Grigory Rasputin, the Siberian peasant-turned-mystic, was as fascinating as he was unfathomable. He played the role of the simple man, eating with his fingers & boasting, `I don`t even know my ABC...` But, as the only person able to relieve the symptoms of haemophilia in the Tsar`s heir Alexis, he gained almost hallowed status within the Imperial court. During the last decade of his life, he & his band of `little ladies` came to symbolise all that was decadent & remote about the royal family. His role in the downfall of the tsarist regime is beyond dispute. But who was he really? Prophet or rascal? In this eye-opening short biography, which draws on previously unpublished material, Frances Welch turns her inimitable wry gaze on one of the great mysteries of Russian history. ...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE Nearly a century after his murder, Rasputin remains as divisive a figure as ever. Was he really a horse thief & a hard-drinking ruffian in his youth? Was he a a devout Orthodox Christian, or was he in fact a just a fake holy man? Are the stories of his enormous sexual drive, debauchery, & drunken orgies true or simply a myth? How did he come to know the emperor & empress & to wield so much influence over them? What was the source of his healing power? Was Rasputin running the government in the final years of his life? & if so, was he acting on his own or on the orders of more powerful, hidden forces? Did Prince Yusupov & his fellow conspirators act alone or were they other parties involved in Rasputin`s murder-British secret agents or even an underground cell of Freemasons, as has been claimed? & to what extent did Rasputin`s murder doom the Romanov dynasty? Drawing on major new sources hitherto unexamined by western historians, Douglas Smith`s book is be the definitive biography of this extraordinary figure for a generation. ...

Map No. 10176, Rasttigaisa, in the new topographic survey of Norway at 1:50, 000 covering the country on 195 double-sided sheets & first published by Nordeca in 2011
- 2012; fully GPS compatible, indicating waymarked footpaths, campsites, tourist huts, illuminated ski runs, etc. The maps, now published by Nordeca, the successors to Statens Kartverk & its subsequent owners the Ugland Group, are printed on light, waterproof & tear-resistant synthetic paper. Each map covers an area of 62x 45 kilometres (39 x 28 miles approx.), with a 2-km overlap between the sheets. The maps have contours at 20m intervals (10m glacier contours), plus colouring & graphics to show cultivated areas, bogs, forests, etc. In addition to all the information expected of topographic mapping at this scale the maps distinguish between waymarked & unmarked footpaths & show campsites, tourist huts (serviced/self service/no supplies), country hotels & restaurants, & illuminated ski trails. The series uses EUREF89 (WGS84) datum & the maps have a 1-km UTM grid. Map legend is in Norwegian & English. Each title comes in a sturdy protective card envelope.
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Rasuwagadhi, sheet no. 2885-10, in the topographic survey of Nepal at 1:50, 000 published by the Nepali Government in the late 1990s & early 2000s & produced from remote sensing data by Finnish cartographers as part of that country’s international aid program. The maps cover 15’ x 15’ quadrangles.IMPORTANT – PLEASE NOTE BEFORE ORDERING: AVAILABILITY: although, theoretically at least, still in print, these maps are very difficult to get locally in Nepal and/or from various suppliers elsewhere specializing in obtaining such maps. DELIVERIES MAY TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS OR EVEN MONTHS.PROBLEMS WITH PLACE NAMES: reports from previous users indicate that transliteration of place names differs from that used widely not only on other maps & in guide books but also on the ground itself, in road signs & in the tourist & trekking industry in general. Whilst most names are similar enough to be easily recognizable, e.g. Namche Bajar for Namche Bazar or Lantan for Langtang, we have been told of confusion & difficulties arising from different spellings appearing on these maps.TREKKING ROUTES & TOURIST INFORMATION: whilst the maps show foot trails & mark locations of temples, etc, they carry no specific trekking information. Major trekking routes & places of interest are not highlighted. There is no marking for base camps & other tourist facilities. Map specifications: Contours are at 40m intervals, with graphics and/or coloring to show various features of the terrain (glaciers with moraines & crevasses, quarries, gravel or clay pits, etc.) & vegetation (forests, bush, grass, orchards & plantations, etc). Additional comments such as “open mixed forest mainly bajh & pine” annotate many area. The maps have numerous spot heights, but relatively few peaks are named. Areas outside the country’s borders are left blank. Settlements in remote areas are indicated by markings for individual buildings & the placing of names does not always make it clear which group of buildings they refer to. Road network distinguishes between major & minor foot trails. Symbols mark features such as temples, schools & hospitals, police stations, etc. Also shown are the country’s administrative divisions. The maps have a 1-km UTM grid, plus latitude & longitude lines at intervals of 5’. Map legend & all the text is in English. Coverage: the whole country is now covered, with the north at 1:50, 000, plus central & southern Nepal at 1:25, 000. The two series are complementary, do not overlap & use the same grid & numbering system (apart from the Lumbini Zone, where a different grid & numbering are used). For areas not shown on our grid & titles not listed here, please contact us by e-mail, but please do bear in mind the problems with availability & the likely very long delivery time. ...

