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The Magic Of Christmas Miracles
The Magic Of Christmas Miracles
Miller, Jamie
¥90.79
Last holiday season, Christmas Miracles touched the hearts of thousands with its inspiring true stories of real people and their miraculous encounters. With The Magic of Christmas Miracles we have a second collection of amazing true stories of people whose lives were forever changed by small, yet wondrous, Yuletide events. Among them are:The Red Cap: Santa leaves behind a calling card to convince a doubting child.Epiphany: A walk in the woods with an angel gives a lonely woman new hope.Lost at Sea: Two racing yachtsmen put aside rivalry in a dramatic Christmas Day rescue in the Indian Ocean.Fly Away Home: A private plane carrying an unconscious pilot lands safely in an empty field.. . . and many more to brighten the spirit. The Magic of Christmas Miracles will uplift readers' hearts for this and many future holiday seasons.
Fifty Great Things to Come Out of the Midlands
Fifty Great Things to Come Out of the Midlands
Robert Shore
¥9.71
Celebrate the heart of Britain in this fun and informative mini-ebook. Rugby, Walkers Crisps, Conkers. These are just a handful of the many great things to have come out of the Midlands. In this celebratory list, journalist and loyal Midlander Robert Shore counts down fifty of the best gifts the Midlands has given the world. Knowledge no Midlander – nay, Brit! – should be without. From the author of Bang in the Middle.
A Brief History of Chocolate
A Brief History of Chocolate
Steve Berry,Phil Norman
¥22.66
An illustrated guide to chocolate that every self-respecting chocoholic should read. Do you remember when a Snickers was a Marathon? And when you could burst in to a sweet shop and ask for ‘an Oliver Twist, two Tiffins and a Big Wig, please!’ and keep a straight face? Those were the good days: when a Dairy Milk bar was 22p and you’d never seen anything as big as a Wagon Wheel. Revisit some of your forgotten favourites and current addictions, as Steve Berry and Phil Norman take you on a tour of cocoa’s finest moments. Fully illustrated with hundreds of wrappers, ads and pack shots, ‘A Brief History of Chocolate’ brings together research from the archives, factories and warehouses of some of the leading chocolate manufacturers in the country to create a book that is packed full of fascinating historical research… … and lots and lots of chocolate. Warning: may contain nuts A ‘Brief History of Chocolate’ originally featured in ‘The Great British Tuck Shop’, the ultimate book of sweetie nostalgia.
The Forgotten Soldier (Part 1 of 3)
The Forgotten Soldier (Part 1 of 3)
Charlie Connelly
免费
Bestselling author Charlie Connelly returns with a First World War memoir of his great uncle, Edward Connelly, who was an ordinary boy sent to fight in a war the likes of which the world had never seen. But this is not just his story; it is the story of all the young forgotten soldiers who fought and bravely died for their country The Forgotten Soldier tells the story of Private Edward Connelly, aged 19, killed in the First World War a week before the Armistice and immediately forgotten, even, it seems, by his own family. Edward died on exactly the same day, and as part of the same military offensive, as Wilfred Owen. They died only a few miles apart and yet there cannot be a bigger contrast between their legacies. Edward had been born into poverty in west London on the eve of the twentieth century, had a job washing railway carriages, was con*ed into the army at the age of eighteen and sent to the Western Front from where he would never return. He lies buried miles from home in a small military cemetery on the outskirts of an obscure town close to the French border in western Belgium. No-one has ever visited him. Like thousands of other young boys, Edward’s life and death were forgotten. By delving into and uncovering letters, poems and war diaries to reconstruct his great uncle’s brief life and needless death; Charlie fills in the blanks of Edward’s life with the experiences of similar young men giving a voice to the voiceless. Edward Connelly’s tragic story comes to represent all the young men who went off to the Great War and never came home. This is a book about the unsung heroes, the ordinary men who did their duty with utmost courage, and who deserve to be remembered.
