Olivia Bevelstroke the only daughter of the Earl of Rudland is beautiful & has a sizeable dowry. Yet at the age of twenty-one she is still unmarried causing people to whisper behind her back What is she waiting for? A prince? But Olivia isnt cold or stuck up & neither is she a hopeless romantic. Shes just waiting for something
- or someone. Sir Harry Valentine a war veteran is now back in London working in secret for the War Office & keeping an eye on his wayward younger brother. Rumour has it that he killed his fiancee which intrigues Olivia. She thinks her new next-door neighbour looks the part & even if he isnt a murderer hes certainly up to something. Then a real-live Russian prince comes to town sparking intrigue. He has his eye on Olivia but so does Harry whos been ordered to spy on the prince
- & thus by extension Olivia. But will what he finds out about her bring her closer to his heart?

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What happens when the Queen burps? She issues a royal pardon! Come inside for more hilarious jokes & rhymes as well as teasing tongue twisters ridiculous riddles loopy limericks batty booklists potty proverbs & much much more. You'll laugh your head off! ...

From Indian vultures to Chinese bees Nature provides the 'natural services' that keep the economy going. From the recycling miracles in the soil; an army of predators ridding us of unwanted pests; an abundance of life creating a genetic codebook that underpins our food pharmaceutical industries & much more it has been estimated that these & other services are each year worth about double global GDP. Yet we take most of Nature's services for granted imagining them free & limitless.. .until they suddenly switch off. This is a book full of immediate impactful stories containing both warnings (such as in the tale of India's vultures killed off by drugs given to cattle leading to an epidemic of rabies) but also the positive (how birds protect fruit harvests coral reefs protect coasts from storms & how the rainforests absorb billions of tonnes of carbon released from cars & power stations). Tony Juniper's book will change whole way you think about life the planet & the economy. ...

The Oxford History of the United States is by far the most respected multi-volume history of our nation. In this prize-winning critically acclaimed addition to the series historian Daniel Walker Howe illuminates the period from the battle of New Orleans to the end of the Mexican-American War an era when the United States expanded to the Pacific & won control over the richest part of the North American continent. Howe's panoramic narrative portrays revolutionary improvements in transportation & communications that accelerated the extension of the American empire. Railroads canals newspapers & the telegraph dramatically lowered travel times & spurred the spread of information. These innovations prompted the emergence of mass political parties & stimulated America's economic development from an overwhelmingly rural country to a diversified economy in which commerce & industry took their place alongside agriculture. In his story the author weaves together political & military events with social economic & cultural history. He examines the rise of Andrew Jackson & his Democratic party but contends that John Quincy Adams & other Whigs--advocates of public education & economic integration defenders of the rights of Indians women & African-Americans--were the true prophets of America's future. He reveals the power of religion to shape many aspects of American life during this period including slavery & antislavery women's rights & other reform movements politics education & literature. Howe's story of American expansion culminates in the bitterly controversial but brilliantly executed war waged against Mexico to gain California & Texas for the United States. Winner of the New-York Historical Society American History Book Prize Finalist 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction ...

Victim awareness & the needs of victims of crime are a major societal concern. What Have I Done?" is a course to encourage empathy in young people who commit crimes or hurt others through their actions. It is designed to be used directly with young people who have committed a specific crime or caused harm & distress to others through their actions & challenges the young person to face the harm they have caused & consider what they can do to help put things right. The course is flexible & interactive & can be used on an individual basis or with small groups & is suitable for young people with limited literacy. The exercises are challenging & aim to be engaging through the use of creative arts film role-play & discussion. Clear guidance is provided for the course leader & evaluation is built into the course including a psychometric test. A DVD to help stimulate discussion is also included. " What Have I Done?" will be ideal for victim empathy work in Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions & can equally be used in schools children homes youth groups & any context with young people." ...

We all know Jeeves & Wooster but which is the best Jeeves story? We all know Blandings but which is the funniest tale about Lord Emsworth & his adored prize-winning pig? & would the best of Ukridge or the yarns of the Oldest Member or Wodehouses Hollywood stories outdo them? This bumper anthology means that you can choose bringing you the cream of the crop of stories by the twentieth centurys greatest humorous writer. There are favourites aplenty in this selection which has been compiled with enthusiastic support from P.G. Wodehouse societies around the world. With additional material including novel extracts working drafts articles letters & poems this anthology provides the best overall celebration of side-splitting humour & sheer good nature available in the pages of any book. ...

Sophie Sturgeon cant wait for her annual summer holiday. Not only will it be a week away from work it will be a chance to reconnect with her boyfriend Callum. So this upcoming trip to Majorca is a big deal. Sophies spent a lot of time getting ready. Shes bought a new wardrobe. Shes been waxed to within an inch of her life. Shes determined she & Callum will have the best time ever. Then Callum dumps her the night before theyre due to leave. In a show of bravery & independence Sophie says shell go to Majorca alone
- but in fact she hides in her London flat. But when her friends family & even Callum seem so surprised & delighted at her single girl courage Sophie decides to go all out & recreate the ultimate fake break.. .with hilarious results.
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In part one read about the time Jon inadvertently made a lewd gesture to a passing fourteen-year-old girl late at night in the lobby of a country-house hotel. & about his burgeoning obsession with a new neighbour who refused to ask him what he did for a living despite Jon's constant dropping of intriguing hints. & about the embarrassment of being caught recycling small talk at a party. In part two read some of Jon's longer stories which explore manifestations of insanity in the wider world: the tiny town of North Pole Alaska where it's Christmas 365 days of the year; behind the scenes at Deal or No Deal which Jon likens to a cult with Noel Edmonds as its high priest; a meeting with TV hypnotist Paul Mc Kenna who has joined forces with a self-help guru who once stood trial for murder -- but can they cure Jon of his one big phobia? As hilarious as it is perturbing Jon Ronson's new collection is a treat for everyone who has ever suspected themselves to be at the mercy of forces they can barely comprehend. ...

This is the story of two men who first become friends in 1970s New York of the women in their lives & of their sons born the same year. Both Leo Hertzberg an art historian & Bill Weschler a painter are cultured decent men but neither is equipped to deal with what happens to their children
- Leos son drowns when hes 12 while Bills son Mark grows up to be a delinquent & the acolyte of a sinister guru-like artist who spawns murder in his wake. Spanning the hedonism of the eighties & the chill-out nineties this multi-layered novel combines a plot of mounting menace with a deeply moving account of familial relationships & a superbly observed portrait of an artist set against the backdrop of a society reaching new depths of depravity in its frenetic quest for the next fashion drug & thrill.
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In 1982 having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later hed completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon & now after dozens of such races he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life & on his writing. Equal parts travelogue training log & reminiscence this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon & settings ranging from Tokyos Jingu Gaien gardens where he once shared the course with an Olympian to the Charles River in Boston. Funny & sobering playful & philosophical What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a must read for fans of this masterful yet private writer as well as for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in distance running. ...