Subtitled A Novel of Many Manners, Evelyn Waugh's notorious first novel lays waste the heathen idol of British sportsmanship, the cultured perfection of Oxford, and the inviolable honor codes of the English gentleman.

The Dick Francis Collection Three intriguing racetrack mysteries Former champion jockey Dick Francis invented his own genre of mystery-thriller when an accident cut short his riding career. No longer able to perform at the track, he began writing about it, using jockeys and other track types to show what went on behind the scenes, where murder and mystery were as prevalent as horses and hay. Here's three fan favorites. Nerve Someone is trying to destroy the lives of jockeys all over England. When Jockey Robert Finn becomes the next target, he takes it upon himself to do a little amateur sleuthing to settle the score. (published in 1964) In the Frame Charles Todd is an English artist who is well known and respected for his renderings of sleek and athletic horses. What he now faces at his cousin Donald's house is also art — the art of a perfectly brutal murder. (published in 1976) Reflex When jockey Philip Nore begins to suspect that a track photographer's fatal accident was really murder, he sets out to discover the truth and to trap the killer, and unwittingly sets himself up to become the hunted rather than the hunter. (published in 1980).

The Big Bad Wolf is fed up with blowing down the Three Little Pigs' houses. So off he goes in search of a new fairy tale to be in! Wearing the ball gown in Cinderella didn't work because wolves don't wear dresses!, climbing up the beanstalk and seeing the giant's huge feet scared the wolf, and yuck getting kissed by the prince in Sleeping Beauty is not for the wolf at all! As the wolf runs from page to page the whole book of fairy tales becomes a great mixed-up mess! Children will enjoy spotting all of their favorite characters in this hilarious twisted-fairy tale adventure!

Helena is the intelligent, horse-mad daughter of a British chieftain who is thrown into marriage with the man who will one day become the Roman emperor Constantius. Leaving home for lands unknown, she spends her adulthood seeking truth in the religions, mythologies, and philosophies of the declining ancient world, and becomes initiated into Christianity just as it is recognized as the religion of the Roman Empire. Helena — a novel that Evelyn Waugh considered to be his favorite, and most ambitious, work-deftly traverses the forces of corruption, treachery, enlightenment, and political intrigue of Imperial Rome as it brings to life an inspiring heroine.

Discover how the world's greatest inventions work in this funny and accessible novelty book by inventions expert, Adam Hart-Davis. If you've ever wondered why the pencil came into existence, or how a steam engine works, or when we started using flushing toilets, this book has all the answers. Based on seven key areas of invention, Adam Hart-Davis tells the stories behind steam power, lighting, toilets, clocks, communication, bikes and flight, and how they are still relevant to our world today. Pull-tabs, flaps, pull-out booklets and detailed illustrations make this a perfect interactive gift book for budding inventors.

«Guy Crouchback, determined to get into the war, takes a commission in the Royal Corps of Halberdiers. His spirits high, he sees all the trimmings but none of the action. And his first campaign, an abortive affair on the West African coastline, ends with an escapade that seriously blots his Halberdier copybook. «Men at Arms» is the first novel in Waugh's brilliant Sword of Honor trilogy recording the tumultuous wartime adventures of Guy Crouchback («the finest work of fiction in English to emerge from World War II» — «Atlantic Monthly»), which also comprises «Officers and Gentlemen «and» Unconditional Surrender.»

The glittering Nutcracker fairytale is retold by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean in this magical novelty book. A beautiful retelling of the story of Marie, who is given a special nutcracker doll for Christmas. The nutcracker comes alive, turns into a handsome prince, and the marvellous adventures begin. Turn the pages and watch as each enchanting scene springs to life in this lavishly illustrated Christmas gift book. The die-cut cover reveals exquisite cut-paper layers and a pop-up character in an enchanting interior backdrop.

«Fueled by idealism and eagerness to contribute to the war effort, Guy Crouchback becomes attached to a commando unit undergoing training on the Hebridean isle of Mugg, where the whisky flows freely and respect must be paid to the laird. But the comedy of Mugg is soon followed by the bitterness of Crete, where chaos reigns and a difficult evacuation must be accomplished. «Officers and Gentlemen» is the second novel in Waugh's brilliant Sword of Honor trilogy recording the tumultuous wartime adventures of Guy Crouchback («the finest work of fiction in English to emerge from World War II» -»Atlantic Monthly»), which also comprises «Men at Arms «and» Unconditional Surrender.»

