The Brit Writers' Awards (www.britwriters.co.uk) is nothing short of a writing & publishing phenomenon. It has attracted tens of thousands of entries in its eight categories & is offering the largest prize ever for unpublished writers in a creative writing competition. Infinite Ideas will publish this year's deserved winner of the Children's story category Catherine Cooper's wonderful novel The Golden Acorn. When Jack Brenin finds a golden acorn lying in the grass little does he know that it is the beginning of a thrilling & magical adventure. Just an ordinary boy Jack has been chosen for a hugely important task & enters a world he believed only existed in legend. Full of twists & turns talking ravens & mischievous Spriggans The Golden Acorn is a hugely entertaining & exciting tale from a very talented new author. Your kids will love it & so will you! ...

Moving between Spanish conquest abroad & the court of the astute Charles V Hugh Thomas The Golden Age: The Spanish Empire of Charles V" is the second volume in a planned trilogy on the Spanish Empire. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in South America in the sixteenth century they swept across the continent in a blaze of imperial expansion & brutal savagery. Beginning with the return of the remnants of Magellans circumnavigation in 1522 & ending with Charles death in 1558 Hugh Thomas masterful work brilliantly brings to life one of the most extraordinary periods of the Renaissance revealing how the Spaniards were able to conquer Guatemala Yucatan Columbia Venezuela Peru & Chile; how the audacious conquistador Francisco de Orellana sailed down the Amazon why Cabeza de Vaca walked from Florida to Mexico & what drove Hernando de Soto to pursue worldly riches in Florida Mississippi & Georgia. While adventurers & explorers like Cortes & Pizarro build entire cities & amassed vast wealth from the treasures of the land they also killed thousands & left the indelible mark of Spains language & religion for centuries to come. " Thomas tells the story of missionary zeal & military plunder with a zest worthy of a swashbuckling historical novelist". (" The Times"). "A riveting story of adventure & cruelty.. .a considerable scholarly accomplishment". (Ben Wilson " Daily Telegraph"). " This monumental history is an extraordinary achievement...A beguilingly-written account of a fascinating subject". (Alexander Samson " The Times Higher Education"). Supplement Hugh Thomas is the author of among other books " The Spanish Civil War" (1962) which won the Somerset Maugham Award " Cuba: The Pursuit of Freedom" (1971) " An Unfinished History of the World" (1979) & the first volume of his " Spanish Empire trilogy Rivers of Gold" (2003)." ...

From some of the earliest attempts at art to the plant hunters of the nineteenth & twentieth centuries the images produced in the study of plants have held a fascination for all those who love nature. The Golden Age of Botanical Art" brings together the stories of the intrepid explorers (some of whom became botanical artists by default) & the many professional artists who recorded the flora that they discovered on their travels & expeditions. Truly global in its scope this beautifully illustrated book moves across centuries & continents looking at the artistry of China & India delving into the sketchbooks of explorers in the Himalayas & following the voyages of those who discovered new worlds & new species as far apart as Russian & South America. Alongside special features on key figures in the botanical art world the book highlights the work of some of the great names of botanical art including Ehret & Bauer. " The Golden Age of Botanical Art"

Includes:: a host of rarely or previously unpublished images & shows how what might have been a pastime for some also made a significant contribution to our understanding of the world & the glories of nature."

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This lavish book focuses on Parisian & British couture between 1947 & 1957 a decade that Christian Dior described as fashions golden age. Diors New Look collection of 1947 shocked & delighted the fashion world creating a style that symbolised a new femininity. The full skirts & hour glass silhouettes were considered highly decadent synonymous with luxury & extravagance in marked contrast to the austerity of the war years. Nevertheless the New Look caught the public imagination & ushered in a period of remarkable creativity. The Golden Age of Couture" features stunning gowns & exquisite tailoring from designers such as Balenciaga Balmain Givenchy & Dior as well as evocative photographs by the likes of Richard Avedon & Cecil Beaton." ...

