DISCOMBOBULATED Pronounced ~ dis-com-bob-u-lated. Means ~ thrown into confusion. As in ~ the lion is discombobulated by the skateboarding wildebeest. & ~ my parents are discombobulated when I suddenly start speaking Swedish.* A bit like ~ befuddled bamboozled. Don't confuse with ~ anything. If you like this word try ~ nincompoop. * This won't make any sense if you are actually Swedish. ...

A twisted adventure of intrigue magic & superstition from the bestselling F. E. Higgins Dont go down to the tar pits children -- for their shores are lined with the wretched wraiths of all the traitors & murderers who have drowned in its bubbling depths. In the shadows of this putrid place an unlikely new alliance is being formed: they call them The Phenomenals & only they can save us from a hideous fate that will befall the town if the wraiths escape their tarry shackles.. . Meet The Phenomenals: Citrine Capodel
- heiress to a corrupt empire & framed for a murder she did not commit; Folly Harpelaine
- a merciless destroyer of Lurids who dabbles in the dark arts; Jonah Scrimshander
- a deadly harpoonist who has already cheated death & Vincent Verdigris
- light-fingered & even lighter on his feet.



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From his first notable role as a teenage actor alongside Ray Winstone in the cult film Scum via the central character of Jimmy the mod in the mighty Quadrophenia to the voice of Blur's Parklife Phil Daniels has built a solid reputation as one of Britain's most talented & well-respected character actors. A graduate of the Anna Scher Theatre in the 1970s Daniels has always stayed true to his working class roots lending his roles a much-admired authenticity & integrity. With his distinctive voice cheeky mistrust of authority figures & wicked sense of humour Daniels remains a driven individualist committed to his craft. Daniels' career covers a period that has seen unprecedented change in UK society & Class Actor his first ever autobiography reads like a provocative popular culture history of the past 30 years. It charts his 1960s childhood in a rundown part of London's King's X his passion for Chelsea FC his coming of age during punk rock his anger & disaffection throughout the Thatcher years
- perfectly realised in highly acclaimed pieces such as Mike Leigh's Meantime
- through to his role as Kevin Wicks in East Enders & his place in Britpop's hall of fame. Class Actor is a lively & entertaining insight into the passions of a unique artist who remains driven to tell 'ordinary' people's lives through drama.

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What an event! What a show! Its catchy & quirky. Tuneful & toe-tapping. Exuberant unexpected & utterly endearing Its what happens when you take a beloved illustrator & childrens author & combine her buoyant genius with some of the most talented people on the stage
- presenting PHILADELPHIA CHICKENS! Created by Sandra Boynton
- whose titles with Workman have over 4.7 million copies in print
- PHILADELPHIA CHICKENS is a family musical in a book bringing together a full-colour songbook of 17-1/2 illustrated story-poems with a full-length fully orchestrated CD of original songs performed by an all star cast.


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Everyone adores cool creamy Philadelphia & its not just for spreading in a bagel
- its an incredibly versatile cooking ingredient.
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Soon there must come a day when I can say for myself: This & that I shall do this & that I shall not. Philida is the mother of four children by Francois Brink the son of her master. The year is 1832 & the Cape is rife with rumours about the liberation of the slaves. Philida decides to risk her whole life by lodging a complaint against Francois who has reneged on his promise to set her free. His father has ordered him to marry a white woman from a prominent Cape Town family & Philida will be sold on to owners in the harsh country up north. Unwilling to accept this fate Philida continues to test the limits of her freedom & with the Muslim slave Labyn she sets off on a journey across the great wilderness on the banks of the Gariep River to the far north of Cape Town. Philida" is an unforgettable story of one womans determination to survive & be free." ...

For study or revision these guides are the perfect accompaniment to the set text providing invaluable background & exam advice. Philip Allan Literature Guides (for GCSE) offer succinct & accessible coverage of all key aspects of the set text & are designed to challenge & develop your knowledge encouraging you to reach your full potential. Each full colour guide: Gives you the confidence that you know your set text inside out with insightful coverage for you to develop your understanding of context characters "ations themes & style Ensures you are fully prepared for your exams: each guide shows you how your set text will be measured against assessment objectives of the main

Specification Develops the skills you need to do well in your exams with tasks & practice questions in the guide & lots more completely free online including podcasts glossaries sample essays & revision advice at www.philipallan.co.uk/literatureguidesonline

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One of the architects of New Labour Lord Gould played a crucial role in helping former Prime Minister Tony Blair to three election victories. He was strategy & polling adviser to the party in the general elections of 1987 1992 1997 2001 & 2005 & was one of the key figures of the modern communications revolution inside the Labour Party of the 1980s which resulted in the emergence of New Labour. Lord Gould battled for three years against oesophageal cancer & in September 2011 was told he would not survive. In his last months he continued to speak openly & honestly both about politics & his illness & fought strongly for ideals he believed in. Elections expert Dennis Kavanagh brings together a stellar cast of contributors including Georgia Gould Alastair Campbell Patricia Hewitt Peter Mandelson David Miliband James Purnell Danny Finkelstein Peter Hyman Andrew Cooper Stan Greenberg & James Harding to consider Philip Goulds legacy both in life & politics. ...

Philip II of Spain -- ruler of the most extensive empire the world had ever known -- has been viewed in a harsh & negative light since his death in 1598. Identified with repression bigotry & fanaticism by his enemies he has been judged more by the political events of his reign than by his person. This book published four hundred years after Philips death is the first full-scale biography of the king. Placing him within the social cultural religious & regional context of his times it presents a startling new picture of his character & reign. Drawing on Philips unpublished correspondence & on many other archival sources Henry Kamen reveals much about Philip the youth the man the husband the father the frequently troubled Christian & the king. Kamen finds that Philip was a cosmopolitan prince whose extensive experience of northern Europe broadened his cultural imagination & tastes whose staunchly conservative ideas were far from being illiberal & fanatical whose religious attitudes led him to accept a practical coexistence with Protestants & Jews & whose support for Las Casas & other defenders of the Indians in America helped determine government policy. Shedding completely new light on most aspects of Philips private life & in consequence on his public actions the book is the definitive portrayal of Philip II. ...

The Spanish Armada conjures up images of age-old rivalries bravery & treachery. However the same Spanish monarch who sent the Armada to invade England in 1588 was just a few years previously the King of England & husband of Mary Tudor. This important new book sheds new light on Philip II of Spain Englands forgotten sovereign. Previous accounts of Marys brief reign have focused on the martyrdom of Protestant dissenters the loss of English territory as well as Marys infamous personality meaning that her husband Philip has remained in the shadows. In this book Harry Kelsey uncovers Philips life
- from his childhood & education in Spain to his marriage to Mary & the political manoeuvrings involved in the marriage contract to the tumultuous aftermath of Marys death which ultimately led to hostile relations between Queen Elizabeth & Philip culminating in the Armada. Focusing especially on the period of Philips marriage to Mary Kelsey shows that Philip was in fact an active King of England & took a keen interest in the rule of his wifes kingdom. Casting fresh light on both Mary & Philip as well as European history more generally this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the Tudor era.
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