In 1945 as part of the Occupation forces sent to postwar Japan Nick Zappetti a native of Italian East Harlem entered a world as strange as any he had ever known. In postwar Tokyo however he realised there were certain opportunities. He had a failed stint as a professional wrestler & participated in a fumbled (but famous) diamond heist. He was deported but managed to return with the assistance of the Mafia. Then Nick opened a pizza joint in what would be the centre of Tokyos nightlife & became the king of Roppongi & Mafia boss of Tokyo " & the intimate of some of Japans most notorious underworld figures as well as many of its political & business leaders. Following Zappettis rising & falling fortunes & his love-hate relationship with his adopted country Robert Whiting show us the sinister (and sometimes ridiculous) goings-on among Tokyos traditional criminal gangs as they developed from local racketeers & gamblers into lynchpins of international finance politics & corruption. Here is a fresh perspective on postwar Japan & how it went from being a defeated nation to an economic player with a little help from some less than diplomatic friends." ...

This book is set in August 1946. One year on from surrender & Tokyo lies broken & bleeding at the feet of its American victors. Against this extraordinary historical backdrop Tokyo Year Zero" opens with the discovery of the bodies of two young women in Shiba Park. Against his wishes Detective Minami is assigned to the case & as he gets drawn ever deeper into these complex & horrific murders he realises that his own past & secrets are indelibly linked to those of the dead women & their killer." ...

Acclaimed as the best book about Tolkien this award-winning biography explores J.R.R. Tolkiens wartime experiences & their impact on his life & his writing of The Hobbit & The Lord of The Rings. To be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than in 1939! by 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead." So J.R.R. Tolkien responded to critics who saw The Lord of the Rings as a reaction to the Second World War. Tolkien & the Great War tells for the first time the full story of how he embarked on the creation of Middle-earth in his youth as the world around him was plunged into catastrophe. This biography reveals the horror & heroism that he experienced as a signals officer in the Battle of the Somme & introduces the circle of friends who spurred his mythology to life. It shows how after two of these brilliant young men were killed Tolkien pursued the dream they had all shared by launching his epic of good & evil. John Garth argues that the foundation of tragic experience in the First World War is the key to Middle-earths enduring power. Tolkien used his mythic imagination not to escape from reality but to reflect & transform the cataclysm of his generatuion. While his contemporaries surrendered to disillusionment he kept enchantment alive reshaping an entire literary tradition into a form that resonates to this day. This is the first substantially new biography of Tolkien since 1977 meticulously researched & distilled from his personal wartime papers & a multitude of other sources." ...

The official Tolkien calendar this year containing 13 paintings inspired by The Lord of the Rings & featuring many previously unseen works of art. The Official Tolkien Calendar has become an established publishing event eagerly looked forward to by Tolkien fans the world over; there is much demand for the annual calendar with Tolkien calendars from the past 30 years becoming collectors items. This years continues in that tradition & is the perfect Christmas gift for lovers of fine fantasy art. The Tolkien Calendar 2012 features 13 paintings by the Dutch artist Cor Blok. Cor Blok is the only artist still living ever to have met JRR Tolkien & the only artist whose paintings Tolkien admired enough to purchase some of his work. The paintings are inspired by Tolkiens classic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings & were completed during the early 1960s when the young artist was attempting to create a Bayeux tapestry approach to illustrating this monumental book. Many of this paintings included here have never been seen before. This delightful collection of scenes takes the reader on a unique journey through the beauty & drama of Middle-earth. It represents a truly charming addition to the series of official calendars by a gifted artist & promises to be a memorable calendar for fans. ...

Aspiring writers & Tolkien fans everywhere will be inspired by this fantastical journal. Harkening back to a time of quills & parchment in the magical world of Middle-Earth A Tolkien Journal is the preferred means for a Halfling to record his thoughts & adventures. Now available to humans & with amazing half-tone illustrations on nearly every page "A Tolkien Journal" is the perfect enchantment for your writings & musings." ...

It is said that Hood waits at the end of every plot every scheme each grandiose ambition. But this time it is different: this time the Lord of Death is there at the beginning... Darujhistan swelters in the summer heat & seethes with portents rumours & whispers. Strangers have arrived a murderer is abroad past-tyrannies are stirring & assassins seem to be targeting the owners of K'rul's Bar. For the rotund waistcoat-clad man knows such events will be dwarfed by what is about to happen: for in the distance can be heard the baying of hounds. Far away in Black Coral the ruling Tiste Andii appear oblivious to the threat posed by the fast-growing cult of the Redeemer
- an honourable one-mortal man who seems powerless against the twisted vision of his followers. So Hood waits at the beginning of a conspiracy that will shake the cosmos but at its end there is another: Anomander Rake Son of Darkness has come to right an ancient & terrible wrong...
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Captain John Staple's exploits in the Peninsula had earned him the sobriquet ' Crazy' Jack amongst his fellows in the Dragoon Guards. Now home from Waterloo life in peacetime is rather dull for the boisterous adventure-loving Captain. But when he finds himself lost & benighted at an unmanned toll-house in the Pennines his soldiering days suddenly pale away besides an adventure
- & romance
- of a lifetime. Yet again Georgette Heyer shows the qualities that made her one of the most successful & best-loved romantic novelists of her age & why her popularity endures to this day.

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In the current climate businesses are expecting their advisers to help them make more savings through careful tax planning than ever before. This title enables you to give real-life solutions & guidance on problems faced in every stage of the life-cycle of an owner-managed business. All the key issues are covered in a clear & precise manner including interaction of different taxes & the Finance Act 2012 to ensure there is a thorough analysis of planning opportunities in each transaction or event. Written by providers of advice to practitioners & their clients this practical title uses worked examples & case studies to explain tax liabilities compliance & planning opportunities available for tax mitigation & as such is essential reading for anyone handling the affairs of owner-managed businesses. ...

Published as part of a two-volume set this highly practical tax book provides expert guidance on how to approach real-life computations by detailing all the relevant points from current legislation case law & other official material in the required format. Tolleys Taxwise I 2012-13" covers: Income Tax National Insurance Contributions Corporation Tax Capital Gains Tax Stamp Taxes VAT & incorporates a variety of features for ease of use including: Q & As on VAT; Full cross-referencing & comprehensive indexing to assist in immediate location of required information; Tables of rates for quick reference; Guidance in the layout of computations; & Numerous worked examples with detailed explanatory notes. " Tolleys Taxwise I 2012-13"

Includes:: tax rates for: Personal tax rates; Taxation of directors & others in respect of cars; Car fuel benefit scales; Van benefits; Tax-free HMRC approved mileage rates for business use of own transport etc; NIC; Contracted-out employee; CGT; CT rates; Indexation allowance; & Remittance basis charge remittances. Written by tax experts who are renowned not only for their technical skills but also for their ability to explain complex tax issues in clear & simple terms. Required reading for all students in professional tax examinations."

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More tall tales about tiny people from the bestselling author of THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS
- now in paperback with all new black
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