London 15 September 1940. In & out of the clouds above the British capital one of the most decisive battles of the Second World War was taking place. The Luftwaffes massive air assault aimed to force Britain to sue for peace or by seizing air superiority make possible the cross-Channel invasion Hitlers generals were planning. Churchill himself watched the climactic battle unfold from the RAF operations room in Uxbridge. He asked what reserves the British had in the battle over London: There are none came the reply. Every available squadron was in the air. The air battle over Britain shaped the course of the entire war. But the fight that day was itself shaped by the duel between the two most advanced types of warring fighter planes: the British Supermarine Spitfire & the German Messerschmitt Bf 109. In this remarkable new book David Isby looks at the clash between these two fighter planes lasting from pre-war development to decisive combat. The Decisive Duel tells the stories of these iconic classic aircraft & also the people who created them: Willy Messerschmitt the German designer with a love for gliders & admiration for Hitler; RJ Mitchell his brilliant British counterpart who struggled against illness to complete the design of the Spitfire. In fascinating detail Isby describes the crucial role the two opposed planes played from the drawing boards to Dunkirk the Battle of Britain to the final battles over Germany. In todays Britain the Spitfires story is particularly resonant both for its wartime achievements & its continuing potency as a symbol of victory. Accessibly written & impeccably researched The Decisive Duel is both a wonderful work of aviation history & a valuable insight into the duel between two fighters that shaped the Second World War. ...

Sixteen-year-old Anna should not have been born. It is the year 2140 & people can live for ever. No one wants another mouth to feed so she lives in a Surplus Hall where unwanted children go to learn valuable lessons.. .at least she wasn't put down at birth. One day a new inmate arrives. Anna's life is thrown into chaos. He says things about her parents & the Outside that couldn't possibly be true.. . Or could they? Thrilling passionate & beautifully written this dystopian novel is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games ...

Britains best-loved MP & bestselling diarist returns with his hilarious account of a New Labour backbencher. On the backbenches but still in the thick of it Decline & Fall runs from Chris Mullins sacking as a minister by Tony (The Man) Blair in 2005 to the fall of New Labour in May 2010. Here is politics as it really is: entertaining encounters with constituents & conspirators tantalising glimpses behind the scenes at the courts of Blair & Brown all set against the background of the global financial crisis & the great expenses meltdown. Every bit as funny & insightful as his first volume A View From The Foothills" these new diaries provide a snapshot of life in the Westminster village. Preparing to step down after twenty-three years as an MP Mullin wryly observes they say failed politicians make the best diarists in which case I am in with a chance." ...

Sent down from Oxford in outrageous circumstances Paul Pennyfeather is oddly surprised to find himself qualifying for the position of schoolmaster at Llanabba Castle. His colleagues are an assortment of misfits rascals & fools including Prendy (plagued by doubts) & Captain Grimes who is always in the soup (or just plain drunk). Then Sports Day arrives & with it the delectable Margot Beste-Chetwynde floating on a scented breeze. As the farce unfolds & the young run riot no one is safe least of all Paul. ...

No empire has been larger or more diverse than the British Empire. At its apogee in the 1930s 42 million Britons governed 500 million foreign subjects. Britannia ruled the waves & a quarter of the earths surface was painted red on the map. Where Britains writ did not run directly its influence sustained by matchless industrial & commercial sinews was often paramount. Yet no empire (except the Russian) disappeared more swiftly. Within a generation this mighty structure sank almost without trace leaving behind a scatter of sea-girt dependencies & a ghost of empire the British Commonwealth of nations. Equally it can be claimed that Britain bequeathed its former colonies economic foundations a cultural legacy a sporting spirit a legal code & a language more ubiquitous than Latin ever was. In a book of unparalleled scholarship Piers Brendon presents the story of the decline & eclipse of British might the major historical event in the closing stages of the second millennium. Full of vivid particulars brief lives telling anecdotes comic episodes symbolic moments & illustrative vignettes The Decline & Fall of the British Empire" evokes remote places as well as distant times. From the war for American independence the end of the Raj the scram out of Africa & the unfinished business of the Falklands & Hong Kong to the new informal empire of the United States this is a comprehensive & engaging account." ...

