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Random House, Inc.
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I Never Knew That About England
Автор: Christopher Winn Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2005 Страниц: 208 Дата загрузки: 17 октрября 20082007-05-16
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This is the ultimate journey around England. Christopher Winn takes us to each county, to see where history happened, where people and ideas were born, where dreams took flight and where men and women now rest from their labours. To tread in their footsteps, to touch and experience some of what inspired and moved them is to capture some of the flavour of their lives and make their stories alive and real. Crammed with facts and information, I NEVER KNEW THAT ABOUT ENGLAND celebrates the places and people that make the country unique and includes history, legends, firsts, supremes, unusuals, inventions, birthplaces and gossip. You'll be able to visit the bridge where Pooh and Piglet played Poohsticks and see where Alfred burnt the cakes. In a small village in Bedfordshire you can visit the graveyard where Long John Silver and Wendy rest. These stories will bring any place that you visit to life (keep one copy in the car and one in the house!) and enable you to discover England's rich and surprising history.
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I Never Knew That About Ireland
Автор: Christopher Winn Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2006 Страниц: 256 Дата загрузки: 25 июня 20082010-03-28
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Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on a fascinating journey around Ireland, to discover the tales buried deep in the country's history. Packed full of legends, firsts, birthplaces, inventions and adventures, this book visits each of the four provinces — Ulster, Leinster, Munster and Connaught — and unearths the hidden gems that each county in these provinces holds. Discover where people and ideas were born, where dreams were inspired and where the unforgettable figures of Ireland's past now slumber. You'll be able to visit the holy mountain, Croagh Patrick in Country Mayo, where St Patrick is said to have driven all the snakes in Ireland into the sea. At Lismore Castle in County Waterford you will uncover the bathroom dedicated to Fred Astaire, whose sister Adele was the hugely popular Chatelaine of Lismore in the 1930s and 40s. On the winter solstice you can bathe in the sunlight that fills the burial chamber at Newgrange, County Meath — the oldest solar observatory in the world. This irresistible compendium of facts and stories will give you a captivating insight into the people, ideas and events that have shaped the individual identity of every place you visit, and will have you exclaiming again and again: 'Well, I never knew that!'
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I Never Knew That About London
Автор: Christopher Winn Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2007 Страниц: 304 Дата загрузки: 16 февраля 20092008-12-13
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«Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on a captivating journey around London to discover the unknown tales of our capital's history. Travelling through the villages and districts that make up the world's most dynamic metropolis «I Never Knew That About London» unearths the hidden gems of legends, firsts, inventions, adventures and birthplaces that shape the city's compelling, and at times, turbulent past. See the Brentford river views that inspired Turner to become an artist and find out where London's first nude statue is. Explore the oldest and largest tidal mill in Britain and unearth the original Big Brother house in Bromley. Spy out the village that gave its name to a car and the Russian word for railway station. Discover which church steeple gave us the design of the traditional wedding cake, where the sandwich was invented and where in Bond Street you can see London's oldest artefact. Visit the tombs of Karl Marx, John Constable and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Climb the famous 39 steps, go from East to West and back again at Greenwich and fly the world's biggest big wheel. Brimming with stories and snippets providing a spellbinding insight into what has shaped our capital, this beautifully illustrated gem of a book is guaranteed to inform and amuse in equal measure.»
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I Never Knew That About Scotland
Автор: Christopher Winn Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2007 Страниц: 288 Дата загрузки: 13 октрября 20102008-12-23
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Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on the ultimate journey around Scotland. Travelling county by county, this irresistible miscellany unearths the enthralling stories, firsts, birthplaces, legends and inventions that shape the country's rich and majestic history. To uncover the spellbinding tales that lie hidden within Scotland's wild and romantic shores, to experience what inspired the country's powerful literature and towering castles, and to tread in the footsteps of her villains and victors, is to capture the spirit of this fascinating country and bring every place you visit to life. You will discover the story of the original 'sweetheart', John Balliol, whose embalmed heart is buried beside his devoted wife Devorgilla at Sweetheart Abbey in Kirkcudbrightshire. In Aberdeen you will find the only granite cathedral in the world. And you will hear the haunting echo of the Bear Gates of Traquair House in Peeblesshire were slammed shut when Bonnie Prince Charlie left Scotland in 1746 — legend has it that they will never be re-opened until a Stuart King once more sits on the throne. This beautifully illustrated treasure trove of a book is the perfect gift, and will act as an eye-opening guide to thrilling, alluring and ever-bewitching Scotland.
