In part one read about the time Jon inadvertently made a lewd gesture to a passing fourteen-year-old girl late at night in the lobby of a country-house hotel. & about his burgeoning obsession with a new neighbour who refused to ask him what he did for a living despite Jon's constant dropping of intriguing hints. & about the embarrassment of being caught recycling small talk at a party. In part two read some of Jon's longer stories which explore manifestations of insanity in the wider world: the tiny town of North Pole Alaska where it's Christmas 365 days of the year; behind the scenes at Deal or No Deal which Jon likens to a cult with Noel Edmonds as its high priest; a meeting with TV hypnotist Paul Mc Kenna who has joined forces with a self-help guru who once stood trial for murder -- but can they cure Jon of his one big phobia? As hilarious as it is perturbing Jon Ronson's new collection is a treat for everyone who has ever suspected themselves to be at the mercy of forces they can barely comprehend. ...

This is the story of two men who first become friends in 1970s New York of the women in their lives & of their sons born the same year. Both Leo Hertzberg an art historian & Bill Weschler a painter are cultured decent men but neither is equipped to deal with what happens to their children
- Leos son drowns when hes 12 while Bills son Mark grows up to be a delinquent & the acolyte of a sinister guru-like artist who spawns murder in his wake. Spanning the hedonism of the eighties & the chill-out nineties this multi-layered novel combines a plot of mounting menace with a deeply moving account of familial relationships & a superbly observed portrait of an artist set against the backdrop of a society reaching new depths of depravity in its frenetic quest for the next fashion drug & thrill.
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In 1982 having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later hed completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon & now after dozens of such races he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life & on his writing. Equal parts travelogue training log & reminiscence this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon & settings ranging from Tokyos Jingu Gaien gardens where he once shared the course with an Olympian to the Charles River in Boston. Funny & sobering playful & philosophical What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a must read for fans of this masterful yet private writer as well as for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in distance running. ...

Valentino Rossi is the greatest living motorcyclist. His legions of fans adore him (over 4 000 turned up to see him in Leicester Square last March). He has fought through the 125 & 250 class groups to win the World Championships five times & has been ranked in the top three places at the World Championships for the last nine years. He is currently the Moto GP World Champion & has won on a Honda bike
- considered the best
- & most recently on a Yamaha
- considered the worst. He is arguably the greatest racer ever
- & certainly the most entertaining
- his post race antics & cheeky personality have won him as many fans as his on-track prowess. He is the kind of star who only comes along once in a while
- a Muhammad Ali or Pele
- hugely talented massively driven yet also scorchingly charismatic unnervingly rebellious & totally endearing
- a twentieth-century version of the hell-raisers of old. All who know Rossi say he is a consummate professional that he works harder than anyone could ever realise but that most of all he still loves what he does. He just seems to win more because hes still enjoying himself so much. He is infamous for his on the edge riding pushing himself & his bike to the very limits of what they can do & screaming around racecourses in record times. But he is also well known for his good looks his techni-coloured hair & cheeky humour
- & for his sheer youthful exuberance in victory
- his post-match victory laps have become a thing of legend. Previously he has driven victory laps in full beach gear including flip-flops with a man sized chicken riding pillion (and also in a jibe to Max Biaggi who had an unceremonious break-up with the model Naomi Campbell with a life size doll of Claudia Schiffer strapped on behind him.) His warmth of character coupled with his amazing career statistics to date
- his first GP win aged 17 his first world title at 18 his first 500 class win at 21 & his first Moto GP win at 22
- mean that this young man has the motorcycle racing world at his feet. His raw talent coupled with his firm belief in the entertainment aspect of his sport & the importance of his fans means that he really is the David Beckham of bikes
- he has done the near impossible & transcended his own territory. His appeal
- being at the top of his game without being a purist still being seen to be young & excited by the game & being a perfectionist on & off the track when it comes to his driving
- means that he really is one of the superstars of the sporting world.














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' Anyone interested in military history or indeed history in general will find it fascinating to read'
- Spectator". " What If?"
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This book provides a short & accessible introduction to the field of gender history one that has vastly expanded in scope & substance since the mid 1970s. Paying close attention to both classic texts in the field & the latest literature the author examines the origins & development of the field & elucidates current debates & controversies. She highlights the significance of race class & ethnicity for how gender affects society culture & politics as well as delving into histories of masculinity. The author discusses in a clear & straightforward manner the various methods & approaches used by gender historians. Consideration is given to how the study of gender illuminates the histories of revolution war & nationalism industrialization & labor relations politics & citizenship colonialism & imperialism using as examples research dealing with the histories of a number of areas across the globe. Written by one of the leading scholars in this vibrant field What is Gender History? will be the ideal introduction for students of all levels. ...

One of the most fundamental questions in our life is to find out what we value
- what principles we want to live by & which
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A starter unit for Key Stage 3 History
- a series of seven engaging activities that introduce pupils to the key ideas needed to
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Since its first publication in 1961 E.H. Carrs What is History? has established itself as the classic introduction to the subject. Ranging across topics such as historical objectivity society & the individual the nature of causation & the possibility of progress Carr delivered an incisive text that still has the power to provoke debate today. For this fortieth anniversary reissue Richard J. Evans has written an extensive new introduction that discusses the origins & the impact of the book & assesses its relevance in the age of twenty-first century postmodernism & epistemological anxiety. ...

Who is to say how things really were? In formulating a modern answer to the question ' What is History?' Professor Carr shows that the 'facts' of history are simply those which historians have selected for scrutiny. Millions have crossed the Rubicon but the historians tell us that only Caesar's crossing was significant. All historical facts come to us as a result of interpretative choices by historians influenced by the standards of their age. Yet if absolute objectivity is impossible the role of the historian need in no way suffer; nor does history lose its fascination. This edition

Includes:: new material which presents the major conclusions of Professor Carr's notes for the second edition & a new preface by the author in which he calls for 'a saner & more balanced outlook on the future'.

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