Inspired by Maryanne Grant Traylen`s daily walks with her dog, & by the moments of beauty afforded by living between sea & Down, A Dog on the Downs evokes the North Kent countryside in its different moods, seasons & weathers, combined with a narrative that invokes a sense of the geology & history that has shaped the landscape. Black dog is not only Maryanne`s walking companion but her visual constant, looking elegant, even Gormley-like, against the green of hill or blue of sea. Concentrating on Kent`s North Downs framed at the east, west, north & south by Kingsdown Beach, New Barn, Denton & the sea respectively, the book will enchant readers with the lyrical quality of Maryanne`s writing & photographs as together Maryanne & her dog explore the landscapes right on their doorstep. Vividly bringing this stretch of Downs to life, join Maryanne & her dog as they discover the cliffs at Kingsdown, St. Margaret`s, Dover & Folkestone, as they take a dip into the sea & swing inland to the Downs & cut across the escarpments of Arpinge & Etchinghill towards Wye, losing themselves in glorious valleys & villages ...

To the beginner, the star-filled night sky can seem mysterious & unfathomable. But with this book as a guide the awesome nature of the Cosmos is brought down to Earth. Over the course of twelve chapters Mark Thompson, one of the presenters on BBC One's Stargazing Live & the resident astronomer on ITV's The Alan Titchmarsh Show, will take you on a journey through space, tackling the key concepts of astronomy & unlocking the secrets of the sky. From the origins of our Universe to the ever evolving techniques used to explore deep space, A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos traces the journey of galactic discovery that has obsessed mankind for thousands of years. Accompanying the narrative, a series of monthly sky guides focus on the astronomical highlights visible at each given time of year, with handy charts to show you exactly what to look for & how to navigate around the sky at night. As fascinating as it is accessible, A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos is a must for anyone who gazes up & wishes they knew more about the final frontier... ...

To the beginner, the star-filled night sky can seem mysterious & unfathomable. But with this book as a guide the awesome nature of the Cosmos is brought down to Earth. Over the course of twelve chapters Mark Thompson, one of the presenters on BBC One`s Stargazing Live & the resident astronomer on ITV`s The Alan Titchmarsh Show, will take you on a journey through space, tackling the key concepts of astronomy & unlocking the secrets of the sky. From the origins of our Universe to the ever evolving techniques used to explore deep space, A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos traces the journey of galactic discovery that has obsessed mankind for thousands of years. Accompanying the narrative, a series of monthly sky guides focus on the astronomical highlights visible at each given time of year, with handy charts to show you exactly what to look for & how to navigate around the sky at night. As fascinating as it is accessible, A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos is a must for anyone who gazes up & wishes they knew more about the final frontier... ...

To the beginner, the star-filled night sky can seem mysterious & unfathomable. But with this book as a guide the awesome nature of the Cosmos is brought down to Earth. Over the course of twelve chapters Mark Thompson, one of the presenters on BBC One`s Stargazing Live & the resident astronomer on ITV`s The Alan Titchmarsh Show, will take you on a journey through space, tackling the key concepts of astronomy & unlocking the secrets of the sky. From the origins of our Universe to the ever evolving techniques used to explore deep space, A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos traces the journey of galactic discovery that has obsessed mankind for thousands of years. Accompanying the narrative, a series of monthly sky guides focus on the astronomical highlights visible at each given time of year, with handy charts to show you exactly what to look for & how to navigate around the sky at night. As fascinating as it is accessible, A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos is a must for anyone who gazes up & wishes they knew more about the final frontier... ...

Travelling through Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia in the twilight of the French colonial regime, Norman Lewis witnesses these ancient civilisations as they were before the terrible devastation of the Vietnam War. He creates a portrait of traditional societies struggling to retain their integrity in the embrace of the West. Lewis meets emperors & slaves, brutal plantation owners & sympathetic French officers trapped by the economic imperatives of the colonial experiment. From tribal animists to Viet-Minh guerillas, he witnesses this heart-breaking struggle over & over, leaving a vital portrait of a society on the brink of catastrophic change. ...

