In this well-researched & fascinating book, noted journalist Thomas de Waal--author of the highly acclaimed Black Garden--makes the case that while the Caucasus is often treated as a sub-plot in the history of Russia, or as a mere gateway to Asia, the five-day war in Georgia, which flared into a major international crisis in 2008, proves that this is still a combustible region, whose inner dynamics & history deserve a much more complex appreciation from the wider world. In The Caucasus, de Waal provides this richer, deeper, & much-needed appreciation, one that reveals that the South Caucasus--Armenia, Azerbaijan, & Georgia, & their many smaller regions, enclaves, & breakaway entities--is a fascinating & distinct world unto itself. Providing both historical background & an insightful analysis of the period after 1991, de Waal sheds light on how the region has been scarred by the tumultuous scramble for independence & the three major conflicts that broke out with the end of the Soviet Union--Nagorny Karabakh, Abkhazia, & South Ossetia. The book examines the region as a major energy producer & exporter; offers a compelling account of the Rose Revolution in Georgia, the rise of Mikheil Saakashvili, & the August 2008 war; & considers the failure of the South Caucasus, thus far, to become a single viable region. In addition, the book features a dozen or so ”boxes” which provide brief snapshots of such fascinating side topics as the Kurds, Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, the promotion of the region as the ” Soviet Florida, ” & the most famous of all Georgians, Stalin. The Caucasus delivers a vibrantly written & timely account of this turbulent region, one that will prove indispensable for all concerned with world politics. It is, as well, a stimulating read for armchair travellers & for anyone curious about far-flung corners of the world. ...

A fascinating new survey of the Caucasus which provides a unified narrative history of this complex & turbulent region at the borderlands of Europe, Asia & the Middle East, from prehistory to the present. For thousands of years the Caucasus has formed a hub of intersecting routes of migration, invasion, trade & culture & a geographical bridge between Europe & Asia, subject to recurring imperial invasion. Drawing on sources in English, Russian & translations from Persian & Arabic, this authoritative study centres on the region`s indigenous peoples, including Abkhazians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Chechens, Daghestanis, Circassians, & Georgians, & their relations with outsiders who still play a part in the life of the region today. The book presents a critical view of the role of Russian imperialism in the Caucasian countries & the desperate struggle of most of its native peoples in their efforts to establish a precarious independence. ...

This is in the series of pocket sized, folded maps to the National Cycle Network which include clearly mapped on-road & traffic-free paths, easy to read contours & detailed town insets. Published by Sustrans. 1:110, 000 scale; folded 155mm x 99mm; flat 792mm x 630mm. The Causeway Coast & Glens Cycle Map (52). Including Causeway Coast Cycle Route, Lower Bann Cycleway, Loughshore Trail, ecos Cycle Trail & 5 individual day rides. ...

Cipriano Algor, an ageing potter, lives with his daughter & her husband in the shadow of the Centre, a nebulous, constantly expanding conglomerate that provides his livelihood
- until it decrees that it is no longer interested in his humble wares. Together with his daughter, they craft a new line of small ceramic figurines &, to their bafflement, the Centre orders vast quantities. But once the figures are complete, the Centre recants: there is no market for them. Resigned to idleness Cipriano moves into the soulless megaplex, until late one night he comes across a horrifying secret in the bowels of the artificial city. The Cave is a harrowing, joyful masterpiece: an Orwellian nightmare, a family fable & an uplifting love story.
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There is a cave. A cave that is home to a creature. A creature that never leaves its cave... Because of a wolf. The wolf tries everything to get the creature to leave the cave, to no avail. But what will happen when he finally succeeds? Prepare for a hilarious surprise at the end of this laugh-out-loud picture book. The bright, bold artwork & big twist at the end will make this a firm favourite with both adults & children. ...

First sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1503, it would be a difficult task to depict the history of these islands in one book but Jenny Palmer`s camera has captured the flavour of the lives of these peaceful & friendly people in an unaffected & unstaged way. This book also gives readers an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the exotic flora & fauna that exists on the islands, including the famous national emblem of Cayman, the turtle. The stunningly clear crystalline waters are rich in marine life including magnificent coral reefs. Cayman is a truly magical place & Jenny Palmer has provided a memento to treasure of a much-loved part of the Caribbean. ...

Full-color, three-dimensional maps of each dive site offer what no book has ever before provided: the information needed to plan your dive down to the last detail. You can review the exact layout of the site--including depths, sizes, & distances between reefs & wrecks or any hazards--and even the lighting conditions for optimum underwater photography. The short chapters covering the 26 dives in this book provide crucial data about depth, currents, weather variables, & plant & animal life, & each book ends with a full-color visual encyclopedia of the most common fish that inhabit the area. The lively text by dive experts has been vetted by Diving Science & Technology Corporation (DSAT), which is a corporate affiliate of the Profesional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), making these the most reliable guides for the expert as well as the first-time diver. ...

The dark side of glamorous expat life in Paris is brought to life in this new translation, book twenty-one in the new Penguin Maigret series. ` Try to imagine a guest, a wealthy woman, staying at the Majestic with her husb&, her son, a nurse & a governess.. . In a suite that costs more than a thousand francs a day.. . At six in the morning, she`s strangled, not in her room, but in the basement locker room` Below stairs at a glamorous hotel on the Champs-Elysees, the workers` lives are worlds away from the luxury enjoyed by the wealthy guests. When their worlds meet, Maigret discovers a tragic story of ambition, blackmail & unrequited love. Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret & the Hotel Majestic. ` Compelling, remorseless, brilliant` John Gray ` One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.. . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories` Guardian `A supreme writer.. .unforgettable vividness` Independent Georges Simenon was born in Liege, Belgium, in 1903. Best known in Britain as the author of the Maigret books, his prolific output of over 400 novels & short stories have made him a household name in continental Europe. He died in 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerl&, where he had lived for the latter part of his life. ...

Snipers in the hills overlook the shattered streets of Sarajevo. Knowing that the next bullet could strike at any moment, the ordinary men & women below strive to go about their daily lives as best they can. Kenan faces the agonizing dilemma of crossing the city to get water for his family. Dragan, gripped by fear, does not know who among his friends he can trust. & Arrow, a young woman counter-sniper must push herself to the limits
- of body & soul, fear & humanity. Told with immediacy, grace & harrowing emotional accuracy, The Cellist of Sarajevo shows how, when the everyday act of crossing the street can risk lives, the human spirit is revealed in all its fortitude
- & frailty.

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This new instalment in T& Hs successful myths series (after The Greek & Roman Myths & The Egyptian Myths) introduces the world of the Celts, their gods & goddesses, heroes, monsters & villains. As well as vividly exploring the tales, the author brings her expertise in the archaeology of the Iron Age & particularly shamanism to bear on the mythical worlds she describes, with evidence as diverse as the Gundestrup Cauldron & the famous bog bodies. Starting with a discussion of how myths are transmitted & by whom, the author continues with an account of the Irish & Welsh myths & their key actors & motifs, before moving on to consider themes such as heroes, animals, women, environment & the Otherworld. In her finale, the author asks how the myths survived the Christianization of Europe & looks at the influence of monastic chroniclers on the tales, which they preserved & adapted. ...