Takes the reader on an explosive journey across millenia. Continents glide thousands of miles like contestants in Strictly Come Dancing, Scotland swelters on the Equator & Snowdonia boasts a volcanic ring of fire with mountains taller than Everest. (Daily Express). Like most of us, Ian Vince used to think of the British countryside as average, unexciting
- as dramatic as a nice cup of tea. Then, over the course of a single car journey, the features of our green & pleasant land reawakened a fascination with geology that he had long forgotten, & he began to delve beneath the surface (metaphorically, that is). From the ancient rocks of north-west Scotland to St Michael's Mount off the coast of Cornwall, The Lie of the Land takes us on a journey through a fantastically exotic Britain of red desert sands, shattering continental collisions & tides of volcanic lava. Ian Vince shows us how Britain came to look the way it does; & with warmth & wit transports us back through billions of years to a land that time forgot. Anyone who has ever picked up a pebble at the seaside or a rock on a moorland path will find invaluable Ian Vince's geological guide...you will understand the area round your British holiday cottage far more deeply than before. (Giles Foden (author of The Last King of Scotl&, &, Conde Nast Traveller).
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Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2015. The Lie Tree is a wonderfully evocative & atmospheric novel by Frances Hardinge, award-winning author of Cuckoo Song & Fly By Night. Faith`s father has been found dead under mysterious circumstances, & as she is searching through his belongings for clues she discovers a strange tree. The tree only grows healthy & bears fruit if you whisper a lie to it. The fruit of the tree, when eaten, will deliver a hidden truth to the person who consumes it. The bigger the lie, the more people who believe it, the bigger the truth that is uncovered. The girl realizes that she is good at lying & that the tree might hold the key to her father`s murder, so she begins to spread untruths far & wide across her small island community. But as her tales spiral out of control, she discovers that where lies seduce, truths shatter.. . ...

Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2015, The Lie Tree is a dark & powerful novel from universally acclaimed author, Frances Hardinge, & illustrated by Children`s Laureate, Chris Riddell It was not enough. All knowledge- any knowledge
- called to Faith, & there was a delicious, poisonous pleasure in stealing it unseen. Faith has a thirst for science & secrets that the rigid confines of her class cannot supress. & so it is that she discovers her disgraced father`s journals, filled with the scribbled notes & theories of a man driven close to madness. Tales of a strange tree which, when told a lie, will uncover a truth: the greater the lie, the greater the truth revealed to the liar. Faith`s search for the tree leads her into great danger
- for where lies seduce, truths shatter.. . The Lie Tree: Illustrated Edition is packed full of gorgeous black & white illustrations by triple Kate Greenaway Medal winning-illustrator, Chris Riddell, author of the Goth Girl & Ottoline series. ` Brilliant, dark, thrilling, utterly original` Patrick Ness ` The Lie Tree is a wonder.I can`t think of anyone who would not love this story` Matt Haig `I loved this book so much` Lucy Mangan ` Complex & intelligent: a lustrous, delicious romp.` Philip Womack, The Telegraph

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Trust in our politicians is at an all-time low. We`re in a ”post-truth” era, where feelings trump facts, & where brazen rhetoric beats honesty. But do politicians lie more than they used to? & do we even want them to tell the truth? In a history full of wit & political acumen, Private Eye journalist Adam Macqueen dissects the gripping stories of the biggest political lies of the last half century, from the Profumo affair to Blair`s WMDs to Boris Johnson`s GBP350 million for the NHS. Covering lesser known whoppers, infamous lies from foreign shores (”I did not have sexual relations with that woman”), & some of the resolute untruths from Donald Trump`s explosive presidential campaign, this is the quintessential guide to dishonesty from our leaders
- & the often pernicious relationship between parliament & the media. But this book is also so much more. It explains how in the space of a lifetime we have gone from the implicit assumption that our rulers have our best interests at heart, to assuming the worst even when
- in the majority of cases
- politicians are actually doing their best.


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Do politicians lie more than they used to? & do we even want them to tell the truth? From the Profumo affair to Blair`s WMDs to Boris Johnson`s GBP350 million for the NHS. Covering lesser known whoppers, infamous lies from foreign shores (”I did not have sexual relations with that woman”), & some of the resolute untruths from Donald Trump`s explosive presidential campaign, this is the quintessential guide to dishonesty from our leaders. In a history full of wit & political acumen, Private Eye journalist Adam Macqueen dissects the stories of the biggest political lies of the last half century. ...

The fascinating & heartbreaking reality of Mexico is revealed in this account of its history, art, politics, religion & people. In this grand narrative, driven by 3, 000 years of history, Mexico is seen here as if it were a prison, but in the Aztec way
- the mind, the heart, the winds of life
- & on every page there are portraits & stories: artists, shamans, teachers, a young Maya political leader
- the rich few & the many poor. Earl Shorris is ingenious at finding ways to tell this story: prostitutes in the Plaza Loreto launch the discussion of economics; we are taken inside two crucial elections as Mexico struggles towards democracy; we watch the creation of a popular `telenovela` & meet the country`s greatest living intellectual. The result is a work of magnificent scope & profound insight into the divided soul Mexico.


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This title invites you to wander the streets of Elizabethan London with the great Bard as your guide. Learn about Shakespeare the man & the inspiration behind his work as you visit the Globe theatre, explore Queen Elizabeth`s court & meet his playwright rivals. ...

The true story of a pioneering sailor who travelled the world at the end of the 18th century. In his many voyages, the Scottish-born John Nichol circumnavigated the globe, visiting every inhabited continent. He participated in many of the greatest events of exploration & adventure. He battled pirates, traded with Native Americans & fought for the British Navy in the American & French Revolutions; he also travelled on the first female convict ship to Australia, was entertained in Hawaii by the king`s court, days after the murder of Captain James Cook, & witnessed the horrors of the slave system in Jamaica. ...

This is an irresistible new collectible hard cover in the successful series of Penguin Christmas Classics: the story of Santa Claus, from boy to jolly old fellow, as imagined by the creator of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. With a magical Christmas story by the author of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus answers the enigmatic Christmas questions: Why does Santa travel via Reindeer? How does he fit through the chimney, & how does he deliver all those toys in one wintry night? First published in 1902, the tale begins as a wood nymph discovers a baby abandoned in a forest. Raised among mythical forest creatures, the child learns to outwit evil as he grows towards adulthood & must discover how to re-enter the human world, which leaves him determined to share gifts & spread love to his fellow man. L. Frank Baum creates a world full of charm & whimsy, delightfully imagined with a cast of memorable & loveable characters. ...

From the creator of the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz comes the hilarious & entertaining festive tale for the whole family, The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus. Starring the Santa Claus whom we all know & love, L. Frank Baum`s story takes us back to the fantastical origins of so many of our Christmas traditions as well as the humble origins of Santa Claus himself. Not many people know that, as a baby, Santa Claus was found by a woodsman in the Forest of Burzee, & placed into the care of the lioness, Shiegra, & the wood nymph, Necile. Although he is mortal, he is reared & educated by the many immortals of the forest: the gnomes, the sleep fays, the wind demons & the sound imps. But when Santa grows up, they encourage him to leave the forest so that he can see for himself the sad things that come with being a mortal, such as war & poverty. Once Santa has come to understand these issues, he makes it his mission to cheer up mortals & do good deeds for them. This tale unfolds the surprising reasons why Santa Claus invented toys, why he must deliver them at night & how he came to use reindeers to take him all over the world. Adults & children alike will be captivated by this magical, feel-good story as told by the master of children`s fantasy, L. Frank Baum. ...