Updated with 3 new songs this is the intimate first-person chronicle of the life & work of Jay-Z born Shawn Carter in Brooklyn's notorious Marcy Projects now known to many as the greatest rapper alive. Told through lyrics images & personal narrative Decoded" shares the story of Jay-Z's life through the 10 codes that define him giving an unparalleled insight into his background influences & the artistic process that shapes his work. Each chapter features a highly personal narrative section followed by a visually captivating selection of his most famous & provocative lyrics underlining the chapter's themes along with Jay-Z's own 'decoding' of each lyric uncovering the wordplay & stories behind the song. This is a brilliant insight into the art & poetry of hip-hop as well as the life of one of the genre's greatest artists." ...

Decoding Anorexia is the first & only book to explain anorexia nervosa from a biological point of view. Its clear user-friendly descriptions of the genetics & neuroscience behind the disorder is paired with first person descriptions & personal narratives of what biological differences mean to sufferers. Author Carrie Arnold a trained scientist science writer & past sufferer of anorexia speaks with clinicians researchers parents other family members & sufferers about the factors that make one vulnerable to anorexia the neurochemistry behind the call of starvation & why it's so hard to leave anorexia behind. She also addresses: * How environment is still important & influences behaviors * The characteristics of people at high risk for developing anorexia nervosa * Why anorexics find starvation rewarding" * Why denial is such a salient feature & how sufferers can overcome it Carrie also

Includes:: interviews with key figures in the field who explain their work & how it contributes to our understanding of anorexia. Long thought to be a psychosocial disease of fickle teens this book alters the way anorexia is understood & treated & gives patients their doctors & their family members hope."

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You meet someone. You fall in love. If all goes well that person falls in love with you & you live happily ever after. Yet is finding love really that straightforward? Andrew Trees draws from the latest studies in economics neuro-chemistry game theory evolutionary psychology & other fields to take on a topic we all think we understand
- how we fall in love
- & turn it on its head. Discover why: certain perfume fragrances make you appear slimmer; human testicle size is an indicator of our promiscuous past; & you need to date twelve people to find Mr or Mrs Right
- & the mathematical theory behind it. Page turning thought provoking & sparkling with wit Decoding Love" offers surprising new insights into the nature of attraction as well as an intimate look at the strange intersection of romance & the modern world of dating."


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In 1900 a group of sponge divers blown off course in the Mediterranean discovered an Ancient Greek shipwreck dating from around 70 BC. Lying unnoticed for months amongst their hard-won haul was what appeared to be a formless lump of corroded rock which turned out to be the most stunning scientific artefact we have from antiquity. For more than a century this Antikythera mechanism puzzled academics but now more than 2000 years after the device was lost at sea scientists have pieced together its intricate workings. In Decoding the Heavens" Jo Marchant tells for the first time the story of the 100-year quest to understand this ancient computer. Along the way she unearths a diverse cast of remarkable characters
- ranging from Archimedes to Jacques Cousteau
- & explores the deep roots of modern technology not only in Ancient Greece the Islamic world & medieval Europe."

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Whether you are designing a brand new home or simply updating one rooms interior Decorate is teeming with clever creative & quirky advice from the worlds best designers & architects. The likes of Jonathan Adler Kelly Hoppen Amy Neunsinger Rita Konig Amy Butler & Abigail Ahern reveal essential tools of the trade from where to put your furniture to how to dress a room with your own individual style. The book is a gorgeous source of essential expert guidance featuring both quick fixes for small budgets & indulgent ideas for more ambitious projects. The text is divided into sections each punctuated with top tips pearls of decorating wisdom & divine designer secrets: Space Matters has a blank-canvas approach showing you how best to assess a space & work out its specific decorating needs. A section on Setting Your Style profiles a huge range of different interior aesthetics from Natural & Fleamarket Style to Modern Glamour & Eclectic. Room By Room concentrates on each room of the house & tells you what you need to know to transform any area. Finally Attention to Detail reveals the smaller elements that can utterly transform a space without affecting the architecture or structure of a building. These final touches include hanging pictures arranging flowers cushions & lights. Decorates vast selection of styles boasting contributions from the industrys top designers makes it an essential book for anyone looking to transform their homes interior. ...