Gilbert Pinfold is a reclusive Catholic novelist suffering from acute inertia. In an attempt to defeat insomnia he has been imbibing an unappetizing cocktail of bromide, chloral, and creme de menthe. He books a passage on the SS Caliban and, as it cruises towards Ceylon, rapidly slips into madness. Almost as soon as the gangplank lifts, Pinfold hears sounds coming out of the ceiling of his cabin: wild jazz bands, barking dogs, and loud revival meetings. He is convinced that an erratic public-address system is letting him hear everything that goes on aboard ship... until instead of just sounds he hears voices. And not just any voices. These voices are talking, in the most frighteningly intimate way, about him!

An international bestseller, Lynda La Plante's thrilling detective novel Prime Suspect introduced readers around the world to Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, a gritty investigator locked in a tooth-and-nail struggle to claim the authority, acceptance, and respect she deserves from Scotland Yard's chauvinist detective squad — even as she desperately tracks the maniac now running loose in the streets of London. Fans of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone books and the work of Kathy Reichs or Karin Slaughter will be immediately drawn to La Plante's Jane Tennison, the remarkable, no-nonsense police woman who laid the groundwork for all the rest who followed.

Put Out More Flags is Waugh's superb send-up of smart England, the bohemian crowd, as World War II approaches. Making a return appearance, Basil Seal this time insinuates himself into an odd but profitable role in the country's mobilization.

The last full new book, this distinctive and inimitable collection is the ultimate must-have title for Douglas Adams fans. Here is Douglas Adams' indispensable guide to life, the universe and everything. This sublime collection dips into the wit and wisdom of the man behind The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, uncovering his unique comic musings on everything from his school-trousers to malt whisky and from the letter Y through to his own nose, via atheism, hangovers and fried eggs. Including short stories and eleven chapters of a Dirk Gently novel that Douglas Adams was working on at the time of his death, The Salmon of Doubt is for fans and new readers alike. These hilarious collected writings reveal the warmth, enthusiasm and ferocious intelligence behind this most English of comic writers; a man who was virtually an unofficial member of the Monty Python team. Douglas Adams on his passion for P. G. Wodehouse, The Beatles and the perfect cup of tea alone make this a must-have collection and a remarkable sign-off from one of the best loved writers of all time.

On February 23, 1836, a large Mexican army led by dictator Santa Anna reached San Antonio and laid siege to about 175 Texas rebels holed up in the Alamo. The Texans refused to surrender for nearly two weeks until almost 2,000 Mexican troops unleashed a final assault. The defenders fought valiantly-for their lives and for a free and independent Texas-but in the end, they were all slaughtered. Their ultimate sacrifice inspired the rallying cry Remember the Alamo! and eventual triumph. Exhaustively researched, and drawing upon fresh primary sources in U.S. and Mexican archives, THE BLOOD OF HEROES is the definitive account of this epic battle. Populated by larger-than-life characters — including Davy Crockett, James Bowie, William Barret Travis — this is a stirring story of audacity, valor, and redemption.

What is Britishness? What allowed one small island group to rule a quarter of the world and, even today, to have the most spoken language after Chinese? What makes Americans admire the guts, traditions and loyalties of these island Anglo-Saxon and Celtic people? What is it that makes cynical Europeans and once-dominated Asians look to the British for opinion, literature, social norms and justice? The answers lie within the creation of British institutions, both Commoner and Aristocracy, during the past 2000 years. Following the thought-provoking style of the original This Sceptred Isle, this new volume brings to life the character and frustrations so carefully studied by allies and enemies for twenty-one centuries — from Romans to al-Qaeda. Here Lee makes all the connections with institutions and changing industrial and social characteristics that even show us that Britishness is not exclusively British. At a time when a major section of the British, the English, appear to be less and less sure who they are and who they are meant to be, This Sceptred Isle confirms who it is we really are.

