The Middle East: The Cradle of Civilization synthesizes the latest research & information from a range of disciplines to tell the compelling story, from the Neolithic period through to the Arab conquest, of how a group of linguistically disparate, nomadic tribes responded to specific social, economic & environmental factors to form the world`s first complex societies. This is an authoritative, detailed & accessible story, divided into six easily navigable parts arranged chronologically, & then into chapters exploring the history, religion, political & social organization, art, science & architecture of the peoples of the region. The text is illustrated with more than 500 superb full colour images
- artifacts, artworks, statues, reliefs, buildings & landscapes
- as well as six detailed maps, which bring the region`s dramatic past vividly to life.

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The culinary traditions of the Middle East have always been enriched by the incredibly diverse & often turbulent passages of this region`s history. In a unique melting pot of Persian, Islamic & Ottoman influences, with a sprinkling of the Byzantine & Roman legacies also thrown in, ” The Middle Eastern Kitchen” represents cooking & hospitality raised to the level of a fine art & pleasure & invites you to join in wholeheartedly. Whether delicate & spicy, aromatic & fragrant or scented & syrupy, Ghillie Basan`s dishes celebrate an area of unparalleled cultural diversity. The book is organised by ingredient, from the familiar coffee, almonds & yoghurt to the more exotic tamarind & pomegranate & the lesser-known orchid root & melokhia. The author describes each ingredient`s appearance & taste, explains how it grows or is manufactured & details its culinary & medicinal uses, together with two or three authentic, mouthwatering recipes. Accompanied by Jonathan Basan`s stunning photographs, this book is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. ...

A collection of vegetarian dishes influenced by Middle Eastern flavors from Salma Hage, author of the bestselling classic, The Lebanese Kitchen, also published by Phaidon. A definitive, fresh & approachable collection of 150 traditional recipes from an authoritative voice on Middle Eastern home cooking, Salma Hage`s new book is in line with the current Western trends of consciously reducing meat, & the ancient Middle Eastern culture of largely vegetarian, mezze style dining. Traditionally, the Middle Eastern diet consisted largely of vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, pulses, grains & legumes. Salma simplifies this fast becoming popular cuisine with easily achievable recipes, many with vegan & gluten-free options. Drawing inspiration from ancient & prized Phoenician ingredients, from grassy olive oil to fresh figs & rich dates, this book offers an array of delicious breakfasts & drinks, mezze & salads, vegetables & pulses, grains & desserts. Salma shows how to easily make the most of familiar everyday fruits & legumes, as well as more exotic ingredients now widely available outside of the Middle East, with nourishing recipes so flavourful & satisfying they are suitable for vegetarians & meat-eaters alike. ...

A moving, raw & powerful novel about fighting on the front
- ” The finest & noblest book of men in war that I have ever read”.
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In 1960, Dr Eric Williams, the first Prime Minister of independent Trinidad, invited V. S. Naipaul to revisit his native country & record his impressions. In this classic of modern travel writing he created a deft & remarkably prescient portrait of Trinidad & the Caribbean societies of four adjacent countries, Guyana, Surinam, Martinique & Jamaica. Haunted by the legacies of slavery & colonialism, & so thoroughly defined by the norms of Empire that it can scarcely comprehend its end, Naipaul catches this poor, topsy-turvy world at a critical moment, a time when racial & political assertion had yet to catch up
- a perfect subject for the acute understanding & dazzling prose of this great writer.
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This book recounts Curran`s journey from the Shetlands to the coast of Cornwall, climbing routes he had never attempted on his bicycle. Cycling through some of the wettest weather Britain could throw at him made his journey tougher than many of his Himalayan expeditions. Jim`s approach is as self-deprecating & quirky as ever & the result is a wonderful book which has been shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award 2001. ...

Sumptuous hardback gift edition combining the best of the Hobbit & Lord of the Rings Location Guides, plus brand new photography unique to this book. In the epic film trilogies created by Peter Jackson, New Zealand has become Middle-earth. From the majestic peaks of the Southern Alps to the rolling hills & Volcanic Plateau of the North Isl&, the world of The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit was stunningly re-created on an epic scale. Photographer Ian Brodie has captured these locations in all their beauty & splendour. Featuring the most breathtaking photographs from his bestselling The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook & The Hobbit Motion Picture Trilogy Location Guidebook, plus all-new imagery & contributions by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, Andy Serkis & Alan Lee, this is a magnificent record of a historic era in film-making, & a peerless collection of landscape & location photography by a master of his craft. Featuring contributions from Peter Jackson & other members of the films` cast & crew, as well as fascinating background to the film-making process, this is the ultimate tribute to the land & its locations. ...

While best known as being the scene of the most terrible carnage in the WW1 the French department of the Somme has seen many other battles from Roman times to 1944. William the Conqueror launched his invasion from there; the French & English fought at Crecy in 1346; Henry V`s army marched through on their way to Agincourt in 1415; the Prussians came in 1870. The Great War saw three great battles & Approx. half of the 400, 000 who died on the Somme were British
- a terrible harvest, marked by 242 British cemeteries & over 50, 000 lie in unmarked graves. These statistics explain in part why the area is visited year-on-year by ever increasing numbers of British & Commonwealth citizens. This evocative book written by the authors of the iconic First Day on the Somme.is a thorough guide to the cemeteries, memorials & battlefields of the area, with the emphasis on the fighting of 1916 & 1918, with fascinating descriptions & anecdotes.
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All her life, Rose Lovell has moved from town to town with her alcoholic father. When they wash up in an Australian coastal sugarcane town, Rose wonders if maybe, finally, things will be different this time. On her first day at school, Rose meets Pearl Kelly, a popular, pretty & lively girl intent on tracking down her long-lost Russian father. She convinces Rose to join in with the town`s annual Harvest Parade, & Rose agrees, despite thinking the whole thing is embarrassingly yokel. She has to find a truly special dress
- one that will make it clear she is different to the rest of the girls in this town. & who better to help her than the local eccentric, Edie Baker, who knows all the town`s secrets & whose own family is a rich tapestry of stories, including whispers of witchcraft & murder. Edie agrees on the condition that Rose will create the dress with her
- a dress woven from scraps & secrets & stories. But when the girl wearing the midnight blue dress goes missing, the town will find it has secrets of its own to tell, & nothing can ever be the same again. The Midnight Dress weaves a mesmerising story of love, loss & longing to the very last page.

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And then, this afternoon, ` Uncle Fred said to me, `you & I`ll go after the fox.` Tom, a town boy, is horrified when his parents tell him he has to stay on Aunt Millie`s farm while they are away. He finds country life every bit as strange & uncomfortable as he feared. But soon, he discovers a rare black fox with green eyes, living with her cubs in the forest. Suddenly, the summer is full of excitement. That is, until Uncle Fred decides to go after the fox
- will Tom save her & her family in time?
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