The rapid expansion of ISIS & its swathe of territorial gains across the Middle East have been headline news since 2013. Yet much media attention & analysis has been focussed upon the military exploits, brutal tactics & radicalisation methods employed by the group. While ISIS remains a relatively new phenomenon, it is important to consider the historical & local dynamics that have shaped the emergence of the group in the past decade. In this book Simon Mabon & Stephen Royle provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the roots, tactics & ideology of the group, exploring the interactions of the various participants involved in the formative stages of ISIS. Based on original scholarly sources & first-hand research in the region, this book provides an authoritative & closely-analysed look at the emergence of one of the defining forces of the early twenty-first century. ...

A grain in the balance will determine which individual shall live & which shall die...`. Darwin`s theory of natural selection issued a profound challenge to orthodox thought & belief: no being or species has been specifically created; all are locked into a pitiless struggle for existence, with extinction looming for those not fitted for the task. Yet The Origin of Species (1859) is also a humane & inspirational vision of ecological interrelatedness, revealing the complex mutual interdependencies between animal & plant life, climate & physical environment, &
- by implication
- within the human world. Written for the general reader, in a style which combines the rigour of science with the subtlety of literature, The Origin of Species remains one of the founding documents of the modern age.

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The Origin of Species changed the world. When the eminent naturalist Charles Darwin returned from South America on board HMS Beagle in 1836, he brought with him the notes & evidence which would form the basis of his landmark theory of evolution of species by a process of natural selection. Darwin`s theory, published as On the Origin of Species in 1859, is the basis of modern biology & the concept of biodiversity. It also sparked a fierce scientific, religious & philosophical debate which still continues today. This is the only paperback edition to include both The Origin of Species & The Voyage of the Beagle in one volume. ...

Why was Cinderella bad at soccer? She always ran away from the ball. Two snowmen were standing in a field. One said to the other, Do you smell carrots? Da-dum! The Original 365 Jokes, Puns & Even a Few Riddles delivers a year of guffaws, groans, & belly laughs for the whole family. Here are golf jokes, blonde jokes, lawyer jokes, a guy walks into a bar jokes, knock-knocks, & more. ...

Written as an engrossing detective story by the leading authority, this is the first major account in nearly eighty years to deal with the core issues & multiple influences in the creation of the Irish people. Essential reading, with over 120 informative line drawings & maps, for anyone interested in Ireland & the Irish, this book brings together the evidence of archaeology, culture, tradition, genetics & linguistics to shed welcome new light on the age-old riddle of Irish origins. ...

The Orkney Isles in the Landmark Visitor Guides series, exploring a range of places in Britain, Europe & the Caribbean, with a particular expertise in UK destinations. Each guide presents the reader with detailed, wide-ranging & accessible overview of the region or area, with a particular focus on history & culture, notable local attractions, the landscape, local events & family activities. A series of recommended walks & guided car tours exploring the region are also included in each title. The guides are arranged geographically by region & are ideal both for short & longer breaks, with practical guidance on recommended routes & tourist attractions, in addition to insightful inset boxes into local history, culture & traditions. Information on accommodation, restaurants & day-to-day information are more limited, though a compact Directory at the end of each guide provides basic listings of recommended accommodation & restaurants, as well as tourist information contacts & regional event calendars. International destinations also carry climate & country facts, basic phrases & other general travel practical guidance for travelling to the region. The British titles in the Landmark Visitor Guides series are highly recommended, covering titles that are rarely available from other publishers. ...

A rich & thriving culture where literature, science & religious tolerance flourished for 700 years is the subject of this enthralling history of medieval Spain. Living side by side in the Andalusian kingdoms, the `peoples of the book` produced statesmen, poets & philosophers who influenced the rest of Europe in dramatic ways, giving it the first translations of Plato & Aristotle, love songs & secular poetry plus remarkable feats of architecture & technology. This evocative account explores the lost history whose legacy & lessons have a powerful resonance in today`s world. ...

When she meets the shop`s owner, a rebellious young painter, the veneer of the Communist world she once believed in begins to crack. Just as Leila begins to fall in love, she`s discovered by her comrades & forced to make an impossible choice. Set at the crossroads of Turkish, Persian & Russian cultures as the red banner of Communism bared down & the West beckoned, The Orphan Sky lyrically reveals one woman`s struggle to find her place in the world. ...

` Orthodoxy claims to be universal...` ` Since its first publication fifty years ago, Timothy Ware`s book has become established throughout the English-speaking world as the standard introduction to the Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy continues to be a subject of enormous interest among western Christians, & the author believes that an understanding of its standpoint is necessary before the Roman Catholic & Protestant Churches can be reunited. In this revised & updated edition he explains the Orthodox views on such widely ranging matters as Ecumenical Councils, Sacraments, Free Will, Purgatory, the Papacy & the relation between the different Orthodox Churches. ...

George Orwell was an inveterate keeper of diaries. The Orwell Diaries presents eleven of them, covering the period 1931-1949, & follows Orwell from his early years as a writer to his last literary notebook. An entry from 1931 tells of a communal shave in the Trafalgar Square fountains, while notes from his travels through industrial England show the development of the impassioned social commentator. This same acute power of observation is evident in his diaries from Morocco, as well as at home, where his domestic diaries chart the progress of his garden & animals with a keen eye; the wartime diaries, from descriptions of events overseas to the daily violence closer to home, describe astutely his perspective on the politics of both, & provide a new & entirely refreshing insight into Orwell`s character & his great works. ...