A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter decaying Miss Havisham & her beautiful cold-hearted ward Estella; & the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor
- these form a series of events that change the orphaned Pip's life forever & he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman. Dickens' haunting late novel depicts Pip's education & development through adversity as he discovers the true nature of his 'great expectations'.
...

This is the Penguin English Library Edition" of " Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. " What do you think that is?' she asked me again pointing with her stick; 'that where those cobwebs are?" "I can't guess what it is ma'am." " It's a great cake. A bride-cake. Mine!" " Great Expectations" Dickens' funny frightening & tender portrayal of the orphan Pip's journey of self-discovery is one of his best-loved works. Showing how a young man's life is transformed by a mysterious series of events
- an encounter with an escaped prisoner; a visit to a black-hearted old woman & a beautiful girl; a fortune from a secret donor
- Dickens' late novel is a masterpiece of psychological & moral truth & Pip among his greatest creations. " The Penguin English Library"
- 100 editions of the best fiction in English from the eighteenth century & the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War."


...

Take Note for Exam Success! York Notes offer an exciting approach to English literature. This market leading series fully reflects student needs. They are packed with summaries commentaries exam advice margin & textual features to offer a wider context to the text & encourage a critical analysis. York Notes The Ultimate Literature Guides. ...

Psychologically the latter part of Great Expectations is about the best thing Dickens ever did." --George Orwell Philip Pirrip--known more commonly as Pip--is an orphan. His visits to the mysterious Miss Havisham are his only escape from his childhood of poverty. But then an anonymous bequest changes his life for ever--until secrets from Pips past emerge threatening to destroy the genteel new life he has built for himself & Pip soon discovers the merciless cruelty of love & the harsh reality of his great expectations." ...

Robert Powell reads Charles Dickens classic tale of a blacksmiths apprentice in search of his true destiny. Pip is an orphan brought up by his sister & her husband the kindly blacksmith Joe Gargery. One evening while visiting his parents graves he has a shocking encounter with an escaped convict who forces Pip to help him. The very next day he is invited to go & see Miss Havisham a rich old lady who is seeking a playmate for the beautiful Estella. These two chance events are to change Pips life in ways he could never have imagined. ...

Just as the unknown regions of the world seized the imagination of the great explorers so the exploits of those explorers continue to fascinate readers today. The book captures all the thrill of exploration; its fears dangers & hardships; encounters with hostile landscapes & peoples & the excitement of progress. All areas of the globe are covered & the journeys of explorers both famous & not so famous: Florence Baker in Egypt & Sudan; Mary Kingsley in West Africa; Lewis & Clark across the US; Franklin & Leary at the North Pole & Amundsen & Scott at the South. The book is arranged by region & chronologically within that region. It captures the spirit of each age & explains how explorers through reaching lands unknown to them encountered peoples supporting advanced civilizations of their own. The final chapter examines the legacy of a regions exploration by explaining its political economic & other consequences whether they be the settlement of a continent or the creation of lasting national myths as in Scotts doomed mission to Antarctica. ...

Here are the stories of nine great adventures & the lives of the men who took part in them. They pushed back the frontiers of mans knowledge of the world by their vision courage & sheer doggedness. They were very different people
- from bold adventurers facing the unknown with enjoyment to careful more scientific individuals. Their journeys are placed within their historical context but also contain the words of the men themselves.
...

As a sleepy William awakes from the cries of Fire Fire he thinks something big must be burning. But from the comfort of his own bed he does not realise the whole of London is ablaze! Will is desperate to help save his home & beloved city but are Will & his family in danger? Will they be able to escape with their lives? ...

The great events of British history are part of our shared heritage & it is important that children know the facts behind the famous dates from a young age. In this series Gillian Clements tells the stories of some of these events through a lively combination of text & illustration (including some speech bubbles labelled maps etc). In this way she makes history child-friendly & accessible but still manages to incorporate wherever possible primary source material (such as eyewitness accounts & documentary evidence). THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON retells the events leading up to the fire of 1666 & its consequences. THE GUNPOWDER PLOT looks at the reasons for the plan to blow up the houses of Parliament in 1605 & the key figures involved including Guy Fawkes. Each book has been thoroughly checked by a history educationalist for accuracy language levels & appropriate content & a timeline & glossary are included. These simple gently-humorous stories give readers the information they need & encourage the development of a real sense of history & how it works. ...

This book combines good quality artwork & contemporary illustrations with simple well-written text. Young readers will discover how the fire started what devastation it caused & will be able to compare fire-fighting in 1666 to the present day. Photos of artefacts & original illustrations help bring the topic to life. ...