In ad 79 the volcano Vesuvius erupted burying the cities of Pompeii & Herculaneum under ash & rock & leaving them remarkably well preserved for centuries. While Pompeii has been extensively written about & popularized the remains of its sister city a smaller yet wealthier community close to the sea are less widely known but they have yielded spectacular archaeological evidence. This is the first major study of Herculaneum since that of Joseph Jay Deiss published in 1966 & last revised in 1993. & in any language there have only ever been a handful of books available mostly guidebooks & exhibition catalogues. Herculaneum is based on the latest excavation work & incorporates much new material that has revolutionized our understanding of the site. The book draws on a decade's work with the Herculaneum Conservation Project which thanks to the Packard Humanities Institute has begun to reverse the neglect of previous years which had reduced this extraordinary site to a critical condition. Illustrated with more than 300 newly taken colour photographs & archive illustrations plus eight spectacular 360-degree panoramas it is the definitive overview for the general public of what we know & understand about Herculaneum of what is still unknown & mysterious & of the potential for future discoveries in both archaeological & political contexts. ...

All 51 Hercule Poirot short stories presented in chonological order in a single volume
- plus a bonus story not seen for more than
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A facsimile first edition hardback of the wartime Poirot book published to mark the 80th anniversary of his first appearance & commemorate the tradition of a Christie for Christmas. It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood his throat slashed. But when Hercule Poirot who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas offers to assist he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man! To mark the 80th anniversary of Hercule Poirots first appearance & to celebrate his renewed fortunes as a primetime television star this title in a collection of facsimile first editions is the perfect way to experience Agatha Christie. Reproducing the original typesetting & format of the first edition from the Christie familys own archive this book sports the original cover which has been painstakingly restored to its original glory. ...

This is a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring Peter Sallis as the great Belgian detective. Tyrannical millionaire Simeon Lee has been estranged from most of his family for years. But now on Christmas Eve the old man calls them all together once more. Unable to disobey the children gather uneasily & wonder what their fathers intentions are. Does he want to clear up past misunderstandings or cause fresh mischief? Before they can find out a deafening crash is heard overhead. Rushing upstairs they discover a shocking sight: Simeon Lee is lying in a pool of blood his throat cut. But it is the strangest thing
- the door has been locked from the inside & there is no trace of the murderer. With so many possible suspects it is lucky for Superintendent Sugden that the Chief Constable has his old friend Hercule Poirot staying with him. It seems to be an impossible case. But as Poirot knows only too well things arent always as they seem.
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Agatha Christie's seasonal mystery thriller reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans & book lovers. It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood his throat slashed. But when Hercule Poirot who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas offers to assist he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man... ...

The aliens are coming! A fleet of spaceships full of fearsome creatures is heading towards Earth
- & what a bizarre bunch these
...

Shirley Valentine eat your heart out Ven Roz Olive & Frankie have been friends since school. They day-dreamed of glorious futures full of riches romance & fabulous jobs. The world would be their oyster. Twenty-five years later Olive cleans other people's houses to support her lazy out-of-work husband & his ailing mother. Roz cannot show her kind caring husband Manus any love because her philandering ex has left her trust in shreds. & she & Frankie have fallen out big time. But Ven is determined to reunite her friends & realise the dream they had of taking a cruise before they hit forty. Before they know it the four of them are far from home on the high seas. But can blue skies hot sun & sixteen days of luxury & indulgence distract from the tension & loneliness that await their return? ...

October 1982: ABC Culture Club Shalamar & Survivor dominate the top twenty when the Pogues barrel out from the backstreets of Kings Cross a furious pioneering mix of punk energy traditional melodies & the powerfully poetic songwriting of Shane Mac Gowan. Reviled by traditionalists for their frequently fast often riotous interpretations of Irish folk songs the Pogues rose from the sweaty chaos of backroom gigs in Camden pubs to world tours with the likes of Elvis Costello U2 & Bob Dylan & had huge commercial success with everyones favourite Christmas song Fairytale of New York". Yet the exuberance of their live performances coupled with relentless touring spiralled into years of hard drinking & excess which eventually took their toll
- most famously on Shane but also on the rest of the band
- causing them to part ways seven years later. Here their story is told with beauty lyricism & great candour by James Fearnley founding member & accordion player. He brings to life the youthful friendships the bust-ups the amazing gigs the terrible gigs the fantastic highs & the dramatic lows in a hugely compelling humorous moving & honest account of life in one of our most treasured & original bands."

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October 1982: ABC Culture Club Shalamar & Survivor dominate the top twenty when the Pogues barrel out from the backstreets of Kings Cross a furious pioneering mix of punk energy traditional melodies & the powerfully poetic songwriting of Shane Mac Gowan. Reviled by traditionalists for their frequently fast often riotous interpretations of Irish folk songs the Pogues rose from the sweaty chaos of backroom gigs in Camden pubs to world tours with the likes of Elvis Costello U2 & Bob Dylan & had huge commercial success with everyones favourite Christmas song Fairytale of New York". Yet the exuberance of their live performances coupled with relentless touring spiralled into years of hard drinking & excess which eventually took their toll
- most famously on Shane but also on the rest of the band
- causing them to part ways seven years later. Here their story is told with beauty lyricism & great candour by James Fearnley founding member & accordion player. He brings to life the youthful friendships the bust-ups the amazing gigs the terrible gigs the fantastic highs & the dramatic lows in a hugely compelling humorous moving & honest account of life in one of our most treasured & original bands."

...

All aboard all aboard! But beware this isnt any ordinary bus. Oh no. Uncle Toad may seem a friend as he collects the insects for a special trip on his bus of poo but its just a cunning ruse. Because when they reach the seaside its gobble gobble munch munch as greedy Uncle Toad gorges himself rotten. Eeuugggh. ...