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." ...

An anthology of Great War short stories by British writers both famous & lesser-known authors men & women during the war & after its end. These stories are able to illustrate the impact of the Great War on British society & culture & the many modes in which short fiction contributed to the war's literature. The selection covers different periods: the war years themselves the famous boom years of the late 1920s to the more recent past in which the First World War has received new cultural interest. ...

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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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." ...

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle are the complete adventures of the original & best detective containing four novels & fifty-six short stories about the most engaging detective of all time with a foreword by crime writer Ruth Rendell. The detective Sherlock Holmes
- who continues to enthral millions in film & TV adaptations starring actors like Robert Downey Jr & Benedict Cumberbatch
- was the creation of Arthur Conan Doyle whose crime stories have thrilled readers for well over a century. Sherlock Holmes is not only the most famous character in crime fiction but arguably the most famous character in all fiction. In sixty adventures that pit his extraordinary wits & courage against foreign spies blackmailers cultists petty thieves murderers swindlers policemen (both stupid & clever) & his arch-nemesis Moriarty Sherlock Holmes together with his faithful sidekick Doctor John H. Watson proves himself to be not only the quintessential detective but also the most engaging & entertaining company any reader could ask for. " The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes" allows readers to experience the entire case-history of Holmes & Dr. Watson from start to finish
- the stories that have spawned such infamous characters as the devilish Moriarty the devious Irene Adler & of course the legendary hound of the Baskervilles... This edition

Includes:: a foreword written by crime writer Ruth Rendell. " Penguin" also publishes in individual volumes "A Study in Scarlet" " The Sign of Four" " The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" " The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" " The Hound of the Baskervilles" " The Valley of Fear" " His Last Bow" & " The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes". " The immense talent passion & literary brilliance that Conan Doyle brought to his work give him a unique place in English letters. Personally I'd walk a million miles in tight boots just to read his letters to the milkman". (Stephen Fry). " Holmes has a timeless intelligence that puts him head shoulders & deer-stalker above all other detectives". (Alexander Mc Call Smith). " Now as in his lifetime cab drivers statesmen academics & raggedy-assed children sit spellbound at his feet. No wonder then if the pairing of Holmes & Watson has triggered more imitators than any other duo in literature". (John Le Carre). Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) studied medicine at Edinburgh University where he became the clerk to a surgeon whose diagnostic methods provided the model for the science of deduction perfected by Sherlock Holmes. He set up as a doctor & it was while waiting for patients that he began to write. Sherlock Holmes first appeared in "A Study in Scarlet" (1887). The Holmes stories soon attracted such a following that Conan Doyle felt the character overshadowed his other work. In " The Final Problem" (1893) Conan Doyle killed him off but was obliged by public demand to restore the detective to life."




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World-renowned linguist & reference editor David Crystal brings us the third edition of Penguin's Concise Encyclopedia". This abridgement condenses the core material in the third edition of the " Penguin Encyclopedia" which has already reached a world sales total of over 23 000 copies in hardback. David Crystal has a gift for clarity & concision which enables him to illuminate even the most intricate concepts. Here he offers over 22 000 alphabatised entries on the facts events issues people beliefs & achievements that make up the sum of human knowledge. Entries have been written by over 350 specialist contributors from universities museums & other institutions of excellence around the world. " The Concise Encyclopedia" is part of the Penguin Reference Library & draws on over 70 years of experience in bringing reliable useful & clear information to millions of readers around the world." ...

This new paperback dictionary perfectly embodies Penguin's worldwide reputation for authority & accessibility. Compiled by Britain's foremost lexicographers it is the ideal companion for every home & office offering comprehensive coverage of the language & a wealth of useful additional features
- all at an unbeatable price.
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