There is no reason why you should have heard of Geoffrey Pyke. After his suicide in 1948 he was described as one of the great geniuses of his time, to rank alongside Einstein, yet he remains today, as The Times put it, `one of the most original if unrecognised figures` of the twentieth century. Inventor, escapee, campaigner, war correspondent, Pyke was an unlikely hero of both world wars & is seen today as the father of the U.S. Special Forces. He changed the landscape of British pre-school education, earned a fortune on the stock market, wrote a bestseller & in 1942 convinced Churchill & Lord Mountbatten to build an aircraft carrier out of reinforced ice. He gave birth to the Mass Observation movement, escaped from a German concentration camp, devised an ingenious plan to get ambulances & microscopes to the Spanish Republicans for free & launched a private attempt to avert the outbreak of the Second World War by sending into Nazi Germany a group of pollsters disguised as golfers. But there was another side to this man. Pyke, it seems, was a man with a secret. In 2009 MI5 released a mass of material suggesting that Pyke was in fact a senior official in the Soviet Comintern. In 1951 papers relating to Pyke were found in the flat of ` Cambridge Spy` Guy Burgess after his defection to Moscow. MI5 had `watchers` follow Pyke through the bombed-out streets of London, his letters were opened & listening devices picked up clues to his real identity. Convinced he was a Soviet agent codenamed ` Professor P`, MI5 helped to bring his career to an end. It is only now, more than sixty years after his death, that Geoffrey Pyke`s astonishing story can be told in full. Churchill`s Iceman is a many-faceted account of this enigmatic man`s genius, & reveals him as one of the great innovators of the last century. ...

After the Second World War, with much of Europe in ruins, the victorious Winston Churchill swore to build a peace across Europe that would last a generation. Fighting against the new ` Iron Curtain` which had fallen across the world, & battling the personal disappointment of losing the 1945 election in Britain, Churchill dedicated the rest of his life to forging a united Europe. This book, based in part on new evidence, reveals his vision: Britain as a leading member of the European family. Through Churchill`s own private papers, Felix Klos unveils Churchill`s personal battle to regain his place in world affairs, his confidential conversations with European leaders & the thinking & preparation behind some of his most powerful speeches. A beautifully written history of Europe after the war, & a new glimpse at one of its greatest statesmen. ...

In this remarkable book, now reissued in paperback, Brian Lavery examines every aspect of the Royal Navy, both ashore & at sea, during the Second World War, & casts a lucid eye over the strengths & weaknesses of an organisation that was put under acute strain during the period, yet rose to the challenge with initiative & determination. Divided into twelve sections, the book delves into the structure of naval power from the Board of Admiralty & shore commands to officers & crews, their recruitment & training, daily life & discipline. The roles of the Reserves, Merchant Navy, Royal Marines & Wrens within this structure are also explained. Developments in ship design & technology, as well as advances in intelligence, sensors & armament are all discussed & set in context. The different divisions are dealt with one by one, including the Submarine Service, Fleet Air Arm, Coastal Forces, & Combined Operations. The text is complemented by over 300 illustrations & the personal accounts of those who served. ...

Churchill`s War in Words transports the reader back to the storm-struck days of the Second World War. Focussing only on words used at the time, it reveals the way that Winston Churchill talked about the conflict in public & in private
- & the way that he himself was viewed at the time by family, friends, politicians, military leaders, staff, voters, allies & enemies. Presented in chronological order & accompanied by short year-by-year introductions, the"ations convey afresh the full force of Churchill`s oratory, the wit he displayed in the face of often appalling odds, & the hopes & fears that he inspired in those around him. Together they reveal to the modern reader what it was truly like to be locked in a struggle in which victory
- or total defeat
- was yet to be decided. Together they tell the extraordinary story of Churchill`s War in Words.


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Churnet Bouldering is a comprehensive guide to the magical sandstone bouldering in the Lower Churnet Valley. Located just south of the Peak District National Park boundary & neighbouring the Alton Towers theme park, the Churnet features some of the best bouldering in the Peak area. This guide features never-before documented venues, such as Farley Woods & Threapwood Woods, as well as classic venues, including Cottage Rocks & Wright`s Rock. Over 600 problems are included & grades range from Font 3 to 8a+, with a particularly high concentration of Font 5s & 6s. Meticulously researched over several years, Churnet Bouldering is written by Stuart Brooks, one of the area`s most active developers, supported by a team of local climbers. Problem descriptions are accompanied by photo topos & maps, & there are detailed notes on access & conditions
- especially important in the Churnet
- as well as a host of other important information.

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Chu, the little panda with the BIG sneeze, is BACK
- & this time he`s going to the seaside! Like all pandas, Chu LOVES the seaside.
...

Chu, the little panda with the BIG sneeze, is BACK
- & this time he`s going to the seaside! Like all pandas, Chu LOVES the seaside.
...

Hill`s account of his time in the African state of Eritrea is a welcome addition to the literature available on contemporary Africa. The author recounts a remarkable historical legacy, from Eritrea`s creation through to the hostilities of the twentieth century. A former Italian colony & under Ethiopian control since 1950, armed conflict between Ethiopia & Eritrea ignited in 1961 & war ensued for the next thirty years. Independence was finally declared in 1993. Hill introduces us to the people he met & the land he explored. Ardently protective of their independence, the struggle to re-build on both a personal & national level is all too apparent, as is the awareness that with freedom comes new challenges. This is a personal & engaging travelogue, providing a unique insight into a nation that I for one had known very little of. Reviewed by Paul Harniess, European Books buyer, Stanfords Covent Garden Shortlisted for the 2003 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. ...

At the age of eleven, Helena Frith Powell`s mother gave her a letter after school. It was from her real father her mother told her, not the abusive & moody man Helena had always assumed was the one. This new father was glamorous, an Italian film maker, & he would like her to meet his family on a grand tour of Italy. The moving discovery of Italy & the many relatives Helena never knew she had is wittily described in Ciao Bella, the memoir of her trip through Italy with her father. In a new twist, her father receives a prestigious literary prize in 2008 at the age of 80 & is reunited with her mother after 25 years
- will it last?
...

The Ciao, Italia 2013 Wall Calendar from Universe Publishing, offers 12 vintage travel posters from the Library of Congress. These 20th century graphic prints capture the glamour of Italian destinations for the European & American tourists during the Golden Age of Travel. The calendar displays names of days & months both in English & Italian, offers room for writing notes each day, & a monthly planner of previous & subsequent month. ...