Last year the telly-watching public was gripped by Downton Abbey"
- the most successful British period drama in years & the
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* From the cook butler & housekeeper to the footman ladys maid & nanny this is a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of some of Britains grandest houses. * An entertaining social history steering the reader through the minefield of etiquette & hierarchy that kept Britains great houses running like clockwork. * A bygone era is brought vividly to live through letters journals interviews lively descriptions & stunning photography of the places & possessions left behind. The largely untold stories of innumerable rather humble lives spent in service are lying just below the surface of many great houses; the physical evidence can be seen in surviving servants quarters the material of their everyday life even their uniforms & possessions. This account provides a fascinating glimpse at whos who behind the scenes from the cook butler & housekeeper to the footmen ladys maids governesses & tutors nannies & nursemaids. Giving a fascinating insight into the heirarchy within the servants quarters
- from the power-wielding cook to the ever-discreet butler
- this guide describes how relationships were forged & changed as the gap between upstairs & downstairs was bridged. Describing their typical working day as well as the holidays entertainments & pastimes enjoyed on a rare day off not to mention the whirl of the social season this previously unwritten history recalls vividly the nature of their lives below stairs.

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By the end of the 1920s domestic service remained the largest female occupation in Britain. We view it today as an undesirable job owing to the class divide it has come to represent & this is reflected in the portrayals of mistresses & servants in books & on the screen in such dramas as Upstairs Downstairs & Downton Abbey. But what do we really know about how girls felt when taking up these positions in other peoples houses or how they were treated? Pamela Horn uses first-hand accounts & reminiscences as well as official records & newspaper reports to extract the truth about the lives & status of men & women in domestic service from 1900 to 1939. ...

John Izbicki has an exciting story to tell. Berlin-born he lived through the horrors of Nazi persecution & on the day after his eighth birthday he witnessed the Kristallnacht & the smashing of his parents shop windows. On the day Germany invaded Poland & Berlin experienced its first wartime blackout the Izbickis escaped to Holland & from there on to Engl&. The author describes what it feels like to have been a refugee unable to speak or understand a single word of English & how he was persuaded by a kind policeman to change his name from Horst to John. He also leads the reader along the remarkable journey he travelled from school to university the first of his family to enter higher education & through his adventurous time as a commissioned army officer during two years of national service spent in Egypt & Libya. But the best part of his life was yet to come when this young refugee decided to make journalism his profession. The boy who not that many years earlier could speak not a word of English became the distinguished education correspondent of the countrys leading quality newspaper the Daily Telegraph. After eighteen years in that responsible position he was sent to Paris to head the Telegraphs office there. When he left the newspaper to join the Committee of Directors of Polytechnics he played a leading part in transforming the countrys polytechnics into its new universities. ...

Many people know they have something wrong with their lives but most struggle to pinpoint exactly what is wrong let alone know what they need to do about it. Many of these people will visit the Personal Development section of their bookstore & be totally overwhelmed by the sheer number of books on offer & often leave with nothing. So where do you start when you dont know whats really right for you & theres just so much choice? The Life Book is the answer. Its the only self-help book you will ever need to buy. No matter where you are in life theres something in here for you. Whether you need help with managing your time improving your relationships or boosting your confidence youll find great ideas & inspiring words to help you be the very best you can be. Its your chance to explore your potential discover how good things can really be & have fun along the way. The Life Book introduces readers to a different aspect of personal development & helps them assess where they are now & discover what they should focus on to make effective changes. Its packed full of interactive quizzes action points & questionnaires & great tips & tricks from renowned experts. ...

Life Class is Pat Barker's powerful & unforgettable story of art & war. Spring 1914. The students at the Slade School of Art gather in Henry Tonks' studio for his life-drawing class. But for Paul Tarrant the class is troubling underscoring his own uncertainty about making a mark on the world. When war breaks out & the army won't take Paul he enlists in the Belgian Red Cross just as he & fellow student Elinor Brooke admit their feelings for one another. Amidst the devastation in Ypres Paul comes to see the world anew
- but have his experiences changed him completely? Triumphant shattering inspiring". (The Times). " Barker writes as brilliantly as ever.. .with great tenderness & insight she conveys a wartime world turned upside down". (Independent on Sunday). " Vigorous masterly gripping". (Penelope Lively Independent). " Extraordinarily powerful". (Sunday Telegraph). Pat Barker was born in 1943. Her books include the highly acclaimed Regeneration trilogy comprising Regeneration which has been filmed The Eye in the Door which won the Guardian Fiction Prize & The Ghost Road which won the Booker Prize. The trilogy featured the Observer's 2012 list of the ten best historical novels. She is also the author of the more recent novels Another World Border Crossing Double Vision Life Class & Toby's Room. She lives in Durham."
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Diana Athill born in 1917 made her reputation as a writer with the candour of her memoirs; through her commitment in her words to understand to be aware to touch the truth. In a celebration of her life & writing Life Class" brings together four of her best-loved memoirs in one volume spanning her very English childhood her life & loves during World War II her publishing career at Andre Deutsch & her reflections on old age. Introduced by Ian Jack Diana Athills selected memoirs are a remarkable testament to an unusual & fully lived life." ...

If you are considering life coaching as a career this book provides a guide to creating & sustaining your practice a resource for coaching yourself towards a more fulfilled life & a reference & companion designed to serve you through your professional life. It sets out to promote a thorough understanding of what life coaching entails & to lead you through a course of applied neuro-linguistic programming techiques & exercises aimed at improving your coaching abilities. These include state control rapport-building metaphor meta-programs & meta-linguages. The book also introduces the spiral coaching model a new coaching tool that identifies & utilises peoples thinking patterns. ...

For decades Erik H. Erikson's concept of the stages of human development has deeply influenced the field of contemporary psychology. Here with new material by Joan M. Erikson is an expanded edition of his final work. The Life Cycle Completed eloquently closes the circle of Erikson's theories outlining the unique rewards & challenges
- for both individuals & society
- of very old age.

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In this title life & death collide in the stunning sequel to the breathtaking Dead Beautiful". Renee Winters has changed. ...