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I Never Knew That About the English
Автор: Christopher Winn Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2008 Страниц: 368 Дата загрузки: 10 октрября 20112010-07-24
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This wonderful book takes an affectionate, entertaining and perceptive look at the English people. Here are their traditions, foibles, quirks, customs, humour and achievements, triumphs and failures, peccadilloes and passions. Travel through England from coast to coast and learn how every county contributes in unique and different ways to the distinct English personality. Marvel at crooked black and white halls in Cheshire and soft golden stone cottages in Midland villages. Go cheese rolling in Gloucestershire, discover the origins of cricket in Hampshire, savour a hot pot in Lancashire and a pudding in Yorkshire. Gasp at the glories of stately homes and the families that create them, upstairs and down, enjoy a pint. Listen to the memories and tales of ordinary folk from every walk of life and find out from them what it means to be English. This irresistible book will entertain and inform for hours on end.
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I Never Knew That About the Irish
Автор: Christopher Winn Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2009 Страниц: 336 Дата загрузки: 16 мая 20122014-08-27
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«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.»
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I Never Knew That About the Scottish
Автор: Christopher Winn Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2009 Страниц: 368 Дата загрузки: 10 сентября 20142011-07-24
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«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!'»
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The Innocent Man
Автор: John Grisham Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2007 Страниц: 512 Дата загрузки: 17 октрября 20102011-03-19
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John Grisham's first work of non-fiction, an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry, is his most extraordinary legal thriller yet. In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A's, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada and left to pursue his dreams of big league glory. Six years later he was back, his dreams broken by a bad arm and bad habits — drinking, drugs and women. He began to show signs of mental illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother and slept 20 hours a day on her sofa. In 1982, a 21 year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital murder. With no physical evidence, the prosecution's case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to Death Row. If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.
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Nation
Автор: Terry Pratchett Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2009 Страниц: 300 Дата загрузки: 28 июня 20112011-07-24
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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!
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Piccadilly Jim
Автор: P. G. Wodehouse Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2008 Страниц: 320 Дата загрузки: 19 апреля 20122011-09-12
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This is a P.G. Wodehouse novel. It takes a lot of effort for Jimmy Crocker to become Piccadilly Jim — nights on the town roistering, headlines in the gossip columns, a string of broken hearts and breaches of promise. Eventually, he becomes rather good at it and manages to go to pieces with his eyes open. But no sooner has Jimmy cut a wild swathe through fashionable London than his terrifying Aunt Nesta decides he must mend his ways. He then falls in love with the girl he has hurt most of all, and after that things get complicated. In a dizzying plot, impersonations pile on impersonations so that (for reasons that will become clear, we promise) Jimmy ends up having to pretend he's himself. Does he deserve a happy ending? Read and find out.
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The Rise and Fall of Communism
Автор: Archie Brown Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2010 Страниц: 736 Дата загрузки: 21 июня 20122012-10-17
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«The inexorable rise of Communism was the most momentous political phenomenon of the first half of the twentieth century. Its demise in Europe and its decline elsewhere have produced the most profound political changes of the last few decades. In this illuminating book, based on forty years of study and a wealth of new sources, Archie Brown provides a comprehensive history as well as an original and compelling analysis of an ideology that has shaped the world. Tracing the story of Communism from its nineteenth-century roots, the book shows how the political movement Karl Marx described as a 'spectre haunting Europe' expanded throughout the world during the twentieth century, and how the principles and precepts of this revolutionary system became a living reality for many millions of ordinary people. Even today, although Communism has been widely discredited in the West, a quarter of humanity — in Asia and Latin America — still lives under its rule. Archie Brown explores the appeal of Communism to its adherents, its resounding successes and its catastrophic failures. In the 1950s and '60s, as tensions mounted within Eastern Europe, internal struggles came to dominate party politics, and fresh challenges from the West exerted increasing pressure on the Communist states to reform. The book considers why so many of these apparently invincible regimes collapsed when they did, often extremely suddenly, changing the lives of so many overnight. A groundbreaking work from an internationally renowned specialist, «The Rise and Fall of Communism» is the definitive study of the most remarkable political and human story of our times.»
