When Bill Masen wakes up blindfolded in hospital there is a bitter irony in his situation. Carefully removing his bandages he realizes that he is the only person who can see: everyone else doctors & patients alike have been blinded by a meteor shower. Now with civilization in chaos the triffids
- huge venomous large-rooted plants able to 'walk' feeding on human flesh
- can have their day. The Day of the Triffids" published in 1951 expresses many of the political concerns of its time: the Cold War the fear of biological experimentation & the man-made apocalypse. However with its terrifyingly believable insights into the genetic modification of plants the book is more relevant today than ever before. John Wyndham was born in 1903. After a wide experience of the English preparatory school he was at Bedales from 1918 to 1921. Careers which he tried included farming law commercial art & advertising & he first started writing short stories intended for sale in 1925. During the war he was in the Civil Service & afterwards in the Army. In 1946 he began writing his major science fiction novels including " The Kraken Wakes" " The Chrysalids" & " The Midwich Cuckoos"."

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In 1993 -- a decade ahead of its time -- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine began with an eerily prophetic & untold back story: the controversial military occupation of an alien world & the violent insurgency that fought against it. Now that full shattering saga of warring ideologies national security terrorism greed secret intelligence moral compromise & embattled faith is given its due in the epic Terok Nor trilogy. In Day of the Vipers what starts as a benign visitation to the bountiful planet Bajor from the resource-poor Cardassian Union soon becomes a conflict of competing national interests. Seen though the eyes of participants on both sides -- among them an ambitious young Cardassian officer named Skrain Dukat -- the personal political & religious struggles between the two peoples quickly spiral out of control shaping the futures of both heroes & villains in an unforgettable emotionally wrought & action-packed tale of tragedy & hope. ...

Schoolboy time-traveller Jack Christie is thrown back to 1940s Nazi-occupied France. With the Battle of Britain & the German Vengeance programme underway the Second World War is at a crucial point. Jack & his best friend Angus take a more senior role in VIGILs attempts to prevent intervention in history attempting to stop the Revisionists from their highly volatile nuclear plan to stop the war. With spitfire dogfights jeep races & thrilling chases the boys have their most hair-raising adventure yet including involvement in an assassination attempt on Hitler himself. Just as all seems lost Jacks father returns & a nuclear disaster is averted in the nick of time. ...

In the early evening of 16 October 1834 to the horror of bystanders a huge ball of fire exploded through the roof of the Houses of Parliament creating a blaze so enormous that it could be seen by the King & Queen at Windsor & from stagecoaches on top of the South Downs. In front of hundreds of thousands of witnesses the great conflagration destroyed Parliaments glorious old buildings & their contents. No one who witnessed the disaster would ever forget it. The events of that October day in 1834 were as shocking & significant to contemporaries as the death of Princess Diana was to us at the end of the 20th century
- yet today this national catastrophe is a forgotten disaster not least because Barry & Pugins monumental new Palace of Westminster has obliterated all memory of its 800 year-old predecessor. Rumours as to the fires cause were rife. Was it arson terrorism the work of foreign operatives a kitchen accident careless builders or even divine judgement on politicians? In this the first full-length book on the subject head Parliamentary Archivist Caroline Shenton unfolds the gripping story of the fire over the course of that fateful day & night. In the process she paints a skilful portrait of the political & social context of the time including details of the slums of Westminster & the frenzied expansion of the West End; the plight of the London Irish; child labour sinecures & corruption in high places; fire-fighting techniques & floating engines; the Great Reform Act & the new Poor Law; Captain Swing & arson at York Minster; the parlous state of public buildings & records in the Georgian period; & above all the symbolism which many contemporaries saw in the spectacular fall of a national icon.
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Day Skipper for Sail & Power is a major reference book for anyone following the RYA Day Skipper course. Right up to date with new developments & covering all the theory & practical aspects of the RYA Day Skipper Certificate with full colour photography & helpful diagrams it is also a clear & simple introduction to pilotage navigation & general boatwork for anyone intending to make coastal passages in a small boat. With its refreshingly practical approach & by the same author as the highly successful Yachtmaster TM for Sail & Power no one intending to follow an RYA Day Skipper course whether for sail or power can afford to be without this lively helpful guide to complement the course & assist with exam preparation. An accompanying Day Skipper Exercises for Sail & Power is available. ...

