David Adam has been captivated by the beauty wonder & holiness of Lindisfarne since first glimpsing its fairytale castle from the train as a young boy. In this absorbing volume he shows the island's human face revealing how Lindisfarne & its people have responded to trial tribulation & triumph in the course of a long & vibrant history. This tiny place witnessed one of the last stands of the ' British' Celtic peoples against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 6th century. It has been the home of saints & scholars most notably St. Aidan & St. Cuthbert & famously produced the medieval masterpiece known as the Lindisfarne Gospels". Less familiar to readers perhaps will be that the island experienced the first recorded Viking invasion in 793 & was involved in the 17th century Civil War & the 18th century Jacobite Rebellion. Today its ruined 11th century Priory & 16th century Castle
- later redesigned by the great English architect Edwin Lutyens
- draw pilgrims & visitors from all over the world. Wherever you walk on Lindisfarne the past impinges on the present... In relating afresh many of the island's legends & stories David Adam's lovely volume affords the reader a wonderful sense of all there is to discover just beneath the surface."

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Translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali The Holy Qur'an (also known as The Koran) is the sacred book of Islam. It is the word of God whose truth was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years. As it was revealed so it was committed to memory by his companions though written copies were also made by literate believers during the lifetime of the Prophet. The first full compilation was by Abu Bakar the first Caliph & it was then recompiled in the original dialect by the third Caliph Uthman after the best reciters had fallen in battle. Muslims believe that the truths of The Holy Qur'an are fully & authentically revealed only in the original classical Arabic. However as the influence of Islam grows & spreads to the modern world it is recognised that translation is an important element in introducing & explaining Islam to a wider audience. This translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali is considered to be the most faithful rendering available in English. ...

Swearing is a fascinating thing. Almost everyone does it or worries about not doing it from the two year old who has just discovered the power of the potty mouth to the grandma who wonders why every other word she hears is obscene. But more than its cultural ubiquity swearing is also interesting for what it tells us about language & society today & in the past. It is a record of what people care about on the deepest levels of a culture- what's divine what's terrifying & what's taboo. Holy Sh*t tells the story of two kinds of swearing
- obscenities & oaths
- from ancient Rome & the Bible to today. With humor & insight Melissa Mohr takes readers on a journey to discover how 'swearing' has come to include both testifying to the truth with your hand on the Bible & calling someone a *$&!* when they cut you off on the highway. Mohr explores obscenities in ancient Rome-remarkably similar to some of the things you might hear on the street today-and unearths the history of religious oaths in the Middle Ages when swearing was a matter of life & death. Holy Sh*t also explains the advancement of civility & corresponding censorship of language in the 18th century; considers the rise of racial slurs after World War II; & answers a question that preoccupies the FCC the U.S. Senate & anyone who has overheard little kids at a playground recently-are we swearing more now than people did in the past? A gem of lexicography & cultural history Holy Sh*t is a serious exploration of obscenity
- & might just expand your repertoire of words to choose from the next time you shut your finger in the car door.


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In HOLY WAR the final book of the Saladin Trilogy telling the story of the legendary war leader who united Arabia Saladin recaptures Jerusalem from the Crusaders & prepares for his ultimate battle against Richard the Lionheart. A full-blooded historical adventure novel for all fans of Conn Iggulden Bernard Cornwell Anthony Riches Ben Kane Robyn Young & Simon Scarrow. While Saladin ruthlessly sets about uniting the whole of Arabia under his rule the Kingdom of Jerusalem is torn apart by treachery & intrigue & when the murderous knight Reynald of Chatillon raids a caravan heading from Damascus to Mecca & rapes Saladin's sister the scene is set for war. In June 1187 Saladin marches into the Kingdom with an army of over 24 000 & imposes a crushing defeat on the Crusader forces at the Horns of Hattin. It is only a matter of time before he marches on a panicked & demoralized Jerusalem. But what about Saladin's longtime ally the Saxon knight John of Tatewic? In the face of annihilation is he friend or foe? It will take all John's knowledge of the man he calls his brother to negotiate a peaceful fate for Jerusalem
- but this is not the end of the story. For in England the soon-to-be crowned King Richard has pledged revenge & a new Crusade.. .
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Arrows will fly. Swords will swing. Heroes will fall. Legends will survive. & the Holy Land will never be the same. 1190 AD: Richard the Lionheart has launched his epic crusade to seize Jerusalem from the cruel Saracens. Marching with the vast royal army is Britains most famous most feared most ferocious warrior: the Outlaw of Nottingham the Earl of Locksley -- Robin Hood himself. With his band of loyal men at his side Robin cuts a bloody swathe on the brutal journey east. Daring & dangerous he can outwit & outlast any foe -- but the crimson battlefields of the Holy Land are the ultimate proving ground. & within Robins camp lurks a traitor -- a stealthy enemy determined to slay Christendoms greatest outlaw before the trumpets fade. Blazingly paced & richly imagined featuring a cast of unforgettable characters & packed with fast furious action Holy Warrior is adventure at its thrilling white-knuckle best. ...

