Dr Alan Brand sailed his late father's yacht, the Naiad on a Sabbatical after four years of working sixteen hour days in the emergency ward of a hospital in Los Angeles. He had never even dated a girl since he spent all of his school vacations sailing with his father and in college he studied avidly and worked in his spare time to cover the cost of his education. He encounters the Mer-folk in the south Pacific and falls for a mermaid and that is when his troubles began.

D. H. Lawrence's fascinating novella dealing with the dehumanising effects of war on an English captain.

A fantastic collection of writings by cleric and writer Augustus Jessop that take a look at, amongst other topics, monastic life in the early days of the friars.

In the six decades between 1851 and 1914 Britain was transformed by industrialisation and empire. Her politics, society, culture and economy all underwent a radical transition. This is an Explaining History e-book written specifically for A level students to help them master this complex and challenging period of study. It covers * The evolution of the party system in Victorian Britain * The development of working class culture and politics * The expansion of empire and the rise in international tensions * Everyday life for Victorian people of differing social classes * The impact of the industrial revolution * The growth in the franchise * Unrest in Ireland and the issue of home rule * Liberal and Conservative social reforms * Popular imperialism * The causes of the First World War. The e-book also contains a link to a resources web page with downloadable study aids, exam help and essay writing guides.

A fantastic historical novel about the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, Josephine de Beauharnais, the first Empress consort of France. Written by the German master of the genre Clara Mundt, better known by her pen-name of Louise Muhlbach.

A fascinating look at the myriad enemies of the printed book, from fire, to neglect, to children, to the bookworm, to plain old ignorance. A passionate litany against all who would see printed literature destroyed, written by English printer and bibliographer William Blades.

The year is 600 BCE. Egypt and Babylon are engaged in a bitter struggle for supremacy. The Egyptian pharaoh has commissioned an expedition, led by his allies the Phoenicians, to circumnavigate Africa so that he can combine the forces of his Mediterranean and Red Sea fleets. But nobody at that time knows the true size of the continent. It is to be a journey into the unknown.The expedition includes Greek, Carian and Etruscan mercenaries and the scribe Pa Nofre, who is to write a report. The mission, however, is in peril... could it be that the Babylonians have placed their spies within the fleet? Even Pa Nofre has a secret vice which must remain hidden - that he is addicted to the powerful hallucinogen, the Blue Lotus, which is in danger of affecting his sanity...In Violet Sleep gives a hallucinatory vision of the 'pre-scientific' world's outlook, at a time when all things were considered to have been caused by the gods, but it is set as a tense thriller. It is at once a selective guide to ancient mythologies and anthropology but it is also a disquieting, and contemporary examination of the nature of addiction.

This book, filled with amazing facts and photographs, describes what life was like for people living in the ancient China during the Middle Dynasty period of the Imperial era.It covers the Six Dynasty period, the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties Period, the Song Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, with information about the emperors who ruled as well as inventions and achievements in science, technology, engineering, literature, trade and much more. An in-depth account is given of everyday life in each dynasty, including the doctrines of the time and the way they influenced the people and their art.The 'All About' series is an educational collection of books by P S Quick, and is targeted to interest ages 9 to 12+ but will fascinate readers of all ages. At the end of each book there is a quiz section for the reader, featuring 150 questions and answers.

Biography of well known Australian agricultural pilot Ben Buckley of Benambra Victoria Australia who has plied his trade in Australia, New Zealand, UK and Sudan. Ben has gained notoriety in Australia over the years by contravening aviation laws for what he states as having fun. He has incurred financial penalties for doing things his way and even cancellation of his flying license. Several severely injured adults and children have Ben Buckley to thank for flying them to urgent medical treatment in often foul weather. A shire councillor for more than 25 years, Ben Buckley is dedicted to serving his fellow man. Countless Australians take joy in stating,"e; I had my first flight with Ben Buckley."e;

One of Doyle's novels about the exploits of the intrepid Professor Challenger, this book was heavily influenced by the beliefs of Spiritualism, which Doyle became interested in after the death of his son, brother, and two nephews in the First World War.

John O'Driscoll is madly in love with Karen Black but is so mesmerised by her beauty that in her presence his brain refuses to function. He walks in fear of school governor Father Kennedy, a man with nasal hair so terrifying it gives grown men nightmares and sends small animals scurrying for cover. And all O'Driscoll's efforts to impress Karen seem to end in disaster and public humiliation at the hands of the cantankerous cleric. Will O'Driscoll stay out of the pub long enough to win Karen over? Will he stay out of Father Kennedy's reach for long enough to have his teaching contract renewed? Follow the adventures of our bumbling hero over a month of Sundays as he embarks on a shambolic quest to save his job and win the heart of the woman he loves.

