Norwich has a rich & fascinating history. An important Anglo-Saxon market town at the time of the Norman invasion it grew to become one of the leading cities of England by the early Middle Ages & second only to London in the 16th & 17th centuries. It retained its importance until the Industrial Revolution when although it was overtaken in size by the new manufacturing towns it maintained its reputation as one of the most radical & progressive of cities. In this new expanded edition of Meeres classic A History of Norwich" the author skilfully combines the latest historical & archaeological findings with more than a quarter-century of original research into the city archives to provide a lively narrative together with a superb selection of illustrations. From its beginnings he describes the citys growth & government & the many dramatic episodes in its life. He of many of its famous residents but above all describes the life of the ordinary people through the centuries
- how they earned their livings their living conditions with problems of poverty & health their schooling & how they enjoyed their leisure time. Important new themes treated in this edition include the roles played by women in the city over the centuries; the constant flow of people & ideas between Norwich & its continental neighbours; & the changing ways in which crime has been punished for both adults & the young. This colourful fully updated edition will be warmly welcomed by local historians while its attractive style & presentation will ensure its popularity with the general reader whether resident or visitor."
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The classic French erotic bestseller that preceded Fifty Shades of Grey. A beautiful young French woman known only as 'O' is taken by her lover Rene to a splendid mansion near Paris. Here she is initiated into an elite secret society where she must learn to serve the sexual fantasies of Rene & his fellow members. But she must also explore the nature of her own darkest desires
- & confront just how far she is willing to go for love...
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Parisian photographer O returns to the place of her sexual initiation
- the elegant chateau Roissy. Here she submits completely
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The Story of Philosophy sees philosophy for what it is: a passionate exhilarating quest for human understanding that cannot be reduced to dry categories or simple definitions. Its a story with plot twists a murder accidental discoveries disastrous love affairs geniuses idiots monks & vagabonds. At the heart of it all are the ideas & obsessions that have captured great thinkers from the very beginning. Packed with intriguing anecdotes & fascinating detail James Garvey & Jeremy Stangroom bring us face to face with the most important philosophers in western history. Rigorous refreshingly free of academic jargon & highly accessible this is the ideal introduction for anyone who wants to gain a new perspective on philosophys biggest thoughts. ...

This title explores 2 500 years of Western philosophy. In this updated guide to philosophy Professor Bryan Magee expertly guides us through the history of ideas & thinking tracing over 2 500 years of Western philosophy from the Ancient Greeks to modern thinkers. Discover what philosophy is how philosophers have questioned the fundamental principles underlying all knowledge & existence & address lifes big questions such as What is being & Can the existence of God be proved. Covering every major philosopher from Plato to Popper via Saint Augustine Locke & Nietzsche explore these great thinkers in their historical context & learn the influences that shaped their lives & work. It is an essential guide to this fascinating subject. ...

This dream-laden & spooked (Marina Warner London Review of Books) story is to many one of the best-loved books of the twentieth century. Munthe spent many years working as a doctor in Southern Italy labouring unstintingly during typhus cholera & earthquake disasters. It was during this period that he came across the ruined Tiberian villa of San Michele perched high above the glittering Bay of Naples on Capri. With the help of Mastro Nicola & his three sons & with only a charcoal sketch roughly drawn on a garden wall to guide them Munthe devoted himself to rebuilding the house & chapel. Over five long summers they toiled under a sapphire-blue sky their mad-cap project leading them to buried skeletons & ancient coins & to hilarious encounters with a rich cast of vividly-drawn villagers. The Story of San Michele reverberates with the mesmerising hum of a long hot Italian summer. Peopled with unforgettable characters it is as brilliantly enjoyable & readable today as it was upon first publication. The book quickly became an international bestseller & has now been translated into more than 30 languages; it is today an established classic & sales number in the millions. ...

The story of Scotland from the Ice Age to the Vikings the Picts & the Romans to Robert the Bruce Mary Queen of Scots Bonnie Prince Charlie Flora Macdonald Sir Walter Scott Logie Baird Keir Hardie & many more famous Scots up to the present day. Each page is packed with colourful pictures & witty captions & speech bubbles & a pithy text gives the facts & tells the story. This is a fun book but it covers the material in a way that will make it attractive both to schools & to tourists. With NESSIE THE LOCH NESS MONSTER a continuing bestseller in Scotland Richard Brassey is the perfect author/illustrator for a book that should have a long life ahead. His co-author Stewart Ross is an ex-teacher with a special interest in Scottish history. ...

Soho has always been a source of fascination. A district quite unlike any other in London where glamour meets squalor & then often merges. It is different never mirroring the changes of its more fashionable neighbours. It seduces & destroys in equal measures. The Windmill Theatre opened in 1932 & after entertaining audiences through thirty-two years of dramatic change in Soho finally closed its doors in 1964. In this book the Windmill forms the backdrop against which Mike Hutton explores all the diversity taking place in the surrounding streets of this unique district during a period of social & moral change. There is the influence of the many nationalities living there during the years leading up to the war. Organised crime existing alongside leading West End theatres & restaurants. The arrival of the GIs with money to burn & time on their hands. The black market booms. Want some nylons? How about a gun? No problem. Falling bombs bring terror but there is still time to party. Then its all over & nationally austerity takes hold but never quite in Soho. The squeaky clean Windmill girls are joined by models baring all in the burgeoning strip clubs. There is money to be made dodgy policemen to be paid off & violence simmers away to a background of music. ...

The Story of Spain" is a story of kings & poets saints & conquistadors emperors & revolutionaries. It is the story of Torquemada Cervantes Picasso Franco Saint Theresa & of the Alhambra & the Escorial. Drawing on years of rigorous research & written with the flair of a master storyteller this superb new edition draws together the myriad fragments of Spanish history
- from its prehistory right up to the 2008 elections
- to re-create the drama excitement & pathos that is the story of one of Europes most fascinating countries."

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Annie Leonard creator of the internet film sensation The Story of Stuff" viewed over 6 million times offers an astonishing galvanizing book that tells the story of all the stuff we use everyday
- where our bottled water mobile phones & jeans come from how theyre made & distributed & where they really go when we throw them away. Our out-of-control consumption habits are killing the planet & threatening our health but Annie provides hope that change is within reach. Like " An Inconvenient Truth & Silent Spring" " The Story of Stuff" will be an instant classic."
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