A masterpiece of modern drama, The Seagull dramatises the romantic and artistic conflicts between four characters: the ingenue Nina, the fading actress Irina, her son the symbolist playwright Konstantin, and the famous middlebrow story writer Trigorin.

The Survival Handbook takes you through all the things you need to know about surviving disasters and staying alive in the wild, such as where to find water in the desert; how to build shelters from locally-available materials that will keep out the wind and rain but will also be ventilated; what plants are safe to eat and what are deadly poisonous; and what animals will pose a threat in survival situations. Packed with tips from the world's elite special forces and other survival specialists, this is a handy reference to surviving in the wild. [This is a text-only ebook edition.]

Wilde's dramatic masterpiece set in London. Many of the themes of An Ideal Husband were influenced by the situation Oscar Wilde found himself in during the early 1890s. 'Sooner or later we shall all have to pay for what we do. But no one should be entirely judged by their past.'

London's recent history captured in dramatic form. Created from dozens of personal testimonies, this is the story of the changing face of work today. Surrey Docks in South-East London was once a thriving commercial hub, hosting some of the UK’s leading commercial brands, including Crosse & Blackwell, Sarson’s, Peek Freans and Lipton’s. These huge organisations created a myriad of jobs for local people, and the community prospered. But, with the decline of the docks in the 1970s, factories closed down or relocated, work patterns changed and redevelopment began. ‘From Docks to Desktops’ explores the fascinating story of how one community has survived the 21st-century challenges of urban change and renewal.

Staying at the British Ambassador’s exquisite Bay of Naples Villa, beautiful young Cordelia and her brother David, the Earl of Hunstanton, are far from the Berkshire estate that is their home. But since the death of their parents there has been nothing to stop David realising his dream – to go to Malta and become a Knight of St. John. Except, that is, the money to finance a ship to take him there. So when, out of the blue, a handsome, English buccaneer appears, who turns out to be none other than their cousin, Mark Stanton, he seems Heaven-sent. As Captain of a ship en route to Malta, he is in position to offer them passage to the island. To their chagrin, however, he attempts to dissuade David from his Pilgrimage and Cordelia from her notion of joining a Convent. But, when the siblings resist his appeals and press ahead, Mark vows to protect them both from the perils not only of David’s Maltese Crusade but also of the Napoleonic War, Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean and the scheming snobbery of Neapolitan Society. Valiant Mark saves Cordelia from the lecherous clutches of the Duca di Belina and from the terrors or war against the French, but he cannot protect David from a noble death in battle protecting Malta, nor his own heart from falling hopelessly in love.

Charity Royall is eighteen, bored with life in the small town of North Dormer. While working at the library, Charity meets visiting architect Lucius Harney and they become friends. Will their growing closeness lead to a happy marriage? Charity was born in an impoverished mountain community and her life is complicated by Mr. Royall who intruded into her bedroom when she was seventeen and later urged her to marry him. Lucius starts an affair with Charity Royall, all the while hiding the fact that he is engaged to society girl Annabel Balch.

The Marble Faun, a romance set in beautiful Italy tells the story of Miriam, the painter with an unknown past. Throughout the novel, she is compared to many other women including Eve, Beatrice Cenci, Judith, and Cleopatra. Miriam is pursued by a mysterious, threatening man who is her evil genius through life.

The Gun Club, a society based in Baltimore and dedicated to the design of weapons of all kinds, come up with a plan to construct a cannon capable of shooting a projectile to the moon. The projectile is successfully launched, but the destinies of the three astronauts are left inconclusive. The sequel, Around the Moon, deals with what happens to the three men in their travel from the earth to the moon.

In this continuing sequel to The Three Musketeers, d'Artagnan discovers Belle-Isle is being fortified and the engineer ostensibly in charge is Porthos. The blueprints show Aramis' handwriting. Despite his friends, d'Artagnan hides the true reason for his presence. Aramis, suspicious of d'Artagnan, sends Porthos back to Paris to warn Fouquet, whilst tricking d'Artagnan into searching for Porthos around Vannes. Porthos warns Fouquet in time, and he cedes Belle-Ile to the king, humiliating Colbert. On returning from the mission, d'Artagnan is made Captain of the King's Musketeers.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the four crime novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in which detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson investigate the legend of a supernatural beast that may have been trained to murder Sir Henry Baskerville on the fog-shrouded moorland that makes up his estate.

A landmark work of romantic and gothic literature, as well as science fiction, the novel's storyline emerged from a dream and Shelley's own travels of the region in which the story unfolds. Mary Shelley started writing the story when she was just eighteen.

Set on a tropical island where Robinson Crusoe found himself after a terrible storm at sea, we follow his life and adventures far away from civilization. A novel which has inspired countless imitations and adaptations, remains one of the most original and inspiring stories in the English language.

Chichikov, a gentleman of middling social class and position arrives in a small town and quickly tries to make a good name for himself by impressing the officials of the town. Despite his limited funds, he spends extravagantly hoping that a great show of wealth and power at the start will gain him the connections he needs to carry out his mysterious plan to acquire 'dead souls.'