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Robert Burns
Автор: Patrick Scott Hogg Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2009 Страниц: 368 Дата загрузки: 10 сентября 20142011-07-24
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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.
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Russia: A Journey to the Heart of a Land and Its People
Автор: Jonathan Dimbleby Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2009 Страниц: 592 Дата загрузки: 14 сентября 20142014-08-13
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«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.»
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The Victorians: Britain Through the Paintings of the Ages
Автор: Jeremy Paxman Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2010 Страниц: 304 Дата загрузки: 7 декабря 20122013-09-14
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Jeremy Paxman's unique portrait of the Victorian world takes readers on an exciting journey through the birth of modern Britain. Using the paintings of the era as a starting point, he tells us stories of urban life, family, faith, industry and empire that helped define the Victorian spirit and imagination. To Paxman, these paintings were the television of their day, and his exploration of Victorian art and society shows how these artists were chronicling a world changing before their eyes. This enthralling history is Paxman at his best — opinionated, informed, witty, surprising — and a glorious reminder of how the Victorians made us who we are today.
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Why is God Laughing?: The Path to Joy and Spiritual Optimism
Автор: Deepak Chopra Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2009 Страниц: 192 Дата загрузки: 15 июня 20112012-04-15
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«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.»
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The Woman and the Ape
Автор: Peter Hoeg Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 1997 Страниц: 324 Дата загрузки: 21 июня 20092000-09-22
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Madelene is married to Burden, an ambitious zoologist, comfortably off and a chronic alcoholic. The ape is Erasmus, who comes ashore in London from sailing boat called The Ark. Burden aims to use the ape as the means to fulfil his ambition to direct the London Zoo. Erasmus and Madelene elope.
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Broken
Автор: Kelley Armstrong Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2006 Страниц: 444 Дата загрузки: 04 июля 20092009-04-19
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Unsettled by her pregnancy, werewolf Elena Michaels is given the task of retrieving a stolen letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper, but she soon discovers that the letter contains a portal to Victorian London's underworld, allowing the vicious killer access to the twenty-first century, where he and a pair of zombie thugs are searching for Elena.
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Dime Store Magic
Автор: Kelley Armstrong Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2004 Страниц: 448 Дата загрузки: 17 апреля 20082009-08-24
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From Canada's new queen of suspense comes the latest in her Women of the Otherworld series — a mesmerizing tale of an exceptional young woman caught up in an otherworldly realm where some will stop at nothing to get what they want.
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Fourth Protocol
Автор: Frederick Forsyth Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 1985 Страниц: 464 Дата загрузки: 19 февраля 20091987-07-24
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It is a time of political unrest in Great Britain. And behind the Iron Curtain an insidious plot is being hatched, a plan so incendiary that even the KGB is ignorant of its existence — Aurora, the sinister brainchild of two of the world's most dangerous men: the general secretary of the Soviet Union and master spy Kim Philby. The wheels are in motion, the pawns are in place, and the countdown has begun toward an accident that could change the fact of British politics forever and trigger and collapse of the Western alliance. Only British agent John Preston stand any chance of breaching the conspiracy. Through plot and counterplot, from bloody back streets to polished halls of power both East and West, his desperate investigation is relentlessly blocked by deceit, treachery, and the most deadly enemy of all... time.
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Haunted
Автор: Kelley Armstrong Жанр: Random House, Inc. Год: 2005 Страниц: 528 Дата загрузки: 07 апреля 20092007-05-26
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«Sexy supernatural suspense abounds in this fifth novel in Armstrong's «Women of the Otherworld» series.»
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