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. ...

A collection of writing from Britain`s best-loved travel writer, `A Merry Dance around the World` is the culmination of a lifetime of adventure. Covering everything from the birth of Eric Newby in 1919 at the `ghastly hour` of 3.45am, to Herculean cycling escapades in his seventies through the wiles of the Irish winter, this is an astonishing catalogue of disasters & misunderstandings. Newby`s compassionate grace & sharp wit ensure that every adventure is as charming, hilarious & wild as his last. Including extracts from his masterpiece of love & courage in wartime, ` Love & War in the Apennines`, travelling epiphanies against the breathtaking backdrop of `A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush` & the memorable excursions of the long-suffering & truly heroic Wanda Newby on bikes, in boats & planning daring prison escapes. A brilliant introduction for any Newby newcomer, or handy collection for the intrepid Newby veteran traveller, `A Merry Dance around the World` is a whirlwind tour around the globe, guided by the forefather of the modern comic travel book. ...

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

In this inspirational memoir, internationally bestselling author David Vann tells the true story of building his own sailing ship & of the disastrous voyage that ensues. As a thirty-year-old tourist in Turkey, David Vann stumbles across the steel frame of a ninety-foot sailboat & decides to fulfill a long-buried dream: he will rebuild the boat. From friends, family, & credit cards, he borrows $150, 000 to construct the ship & achieve his ambition. However, when the Turkish builders take shameless advantage of him, eventually charging him over $500, 000, Vann finds himself on the edge of financial ruin & decides to start a chartering business. Battling with construction nightmares, spiraling debts & freak storms, Vann begins to wonder if he is merely repeating his father`s failures at sea, & a career that led to tragedy. At once a page-turning memoir of adventure on the open ocean & a tale of one man`s attempt to overcome fate & realise his dream, A Mile Down is an unforgettable story of struggle & redemption by a writer of rare power. ...

In this inspirational memoir, internationally bestselling author David Vann tells the true story of building his own sailing ship & of the disastrous voyage that ensues. As a thirty-year-old tourist in Turkey, David Vann stumbles across the steel frame of a ninety-foot sailboat & decides to fulfill a long-buried dream: he will rebuild the boat. From friends, family, & credit cards, he borrows $150, 000 to construct the ship & achieve his ambition. However, when the Turkish builders take shameless advantage of him, eventually charging him over $500, 000, Vann finds himself on the edge of financial ruin & decides to start a chartering business. Battling with construction nightmares, spiraling debts & freak storms, Vann begins to wonder if he is merely repeating his father`s failures at sea, & a career that led to tragedy. At once a page-turning memoir of adventure on the open ocean & a tale of one man`s attempt to overcome fate & realise his dream, A Mile Down is an unforgettable story of struggle & redemption by a writer of rare power. ...

This is a unique study of the conflict of 1914-18 on l&, sea & in the air, through maps, diagrams & illustrations. Within the scope of some 250 maps, Arthur Banks has presented both broad general surveys of political & military strategy, & the most closely researched details of major individual campaigns & engagements. These are supplemented by comprehensive analysis of military strengths & command structures & illustrations. ...