Vera Maria Rosenberg a fost, probabil, cea mai important? femeie spion din al Doilea R?zboi Mondial. N?scut? ?n 1908 la Gala?i, a emigrat ?n Marea Britanie ?n 1933, fiind recrutat? ?n tinere?e de serviciile de informa?ii britanice. Ulterior ?i-a schimbat numele, pentru a-?i ascunde originea evreiasc?, iar dup? stabilirea ?n Marea Britanie a participat la nenum?rate misiuni secrete, ajung?nd ?n fruntea SOE, serviciul de opera?iuni speciale creat de Winston Churchill. Agen?ii ei au participat la nenum?rate opera?iuni vitale, inclusiv la preg?tirea debarc?rii ?n Normandia. ?n 1987, Fran?ois Mitterand i-a acordat Legiunea de Onoare, pentru aportul ei la eliberarea Fran?ei. Dup? r?zboi, Vera Atkins s-a retras ?ntr-un sat din Anglia, unde a r?mas p?n? la moarte, ?n 2000. Via?a i-a fost ?nconjurat? de mister, ?i pu?ini au ?tiut cine este cu adev?rat. Biografia lui Sarah Helm dezv?luie secretele celei despre care Ian Fleming, creatorul celebrului James Bond, spunea ??n adev?rata lume a spionilor, Vera Atkins a fost ?eful.“

The story of a modern Asian young woman trying to straddle Western attitudes and traditional beliefs. You've heard of an Essex Girl or even a Chelsea Girl but what is a Hounslow Girl? The term has become a byword for confident, young Muslim women who are grappling with traditional values, city life and fashion. From the joys of Pakistani weddings to fights on the night bus, Ambreen Razia's? The Diary of a Hounslow Girl ?is a funny, bold, provocative play highlighting the challenges of being a teenage girl in a traditional Muslim family, alongside the temptations and influences of growing up in and around London. “Ambreen’s writing is poetic in its structure and intensity, funny, moving, chilling, and delivered in a style that takes inspiration from spoken word and physical theatre. She has created a rhythm that draws the audience in, as compelling as a thriller, complete with gathering ominousness, shocks and comic relief.” Deborah Bestwick, Director, Ovalhouse “Ambreen Razia’s terrific play is exactly the kind of new work we wish to support in the new home of multi-cultural theatre in London. Hounslow Girl is a wonderfully funny take on a London phenomenon and one audiences will enjoy.” Jatinder Verma, Artistic Director, Tara Arts” "a powerful piece of theatre... Ambreen Razia's performance is astonishing."?BritishTheatre.com "This is a sophisticated, moving and often very funny piece of writing, particularly nuanced in its depiction of Shaheeda's relationship with her mother ... astute in tackling the breakdown of the loving bonds between parent and child that can occur when a child becomes a teenager – and also how this experience can be magnified for the children of first-generation immigrants, whose parents feel distant from their children’s British lives... Razia's script touches on everything from first love to cultural expectations to student-teacher relationships; it’s a bit like an inner-city version of An Education."?The Stage Ambreen Razia is an actress and writer from South London.? The Diary of a Hounslow Girl is Ambreen's debut show which premiered at Ovalhouse in 2015. Passionate about re-establishing British Asian comedy within the UK, she continues to write her comedy sketch show involving two British Asian girls exploring the?clash between traditional Indian/Pakistani culture and modern British life. She is also currently writing her next play POT primarily focusing on the recent comeback of gang culture within the UK.?Performance credits include: On the Middle Day (Old Vic Theatre);? Words and Women (Edinburgh Fringe); Random Acts (Channel 4);? Fair Exchange (Hen and Chickens Theatre);? Variations on a Theme (Camden People's Theatre);? Mind the Gap (National Theatre ); No Guts, No Heart, No Glory? (BBC4/Perth Festival Australia) and Murdered by my Father? (BBC3).

With a foreword by director Ralph Lawson and introduction by Pranav Joshipura, Associate Professor of English, Mahila College, Gandhinagar, India. A follow-up anthology of three hard-hitting plays to Singh’s successful drama anthology Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice (2013) which is now studied internationally. The plays selected, namely Into the Grey, Shooting and Swing cover topics such as social activism, the death of a friend and discrimination in sport. Described through Singh’s satirical lens, these thought-provoking plays bring us up to date with the challenges of life in post-Apartheid South Africa. They focus particularly on people of Indian origin and their relationships with other South African communities and chart the loss of ideals in the dream of the Rainbow nation. Into the Grey: A harrowing drama depicting the twenty-nine year association between two Durban activists who battle a variety of challenges as their country stumbles towards a bleak future. Shooting: A one-man play about the unchanging paradigm in Durban’s small town communities in the early years of democracy as a football prodigy’s dream is brutally shattered. Swing: A two-hander about the relationship between a mixed-race Durban tennis player and her father/coach as they confront many obstacles in a society which undervalues the girl-child.