In June of 1938 Action Comics debuted with a new kind of comic book character on its cover: A costumed man with two identities who possessed extraordinary strength & powers a man able to protect the public when ordinary measures would not do. He was not the first super hero but the Man of Steel would become the prototype for all super heroes thereafter. Superman's story & those of Batman Wonder Woman & hundreds of other DC Comics characters are all told in The Golden Age of DC Comics". The single most comprehensive book on the subject this volume traces the company's first decades from its pulp origins up to the comic book burnings of the Mc Carthy '50s in over 400 pages bursting with comics art comics photographs & more comics. Plus an exclusive interview with legendary Sgt. Rock/ Hawkman artist Joe Kubert! TASCHEN's series on "DC Comics" explores the origins of comics' most enduring legends & the behind-the-scenes stories of the men who created them era by era. Expanded from the Eisner Award
- winning XL book "75 Years of DC Comics" this new series hits the shelf at a reader friendly size with essays updated by author Paul Levitz & over 500 new images across five volumes. Thousands of covers & interiors original illustrations photographs film stills & collectibles have been reproduced using the latest technology to bring the story lines the characters & their creators to vibrant life making this an invaluable reference for comics fans."
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Was the Golden Age of Spain in the sixteenth century an illusion? By introducing & examining some of the key issues & themes involved Henry Kamen offers a balanced discussion of this question. The second edition of this book has been thoroughly revised & rewritten in the light of recent research while new chapters have been added which cover such material as religion & culture. ...

From Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes & Apple & Strawberry Pie to Lemon Yogurt Cake & Cherry Doughnuts this beautifully illustrated & easy-to-follow guide to creating scrumptious freshly baked treats will delight every time & for every type of social occasion. With more than 300 luscious recipes
- for cookies muffins cupcakes butter cakes layer cakes pies & tarts pastries yeast cakes & savouries
- this is the only baking book you will ever need. All the recipes in The Golden Book of Baking have been graded by difficulty & can easily be prepared at home with a well-stocked pantry & some basic kitchen equipment. There are a few more challenging recipes for those who want to test their skills! These include Almond Berry Supreme Red Fruit Dacquoise & Chocolate Eclairs. Happy baking!

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A scrumptious dessert makes the perfect finish to any meal whether it be a week-night or weekend lunch or supper for the family & friends or an elegant formal dinner party. Here you will find more than 250 delectable dessert ideas ranging form flans custards mousses trifles charlottes ice creams & meringues to layer cakes & rolls pies tarts puddings souffles crepes fritters & pastries. The Golden Book of Desserts also

Includes:: many step-by-steps sequences explaining basic techniques. This is the one-stop dessert book for home cooks. Enjoy!

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A classic study of the beliefs & institutions of mankind & the progress through magic & religion to scientific thought The Golden Bough has a unique status in modern anthropology & literature. First published in 1890 The Golden Bough was eventually issued in a twelve-volume edition (1906-15) which was abridged in 1922 by the author & his wife. That abridgement has never been reconsidered for a modern audience. In it some of the more controversial passages were dropped including Frazer's daring speculations on the Crucifixion of Christ. For the first time this one-volume edition restores Frazer's bolder theories & sets them within the framework of a valuable introduction & notes. A seminal work of modern anthropolgy The Golden Bough also influenced many twentieth-century writers including D H Lawrence T S Eliot & Wyndham Lewis. Its discussion of magical types the sacrificial killing of kings the dying god & the scapegoat is given fresh pertinence in this new edition. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more. ...

Henry James' highly charged study of adultery jealousy & possession The Golden Bowl" is edited with an introduction & notes by Ruth Bernard Yeazell in " Penguin Classics". Maggie Verver a young American heiress & her widowed father Adam a billionaire collector of objets d'art lead a life of wealth & refinement in London. They are both getting married: Maggie to Prince Amerigo an impoverished Italian aristocrat & Adam to the beautiful but penniless Charlotte Stant a friend of his daughter. But both father & daughter are unaware that their new conquests share a secret
- one for which all concerned must pay the price. Henry James' late great work both continues & challenges his theme of confrontation between American innocence & European experience. This edition of " The Golden Bowl" contains a chronology suggested further reading a glossary notes & an introduction by Ruth Bernard Yeazall discussing James' original conception of the novel & later changes made to its structure & characters. Henry James (1843-1916) son of a prominent theologian & brother to the philosopher William James was one of the most celebrated novelists of the fin-de-siecle. In addition to many short stories plays books of criticism biography & autobiography & much travel writing he wrote some twenty novels. His novella " Daisy Miller" (1878) established him as a literary figure on both sides of the Atlantic & his other novels in " Penguin Classics" include " Washington Square" (1880) " The Portrait of a Lady" (1881) " What Maisie Knew" (1897) " The Awkward Age" (1899) " The Wings of the Dove" (1902) & " The Ambassadors" (1903). If you enjoyed " The Golden Bowl" you might like Theodor Fontaine's " Effi Briest" also available in " Penguin Classics". "A wonderfully luminous drama". (Gore Vidal). " One of the greatest pieces of fiction ever written". (A.N. Wilson)."
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