American literature & the short story might be said to have come of age at about the same time & this along with something in the bustling & energetic American temperament might go some way towards explaining why the two go together as well as they do. This title

Includes:: twenty-one short stories from some of the best American writers over the last two hundred years that provide a mesmerizing multi-faceted portrait of a country a people & the unique literature produced by this most exuberant of nations.

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Of all the decisions a new parent makes choosing that special name is the most significant & the most rewarding. A new reference book for prospective parents this clear helpful & easy-to-use A-Z guide gives you thousands of brilliant suggestions for picking the perfect name for your new arrival. It also

Includes:: appendices of the top ten names through the centuries & the most popular celebrity names.

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The Penguin Book of Card Games" is the authoritative up-to-date compendium describing an abundance of games to be played both for fun & by serious players. Auctions trumpless hands cross-ruffing & lurching: card players have a language all of their own. From games of high skill (Bridge) to games of high chance (Newmarket) to trick-taking (Whist) & banking (Pontoon) David Parlett seasoned specialist in card games takes us masterfully through the countless games to choose from. Not content to merely show us games with the conventional fifty-two card pack Parlett covers many games played with other types of cards
- are you brave enough to play with Tarot? With a 'working description' of each game with the rules variations & origins of each as well as an appendix of games invented by the author himself " The Penguin Book of Card Games" will delight entertain & inform both the novice & the seasoned player."
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What were the twelve labors of Herakles? Why did Zeus turn himself into a shower of gold? What was the name of the guard-dog of the Underworld? Which two-faced Roman god gave his name to the month January? What is the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx? The myths of ancient Greece & Rome are the most dramatic & unforgettable tales of love war heroism & betrayal ever told. Whether its Ikaros flying too close to the sun Prometheus stealing fire from the gods or the tragedy of Oedipus their characters have inspired art literature plays & films & constellations named after them fill the night sky. But how much do you really know about them? From the clash of the Titans to the fall of Troy here are the greatest legends of all time brilliantly retold by classical scholar Jenny March. All the heroes monsters villains gods & goddesses of classical civilization are included; the epic journeys of Odysseus & Aeneas; the founding of Athens & Rome; the quests of Jason seeking the Golden Fleece & Theseus slaying the minotaur. Giving the origins development & interpretation of each myth this is the essential guide to the stories that have shaped our world. ...

The Golden Age of the English short story lies from its first wide acceptance in the middle of the nineteenth century until the middle of the twentieth a period when there were a great many outlets in Britain for shorter fictions. The Penguin Book of English Short Stories" celebrates this period through some of the most widely known writers of the time. Though many of the chosen authors are more generally known for their novels here they provide some perfect examples of much shorter work. Each of these concise evocative subtle & satisfying stories is a little jewel providing a small window into another world." ...

The Penguin Book of Modern British Short Stories" edited by novelist & critic Malcolm Bradbury is a collection of the finest short stories from our best loved authors including Samuel Beckett Graham Greene William Golding Kingsley Amis Doris Lessing Muriel Spark J. G. Ballard William Trevor Ian Mc Ewan Martin Amis Rose Tremain Salman Rushdie Graham Swift & Kazuo Ishiguro. The short story has become one of the major forms of modern literary expression
- in some ways the most modern of them all. The story of the British short story since the Second World War is one of change & revolution & this powerful & moving collection brilliantly demonstrates the evolution of the form. Containing thirty-four of the most widely regarded postwar British writers it features tales of love & crime comedy & the supernatural the traditional as well as the experimental. This many-storied many-splendored collection is a brilliant portrait of the generation of writers who have immediately influenced the brightest sharpest & most intriguing writers who continue to emerge today. Malcolm Bradbury was a novelist critic television dramatist & professor of American studies & creative writing. He was awarded the CBE in 1991 for his services to Literature & was knighted in the 2000 New Years Honours List. He died in 2000."
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This readable anthology is a good introduction to a civilization that fascinates like few others.. .in this book there are animals who talk princesses who are locked up at the top of towers wicked stepmothers & many other themes.. . An enjoyable book by a skilled author".
- " Financial Times". The civilization we know as Ancient Egypt stretched over three thousand years. What was life like for ancient Egyptians? What were their beliefs
- & how different were they from ours? " Myths & Legends of Ancient Egypt" uses Egypts vivid narratives to create a panorama of its history from the earliest settlers to the time of Cleopatra. Gathered from pyramid texts archaeological finds & contemporary documents these stories cover everything from why the Nile flooded annually to Egyptian beliefs about childbirth & what happened after death. They show us what life was really like for rich & poor man & woman farmer & pharaoh. " Myths & Legends of Ancient Egypt" brings a long-dead culture back to life."

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Embrace a nineteenth century classic with this H.G. Wells inspired notebook. Its original Penguin design & elastic bind make this notebook a great buy for any science fiction fan. It comes in a vibrant green colour & has an elasticated clasp a bookmark & a handy pocket too. Size
- 166mm x 90mm
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The Penguin Careers Guide" is the indispensable & practical source for anyone seeking careers information. Now fully revised & updated for its fourteenth edition it contains in-depth discussions of hundreds of possible careers with invaluable advice on education training & employment issues. Whether youre just starting out after college or returning to work looking for a full or part-time position wondering how to set up your own business or finance your studies this is the essential guide to point you in the right direction." ...

The Penguin Complete Novels of Nancy Mitford" with an introduction by India Knight. In print together for the first time in many years & here in one volume are all eight of Nancy Mitfords sparklingly astute hilarious & completely unputdownable novels with a new introduction by India Knight. Published over a period of 30 years they provide a wonderful glimpse of the bright young things of the thirties forties fifties & sixties in the city & in the shires; firmly ensconced at home or making a go of it abroad; & what the upper classes really got up to in peace & in war. " Entirely original inimitable & irresistible". (" Spectator"). " Deliciously funny". (Evelyn Waugh). " Utter utter bliss". (" Daily Mail"). Nancy Mitford (1904-1973) was born in London the eldest child of the second Baron Redesdale. Her childhood in a large remote country house with her five sisters & one brother is recounted in the early chapters of " The Pursuit of Love" (1945) which according to the author is largely autobiographical. Apart from being taught to ride & speak French Nancy Mitford always claimed she never received a proper education. She started writing before her marriage in 1932 in order to relieve the boredom of the intervals between the recreations established by the social conventions of her world & had written four novels including " Wigs on the Green" (1935) before the success of " The Pursuit of Love" in 1945. After the war she moved to Paris where she lived for the rest of her life. She followed " The Pursuit of Love with Love in a Cold Climate" (1949) " The Blessing" (1951) & " Dont Tell Alfred" (1960). She also wrote four works of biography: " Madame de Pompadour" first published to great acclaim in 1954 " Voltaire in Love" " The Sun King" & " Frederick the Great". As well as being a novelist & a biographer she also translated Madame de Lafayettes classic novel " La Princesse de Cleves" into English & edited " Noblesse Oblige" a collection of essays concerned with the behaviour of the English aristocracy & the idea of U & non-U. Nancy Mitford was awarded the CBE in 1972." ...