"e;Do you trust me?"e;When Anna's dirt bike pulled up alongside late one summer's evening, Harry grasped the opportunity to escape the city and his troubles, but he never imagined the mysterious girl would lead him across the galaxy to another world.Transported via the Ring of Stones to a planet reflecting a visionary Earth, the friends embark on an intricate pursuit of the truth about what really happened to their missing parents, all the while struggling to remain one step ahead of the sinister Authorities.

In 1857 the eminent author Charles Dickens, along with his fellow writer Wilkie Collins, went on a short holiday to the fells and moors of the Cumbrian countryside, resulting in this short, charming travel book.

After his parents are killed, George, the Orphan Crow, starts a new life among the lively creatures of Blossom Valley and the enchanting butterflies that live there. But all is not as it seems... an evil ladybird, envious of the butterflies' beauty lures them to a remote place with a wicked plan in mind. George becomes suspicious and flies out looking for them. But is he too late? Has the wicked ladybird already put her plan into action? This original, intriguing story is mainly told by the colourful characters that make up the community and will fascinate readers of all ages.

This book, filled with amazing facts and photographs, gives an in-depth account of what life was like for the ancient Olmec who lived in Mesoamerica. It explains how religion influenced their beliefs and everyday lives and draws upon archaeology and research to present evidence that supports present ideas. In addition to information on mythology, religion and gods it covers the topics of society, government, trade, industry, homes, farming, science, mathematics, writing, sculpture and artwork.The 'All About' series is an educational collection of books by P S Quick, and is targeted to interest children of 9 to 12+ but will fascinate readers of all ages. At the end of each book there is a quiz section for the reader, featuring 150 questions and answers.

Winner of the Virginia Prize for Fiction A young American on a vacation trip around India with her boyfriend, steps down off the train for a bottle of water at Shambala Junction, only to find herself stranded at the town with no phone or money, she has to rely on the kindness of strangers... A journey into the heart of India, Iris is forced to question her beliefs and values and to learn what really counts.? "... a refreshingly original viewpoint on the traditional ‘coming of age’ story, brimming with powerful women, a complex society and fundamental human truths laid out in all its gritty beauty.”? -SkyLightRain “An enlightening and enjoyable read. As much a cultural exploration as it is a love story, the book is a remarkable webbing of different viewpoints. Mukherjee is able to translate captivating realities to a wide audience through pulsing characters, with a natural story-telling ability that is inviting and enlightening.”? -Windy City Review “My hat is off to you for making Shambala Junction a compelling, suspenseful novel that illuminates the personal and social consequences of corrupt adoptions.” - Umberto Tosi author of Ophelia Rising and contributing editor of Chicago Quarterly Review “… fluid prose that takes firm hold of the plot to produce an invigorating, engaging, and dynamic story.”? -World Literature Today “A truly engaging and lovely read, Shambala Junction is a book that tugs at the reader’s morality while at the same time telling a truly inspiring coming-of-age story.”? -9/10 – Star2.com ?“Shambala Junction takes hold of you and leads you with absolute confidence into one of the most extraordinary journeys any of us ever embark on: the discovery of India.”? -- Barney Norris, author of Five Rivers Met On A Wooded Plain ? About the author Dipika Mukherjee made her debut as a novelist with Thunder Demons (Gyaana Books, 2011), long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize. She won the Platform Flash Fiction competition in April 2009. She has edited two anthologies of Southeast Asian short stories: Silverfish New Writing 6 (Silverfish, 2006) and The Merlion and Hibiscus (Penguin, 2002). Her first poetry collection, The Palimpsest of Exile, was published by Rubicon Press in 2009. Her short stories and poems have appeared in publications around the world, including World Literature Today, Asia Literary Review, The South Asia Review, Del Sol Review and Postcolonial Text among others, and have been widely anthologised. She curates an Asian/American Reading Series for the Guild Literary Complex, Chicago. Dipika holds a doctorate in English (Sociolinguistics) from Texas A&M University. She has taught language and linguistic courses in China, India, the Netherlands, United States, Malaysia, and Singapore and now teaches Sociolinguistics at Northwestern University and is Faculty Affiliate at the Equality Development and Globalisation Studies (EDGS), Roberta Buffett Centre for International and Comparative Studies. She lives in Chicago with her husband and they have two sons. ? Reviews “This vividly written, courageous book… a refreshingly original viewpoint on the traditional ‘coming of age’ story, brimming with powerful women, a complex society and fundamental human truths laid out in all its gritty beauty.” --SkyLightRain “An enlightening and enjoyable read. As much a cultural exploration as it is a love story, the book is a remarkable webbing of different viewpoints. Mukherjee is able to translate captivating realities to a wide audience through pulsing characters, with a natural story-telling ability that is inviting and enlightening.” --Windy City Review “My hat is off to you for making Shambala Junction a compelling, suspenseful novel that illuminates the personal and social consequences of corrupt adoptions.” --Umberto Tosi author of Ophelia Rising and contributing editor of Chicago Quarterly Review “… fluid prose that takes firm hold of the plot to produce an invigorating, engaging, and dynamic story.”? --World Literature Today “A truly engaging and lovely read, Shambala Junction is a book that tugs at the reader’s morality while at the same time telling a truly inspiring coming-of-age story.”? --9/10 – Star2.com About previous books: “Dipika Mukherjee uses vibrant imagery and brutally honest observation to create a humanistic portrait of a modern nation still coming to grips with its past.” --City Weekend (Shanghai) “Longlisted for the Man Asian Prize in 2009, Mukherjee’s novel is not unlike Miguel Syjuco’s IIustrado, which won the prize in 2008. Both are grim state-of-the-nation novels based in East Asia, written by peripatetic authors. Both have lead characters who leave relatively comfortable lives in the United States of America to travel back to the troubled East and tragic pasts.” Paperback Pickings, The Telegraph

