges pioneering pre-1900 masterpieces followed by sections divided by decade creating a fascinating year-by-year chronicle of the comics medium worldwide. ...