Moomin has been swiftly making its way into the hearts of North Americans ever since Drawn & Quarterly began collecting the strip in 2006. It debuted in the London Evening News in 1954 and has become the fastest-selling D+Q series to date. Fifty years ago, Tove Jansson's observations of everyday life — whimsical but with biting undertones — easily caught the attention of an international audience and still resonate today. This third volume returns to Moominvalley, where its beloved inhabitants get tangled up in five new stories. Moomin falls in love with a damsel in distress, an unseasonably warm spell turns the valley into a tropical rain forest, and a flying saucer crashes into Moominmamma's garden. Moominpappa decides to live out his dream of occupying a lighthouse and writing a great seaside novel, only to discover that he hates the sea so close up and has no interest in writing about it, and a variety of curious clubs spring up in the valley. Moomin and Moominmamma do their level best to avoid the whole mess but, of course, get drawn into the muddle.

A riveting history of the daring politicians who challenged the disastrous policies of the British government on the eve of World War II On May 7, 1940, the House of Commons began perhaps the most crucial debate in British parliamentary history. On its outcome hung the future of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's government and also of Britain — indeed, perhaps, the world. Troublesome Young Men is Lynne Olson's fascinating account of how a small group of rebellious Tory MPs defied the Chamberlain government's defeatist policies that aimed to appease Europe's tyrants and eventually forced the prime minister's resignation. Some historians dismiss the phony war that preceded this turning point — from September 1939, when Britain and France declared war on Germany, to May 1940, when Winston Churchill became prime minister — as a time of waiting and inaction, but Olson makes no such mistake, and describes in dramatic detail the public unrest that spread through Britain then, as people realized how poorly prepared the nation was to confront Hitler, how their basic civil liberties were being jeopardized, and also that there were intrepid politicians willing to risk political suicide to spearhead the opposition to Chamberlain — Harold Macmillan, Robert Boothby, Leo Amery, Ronald Cartland, and Lord Robert Cranborne among them. The political and personal dramas that played out in Parliament and in the nation as Britain faced the threat of fascism virtually on its own are extraordinary — and, in Olson's hands, downright inspiring.

An unlikely pair, seventeen-year-old Ming and twenty-four-year-old Yan meet and form an immediate bond. Ming, innocent and preoccupied, lives in her own world of books, music and imagination. Yan is, by contrast, beautiful, sexy, wild and manipulative. Their friendship is brief, almost accidental, but intense, and it changes Ming's world forever. Set in modern China, February Flowers captures a society torn between tradition and modernity, dogma and freedom. It is a meditation on friendship, family, love, loss and redemption, and how a background shapes a life. A first novel whose psychic terrain is the hinterland between girlhood and womanhood, lust and love, tradition and progress... Subtle and deftly paced, it's ultimately a story about sheer awakening — Observer. February Flowers enters the past as it was lived, in real-time and without the props of hindsight — Financial Times. An exquisitely beautiful book about that uncertain border between girlhood and womanhood, between passion and desire, a country only too familiar to all women — Sandra Cisneros.

Reveals the stories of the American soldiers who took and appeared in the digital snapshots from Abu Ghraib prison that shocked the world. This work provides an account of Iraq`s occupation from the inside-out — rendering vivid portraits of guards and prisoners ensnared in an appalling breakdown of command authority and moral order.

Dylan is the only boy living in the tiny Welsh town of Manod. His parents run the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel garage — and when he's not trying to persuade his sisters to play football, Dylan is in charge of the petrol log. And that means he gets to keep track of everyone coming in and out of Manod — what car they drive, what they're called, even their favourite flavour of crisps. But when a mysterious convoy of lorries trundles up the misty mountainside towards an old, disused mine, even Dylan is confounded. Who are these people — and what have they got to hide? This story is inspired by a press cutting describing how, during WWII, the treasured contents of London's National Gallery were stored in Welsh slate mines. Once a month, a morale-boosting masterpiece would be unveiled in the village and then returned to London for viewing. This is a funny and touching exploration of how Art — its beauty and its value — touches the life of one little boy and his big family in a very small town.

A completely new version of the original million-copy bestseller, The South Beach Diet Supercharged truly super-charges weight loss thanks to the addition of a unique 3-phase exercise plan. The principles of the diet are essentially the same, but with the added exercise component, dieters will be able to burn more fat (including belly fat) faster on their way to permanent weight loss and better health. The unique interval training programme is designed to rev up your metabolism and perfectly complements the 3 phases of the diet. During interval training you switch between short bursts of high-intensity exercise and rest periods. The bottom line, you burn more fat and calories than you would in conventional exercises programmes in a fraction of the time.

Meet Ottoline and her hairy, helpful friend Mr Munroe. No secret is ever too scary for the two of them to discover together. Ottoline is off to the Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted. She is rather worried that she doesn't have a special gift. Mr Munroe is worried about the ghost who is said to haunt the school halls at night. Does Ottoline discover how to be different and can they expose the spook?

