This is a remarkable dictionary exploring the vast & various symbols which abound in literature religion national identity & are found at the very heart of our dreams & sub-conscious. Compiled by an international team of experts each entry is given its complete range of interpretations
- sexual & spiritual official & subversive cultural & religious
- to bring meaning & insight to the symbol.

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Our very own national treasure (as declared by John Humphrys) David Crystal brings us yet another quintessential knowledge compendium. The new edition of The Penguin Factfinder" has been fully revised & updated to reflect recent changes in politics sport culture & the arts to the end of 2006. In an age where information is easy to find but hard to verify Crystal brings us a refreshingly straightforward resource. " The Penguin Factfinder" is about facts
- no jargon or flowery descriptions no error messages or anonymous sources
- just the basic facts from one of Britains most trusted & authoritative information providers. We believe every word to be true. Where else can you get a guarantee like that?"

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This newly revised & updated French Phrase Book" contains a wealth of useful words & phrases for travellers. The book



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The Penguin Guide to Punctuation is indispensable for anyone who needs to get to grips with using punctuation in their written work. Whether you are puzzled by colons & semicolons unsure of where commas should go or baffled by apostrophes this jargon-free succinct guide is for you. ...

The Penguin Guide to the 1000 Finest Classical Recordings" brings together the experience & enthusiasm of four of classical music's greatest experts Ivan March Edward Greenfield Robert Layton & Paul Czajkowski to create an essential guide to the best recordings. Downloads CDs & DVD mean it is possible to listen to hundreds of thousands of classical recordings today
- but how do you pick your way through the vast array of music now on offer? With clear simple easy-to-use A to Z listings of composers & performers the pick of the latest CD releases as well as established landmark recordings short guides to ballet opera & the history of recording & indications of budget & mid-range price CDs this guide offers a treasury of outstanding music whether you are just starting to build a collection or tracking down a particular favourite."
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The sixth of nine volumes in the major Penguin History of Britain" series "A Monarchy Transformed" narrates the tempestuous political events of the Stuart dynasty. It charts the reigns of six monarchs & the course of two revolutions as well as religious upheavals that shook the beliefs of seventeenth-century Britons to the core." ...

In 1850 China was the sick man of Asia. Now it is set to become the most powerful nation on earth. The Penguin History of Modern China" shows how turbulent that journey has been. For 150 years China has endured as victim to brutality on an unmatched scale to oppression to war & to famine. This makes its current position as the newest & arguably most important global superpower all the more extraordinary. Jonathan Fenbys clear & comprehensive account of Chinas recent past is the definitive guide to this remarkable transformation." ...

This first volume of the penguin history of the church looks at the beginning of the Christian movement during the first centuries AD & at the explosive force of its expansion throughout the Roman world. Drawing on recent historical research Professor Henry Chadwock shows how Christianity had its roots in a synthesis of contemporary ideas & beliefs & analyses the causes of its persecution under Diocletian the fanaticism of its martyrs & its bitter internal controversies. The conversion of Constantine & the edict of Theodosius meant that the church had to reconcile its spiritual duties with a new worldly role as an established church" for good government throughout the empire & Professor Chadwick completes his history by demonstrating how this conflict of responsiblilties led to the emergence of the papacy & the monastic movement the twin pillars of Christianity in the Middle Ages." ...

This is a completely new & updated edition of J. M. Roberts & Odd Arne Westad's widely acclaimed landmark bestseller The Penguin History of the World". For generations of readers " The Penguin History of the World" has been one of the great cultural experiences
- the entire story of human endeavour laid out in all its grandeur & folly drama & pain in a single authoritative book. Now for the first time it has been completely overhauled for its 6th edition
- not just bringing it up to date but revising it throughout in the light of new research & discoveries such as the revolution in our understanding of many civilizations in the Ancient World. The closing sections of the book reflect what now seems to be the inexorable rise of Asia & the increasingly troubled situation in the West. About the authors: J.M. Roberts CBE published " The Penguin History of the World" in 1976 to immediate acclaim. His other major books include " The Paris Commune from the Right" " The Triumph of the West" (which was also a successful television series) " The Penguin History of Europe" & " The Penguin History of the Twentieth Century". He died in 2003. Odd Arne Westad FBA is Professor of International History at the London School of Economics. He has published fifteen books on modern & contemporary international history among them " The Global Cold War" which won the Bancroft Prize & " Decisive Encounters" a standard history of the Chinese civil war. He also served as general co-editor of the " Cambridge History of the Cold War". Reviews: "A work of outstanding breadth of scholarship & penetrating judgements. There is nothing better of its kind". (Jonathan Sumption " Sunday Telegraph"). "A stupendous achievement". (A.J.P. Taylor). "A brilliant book.. .the most outstanding history of the world yet written". (J.H. Plumb)."

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Pinocchio is a puppet but he can move he can walk & he can talk. Pinocchio goes to school but Honest John & Giddy see him. We can make a lot of money!" they say.. . Can Pinocchio find his way home? Can he find his father? Will he ever be a real boy?" ...