The Forgotten Soldier (Part 3 of 3)
The Forgotten Soldier (Part 3 of 3)
Charlie Connelly
¥47.48
Bestselling author Charlie Connelly returns with a First World War memoir of his great uncle, Edward Connelly, who was an ordinary boy sent to fight in a war the likes of which the world had never seen. But this is not just his story; it is the story of all the young forgotten soldiers who fought and bravely died for their country The Forgotten Soldier tells the story of Private Edward Connelly, aged 19, killed in the First World War a week before the Armistice and immediately forgotten, even, it seems, by his own family. Edward died on exactly the same day, and as part of the same military offensive, as Wilfred Owen. They died only a few miles apart and yet there cannot be a bigger contrast between their legacies. Edward had been born into poverty in west London on the eve of the twentieth century, had a job washing railway carriages, was con*ed into the army at the age of eighteen and sent to the Western Front from where he would never return. He lies buried miles from home in a small military cemetery on the outskirts of an obscure town close to the French border in western Belgium. No-one has ever visited him. Like thousands of other young boys, Edward’s life and death were forgotten. By delving into and uncovering letters, poems and war diaries to reconstruct his great uncle’s brief life and needless death; Charlie fills in the blanks of Edward’s life with the experiences of similar young men giving a voice to the voiceless. Edward Connelly’s tragic story comes to represent all the young men who went off to the Great War and never came home. This is a book about the unsung heroes, the ordinary men who did their duty with utmost courage, and who deserve to be remembered.
A History of Television in 100 Programmes
A History of Television in 100 Programmes
Phil Norman
¥76.91
An entertaining and illuminating celebration of televisual history by cultural historian Phil Norman For decades, television occupied a unique position in the national imagination. By today’s standards the ‘box’ was tiny, but it dominated the living room in a way its technically superior descendants never quite manage. Has the television lost its power in the internet age? Cultural historian Phil Norman goes in search of such questions as he tells the history of TV through 100 ground-breaking programmes. He celebrates the joy of the TV schedule which, in the days of just a few channels, threw up dizzy juxtapositions on a daily basis: an earnest play might be followed by a variety spectacular; a horror anthology that drove children behind furniture followed a sketch show that chewed the carpet. This riotous mix, now slowly disappearing as themed channels and on-demand services take over, gave television a sense of community that no other media could compete with. The wonderful variety of programmes in the book includes overlooked gems and justly wiped follies, overcooked spectaculars and underfunded experiments – just as much a part of TV history as the national treasures and stone-cold classics. A History of Television in 100 Programmes revels in the days when television was at the most exciting, creative stage of any medium: a cottage industry with the world at its feet.
The Conversion of Europe (TEXT ONLY)
The Conversion of Europe (TEXT ONLY)
Richard Fletcher
¥117.82
The story of how Europe was converted to Christianity from 300AD until the barbarian Lithuanians finally capitulated at the astonishingly late date of 1386. It is an epic tale from one of the most gifted historians of today. This remarkable book examines the conversion of Europe to the Christian faith in the period following the collapse of the Roman Empire to approximately 1300 when the hegemony of the Holy Roman Empire was firmly established. One of the book’s great strengths is the degree to which it shows how little was inevitable about this process, how surrounded by uncertainties. What was the origin of the missionary impulse? Who were the activists who engaged in this work – the toilsome, often unrewarding, sometimes dangerous work of evangelisation, and how did they set about putting over this faith? How did a structure of ecclesiastical government come into being? Above all, at what point can one say that an individual or a society has become Christian? Fletcher’s range, lucidity and mastery of his sources brings the answers to these and many other questions as far within our grasp as they probably ever can be. Like Alan Bullock and Simon Schama, Fletcher is a historian with the true gift of a storyteller and a wide general readership ahead of him. Fletcher’s previous book, The Quest for El Cid won both the Wolfson History Prize and the Los Angeles Times Book Award for History. This book is even better – the most impressive achievement so far of this strikingly gifted historian.
The Sweethearts:Tales of love, laughter and hardship from the Yorkshire Rowntree
The Sweethearts:Tales of love, laughter and hardship from the Yorkshire Rowntree
Lynn Russell,Neil Hanson
¥54.84
Whether in wartime or peace, tales of love, laughter and hardship from the girls in the Rowntrees factory in Yorkshire “On a warm Monday morning in 1932, just two days after leaving school, fourteen-year-old Madge was about to join her nine brothers and sisters at Rowntree’s. The smell of chocolate was in the air but as she walked up the road, her footsteps slowed at the daunting thought of what lay ahead…” From the 1930s through to the 1980s, as Britain endured war, depression, hardship and strikes, the women at the Rowntree’s factory in York kept the chocolates coming. This is the true story of The Sweethearts, the women who roasted the cocoa beans, piped the icing and packed the boxes that became gifts for lovers, snacks for workers and treats for children across the country. More often than not, their working days provided welcome relief from bad husbands and bad housing, a community where they could find new confidence, friendship and when the supervisor wasn’t looking, the occasional chocolate.