Day Walks in the North York Moors" is the sixth title in Vertebrate Publishings series of compact & portable hill walking guidebooks. This book showcases 20 circular routes between 6 & 14 miles (9km & 22km) in length suitable for hill walkers of all abilities. The routes are split into three areas
- The Cleveland Hills Central Moors & Coastal Walks
- & include walks to the most historic & beautiful areas of the Moors including Lord Stones Wainstones & Clay Bank Rievaulx Abbey Blakey Ridge & Farndale the Hole of Horcum & the stunning coastline at Robin Hoods Bay & Ravenscar. The author of this guidebook Tony Harker is a Moors local & keen hill walker. This is Tonys second book with Vertebrate Publishing following the successful & popular " North York Moors Mountain Biking". Each route in this guide is described with easy-to-follow directions & details of distance navigation information refreshment stops & is plotted on clear & easy to use Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 mapping. Also included is a detailed Appendix. Vertebrate Publishing is dedicated to producing the very best outdoor leisure titles. We have award-winning & bestselling titles covering a range of activities including; mountain biking cycling rock climbing hill walking & others. We are best known for our own titles such as " Lake District Mountain Biking" " Dark Peak Mountain Biking" & " Revelations" the award-winning autobiography of rock climber Jerry Moffatt."

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Walking the streets of Moscow indistinguishable from the rest of its population are The Others. Possessors of supernatural powers & capable of entering the Twilight a shadowy world that exists in parallel to our own each owes allegiance either to The Dark or The Light. In The Day Watch" second book of the " Night Watch" trilogy Alice a young but powerful Dark Other attends a planning meeting with her comrades in the Day Watch. The team is on a mission to apprehend an uninitiated Other a practicing Dark witch who has so far eluded the bureaux responsible for finding & initiating unlicensed practitioners of magic. It seems a routine operation. But when they arrive the Night Watch team has already made the arrest. A fierce battle ensues during which Alice almost dies. Drained of her powers she is sent to recuperate at a youth camp near the Black Sea. There she meets Igor; the chemistry between them is instant & irresistible. But then comes a shattering realisation: Igor is a Light Mage. Suddenly Alice remembers him as one of those involved in the battle that left her crippled. Now that they know there is no alternative to a magical duel a battle that neither of them wants to win..." ...

If you love horses
- youll be fascinated by this special activity day-out. Youll join a professional Equine vet as they spend the
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This is the essential day-by-day advice for your baby's exciting first year. The Day-by-Day Baby Book" is the only book that new parents need for the extraordinary first year of their baby's life. Covering every single day of the first twelve months & all aspects of baby care & development the book has unrivalled detail on everything from breast feeding to bonding all provided by a team of experts including paediatricians midwives psychologists & nutritionists. Companion to the popular The " Day-by-Day Pregnancy Book" you'll find unbiased advice on babycare providing you with the pros & cons of various approaches as well as practical "how to" boxes & a comprehensive health section on common childhood ailments. The " Day-by-Day Baby Book" is the perfect companion to have with you throughout your baby's first year." ...

This is the complete guide to pregnancy day-by-day. No other pregnancy book provides this level of detail allied with such extraordinary photographs 3D scans & illustrations which reveal in unprecedented clarity exactly what is happening to you & your baby every single day. From early foetal development to how your hormones prepare you for birth learn from world-class experts. Plus obstetricians midwives & parents advise on your baby's development medical matters your changing body diet fitness & much more. A special hour-by-hour rundown of what to expect during & immediately after birth plus further reassurance for the first two weeks of your baby's life will give a helping hand through the culmination of your pregnancy from pain relief to those first intimate & unique moments between you & your child. ...