«Beginning with an unlikely stowaway's account of life on board Noah's Ark, «A History of the World in 10 Chapters» presents a surprising, subversive, fictional history of earth told from several kaleidoscopic perspectives. Noah disembarks from his ark but he and his Voyage are not forgotten: they are revisited in on other centuries and other climes — by a Victorian spinster mourning her father, by an American astronaut on an obsessive personal mission. We journey to the Titanic, to the Amazon, to the raft of the Medusa, and to an ecclesiastical court in medieval France where a bizarre case is about to begin... This is no ordinary history, but something stranger, a challenge and a delight for the reader's imagination. Ambitious yet accessible, witty and playfully serious, this is the work of a brilliant novelist.»

Bestselling author and quiz master Christopher Winn is here to test your knowledge of Britain with 501 questions to perplex and puzzle about our glorious islands. Covering a myriad of subjects including history, cathedrals, sports, records, modern Britain, royalty, people, places, deeds, discoveries and disasters, there is something to test everyone from Britain's brainiest boffins to the quiz beginner. Featuring a range of questions from multiple choice teasers and odd ones out to picture quizzes illustrated with charming line drawings to test your knowledge of the famous faces and facades of Britain. Alongside these sit cryptic and puzzle quizzes plus special features spotlighting different regions so you can see just how well you know your local area. Perfect for all ages, it will provide hours of entertainment and education for the whole family and have you proclaiming: 'I bet you never knew that!'

«In this charming book bestselling author Christopher Winn turns his attention to the Irish people, taking us on a enthralling journey around their homeland, discovering en route the intriguing and surprising ways the places and their history contribute to the Irish character. As he travels across the Emerald Isle, he unearths the traditions, triumphs and disasters, foibles, quirks and customs that come together to make up the Irish people. From County Leitrim, the most sparsely populated county in the Republic of Ireland to County Louth, Ireland's smallest county, discover the site of the first play performed in the Irish language, sail the longest navigable inland waterway in Europe and watch the horse racing at Ireland's first all-weather racecourse. Illustrated throughout with enchanting pen and ink drawings and packed with entertaining stories and astonishing facts «I Never Knew That About the Irish» will entertain the whole family for hours on end.»

«In this captivating book, bestselling author Christopher Winn turns his attention to the Scottish people, taking us on an eye-opening journey around their homeland, discovering en route the intriguing and surprising ways the places and their history contribute to the Scottish character. As he travels through the Highlands and cities he unearths the traditions, triumphs and disasters, foibles, quirks and customs that come together to make up the Scottish people. From the capital Edinburgh, birthplace of Henry Brougham who made the longest ever speech in the House of Commons, lasting over six hours, to Callander, birthplace of Helen Duncan, the last person in Britain to be imprisoned for witchcraft after correctly diving the sinking of HMS Hood, he accompanies us on a journey uncovering little-known facts and amusing anecdotes. Illustrated throughout with beguiling pen and ink drawings, «I Never Knew That About the Scottish» is guaranteed to have you exclaiming: 'I never knew that!'»

When a giant wave destroys his entire Nation — his family and everyone he has ever known — Mau finds himself totally alone. Until he meets Daphne, daughter of a colonial Governor and the sole survivor from a shipwreck. They have no common language, no common culture — but together they discover some remarkable things — like how to milk a pig and why spitting in beer is a good idea — and must try and forge a new kind of Nation. Then other survivors arrive to take refuge on the island, and not all of them are friendly... As can be expected from Terry Pratchett, the master story-teller, this new children's novel is both witty and wise, encompassing themes of death and nationhood, while being extremely funny. Mau's ancestors have something to teach us all. Mau just wishes they would shut up about it and let him get on with saving everyone's lives!