Atlantic: A Vast Ocean of a Million Stories
Atlantic: A Vast Ocean of a Million Stories
Simon Winchester
¥73.58
The definitive biography of the world's most important body of water – the Atlantic. One hundred and ninety million years ago, the shifting of two of the world's tectonic plates led to the creation of an immense chasm. This giant gash in the flanks of the planet slowly opened up and eventually evolved into the most important and most travelled ocean in our world. In this utterly original biography, Simon Winchester explores the life of the Atlantic; it's birth, its relationship with mankind, and what lies in store for it once man has left the stage. He charts the development of the first settlements by the Oceanside – the communities of Celts and Vikings and whose lives depended on the sea – and delves into the age of exploration, venturing to forgotten worlds. The building of some of the world's most beautiful port cities – London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Casablanca – is also examined, along with the creation of settlements and colonies in and around the sea. Completely unique and highly readable, Atlantic takes its reader on a wonderful journey through time, along the waves of our planet's most significant ocean.
The Real Band of Brothers
The Real Band of Brothers
Max Arthur
¥72.30
Personal stories from the soldiers who volunteered to fight for a cause they passionately believed in The Spanish Civil War, which raged from 1936-9, was brutal and intense, claiming well over 500,000 lives. Rightly predicting that the rise of Fascism in Spain could develop into a more global conflict, almost 2,500 British volunteers travelled to Spain under the banner of the International Brigade to fight for the Spanish Republic in an attempt to stem the tide. Acclaimed oral historian Max Arthur tracked down the eight survivors of this conflict and interviewed them for their unique perspective, their memories of their time fighting and the motives that compelled them to fight. From Union leader to nurse, Egyptologist to IRA activist, theirs is a unique story, of men and women volunteering to lay down their lives for a cause, believing passionately that the Spanish Republic's fight was their fight too. And, in 2009, they were finally granted Spanish nationality as a mark of the importance of that decision. Since the book was first published, two of the people featured have died, but their stories survive. These incredible, compelling and sometimes harrowing tales of their experiences reveal their ideologies, pride, regrets and feelings about the legacy of the actions they took. ‘For most young people there was a feeling of frustration, but some were determined to do anything that seemed possible, even if it meant death, to try to stop the spread of Fascism. It was real, and it had to be stopped.’ Jack Jones (1913-2009) - Volunteer
Death or Victory: The Battle for Quebec and the Birth of Empire
Death or Victory: The Battle for Quebec and the Birth of Empire
Dan Snow
¥81.52
An epic history of the battle of Quebec, the death of General James Wolfe and the beginnings of Britain’s empire in North America. Military history at its best. Perched on top of a tall promontory, surrounded on three sides by the treacherous St Lawrence River, Quebec – in 1759 France’s capital city in Canada – forms an almost impregnable natural fortress. That year, with the Seven Years’ War raging around the globe, a force of 49 ships and nearly 9,000 men commanded by the irascible General James Wolfe, navigated the river, scaled the cliffs and laid siege to the town in an audacious attempt to expel the French from North America forever. In this magisterial first solus book, tying into the 250th anniversary of the battle, Dan Snow tells the story of this famous campaign which was to have far-reaching consequences for Britain’s rise to global hegemony, and the world at large. Snow brilliantly sets the battle within its global context and tells a gripping tale of brutal war quite unlike any fought in Europe, where terrain, weather and native Canadian tribes were as fearsome as any enemy. ‘I never served so disagreeable a campaign as this,’ grumbled one British commander, ‘it is war of the worst shape.’ 1759 was, without question, a year in which the decisions of men changed the world forever. Based on original research and told from all perspectives, this is history – military, political, human – on an epic scale.
Brecon Beacons (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 126)
Brecon Beacons (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 126)
Jonathan Mullard
¥257.90
The first comprehensive book to be published about the wildlife of the Brecon Beacons is a much-anticipated addition to the New Naturalist series, and reveals the natural wonders of this seemingly wild and inhospitable mountain landscape. The Brecon Beacons range across upland Wales and create a varied landscape of extensive cave systems, limestone crags and rich meadows. This variety supports thousands of species, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth. The natural history of the Brecon Beacons is like most parts of the British Isles – inextricably linked to the activities of man across many thousand years. Jonathan Mullard explores the evolving landscape and observes its effects on its native species and habitats. He provides a detailed examination of the geology of the region and the integration of the archaeological and historic landscape with the natural landscape and its fauna. Covering the vast diversity of its mountains and moorlands, rivers and waterfalls, caves, woodlands, wetlands and farmland, he provides an overview of man’s influence on the natural environment over the centuries and the ongoing conservation of the area. A landscape rich in legends, the Brecon Beacons play host to a number of myths involving, among others, King Arthur. Mullard explores these rich tales alongside other cultural landmarks of historical interest, such as the churches and chapels of the area. The culmination of years of research, New Naturalist Brecon Beacons is an inspiring exploration of this diverse and fascinating area.
