FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR One country four languages 26 cantons & 7.5 million people (but only 80% of them Swiss): there's nowhere else in Europe like it. Switzerland may be almost 400 km from the nearest drop of seawater but it is an island at the centre of Europe. Welcome to the landlocked isl&. Switzerland is the country that not only gave us triangular chocolate & holey cheese but also the world's first Toilet Duck (1980) & Velcro (1955). A country famous for its punctual trains & strict neutrality
- but what lies behind these stereotypes? What does Switzerland look like from the inside? Swiss Watching is a revealing historical journey around Europe's most individual & misunderstood country. From seeking Heidi & finding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past & exploring an uncertain future Swiss Watching proves that there's more to Switzerland than banks & skis francs & cheese. In the land of cultural contradictions this is a picture of the real & normally unseen Switzerland a place where the breathtaking scenery shaped a nation not just a tour itinerary & where tradition is as important as innovation. It's also the story of its people who have more power than their politicians but can't speak to one another in the same language
- & who own more guns per head than the people of Iraq. As for those national cliches well not all the cheese has holes cuckoo clocks aren't Swiss & the trains don't always run exactly on time. & if you think Roger Federer is the only famous Swiss big cheese think again!

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Dont Think. Dont Question. Just Do. The anonymous note wasnt for me. Dont get me wrong Im not in the habit of reading other peoples mail but it was just a piece of paper with a few lines scrawled on it clearly meant for the apartment upstairs. It looked so innocent... It was not. Before the notes if a man had told me what to do Id have told him where to go. But theres something freeing about doing someones bidding. In fact the more I surrender the more powerful I feel. Its time to switch the roles... Were playing by my rules now. ...

Introducing Max Ward a modern spy in a dangerous world. Know your enemy... Spared certain expulsion by a faceless puppet-master MI6 spook Max Ward is happy riding an analysts desk at the British Embassy in The Hague & seeing his married lover whenever their schedules allow. Then out of nowhere the favour is called in. The same puppeteer finally breaks cover. Hes been watching Max since before he was recruited & now he wants him to face down an enemy Max knows only too well. An enemy both of them have good reason to pursue & even better reason to leave well alone. Maxs carefully-ordered world is turned upside down as a mission with no escape routes forces him to confront everything hes forgotten & everyone hes betrayed. A mission that will finally force him to make a deal with the devil himself. Max Ward is a modern spy in a dangerous world. A world where counter intelligence drug cartels & global terrorism intersect. A world where the beauty of an Old Master painting hides a deadly game of deal double cross & revenge. ...

Olivia Abbott is a cheerleader
- pretty clothes pretty hair & pretty perfect. Ivy Vega is definitely not the cheerleading type
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Wendy Everly knew she was different the day her mother tried to kill her & accused her of having been switched at birth. Although certain she's not the monster her mother claims she is -- she does feel that she doesn't quite fit in.. . She's bored & frustrated by her small town life -- & then there's the secret that she can't tell anyone. Her mysterious ability -- she can influence people's decisions without knowing how or why.. . When the intense & darkly handsome newcomer Finn suddenly turns up at her bedroom window one night -- her world is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past the answers to her strange powers & is the doorway to a place she never imagined could exist. Forening the home of the Trylle. Finally everything makes sense. Among the Trylle Wendy is not just different but special. But what marks her out as chosen for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger. With everything around her changing Finn is the only person she can trust. But dark forces are conspiring -- not only to separate them but to see the downfall everything that Wendy cares about. The fate of Forening rests in Wendy's hands & the decisions she & Finn make could change all their lives forever.. . ...

Switzerland is one of those countries where everything works -- & this extends to its transport system whose trains buses & boats purr in seamless harmony. This fully updated guide has the latest route information -- including the recent opening of the Lotschberg base tunnel -- & provides everything a traveller needs to negotiate both the famous landmarks & little-known secrets of this compact country. It describes every railway line reveals what there is to see from each station & details the connecting journeys by steamer postbus funicular cablecar bicycle & on foot. ...

Switzerland is home to the world's finest public transport system. You can't reach much of the country by car but travellers can hop from steamer to cycle to scenic rail route with ease allowing them to explore this alpine landscape & picturesque towns at a more relaxed pace. It is home to some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world with peaks such as the Matterhorn Eiger & Jungfrau. As a result much of its cultural attractions are largely overlooked. Switzerland has thousands of fine museums castles mansions & outstanding churches together with vernacular buildings. The collections of its major art galleries collections would hold their own with most capital cities. This guide fully updated with the latest route information explores the length & breadth of the country by public transport. There is a detailed section on understanding the Swiss Travel System to help travellers get the most from their visit. Author Anthony Lambert outlines special train routes such as the Glacier Express & the Pre-Alpine Express & describes every railway line & what there is to see from each station as well as connecting journeys by steamer postbus furnicular cableway bicycle & foot. Swizerland without a Car" showcases the unique features of each station such as luggage forwarding cycle hire walking routes & even the station cafe which is used by locals because of its quality. He helps travellers rediscover the environmentally friendly way to travel." ...

Professor Jack Goodrich has a prestigious job in Cairo & a happy family life with his wife & ten-year-old daughter. When hes offered the chance to authenticate potentially priceless artefacts including a sword he thinks his dreams have come true. But as soon as they are in his possession the nightmare begins with the death of his wife & daughter. The sword appears to be the property of the descendent of the Prophet Mohammed & the people who want it will do anything to get it. Once the descendent has it he will declare jihad on all non-Muslims. Only a strange beautiful woman known as Scheherazade can help him. Together they must decide what to do with the sword & try to prevent the destruction of the world as we know it. ...

Bestselling author Simon Scarrow brings the Great Siege of Malta to vivid & unforgettable life in this gripping standalone novel. 1565 Malta: a vital outpost between the divided nations of Europe & the relentlessly expanding Ottoman Empire. Faced with ferocious attack by a vast Turkish fleet the knights of the Order of St John fear annihilation. Amongst those called to assist is disgraced veteran Sir Thomas Barrett. Loyalty & instinct compel him to put the Order above all other concerns yet his allegiance is divided. At Queen Elizabeths command he must search for a hidden scroll guarded by the knights that threatens her reign. As Sir Thomas confronts the past that cost him his honour & a secret that has long lain buried a vast enemy army arrives to lay siege to the isl&... ...

Bestselling author Simon Scarrow brings the Great Siege of Malta to vivid & unforgettable life in this gripping standalone novel. 1565 Malta: a vital outpost between the divided nations of Europe & the relentlessly expanding Ottoman Empire. Faced with ferocious attack by a vast Turkish fleet the knights of the Order of St John fear annihilation. Amongst those called to assist is disgraced veteran Sir Thomas Barrett. Loyalty & instinct compel him to put the Order above all other concerns yet his allegiance is divided. At Queen Elizabeth's command he must search for a hidden scroll guarded by the knights that threatens her reign. As Sir Thomas confronts the past that cost him his honour & a secret that has long lain buried a vast enemy army arrives to lay siege to the isl&... ...