Category Archives: Travel Guides
Gin Cocktails: classic & contemporary cocktails
The gin-lover`s companion to everything gin and everything cocktail.There`s nothing quite like a gin and tonic on a hot day. Or on a cold day. But then there`s nothing like a Dry Martini either. Or a French 75. Or a Negroni. Or a Sloe Gin Sling. Here`s a collection of classic and contemporary cocktail recipes
Desert Queen
Turning away from privileged Victorian Britain, Gertrude Bell explored, mapped and excavated the world of the Arabs, winning the trust of Arab sheiks and chieftains along the way. When the First World War erupted and the British needed the loyalty of Arab leaders, Gertrude Bell provided the intelligence for T.E. Lawrence`s military activities. After the
The Reader
For 15-year-old Michael Berg, a chance meeting with an older woman leads to far more than he ever imagined. The woman in question is Hanna, and before long they embark on a passionate, clandestine love affair which leaves Michael both euphoric and confused. For Hanna is not all she seems. Years later, as a law
Big Snake
About to be married, Robert Twigger decides on his last great adventure as a bachelor. Surfing the net, he discovers the Roosevelt Prize ` worth $50,000 ` for the capture of a live 30 foot python. Armed only with a tin of High Toast Snuff (deadly if sniffed by a snake), Twigger sets off into
Angry White Pyjamas: An Oxford Poet Trains with the Tokyo Riot Police
Adrift in Tokyo, teaching giggling Japanese highschool girls how to pronounce Tennyson correctly, Robert Twigger came to a revelation about himself: he`d never been fit. In a bid to escape the cockroach infestation and sweaty squalor of a cramped apartment in Fuji Heights, Twigger sets out to cleanse his body and his mind. Not knowing
The Multiple Identities of the Middle East
Most of the modern states of the Middle East are of recent origin, yet the region is the birthplace of three religions and many civilizations. Bernard Lewis, one of the world`s most respected historians of the Middle East, discusses the countries and frontiers; their religions and communities; language and loyalties to place, and Middle Eastern
24 Hours at the Somme
The first day of the Somme has had more of a widespread emotional impact on the psyche of the British public than any other battle in history. Now, 100 years later, Robert Kershaw attempts to understand the carnage, using the voices of the British and German soldiers who lived through that awful day.In the early
Out of the Ashes
Cool Runnings meets Joseph O`Neill`s Netherland in an inspiring and feel-good story of bravery and sporting success from a country so widely known for war and extremism. This is the true story of the Afghanistan cricket team and their extraordinary attempt to join the world`s elite cricketing nations. That this devastated nation should be able
Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us
In China, for the first time, the people who weigh too much now outnumber those who weigh too little. In Mexico, the obesity rate has tripled in the past three decades. In the UK over 60 per cent of adults and 30 per cent of children are overweight, while the United States remains the most
The Natural Navigator
Starting with a simple question – `Which way am I looking?` – Tristan Gooley blends natural science, myth, folklore and the history of travel to introduce you to the rare and ancient art of finding your way using nature`s own sign-posts, from the feel of a rock to the look of the moon. With Tristan`s
The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz – Winner of the 2019 Costa Prize
Winner of the 2019 Costa Prize”Totally gripping” Simon Sebag MontefioreWould you sacrifice yourself to save thousands of others?This is the unsung story of one of the greatest heroes of the Second World War.In the Summer of 1940, after the Nazi occupation of Poland, an underground operative called Witold Pilecki accepted a mission to uncover the
Guy Martin: Worms to Catch
`I was never going to sleep in and take it easy, there were worms to catch.` In August 2015 Guy Martin crashed out of the lead of an Ulster Grand Prix superbike race held on the world`s fastest racetrack. He had invasive surgery to bolt his broken spine and hand back together, and within days
The Airbnb Story: How Three Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions of Dollars … and Plenty of Enemies
`An engrossing story of audacious entrepreneurism` — Charles Duhigg`Captures the remarkable journey of Airbnb exceedingly well` — Reid Hoffman`fast paced, fun dive into one of the seminal firms of our time` — Rana Foroohar In 2008, two broke art school graduates and their coder-whiz friend set up a platform that – in less than a
Ivy and the Inky Butterfly
Bring your own colour to the story. From colouring book queen Johanna Basford, a lavishly illustrated fable about a girl named Ivy who stumbles upon a secret door leading to the magical world of Enchantia. A charming story that interacts playfully with beautiful, colourable artwork in Johanna`s signature style, Ivy and the Inky Butterfly is
Spon: A Guide to Spoon Carving and the New Wood Culture
“The word for spoon is derived from the old Norse for chip of wood – spoon. Wooden spoons then need no further qualifier, they are spoons in their purest form.” (Barn The Spoon).The simple, ordinary spoon is part of our everyday lives, intimately entwined with the acts of eating and socialising, from stirring our first
Let Her Fly: A Father`s Journey and the Fight for Equality
In this intimate and extraordinary memoir, Ziauddin Yousafzai, the father of Malala, gives a moving account of fatherhood and his lifelong fight for equality – proving there are many faces of feminism.”Whenever anybody has asked me how Malala became who she is, I have often used the phrase. `Ask me not what I did but
How To Be Right: … in a world gone wrong
The runaway Sunday Times bestseller by one of the most incisive broadcasters around.Every day, James O`Brien listens to people blaming benefits scroungers, the EU, Muslims, feminists and immigrants. But what makes James`s daily LBC show such essential listening – and has made James a standout social media star – is the careful way he punctures
A Short Philosophy of Birds
The greatest wisdom comes from the smallest creaturesThere is so much we can learn from birds. Through twenty-two little lessons of wisdom inspired by how birds live, this charming french book will help you spread your wings and soar.We often need the help from those smaller than us. Having spent a lifetime watching birds, Philippe
Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica`s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night
“An epic of survival” Michael Palin”Utterly enthralling” Geoff DyerThe harrowing, survival story of an early polar expedition that went terribly wrong, with the ship frozen in ice and the crew trapped inside for the entire sunless, Antarctic winterAugust 1897: The Belgica set sail, eager to become the first scientific expedition to reach the white wilderness
Unfree Speech: The Threat to Global Democracy and Why We Must Act, Now
With an introduction by Ai Weiwei.An urgent manifesto for global democracy from the leading 23-year-old Hong Kong activist – Nobel Peace Prize nominee and TIME, Forbes and Fortune world leader.At what point do you stand up to power?Age 14, Joshua Wong made history. While the adults stayed silent, Joshua staged the first ever student protest
