
Indian Equator
¥73.48
In 1895/6 the sixty-year-old Mark Twain set off on a worldwide lecture tour to pay off his debts from a publishing company bankruptcy, notes from which a year later became his final travel book Following the Equator. Two years later he wrote, 'How I did loathe that journey around the world! except the sea-part and India.' Although he was only in India for just over two of the twelve months, his exploits and observations there take up forty per cent of the book-and by common consent are by far the best and liveliest part of it. In The Indian Equator the Mark Twain travel trilogist Ian Strathcarron, his wife and photographer Gillian and his factota Sita follow in his mentor's footsteps, train tracks and boat wakes tracing the route that Twain, his wife Livy, his daughter Clara, his manager Smythe and his bearer Satan took as they crisscrossed the sub-continent. Leaving from the Bombay that was and the Mumbai that is, both writers follow the lecture circuit of old India--including what is now Pakistan--across the plains and cities of the north up to the peaks of the Himalayas by way of Baroda, Jaipur, Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Benares/Varanasi, Calcutta/Kolkata, Darjeeling, Lahore and Rawalpindi. Staying in the same Raj clubs, travelling down the same train lines, meeting the high and mighty and the downtrodden and destitute, Twain and Strathcarron are absorbed by an India that then was and now is 'not for the faint of heart nor mild of spirit nor weak of mind nor dull of sense nor correct of politic'; a rapidly changing yet still deeply traditional society where 'a few hundred million have grabbed the twenty-first century by the whiskers and many more hundred million still tuck the nineteenth century into bed at night'. Mark Twain loved the India of 1896; like his trilogist, he would love it still.

Legacy
¥39.14
Lucy Masters has just completed her PhD and is heading out to the Himalayas to climb some of the world's most challenging mountains. An assassin stalks a man whose company has developed a revolutionary new social media application. Harry Parker, an ex-Gurkha Army officer, is on leave between development contracts in Nepal. One of the City's most successful hedge fund managers is about to make his biggest ever fortune.Though they don't know it yet, the lives of these very different people come together in the most unexpected way. Add in a young and very beautiful emerging artist, a sociopath ex-special forces 'fixer' and an ambitious Police Commissioner and the stage is set for a dramatic adventure. From the mountains of Nepal and the Tors of Dartmoor to the streets of London and Edinburgh, the story that unfolds will grip you from the first page.

Straight From The Force's Mouth
¥88.19
Everyone has heard of Darth Vader, the infamous Star Wars villain we all love to fear, created by George Lucas and brought to life by Dave Prowse MBE, but people may not be so familiar with the story of the multi-talented man behind the mask. It required someone exceptional to turn a helmeted costume into the principal character in the highest grossing film series in cinema history - that someone was Dave Prowse. The towering, physical presence of the 6ft 7"e; bodybuilder was ideally suited to personify the intimidating Darth Vader. Straight from the Force's Mouth takes us behind the scenes of Star Wars and documents how this extraordinary man took on the role of the menacing central character to creating one of the most iconic villains in cinema history. In this book of memoirs, Dave shares his journey from disadvantaged child and poor student to champion weightlifter and international film star. The Dave Prowse story is one of determination and hard work and in this honest account he explains how he overcame the many setbacks in his life to achieve success and global recognition. This book is a must have for Star Wars fans of all ages and will appeal to anyone who enjoys a truly inspirational and motivating real life story.

Travels through Blood and Honey
¥98.00
Kosovo: the name conjures up blood: ethnic cleansing and war. This book reveals another side to the newest country in the world-a land of generous families, strong tastes and lush landscapes: a land of honey.