SHORTLISTED FOR THE POLARI FIRST BOOK PRIZE Next Lesson is a new play by Chris Woodley, about the challenges of growing up gay.? In 1988, 14-year-old Michael comes out as gay. Later he returns to the same school as a teacher. In the background: the notorious Section 28 of Thatcher’s Local Government Act, which prohibited schools from “promoting homosexuality” and divided teachers and parents. The narrative of the play spans from 1988 to 2003. Ideal for drama students, colleges, amateur theatre groups, local theatres. Publishing to coincide with LGBTQ History Month, February 2019. Reviews 'How has being queer in the classroom changed over the pastthirty years? This informative play is your revision guide.Next Lesson is one school play that you won’t want to miss.'***** ‘A Masterpiece’ – Gay Times 'Section 28 was one of the most hateful pieces of legislationbrought in by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. Next Lesson byChris Woodley looks at the knock-on effects of this legislationin the same school between 1988 and 2006. It’s funny, movingand heartwarming stuff. This excellent play is a great reminderof how fear and oppression can cause untold damage amongstvulnerable teenagers and that with love, honesty and unity wecan overcome the curveballs life throws at us.'***** ‘Incredible’ – attitude 'Definitely worth going back to school for.'**** – DIVA 'The first thing to say about Chris Woodley’s play NextLesson is that it is very good. An A+, 10 out of 10, top marks,gold star and any other educational phrase that can beapplied to 75 minutes of how relationships work: motherto son, teacher to pupil, friend to friend and lover to lover.'**** ‘A+’ –Boyz 'What Woodley has achieved in his debut play is remarkable…Next Lesson is informative without being didactic, telling avery personal story as well as having clarity of the world atlarge, all the while wearing its heart on its sleeve.'**** ‘Remarkable’ –Female Arts 'Brought in by the Thatcher regime, Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act forbade local authorities from promoting homosexual relationships as equal to heterosexual ones. This hated piece of legislation created confusion and caution in schools, undoubtedly prevented teachers from addressing homophobic bullying, denying lesbian and gay pupils appropriate sex and social education. Chris Woodley’s excellent play charts the education system through those years, creating lesbian, gay and bi characters from both sides of the classroom and staff room.'**** ‘Highly entertaining’ –British Theatre 'This short production touches on a number of key issues that affected countless people within the LGBT+ community (and their loved ones), not just in the wake of Section 28 but throughout history. ‘Next Lesson’ is an educational piece devoted to the examination of this vital part in legal discrimination’s history, and will be eye- opening to many who perhaps did not know about this law and its damaging legacy.'**** ‘Impressive’ –West End Wilma About the author Chris Woodley is an actor, writer, teacher and co-founder of Hyphen Theatre Company. Chris trained as an actor at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.As a writer, his credits include: The Soft Subject (A Love Story) (Assembly Hall), Bedtime Story (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Next Lesson (The Pleasance) and co-writer for My Boyfriend Jesus Christ (Karamel Klub) and When The Lights Went Out At Christmas (The BRIT School).His recent theatre credits include: KATE (Greenwich Theatre), You Should Be So Lucky (Above The Stag), Walking: Holding (The Yard), From Russia, For Love (Theatre Deli), An Enemy of the People (New Diorama), The Gay Naked Play (Above The Stag), This Child (The Bridewell Theatre) and Rainman (Karamel Klub).Television credits include: Extras.

