Even as a toddler, Martin Gurdon was obsessed with cars. Before he could read or write he could distinguish a vehicle passing in the street from the purr of its engine. His first car-not strictly legally-was as a fifteen-year-old, parked round the corner from his boarding school, & driven up to London when bunking off. At one time or another he has owned or driven most of the truly dreadful, but often bizarrely loved cars that were produced by British Leyland Corporation, the conglomeration that cemented the death of the indigenous British car industry. Amongst them a succession of Morris Marinas, often kept running by cannibalized wrecks found in junk yards. But he always hankered after that thing of beauty his father once owned, a 1950s Bristol 401. Perhaps only naturally, his ambition was always to become a motoring journalist, despite it seeming questionable anyone would be insane enough to offer him a job. He`s never actually owned a Reliant Robin, but he has almost been killed by one... ...

Some cases aren`t as cold as you`d think Kurt Wallander`s life looks like it has taken a turn for the better when his offer on a new house is accepted, only for him to uncover something unexpected in the garden
- the skeleton of a middle-aged woman. As police officers comb the property, Wallander attempts to get his new life back on course by finding the woman`s killer with the aid of his daughter, Linda. But when another discovery is made in the garden, Wallander is forced to delve further back into the area`s past. A treat for fans & new readers alike, this is a never before published Kurt Wallander novella.
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Some cases aren`t as cold as you`d think Kurt Wallander`s life looks like it has taken a turn for the better when his offer on a new house is accepted, only for him to uncover something unexpected in the garden
- the skeleton of a middle-aged woman. As police officers comb the property, Wallander attempts to get his new life back on course by finding the woman`s killer with the aid of his daughter, Linda. But when another discovery is made in the garden, Wallander is forced to delve further back into the area`s past. A treat for fans & new readers alike, this is a never before published Kurt Wallander novella.
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Brian Keenan went to Beirut in 1985 for a change of scene from his native Belfast. He became headline news when he was kidnapped by fundamentalist Shi`ite militiamen & held in the suburbs of Beirut for the next four & a half years. For much of that time he was shut off from all news & contact with anyone other than his jailers &, later, his fellow hostages, amongst them John Mc Carthy. ...

When the body of a Russian agent is found down a monastery well, Yashim knows exactly who to blame. Fevzi Ahmet Pasha, commander of the Ottoman fleet. Years ago, when Yashim first entered the sultan`s service, Fevzi Ahmet was his mentor. Ruthless, cruel, &
- in Yashim`s eyes
- ultimately ineffective, he is the only man who makes him afraid. & now Yashim must confront the secret that Fevzi Pasha has been keeping all these years, a secret whose roots lie deep in the tortured atmosphere of the sultan`s harem, where normal rules are suspended, & women can simply disappear. Once again, Yashim & his friends encounter treachery & politics, played out against the backdrop of 1840s Istanbul.

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Following `A Change in Climate`, this brilliant novel from the double Man Booker prize-winning author of ` Wolf Hall` is a coming-of-age tale set in Seventies London. It is London, 1970. Carmel Mc Bain, in her first term at university, has cut free of her childhood roots in the north. Among the gossiping, flirtatious girls of Tonbridge Hall, she begins her experiments in life & love. But the year turns. The mini-skirt falls out of style & an era of concealment begins. Carmel`s world darkens, & tragedy waits in the wings. ...

With over eighty maps & accompanying articles, the Historical Atlas of Hertfordshire contains an immense amount of research which will be invaluable to all those with an interest in the history of this important English county. Arranged thematically, it guides the reader through geology, geography & topography, administrative organisation, buildings, transport & communications, demography, settlement, agriculture, industry & trade, landscape, religion, welfare, war & civil unrest. Although it is one of the smaller counties, Hertfordshire is surprisingly diverse. Lacking any simple topographical uniformity, its natural features have in turn influenced the development of the county`s landscape, settlements & industries. The diversity & particularity of Hertfordshire help to explain the wide range of topics presented in this atlas, but the breadth of the book is also due to the variety of interests that Hertfordshire local historians display. Few county historical atlases can boast such detailed information on, for example, ice-houses, dovecotes, medieval & Tudor graffiti, local volunteers for military service, or eighteenth- & nineteenth-century transportations & executions. Hertfordshire has had an essentially agrarian economy for much of its history, but has nonetheless benefited from the development of a number of important industries. It may not have been at the cutting edge of the industrial revolution, yet it has certainly not been devoid of manufacturing activity. From the later eighteenth century forwards it boasted significant involvement in paper-making, silk throwing, brewing & malting &
- more distinctively
- the straw plait industry, for which it assumed an importance surpassed only by neighbouring Bedfordshire. The twentieth century witnessed the rise of printing, pharmaceuticals, a film industry & the extraction of aggregates. All these areas of activity are explored in detail as is the long history of settlement in the county, from the Palaeolithic period to the garden cities & new towns. Printed in full colour, & with a fold-out parish map, the Historical Atlas is an essential tool for the local historian & anyone with an interest in this fascinating county.

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“ An Historical Atlas of Kent” is an atlas that seeks to show the varied historical background of ‘the Garden of England’; with it, authors David Killingray & Terence Lawson fill a notable gap in the published histories of the county. It

Includes:: 250 newly-drawn & reader-friendly maps covering topics ranging from the earliest Stone-Age occupation to such modern developments as the growth of leisure industries. Several other areas not usually covered by other county atlases include the introduction of public water & gas supplies in the nineteenth century, together with the expansion of banking services & the local press. Virtually every aspect of Kent’s history is mapped & explained in this atlas, & will make an already important of England that much more interesting, whether a resident, or virgin traveller.

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Map reverse carries an illustrated gazetteer of sites of interest: approx. 6, 600 words Map cover carries inside a brief history of Hull: 1, 300 words. Illustrations: coloured engravings & early views of buildings, monuments & street scenes A full colour map, based on an Ordnance Survey map of 1928, with buildings & sites of interest picked out. Few cities have experienced Hull`s uninterrupted position as one of Britain`s leading centres of population & economic activity over nine centuries. The variety & richness of its architecture are too often overlooked. The map shows the main medieval & post-medieval buildings in this remarkable & interesting city, the second-most historic city of Yorkshire. The map`s cover has a short introduction to the city`s history, & on the reverse an illustrated & comprehensive gazetteer of Hull`s main buildings & sites of interest, from medieval monasteries to cinemas & theatres, & the huge fortified citadel. ...

A full colour map based on a reconstruction of Winchester around 1800, just before Jane Austen`s final days in the city. The map shows the main medieval & post-medieval buildings in this attractive & interesting city including the lost medieval Old Minster, New Minster & the King`s palace & hall. The map`s cover has a short introduction to the city`s history, & on the reverse of the map an illustrated gazetteer of Winchester`s main buildings & sites of interest. Combining clear cartography & extensive research, this is a revised version of a map first published in 2012. The new edition has been substantially updated, with many more sites of historic importance added & map detail refined. Of interest to historians & those who know & love Winchester, the map charts the process of renewal & development which has shaped one of England`s most important cities. ...