We think the way we do because Socrates thought the way he did. His aphorism ' The unexamined life is not worth living' may have originated twenty-five centuries ago but it is a founding principle of modern life. Socrates lived & contributed to a city that nurtured key ingredients of contemporary civilisation
- democracy liberty science drama rational thought
- yet as he wrote nothing in his lifetime he himself is an enigmatic figure. The Hemlock Cup" gives Socrates the biography he deserves setting him in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean that was his home & dealing with him as he himself dealt with the world. Socrates was a soldier a lover a man of the people. He philosophised neither in grand educational establishments nor the courts of kings but in the squares & public arenas of Golden Age Athens. He lived through an age of extraordinary materialism in which a democratic culture turned to the glorification of its own city; when war was declared under the banner of democracy; & when tolerance turned into intimidation on streets once populated by the likes of Euripides Sophocles & Pericles. For seventy years he was a vigorous citizen of one of the greatest capitals on earth but then his beloved Athens turned on him condemning him to death by poison. Socrates' pursuit of personal liberty is a vibrant story that Athens did not want us to hear but which must be told. Bettany Hughes has painstakingly pieced together Socrates' life following in his footsteps across Greece & Asia Minor & examining the new archaeological discoveries that shed light on his world. In " The Hemlock Cup" she reveals the human heart of the man & relates a story that is as relevant now as it has ever been."

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The hen harrier is one of the iconic species of the bird world & its history is a mix of controversy persecution & recent patchy recovery. This book a dedicated study of the bird in N. Ireland for over two decades provides a detailed account of the life habits & prospects for the bird. The author presents much new information about the harrier in its continuing struggle to re-establish its hold despite high levels of persecution from man or predation by other species. Having spent thousands of hours over many years studying these birds he was rewarded by the discovery that this ground-nesting species was nesting in tall conifers in the forests of County Antrim
- the only country throughout their vast European range where this occurs annually. Other significant finds soon became apparent as did the discovery that red kites were nesting for the first time & marsh harriers had returned to nest for the first time in almost 200 years. The authors passion for the bird is obvious as he shares moments of excitement & sadness & he speaks frankly about the maltreatment & mismanagement of this elegant raptor over the years.
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Hilda is a small speckled hen. She is brave & very single-minded. When she hears that her aunt has just hatched five baby chicks she is very excited & cant wait to go & see them. There is a problem however
- her aunt lives five miles away. How will Hilda ever travel all the way to her farm? But she has her heart set on getting there & goes out to hitch a lift on a rubbish lorry a fire engine a scooter & even a steam roller! At first she is not very successful but she keeps trying because when Hilda makes up her mind nothing & no one can stop her... Maureen Lipman reads this classic childrens story about a bold & fearless little hen from bestselling author Jill Tomlinson whose books have been hugely popular for nearly thirty years. Told in clear simple language they are ideal for young listeners who can identify with the baby animals & their adventures. The Hen Who Wouldnt Give Up" is an enchanting tale that will appeal to any child who loves animals or who is determined & resourceful."
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A heart-warming story by Jill Tomlinson about a hen with as much pluck as she has cluck! Hilda is a small speckled hen. & when Hilda makes up her mind nothing can stop her. Hilda's auntie has just had a family of chicks & she's determined to visit them. But how is Hilda going to travel the five miles to her auntie's farm? Filled with gentle humour & comfort Jill Tomlinson's animal stories have been enjoyed by children who want to snuggle down with a good read for decades. This edition is stunningly illustrated by Paul Howard making The Hen Who Wouldn't Give Up an even more enjoyable story for young readers. ...

Though many books have chronicled Jimi Hendrixs brilliant but tragically brief musical career this is the first to use his own words to paint a detailed portrait of the man behind the guitar. With selections carefully chosen by one of the worlds leading Jimi Hendrix historians this work

Includes:: the most important interviews from the peak of his career 1966 to 1970. In this authoritative volume Hendrix recalls for reporters his heartbreaking childhood his concept of Electric Church Music" (intended to wash peoples souls & give them a new direction) & his wish to be remembered as not just another guitar player. While Hendrix never wrote a memoir with new transcriptions from European papers the African American press counterculture newspapers radio & TV interviews & previously unpublished court transcripts this book gives music fans the next best thing to a Hendrix autobiography."

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We all know the story of Henny Penny the silly chicken who thinks the sky is falling in. Well that is not the true story. No that is a misrepresentation put about by foxes. This is the true story & proves what we always knew in our hearts
- chickens are heroes!
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In 1955 Henri Cartier-Bresson published The Europeans" a portrait of the continent documenting a landscape shadowed by the war. In this book the photographer brings together images spanning the years from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. He has travelled across Europe from the Scandinavian shield to the Irish bogs in order to capture what it means to be European. Beyond nationalism & the particular characteristics of each culture & nation he has found evidence of a greater identity a likeness shared by the people & the landscape. His photographs seek to speak of the same daily ceremony of the ongoing business of living for people across Europe whether Polish priests in alb or cassock or Abruzzi peasants shrouded in the black of their cloaks & hats." ...

Full of classic photographs by Cartier-Bresson that have become icons of the medium as well as rarely seen work from all periods of the photographers life this title

Includes:: a number of previously unpublished photographs as well as a selection of drawings paintings & films stills.

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Bestselling royal historian David Starkey s captivating biography is a radical re-evaluation of Henry VIII the British monarchy s most enduring icon. Larger than life in every sense Henry VIII was Britain s most absolute monarch
- but he was not born to rule. In this brilliantly readable history David Starkey follows the promising young prince
- a Renaissance man of exceptional musical & athletic talent
- as he is thrust into the limelight after the death of his elder brother. His subsequent quest for fame was as obsessive as that of any modern celebrity & his yearning for a male heir drove him into dangerous territory. The culmination of a lifetime s research David Starkey s biography is an unforgettable portrait of the man behind the controversies the prince turned tyrant who continues to tower over history.


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For more than four decades the elegant slightly foppish figure of trainer Henry Cecil has been adulated by racing fans. He has handled countless top horses
- his '25 English Classics' include four Derby winners
- & won dozens of big races around the world. But his story is far from a chronicle of unbroken success. A sharp downturn in his racing fortunes in the late 1990s was accompanied by all manner of personal trials including well publicised marital problems & then cancer but the dogged manner in which he has climbed back to the top was rewarded in 2011 by the presence in his Newmarket yard of the wonder horse Frankel. Based on extensive research & interviews with those closest to Cecil" & shot through with Brough Scott's unparalleled inside knowledge of the sport this will be the racing book not only of the year but of the decade."

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