Germany
¥98.00
German military figures had a certain terrifying glamour,' wrote Patrick Leigh Fermor, recalling views about Germany during the First World War. When, he asked, had the bristling general replaced the 'philosophers and composers and bandsmen and peasants and students drinking and singing in harmony?' The enchanted forest, symbol of Romantic idealism and traditional folktales, had given way to other images of Germany and Germans. By following Leigh Fermor, and over eighty other British and North American literary visitors to Germany, this original anthology shows how different generations of English-speakers have depicted this country. Starting in the sixteenth century with some of the earliest travel accounts in English, Brian Melican presents a wide range of writing about, or set in, Germany. Letters from Johnsonians such as Boswell and Garrick and the Romantic poets Coleridge and Wordsworth; the journals of Herman Melville and Henry James; ante bellum fiction by authors such as D. H. Lawrence and Ford Madox Ford: all of this and more reveals an oft-forgotten richness in encounters with Germany before the horrors of the twentieth century. Work by Christopher Isherwood, Stephen Spender and wartime reporters through the 1940s exposes the country's darkest moments, while sometimes surprising takes on the conflict emerge from authors inside Germany with unique perspectives such as Christabel Bielenberg and Michael Howard. Post-war writing ranges from the spy fiction of Len Deighton to the writers who dissected post-Nazi Germany. The diversity of writing about Germany today encompasses light-hearted accounts and more searching passages taken from an eclectic selection of authors. Recorded and imagined images of Germany have changed dramatically across the centuries. Yet views on many of its features especially its cities and rivers, customs and cuisine have often remained constant. This anthology, with extensive introductions and annotations, offers a range of opinions, both typical and atypical of their time, and invites readers to venture beyond the usual discussion about this country at the very heart of Europe.

Our Man in Paris
¥132.34
Since 1997 John Lichfield, The Independent's correspondent in France, has been sending dispatches back to the newspaper in London. More than transient news stories, the popular 'Our Man in Paris' series consists of essays on all things French. Sometimes serious, at other times light-hearted, they offer varied vignettes of life in the hexagone and trace the author's evolving relationship with his adopted country. Many of Lichfield's themes concern the mysteries of Paris and its people. Who is responsible for the city's extraordinary plumbing? How can you drive around the Arc de Triomphe and survive? He also ponders the phenomena that intrigue many foreigners, such as the eloquence of the capital's beggars and the identity of the intimidating but fast disappearing concierge. Visiting places as different as the Musee d'Orsay and Disneyland, he explores culture high and low as well as the everyday pleasures and problems of living in Paris.

On The Buses
¥68.57
On The Buses was a classic British situation comedy, created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney, which ran for seven series from 1969 to 1973, and introduced a host of much-loved memorable characters. The series followed the ups and downs of life on the buses as portrayed by two work shy-busmen, Stan Butler (played by Reg Varney) and his mate Jack Harper (Bob Grant) as they invented new scams to wind up their long suffering boss, inspector Cyril Blakey Blake (Stephen Lewis). This book tells the whole 'On The Buses' story from its inception through to the three spin-off feature films it spawned. It includes details of cast, crew, locations and the many famous faces and catch phrases which made-up one of the most popular sitcoms ever to appear on our TV screens. On The Buses aired in an era where entertainment was unrestrained by politically correct rules but hilarious scripts and quality acting guaranteed the series a legion of loyal fans around the globe. This book is a must have for anyone interested in learning more about On The Buses an example of British sitcom at its best.

Fortune Hunter
¥112.72
The two decades after Waterloo marked the great age of foreign fortune hunters in England. Each year brought a new influx of impecunious Continental noblemen to the world's richest country, and the more brides they carried off, the more alarmed society became.The most colourful of these men was Prince Hermann von Pueckler-Muskau (1785-1871), remembered today as Germany's finest landscape gardener. In the mid-1820s, however, his efforts to turn his estate into a magnificent park came close to bankrupting him. To save his legacy his wife Lucie devised an unusual plan: they would divorce so that Pueckler could marry an heiress who would finance further landscaping and, after a decent interval, be cajoled into accepting Lucie's continued residence. In September 1826, his marriage dissolved, Pueckler set off for London.Pueckler is the most intelligent of the overseas visitors who noted their impressions of Regency England. His matrimonial quest brings him into contact with such luminaries as Walter Scott, George Canning, Princess Lieven, Nathan Mayer Rothschild, Beau Brummell and John Nash. The object of many rumours and caricatures, the prince sticks doggedly to his task for nearly two years. And just when it seems that he has failed, England fills his coffers in the most unexpected way, and in doing so launches him on a new career.In telling the story of Pueckler's adventures in the context of the trend for Anglo-European marriages based on the exchange of a title for money, The Fortune Hunter writes a new chapter in the history of England's relationship with its Continental neighbours.