Following the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns (1759-96), Patrick Scott Hogg presents the greatest of Scotland's poets within the true context of his times. Exploding the Burns myth, Robert Burns: The Patriot Bard replaces the ram-stam lad of popular cliche with the real, living Burns — a Scottish patriot of the heart, an idealist who wished for 'Freedom and Liberty' for his beloved country, but also a man who was pragmatically a British patriot and risked his life for democratic reform. Here Burns is painted in his native colours as a highly complex, hyper-intelligent writer in both prose and poetry, not the semi-confused, contradictory simpleton of previous biographies. The fascinating legend of Burns as a ladies' man is placed where it should be — as less important than the message of the bard. The real day-to-day Burns was irascible, stubborn-minded, independent, controversial and opinionated. He detested many of his social superiors within the feudal order and attacked them as hypocrites and oppressors of the common people. The voice of Burns, always in the language of the people, and his idealist vision of a better world endeared him as a poet of humanity 'the world o'er'. Drawing from Burns' existing canon of poetry and letters, plus some newly attributed works suppressed for over two centuries, this life story is a roller-coaster narrative that charts the success and untimely death of the greatest songwriter of all time, the real Robert Burns.

«Winston Churchill famously described Russia as 'a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma' and even today it remains a country little understood by the West. In this revealing portrait, Jonathan Dimbleby crosses eight time zones and covers 10,000 miles in an attempt to get to the beating heart of the new Russia. His epic journey takes him from the Arctic city of Murmansk in the west to the Asian port of Vladivostok in the east, and he encounters an extraordinary range of people: urban intellectuals and entrepreneurs, war veterans and migrant labourers, spiritual leaders and aging rock stars, bootleg vendors and fish poachers, loggers in the forests of Siberia and fellow journalists under siege in an increasingly autocratic society. «Russia» is both a deeply personal odyssey and a mesmerizing account of a country undergoing profound economic, cultural and political change.»

«Why Is God Laughing?» tells the story of successful comedian Mickey Fellows and his friend Francisco as they explore how to overcome fear, egotism and addiction (which are the three major obstacles to joy) and become more optimistic. The final chapter highlights how to conquer these obstacles in our own lives and open the door to real joy and happiness. It spells out the lessons that Mickey's story tells us: ten reasons to be optimistic, even in a challenging world. Rich with humour and practical advice, «Why Is God Laughing?» shows us there is always a reason to be grateful, that every possibility holds the promise of abundance, and that obstacles are simply opportunities in disguise.»

Graham Hendrick, an historian, has left his wife Barbara for the vivacious Ann, and is more than pleased with his new life. Until, that is, the day he discovers Ann's celluloid past as a mediocre film actress. Soon Graham is pouncing on old clues, examining her books for inscriptions from past lovers, frequenting cinemas and poring over the bad movies she appeared in. It's not that he blames Anne for having a past before they met, but history has always mattered to him...

The twisted maze of Venice's canals has always been shrouded in mystery. Even the celebrated opera house, La Fenice, has seen its share of death. But nothing so horrific and violent as that of world-famous conductor, Maestro Helmut Wellauer — poisoned during a performance of La Traviata. Even Commissario of Police, Guido Brunetti, used to the labyrinthine corruptions of the city, is shocked at the number of enemies Wellauer has made on his way to the top — but just how many have motive enough for murder? The beauty of Venice is crumbling — and evil can seep through its decaying stones.

One frozen January morning at 5 am, Inspector Wallander responds to what he believes is a routine call out. When he reaches the isolated farmhouse he discovers a bloodbath. An old man has been tortured and beaten to death, his wife lies barely alive beside his shattered body, both victims of a violence beyond reason. The woman supplies Wallander with his only clue: the perpetrators may have been foreign. When this is leaked to the press, it unleashes racial hatred. Kurt Wallander is a senior police officer. His life is a shambles. His wife has left him, his daughter refuses to speak to him, and even his ageing father barely tolerates him. He works tirelessly, eats badly, and drinks his nights away in a lonely, neglected flat. But now, with winter tightening and his activities being monitored by a tough-minded district attorney, Wallander must forget his troubles and throw himself into a battle against time and against mounting xenophobia.

