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." ...

Journey into the magical world of J.R.R. Tolkiens Middle-earth with Tolkienworld". This comprehensive & lavishly illustrated unofficial guide lets you discover the legendary characters & places of " The Hobbit" & " The Lord of the Rings". You can travel through the perilous forest of Mirkwood peer into the cavernous hall under the Lonely Mountain to see the fiery dragon Smaug on his treasure hoard or venture into the evil realm of Mordor. With stunning artwork that re-imagines the places & people of Middle-earth " Tolkienworld" is ideal for hobbit fans big & small." ...

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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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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After their gruelling journeys to Galicia & Scilly Baldwin & Simon are at last back on the English mainland dumped unceremoniously when their shipmaster partakes of his cargo & almost wrecks the ship. Eager to get home Baldwin & Simon set off on horseback but only get as far as Cardinham on Bodmin Moor. Here they are detained by the castellan who requires their help to solve two murders on the estate. The first victim is a widow found dead with her two children. The second is Serlo the Miller who has recently been discovered embezzling castle money taken in tolls. As Baldwin & Simon begin a double investigation they must look beneath the village friendships & family loyalties to find an evil killer & secure Cardinhams safety. ...

The story of Tom Barrys life peppered by his battles with the State & Church & his constant endeavours to obtain an All Ireland Republic makes him a unique & important figure of Irish history. In 1949 when he addressed huge crowds in New York Chicago Pittsburgh & Boston his voice rang out
- My one aim is to unite the Irish people
- one race... The Border will not fade away or the Partition will not be ended until such time as the united strength is used in a supreme effort to get rid of it. It details his involvement on the fringes of the Treaty negotiations; his Republican activities during the Civil War; his engagement in the cease-fire/dump-arms deal of 1923; his term as the IRAs Chief-of-Staff & his participation in IRA conflicts in the 1930s 1940s 1950s right up to his death in 1980.

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