The major exhibition Catherine the Great: An Enlightened Empress marks the 250th anniversary of Catherines ascension to the Russian throne. It also marks the longstanding connections between Scotland & Russia. Opening on 13 July 2012 at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh (its only venue) the exhibition has been co-developed by the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. Catherine (1729-96) one of Russias most successful rulers was also one of the greatest art collectors of all time. The exhibition
Includes:: costumes & uniforms; snuffboxes inlaid with precious gems gold & silver; Ancient Greek & Roman carved cameos depicting figures from biblical stories mythology & history; & many of the finest examples of porcelain glass metal & polished stone items ever made in Russia. It also

Includes:: a newly restored. full-length portrait of the Empress in her coronation robes by the court painter Virgilus Eriksen. This book has eight illustrated essays by experts in the fields of Russian history & art followed by a selected catalogue of the 300+ exhibits. There is also a hardback edition.


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Empress empire-builder intellectual art-collector & lover
- this magnificent new biography does full justice to a truly remarkable
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Many legends have grown up about the sexual rapacity of Catherine the Great. While it is true that she shocked the Russian court with the number & age of her lovers there is no truth in the rumour of her death by stallion. Unhappily married to the Grand Duke Peter a man who preferred to play with his toy soldiers in the bedroom they failed to produce an heir & Catherine turned her attentions to a certain Sergey Saltykov who fathered the future Tsar Paul I. Six months into the reign of Peter III Catherine supported by the Imperial Guard staged a successful coup against her husband & became Empress. It was her ambition to transform a vast but semi-barbaric country with the cultural & political reforms of Enlightenment Europe. In this timely & fascinating biography Virginia Rounding reveals an extraordinary woman in all her complexity. ...

Historys greatest love story Catherine the Great & Potemkin is a sweeping epic of sex love power conquest & extravagance on a magnificent Russian scale. Not only was only was their romance wildly passionate but they were also probably the most successful political partnership of all outstripping Antony & Cleopatra or Napoleon & Josephine. Their secret letters which discuss other lovers sex wars politics arts & health are surely the most intimate & extraordinary ever written by an empress or politician. Both characters in this joint biography based on new archives are fascinating: she a German princess married lovelessly at 14 to the Russian heir combined charm passion & political genius. She ruthlessly seized power & ruled triumphantly for thirty years; he
- a brilliant flamboyant politician strategist & conqueror of wild eccentricity & debauchery. Outrageously sexual & political he was the love of her life. They shocked Europe by taking younger lovers yet they secretly married & ruled together as best friends & lifelong lovers.
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A new edition of the Bible aimed especially at Roman Catholics including both the anglicized Catholic text of the NRSV translation & the much loved Grail Psalms. For years Catholics have been waiting for a Bible including both the NRSV Bible & the Grail Psalms. Now it is here at last. The NRSV is increasingly becoming the most popular translation among Catholics & it will be used in the new edition of the Lectionary which is coming soon. The much loved Grail Psalms are already in wide liturgical use & will continue to be. This Bible also

Includes:: additional features such as Mass Readings & maps.

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As the first truly easy-to-read Bible translation & still the UKs most popular the Good News Bible is the ideal Bible for personal & church use. This new edition with Apocrypha & Deuterocanonical books is designed for Catholic readers. The Good News Bible was a bestseller from its first publication as Good News for Modern Man providing a unique combination of accessibility & faithfulness to the best Greek & Hewbrew sources. It has earned the respect of a wide range of scholars for its accuracy & reliability & because it is easy to read & understand it is suitable for people of all ages. With the inclusion of the Apocrypha & Deuterocanonical books & accordingly complete with Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur this Good News Bible is the perfect choice for Catholic readers. ...

The easy way to grasp the ins & outs of Catholicism Catholicism For Dummies is not a catechism or religious textbook but a casual down-to-earth introduction for Catholics & non-Catholics. It gives commonsense explanations of Catholic weddings Baptisms funerals Confirmations & First Communions. Youll also discover other important topics that can help you better understand the Catholic culture--from morality & devotions to worship & liturgy. There are more than one billion Catholics in the world & each one shares a foundational set of basic beliefs & practices that he or she follows. Some of the teachings of Catholicism are thousands of years old while others are more recent. So what is the Catholic culture like & what do they believe? Catholicism For Dummies answers these & many other questions. Various stances within American Catholicism today Covers the death of John Paul II & the succession of Pope Benedict XVI who has supported the return of the Latin Mass among congregations who desire to celebrate it Expanded information on baptism confirmation & the other sacraments New information about the priesthood & religious life today Twenty-first-century issues & questions modern Catholics face including gay marriage abortion & the death penalty Catholicism For Dummies presents a rich tapestry & history of the Catholic faith--from devotions to doctrines. This intelligent & faithful look at Catholicism will open your eyes to this religion & answer many of the questions you may have about it. ...

When 17-year-old Cathy wakes up one morning to discover a needlepoint near her elbow her mother is typically suspicious & worried. But Cathy has other ideas & quickly puts them into action. In pursuit of her missing boyfriend (who she feels must be linked to the strange mark on her arm) she starts piecing some startling facts together which lead her into the dangerous underworld of San Franciscos China Town. Throughout her findings Cathy keeps a secret journal & gathers many items of evidence as well as telephone numbers & websites
- leaving it all for her friend Emma to find should Cathy go too far & not come back. All this evidence can be found integrated into the book & also available to download online. Readers who fully explore this compelling & unique novel will enter an alternate reality as they reach deeper into the thrilling mystery of Cathys world.
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Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand attempts to capture the charm & elegance of the cat with a series of portraits with & without their owners & in all their moods. Arranged by breed the book begins with short-haired cats including the sturdy British shorthair the curly-coated Cornish Rex the elegant Abyssinian & the hairless Sphinx
- so ugly that only its owners could love it. Further chapters look at medium & long-haired cats such as the Scottish Fold & the Maine Coon & the Oriental breeds including the fabulously fluffy Persians. The casting" for these pictures was done by an international cat show judge to select the best representatives of each breed. As well as giving full descriptions of each breed to accompany the photographs the text explores the history & mythology of the cat."
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All drawing is based on the construction of simple lines & shapes. This easy-to-follow book teaches how to draw short-haired & long-haired cats & kittens in extremely easy step-by-step stages. Polly Pinder

Includes:: a good selection of all the favourite breeds including domestic & pedigree cats as well as the amazingly patterned tabbies. Even absolute beginners will be able to create great drawings following these illustrations. This title

Includes:: a great variety of breeds. It offers extremely simple step-by-step drawing method. It is great for beginners or any artist wanting to brush up their drawing skills.



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