Dilip Hiro`s ” Inside Central Asia” is a thoroughly comprehensive & accessible history of a region that is beginning to play a key role in the 21st Century. The former Soviet republics of Central Asia comprise a sprawling, politically pivotal, densely populated, & richly cultured area of the world. Yet they remain poorly represented in libraries & mainstream media. Since their political inception during the rule of Joseph Stalin, they have experienced tremendous socio-political change. But despite this, the growth of oil wealth, the arrival of Western tourists & businessmen, & the competition for influence by the U.S., China & Russia, the spirit of Central Asia has remained untouched at its core. In this comprehensive up-to-date survey, renowned political writer & historian Dilip Hiro offers a lucid analytical narrative that places the present-day politics, economics & peoples of Central Asia & neighbouring Turkey & Iran into an international context. Given the strategic location of this region, its predominantly Muslim population, & its hydrocarbon & other valuable resources, it is not surprising that this vast expanse of Eurasia is emerging as one of the most potentially influential
- & coveted
- areas of the globe.” Inside Central Asia is a conscientious guide to the region, full of dependable history-telling & analysis”
- The Economist


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Ours is the era of the celebrity chef. Like never before, we`re fascinated by fine food & the personalities who create it. Newspapers follow the antics of our favorite cooks in & out of the kitchen, bake-offs become hit TV shows, & chef-owned restaurants have queues trailing round the block. Amid the frenzy, the world of creative dining can feel far removed from hungry, weary evenings after work, or a gaggle of grouchy kids wanting a snack after soccer. Inside Chefs` Fridges brings the heavenly cuisine back down to earth. Touring the continent, it profiles 40 of Europe`s top chefs alongside their personal home fridges. The result is a unique insight into the inner sanctum of culinary creativity, with each chef revealing their dependable fridge contents, their favorite local ingredients, as well as two of their most treasured home recipes. Stars of this European edition include Yotam Ottolenghi, Marco Pierre White, Helene Darroze, Inaki Aizpitarte, Mauro Colagreco, Thierry Marx, Joan Roca, Massimo, Fergus Henderson, Magnus Nilsson, & Christian Puglisi. Eschewing the media dazzle for some cookery home truths, this book is instead an inspiring & accessible collection in which culinary genius meets domestic reality. ...

” National Geographic`s” new book ” Inside China”, tells that story with the best pictures ever taken of China, both past & present. Exotic China has always attracted great photographers -and China`s history has yielded unforgettble images. ” Inside China” brings you historic photographs you haven`t seen before: Photographic luminaries such as Henri Cartier-Bresson (who photographed Beijing & Shanghai in the 1940s) & Margaret Bourke-White (photographing Chiang Kai-Shek) portray the old China & the ascendancy of Chairman Mao; photographs by Chinese news photographer Li Zhensheng cover the Cultural Revolution to give startling new insights into this harsh mysterious era. Today`s China, filled with excitement & fraught with challenge, is vividly shown by contemporary photographers such as Mark Leong, Paolo Pellegrin, & Mark Henley, who, with privileged access, present China`s fashionable youth & glamour, the development of breathtaking mega-industry, & new materialism alongside traditional religion & rural life, revealing the rapidly changing scene in China in all its complexity. Like the contributing photographers, the contributing writers are all world-famous experts on China, with extensive knowledge of China today & its recent history. Inside China is organised thematically into five chapters: Geography
- the introductory chapter presents a sweeping portrait of the vast country`s diverse landscape & geography
- a thrilling journey across time zones, climatic regions, mountains, deserts, & urban & rural vistas; History
- the introduction to China`s geography is followed by an intriguing glimpse into China`s history, with archival photographs that recall pivotal moments in the country`s fascinating & tumultuous past; Tradition
- the next chapter looks at the traditional China, where traditional cultural habits & religions still endure in the face of jolting change; & Economic emergence
- the theme of the next chapter is China`s emergence as an economic superpower, with a look at the factories, industry, production & work ethic that have spawned huge mega-cities & industrial pollution. It also

Includes:: Modernization
- the final chapter takes an up-close look at the country`s modernization with all the exhilaration & upheaval it has generated, as seen in the clash between rural & urban, peasant & middle-class, young & old, rich & poor.







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This title is a fascinating, evocative account of 19th-century London, so well known from Charles Dickens` much-loved novels. It draws on descriptions of life in the capital from original letters, diaries & newspapers, as well as Dickens` own social commentary, to paint a vivid portrait of a city undergoing massive social changes. A unique gazetteer section with a modern-day map allows the reader to discover where places & attractions mentioned in the text can be seen in today`s London. ...

