This big book is stuffed with the fastest brightest longest funniest weirdest wildest wettest saddest brainiest & fascinating-est (yikes!) things in the world. From the highest peaks to the murkiest depths the fastest man to the slowest sloth the oldest lake to the most venomous snake & much much more. ...

In turbulent Shanghai in the years between the world wars the International Settlement was a mercantile powerhouse that faced unrest from Communist labour unions criminal gangs spies political agitators armed kidnappers & assassins. Adjoining the Settlement were the French Concession & the Chinese city both hotbeds of intrigue & crime themselves. Called the most sinful in the world the Settlement relied on its police: the Shanghai Municipal Police one of the most advanced forces in the world. After an incident in 1926 when the police fired upon demonstrators which resulted in unrest & strikes W. E. Fairbairn was charged with forming a specialised unit to deal with riots & armed encounters. The resulting Reserve Unit became the prototype for future SWAT teams as it developed tactics for using snipers in barricade & hostage incidents techniques for use of the sub-machine gun during raids hostage rescue tactics aggressive riot-dispersal tactics & various other tactical innovations. Out of the experiences of the unit came many of the techniques later taught by W. E. Fairbairn E. A. Sykes Pat ONeill & others to the Commandos Rangers SOE OSS 1st Special Service Force & other Second World War elite units. Those same techniques still resonate today with special forces & police tactical units. ...

Brand new & fully-illustrated with over 2 000 photographs this coffee table book explores the most fascinating travel destinations on Earth as part of a pictorial round-the-world adventure. This trailblazing tour takes in ancient capitals of Europe the awe-inspiring Amazon rainforest the natural wonders of Africa volcanic mountains in Iceland fast expanding cities of East Asia the imposing monuments of the Middle East & much more. Astonishing facts & insightful texts are incorporated into full-page illustrations bringing each destination to life & whetting the appetite for adventure. ...

Take for example Enriqueta Marti who kidnapped children from the streets of Barcelona then boiled away their flesh & crushed their bones for ingredients for her coveted magic potions. Or take Randy Kraft known as The Scorecard Killer a computer genius by day & a a deranged psychopath by night. Finally arrested with a corpse slumped in the passenger seat of his car it emerged that Kraft had spent over a decade cutting up & disposing of his numerous victims along the California highways. In this stomach-churning collection all the stories have one thing in common
- a unique bizarre twist. True crime writer James Marrison draws upon the material that has featured in the hugely successful column The Murder File in cult magazine Bizarre in order to disclose the kind of sickening deeds that are perpetrated more often than you might think but which sometimes go largely unreported by the media. Welcome to The Worlds Most bizarre Murders
- the most shocking true crime book you will ever read.

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Each journey is accompanied by a map of the route & is described in terms of the technical challenges of building the railroad as well as the stunning views to be seen while travelling on the trains. Some of the railway journeys featured include the Harz narrow-gauge railroad in Saxony-Anhalt Germany; the Indian Pacific which runs across Australia from Perth to Sydney; Indias Darjeeling Himalayan Railways; & the spectacular railroads in the Canadian Rockies. ...

Ever wanted to run along The Great Wall of China up the Empire State Building across the Sahara Desert or join thousands of runners in a major city road race. These running races are included in the list of 500 of the most classic running races in the world. The global sport of running has captured peoples imagination since the first competitive race several thousand years ago. Hundreds of running races are held ever day & the biggest of those are watched by millions of people. Races featured range from ten second sprints to several days worth of running over hundreds of miles. There are running races included from every continent & most are open to anyone in the world. Whether you are interested in a five km race around a city centre or a marathon across mountain ranges this book has a race for you. * Cross country
- experience the mud & the drama of the English cross country championships * Mountain
- run to the top of Mount Olympus in Greece * Multi-terrain
- get sweaty in Brazil completing the Jungle marathon * Road
- join thousands of others running marathons through the worlds greatest cities * Snow
- run a marathon to the North Pole * Stage
- compete as part of a team in the famous Ekiden relays in Japan * Stair
- catch the view from the top of the Empire State building * Track
- compete against Britains best in the famous British Milers Club races * Trail
- explore the ancient world whilst running on the Great Wall of China * Ultra
- challenge yourself in the heat of the Death Valley The diversity of races is also matched by the number of countries featured with races from over 100 countries included in the list of ultimate running races. This list of ultimate running races is compiled by Angela Mudge (world champion mountain runner) along with contributions from some of the worlds leading runners including Kilian Jornet Mara Yamauchi Ryan Sandes & Jonathan Wyatt.









