Charles Dickens was regarded as a pillar of respectability in Victorian Britain but in 1858 this image was nearly shattered. With the break-up of his marriage that year rumours about a scandalous relationship he may have conducted with young actress Ellen Nelly" Ternan flourished. For the remaining twelve years of his life Dickens struggled to quash the gossip. After his death surviving family members did the same. But when the authors last living son died in 1934 there was no one to discourage rampant speculation. Dramatic revelations seemed to come from every corner
- over Nellies role as Dickens mistress the financial help he gave her their clandestine meetings their coded messages & even his fathering of an illegitimate child with her. This book presents the most complete account of the scandal & ensuing coverup ever published. Drawing on the authors letters & other archival sources not previously available Dickens scholar Michael Slater investigates what Dickens did or may have done then traces the way the scandal was elaborated over succeeding generations. Slater shows how various writers concocted outlandish yet plausible theories while newspapers & book publishers vied for sensational revelations. With its tale of intrigue & a cast of well-known figures from Thackeray & Shaw to Orwell & Edmund Wilson this engaging book will delight not only Dickens fans but also readers who appreciate tales of mystery cover-up & clever detection."
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Statins are the so-called wonder drugs widely prescribed to lower blood cholesterol levels & claim to offer unparalleled protection against heart disease. Believed to be completely safe & capable of preventing a whole series of other conditions they are the most profitable drug in the history of medicine. In this groundbreaking book GP Malcolm Kendrick exposes the truth behind the hype revealing: high cholesterol levels dont cause heart disease; a high-fat diet
- saturated or otherwise
- does not affect blood cholesterol levels; & the protection provided by statins is so small as to be not worth bothering about for most men & all women. Statins have many more side affects than has been admitted & their advocates should be treated with scepticism due to their links with the drugs manufacturers. Kendrick lambastes a powerful pharmaceutical industry & unquestioning medical profession who he claims perpetuate the madcap concepts of good & bad cholesterol & cholesterol levels to convince millions of people to spend billions of pounds on statins thus creating an atmosphere of stress & anxiety
- the real cause of fatal heart disease. With clarity & wit The Great Cholesterol Con" debunks our assumptions on what constitutes a healthy lifestyle & diet. It is the invaluable guide for anyone who thought there was a miracle cure for heart disease an appeal to common sense & a controversial & fascinating breakthrough that will set dynamite under the whole area."


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Twenty-five churches in Cumbria Lancashire Greater Manchester & Merseyside are here featured in a series of captivating photographic portraits by Matthew Byrne. The selection has been made on the basis of architectural distinction beauty quality of sculpture carving or stained glass historical interest or dramatic setting. The churches include remote medieval chapels grand Victorian churches & modern city-centre landmarks in Manchester & Liverpool. Matthew Byrnes text displays a deep understanding & affection for church architecture & his atmospheric photography captures the spirit of these unique buildings as architectural heritage as historic monuments & as places of Christian devotion. ...

This collection of short ghost stories

Includes:: some of the best-known classics in the genre as well as some

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When you buy this book the publisher will donate at least GBP2 to Comic Relief to help make a difference all over the world. Why not go one step further & HOST YOUR OWN BAKE SALE to see how much more money you could raise? As the celeb bakers on The Great Comic Relief Bake Off prove you don't have to be a pro to have a go at baking. The 13 recipes in this book are easy to make so get your friends & family involved & have some fun. There are also helpful tips for hosting a bake sale as well as more info on how you can make a difference. ...

A thrilling tale of intrigue & danger filled with tension excitement & romance New South Wales 1947. When Shelly Wareings husband Cole vanishes into the night leaving only a note to say that he will come back no matter how long it takes Shelly is bewildered. What could be the reason for his sudden disappearance? Searching for clues Shelly discovers a box containing Nazi medals an SS ring & a photo of a radiantly beautiful woman signed for her husb&. Determined to uncover the truth she sets out to track down Laetitia de Witt the woman pictured in the photograph. Meanwhile halfway across the world Cole is on his own mission for the truth
- while his enemies who believe him to be a traitor are in close pursuit...
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A thrilling tale of intrigue & danger filled with tension excitement & romance New South Wales 1947. When Shelly Wareing's husband Cole vanishes into the night leaving only a note to say that he will come back no matter how long it takes Shelly is bewildered. What could be the reason for his sudden disappearance? Searching for clues Shelly discovers a box containing Nazi medals an SS ring & a photo of a radiantly beautiful woman signed for her husb&. Determined to uncover the truth she sets out to track down Laetitia de Witt the woman pictured in the photograph. Meanwhile halfway across the world Cole is on his own mission for the truth
- while his enemies who believe him to be a traitor are in close pursuit...
...

The decline of the West is something that has long been prophesied. Symptoms of decline are all around us today it seems: slowing growth crushing debts aging populations anti-social behaviour. But what exactly is amiss with Western civilization? The answer Niall Ferguson argues is that our institutions
- the intricate frameworks within which a society can flourish or fail
- are degenerating. Representative government the free market the rule of law & civil society: these were once the four pillars of West European & North American societies. It was these institutions rather than any geographical or climatic advantages that set the West on the path to global dominance after around 1500. In our time however these institutions have deteriorated in disturbing ways. Our democracies have broken the contract between the generations by heaping IOUs on our children & grandchildren. Our markets are increasingly distorted by over-complex regulations that are in fact the disease of which they purport to be the cure. The rule of law has metamorphosed into the rule of lawyers. & civil society has degenerated into uncivil society where we lazily expect all our problems to be solved by the state. The Degeneration of the West" a powerful
- & in places polemical
- indictment of an era of negligence & complacency. While the Arab world struggles to adopt democracy & while China struggles to move from economic liberalization to the rule of law Europeans & Americans alike are frittering away the institutional inheritance of centuries. To arrest the degeneration of the Wests once dominant civilization Ferguson warns will take heroic leadership & radical reform. This book is based on Niall Fergusons 2012 BBC Reith Lectures which were broadcast under the title " The Rule of Law & Its Enemies"."



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Fat unlovely Roberta Teys is found beside her fathers headless corpse wearing her best dress & with an axe in her lap. Her first words are: I did it. & I am not sorry & she refuses to say more. Inspector Thomas Lynley & DS Barbara Havers are sent by Scotland Yard to solve this particularly gruesome murder. & as they navigate their way around a dark labyrinth of secret scandals & appalling crimes they uncover a series of shocking revelations that shatter the facade of the peaceful Yorkshire village. ...

This is a new edition of this classic search sure to keep children entertained for hours on end whilst developing important visual recognition matching & counting skills. Each beautifully illustrated scene features a brain-teasing picture puzzle. You can see dinosaurs of all shapes & sizes across the word & through time. It is packed with fascinating facts presented in short easy-to-read captions. ...