Exploring the beliefs, history & politics of Islam, ” The Britannica Guide to the Islamic World” is a clear & unbiased reference resource, compiled by experts in the field. It introduces the ideas as well as the places at the centre of one of the most important religions of our time. Founded in the seventh century by the prophet Mohammed, Islam has now spread across the world & every culture. Exploring Islamic history, beliefs & scriptures, it will be an invaluable & comprehensive guide to Muslim faith. In addition, the guide reveals the role that Islam plays today including the conflict in the Middle East, the rise of Islamism, & the divisions between the Sunni & Shi`ite sects. As the Islamic World becomes the focus of politicians & the media, it is more important than ever to have a reliable & accurate introduction to this controversial topic. ” The Britannica Guide to the Islamic World” is introduced by Ziauddin Sardar. ...

Ed Husain`s ” The Islamist” is the shocking inside story of British Islamic fundamentalism, told by a former radical. ” When I was sixteen I became an Islamic fundamentalist. Five years later, after much emotional turmoil, I rejected fundamentalist teachings & returned to normal life & my family. As I recovered my faith & mind, I tried to put my experiences behind me, but as the events of 7/7 unfolded it became clear to me that Islamist groups pose a threat to this country that we
- Muslims & non-Muslims alike
- do not yet underst&.` ` Why are young British Muslims becoming extremists? What are the risks of another home-grown terrorist attack on British soil? By describing my experiences inside these groups & the reasons I joined them, I hope to explain the appeal of extremist thought, how fanatics penetrate Muslim communities & the truth behind their agenda of subverting the West & moderate Islam. Writing candidly about life after extremism, I illustrate the depth of the problem that now grips Muslim hearts & minds & lay bare what politicians & Muslim `community leaders` do not want you to know.` ”A complete eye-opener”. (” The Times”).” Captivating, & terrifyingly honest”. (” Observer”). ” Persuasive & stimulating”. (Martin Amis). ” Read this articulate & impassioned book”. (Simon Jenkins, ” Sunday Times”). Ed Husain was an Islamist radical for five years in his late teens & early twenties. Having rejected extremism he travelled widely in the Middle East & worked for the British Council in Syria & Saudi Arabia. Husain received wide & various acclaim for ” The Islamist”, which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for political writing & the PEN/ Ackerley Prize for literary autobiography, amongst others.

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The Island follows Alexis Fielding who, on the brink of a life-changing decision, longs to find out about her mother`s past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London. When Alexis decides to visit Crete, however, Sofia gives her daughter a letter to take to an old friend, & promises that through her she will learn more. Arriving in Plaka, Alexis is astonished to see that it is but a stone`s throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga -- Greece`s former leper colony. Then she finds Fotini, & at last hears the story that Sofia has buried all her life: the tale of her great-grandmother Eleni & her daughters & a family rent by tragedy, war & passion. Alexis discovers how intimately she is connected with the isl&, & how secrecy holds them all in its powerful grip... ...

Frances is alone on a small island in the middle of the Indian ocean. She has to find water & food. She has to survive. & when she is there she also thinks about the past. The things that she did before. The things that made her a monster. Nothing is easy. Survival is hard & so is being honest about the past. Frances is a survivor however & with the help of the only other crash survivor she sees that the future is worth fighting for. A gripping & thoughtful story about a girl who didn`t ask to be the person she is but is also determined to make herself the person she wants to be. ...

What does it mean to be an island people? How has our rich & complex relationship with the sea shaped our national psyche? This beautifully illustrated exploration of Britain's maritime history sets out to discuss these questions. Brian Lavery takes the reader on a journey around the ports & harbours of Britain's coast, across rivers & along canals, climbing up lighthouses & strolling down piers. He moves with consummate skill between topics as varied as the rise of the Royal Navy or the development of specialised fisheries, the motives behind exploration & emigration or the protection of our shores from invasion, to deliver an all-encompassing history that is accessible & revealing. The pages are alive with tales of the great naval heroes, famous battles, legendary explorers & talented shipbuilders & architects. Each chapter

Includes:: a featured ship, dockyard, museum or notable maritime site, such as Chatham Dockyard, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, HMS Belfast, Liverpool's historic port, & the birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh. The book is rounded off with a Gazeteer of over 100 heritage sites. The book is published as part of the major Sea Britain 2005 initiative whose aim is to co-ordinate all the various events that are planned for the Trafalgar bicentennary & promote the role that the sea plays & has played in British culture. Partners include The National Maritime Museum, The National Trust, English Heritage, the RNLI, The Royal Yachting Association & the Official Nelson Commemorative Committee, among others, with the support of the Department of Culture, Media & Sport. Each of these organisations has made a committment to the promotion of this book.

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This is an information-packed handbook about St Helena, the remote Atlantic island where Napoleon was exiled & which was only reachable by sea until the recent construction of its airport. The book

Includes:: chapters on its history, places of interest, environment (its terrain as well as its endemic flora & fauna), & language (St Helenian English & its sources). There is also a word list with more than 1500 entries, a substantial bibliography, & an index.

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The year is 1643. Roberto, a young nobleman, survives war, the Bastille, exile & shipwreck as he voyages to a Pacific island straddling the date meridian. There he waits now, alone on the mysteriously deserted Daphne, separated by treacherous reefs from the island beyond: the island of the day before. If he could reach it, time
- & his misfortunes
- might be reversed. But first he must learn to swim...

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Why did Reg Harris want to become a professional road racer? Why did Britain's top time-triallist sit on a dustbin to annoy the RTTC? Why did Jacques Anquetil want to put the British '25' record on the shelf for three decades? & what stopped British cycling being as great as it could have been? How could people passionate about bike-racing, & dedicated to the sport they loved, have made sure that it never became a major sport in Britain, & that British cycling never became a force in the world? ...

Award-winning travel writer Dervla Murphy’s journey into the heart of Cuba in The Island that Dared is a three-generation adventure into one of the Caribbean’s most fascinating islands. Accompanied by her daughter & gr&-daughters, their adventure leads them into the hills & along the coast as they camp out on empty beaches beneath the stars & relish the ubiquitous Cuban hospitality. But this is just the start of a full-fledged quest to understand the unique society created by the Cuban Revolution. Murphy returns alone to explore the mountains, coastal swamps & decaying cities, investigating the experience of modern Cuba with her unique candid curiosity. Through her own research & through conversations with Fidelistas & their critics alike, The Island that Dared builds a complex picture of a people struggling to retain their identity in the face of insistent American hostility. Murphy’s own Irish background makes her an eloquent witness for an island culture standing out against a rich & powerful neighbour. ...

Take a three-generation family holiday in Cuba in the company of Dervla Murphy, her daughter & three young granddaughters & you have a Swallows & Amazon like adventure in the Caribean as they trek into the hills & along the coast as a family, camping out on empty beaches beneath the stars & relishing the ubiquitous Cuban hospitality. But this is no more than the joyful start of a fully-fledged quest to understand the unique society created by the Cuban Revolution. For Dervla returns alone to explore the mountains, coastal swamps & decaying cities, investigating the experience of modern Cuba with her particular, candid curiosity. Through her own research & through conversations with Fidelistas & their critics alike, The Island That Dared builds a complex picture of a people struggling to retain their identity in the face of insistent hostility of the government of the United States. ...