Listed by the Sunday Times as one of the five best political books of 2015. Welfare states have spread across the globe, transforming modern civilisation. But the take-over is often going badly. In Marseilles, armed drug gangs dominate the social housing estates. In America, an outstandingly rich country, 45 million people are dependent on food stamps. In Britain, the NHS has one of the worst records for cancer care in the advanced world. Many countries are raising more in taxes but nevertheless getting deeper into debt because of their burgeoning welfare states. All around the world, behaviour is being damaged by welfare state dependency while governments become more & more like Big Brother, telling us what we must do. James Bartholomew travelled around the world seeing how cultures & lives are being changed
- seeing what is going wrong but also looking for countries where they are making a better job of it. His book is an unparalleled investigation in which he tells the story of the people & places he visited. He takes the reader on a journey, which

Includes:: burnt-out cars in France, a tough-minded benefits office in Singapore & innovative hospitals in Spain. The narrative is supplemented with many photos & graphs that demonstrate & explain. The book is like a window on the modern world.


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Xenophobe’s Guide to the Welsh is a pocket-size guide that takes a frank & funny look at what makes the Welsh Welsh.“ Those who manage to tone it down a bit have gone on to world fame as actors or politicians.” 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. ...

From castles in the sand to castles on a cliff-top, the Welsh coast is as beautiful & dramatic as it is diverse. Photographer Peter Watson captures the visual delights of this twisting & endlessly varied coastline, starting at the northern tip, the birdwatcher`s paradise along the Dee Estuary, then heading west to the Isle of Anglesey, passing along the way the resorts of Rhyl, Colwyn Bay & LLandudno. The Lleyn Peninsula then leads to the expansive stretch of coastline from Tremadog all the way down to Cardigan Bay, & then to the renowned Pembrokeshire Coast National Park & the impressive Gower Peninsula. The coastal odyssey ends on a high note with an exploration of some of the beaches & bays which can be found hidden away between the bustling cities of Swansea & Cardiff. ...

In 1944, a German Jewish refugee is sent to Wales to interview Rudolf Hess; in Snowdonia, a seventeen-year-old girl, the daughter of a fiercely nationalistic shepherd, dreams of the bright lights of an English city; & in a nearby POW camp, a German soldier struggles to reconcile his surrender with his sense of honour. As their lives intersect, all three will come to question where they belong & where their loyalties lie. Peter Ho Davies`s thought-provoking & profoundly moving first novel traces a perilous wartime romance as it explores the bonds of love & duty that hold us to family, country, & ultimately our fellow man. Vividly rooted in history & landscape, THE WELSH GIRL reminds us anew of the pervasive presence of the past, & the startling intimacy of the foreign. ...

This is the 2012 edition of the most comprehensive guidebook to canoeing & kayaking the rivers of Wales. Nearly all the rivers of the principality are covered, mostly from navigable source to sea or confluence. From lazy gentle tours suitable for families, to raging torrents & waterfalls. There are over 180 rivers & two thousand kilometres of paddling. The book is simple to navigate with quick reference information, detailed descriptions & area maps of the river catchments. There are a great many more colour photographs in this new edition compared with the old. There`s also an eclectic mix of anecdotes for a perspective on the paddling scene in Wales, past & present
- but the best tales, yet to be told, are left for you to discover on the Welsh rivers. This is completely revised & updated since reprints of the first edition in 2003 & 2006. It has not been available since 2008 & there is no competitor or comparable book since the first edition.
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This is the 2010, 2nd edition of the full-colour handbook for walkers & runners in the Welsh 3000s traverse, the Paddy Buckley Round, The Snowdon Horseshoe, Snowdon Ascents & the Welsh 1000 metres race. Roy Clayton guides walkers through the route, while experienced fell runner, Ronald Turnbull, gives the necessary advice for runners, & for walkers who wish to step up the pace in the tradition of the greats like Joss Naylor, Eric Beard & Colin Donnelly. The original ” Welsh Three Thousand Foot Challenges” book has already been a success, with several reprints. This new edition

Includes:: up-to-date information with colour photographs & maps bringing the stunning mountain scenery to life. If you want to do the Welsh Three Thousands & you want to know how to train to do a fast time, or you just want to make sure you have a good chance of a successful completion, this book is the only choice.

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Wes Anderson is the most influential comedic voice from the past two decades of American cinema. A true auteur, his intimate involvement in each of his films; Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox & Moonrise Kingdom,

Includes:: scriptwriting, set design, soundtrack selections & unit photography. Anderson`s visual artistry, inimitable tone & idiosyncratic characterisations make each of his films instantly recognisable as ” Andersonian.” The Wes Anderson Collection is the first in-depth overview of Anderson`s work, guiding readers through the life & career of one of the most talked-about contemporary filmmakers. Previously unpublished photos, artwork & ephemera complement a book-length interview between Anderson & award-winning film critic Matt Zoller Seitz, who offers insights into Anderson`s creative process, influences, & the production of his films. These elements come together in a meticulously designed object in the spirit of Anderson`s movies: melancholy & playful, wise & childish--and thoroughly original.

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The West Country in the Landscapes of the Imagination guide series; providing an in-depth cultural & account of some of the world’s most memorable & evocative landscapes. Presented as a cultural & literary guide, each title in the series explores the cultural history of a landscape, providing an overview of the area’s development from its earliest roots to the modern day. Particular emphasis is placed on the literary, poetic, architectural, cultural & historical elements that make up the landscape & each title is written & researched by an academic expert. An Epilogue offers suggestion for further reading & indices of literary, artistic & historical names & places & landmarks. ...

Trevose Head to St David's Head including the River Severn A pack of 11 charts covering the Bristol Channel. The pack
Includes::
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