1501 England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy and civil war. Henry VII clambered to the top of the heap — a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England's crown who managed to win the throne and stay on it for sixteen years. Although he built palaces, hosted magnificent jousts, and sent ambassadors across Europe, for many Henry VII remained a false king. But he had a crucial asset: his family — the queen and their children, the living embodiment of his hoped-for dynasty. Now, in what would be the crowning glory of his reign, his elder son would marry a great Spanish princess. Thomas Penn re-creates an England that is both familiar and very strange — a country medieval yet modern, in which honor and chivalry mingle with espionage, real politik, high finance, and corruption. It is the story of the transformation of a young, vulnerable boy, Prince Henry, into the aggressive teenager who would become Henry VIII, and of Catherine of Aragon, his future queen, as well as Henry VII — controlling, avaricious, paranoid, with Machiavellian charm and will to power. Rich with incident and drama, filled with wonderfully drawn characters, Winter King is an unforgettable tale of pageantry, intrigue, the thirst for glory — and the fraught, unstable birth of Tudor England.

Most of us take for granted the features of our modern society, from air travel and telecommunications to literacy and obesity. Yet for nearly all of its six million years of existence, human society had none of these things. While the gulf that divides us from our primitive ancestors may seem unbridgeably wide, we can glimpse much of our former lifestyle in those largely traditional societies still or recently in existence. Societies like those of the New Guinea Highlanders remind us that it was only yesterday — in evolutionary time — when everything changed and that we moderns still possess bodies and social practices often better adapted to traditional than to modern conditions. The World Until Yesterday provides a mesmerizing firsthand picture of the human past as it had been for millions of years — a past that has mostly vanished — and considers what the differences between that past and our present mean for our lives today. This is Jared Diamond's most personal book to date, as he draws extensively from his decades of field work in the Pacific islands, as well as evidence from Inuit, Amazonian Indians, Kalahari San people, and others. Diamond doesn't romanticize traditional societies — after all, we are shocked by some of their practices — but he finds that their solutions to universal human problems such as child rearing, elder care, dispute resolution, risk, and physical fitness have much to teach us. A characteristically provocative, enlightening, and entertaining book, The World Until Yesterday will be essential and delightful reading.

An elegant, twisty spy story by a true master of the craft Bestselling novelist Robert Littell employs all his considerable skills in telling the story of Kim Philby through the eyes of more than twenty true-life characters. As each layer is revealed, the question arises: Who really was this man? When Kim Philby fled to Moscow in 1963, he became the most infamous double agent in history. A member of Britain's intelligence service since World War II, he had risen to become their chief officer in Washington, D.C. after the war. The exposure of other members of the group of double agents known as the Cambridge Five led to the revelation that he had been working for Russia for even longer than he had been part of MI6. Yet he escaped, and spent the last twenty-five years of his life in Moscow. In Young Philby, Robert Littell tells the story of the spy's early years. In the words of his friends, lovers, and Soviet handlers we see the development of a fascinating, flawed man who kept people guessing about his ideals and allegiances until the very end.

Author Phillip Norman, whose previous bestseller, John Lennon: The Life, was praised as a haunting, mammoth, terrific piece of work (New York Times Book Review) and whose classic Shout! is widely considered to be the definitive biography of the Beatles, now turns his attention to the iconic front man of the Rolling Stones, the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world. Norman's Mick Jagger is an extraordinarily detailed and vibrantly written in-depth account of the life and half-century-long career of one of the most fascinating and complex superstars of rock music — the most comprehensive biography to date of the famously enigmatic musician. Keith Richards had his say in Life. Now it's time to get to know intimately the other half of the duo responsible for such enduring hits as Paint It Black, Sympathy for the Devil, Gimme Shelter, and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. Mick Jagger is a must read for Stones fans, and everyone who can't get enough of the serious memoirs and biographies of popular musicians, like Patti Smith's Just Kids, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? by Steven Tyler, and the Warren Zevon story, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.

This book is suitable for children aged 4 to 7 years old. Celebrate friendship! From pet parades and imaginary zoos to backyard picnics, summer swims and running barefoot through the grass, Gyo Fujikawa captures the joy of childhood camaraderie and play. Her best friends sing, romp, dream and occasionally argue — but always make up again. Brimming with adorable animals, busy babies and carefree children, Fujikawa's classic illustrations always charm.

NOW A MAJOR motion picture starring Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Martin Landau, Saoirse Ronan, and Harry Treadaway! This tie-in edition of The City of Ember features a movie-art cover and an 8-page photo insert. Jeanne DuPrau's instant classic tells the story of the great, underground city of Ember, designed as a last refuge for the human race. But when the storerooms run out of food and the lights begin to fail, it's up to two teens, Lina and Doon, to decipher the fragments of an ancient parchment and find a way out of Ember.