With Tir`s most powerful protectors slain by treachery and the defenders scattered, it appears nothing can stand in the tyrant`s way. Until a new peril unexpectedly looms; a far more dangerous and deadly menace that threatens not merely the balance of power, but the entire human race.

Two of the most successful British novelists of the last fifty years, Kingsley and Martin Amis are both known for their savage wit and their indifference to causing controversy. In his critical biography, Neil Powell looks at the careers of these two very divisive, and hugely talented writers: how they were formed by their upbringings, developed as writers and in turn how they affected literature, and each other. He examines how success (which is the title one of Martin Amis' novels) affected their relationship, and themselves as writers (Kingsley: Martin's spending a year abroad for tax purposes. 29, he is. Little shit.). Through this we see what it has meant to be a man, and a writer, (and, most importantly, a comic writer) in Britain over the last sixty years, following Kinglsey from jazz-loving iconoclast to Thatcher-loving Tory and Martin from wild young man of letters to God knows what.

'We are, and always will be, wanderers who have lost their way...' A prolific novelist and acclaimed historian of the Middle East, Amin Maalouf had never before taken the time to trace his own ancestry. But on the sudden death of his father he decides to address this, and, given a trunk of letters and the opportunity to sort them, begins to find the keys to his past. Like many Levantine families, Maalouf's is ethnically and religiously diverse, and the figures he encounters are maverick, visionary, strong-willed, far-flung. Starting in the mountains of Lebanon, their story is yet one of exile: of brothers separated, of dramatic emigrations, and of revolutions espoused in the dying years of the Ottoman Empire and beyond. Taking Maalouf from Lebanon to Cuba, this memoir is a fascinating insight into the nature and fate of a nomadic family. Above all, it is a meditation on the profound extent to which blood ties can represent homeland, and to which curiosity, guilt, love and pride can echo through the generations. 'What do you get when one of the Arab world's greatest writers, a Prix-Goncourt-winning historical novelist, decides to write a memoir? A marvel' — Rabih Alameddine.

More than two decades ago Rowan Simons moved to China, and soon after he began working to expose the country to the social and health benefits of amateur soccer. As he soon learned, this was no easy task, especially in a country where it is illegal for more than 11 people to congregate for the purposes of a recreational sporting activity. In this humorous and affectionate account, Rowan recalls the various successes and failures of his efforts to encourage his adopted country to embrace the beautiful game, and depicts contemporary Chinese culture in a clear and engaging light. Despite various setbacks, Rowan managed to build a playing field and clubhouses, and currently runs Club Football, a steadily growing amateur league.

Учебник по страноведению Macmillan Guide to Country Studies знакомит учащихся с наиболее значительными событиями из истории, экономики...

In Company is a fast-paced, multi-level Business English course for professional adults. The course systematically develops key language skills through moticating activities that reflect the real world of modern business. It has been specifically designed for the in-company language training sector.

From the casinos of Las Vegas to the streets of New York, Chances was the name of the game... and everybody took them. A brand spanking new, rejacketed B format edition featuring a letter from Jackie Collins to her fans... Gino Santangelo – a boy from the New York slums carves himself a crime empire that takes him all the way to the top. His daughter, Lucky, proves herself to be as deadly as her father. Sensual and provocative, she is too much like him not to make a bid for his empire... Chances spins through six decades like a giant roulette wheel, where the high stakes are on big money, dangerous sex and irresistible power.

When Meg returns to Dublin after three years trailing Simon around the globe with their toddler, Lily, and Dan, her 11 year old son from a previous relationship in tow, she realises that all her friends have moved on. And now she only has her kooky family, her sex-obsessed sister, Hattie, and Dan’s flaky but dangerously gorgeous father, Sid, to rely on for help and support. Her new neighbour, Tina is in the same boat. Tina’s a work widow — her workaholic husband, Oliver, works in London from Monday to Friday, leaving Tina with only her perma-stressed sister, Gerry, for company during the week. Meg is worried — without Simon’s job to define her, she doesn’t know who she is anymore. But just when she finds a new job and starts to get back on her feet, Simon throws her another curve ball. And Meg finds that having a man around all the time isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And that sometimes living apart is easier than living together. Because when the boys are away... the girls can play!

For professional adults seeking to refine their Business English, The Business English Handbook is an ideal business language reference and practice book to be used for revision purposes. It is also suitable for business students studying at university and college. Key Features: 12 Topic-based units covering major business topics and functions. Detailed analysis of key business concepts by topic. Audio language support material. Instantly accessible, structured information with useful visuals to extend the lexical input. Webliography and discussion topics. Advanced Business writing units. High-level business speaking practice for presentations and meetings. Comprehensive reference section with practical writing and speaking expressions. Also contains: answer key and listening scripts.

When Bond defeats Le Chiffre, a powerful Russian Agent, in a game of cards, he believes his mission is over. But Le Chiffre has other ideas...

Part of a 6 level series of readers for children learning English, which brings together a variety of fiction and non-fiction titles. This work aims to provide reinforcement of the basic structures and vocabulary contained in the most major primary courses.