Northern Conquest
¥98.00
Most historical accounts examine the Viking Age in one part rather than the whole region of the British Isles and Ireland. Very few pay attention to the continued contact between England and Scandinavia in the post-Norman Conquest period. This book aims to offer an alternative approach by presenting a history of the Viking Age which considers the whole area up to and beyond the Norman Conquest of 1066.The Vikings have been traditionally portrayed as brutal barbarians who sailed to Britain and Ireland to loot, rape and pillage. The evidence presented here suggests a considerably less dramatic but no less fascinating picture which reveals the Vikings' remarkable achievements and their influence in shaping the political history of these islands. Katherine Holman discusses their skills as farmers, their linguistic and artistic contribution, their rituals and customs and the conflict between paganism and Christianity, showing that the Viking cultural impact was complex and often rich.Based on extensive and original research, The Northern Conquest presents the available evidence and guides the reader through the process of interpreting it. This is not restricted to historical documents alone, but also includes archaeology, runes, inscriptions, artefacts and linguistic evidence to provide different and complementary types of information. In addition, the book considers the contemporary question of the Vikings' genetic legacy.Interest in the Viking Age is thriving and expanding, both in Britain and in North America. Highly readable and casting new light on the period, this book will appeal to a wide audience.

Siberia
¥88.19
Before Russians crossed the Urals Mountains in the sixteenth century to settle their 'colony' in North Asia, they heard rumours about bountiful fur, of bizarre people without eyes who ate by shrugging their shoulders and of a land where trees exploded from cold. This region of frozen tundra, endless forest and humming steppe between the Urals and the Pacific Ocean was a vast, strange and frightening paradise. It was Siberia.Siberia is a cradle of civilizations, the birthplace of ancient Turkic empires and home to the cultures of indigenes, including peoples whose ancestors migrated to the Americas. It was a promised land to which bonded peasants could flee their cruel masters, yet also a 'white hell' across which exiles shuffled in felt shoes and chains. If in Stalin's era Siberia became synonymous with the gulag, today it is a vast region of bustling metropolises and magnificent landscapes, a place where the humdrum, the beautiful and the bizarre ignite the imagination. Tracing the historical contours of Siberia, A. J. Haywood offers a detailed account of the architectural and cultural landmarks of cities such as Irkutsk, Tobolsk, Barnaul and Novosibirsk.

Britney Spears Quiz Book
¥24.43
Are you an expert on Britney Spears? Have you followed every dramatic twist and turn in the amazing Britney Spears story from child wannabe to controversial princess of pop? Are you familiar with Britney's early work before finding international acclaim and stardom? And would you like to find out more about the blond schoolgirl who went on to become a global icon? If so The Britney Spears Quiz Book is just what you need. Packed with fascinating facts this quiz book covers the phenomenal success of the young Britney through to more troubled times. With 100 questions about the chart topping hits, awards and nominations, career highlights and low points, as well as many personal details, you are certain to learn something new about your favourite celebrity. This book is a fitting tribute to the woman listed by Forbes as the third most mentioned musician on the Internet and who is purported to be the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century. If you are a fan of Britney, you will love this quiz book.

Military Rule
¥58.76
A writer uses his imagination to create intriguing characters and a gripping storyline, and author Mark had achieved this in creating his debut novel, Military Rule. But the boundary between imagination and reality is challenged beyond all belief when a character supposedly killed off in his book rises like a phoenix from the ashes: General Mandeville - no longer Mark's creation but now completely beyond his control and his own, even more dangerous being, determined to be the Lord's Second Coming and establish military rule on Earth under his command.Mandeville has become the voice of Seeker One - formerly part of a covert long-term US military operation for gathering intelligence via infiltration of worldwide computer networks - two years ahead of Mark's time, his aim to control Mark's here and now and determine the future by revisiting the past and installing virtual beings on Earth - multiple selves of their human counterparts hooked up to terminals on Seeker One - to create confusion and influence humans' thoughts and beliefs in his favour. Suddenly author/character roles appear to have become reversed and Mark finds himself caught between two factions - the white-eyed of Mandeville's Network and the red-eyed splinter group - representing the Lord and Allah respectively, each trying to influence Mark's imagination of the truth and represent their own version of the book of revelations to humankind. Mark's choices are no longer those of the author of a work of fiction: the path he takes now will literally determine the future of the world.

