The Victorian & Edwardian eras in the run-up to 1914 marked the golden age of the English country house when opulence & formality attained a level that would never be matched again. The ease of these perfect settings for flirtation & relaxation was maintained by a large & well-trained staff of servants. Although those in service worked very long hours & had little personal freedom many were proud of their positions & grateful for the relative security these gave. Indeed the strictly hierarchical world below stairs could be more snobbish than that of a houses owners. Michael Paterson skillfully & entertainingly explores the myths & realities of this vanished world both upstairs & down. ...

What is happening in the brain when we drink too much alcohol get high on ecstasy or experience road rage? Emotion says internationally acclaimed neuroscientist Susan Greenfield is the building block of consciousness. As our minds develop we create a personalized inner world based on our experiences. But during periods of intense emotion such as anger fear or euphoria we can literally lose our mind returning to the mental state we experienced as infants. Challenging many preconceived notions Susan Greenfield's groundbreaking book seeks to answer one of science's most enduring mysteries: how our unique sense of self is created. ...

Escape with Sunday Times bestseller Tasmina Perry into an intoxicating world where games are played to mask the truth where there is no one you can trust & where being too good at your job can put your life in danger... Anna Kennedy loves her career. A young associate with a top media law firm she's the lawyer to the stars hiding their sins from the hungry media. When Anna fails to prevent a damaging story being printed about heart-throb movie star Sam Charles she finds herself fighting to save not only his reputation but also her own. But Anna is about to uncover a scandal more explosive than even Sam's infidelities. A party girl is already dead & those responsible are prepared to silence anyone who stands in their way. Not least a pretty young lawyer who knows too much... ...

Manet Monet Pissarro Cezanne Renoir Degas Renoir Sisley Berthe Moriost & Mary Cassatt were all branded as lunatics but today this is a roll-call of great artists whose paintings evoke a unique atmosphere of harmony: languid landscapes flooded with light shop-workers dancing on their day off bars & gas-lit streets the sunlit beach at Trouville. We all know these dazzling pictures
- but how well do we know the Impressionists as people? This book tells their story. In a vivid & moving narrative Sue Roe shows how the early leaders of the group first met in the Paris studios & lived & worked closely together for nearly twenty years. Painting outdoors meeting in cafes they supported each other & shared emotional & financial difficulties. Defying the hide-bound rules of the salon they staged joint exhibitions & rebelled against artistic prejudice moral tyranny & social hierarchy. Often rejected by their horrified parents they led volatile & precarious lives: their wives were servants models flower-sellers & although their paintings today sell for millions they were barely able to support their families. This intimate colourful superbly researched account takes us into their homes as well as their studios & describes their love affairs & arguments heartaches & dreams as well as their canvases & theories. Over the years there were divisions & rows but in the end this constellation of talent shone through giving the world a new exhilarating form of art.
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Sometimes when the nightmare ends
- the terror is only just beginning. For Hannah Shapiro a beautiful young American student this
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Heroism or cowardice? A stunning story of the First World War from a master storyteller. Told in the voice of a young soldier ...

A poignant story of the First World War from Childrens Laureate Michael Morpurgo Private Peaceful captures the memories of a young First World War soldier awaiting the firing squad at dawn. From his early childhood adventures in rural Devon to the battles & injustices of war that brought him to the Front Line Private Tommo Peaceful spends these lonely hours re-living his short but vivid past. A beautifully written novel which contrasts bittersweet childhood memories with the horrors of war. Told in the first person it alternates between past & present creating both humour & heartache & building tension for its dramatic & thought-provoking conclusion. ...

Now a major movie Private Peaceful is the stunning classic novel of love & war from Michael Morpurgo beloved & bestselling ...

Private Rights of Way are a form of easement enjoyed by one owner of land over land in the ownership of another. Problems often occur when someone blocks or restricts a right of way or where one of the parties wishes to change the route of the right of way or when the properties affected are transferred. Disputes over the maintenance of the right of way are also common. This new work sets out the law & practice relating to the creation acquisition maintenance extinguishment & remedies for wrongful interference with private right of way. In addition guidance is given on practical drafting issues as well as evidence & procedure together with precedents. Relevant statutory provisions in an updated form is included in an appendix. It is an essential reading for all property lawyers surveyors & property developers. ...

The story is told as a fictional account of one of the soldiers based on the author's uncle though including many historical facts. This cub who they called Wojtek (pronounced Vojtek) meaning ' Happy Warrior' in Polish was initially adopted as their mascot & would be raised by their company accompanying them on their travels through the Middle East. It would then be given official documents by the authorities making him a real soldier (hence the term Private) so as to enable him to travel with the company to the battle of Monte Cassino where he would become a hero. After the war Wojtek came to Scotland with the soldiers & after being demobbed had to be given to Edinburgh zoo. He was a huge comical tame & intelligent bear & had many hilarious adventures during his time with the Company. ...