For centuries, the Gough Map, one of the Bodleian Library`s greatest treasures, has impressed viewers with its remarkable detail & baffled historians with its hidden secrets: who made it & why was it made? Recent digitization of the map is helping to provide answers to these questions, & is making the map more legible than at any other time since its arrival in the Bodleian in 1809. This process has also made it possible to project a modern map of Britain over the Gough Map (georectification), demonstrating the remarkable accuracy of much of this 700 year-old route map. Here, in stunning detail are the principal medieval settlements of Great Britain, from Bristol, through Oxford, & over to Norwich; the Severn, Thames, & Humber rivers, & even the loop of the Wear at Durham; Scotl&, assuming an unfamiliar shape; the routes between towns, marked in red with distances included in Roman numerals; & even a single tree, identifying the New Forest. This beautifully illustrated book contains not only a pull-out print of the map but also many close-up images of each area, providing an unparalleled opportunity to view this spectacular & engaging survival from medieval map-making. ...

France`s greatest food critic is dying, after a lifetime in single-minded pursuit of sensual delights. But as Pierre Arthens lies on his death bed, he is tormented by an inability to recall the most delicious food to ever pass his lips, which he ate long before becoming a critic. Desperate to taste it one more time, he looks back over the years to see if he can pin down the elusive dish. Revealing far more than his love of great food, the narration by this larger-than-life individual alternates with the voices of those closest to him & their own experiences of the man. Muriel Barbery`s gifts as an evocative storyteller are put to mouth-watering use in this voluptuous & poignant meditation on food & its deeper significance in our lives. A delectable treat to savour. ...

Guidebook to the GR10, a 955km trek across the French Pyrenees from Hendaye on the Atlantic Coast to the Mediterranean coast at Banyuls-sur-Mer. Described in 55-day stages of 7-27km, the route can be completed in its entirety, usually in around 45 days, or in shorter sections using the bus & rail links found throughout the Pyrenees. Step by step route descriptions are accompanied by 1:100, 000 mapping & gradient profiles. Useful practical information is also included such as when to go, getting there & back, camping, accessing fuel & water, plus handy equipment tips & more. The easiest, oldest & most popular of the three long-distance routes that traverse the mountain range, the GR10 is well waymarked & follows good mountain paths. For many walkers, the highlight of the route is the magnificent wildflowers & associated butterflies. For others, it`s the spectacular mountain terrain, while those keen on bird watching will delight in scanning the sky for the many varieties of birds of prey that can be seen in the region, from the massive Griffon vulture to the distinctly coloured Egyptian vulture. ...

This comprehensive guidebook for the experienced mountain trekkers to the magnificent GR11 trail
- known also as ‘ La Senda’ (the
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This comprehensive guidebook to the magnificent GR11 trail, which runs 820km from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, provides everything trekkers will need to take up the challenge
- detailed route description, excellent photographs, lots of background information & unique custom-produced maps. This glorious traverse of the Pyrenees, on the Spanish side, is a serious challenge
- passing over a succession of high alpine passes where boulderfields, scree slopes & occasional snowfields may need to be crossed. It is presented in 47 stages of 8-31km. It is well waymarked & has regular opportunities to top up on food & drink, described within the routes & in a detailed place-by-place appendix at the back. Also included are bad weather options
- although the weather is often good along this route
- detours to find accommodation at some points, & advice on where to stay, supplies, language & logistics, as well as a glossary including Aragon, Basque & Catalan words, to help you find your way.



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This guidebook describes a long-distance walking route through the delightful Vosges & Jura. Situated in France near the eastern border, the three regional parks of the Ballons des Vosges, Northern Vosges & Jura Mountains boast verdant forests, striking rock features & low rounded summits offering spectacular views. Yet, in spite of their extensive network of well-maintained paths, they are not high profile tourist destinations. This walk offers a chance to uncover the hidden secrets of this fascinating area, from its rich wildlife to ancient ruins. Starting in Wissembourg at the northeastern tip of France, the route follows the GR53 southwest to Schirmeck, before picking up the central section of the much-celebrated GR5 (which runs from the Hook of Holland to Nice) between Schirmeck & Nyon on Lake Geneva. The scenery is as varied as it is beautiful, from the tranquil forests of the Northern Vosges to the impressive river gorges of the Jura, from long-forgotten castles to the charming half-timbered villages of old Alsace. Well within the capabilities of any moderately fit walker & clearly waymarked, the entire trek takes five to six weeks, although it could also be walked in stages. The guide presents the route in 11 chapters, which in turn are broken into short sections of a few hours each, allowing for a flexible itinerary & easy route planning. There are also suggestions for shorter circular routes making use of sections of the GR53/GR5, as well as an overview of other long-distance routes in the region. A summary of local history, plants & wildlife & delicacies can be found in the introduction & appendices offer details of facilities on route & full accommodation listings. With clear route description & a wealth of information to help plan your trip, this comprehensive guide is an ideal companion to discovering this interesting & varied route. ...

A flooded world. A floating circus. Two women in search of a home. North lives on a circus boat with her beloved bear, keeping a secret that could capsize her life. Callanish lives alone in her house in the middle of the ocean, tending the graves of those who die at sea. As penance for a terrible mistake, she has become a gracekeeper. A chance meeting between the two draws them magnetically to one another
- & to the promise of a new life. But the waters are treacherous, & the tide is against them. ” The Gracekeepers is enchanting & heart-tugging. If you love Margaret Atwood you`ll love this”. (Sunday Telegraph). ”A wondrous read”. (Stylist). ” Clever & original”. (The Times). ” Truly magical”. (Heat).
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As far as Benjamin Braddock`s parents are concerned, his future is sewn up. Now he has graduated from college, he will go to Yale or Harvard, get a good job & enjoy a life of money, cocktails & pool parties in the suburbs, just like them. For Benjamin, however, this isn`t quite enough. When his parents` friend Mrs Robinson, a formidable older woman, strips naked in front of him & they begin an affair, it seems he might have found a way out. That is, until her daughter Elaine comes into the picture, & things get far more complicated. ...

` For twenty- one years I have been shuffling back & forth between classrooms & libraries. Now you tell me what the hell it`s got me.` That`s how Benjamin Braddock talked when he came down from university. Somehow it didn`t seem to be what his father expected from a college education, & everyone was really appalled when Ben raped Mrs Robinson (that was her story anyway) & ran off with her daughter in the middle of her wedding to someone else...a brilliantly sordid tale of a young man`s search for identity & a portrayal of the worst-behaved yet most sympathetic anti-hero of the day. ...

Probably the most significant guidebook to Scottish hillwalking in recent times, this handsomely illustrated book from The Scottish Mountaineering Club describes the recommended routes on The Grahams & The Donalds. The Grahams is a list of 224 Scottish hills between 2000ft (610m) & 2500ft (762m) in height & was compiled by Fiona Torbet (nee Graham) & Alan Dawson in 1992. The Donalds is a list of 140 Scottish hill summits above 2000ft (610m) in the Scottish Lowlands & was compiled by Percy Donald in 1935. This is the first & only colour definitive guidebook to The Grahams & The Donalds & follows in the footsteps of the Scottish Mountaineering Club`s best selling guidebooks to The Munros & The Corbetts. There are colour location maps of each group, together with their neighbouring hills, plus 175 detailed colour route maps & over 250 detailed descriptions, including links to other hills. The guidebook is illustrated by 320 colour photographs of the hills. There are Gaelic hill name translations plus an indexed list of Grahams & Donalds in height order, together with a full standard index. Edited by Rab Anderson & Tom Prentice & written by some of the foremost authorities on the Scottish mountains. ...