This fourth novel in Tariq Ali`s ” Islam Quintet” is set in medieval Palermo, a Muslim city rivaling Baghdad & Cordoba in size & splendor. The year is 1153. The Normans are ruling Siqqiliya, but Arab culture & language dominate the island & the court. Sultan Rujari (King Roger) surrounds himself with Muslim intellectuals, several concubines, & an administration presided over by gifted eunuchs. The bishops, expecting to be at the pinnacle of power, are angered by the decadence of the court. In this captivating novel, Tariq Ali charts the life & loves of the medieval cartographer Muhammed al-Idrisi. Torn between his close friendship with the sultan & his friends who are leaving the island or plotting a resistance to Norman rule, Idrisi finds temporary solace in the harem; but, confronted by the common people of Noto & Catania, his conscience is troubled. ...

The only travel writing book on Gascony, ”A Summer in Gascony” is a charming & humorous tale of an extraordinary summer spent in this relatively unknown part of south-western France, the home of D Artagnan, Cyrano de Bergerac, gutsy red wine, fine sweet wine Armagnac & sunflowers. It is a tale of two love affairs: an idyllic summer romance & a lifelong love affair with Gascony with its village festivals, dusty roads & sun-baked wine country. Stretching from Toulouse in the east to the Atlantic coast in the west, from the river Garonne in the north to the Pyrenees in the south, Gascony is a golden land of rolling hills & wide horizons, swathed with vineyards, sunflowers, maize & pastures. It has a distinct identity which sets it apart from the rest of France & old affinities with England: the Gascons fought alongside the English in the Middle Ages & the Napoleonic Wars against their common foe the French. In the tiny hamlet of Peguilhan, Martin Calder is introduced to the Gascon way of life: working in the fields, shepherding & slaughtering sheep, feeding the cattle, harvesting the wheat, watering the crops. He discovers a unique people, fiercely proud of their independent heritage. Full of colourful characters: the charismatic & convivial Jacques-Henri, the hardworking farmer whose family take Martin into their home & hearts; the yoga-practising Germans; &, Pattes, the mischievous stray dog; Madame Parle-Beaucoup, the town gossip & Monsieur Fustignac, whose pride in his Gascon heritage is unforgettable. But the real star of the book is Gascony itself, with its strong spirit of independence & the simple pleasures it provides. Written by a true Francophile who has come to know the people & understands their way of life, ”A Summer in Gascony” evokes the spirit, sights, smells & sounds of this still relatively unknown & unspoiled other South of France. ...

In 1864 the poet, essayist, & novelist Alexander Smith spent six weeks exploring the island of Skye, resulting in a book that is widely regarded as his masterpiece. Perceptive & insightful, this new edition provides Smith's detailed accounts of the islanders at work & play, their customs, folklore, & the incidental details of everyday living. Vivid & magnificent descriptions of island culture shape this classic memoir of 19th-century Skye. ...

This original & colourful guide to British summer wildlife experiences is packaged into daily suggestions for what, when, where & how to see the best of British summer wildlife. For both the experienced wildlife tourist & the novice, the suggestions criss-cross Engl&, Scotland & Wales, complete with inspiring itineraries, engaging descriptions, detailed directions & tips on how to find, identify & enjoy British animals, butterflies, birds & plants. Each entry gives an informative & inspiring suggestion focusing on one or two species, with full-colour photography & a helpful box covering Practicalities such as grid references, useful websites, access arrangements to specific sites, flexibility details such as flight periods for butterflies or flowering weeks for orchids, & alternative sites to make viewing possible if you don`t live near the suggested site but want to view the suggested species. From delicate orchids to gargantuan basking sharks, from seabird skyscrapers to ostentatious otters, this is the only guide of its type to offer full details of how to get the most out of British summer wildlife watching. ...

Rico has been banished to society has neither a roof over his head nor a steady income on which to depend. When a friend & fellow clochard dies of exposure after a night spent in the Paris metro, Rico decides to flee the northern cold for his beloved south, for Marseilles & the Mediterranean. From the celebrated author of the Marseilles trilogy, this is both an affecting on-the-road novel & a tender exploration of love heal & to destroy. ...

John Stow first published his ” Survey of London” in 1598 during the reign of Elizabeth I. His detailed description of the city & its suburbs was an immediate success when it first appeared & has remained a popular classic of English history ever since. ...

Life in the wild teaches us invaluable lessons. Extreme situations force us to seize opportunities, face up to dangers & rely on our instincts. But living a purpose-driven, impactful life can be an even greater challenge... In A Survival Guide for Life, Bear Grylls shares the hard-earned lessons he's learned from some of the harshest environments on earth. How do you keep going when all the odds are stacked against you? How can you inspire a team to follow you in spite of obvious danger? What are the most important skills to learn if you really want to achieve your maximum potential? Bear's instantly inspiring tales from his adventures in all four corners of the globe include his personal life lessons you will never forget. We're all capable of living life more boldly & of having more fun along the way. Here's to your own great adventure! ...

Life in the wild teaches us invaluable lessons. Extreme situations force us to seize opportunities, face up to dangers & rely on our instincts. But living a purpose-driven, impactful life can be an even greater challenge... In ”A Survival Guide for Life”, Bear Grylls shares the hard-earned lessons he`s learned from some of the harshest environments on earth. How do you keep going when all the odds are stacked against you? How can you inspire a team to follow you in spite of obvious danger? What are the most important skills to learn if you really want to achieve your maximum potential? Bear`s instantly inspiring tales from his adventures in all four corners of the globe include his personal life lessons you will never forget. We`re all capable of living life more boldly & of having more fun along the way. Here`s to your own great adventure! ...

Nigeria is a country where petroleum prices & polio are both booming, where small villages challenge giant oil companies, & scooter drivers run their own mini-state. The oil-rich Delta region at the heart of it all is, as Peel shows us, a troublespot as hot as the local pepper soup. Through a host of characters, from the prostitutes of Port Harcourt to the Area Boys of Lagos, from the militants in their swamp forest hideouts to the oil company executives in London, Peel tells the story of this extraordinary country, which grows ever more wild & lawless by the day as its crude oil pumps through our cities. ...

Bittersweet & startling, A SWEET OBSCURITY is a novel of childhood, love & the consequences of how lives are lived. ` Intriguing & impressive. A memorable study of a child forced cruelly, even tragically, to grow up too soon` Sunday Times Since her mother`s death, nine year old Dido has been living with her eccentric aunt, acting as peacekeeper between Eliza, her estranged husband Giles & his girlfriend. They are each cruelly burdened in different ways. Chance draws them down to Cornwall, where a country idyll offers to lighten their urban cares. Eliza falls in love with local farmer, Pearce, an event that causes the four adults to re-assess their lives, with some painful & unforeseen consequences for adults & child alike. ...