The Book of the Dead of Sobekmose, in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, New York, is one of the most important surviving examples of the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead genre. Such `books`
- papyrus scrolls
- were composed of traditional funerary texts, including magic spells, that were thought to assist a dead person on their journey into the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians believed in an underworld fraught with dangers that needed to be carefully navigated, from the familiar, such as snakes & scorpions, to the extraordinary: lakes of fire to cross, animal-headed demons to pass &, of course, the ritual Weighing of the Heart, whose outcome determined whether or not the deceased would be `born again` into the afterlife for eternity. This publication is the first to offer a continuous English translation of a single, extensive, major text that can speak to us from beginning to end in the order in which it was composed. The papyrus itself is one of the longest of its kind to come down to us from the New Kingdom, a time when Egypt`s international power & prosperity were at their peak. This new translation not only represents a great step forward in the study of these texts, but also grants modern readers a direct encounter with what can seem a remote & alien civilization. With language that is, in many places, unquestionably evocative & very beautiful, it offers a look into the mindset of the ancient Egyptians, highlighting their beliefs & anxieties about this world as well as the next.

...

” An Ancient Greek Temple” is the inside story of the magnificent temples which were built by the Greeks to worship their many gods & goddesses. Discover the amazing rituals & festivals that were at the centre of Greek life. Learn how the world of the Greeks was brought to an end by their foreign neighbours. Pull-out illustrations highlight significant parts of the artwork in greater detail. Informative captions, maps, a complete glossary & an index make this title an ideal educational text. ...

” An Ancient Roman Fort” gives an insight into the organisation & structure of the powerful ancient Roman army. Find out what happened on a daily basis within the fort. Discover how the Roman army used ingenious techniques to defend the fort. Pull-out illustrations highlight significant parts of the artwork in greater detail. Informative captions, maps, a complete glossary & an index make this title an ideal educational text. ...

One of the great autobiographies of the twentieth century.. .A journey from luminous childhood, through the dark experiences of supposed madness, to the renewal of her life through writing fiction. It is a heroic story, & told with such engaging tone, humorous perspective & imaginative power` Michael Holroyd, Sunday Times After being misdiagnosed with schizophrenia as a young woman, Janet Frame spent several years in psychiatric institutions. She escaped undergoing a lobotomy when it was discovered that she had just won a national literary prize. She then went on to become New Zealand`s most acclaimed writer. As she says more than once in this autobiography: ` My writing saved me.` ` One of the most beautiful & moving books I have ever read.. .A masterpiece.. . Janet`s autobiography had an enormous effect on me. She struck a blow right to my heart` Jane Campion ...

A beautiful special gift, this is a children`s animal encyclopedia with a twist. Alongside interesting facts are the stories & myths behind children`s favourite animals as well as incredible pictures & stunning illustrations. Containing more than 100 species, this beautiful modern bestiary will take children through the animal kingdom from the huge whale to the tiny spider. Discover how the koala got its name or which animal the Ancient Egyptians thought rolled the Sun across the sky. Each page features fun animal facts & detailed close-up photographs for children to pore over, including firm favourites such as dolphins, tigers & butterflies as well more unusual animals such as walrus, lemur & peacock. A perfect gift for children who can`t get enough of animals, wildlife & nature, An Anthology of Intriguing Animals covers animals big & small & feathered & furred & will be a treasured favourite book. ...

An Appetite for Lombardy is a series of portraits of the most interesting characters behind some of the best food & wine in Lombardy. This book explores not only their cooking but also their stories & views, which are thought –provoking & inspiring. ...

An Appetite for Umbria by Christine Smallwood is both a beautifully illustrated recipe book & a series of portraits that highlight the best restaurants in Umbria. But ‘best’ certainly doesn’t mean ‘similar’. In the book you will find up-market restaurants next to informal wine bars & casual eating places, establishments that have been run by the same families for many decades next to newcomers, & the modern & stylish next to the more traditional. An Appetite for Umbria gives a snapshot of the heroes of Italian food in this region, some of international renown, others unsung, accompanied by samples of the type of food you can expect to find at their restaurants, trattorie, osterie & enoteche. This book explores not only their cooking but also their history, stories & views, which are though-provoking, entertaining & inspiring. Many of the featured establishments are small, & their owners have every intention of keeping them that way, preferring 25 customers to feel delighted about the food & service they have received, rather than 50 merely think the experience was good. In none of them is there a frenzied race for culinary decorations, nor are quality or innovation sacrificed for easy returns: many of these chefs & proprietors are supporters of small, local food suppliers & producers rather than supermarket chains, & all believe that offering good food
- & wine
- is a duty as much as a delight. Each restaurant in the book is listed according to its location, & information is provided on the restaurants address, contact details, opening hours & number of covers. Sections at the back of the book provide an overview of the regions specialties, & comprehensive directions & maps are included for each of the restaurants listed in the text.

...

Born to parents who were enthusiastic naturalists, & linked through his wider family to a clutch of accomplished scientists, Richard Dawkins was bound to have biology in his genes. But what were the influences that shaped his life? & who inspired him to become the pioneering scientist & public thinker now famous (and infamous to some) around the world? In An Appetite for Wonder we join him on a personal journey from an enchanting childhood in colonial Africa, through the eccentricities of boarding school in Engl&, to his studies at the University of Oxford`s dynamic Zoology Department, which sparked his radical new vision of Darwinism, The Selfish Gene. Through Dawkins` honest self-reflection, touching reminiscences & witty anecdotes, we are finally able to understand the private influences that shaped the public man who, more than anyone else in his generation, explained our own origins. ...

Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? Can beggars be choosers? Is it always better late than never? Proverbs are short, well-known, pithy sayings that offer advice or words of encouragement & are used in everyday English without much thought ever being given to their meanings, or indeed, usefulness. In An Apple A Day Caroline Taggart explores the truth behind our favourite proverbs, their history & whether they offer any genuine help to the recipient. Did you know that The Old Testament has an entire book devoted to proverbs? Or that `a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush` is a proverb from falconry that dates back to the Middle Ages? Many proverbs are still in use today, including the very famous `slow & steady wins the race`, which derives from one of the many fables of Aesop. Lighthearted but authoritative, An Apple A Day proves that proverbs are as useful today as they ever were. ...

A luminous & challenging work of autobiographical travel writing. In An Area of Darkness, V.S. Naipaul describes his encounter with a force in his life which shocked him into awareness of a need for self-examination & self-explanation. It is perhaps natural that his year-long sojourn in India should have provided such a shock. The experience was not a pleasant one, but the pain the author suffered was creative rather than numbing, & engendered a masterful work of literature that is by turns tender, lyrical, explosive & cruel. With spectacular narrative skill, Naipaul provides a revelation both of India & of himself: a displaced person who paradoxically possesses a stronger sense of place than almost anyone. He spins his web not so much to entrap his readers as to make them think for themselves.V.S. Naipaul won the 2001 Nobel Prize for Literature. ...