Ed Drummond`s climbing essays initially gained prominence in the prestigious American Journal Ascent. First published in a book in 1987 they formed a loose autobiography covering an eventful private life from school & college days in the sixties, a long sojourn in the United States & a return to Europe in the mid-eighties. Yet it is principally a climbing book so the main chapters concern big climbs: first ascents on St. John`s Head & the Troll wall, a solo ascent of El Capitan`s Nose & an audacious solo attempt on the North America Wall on which the author nearly froze to death. Political & social concerns also figure prominently as Drummond has used his climbing skills to draw attention to a variety of causes
- an anti-apartheid protest on Trafalgar Column & building climbs in the US in support of civil-rights activists. More recently he organised the ` Climb for the World` extravaganza. This attention-gaining Ed Drummond roadshow is tempered by a more private, darker side of his character. Adolescent sexual pre-occupations curdled into a sequence of failed marriages & relationships, bringing him to the edge of despair. This too is reflected in his writing, as is his tenacious struggle away from the brink, & his scorn for attempts to romanticise such pressures which emerges in one particularly trenchant essay. Indeed, this collection, though rooted in climbing, uses danger, elation, toil & intense relationships to allow a thorough literary examination of the psyche that leaves the reader both enlightened & exhausted in its wake.
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50 cocktails each inspired by famous women writers from around the world, from the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, France, Germany & others. With cocktail recipes & literary profiles of the writers that inspired them, discover the delights of the Sylvia Plath, the Virginia Woolf, the Simone de Beauvoir, the Zelda Fitzgerald, the Angela Carter, the Margaret Attwood, the Jane Austen, the Margeurite Duras & the Elfriede Jelinek. This is a beautifully conceived & presented gift book celebrating the very best in women`s writing, with beautiful illustrations of each writers & photography of many of the cocktails. ...

Originally published in 1960, this classic tale from beloved author John Yeoman & renowned illustrator Quentin Blake is a collection of seven charming animal fables. It was the first children`s book published by either John Yeoman or Quentin Blake, who are still producing books in partnership today nearly sixty years later. This facsimile edition reproduces the original publication & features an afterword by Quentin Blake. Young readers will adore the observant & logical monkey`s attempts to find a drink of water, as well the entertaining cast of animals featured in each story. The creative partnership between John Yeoman & Quentin Blake will be the subject of a retrospective exhibition at the House of Illustration in London opening October 6, 2017. ...

This book

Includes:: more than 50 full-colour Bird's Eye maps, covering all of New Zealand's best scenic driving

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Polly Pullar tells the fascinating tale of one of the Hebrides, unique thriving small communities through the colourful anecdotes of Lawrence Mac Ewen, whose family have owned the island since 1896. A wonderfully benevolent, & eccentric character, his passion & love for the island & its continuing success, has always been of the utmost importance. He has kept diaries all his life & delves deep into them, unveiling a uniquely human story, punctuated with liberal amounts of humour, as well as heart-rending tragedy, always dominated by the vagaries of the sea. Filled with fascinating & extraordinary tales & priceless observations, this is not only a highly entertaining read but is also an important part of Scottish social history. The story begins with the amusing debut of Lawrence as a new baby when his mother returned from the hospital on the mainl&, & carries on through his colourful island childhood & up to present day. Here are tales of coal puffers & livestock transportation on steamers & small boats, extraordinary chance meetings & adventures that eventually led him to finding his wife, Jenny, on the island of Soay. It`s a book about the small hard-grafting community of 30 souls on this fertile island of just 1500 acres. Residents work closely with the Mac Ewen family in business interests: the thriving farm, market garden, a modern school, a busy tearoom, craft shop, & a winter shoot. A new village hall was opened in 2012, & a guesthouse in May 2013. Until March 2013, Muck depended on an unreliable generator for electricity that only came on twice daily, but now has finally been electrified with solar panels & wind turbines. It was one of the last places in the UK to receive 24-hour power. ...