In this sweeping history of vodka scion Pyotr Smirnov and his family, distinguished journalist Linda Himelstein plumbs a great riddle of Russian history through the story of a humble serf who rose to create one of the most celebrated business empires the world has ever known. At the center of this vivid narrative, Pyotr Smirnov comes to life as a hero of wonderful complexity — a man of intense ambition and uncanny business sense, a patriarch of a family that would help define Russian society and suffer from the Revolution's aftermath, and a loyalist to a nation that would one day honor him as a treasure of the state. Born in a small village in 1831, Smirnov relied on vodka — a commodity that in many ways defines Russia--to turn a life of scarcity and anonymity into one of immense wealth and international recognition. Starting from the backrooms and side streets of 19th century Moscow, Smirnov exploited a golden age of emancipation and brilliant grassroots marketing strategies to popularize his products and ensconce his brand within the thirsts and imaginations of drinkers around the world. His vodka would be gulped in the taverns of Russia and Europe, praised with accolades at World Fairs, and become a staple on the tables of Tsars. His improbable ascent — set against a sobriety crusade supported by Chekhov and Tolstoy, mounting political uprisings and labor strikes, the eventual monopolization of the vodka trade by the state — would crumble amidst the chaos of the Bolshevik revolution. Only a set of bizarre coincidences — including an incredible prison escape by one of Smirnov's sons in 1919 — would prevent Smirnov's legacy from fading into oblivion. Set against a backdrop of political and ideological currents that would determine the course of global history — from the fall of the Tsars to the rise of Communism, from vodka's popularization by none other than James Bond to Smirnoff's emergence as a multi-billion dollar brand — Smirnov's story of triumph and tragedy is a captivating historical touchstone. The King of Vodka is much more than a biography of an extraordinary man. It is a work of narrative history on an epic scale.

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Brambly Hedge with this exquisite slipcase in a delightful new livery containing the first four classic picture books — perfect for the nostalgia market. The mice of Brambly Hedge have many adventures but they always have time for fun too. All through the year, they mark the seasons with feasts and festivities and, of course, the mice never miss an opportunity to meet and celebrate. This beautifully designed slipcase contains four classic stories following their adventures throughout the year. In Winter Story a heavy snowfall means the mice can hold a Snow Ball for the first time in years. In Autumn Story Primrose makes friends with the harvest mice before losing her way in the chestnut woods. Wilfred gets a birthday surprise in Spring Story, when all the mice club together to organise a fantastic picnic for him; and in Summer Story, Poppy Eyebright and Dusty Dogwood get engaged and a wonderful wedding is planned by all the mice of Brambly Hedge.

Annie Proulx's highly acclaimed, international bestseller and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Quoyle is a hapless, hopeless hack journalist living and working in New York. When his no-good wife is killed in a spectacular road accident, Quoyle heads for the land of his forefathers — the remotest corner of far-flung Newfoundland. With 'the aunt' and his delinquent daughters — Bunny and Sunshine — in tow, Quoyle finds himself part of an unfolding, exhilarating Atlantic drama. 'The Shipping News' is an irresistible comedy of human life and possibility.

Winston Churchill rages against time and his own mortality, in conflict with friend and foe alike, in this tumultuous political drama of his last ten years of public life. Here is Churchill at his most outrageous, maddening and devious — but also at his most human, courageous, and defiant. At the end of July 1945, Churchill was a defeated man — hurled from power by the British people after a war in which he had just saved his country. 'Churchill Defiant' is the story of how, when it seemed impossible, Churchill fought his way back over the next six years to the centre of great events. In 1951, at last Prime Minister once more, he was ready to begin his dash to win 'the last prize I seek': the lasting peace that had eluded the world after Hitler's defeat. But Churchill's battles were just beginning. He would have to wage war with both his closest colleagues and his most indispensable allies, the Americans, to get to where none of them wanted him to go: the negotiating table with the Soviets. Barbara Leaming has written a gripping, fast-paced narrative of bare knuckle politics, of life and death decisions, of old grudges, and fresh blame. It is a compelling, vivid, and often deeply poignant portrait of the great man at a time when almost no one wanted him to remain on the public stage and when he was willing to do absolutely anything to stay there.

A fabulously funny Rock Chick — lit series for teens from uber-cool celeb Lauren Laverne. Tune in for a hyper-real rollercoaster ride to Glasto and beyond! Candy Sanderson is fifteen years old and she's on a mission: to escape dullsville! Candy knows she's destined for bigger things and is determined to leave boring small town Bishopspool and make it big in the music business. Oh — and find BioDad, her real dad, who will most definitely be cool and, of course, will verify her very own specialness (of which she is secretly convinced). With the help of a battered old guitar and her Fairy Godbrother, Candy and her bandmates will attempt to make it in the star-studded, crazy world of rock and roll! Hilarious adventures from the witty pen of cooler-than-cool debut author Lauren Laverne.

