Category Archives: Travel Guides
Black Gold of the Sun – Searching for Home in England and Africa
Black Gold of the Sun by Ekow Eshun is a cultural exploration of modern identity straddling two continents. Eshun was born in Britain but spent a formative part of his childhood in Ghana and as a consequence he feels a part of both cultures but that he truly belongs to neither. In Black Gold of
Paris: The Secret History
Paris: the city of light and the city of darkness. It’s a place that’s gone through endless revolution and continued reinvention. Over the last two thousand years it’s drawn those with the highest ideals and the lowest morals. Andrew Hussey, a contributing editor to the Observer Sports Magazine and Head of French and Comparative Literaturee
Olga`s Story
Stephanie Williams` “Olga`s Story” is the moving account of a woman`s life lived at the heart of the twentieth century. Olga Yunter was born in July 1900 in a remote frontier post in southern Siberia. A girlhood played out against the backdrop of the China trade changed forever, when, at seventeen, Olga joined her brothers
London: The Illustrated History
London: The Illustrated History, a beautifully presented and vividly illustrated history of the capital published by Penguin in collaboration with the Museum of London. The authors, Cathy Ross and John Clark, and the numerous other contributors are all current or former members of the museum’s expert staff. The book offers a new perspective on the
Hitler`s Empire
Hitler`s empire was the largest, most brutal and most ambitious reshaping of Europe in history. Inspired by the imperial legacy of those such as the British, the Third Reich cast its shadow from the Channel Islands to the Caucasus and ruled hundreds of millions. Yet, as Mark Mazower`s insightful work shows, it was an empire
Governing the World
The compelling and provocative history of world government, from acclaimed author Mark Mazower. In 1815 the shocked and exhausted victors of the decades of fighting that had engulfed Europe for a generation agreed to a new system for keeping the peace. Instead of independent states changing sides, doing deals and betraying one another, a new,
On Royalty
In On Royalty Jeremy Paxman delves deep into Britain`s royal past. What is the point of Kings and Queens? What do they do all day? And what does it mean to be one of them? Jeremy Paxman is used to making politicians explain themselves – but royalty has always been off limits. Until now. He
Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire
Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire is Iain Sinclair’s personal record of the area of London in which he has lived for forty years. Fusing fact and fiction, Sinclair seeks to document the traditional spirit of Hackney and to capture the essence of the place, as he has known it, before it succumbs to perfidious green papers,
Taking On The World
Inspired by a sailing trip with her aunt on the East Coast when she was four, Ellen MacArthur saved her school dinner money for eight years to buy her first boat, an eight-foot dinghy called Thr`penny Bit. A bout of glandular fever in her final year at school ended her plans to become a vet.
Imperial Spain 1469-1716
The story of Spain`s rise to greatness from its humble beginnings as one of the poorest and most marginal of European countries is a remarkable and dramatic one. With the marriage of Ferdinand & Isabella, the final expulsion of the Moslems and the discovery of America, Spain took on a seemingly unstoppable dynamism that made
The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History
This is a revised edition of “The Penguin Atlas of Medieval History”.
Walking and Eating in Tuscany & Umbria
In Walking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria, James Lasdun and Pia Davis offer forty walks through the spectacular countryside of both regions. Arranged for the utmost flexibility the guide includes half-day outings easily accessible from a city base to day walks that can be linked together in a series. These itineraries are designed to
Atlas of African History
This invaluable reference work provides an account of the development of African society from 175 million years ago, through the first appearance of humans to the complex polity of the twentieth century. Colin McEvedy tracks the development of modern man, the differentiation and spread of languages, the first crossings of the Sahara, the exploration of
Forever Amber
A book to read and reread, this reissue brings back to print an unforgettable romance and a timeless masterpiece.Abandoned pregnant and penniless on the teeming streets of London, sixteen-year-old Amber St. Clare uses her wits, beauty and courage to climb to the highest position a woman could achieve in Restoration England – that of favourite
Penguin Illustrated History of Britain and Ireland
The Penguin Illustrated History of Britain and Ireland is a comprehensive guide to the eventful history of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland ‘“ from the arrival of the first humans half a million years ago right up to the present day.It traces the unfolding of key events through the Roman and Norman conquests, the Civil
Skippy Dies
`Skippy and Ruprecht are having a doughnut-eating race one evening when Skippy turns purple and falls off his chair`. And so begins this epic, tragic, comic, brilliant novel set in and around Dublin`s Seabrook College for Boys. Principally concerning the lives, loves, mistakes and triumphs of overweight maths-whiz Ruprecht Van Doren and his roommate Daniel
Slinky Malinki
“Slinky Malinki” is a hilarious rhyming story by Lynley Dodd. “Slinky Malinki” steals anything from a clothes peg, to a slipper, to a string of sausages, to a clock! Our hero is a BAD cat! The story is told in wonderful rhyme and through pictures full of life and movement. Lynley Dodd is an award-winning
Dinosaurs and all that rubbish
In this classic environmental tale, award-winning writer and illustrator Michael Foreman re-works the classic 1972 Puffin children’s story; which is still as relevant now as it when it was first published.Dinosaurs have taken over the Earth! They`re stomping and stamping all over the place! But why? In Dinosaurs and all that rubbish, young readers will
Cops and Robbers
This is Janet and Allan Ahlberg`s hilarious picture book, “Cops and Robbers”. “Cops and Robbers” is an entertaining picture book by the iconic British husband and wife picture book team Janet and Allan Ahlberg, creators of “Peepo!” Perfect as a bedtime story and for children learning to read! The robbers of London town plan a
Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs
This is Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto`s super-fun “Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs”. Flinn is at school looking in the art cupboard for some coloured pens to finish off his dinosaur drawing when he stumbles upon Captain Stubble, a real live Pirate Captain! He tells Flinn that his ship, the Acorn, has been stolen
