Running through the heart of Colombia is a river emblematic of the fascination & tragedy of South America, the Magdalena. Considered by some to be the most dangerous place in the world, travellers along the river
- for centuries the only route into the vast South American interior
- were at the mercy of tropical disease, dangerous animals & precarious barges. A third of the victims of `la violencia`, Colombia`s period of civil conflict which began in the 1950s, ended up in its waters. Townships alongside it have experienced some of the worst massacres in South American history. In 2011, Michael Jacobs travelled its whole length to the river`s source high up in Andean moorlands controlled by guerrillas. In spellbinding prose, he charts the dangers he negotiated
- including a terrifying three day encounter with the FARC
- while uncovering the river`s history of pioneering explorations, environmental decline & political violence. As Jacobs delves into the history of destruction & decay along the river, he also makes a deeply personal exploration into memory & its loss: not far from the river`s banks lies a group of townships with the highest incidence of early onset Alzheimer`s in the world. Jacobs reflects on the lives of his father, & his mother
- sufferers respectively from Alzheimer`s & dementia
- as he travels upstream towards what comes to seem like a heartland of mystery, magic & darkness.





...

No other bird is quite so ever-present & familiar, so embedded in our culture, as the robin. With more than six million breeding pairs, the robin is second only to the wren as Britain’s most common bird. It seems to live its life alongside us, in every month & season of the year. But how much do we really know about this bird? In The Robin Stephen Moss records a year of observing the robin both close to home & in the field to shed light on the hidden life of this apparently familiar bird. We follow its lifecycle from the time it enters the world as an egg, through its time as a nestling & juvenile, to the adult bird; via courtship, song, breeding, feeding, migration – & ultimately, death. At the same time we trace the robin`s relationship with us: how did this particular bird – one of more than 300 species in its huge & diverse family – find its way so deeply & permanently into our nation’s heart & its social & cultural history? It’s a story that tells us as much about ourselves as it does about the robin itself. ...

The Rock & Gem Book is packed full of photos of natural wonders, including rocks, minerals, gems, shells & fossils. This children`s encyclopedia displays more than 1, 200 full-colour specimens, from sapphires & rubies to silver & pearl, revealing the unique qualities of each material & how it is used in industry, architecture, art & science. Including precious metals, rare fossils, tiny gemstones & giant shells, the Rock & Gem Book gives a complete overview of the Earth`s naturally occurring marvels & the beautiful objects created from them. ...

The only conditioning book a rock climber needs! Rock climbing is one of the most physically challenging sports, testing strength, endurance, flexibility, & stamina. Good climbers have to build & maintain each of these assets. This revised & updated edition of the classic book, Conditioning for Climbers, provides climbers of all ages & experience with the knowledge & tools to design & follow a comprehensive, personalized exercise program. ...

An exploration of myth, passion & loyalty from the Lebanon`s troubled past, The Rock of Tanios is another superbly rich & rewarding novel from the author of Samarkand & Leo the African. Expertly controlling his multi-faceted narrative with prose of great beauty & power, Maalouf delves into the history of an extraordinary life: that of Tanois, child of the mountains. ...

The Magic of a Name tells the story of the first 40 years of Britain`s most prestigious manufacturer
- Rolls-Royce. Beginning with
...

Travel the Roman empire & discover the great diversity of its peoples & cultures. This book shows the importance of the Roman army in conquering & controlling the empire, & how the empire was held together by the Emperor & by his officials & laws. The economic power of Rome depended on raw materials from all over the empire: metals, stone & food. Rome`s success lay in its inclusiveness, with many distinct cultures flourishing within its boundaries. People practised many different religions & spoke many different languages, but they were unified by Roman civilization. Sam Moorhead shows how the most successful empire in human history was organised, & why understanding the Roman empire helps us to understand better our world today. ...

The Roman Empire around 200 C.E on a large wall map, size 190.5 x 142.5cm, in a series published by Routledge & prepared by the Ancient World Mapping Center, University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill. Coverage extends from the Iberian Peninsula to the Caspian Sea & the Persian Gulf, & from the British Isles to North Africa. The map has altitude colouring & shows the boundaries of Roman provinces, principal routes, barriers such as the Hadrian Wall or the Germanic Limes, as well as town & legionary bases. All place names are given as in use during the period covered by the map. Each map has a panel indicating the areas covered by the different titles in this series with a base showing present day political boundaries. ...

The ruins of the Forum in Rome, the centre of its ancient Empire, are one of the best known wonders of antiquity & a highpoint of the tourist route round the Eternal City, but the Forum remains for many visitors a baffling & unwelcoming place. There are few more historic & evocative places in the world. Caesar was cremated there. Charles V & Mussolini rode by it in triumph. There Napoleon celebrated his festival of liberty. In this radical reappraisal David Watkin teaches us to see the Forum with new eyes & helps us to rediscover its rich history. This is as stimulating to the armchair traveller as it is useful as a guide to the Forum itself. ...

” The Roman Way” is a 174-mile walk, on the theme of Roman roads, using public rights of way. It follows a triangle formed by three Roman roads from Chesterton, near Bicester in Oxfordshire, to Cirencester in Gloucestershire, & on to the Roman walled town of Silchester in Hampshire, returning to the Roman military fort at Alchester near the starting point. The route follows Akeman Street as it crosses the limestone heights of the Cotswold Hills to Cirencester, then south-east following the Ermin Way across the Wiltshire Downs, through the village of Speen in Berkshire, descending to cross the River Kennet as the Romans did. The way continues through the heathlands & pine forest north to Dorchester on Thames. From this Roman settlement, the route goes directly north beside Oxford & across Otmoor, the marsh where the Romans built a bridge to reach the fort at Alchester. The book divides the Roman Way into 17 sections, all of which have suggested access points for shorter distances, information about public transport, a list of tea shops, pubs & accommodation. Each day`s walk is accompanied by the relevant sections of the Ordnance Survey map & is vividly illustrated throughout giving archaeological, historical, botanical & local anecdotal detail. ...