Truly, madly, deadly! Kristin Cast and Alyson Noel head up this collection of 5 thrilling paranormal stories This irresistible collection features stories of love amidst vampires by five of today's hottest authors-Kristin Cast (Tempted), Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy), Alyson Noel (Evermore), Kelley Armstrong (The Summoning), and Francesca Lia Block (Pretty Dead). From a fugitive vampire forced to trust a boy who might work for the group bent on destroying her, to the legendary romance of two immortals whose love compels them to risk everything, this exciting, heart-pounding collection brings new meaning to the words love you forever. Whether you're into romances that are dark and moody or light and fun, these stories will quench that insatiable thirst for enchanting tales of the beautiful undead.

Collins German Dictionary & Grammar is an up-to-date dictionary and a user-friendly grammar guide in one handy volume. Colour headwords, cultural notes and an easy-to-use grammar section make this the ideal book for intermediate learners. Collins German Dictionary & Grammar is designed for all intermediate learners of German, whether at school, at home, or for business. 90,000 references and 118,000 translations will help those learning German take their language skills to the next level. This edition of Collins German Dictionary & Grammar has been revised and updated to offer extensive and relevant coverage of today's English and German, with thousands of phrases and examples guiding the user to the most appropriate translation. A comprehensive grammar guide presents detailed examples and translations to help users to understand German grammar — the perfect complement to the dictionary. The clear Collins typography gives the text a contemporary feel, and along with the new alphabet tabs, ensures that users find the information they need quickly and easily. Collins German Dictionary and Grammar is an Open University set book. Log on to www.collinslanguage.com and access our free online German dictionary. Some of the other titles available in the Collins German dictionary range are Collins Gem German Dictionary, Collins Pocket German Dictionary, and Collins Concise German Dictionary — giving users all the help they need.

The Collins Pocket English-Japanese Dictionary provides excellent coverage of today's language in a compact, handy format. The Collins Pocket English-Japanese Dictionary is designed for all those studying Japanese, whether at school or at home. It is the ideal text for anyone who needs a wealth of reliable information in a portable format. The Collins Pocket English-Japanese Dictionary offers the user detailed coverage of current Japanese and English, with hundreds of phrases and examples. Extra help with Japanese pronunciation and practical guide on face-to-face communication. Clear, user-friendly layout ensures that you find the information you need quickly and easily. Also available is the Collins Gem Japanese Dictionary.

The book beaches were made for. The Balcon sisters are London's paparazzi darlings. Serena, the country's most beautiful actress, Venetia the glamorous designer, Camilla the rising political star and Cate the feisty magazine editor. They have wealth, privilege and sizzling sex lives. But money doesn't buy you love. When their aristocratic and tyrannical father Oswald Balcon is found dead, the finger of suspicion points towards his glamorous daughters and their dazzling lives. Suddenly we find that beneath the ritzy facade of the Balcon family lies a web of deceit and betrayal that hides a thirty-year-old secret that threatens to destroy them all. From the sun drenched beaches of Mustique to Manhattan's elite society circuit. From the exclusive fashion houses of Milan to the star-studded streets of Cannes, the Balcon Sisters play out their lives in a whirl of glitz and the ultra chic. But as tragedy and danger stalks each one of them, the scene is set for a stunning climax.

In December 1991, Allende's daughter Paula, aged 26, fell gravely ill and sank into a coma. This book started as a letter to Paula written during the hours spent at her bedside, and became a personal memoir and a testament to the ties that bind families — a brave, enlightening, inspiring true story. This book was written during the interminable hours the novelist Isabel Allende spent in the corridors of a Madrid hospital, in her hotel room and beside her daughter Paula's bed during the summer and autumn of 1992. Faced with the loss of her child, Isabel Allende turned to storytelling, to sustain her own spirit and to convey to her daughter the will to wake up, to survive. The story she tells is that of her own life, her family history and the tragedy of her nation, Chile, in the years leading up to Pinochet's brutal military coup.