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Drive a crazy double decker car & ride shotgun in other mad vehicles This has got to be the most memorable motorised experience ever! Be chauffeured through country lanes & around tracks in the Worlds fastest street-legal bed. The ultimate buzz as you travel along public roads safely tucked up under your duvet. Be raced around a race track on a 87mph sofa. An iconic leopard-skin print sofa that started all the madness. Get behind the wheel in the Double Decker car as seen on BBCs Top Gear where the driver in the top car controls the steering & the driver in the bottom car controls the pedals. Totally barking & fantastic fun. Finally pull up a seat at the Worlds hottest desk. Securely strapped into your office chair youll have full use of the computers conference table & water cooler! These cars are designed by Wheeler Dealers Edd China & are the most astonishing ride of your life! Your experience will start with a meeting with the instructors who will get you fitted into some racing overalls go through the events of the day & talk through the health & safety aspects. Then it will be time for you to experience the wackiest rides of your life in the worlds fastest office worlds fastest sofa or worlds fastest bed. Plus you will get to drive the craziest double decker of cars ever. Afterwards you will return to the Wacky Racer Bar where you will be given a certificate & youll be free to purchase some refreshments. During the experience you will also see pro-driver demonstrations of other amazing cars including Scooby Doo Wheelie Van Push Me Pull You car & more! What You Will Receive On purchasing this experience you will receive a Silver A5 Presentation Pack. Your Silver A5 Presentation Pack is embossed with a ribbon design great if you are buying this experience as a gift. Included within your presentation pack: Your Gift Experience Voucher
- Keep this safe! You will need this to book your experience & may be required to take this with you on the day of your experience. An Information Booklet
- Detailing all you need to know about your experience including personal injury cover cancellation cover & full terms & conditions of the experience. How to Book Guide
- A personal guide based on your chosen experience detailing all the available locations & contact numbers you need to ensure you experience runs smoothly. "


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Whales that look like unicorns lizards that squirt jets of blood from their eyes naked rats that can sprint backwards... It seems as though some creatures have been put on this earth just to make us laugh. From the harmless but hilarious to the truly frightening & deadly the animals in this book are guaranteed to keep you amazed enthralled & extremely amused. ...

This magnificent & comprehensive illustrated reference to the world's most exotic dive locations covers the Caribbean Sea (Bahamas Mexico Cuba Cayman Islands The Virgin Islands Belize Honduras Aruba Bonaire & Curacao Tobago St Lucia & Dominica) Bermuda the Red Sea (Egypt & Sudan) the Indian Ocean (Oman Maldives Seychelles Mozambique & Western Australia) the Indo-Pacific (Thailand Malaysia & Indonesia) & the Pacific Ocean (Philippines Micronesia Melanesia Papua New Guinea French Polynesia & Eastern Australia). superb quality underwater photography shows a huge variety of wrecks marine habitats & aquatic species. The descriptions detail the type of dive to be experienced as well as what you can expect to see. Each dive site featured can be located via a detailed regional site map & a travel advisory is also included. ...

Haynes Pocket Manuals" are a new series of small books providing factual & practical information on a wide range of popular subjects including machines history & the natural world. Aimed at children they are written using language suitable for young readers & are fully illustrated in colour throughout. " World's Fastest Cars" charts the history of fast cars from standard production models to highly modified cars racing cars drag racers & l&-speed-record breakers whether powered by piston electric or jet engine. Fact boxes & sidebars provide handy additional information on aspects of making cars go faster from aerodynamics to the very special tyres used in drag racing." ...