A dual language edition in English and French. The genocide in Rwanda shocked the world. Back then, Ery Nzaramba was only a teenager and his family’s escape to Europe turned him into a “survivor”. How should he now respond to questions about who he is and where he comes from? In this autobiographical one-man play, performed to acclaim on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the author journeys back to his Rwandan childhood. With the help of a cassette player, he brings to life nearly a dozen characters, exploring memories of kinship, cultural attitudes and personal identity. Both funny and poignant, the play highlights not only the intolerance that can breed violence and war but also the importance of power and privilege in the struggle for survival. Le génocide au Rwanda a choqué le monde. ? l'époque, Ery Nzaramba était un adolescent. Après que sa famille se fut échappé en Europe, il est devenu un ?survivant?. Désormais, que doit-il répondre à des questions sur qui il est et d'où il vient? Dans ce one-man show autobiographique, salué par la critique lors de sa présentation au Festival d'?dimbourg, l'auteur retourne vers son enfance au Rwanda. Accompagné d'un lecteur cassette, il donne vie à une bonne douzaine de personnages, explorant souvenirs de famille et d'affinités, attitudes culturelles et identité. ? la fois poignante et pleine d'humour, la pièce met en lumière non seulement l'intolérance qui peut engendrer violence et guerre, mais aussi l'importance du privilège dans la lutte pour la survie.

Red Red Shoes was commissioned by the Unicorn Theatre for Children and The Place. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale, this play uses dance, music and drama to explore the inner world of a traumatised child fleeing from war in Eastern Europe. (Ages 9+) Eye of the Storm offers a contemporary version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, exploring father/daughter relationships and the need for independence. (Ages 12+) Playing From the Heart, commissioned by the Polka Theatre, is a poetic piece which follows the travails of the young Evelyn Glennie to become a professional musician despite her profound deafness. (Ages 8+)

In any military operation throughout history, few 24-hour periods have been as crucial as that of 6th June 1944. With the aid of specially commissioned maps, D-Day: The First 24 Hours series gives the dramatic history of the first 24 hours of the Normandy landings, and explains in detail the events that occurred in each landing zone. In this fourth volume of the series, the book describes the British and Canadian landings on Gold, Juno and Sword beaches. The book also includes details of the human cost of the first day, and a full order of battle for both sides. With colour and black & white photographs, the book is a guide to key events in the first 24 hours of the D-Day landings that saw the Allies successfully achieve a foothold in Northern Europe.

From a story by Hans Christian Andersen In ancient China, young emperor Wu is kept a virtual prisoner in his palace by his devious guardian, Li Si. Wu believes the world outside the Forbidden City is an evil and dangerous place. But when Xiao, a young servant girl, tells him of the most beautiful sound on earth – the song of the nightingale – it’s too much to resist. The two embark on an adventure that will take them across mountain tops and waterfalls, past chattering monkeys and magical dragons to the far reaches of his kingdom. When Wu returns with the nightingale, and starts to overturn the old palace customs, Li Si plots to restore things to the way they were before. Featuring puppetry, music and all the colour, movement and spectacle of Chinese theatre, this joyful adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale is a feast for the senses that will delight the whole family. Suitable for ages 6+

Campaigns of World War II: Fall of the Reich is a military history of the Western European campaign from D-Day in June 1944 to the fall of Berlin in May 1945. Beginning with the Allied preparations for what would become Operation Overlord, from the initial discussions of Roosevelt and Churchill, to the deliberations and plans of Marshall and Brooke, and the subsequent appointment of commanders like Eisenhower, Montgomery and Ramsay, the book covers in detail the landings on the Normandy coast. Combining tactical coverage of events such as the severe fighting at Omaha and Pegasus Bridge, the Canadian success on Juno beach, and the 21st Panzer Division's aborted counterattack, with reporting of the reactions of Hitler and Rommel to the landings, the book provides an explanation of why the Allied advance ran out of steam, and a description of their struggle to escape the bocage hedgerows of Normandy. The US-led breakout in late July 1944 released Bradley and Patton's forces into the heart of France, and the liberation of Paris followed swiftly. A crumbling German defence led to Allied overconfidence and the resultant 'bridge too far' at Arnhem, but as the Allies approached the Rhine and the German border, resistance quickly stiffened. Hitler's last gamble, the attack through the Ardennes known as the Battle of the Bulge, brought temporary panic to the Allied ranks, but heroic stands at Bastogne and elsewhere, coupled with a German acute lack of petrol and the weather clearing to allow Allied aircraft to operate again, led to the defeat of the last Wehrmacht attack in the west. The final year of the war saw the Allies advancing as occupying forces into the heart of Germany, adopting Eisenhower's broad front strategy. Finally the book examines why the decision was made to allow the Red Army to occupy Berlin and remain on the western bank of the Elbe river. Part of a five-volume series on the Second World War written by prominent military historians, Fall of the Reich is a masterful account of the 1944–45 campaign in Western Europe that describes both the action on the front line and the decisions made behind the scenes that decided the fate of Nazi Germany.