The fifth screamingly funny novel from David Walliams, number one bestseller & fastest growing children`s author in the country. Hot on the heels of bestselling Gangsta Granny comes another hilarious, action-packed & touching novel
- the story of a little girl called Zoe. Things are not looking good for Zoe. Her stepmother Sheila is so lazy she gets Zoe to pick her nose for her. The school bully Tina Trotts makes her life a misery
- mainly by flobbing on her head. & now the evil Burt from Burt`s Burgers is after her pet rat! & guess what he wants to do with it? The clue is in the title... From the author that is being called `a new Roald Dahl`, Ratburger is not to be missed!

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` Britain`s No.1 crime writer` Mirror * * * * *A CASE THAT WON`T DIEJohn Rebus can`t close the door on the death of glamorous socialite Maria Turqu&. Brutally murdered in her hotel room forty years ago, her killer has never been found. Meanwhile, Edinburgh`s dark heart is up for grabs. Young pretender Darryl Christie may have staked his claim on the city`s underworld
- but has criminal mastermind & Rebus` long-time adversary, Big Ger Cafferty, really settled down to a quiet retirement? Or is he hiding in the shadows until Edinburgh is once more ripe for the picking? Old Enemies. New Crimes. Rebus may be off the force, but he certainly isn`t off the case.* * * * *` Superbly told, impossible to put down.. . underlines the treasure that Rebus has become` Daily Mail` This elegantly crafted & witty thriller proves this old devil still has all the best tunes` Sunday Mirror` Effortless plotting & a cracking narrative that keeps the reader gripped throughout` Daily Express
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When war broke out in 1939, few knew that they would soon be fighting to survive, let alone how or when it would end. ” Rations: A Very Peculiar History” looks at the measures the British government took to ensure the wellbeing of its people during wartime, & how the British public dealt with it. With some stealing, some hoarding, but most just trying to get by, it was one of the bleakest periods in British history. But there`s a reason they called it `the Blitz spirit`
- this title features amazing tales of camaraderie & good humour in the face of bombs & hunger. Featuring incredible food-&-energy-saving recipes used at the time, along with"es from survivors, ” Rations: A Very Peculiar History” will transport you back to a time when even Buckingham Palace & the Ritz hotel weren`t above swapping a bit of venison for a bit of lobster. Spectacular full-colour endpapers feature ephemera of the topic & time, while a full glossary & index help to make the books both fun & informative.
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Police Commissioner Aurelio Zen had crossed swords with the establishment before
- & lost. But from the depths of a mundane desk
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Surprisingly funny & compulsively readable, ” Rats” is an unlikely account of a year spent in a garbage-strewn alley in lower Manhattan. Sullivan spends the year with a notebook & night-vision goggles, hunting for fabled rat-kings, trapping a rat of his own, & trying (and failing) to conquer his own fear of rats. He meets the exterminators, garbage men, & civic activists, who play their part in the centuries-old war between human city-dweller & wild city rat. He travels to a bizarre Midwestern conference on rats that brings together the leading experts on rat history, behaviour, & control (did you know that one pair of rats has the potential for 15, 000 descendants in a year? That rats` teeth are harder than steel?). &, he reveals the many ways rats` lives mirror those of humans. Sullivan`s unusual & absorbing book earns a place alongside the classics of travel writing. ...

As a grey drizzle descends upon the damp errand boys & busy omnibuses of London, Daisy Dalrymple is feeling rather cheerful & excited to be showing her nephew & future stepdaughter the glories of Kensington`s Natural History Museum. But as closing time draws near, Daisy & Co. hear a tremendous crash & are horrified to discover one of the curators dead
- horribly murdered
- atop of a pile of dinosaur bones. Together with her fiancé, Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, Daisy is soon investigating a baffling case of missing gems, dispossessed European gentry, fakery & fossils... & where professional grudges boil over into murder!

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