Pre-eminent military historian Max Hastings presents Winston Churchill as he has never been seen before. Winston Churchill was the greatest war leader Britain ever had. In 1940, the nation rallied behind him in an extraordinary fashion. But thereafter, argues Max Hastings, there was a deep divide between what Churchill wanted from the British people and their army, and what they were capable of delivering. Himself a hero, he expected others to show themselves heroes also, and was often disappointed. It is little understood how low his popularity fell in 1942, amid an unbroken succession of battlefield defeats. Some of his closest colleagues joined a clamour for him to abandon his role directing the war machine. Hastings paints a wonderfully vivid image of the Prime Minister in triumph and tragedy. He describes the 'second Dunkirk' in 1940, when Churchill's impulsiveness threatened to lose Britain almost as many troops in north-west France as had been saved from the beaches; his wooing of the Americans, and struggles with the Russians. British wartime unity was increasingly tarnished by workers' unrest, with many strikes in mines and key industries. By looking at Churchill from the outside in, through the eyes of British soldiers, civilians and newspapers, and also those of Russians and Americans, Hastings provides new perspectives on the greatest Englishman. He condemns as folly Churchill's attempt to promote mass uprisings in occupied Europe, and details 'Unthinkable', his amazing 1945 plan for an Allied offensive against the Russians to liberate Poland. Here is an intimate and affectionate portrait of Churchill as Britain's saviour, but also an unsparing examination of the wartime nation which he led and the performance of its armed forces.

Read along with your favorite I Can Read Book characters! I Can Read Books are the premier line of beginning readers encouraging children to learn — and love — to read. Featuring award-winning authors and illustrators, I Can Read Books offer a full spectrum of entertaining stories for every stage of a child's reading development.

Paris, France, is the fanciest city in the world. When Ms. Glass tells the class that the new student is from Paris, Nancy cannot believe her luck. Nancy brushes up on her fanciest French words. She is ready to make a new ami. (In French that means friend). But Robert would rather talk about horses than the Eiffel Tower. Robert may not be as fancy as Nancy, but that doesn't mean they can't have fun!

In this brand-new I Can Read story, Fancy Nancy helps her family get green as only Nancy can — with panache, exuberance, and a touch of style. Full color.

Nancy thinks that Bree's new glasses are simply spectacular. After all, they are lavender. They are glittery. And best of all, they come in a silver case. So when Bree tells Nancy all about her trip to the eye doctor, Nancy can't help but wonder if her own eyesight is perhaps getting a little blurry too... With a glossary of Fancy Nancy's Fancy Words in the back, this addition to the Fancy Nancy I Can Read series is sure to delight young readers everywhere!

The world's balance of power is about to shift dangerously as the ultimate weapon nears completion in a secret facility in the heart of the desert. Across the globe, operatives from the great nations set a deadly game in motion, covertly maneuvering pawns and kings to achieve a frightening advantage — while terrorists and their hunters prepare for the contest's final bloody moves. And one man — a razor-sharp master of disguise, deceit, and triple-cross — must somehow do the impossible: steal 200 tons of uranium without any of the other players discovering the theft.

hear and practise the language. The phrases are kept short and simple so that by listening two or three times, you can pick up the essentials of the Japanese language. In all of the most common travel situations, you need the reassurance that you can communicate with ease. A reliable, portable and easy-to-use phrasebook is a travel essential, and with Collins Gem Easy Learning Japanese CD Pack with an accompanying CD to help you hear and practise the language for real, the right word will always be at your fingertips. This indispensable multimedia language guide covers the topics and phrases that crop up everyday on holiday, from finding a hotel to going shopping. Includes: Fully updated travel information; Travel tips o 3000 word dictionary; Comprehensive menu decoder; Grammar and pronunciation sections; Face to face sections; Accompanying CD to aid listening and speaking. With the help of Gem Japanese CD Pack you will never be lost for words again.

The Collins Vietnamese Gem Dictionary offers learners extensive and up-to-date coverage of Vietnamese and English in a compact, portable format. This Vietnamese dictionary is designed for all levels of language learner, whether at home, at school, or at work. It is the ideal text for anyone who needs a wealth of reliable information in a portable format. The Collins Vietnamese Gem Dictionary contains all the everyday words and phrases used in today's Vietnamese and English that you will need to know. An easy-to-use and reliable dictionary. The clear layout ensures that you can quickly find the information you need.

From the co-author of The Dangerous Book for Boys, comes the first in the widely anticipated Conqueror series featuring Genghis Khan and his descendants. A remarkable story of heroism and adventure, of a boy who had to become a man too soon, of a family and a tribe who had to learn to win to survive. A man without a tribe was at great risk, so the young boy abandoned with his siblings on the harsh Mongolian plains had to struggle to avoid death. He survived both starvation and hostile attacks by learning remarkable leadership skills and gathering a group of outsiders like himself. Hunted and alone, he dreamed of uniting the tribes into one house, one nation. He became a great warrior. He would become father to his people. He would be Genghis Khan.