Enduring Freedom
¥98.00
This brand new anthology has been compiled to commemorate 10 years in Afghanistan. Announced in November 2010, contributions for a book of war poems were sought, and aided by appeals in the media, including BFBS Radio, the Army Families Federation and the charity Combat Stress, to name but a few; poems came from serving personnel of all ranks, veterans, families and friends. These poems all have one thing in common: they speak from and with the very soul of our Armed Forces of which we are so proud. With an introduction by Sir Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate 1999-2009 and foreword by the former Head of the TA (Territorial Army), His Grace, The Duke of Westminster, this high-profile anthology is sure to stimulate poetry enthusiasts and those with an interest in supporting HM Forces personnel. The book contains a large proportion of new poetry inspired by events and operations relating to Afghanistan, written by both previously unpublished, and established poets who have found this book a suitable and timely vehicle for their powerful prose and poetry. One of the most powerful entries is from a schoolgirl, whose Wootton Bassett inspired poem is sure to stir the emotions. AGBP2 from each book supports Combat Stress.

Military Rule
¥39.14
America has secured its place as the world's superpower, with total control of the Middle East and its oilfields. Absolute world domination is in its grasp. But the outgoing President seems to be losing his grip and some believe he is selling out.The military, headed by a power-crazed general, have other ideas about the fate of the nation and are prepared to seize control at any cost and establish a dictatorship. Their answer: military rule for America and subsequently the rest of the world.In a tangled web of deceit and conspiracy, personal and selfish ambitions come to the fore. The line between friend and enemy becomes blurred in the battle for power. Who can be trusted, and will a David arise to slay the dangerous Goliath that has emerged before it is too late?

British TV Sitcom Quiz Book
¥73.48
The sitcom has proved to be one of the most enduring genres in British TV history, reflecting the social changes and national concerns of the time, and has brought many memorable and much-loved characters to our screens. Who can forget iconic figures like Frank Spencer, Basil Fawlty and Reggie Perrin or the antics of the Trotters, the Meldrews and the staff of Grace Brothers' department store, to name but a few? The 1,000 questions in The British TV Sitcom Quiz book will test your knowledge of your favourite series from yesteryear to the current day. From Steptoe and Son, Dad's Army and Porridge to Absolutely Fabulous, The Office, and My Family, this book is bulging with facts that will refresh your memory and help you to recapture some of those magical moments in situation comedy. With a fitting foreword by Brian Murphy from the hilarious '70s TV show George and Mildred and Nicholas Parsons OBE, this is a must-have book for all sitcom fans.

Jill's Leading Ladies
¥48.95
When Jill Allen-King OBE, suddenly lost her sight at the age of 24, with little help and advice available from Social Services she had to teach herself to cope with a whole new way of living that had its own set of challenges to overcome, including looking after her daughter, Jacqueline, born soon afterwards. It wasn't until seven years later that Jill successfully completed a training course with her first guide dog and finally, after years of being virtually housebound, was able to begin rebuilding her confidence and reclaiming her independence.Drawing on her own experiences of the problems and dangers that face the blind and partially sighted, as well as those with other mobility difficulties and disabilities, Jill has devoted her life to raising awareness of the needs and rights of the disabled, particularly in regard to access to public buildings, and campaigning for these issues to be considered by householders, businesses, councils and the government. None of this would have been possible without her six guide dogs over the past 40 years: Topsy, Bunty, Brandy, Quella, Lady and her current dog, Amanda.This book, following close on the heels of Jill's autobiography, Just Jill, is a heartfelt tribute to her trusted four-legged friends, who have given her companionship, instilled her with confidence and guided her safely in both her personal life and in her incredibly important voluntary work throughout the UK. No one can fail to be inspired by Jill's perseverance and achievements or by the fantastic work that guide dogs carry out for their owners. Although now in her seventies, with new challenges for those with disabilities always on the horizon, such as electric cars, shared streets and changes to the benefits system, Jill's contributions to the fight neither cease nor cease to amaze.

Official Carry On Quiz Book
¥58.76
Who can forget the cheeky humour, outrageous characters and slapstick comedy that have characterised the 'Carry On' films over the last fifty years? Well, don't lose your head if you discover that the 1,000 questions in this quiz book highlight a few holes in your memory and you end up in hospital screaming for the saucy nurse and ending up with the grumpy old matron! Covering every aspect of the 'Carry On' genre - the movies, release dates, characters, the stars and their lives, debuts, and much more - this book will propel you on a whirlwind journey from the Wild West to the Khyber Pass and every conceivable location in between, hotfooting through a range of historical eras, and jumping between black-and-white and Technicolor worlds. Even if you find you're cruising on rough waters, carry on regardless, make the most of the entertainment facilities, delve into the treasure trove of facts and figures, and allow your fond recollections to turn your frowns into the smiles and giggles that encapsulate the 'Carry On' ethos.

