On 20th May the Indian summer monsoon will begin to envelop the country in two great wet arms one coming from the east the other from the west. They are united over central India around 10th July a date that can be calculated within seven or eight days. Alexander Frater aims to follow the monsoon staying sometimes behind it sometimes in front of it & everywhere watching the impact of this extraordinary phenomenon. During the anxious period of waiting the weather forecaster is king consulted by pie-crested cockatoos & a joyful period ensues: there is a period of promiscuity & scandals proliferate. Fraters journey takes him to Bangkok & the cowboy town on the Thai-Malaysian border to Rangoon & Akyab in Burma (where the front funnels up between the mountains & the sea). His fascinating narrative reveals the exotic often startling discoveries of an ambitious & irresistibly romantic adventurer. ...

Ten years ago Manuel Queiroz declared his intention to fly solo around the world. Having just beaten cancer he was buoyed by the recent brush with mortality & ready to take on a life-changing goal. Five years ago he fulfilled his ultimate dream & Chasing the Morning Sun" is the exhilarating story of his record-breaking journey. In February 2006 Manuel circumnavigated the globe in a home-built aeroplane on an adventure which took him 27 056 miles. The journey lasted thirty-nine days as he made eighteen stops in twelve different countries becoming the only Briton ever to achieve this feat. & for this he was honoured by the Royal Aero Club with their highest award the Britannia Trophy which was bestowed on him by His Royal Highness the Duke of York. Taking off from an icy Britain he was within days flying over burning deserts through tropical rainstorms & the sweltering equatorial heat. Within a week he had landed on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The journey wasn't all plain sailing there were dangers to confront & overcome: flying through sandstorms in the Saudi desert terrifying electric storms taking off from unlit runways at night & the ever present possibility of mechanical failure over an inhospitable ocean. It was a truly solo effort. There was no co-pilot to take over the controls when exhaustion set in no ground staff to handle repairs no one to check the route or the weather or to turn to for advice when critical decisions had to be made. An inspiring tale of personal strife against impossible odds both inside & outside the cockpit makes " Chasing the Morning Sun" not just a book for pilots or adventurers but for anyone looking for inspiration from the realisation of a lifelong ambition." ...

Private Investigator Nikki James is in San Francisco at the request of her business partner & best friend Jake. His friends wife is missing & he is determined to find her. The authorities believe the kidnapping is the work of a sick mind
- Nikki knows it is something much worse. Vampires. Michael Kelly has returned from a vampire hunting exhibition in his homeland & wants to relax. When he discovers Nikkis gone to San Francisco he has no choice but to follow
- not only to keep her safe from the vampire gang but because he fears the psychic talents shes beginning to develop. As the body count begins to rise so too does the danger. Soon Nikki becomes a target but she has no intention of obeying Michaels demands that she leave. Shes tired of playing it safe & wants him to realise its all or nothing...

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A wonderful collection of short stories both traditional & modern by 12 authors from all across Africa. Old fables that have been passed down through the decades sit alongside contemporary tales giving a stirring insight into the continent & its storytelling tradition. The book

Includes:: maps & is boldly illustrated by Veronique herself giving it an authentic ethnic feel.

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When her father disappears in war-torn Mississippi Hannah Dandridge finds herself responsible not only for her younger siblings but for the ranch her father recently acquired on the Texas plains. Though a marriage of convenience could ease her predicament she determines to trust God for direction. Wounded soldier William Barnett returns to his home only to discover that his familys ranch has been seized. Though angry & bitter at this turn of events hes surprised to discover that it is a beautiful young woman with amazing fortitude who is struggling to keep the place running. Hannah desperate for help & William desperate to regain his familys land form an uneasy truce. But nearby Comanche tribes the arrival of Confederate soldiers & a persistent suitor all threaten the growing attraction that builds between them. Will they be able to set aside their own dreams & embrace the promise of a future together? ...

Sebastian at 17 has never eaten pizza never been to school never even hung out with other kids. He rides the subway at night to escape his fathers strict possessive parenting. Maria 22 & mother to two young children has just lost her job. Afraid to confess to her violent boyfriend Maria resorts to riding the subway when he thinks shes at work. & then one night on an empty train Sebastian & Maria make eye contact. ...

Cat language is both complex & multi-faceted: cats do much more than just miaow hiss & purr! Find out what your little tiger is really saying with all its many different sounds facial expression & gestures body posture & little behavioural quirks. Once you understand your cat better you can get to grips with some of the typical problems of living together & develop an even closer bond with your moggy. It contains: the whole range of cat sounds from purring to wailing; facial expressions gestures posture & body language; how cats live & socialise; the territory of outdoor & indoor cats; conflict behaviour under stress; & play behaviour & hunting for prey. ...

Only Willoughby Tetford the American self-made millionaire was shrewd enough to have any misgivings when his beautiful daughter Willow married the handsome English aristocrat. Willow herself seventeen innocent & deeply in love with her new husband Rowell Rochford had complete trust & confidence in the future as she arrived at Rochford Manor in Engl&. & when Rowells matriarchal French grandmother handed her the keys of the house & told she was the new Chatelaine Willow believed she held the keys not only to the multitude of rooms of which she was now the mistress but also to love & happiness. On her arrival she is greeted warmly by her four brothers-in-law: Tony quiet & studious; Pelham teasing & flirtatious the spoilt Francis & the sensitive Rupert. But she has no inkling of the obsession which grips old Lady Rochford because of events in the past to which she Willow is ignorant. Nor does she realise the terrible repercussions the obsession will have on her own life. ...

Founded in 1570 Chatham Dockyard quickly became one of the most important naval yards for the repair & building of warships maintaining a pre-eminent position for the next 400 years. Located on the River Medway in all the yard was responsible for the construction of over 500 warships these ranging from simple naval pinnaces through to first-rates that fought at Trafalgar & concluding with the hunter-killer submarines of the nuclear age. In this detailed new history of the yard from experienced local & maritime author Philip Mac Dougall particular attention is given to the final two hundred years of the yards history the artisans & labourers who worked there & the changing methods used in the construction of some of the finest warships to enter naval service. Coinciding with the dockyards seeking status as a World Heritage site this fascinating history places Chatham firmly in its overall historical context. ...

Chatsworth is one of Englands ten most visited great houses. In this tour of the house Deborah Duchess of Devonshire takes the reader into the private as well as the public rooms & goes behind the scenes to explain the management of the household & the work of the staff needed to keep it going. To visit the Chatsworth website click here" ...