Abraham Lincoln: History in an Hour
Abraham Lincoln: History in an Hour
Kat Smutz
¥18.05
Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, is an American icon. To many, he is a symbol of values, sacrifice and determination. Modern notions of nationalism, liberty, and constitution all owe their debt to Lincoln, as does the unity of the American states. And yet, in his own day, Lincoln was also reviled by many as a traitor, tarnished by his associations with the wrong kind of race and the wrong end of society. Charting his ascent from humble origins to the leader of the United States during its hardest democratic and ethical conflict – the American Civil War – ‘Lincoln: History in an Hour’ is a succinct guide to the life of a great and controversial modernizer. Having educated himself and made good as a lawyer, he embarked on a journey that would see triumph in the abolition of slavery and then tragedy in the final drama of his own assassination. From his struggles as President to his family life and roles as husband, father and friend, this is the story of one of history’s greatest leaders. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour…
SOE Manual: How to be an Agent in Occupied Europe
SOE Manual: How to be an Agent in Occupied Europe
Special Operations Executive
¥54.65
The actual course given to all secret agents in SOE before working behind enemy lines. It includes everything you needed to know to go undercover – from documents, cover stories and how to live off the land to how to get through an interrogation. The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation formed in 1940 to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers, and to aid local resistance movements. In late 1942, SOE was asked to increase the number of agents to aid the invasion of mainland Europe. Part of agent training was ‘tradecraft’ – the practical details on how to be a clandestine agent behind enemy lines – which every agent had to attend at various bases centred around Beaulie in Hampshire. The course was a set of lectures and this book contains the actual text of those lectures which were discovered in the National Archives this year. It is not only a fascinating insight into the workings of one of the Second World Wars most famous and secretive organisations, but is also a reminder of the huge danger anyone being dropped behind enemy lines had to face. SYLLABUS Introduction to Course. Individual Security. Informant Service. Cover. Interrogations. Operational Orders. Know your Enemy. Surveillance. Internal Communications. Premises. Security and Premises for W/T Operator. W/T Operator. External Communications. Organisation. Cell System. Security of Organisation. Recruiting. Discipline and Morale. Burglary. Lock-picking. Selection of Dropping Points and Reception Arrangements. To be given on instructions from London.). Handcuffs. Pigeons. German Counter Espionage. German Uniformed Police. National Police – e.g. of France, Belgium etc. (Given according to student's destination.). The Nazi Party and its Formations in Occupied Territory. Recognition of German Troops by weapons and equipment. Recognition of German Troops by uniforms. Military Intelligence Reports. Handling of German Light Weapons. Morale Warfare. Methods of Morale Warfare. Subversion of enemy troops. Instructions for Foreign Workers in Germany. Passive Resistance in Occupied Countries. Current German Propaganda to Europe. Tasks Preparatory to Allied arrival.
Warriors: Extraordinary Tales from the Battlefield
Warriors: Extraordinary Tales from the Battlefield
Max Hastings
¥81.03
An exhilarating and uplifting account of the lives of sixteen ‘warriors’ from the last three centuries, hand-picked for their bravery or extraordinary military experience by the eminent military historian, author and ex-editor of the Daily Telegraph, Sir Max Hastings. Over the course of forty years of writing about war, Max Hastings has grown fascinated by outstanding deeds of derring-do on the battlefield (land, sea or air) – and by their practitioners. He takes as his examples sixteen people from different nationalities in modern history – including Napoleon’s ‘blessed fool’ Baron Marcellin de Marbot (the model for Conan Doyle’s Brigadier Gerard); Sir Harry Smith, whose Spanish wife Juana became his military companion on many a campaign in the early 19th-century; Lieutenant John Chard, an unassuming engineer who became the hero of Rorke’s Drift in the Zulu wars; and Squadron Leader Guy Gibson, the ‘dam buster’ whose heroism in the skies of World War II earned him the nation's admiration, but few friends. Every army, in order to prevail on the battlefield, needs a certain number of people capable of courage beyond the norm. In this book Max Hastings investigates what this norm might be – and how it has changed over the centuries. While celebrating feats of outstanding valour, he also throws a beady eye over the awarding of medals for gallantry – and why it is that so often the most successful warriors rarely make the grade as leaders of men.