Great Paranormal Clash
¥73.48
A tense dialogue between two different sides of the paranormal debate. Billy Roberts, one of the UK's leading stage psychics, throws down the gauntlet to Dr. O'Keeffe, sceptical voice to paranormal shows such as Living TV's Most Haunted and Jane Goldman Investigates. The Clairvoyant is saying - "e;Poltergeists, ghosts, telepathic powers - how can you not believe?!"e; And in sections devoted to different paranormal topics, The Clairvoyant and The Parapsychologist provide their opinions, formed from years of experience, and then interrogate each other. Just listen to what each has to say, and then make up your own mind. The Truth is Out There, finding it is the difficult part.

Cricket Quiz Book
¥68.57
Did you know that cricket is the second most popular sport in the world and has been an established team sport for centuries, with more than 100 cricket-playing nations now recognised by the International Cricket Council? No doubt those questions haven't left cricket aficionados remotely stumped, but be prepared to be caught out by the 1,000 leg-breaking quiz questions in this book. Your innings will require you to recall facts and figures relating to every possible aspect of the game of cricket from players to umpires and national to international matches, together with all kinds of trivia, so you could very easily find yourself in a real spin and may need to enlist the help of friends to bail you out before a sneaky Chinaman bowls you over, slips you up or reduces you to a pile of ashes. Whether you find yourself top of the batting order or limping with a square leg, this book, with a fitting foreword by Dickie Bird, contains a wealth of knowledge about the sport that is guaranteed to enthral all cricket fans, and questions that will stimulate fond memories and friendly debates for many an entertaining hour.

West Country
¥88.19
The English West Country is a land of exceptional landscapes: many miles of wild, unspoilt coastline and vast expanses of wild moorland; great cities such as Exeter, Plymouth, Bath and Bristol; and market towns, villages and hamlets. Farming, mining, quarrying, fishing and trade are the traditional industries of the counties of Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.On one level, the West Country is the most English of all English regions, home of clotted cream, thatch, church spires, folksong, hobby horses and Cecil Sharp. Yet the area was trading with Mediterranean Europe before the Romans. For many years Bristol was the centre of the slave trade, and many of its great mansions were built on the proceeds of slavery. Great swathes of land in Dorset, Wiltshire and Devon are still used by the military and are off-bounds to visitors. And within the West Country is the special case of Celtic Cornwall, and the even more remote Isles of Scilly. People lived in the West Country long before Britain, or England, were invented. From the great stone circles of Avebury and Stonehenge in Wiltshire to the menhirs of Cornwall, and the wealth of prehistoric remains on the Isles of Scilly, this has always been an inhabited landscape, crafted by men and women working closely with nature and natural forces. John Payne explores this culturally rich and varied region, revealing many facets of its distinctive and much-loved identity.

Just Jill
¥73.48
Just Jill is an inspirational and moving account of one woman's triumph over adversity and how she used her own experience of disability to benefit others.When she was growing up during the 1940s very few people were aware that Jill Allen-King had lost one eye as the result of measles when she was a baby. Her disability was a taboo subject and she attended a normal school, progressed to catering college and secured employment as a cook. However, tragedy struck for the second time when glaucoma rendered her completely blind at the age of 24 on what should have been one of the happiest occasions of her life - her wedding day.For the next seven years Jill barely left the house, too scared to go outside unaccompanied and afraid that she would never again be able to participate in the activities she loved, such as dancing. The birth of her daughter, Jacqueline, gave her renewed purpose but could not give her back the thing she desperately needed - her independence. It was only when Jill got her first guide dog that she began to rediscover the world outside her front door and take those first giant steps towards regaining her confidence and freedom. Jill's autobiography charts her journey from partially sighted child to totally blind adult and beyond, a process of readjusting and learning through grit and determination and then using her knowledge and experience to do everything in her power to help others and to campaign for reforms to secure a safer, fairer and more disability-aware environment. It is a story that will provide encouragement to those that are struggling to cope with disabilities and also educate people from all spheres of life about the challenges and needs of disabled people. At the age of 70, Jill continues to fight for the cause, and hopefully her story will inspire others to take up the baton.