The Isle of Wight is England`s largest isl&, but its diamond-shape is at most 23 miles long & 13 miles wide. Anchored close to the Hampshire coast, its location has created a sheltered waterway, the Solent, with its own local roadsteads & a unique double tidal system. This geography has shaped the area`s history. Southampton`s docks, located on Southampton Water to the north-west, had become the country`s largest civilian port by the mid-twentieth century. Just north-east across the stretch of water called Spithead is the island city of Portsmouth with its ideal natural harbour. This was an internationally important port for over three hundred years, while the whole area has been places of naval significance on the world stage for even longer. From when Queen Victoria bought Osborne House in 1845 & had it remodelled as an Italianate mansion the Isle of Wight became a hub of Victorian society. The Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson lived at Freshwater, while Charles Swinburne grew up at Bonchurch, a place where Charles Dickens vacationed. Charles Darwin began his Origin of Species here, & Karl Marx came to restore his health; it was the expanding rail network that brought them there. Mark Bardell explores the Isle of Wight & Portsmouth & the surrounding maritime landscapes, revealing unexpected historical & literary associations. MARITIME LEGACY: seaside resorts & piers; Queen Victoria`s bathing machine; tourism, festivals & Cowes Week; the Titanic & Queen Mary. URBAN DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE: military & naval imperatives; Portsmouth Dockyard & the Solent forts; lighthouses & fortifications; Victorian mansions & the first garden suburb in Southsea. WRITERS & ARTISTS: Portsmouth & Rudyard Kipling, H. G. Wells & Arthur Conan Doyle; the Isle of Wight & the young Turner`s seascapes; J. D. Fergusson & Eric Ravilious, war artists in Portsmouth. ...

Experience the unique elemental landscapes of the Western Isles & Highland Scotland with The Isles & Highlands of Western Scotland: Island Hopping Bike Adventures by Cordee publishing. The serenity of cycling is the perfect way to enjoy this wild l&, & this guide presents four outstanding multi-day connecting circular tours, from Arran to Cape Wrath & the major Hebridean Islands. It contains first hand information & advice for touring cyclists, is ideal for planning, & is an essential on-the-road guide. Information of cycle shops, pubs, cafes, accommodation & information centres is provided, as are full route profiles & descriptions
- all routes avoid the main traffic arteries wherever possible. The guide also

Includes:: a wealth of information on the cultural & historic background of the area. Hand drawn route maps & photographs are also provided.


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Does America`s pro-Israel lobby wield inappropriate control over US foreign policy? This book has created a storm of controversy by bringing out into the open America`s relationship with the Israel lobby: a loose coalition of individuals & organizations that actively work to shape foreign policy in a way that is profoundly damaging both to the United States & Israel itself. Israel is an important, valued American ally, yet Mearsheimer & Walt show that, by encouraging unconditional US financial & diplomatic support for Israel & promoting the use of its power to remake the Middle East, the lobby has jeopardized America`s & Israel`s long-term security & put other countries
- including Britain
- at risk.

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Buried deep under Istanbul, a secret is about to resurface with explosive consequences... Alex Zegliwski has been savagely beheaded. His body is found hidden near the sacred archaeological site of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. When Sean arrives in the ancient city to identify his colleague`s body, he is handed an envelope of photographs belonging to Alek & soon finds himself in grave danger. Someone wants him dead but why? Aided by British diplomat Isabel Sharp, Sean begins to unravel the mystery of the mosaics in the photographs & inch closer to snaring Alek`s assassin. Evil is at work & when a lethal virus is unleashed on the city, panic spreads fast. Time is running out for Sean & Isabel. They must catch the killer before it`s too late. An electrifying conspiracy thriller which will entice fans of Scott Mariani, Sam Bourne & Dan Brown. ...

Written in 1796, The Italian, with its archetypal villain Schedoni, intense romance between Vincentio di Vivaldi & Elena di Rosalba, & immaculate poetics of the sublime is the masterpiece of gothic fiction. Enlisted by Vincentio's mother, Marchesa, the scheming monk Schedoni casts a malevolent presence throughout the book in his plot to corrupt the romance of the young lovers. On the backdrop of the Inquisition & the French Revolution, it is a tale of the heroic struggle of love in the face of vindictive Machiavellian deceit told through the intensel descriptive landscapes of the Bay of Naples. ...

Katie has travelled the rice fields of Italy`s northern provinces & the lemon groves of the south, the richly diverse urban & rural terrains & patchwork regions. She has collated recipes, techniques & ingredients to create this unique compendium of Italian food. The Italian Cookery Course will guide you through the vast collection of famous recipes & lesser-known regional dishes, with clear instruction on how to replicate them at home. The book is broken down into straightforward chapters including ` Meat`, ` Fish`, ` Dolci` & ` Cheese`. Each chapter contains `masterclasses` on technique, revealing the practical secrets of Italian cooking & giving the reader new confidence in the kitchen. All this is interwoven with fascinating narration about the culinary influences that have created this wonderful cuisine. ...

Famous for its bold flavours, seasonal ingredients & vibrant colours, Italian has repeatedly been voted the world`s favourite cuisine. Take a closer look, though, & you`ll discover that there is much more to this nation`s food than the ubiquitous pasta, pizzas & risottos offered at many restaurants. Italian-cooking expert Valentina Harris examines each area in turn, with a carefully curated selection of recipes, & detailed instructions & photographs to help you achieve an authentic, & completely delicious, end result. This comprehensive book is a must-have reference for anyone who is passionate about cooking authentic Italian food. ...

The `fatal charm of Italy` has held Lord Byron
- & millions of tourists ever since
- in its spell. Yet, beneath `the brilliant

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Sublime & maddening, fascinating yet baffling, Italy is a country of endless paradox & seemingly unanswerable riddles. John Hooper`s marvellously entertaining & perceptive book is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to understand contemporary Italy & the unique character of the Italians. Looking at the facts that lie behind
- & often belie
- the stereotypes, his revealing book sheds new light on many aspects of Italian life: football & Freemasonry, sex, symbolism & the reason why Italian has twelve words for a coat hanger, yet none for a hangover.

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Xenophobe’s Guide to the Italians is a pocket-size guide that takes a frank & funny look at what makes the Italians Italian.“ Punctuality is only relatively important in Italy & the time is often treated as an approximate.” Xenophobe’s guides attempt to forewarn readers of the main stereotypes & foibles that are associated with individual nationalities. Each guide explores the characteristics of a country’s people in a series of dedicated sections, encompassing nationalism & identity, behaviour, manners, character, obsessions, beliefs & values, leisure & pleasure, culture, custom & tradition, business, systems, health & hygiene, crime & punishment, government & bureaucracy, conversation & gestures & language. ...