Award-winning journalist James Fergusson is among the few to have witnessed at first hand the devastating reality of life in the failed & desperate state of Somalia. This corner of the world has long been seen as the rotting & charred heart of Africa: a melting pot of crime corruption poverty famine & civil war. & in recent years whilst Somalia's lucrative piracy industry has grabbed the headlines a darker much deeper threat has come of age: the Al Qaida-linked militants Al Shabaab & the dawn of a new phase in the global war on terror. Yet paradoxically Somalia's star is brightening as forms of business law enforcement & local politics begin to establish themselves & members of the vast Somali diaspora return to their homel&. Fergusson takes us to the heart of the struggle meeting everyone from politicians pirates extremists & mercenaries to aid workers civilians & refugees. He gives a unique account of a country ravaged by war considers what the future might hold for a generation who have grown up knowing little else & exposes the reality of life in this hard often forgotten l&. ...

This lavishly-illustrated & comprehensive survey of 50 of the most influential designers ranging from early celebrity designers such as Paul Poiret to current cutting edge talent such as Hussein Chalayan. The names chosen are there because they have had an extraordinarily powerful influence on fashion & collectively they are responsible for almost the whole fashion story of the last 100 years. Each designer's iconic creations are shown in detail & graphic timelines & cross references show not only why these pieces were extraordinary in their own time but why they are still influencing those creating fashion today. The timelines demonstrate design influence through the generations. The result is a fascinating look at the fashion world that will appeal to anyone interested in fashion as well as being a useful resource for all fashion students. ...

Castles are among the most mysterious buildings on earth. Their grimly silent stones are signposts to a past filled with high adventure grim tragedies & glorious victories. Ghosts hauntings & other paranormal phenomena are frequently reported from castles. Do strange paranormal powers lurk among their ancient ruins? The World's Most Mysterious Castles takes you on a journey through hidden chambers & subterranean tunnels of castles all over the world. Their walls served the sinister needs of spies traitors & assassins. Do the spirits of attackers & defenders who died in long-forgotten sieges still linger where they fell? Screams of unbearable pain & despair were muffled within their deepest darkest torture dungeons. Do they echo there still? ...

This illustrated book vividly depicts the most endangered birds in the world & provides the latest information on the threats each species faces & the measures being taken to save them. Today 571 bird species are classified as critically endangered or endangered & a further four now exist only in captivity. This landmark book features stunning photographs of 500 of these species
- the results of a prestigious international photographic competition organized specifically for this book. It also showcases paintings by acclaimed wildlife artist Tomasz Cofta of the 75 species for which no photos are known to exist. The World's Rarest Birds" has introductory chapters that explain the threats to birds the ways threat categories are applied & the distinction between threat & rarity. The book is divided into seven regional sections: Europe & the Middle East; Africa & Madagascar; Asia; Australasia; Oceanic Islands; North America Central America & the Caribbean; & South America. Each section

Includes:: an illustrated directory to the bird species under threat there & gives a concise description of distribution status population key threats & conservation needs. This one-of-a-kind book also provides coverage of 62 data-deficient species."


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Equally loved & loathed by the public & the media airports are crucial to the operation of passenger & airfreight services worldwide. The World's Top 500 Airports" is the leading guide on the subject. It contains a brief history of each airport details of runways & terminals annual passenger numbers & aircraft movements. For the ' Top 250' airports there is a map details of the main user airlines & details of whether traffic is scheduled chartered passenger or freight. Freight traffic figures & ranking for freight are also given. Data & world rankings are supplied by the US-based Airports Council International." ...

The final revision of this classic bestseller the 7th edition defines the common thread linking the world's greatest economic thinkers & explores the philosophies that motivate them. Hailed by Galbraith as a brilliant achievement" " The Worldly Philosophers" with over 2 million copies sold worldwide not only enables us to see more deeply into our history but helps us to better understand our own times. Heilbroner provides the new theme that connects thinkers as different as Adam Smith & Karl Marx: the desire to understand how a capitalist society works. A new chapter conveys a concern that today's increasingly "scientific" economics may overlook fundamental social & political issues that are central to economics." ...

Chosen by National Geographics family of globe-trotting contributors the lavish Best of the World offers in-depth site descriptions; dozens of fun themed Best of the World lists; locator maps; illuminating sidebars several by travel & literary luminaries; & hundreds of dazzling oversized full-colour images to bring to life 500 awe-inspiring locations in a wide variety of categories
- from entire countries to mountaintop villages to pristine lakes to ancient wonders. This broad general interest travel title will appeal to active travellers looking for the next great trip as well as to the many readers who simply love dreaming of visiting far-flung idyllic destinations & for those who love to be in the know of the next travel trend. Five years after Journeys of a Lifetime" hit the stores fans are eager for the next great set of cant-miss travel hits revealed in this beautiful 2012 gift book."
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King Arthur is probably the most famous & certainly the most legendary medieval king. From the early ninth century through the middle ages to the Arthurian romances of Victorian times the tales of this legendary figure have blossomed & multiplied. & in more recent times there has been a continuous stream of books claiming to have discovered the 'facts' about or to unlock the secret or truth behind the 'once & future king'. Broadly speaking there are two Arthurs. On the one hand is the traditional 'historical' Arthur waging a doomed struggle to save Roman civilization against the relentless Anglo-Saxon tide during the darkest years of the Dark Ages. On the other is the Arthur of myth & legend
- accompanied by a host of equally legendary people places & stories: Lancelot Guinevere Galahad & Gawain Merlin Excalibur the Lady in the Lake the Sword in the Stone Camelot the Round Table. The big problem with all this is that ' King Arthur' might well never have existed. & if he did exist it is next to impossible to say anything at all about him. As this challenging new look at the Arthur legend makes clear all books claiming to reveal 'the truth' behind King Arthur can safely be ignored. Not only the 'red herrings' in the abundant pseudo-historical accounts even the 'historical' Arthur is largely a figment of the imagination: the evidence that we have
- whether written or archaeological
- is simply incapable of telling us anything detailed about the Britain in which he is supposed to have lived fought & died. The truth as Guy Halsall reveals in this fascinating investigation is both radically different
- & also a good deal more intriguing.



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An introduction to the life work & art of one of the most influential & exhilarating writers in English. Art critic architectural visionary social reformer climate warner & incomparable teacher: Ruskins words not only transformed Victorian England but speak to us with increasing urgency today. With 165 illustrations printed in full colour
- including 111 images by Ruskin ranging from private notes to presentation drawings to lecture diagrams
- mostly from the collection at the Ruskin Library & many never before published. Published in association with the Ruskin Foundation

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From the dirty to the depraved the barren to the downright boring going off the beaten track isnt always all its cracked up to be. This humorous guide packed with bizarre facts turns the travel genre on its head & uncovers some of the most unusual places the world has to offer. With weird & wonderful destinations from across the globe discover the Kingdom of Dwarves theme park in China an attraction where no-one measures above 5 feet tall. Or theres Kazantip in the Crimea where every year a mix of 150 000 ravers & Russian Mafia bosses with their teen brides in tow go to listen to electronic music on rotation for six weeks. A summer break to the city of Cherrapunji India may be a mistake with an average 29 days of rain in July & 26 in August. Meanwhile the health-conscious among you should probably avoid Evansville Indiana recently declared Americas fattest city. So unpack your bags put away your passport & save yourself some money by reading this guide. Then feel grateful that youll never make the mistake of visiting these places yourself. ...