Tyrant, blackmailer, racketeer, murderer
- his influence reaches every level of American society. Meet Don Corleone, a friendly
...

` The bloody victory of the Corleone Family was not complete, ` begins the final chapter of Mario Puzo`s ” The Godfather”, `until a year of delicate manoeuvring established Michael Corleone as the most powerful Family chief in the United States.` ” The Godfather: The Lost Years” takes place in the years 1955-65, but it is built upon the story of that `year of delicate political manoeuvring`
- & how, in winning the battle of that year, Michael Corleone set the stage to lose the war: the war to make the Family legitimate, the war to keep the Corleones supremely in power, the war to stay true to his father`s wishes, the war to give not just his Family but his family a safe & happy life. ” The Godfather: The Lost Years” is not just a sequel. A magnificent novel in its own right, by an acclaimed young American novelist, it traces the nexus of ambitious, audacious decisions that Michael Corleone implements, their ultimate failure, &, after the Family`s literal & figurative years in the wilderness (of Las Vegas), Michael`s literal, physical return to New York, & his attempts to regain control there.
...

The Gold Classic Illuminated Globe by National Geographic measures 30 cm (12”) diameter & features clear political mapping, a maple base & a metal, brass finish half meridian. This is a stylish globe suitable for children as well as adults. The sphere features political mapping from the renowned National Geographic, clearly conveying up to date information of the world (over 2, 000 place names). The countries are distinguished by different colour borders & the topography is represented by relief shading & main mountain ranges are named. Shades of blue differentiate the seas & oceans depth, warm & cold currents are also shown. This is a versatile globe, its sturdy construction makes it perfect for regular use, & when switched on, it transforms into a warm light night lamp. The Gold Classic Illuminated globe is a fantastic addition to family & children’s rooms. ...

From the author of bestselling debut NED`S CIRCUS OF MARVELS... Roll up, roll up, & prepare to be AMAZED AGAIN by Ned & the marvellous, magical, monstrous flying circus! Ned & his family are trying to be ordinary except for the small fact that they AREN`T. AT ALL. Because on the run up to Christmas everything is ruined when all the world`s gold goes missing, along with its leading scientists. Which doesn`t really have anything to do with Ned... until it does. When an oily thief & his pet monster turn up at Ned`s door, Ned finds himself on the run again... & racing to find out what this new villain wants. Meanwhile, in the shadows, a machine with a mind of its own vies for power, & mysterious men in grey suits are watching the Circus of Marvels` every move. Together with his best friend Lucy, his clockwork mouse & his shadow, Ned must use his growing magical powers to try to uncover a secret that could end them all... ...

Into the insular town of 1930s Ferrara, a new doctor arrives. Fadigati is hopeful & modern, & more than anything wants to fit into his new home. But his fresh, appealing appearance soon crumbles when the townsfolk discover his homosexuality, & the young man he pays to be his lover humiliates him publicly. As anti-Semitism spreads across Italy, the Jewish narrator of the tale begins to feel pity for the ostracized doctor, as the fickle nature of a community changing under political forces becomes clear. ” The Gold-Rimmed Spectacles” is a gripping & tragic study of how lives can be destroyed by those we consider our neighbours. ...

The Golden Age of Discovery is a photographic tribute to the adventures, dangers, hardships, & accomplishments of modern expeditions. In this golden age of exploration & discovery, our knowledge of this planet is being expanded as never before in human history. Discoveries like plate tectonics, desertification, the hole in the ozone layer, & the greenhouse effect have transformed our understanding of the earth & its climate. & from the mountain peaks to ocean floors, untrodden places are being explored for the very first time. It also

Includes:: profiles of noted explorers as well as features on the main fields of sporting exploration, & John Hemming's text is dramatically enhanced with 200 color photos & maps from around the world. John Hemming was Director of the Royal Geographic Society for more than two decades.

...

The Golden Age of European Railways presents the history of Europe’s main railway routes during the late nineteenth & early twentieth century with interesting & informative text from a team of award-winning writers & acknowledged railway experts, lavishly illustrated by contemporary posters, postcards, paintings, maps, photos, etc, as well as present-day photos of restored rolling stock. Chapters are arranged by country or region, from the Settle to Carlisle route & the Jungfraujoch tunnel to that ultimate railway line, the Trans-Siberian, & cover specially selected lines in Great Britain, Irel&, Belgium, France, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Switzerl&, Pol&, Russia, Norway, Sweden & Finl&. The appendix contains further chapters on classic European locomotives, carriage design & railway museums. The presentation & the range of illustrations in this book are simply exceptional, from paintings like Claude Monet’s view of Gare Saint-Lazare & those wonderful advertising posters from the interwar period to numerous postcards of old, some long-gone stations, etc. The selection of maps from various publishers or national surveys is excellent. The book will appeal not only to railway enthusiasts but also to anyone interested in graphic design from that period or simply in the history of Europe. ...

` Portolan charts`, so called from the Italian adjective portolano, meaning `related to ports or harbours`, were born during the 12th century in the maritime community. These charts, drawn on parchment & crisscrossed with lines referring to the compass directions, indicated the succession of ports & anchorages along the shores, & were used by European sailors exploring the world up until the 18th century. Not only used as navigational instruments on boats, they were also produced for wealthy sponsors in the form of illuminated images of the world, to illustrate the economic & political interests of the major European sea powers. This book takes stock of the state of knowledge on these maps, bringing together contributions from a dozen European specialists, who trace the history & diversity of styles & places of production of these charts. This type of mapping is approached from three angles. The first part, ` The Mediterranean`, refers to the manufacture & use of the first charts, centered on the Mediterranean, & the persistence of this tradition in the Mediterranean basin until the 18th century. The second part, ` The Open Sea`, shows how these regional charts have evolved from a technical & iconographical point of view at the time of the great European voyages, in order to include the oceans & new worlds. The third part, ` The Indian Ocean`, shows how these charts, in a maritime area where ancient civilizations coexisted, were dependent on other cartographic traditions (ancient, Arab, Asian) before joining the information reported by Portuguese sailors & European trading companies in the modern era. ...

Few sights can reawaken memories of happy holidays of yesteryear as vividly as the superb railway posters that were so much ...