Scholar churchman diplomat & theologian Gerald of Wales was one of the most fascinating figures of the Middle Ages & The Journey Through Wales" describes his eventful tour of the country as a missionary in 1188. In a style reminiscent of a diary Gerald records the day-to-day events of the mission alongside lively accounts of local miracles folklore & religious relics such as Saint Patricks Horn & eloquent descriptions of natural scenery that

Includes:: the rugged promontory of St Davids & the vast snow-covered panoramas of Snowdonia. The landscape is evoked in further detail in " The Description" which chronicles the everyday lives of the Welsh people with skill & affection. Witty & gently humorous throughout these works provide a unique view into the medieval world."

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This is the story of love commitment & the flowering of the human spirit against the background of South Africa's apartheid. Frightened that their baby sister Dineo will die thirteen-year-old Naledi & her younger brother Tiro run away from their grandmother to Johannesburg to find their mother who works there as a maid. Their journey illustrates at every turn the grim realities of apartheid
- the pass laws bantustans racism the breakdown of family life. The opulence of the white Madam's" house contrasts starkly with the reality that Naledi & Tiro face
- that their baby sister is suffering from starvation not an incurable disease. This new edition of Beverley Naidoo's classic story

Includes:: a special " Why You'll Love This Book" introduction by Michael Rosen the Children's Laureate."



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The missile streaked across the wave tops at the speed of sound. A single metallic sliver packed with high explosive & spouting smoke. It shimmered against the dull blue of the South Atlantic swell its warhead primed its homing radar locked onto the British destroyer. In November 1981 at just 17 years old & only a few weeks out of his naval training Adam Joe Lawton was drafted onto HMS Sheffield a type 42 destroyer. What began as an adventure soon changed into a nightmare when Sheffield on her way home from protection duties in the Iran/ Iraq war was deployed to the South Atlantic following the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentinian forces. Journey to Peace tells the story of the author's baptism by fire onboard HMS Sheffield when she was hit by an Exocet missile. Twenty of his shipmates died in appalling circumstances which for a young man on his first watch was beyond comprehension. In the months following the war Adam became what he himself called 'a nightmare'. Unable to grieve he was filled with anger hatred & aggression. To the despair of his family one violent episode followed another. Forced by a particularly astute Naval Lieutenant to confront his behaviour he promised to reform. Some years later now living in Australia Adam found the events of 1982 replaying themselves in his head. Increasingly affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder he resolved to return to the Falklands & then to travel to Argentina to meet the two fighter pilots carrying the Exocets one of which sank HMS Sheffield. Only two other sailors on Sheffield were younger than Adam Joe Lawton at the time of the war. One is now in psychiatric care. The other is dead having taken his own life. In writing this book the author hopes to refuel the agenda so that those who take the nation's young men & women into war do so with the knowledge of what it can do to those who survive. ...

From the misty mountains of the north to the southern seascape of the Algarve the travels of Nobel Laureate Jose Saramago are a passionate rediscovery of his own l&. Setting off in his veteran motor car Saramago wants to travel to Portugal as well as through it: by making it his destination the acclaimed writer hopes to take stock of his native land as it hovers on the edge of the modern world. He is no typical guide
- he avoids the sights" in favour of a remote Romanesque church a cobweb-ridden chapel the local & the domestic
- but with his deep fount of memory & erudite knowledge each encounter evoking the span of Portugals history he is anyones idea of a delightful travelling companion."

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What a stunning discovery: an old coded note that actually contains directions for reaching the Earths very core! & once he ...

With an introduction by David Stuart Davies. The father of science fiction Jules Verne invites you to join the intrepid & eccentric Professor Liedenbrock & his companions on a thrilling & dramatic expedition as they travel down a secret tunnel in a volcano in Iceland on a journey which will lead them to the centre of the earth. Along the way they encounter various hazards & witness many incredible sights such as the underground forest illuminated by electricity the Great Geyser the battle between prehistoric monsters the strange whispering gallery giant insects & the vast subterranean sea with its ferocious whirlpool. Although published in the nineteenth century Journey to the Centre of the Earth has lost none of its power & potency to excite & engage the modern reader. The novel has been filmed many times but nothing can compare with the thrills & excitement generated by the written narrative. It is supreme escapist entertainment for all ages. ...

Journey to the Centre of the Earth has been consistently praised for its style & its vision of the world. It explores the prehistory of the globe but can also be read as a psychological quest for the journey itself is as important as arrival or discovery. Professor Lidenbrock & his nephew Axel travel across Iceland & then down through an extinct crater towards a sunless sea where they enter a living past & are confronted with the origins of man. A classic of nineteenth-century French literature the novels distinctive combination of realism & Romanticism has marked figures as diverse as Sartre & Tournier Mark Twain & Conan Doyle. This new translation of the complete text is faithful to the lyricism verve & humour of the original. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford Worlds Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxfords 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. ...

Graffex is a new series of illustrated literariy classics retold for young readers. Journey to the Centre of the Earth" is the exciting story of Professor Otto Lidenbrock who after discovering an ancient parchment describing a route to the centre of the earth embarks upon the perilous journey with his nephew Axel & their dependable guide Hans. It geatures some vibrant full-colour artwork & speech bubbles that bring fresh animation to this classic tale & enhance the retelling. A running glossary at the foot of each page helps young readers with any challenging vocabulary without disrupting their reading experience. Endmatter provides information about the author the historical background to the period in which the author lived & a timeline of world events that places the work in historical context. It fits into Key Stage 2 English & supports Key Stage 3 English. It helps achieve the goals of the Scottish Standard Curriculum 5-14." ...

An ancient book is opened by the eccentric Professor Lidenbrock & his life
- & the life of his nephew Axel
- is changed for

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Told in the first person the novel is based on the author's own experiences during the First World War in French colonial Africa in the USA
- where he worked for a while at the Ford factory in Detroit
- & later as a young doctor in a working-class suburb in Paris. Celine's disgust with human folly malice greed & the chaotic state in which man has left society lies behind the bitterness that distinguishes his idiosyncratic colloquial & visionary writing & gives it its force.

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