Ancient Rome (Collins Gem)
Ancient Rome (Collins Gem)
David Pickering
¥38.36
From the Colosseum to Hadrian’s Wall, Gem Ancient Rome shows us how Rome’s vast empire laid the foundations of today’s civilisation. From aqueducts to baths, from gladiators to emperors, the fascinating history of and mythology of ancient Rome are brought to life in this entertaining and highly-readable guide. With their sophisticated army, monuments and roads, the Romans literally paved the way to modern Europe. Learn about the hand-to-hand combat at gladiatorial shows, rediscover the myths and legends of the Roman gods and find out how and why Rome became the conquering superpower that it did. History will come to life in this engaging and comprehensive introduction to one of the most fascinating and influential places the world has ever known. Includes: ? Geography – map of the Roman Empire ? History – a timeline with the accomplishments of the emperors ? Culture – what the Romans did for us ? Religion – Gods and Festivals ? Mythology – Virgil's Aeneid, Romulus and Remus ? Daily life in Ancient Greece – different levels in society, the jobs, family life, leisure activities ? Politics – transition from Republic to Dictatorship ? Learning and knowledge – Law, Science, Architecture, Literature, Art ? War – important wars, the Empire, the army and navy ? Rome Today – temples, archaeology, and modern tourist sites
Mussolini: History in an Hour
Mussolini: History in an Hour
Rupert Colley
¥18.05
Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. ‘Il Duce’, Benito Mussolini, was one of the key figures in the creation of fascism. Famed for his dictatorial style, his political cunning and admired – initially – by Hitler, Mussolini led the National Fascist Party and ruled Italy as Prime Minister from 1922 until his ousting in 1943. In so doing, he paved the way towards Italy’s defeat in World War Two, and some of the 20th century’s most destructive ideologies and practices. Following expulsion from Italian Socialist Party, Mussolini denounced all efforts of class conflict, and instead later commanded a Fascist March on Rome to become the youngest Prime Minister in Italian history. Thereafter he set about dismantling the apparatus of democracy and initiated what would become known as the one-party totalitarian state. With World War II came defeat, humiliation and his bloody deposing. Explaining his ideologies, policies, actions and flaws, ‘Mussolini: History in an Hour’ is the concise life of the man whose ideas helped create some of the worst horrors of the modern history. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour…
Nature in Towns and Cities (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 127)
Nature in Towns and Cities (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 127)
David Goode
¥269.78
The latest in the New Naturalist series documents the parks and green spaces unique to Britain's cities – and the wildlife that has flourished in these habitats. Not since Richard Fitter’s landmark publication in 1945, ‘London’s Natural History’ – volume 3 in the New Naturalist series – has there been a comprehensive guide to urban natural history. Since then there have been major advances in the conservation of nature in our towns and cities, and there is even more to say about how animals and plants have adapted, in varying degrees, to urbanisation. But this is not merely an exploration of natural history within the urban environment – David Goode uses his knowledge of urban ecology to describe the range of habitats and species which exist within urban areas, and shows how our understanding is being applied to encourage a greater variety of nature into towns and cities. He illustrates how an ecological approach can be incorporated within planning and design to create a range of habitats from tiny oases to extensive new urban woodland and wetlands.
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Edward Gibbon
¥8.09
The complete 6-volume work, which covers from the reign of Marcus Aurelius to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. According to Wikipedia: "Edward Gibbon (1737 - 1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament. His most important work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788. The History is known principally for the quality and irony of its prose..."
The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage
The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage
Schlessinger, Dr. Laura
¥90.77
Dr. Laura Schlessinger reveals how to bring a marriage back from the brink of disaster.Jumping off her million-copy bestseller The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, Dr. Laura Schlessinger exposes the sensitive and loving truths necessary to produce and sustain a wonderfully satisfying marriage. First and foremost, men and women need to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of masculinity and femininity. Both husband and wife have power in their relationship, and both need to realize this to ensure for themselves the personal satisfaction they yearn for. Dr. Laura explores the best ways a couple can relate, caretake, and nurture each other, and how to rescue a troubled marriage that seems doomed to fail. Using real-life examples from her call-in radio show, Dr. Laura focuses on the typical mistakes made by men and women in their relationships, and gives us real-life solutions for keeping our unions strong, loving, and lasting.
Stories Grandparents Tell About Their Grandchildren
Stories Grandparents Tell About Their Grandchildren
Adler, Bill
¥55.86
Stories Grandparents Tell About Their Grandchildren is a touching and humorous collection of anecdotes and memories from grandparents about their grandchildren. From the pranks and charm of small tots to the adventures and achievements of older grandchildren, these stories are sure to strike a familiar chord in anyone who is -- or has -- a grandparent. Both personal and universal, this collection is about real life and the challenges and wonders of the world we live in. Most of all, there are no unhappy endings: grandparents know all about persevering and overcorming, and the common thread throughout their stories is their affirmation of life. Stories Grandparents Tell About Their Grandchildren is a perfect read for every matriarch and patriarch in your family, and for the people who love them.