Mia Lockhart has a secret. Her mother was a keeper, as was her grandmother — women who were warriors, healers and protectors. And when a mysterious man enters her life, she puts this to the test. Adrian Ashton is a brilliant scientist — and a killer. With the aid of an ancient Chinese text, he has mastered the art of capturing the chi of his opponents — the vital energy that flows through their bodies. Mia finds herself drawn to his dark genius. But when he targets the man with whom she is falling in love, she is forced to choose between them. Soon it becomes a fight to the death in which love is both the greatest weakness — and the greatest prize.

«In a corrupt world where crooked cops and desperate gamblers play dangerous games of betrayal, one man has power over them all. «The Last Don» is Mario Puzo at his finest — a masterful saga of the last great American crime family, the Clericuzios, and their powerful reach into Hollywood and Las Vegas. Domenico Clericuzio is a wise and ruthless man who in his old age is determined to create a life free from criminal activities for his grandchildren. But as he strives to establish his heirs in legitimate society, secrets from his family's past spark a vicious and bloody war between cousins...»

What happens when a psychic tells Lucy that she'll be married within the year? Her flatmates panic! Lucy reassures her friends that she's far too busy arguing with her mother and taking care of her irresponsible father to get married. And then there's the small matter of not even having a boyfriend. But then Lucy meets gorgeous, unreliable Gus.

When Merlin and Morgana join forces to save a child the king has commanded to death, they soon discover that going against King Uther could prove fatal. Meanwhile, a mysterious black knight arrives to challenge the Knights of Camelot to mortal combat. Old secrets, long hidden, are stirring and the king is afraid for his only son. The black knight seems invincible and Merlin senses that only magic can stop him.

No more struggling against the wind to fold back the extra large city map you picked up at the tourist office. The unique Everyman MapGuide series cleverly combines maps and text in an easy-to-use format, listing the best sights, restaurants and shops alongside fold-out maps of exceptional clarity. Each guide divides the city into sections and devotes two double pages to each of them. Sections are colour coded, and a small area map at the bottom of the page tells you where you are within the city, and within the guide. There are also four pages of useful information about the city at the front of the book, and a four-page city-wide hotel section at the back; plus a street index and thematic index. Stylish, clever, practical and, at GBP5.99, very good value for money, a MapGuide is the indispensable pocket companion to your week end or short break away.

Wormold, a vacuum cleaner salesman, was short of money. His daughter had reached an expensive age — so he accepted Hawthorne's offer of $300-plus a month and became Agent 59200/5, MI6's man in Havana. To keep the job, he pretends to recruit sub-agents and sends fake stories. Then they come true.

«'Sell the Hall unseen; burn it to the ground and plough the earth with salt, if you will; but never live there...' London, the 1880s. A young girl grows up in a household marked by death, her father distant, her mother in perpetual mourning for the child she lost. Desperate to coax her mother back to health, Constance Langton takes her to a seance. Perhaps they will find comfort from beyond the grave. But that seance has tragic consequences. Constance is left alone, her only legacy a mysterious bequest will blight her life. So begins «The Seance», John Harwood's brilliant second novel, a gripping, dark mystery set in late Victorian England. It is a world of apparitions, of disappearances and unnatural phenomena, of betrayal and blackmail and black-hearted villains — and murder. For Constance's bequest comes in two parts: a house, and a mystery. Years before a family disappeared at Wraxford Hall, a terrifying stately home near the Suffolk coast. Now Constance must find the truth behind the mystery, even at the cost of her life. Because without the truth, she is lost.»

Shy, sensible banker Stuart has trouble with women; that is, until a fortuitous singles night, where he meets Gillian, a picture restorer recovering from a destructive affair. Stuart's best friend Oliver is his complete opposite — a language teacher who 'talks like a dictionary', brash and feckless. Soon Stuart and Gillian are married, but it is not long before a tentative friendship between the three evolves into something far different. Talking it Over is a brilliant and intimate account of love's vicissitudes. It begins as a comedy of misunderstanding, then slowly darkens and deepens, drawing us compellingly into the quagmires of the heart.

Having been dumped by his girlfriend, Danny really wasn't doing the young, free and single thing very well. Instead, he was avoiding people. Texting them instead of calling them. Calling them instead of meeting them. This is the story of what happened when Danny decided to say yes to everything, in order to make his life more interesting.