In his sixth outdoor book, Graham Wilson casts a sceptical eye on the whole Munro-bagging industry. He considers his personal reactions to the obsession & pays tribute to some notable Munroists & fine mountain writers. Interspersed are the peaks & troughs of his own Munro experiences, described with humour & reflecting his love & concern for the Highlands of Scotl&. ...

Inspired by the true story of Walter Tull, the first black officer in the British army, this is a stunning new novel of identity ...

A Meeting in Seville follows a couple whose marriage is on the rocks. They return to Seville on Semana Santa (Easter) for a `second honeymoon`, a gift from their daughter, only to encounter their own younger selves, on their first honeymoon exactly 30 years earlier. William Sutherland (53), is stressed, work-obsessed & alienated from his vibrant Spanish wife Luisa (52), whom he suspects of an affair with old friend & current business partner Sandy. He could do without a 30th anniversary gift from their concerned daughter. When they encounter their happily-honeymooning selves, (Will 23 & Lu 22) they think they`ve gone mad. Somehow two worlds have collided in this unchanging city
- yet the only element of the other era is that the two couples can see each other. William & Luisa recognise `themselves` but the youngsters think they`re simply a nice if fractious couple here in Seville in 1988. William is drawn to the appealing young woman his wife once was. Whilst Luisa looks in sadness at the couple these sweet lovers have become. But Sandy, William`s best-man was also in Seville that long-ago week. Was this when the fatal `attraction` took hold? When William accidentally discovers that he has the ability to tamper with history, he contrives to ease the young Sandy out of Luisa`s life but soon finds his efforts turning into something more potent...
...

This is a reproduction of William Smith’s famous memoir that accompanies the 1815 geological map of ‘A Delineation of the Strata of England & Wales, with part of Scotland’ (series 53. issued between 2 November 1815 & 17 December 1815). Re-mastered from an original held in the British Geological Survey Library, A Memoir to the Map & Delineation of the Strata of England & Wales, with Part of Scotland (its full title) is a booklet explaining the homonymous geological map. It features a rather personal introduction by the author elaborating on the drive & methods he used to create the map, & the importance of producing such a detailed document. This is followed by a section with an explanation of the subject of strata, & of the colours by which they are represented on the map, & including two-page spread table representations. In the following chapter you will find a general account of soil & substrata in the respective counties, 41 plus part of Scotland (extending to Perth & north of Glasgow). The memoir ends with a section on the characteristic distinctions of soil & surface in the courses of the respective strata, described in the order in which their edges successively terminate, where you can read more about the location & the consistency of the soil, from clay & brick-earth to granite, sienite & gneiss. This is a beautifully bound reproduction which is a wonderful work to acquire on its own as well as a companion to the geological map. ...

Louisa May Alcott`s enchanting Christmas stories, presented in a beautiful hardcover edition perfect for giving as a gift. A Merry Christmas collects the best holiday stories of Louisa May Alcott, from the yuletide festivities of Marmee & her `little women` to the moving ` What Love Can Do`. Deeply influenced by real-life events, including characters based on Alcott`s family members & drawing from her experiences participating in the suffrage & abolitionist movements, these stories have the authentic texture & detail of Christmas in nineteenth-century America. Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1832. Her family later moved to Concord, Massachusetts, where Alcott was influenced by their neighbours Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, & Henry David Thoreau. At a young age, Louisa took on some of the family`s financial burdens, working as a domestic, a teacher, & a writer. In 1868 & 1869, fame & fortune came with the publication of Little Women. The author of many novels & an active campaigner for temperance & women`s suffrage, Alcott died in 1888. ...

September 1st, 2014 marked the centenary of one of the best-documented extinctions in history
- the demise of the Passenger Pigeon.
...

There`s no telling who might write back.. . It`s been a year since Tom Pellow`s dad was lost at sea. He was a sailor & Tom also finds himself drawn to the vast ocean; it holds so many possibilities, dangers & secrets. After hearing a song on the radio, Tom decides to write a message in a bottle, & throw it out into the sea. To `cast his bread upon the waters`. He doesn`t really expect to hear back, but Tom keeps writing anyway, sending messages out on the tide & searching the waves for a reply. One day he finds one. It`s a letter that seems to be from a ghost, deep down in Davy Jones`s Locker
- & the writer has a shocking answer to Tom`s question. But if Tom`s dad didn`t perish at sea, where is he? A charming & beautifully written story about grief, hope & miracles.
...

Throughout the history of civilization, food has been more than simple necessity. In countless cultures, it has been livelihood, status symbol, entertainment
- & passion. In the Great Food series, Penguin brings you the finest food writing from the last 400 years, & opens the door to the wonders of every kitchen.
...

Let acclaimed Tolkien artist John Howe take you on an unforgettable journey across Middle-earth, from Bag End to Mordor, in this richly illustrated sketchbook fully of previously unseen artwork, anecdotes & meditations on Middle-earth. Middle-earth has been mapped, Bilbo`s & Frodo`s journeys plotted & measured, but it remains a wilderland for all that. The roads as yet untravelled far outnumber those down which J.R.R. Tolkien led us in his writings. A Middle-earth Traveller presents a walking tour of Tolkien`s Middle-earth, visiting not only places central to his stories, but also those just over the hill or beyond the horizon. Events from Tolkien`s books are explored
- battles of the different ages that are almost legend by the time of The Lord of the Rings; lost kingdoms & ancient myths, as well as those places only hinted at: kingdoms of the far North & lands beyond the seas. Sketches that have an `on-the-spot` feel to them are interwoven with the artist`s observations gleaned from Tolkien`s books as he paints pictures with his words as well as his pencil. He also recollects his time spent working alongside Peter Jackson on the Lord of the Rings & Hobbit film trilogies. Combining concept work produced for films, existing Middle-earth art & dozens of new paintings & sketches exclusive to this book, A Middle-earth Traveller will take the reader on a unique & unforgettable journey across Tolkien`s magical landscape.
...

A raucous, suspenseful, silly comedy starring jungle favourites Monkey, Zebra, Frog & Lion.. . & a bottom-biting bush baby! In this raucous jungle caper illustrated by Dinosaurs Don`t Have Bedtimes` Nikki Dyson, something MIGHTY with SUPER-DUPER sharp teeth keeps biting Frog, Monkey & Zebra.. . right on their bottoms! ” Ya-hoooooo!” So, guarding their beautiful behinds, the trio run as fast as they can through the jungle. They`re looking for big, brave King Lion, who just might know what to do... Delicious drama builds before the bottom-biting creature`s identity is finally revealed in this hilarious tale brought brilliantly to life by the read-aloud sound effects of Ronda Armitage & the exuberant, magnificent art of Nikki Dyson. ...