Five decades after Nasser & the Free Officers overthrew the British-backed monarchy in a dramatic coup d`etat, the future of Egypt grows more uncertain by the day. John Bradley examines the junctions of Egyptian politics & society as they slowly disintegrate under the twin pressures of a ruthless military dictatorship at home & a flawed Middle East policy in Washington. Inside Egypt is a tour-de-force of the most brutal Arab state where torture & corruption are endemic
- but one that is also a key U.S. all & a historic regional trendsetter. This uniquely insightful book brings to vivid life Egypt`s competing identities & political trends, as the Mubarak dynasty struggles to resolve a succession crisis & the disciplined Islamists wait patiently in the wings for a chance to seize power.
...

Twenty year-old ” Melodie”, a recent convert to Islam, meets the leader of an ISIS brigade on Facebook. In 48 hours he has `fallen in love` with her, calls her every hour, urges her to marry him, join him in Syria in a life of paradise
- & join his jihad. She discovers how ISIS entraps ordinary people, like teenage girls from Bethnal Green. Anna Erelle is the undercover journalist behind ” Melodie”. Created to investigate the powerful propaganda weapons of Islamic State, ” Melodie” is soon sucked in by Bilel, right-hand man of the infamous Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. An Iraqi for whose capture the US government has promised $10 million, al-Baghdadi is described by Time Magazine as the most dangerous man in the world & by himself as the caliph of Islamic State. Bilel shows off his jeep, his guns, his expensive watch. He boasts about the people he has just killed. With Bilel impatient for his future wife, ” Melodie” embarks on her highly dangerous mission, which
- at its ultimate stage
- will go very wrong.. . Enticed into this lethal online world like hundreds of other young people, including many young British girls & boys, Erelle`s harrowing & gripping investigation helps us to understand the true face of terrorism.


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Messinia, a province in the south-west corner of the Peloponnese, is a distinctive area, but also contains all the aspects that have made travellers fall in love with Greece for thousands of years. Its rural nature, & the fact that tourists are still a minority here, have meant that this gem of an area has remained unspoilt, combining spectacular mountains, world class beaches & impressive, but little visited, ancient sites. This book was written both for residents & for visitors to the area. Whilst still describing the better known towns & resorts, it also points towards off the beaten track highlights, & aims to be the most comprehensive guidebook to the region ever produced. It features background information on history & culture. It is divided into seven colour-coded areas for ease of use. It

Includes:: comprehensive maps of all areas, & important towns, villages & ancient sites. It also features colour photographs throughout, & presents accommodation sections.

...

Erased by bombing during the Korean War, North Korea`s trophy capital of Pyongyang was entirely rebuilt from scratch from 1953, in line with the vision of the nation`s founder, Kim Il-sung. Designed as an imposing stage set, it is a place of grand axial boulevards linking gargantuan monuments, lined with stately piles of distinctly Korean flavor, to be ”national in form & socialist in content.” Under the present leader, Kim Jong-un, construction has ramped up apace-” Let us turn the whole country into a socialist fairyl&, ” declares one of his official patriotic slogans. He is rapidly transforming Pyongyang into a playground, conjuring a flimsy fantasy of prosperity & using architecture as a powerful anesthetic, numbing the population from the stark reality of his authoritarian regime. Guardian journalist & photographer Oliver Wainwright takes us on an eye-opening tour behind closed doors in the most secretive country in the world, revealing that past the grand stone facades lie lavish wonder-worlds of marble & mosaic, coffered ceilings, & crystal chandeliers, along with new interiors in dazzling color palettes. Discover the palatial reading rooms of the Grand People`s Study House, & peer inside the locker rooms of the recently renovated Rungrado May Day Stadium, ready to host a FIFA World Cup that will never come. This collection features about 300 photographs with insightful captions, as well as an introductory essay where Wainwright charts the history & development of Pyongyang, explaining how the architecture & interiors embody the national ” Juche” ideology & questioning what the future holds for the architectural ambitions of this enigmatic country. ...

” Inside Pepys` London” reveals a vivid picture of London at a critical point in history
- poised to become a major centre of international
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Rome is a city built for display & grandeur. For centuries it has been a place of pilgrimage for artists & art-lovers, yet many of its greatest treasures remain unseen by the public. This book sets out to penetrate the hidden world of Rome`s historic interiors, & to reveal a side to the city which has been previously unexplored, while aiming to offer fresh perspectives on the less-familiar side of famous buildings. The span of styles presented ranges from the High Renaissance reception rooms of the Palazzo Farnese, to the Art Deco mosaics of Mussolini`s Foro Italico. It surveys Vatican apartments, palaces & villas, embassies, clubs & private institutions. Comprehensive information on buildings open to the public is included. ...