The Spanish civil war was a call to arms for 2 300 British volunteers of which over 500 were from Scotl&. The first book of its kind Homage to Caledonia examines Scotlands role in the conflict detailing exactly why Scottish involvement was so profound. The book moves chronologically through events & places firstly surveying the landscape in contemporary Scotland before describing volunteers journeys to Spain & then tracing their every involvement from arrival to homecoming (or not). There is also an account of the non-combative role from fundraising for Spain & medical aid to political manoeuvrings within the volatile Scottish left. Using a wealth of previously-unpublished letters sent back from the front as well as other archival items Daniel Gray is able to tell little known stories of courage in conflict & to call into question accepted versions of events such as the murder of Bob Smillie or the heroism of The Scots Scarlet Pimpernel. Homage to Caledonia offers a very human take on events in Spain: for every tale of abject distress in a time of war there is a tale of a Scottish volunteer urinating in his generals boots knocking back a dram with Errol Flynn or appalling Spanish comrades with his pipe playing. For the first time read the fascinating story of Caledonias role in this seminal conflict. ...

' Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written directly or indirectly against totalitarianism & for democratic Socialism as I understand it'. Thus wrote Orwell following his experiences as a militiaman in the Spanish Civil War chronicled in Homage to Catalonia". Here he brings to bear all the force of his humanity passion & clarity describing with bitter intensity the bright hopes & cynical betrayals of that chaotic episode." ...

Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written directly or indirectly against totalitarianism & for democratic Socialism as I understand it. Thus wrote Orwell following his experiences as a militiaman in the Spanish Civil War chronicled in Homage to Catalonia". Here he brings to bear all the force of his humanity passion & clarity describing with bitter intensity the bright hopes & cynical betrayals of that chaotic episode: the revolutionary euphoria of Barcelona the courage of ordinary Spanish men & women he fought alongside the terror & confusion of the front his near-fatal bullet wound & the vicious treachery of his supposed allies. Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950) better known by his pen-name George Orwell was born in India where his father worked for the Civil Service. An author & journalist Orwell was one of the most prominent & influential figures in twentieth-century literature. His unique political allegory " Animal Farm" was published in 1945 & it was this novel together with the dystopia of " Nineteen Eighty-Four" (1949) which brought him world-wide fame. All his novels & non-fiction including " Burmese Days" (1934) " Down & Out in Paris & London" (1933) " The Road to Wigan Pier" (1937) & " Homage to Catalonia" (1938) are published in " Penguin Modern Classics". If you enjoyed " Homage to Catalonia" you might like Orwells " The Road to Wigan Pier" also available in " Penguin Modern Classics". " An unrivalled picture of the rumours suspicions & treachery of the civil war". (Anthony Beevor author of "D-Day"). "A war story that is both brutally honest & lyrically beautiful". (Michael Shelden " Daily Telegraph" Books of the Century)." ...

An angry & self-loathing veteran of the Korean War Frank Money finds himself back in racist America after enduring trauma on the front lines that left him with more than just physical scars. His home
- & himself in it
- may no longer be as he remembers it but Frank is shocked out of his crippling apathy by the need to rescue his medically abused younger sister & take her back to the small Georgia town they come from which hes hated all his life. As Frank revisits the memories from childhood & the war that leave him questioning his sense of self he discovers a profound courage he thought he could never possess again. Toni Morrisons deeply moving novel reveals an apparently defeated man finding his manhood
- & finally his home. This is a stunning new novel by the author of Beloved"."


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This title features stunning watercolour paintings by one of Swedens best-loved artists. It offers fascinating insight into ...