` To read this book is to understand Afghanistan as it exists today. This haunting memoir traces the unimaginable odyssey of one family whose world has collapsed.. . Poetic, powerful, & unforgettable.` Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner. Qais Akbar Omar was eleven when a brutal civil war engulfed Kabul. For Qais, it brought an abrupt end to a childhood filled with kites & cousins in his grandfather`s garden: one of the most convulsive decades in Afghan history had begun. Ahead lay the rise of the Taliban, &, in 2001, the arrival of international forces. A Fort of Nine Towers is the story of Qais, his family & their determination to survive these upheavals as they were buffeted from one part of Afghanistan to the next. Drawing strength from each other, & their culture & faith, they sought refuge for a time in the Buddha caves of Bamyan, & later with a caravan of Kuchi nomads. When they eventually returned to Kabul, it became clear that their trials were just beginning. ...

Living in crumbling Brooklyn apartments, holding down jobs as actors & writers & eschewing the middle-class sensibilities of their parents, graduates of the prestigious Oberlin College, Lil, Beth, Sadie, Emily, Dave & Tal believe they can have it all. When the group come together to celebrate a marriage, anything seems possible. But soon the reality of rent, marriage & family will test them all. For this fortunate age can`t last for ever, & the group must face adulthood, whether they are ready for it or not. Sprawling & richly drawn, A Fortunate Age traces the lives of the group during some of the most defining years of modern America
- from the decadence of the dot com boom through to the sobering events of September 11 & the trailing years that followed
- this brilliant, ambitious debut novel perfectly captures the hopes, anxieties & dreams of a generation.

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In 1966 John Berger spent three months in the Forest of Dean shadowing an English country GP, John Sassall. Sassall is a fortunate man
- his work occupies & fulfils him, he lives amongst the patients he treats, the line between his life & his work is happily blurred. In A Fortunate Man, Berger`s text & the photography of Jean Mohr reveal with extraordinary intensity the life of a remarkable man. It is a portrait of one selfless individual & the rural community for which he became the hub. Drawing on psychology, biography & medicine A Fortunate Man is a portrait of sacrifice. It is also a profound exploration of what it means to be a doctor, to serve a community & to heal. It comes with a new introduction by novelist & GP, Gavin Francis.
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In 1966 John Berger spent three months in the Forest of Dean shadowing an English country GP, John Sassall. Sassall is a fortunate man
- his work occupies & fulfils him, he lives amongst the patients he treats, the line between his life & his work is happily blurred. In A Fortunate Man, Berger`s text & the photography of Jean Mohr reveal with extraordinary intensity the life of a remarkable man. It is a portrait of one selfless individual & the rural community for which he became the hub. Drawing on psychology, biography & medicine A Fortunate Man is a portrait of sacrifice. It is also a profound exploration of what it means to be a doctor, to serve a community & to heal. With a new introduction by writer & GP, Gavin Francis.
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Warned by a fortune-teller not to risk flying, the author
- a seasoned correspondent
- took to travelling by rail, road &

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Every morning in Sadar Bazaar, one of the oldest markets in Delhi, a gang of men gather looking for work in the building trade. For five years, Aman Sethi shared their lives, & in particular that of Mohammed Ashraf. Ashraf is a mazdoor, an itinerant house-painter, but he's not a typical labourer
- he's studied biology in college, & after college learnt how to repair TV sets, cut suits, & slice chicken. He lived all over India, but now he finds himself in Delhi: the second most populous city in the country. The morning will bring hangovers, whisky breakfasts & possibly answers to the lingering questions that haunt Ashraf. How did he get here? Why is he the way he is? & is there a way back home? One of the very best young journalists in India, Aman Sethi brings Ashraf vividly alive & illuminates the lives of countless others like him. Wry, humorous & insightful, A Free Man is an unforgettable portrait of an invisible man in his invisible city, & an extraordinary human story.
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Arrested for snorting cocaine off a car bonnet, award-winning author & quintessential dilettante Frederic Beigbeder reflects on his troubled childhood, while spending a night in the cells. In his most autobiographical book to date, the author of the award-winning ' Windows on the World' recounts his stay in police custody, when in January 2008 he was arrested for snorting cocaine outside a Paris nightclub. As he lies in his cell, he revisits his childhood, from the carefree days when his grandfather taught him to skim pebbles at the beach in Cenitz, to his parents' divorce; the conflicting influences of his hedonistic father & his studious, seemingly conventional brother. & then Beigbeder recalls his first, unrequited loves. This patchwork of memories is as much a portrait of the era as it is the story of a fragile, self-critical man who has finally dropped the mask. Witty, sharp, with a pitiless, self-deprecating irony, & yet tender & true, 'A French Novel' is a gem. Beigbeder's search for answers in the lost country of his childhood will speak to a whole generation searching for its soul. ...

Arrested for snorting cocaine off a car bonnet, award-winning author & quintessential dilettante Frederic Beigbeder reflects on his troubled childhood, while spending a night in police custody. Confined to a cell, Frederic Beigbeder`s seeks escape in his childhood memories, only to discover he can recall just one. From this, he reconstructs both his past & that of his family; the glamour of Sixties Paris & his father`s playboy life in New York, so distinct from the experiences of his soldier grandfather, whose lifespan Frederic has now exceeded. His arrest all over the tabloids, Frederic wonders if the time has come to grow up. `A French Novel` is a belated coming-of-age tale, profoundly tender & charmingly ironic. ...

Squirrel & Bird are very different. One animal likes nuts & the other likes worms! But both of them are happy to try something new. & together they make the very best of friends. A beautiful tale of unlikely friendship brought to life with stunning illustrations from Sean Julian (Bear Can`t Sleep, My Dad!). A Friend Like You is the perfect storybook for encouraging children to enjoy making friends & being brave enough to try new experiences. ...

This is the eagerly awaited follow-up to Des Sleightholme's bestseller A Funny Old Life, which instantly established itself as a must-read for Des's multitude of admirers. Former editor of Yachting Monthly for many years, Des is well known for his irreverent outlook on the Establishment & for his unfailing eye for the funny side of things; here he returns with further yarns about the hilarious happenings throughout his life. ...