Cinderella, A new stage adaptation of the popular fairytale by Matt Beames with Lyrics by Kayleigh Benham.? A witty updating of the classic Cinderella story for our times. As the feast of Midwinter approaches, the King wishes to find a suitable partner for his eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince Arren.He decrees a Midwinter Ball and all across the land his excited people prepare for the big celebration. But in a small shoe shop close to the palace, one young woman sits at her workbench,?carefully making shoe after shoe after shoe… Poor Cinderella has so much work to do, she can’t hope to go to the Ball, however much she might wish to… but sometimes dreams really do come true! "No matter how difficult the journey, the right pair of?shoes will get you where you need to be.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Matt Beames?is a writer based in the Southampton area. He loves stories of all kinds and has been writing and telling his own since childhood. His work is often inspired by and draws on folklore and mythology from around the world. Matt writes for the theatre as well as long and short fiction, poetry, comics and he is also developing an original board game. His writing for theatre includes more than ten plays and adaptations that have been performed in various professional and youth theatre productions in the UK and even as far as Seattle, USA. Aurora Metro has also published Matt’s adaptations of?Sleeping Beauty?(2017) and his other recent projects include adaptations of Jules Verne’s?Journey to the Centre of the Earth?and?The Signal-Man?by Charles Dickens. PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS WORK “A heart-warming tale of friendship and the power of?storytelling. Matt Beames has taken the traditional story?of Sleeping Beauty and adapted it for a modern audience.”– Review 2017

The day came when I could stand it no longer! Whenever I arrived anywhere (usually with a burst of "e;You're not gonna believe this . . . ."e;) the people around me knew that they would be in for yet another tale of woe about something that had just happened to me during my journey. Some would say, "e;I don't know why you don't write this all down."e; My answer was always that no one would believe me, but, then again, perhaps someone out there just might. So here it is, written down. This book has been written by me for all of you. From footie fans to comical commuters, from dodgy dog-walkers to hapless (or should that be 'helpless'?) hotel guests, from what not to do at pelican crossings to tucking into a takeaway on a Friday night - it's all here. Now, I don't know if you are going to believe what you are about to read or not, but I can assure you that some, most or indeed all the events related in this book have happened (or will happen) to you at some point; and I wish you the very best of luck in trying not to laugh when they do!Jeff Jenkins

I always wished I had supernatural powers. Now I wish I didn’t.Sadie’s a dud, a failure–the only one in high school who?doesn’t?have any kind of supernatural powers. Her psychic bff, Jo, knows something about Sadie’s future, but just won’t tell. And what the heck is going on when one of her teachers starts looking at her while he’s going on about powerful lost keys, portals of madness, and destinies?Then it all starts.On her 18th birthday, Sadie starts to feel weird. And when werewolves, vampires, and demons all turn up to spoil her party, the weirdness really ramps up.Leaving her best friend, her family, and the only town she’s ever known, Sadie must find safety. But while the king of the werewolves can offer her somewhere to hide while she’s learning about her new powers, he can’t stop his psycho witch fiancée from finding new ways to try and kill her. Of course, the murderous tendencies of this psycho witch only get worse when she realises the Werewolf King is, um… attracted to Sadie.And all that’s before Sadie sets off to try and find one of the lost keys. Before she visits hell. Before she picks up a pet ogre.And before she realizes just how powerful she can become.But if it really is her destiny to collect one of the lost keys, will she be able control her newfound power and help save the world and all the people in it she loves? Or will she buckle under the pressure?She’s about to find out. A mansion surrounded by demons and full of vampires and witches intent on her destruction awaits. Oh, and that psycho-witch fiancée of the Werewolf King. What could possibly go wrong?

The State of the Nations 2008: Into the third term of devolution in the United Kingdom is the sixth publication of a major research programme into devolution in the United Kingdom, published on behalf of the Constitution Unit at University College London. The focus of this volume is on the devolved elections of May 2007, analyzing the outcome in terms of both the immediate aftermath and longer-term implications. In particular, it will consider influences on policy-making, finance, the UK Parliament and the resolution of intergovernmental disputes. This book replaces the previously-announced volume The State of the Nations 2007