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The School for Scandal and Other Plays
by Richard SheridanThe three plays collected in this volume demonstrate Sheridan's unerring ability to create unrivalled comedy out of ingenious plots, witty repartee, farcical situations and flamboyant characters. And while he never overtly moralizes, Sheridan uses brilliant comedy to deflate hypocrisy and satirize the manners of his age. In The Rivals, Captain Absolute becomes his own rival for the hand of Lydia Languish - wooing her under another name, while her aunt, the verbally inept Mrs Malaprop, wishes her to marry the real Captain. School for Scandal continues the theme of imposture when Sir Oliver tests his nephews by appearing to them in disguise, and learns that reputation and the approval of society are of little value. And The Critic, featuring the pompous Puff and the arrogant Sneer, is a mocking depiction of the theatre, playwrights and, of course, critics.
School For Stingers
by Yolanda CelbridgeTomboy Caroline Letchmount enlists at Furrow Weald finishing school in Cornwall - motto 'Bare up and obey!' - with its military regime of merciless corporal punishment, and flagellent girl gangs, the Swanks and Stingers. When accustomed to pepper panties, bare-boxing, and canings from 'sixpence' to five shillings', she is ready to be auctioned as a girl-slave to rich voluptuaries.
School's Out: You Don’t Know Who Your Friends Are Until You Go On Holiday With Them
by Sarah TuckerIn school playgrounds across the country parents huddle in worried packs, desperately putting together their final plans to survive the summer weeks of mayhem - school is officially out! For once, Amanda has a simple, cheap and fail-safe plan to make it through the summer holidays with her three overexcited offspring. But a last-minute addition of fellow-mum Suzanne and her perfect son Orlando quickly shatters Amanda's vision of the quintessential bucket-and-spade summer adventure.In fact, before she even makes it to the picture-perfect Cornish idyll that is home to her one-time playground comrade Skyler, Amanda has to endure tantrums, floods, and an eerie B&B, all with three ratty kids and a carsick dog in tow. When they finally arrive, dishevelled and exhausted, she discovers that not only must she endure Suzanne at close quarters in a cramped cottage, but also that Skyler's business in dire need of a helping hand. In the weeks that ensue, Amanda discovers there is only one way to survive the summer holidays, and that's with a stiff drink, a pair of wellies and a bucket-full of bonhomie!
School's Out!
by Jack SheffieldAs the new school year begins, Jack Sheffield prepares for an even more eventful year than usual. A new teacher is appointed, and before long tongues start to wag.Meanwhile, five-year old Madona Fazackerly makes her mark in an unexpected way, life changes dramatically for Ruby the caretaker and, in the village Coffee Shop, Dorothy Humpleby plans a dirty weekend.It’s 1983 - the era of the new CD player, Microsoft Word, the McDonalds McNugget, cabbage patch dolls, the threat of a miners’ strike and a final farewell to the halfpenny piece.Jack has to manage a year of triumph and tragedy…
The Schreber Case (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Sigmund FreudThe Schreber Case is distinctive from the other case histories in that it's based on the memoirs of a conjectural patient. Schreber was a judge and doctor of law who lived according to a strict set of principles. His nervous illness first manifested itself as hypochondria and insomnia - which he put down to his excessive workload - but gradually deteriorated into pathological delusion. Believing himself to be dead and rotting, Schreber attempted suicide, and then went on to experience bizarre delusional epsiodes whereby he belived he was being turned into a woman. The course of this extraordinary illness is analysed by Freud in his search for a root cause - could it have been caused by homesexual impulses that Schreber tried to repress?
The Science Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe
by Harold Beaver Edgar Allan PoeOne of the greatest of all horror writers, Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49) also composed pioneering tales that seized upon the scientific developments of an era marked by staggering change. In this collection of sixteen stories, he explores such wide-ranging contemporary themes as galvanism, time travel and resurrection of the dead. 'The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfall' relates a man's balloon journey to the moon with a combination of scientific precision and astonishing fantasy. Elsewhere, the boundaries between horror and science are elegantly blurred in stories such as 'The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar', while the great essay 'Eureka' outlines Poe's own interpretation of the universe. Powerfully influential on later authors including Jules Verne, these works are essential reading for anyone wishing to trace the genealogy of science fiction, or to understand the complexity of Poe's own creative vision
Scone with the Wind: Cakes and Bakes with a Literary Twist
by Miss Victoria SpongeThe perfect gift for those who like a good read and a slice of good cake, Scone with the Wind features 75 delicious literary inspired recipes. Beautifully packaged with bespoke line illustrations throughout, it really is the most novel way to get to grips with the classics! 'Funny and useable present for bakers AND non-bakers!' -- ***** Reader review'Literally perfect!' -- ***** Reader review'Super super cute' -- ***** Reader review'The ideal gift for a book loving baker' -- ***** Reader review*************************************************************************************************Bake your way through the classics from Jane Eclair to Tart of Darkness, Banana Karenina and On the Rocky Road, Flapjack and the Beanstalk, Nineteen-eighty Petit Fours and many more!Arranged by genre, enjoy biscuits and cakes, puddings and pies from romance and comedy through to horror and science fiction, and discover fun, edible versions of your favourite books.Includes witty introductions and amusing illustrations throughout, baking essentials and themed menus for book clubs, parties and afternoon teas.The ultimate treat for book (and cake) lovers!Recipes include:Breakfast at TiffinsKey Lime and Punishment,Captain Corelli's Madeleines,To Kill a Battenberg,Vanity Fairy Cakes,Middlemarshmallows,The War of the Viennese Whirls,Much Ado About Muffins,Scone with the Wind and more!
Score!: A funny, romantic, suspenseful delight from Jilly Cooper, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Riders
by Jilly Cooper OBEJilly Cooper's most thrilling addition to the Rutshire Chronicles yet!Sir Robert Rannaldini, the most successful but detested conductor in the world, had two ambitions: to seduce his ravishing nineteen-year-old stepdaughter Tabitha Campbell-Black, and to put his mark on musical history by making the definitive film of Verdi's darkest opera, Don Carlos.As Rannaldini, his charismatic French director Tristan, and a volatile cast and crew gather at Rannaldini's haunted abbey for filming, it is inevitable that violent feuds, abandoned bonking, temperamental screaming, and devious plotting will ensue. But although everyone wished Rannaldini dead, no one actually thought the Maestro would be murdered. Or that after the dreadful deed some very bizarre things would continue to occur.-------------------------------------------'Romance, glamour, seismic sex and delightful comedy?this book is a slice of heaven: pure, blissful escapism' Kate Saunders, New Statesman'A deliciously funny, lusty, riproaring read with the added dimension of suspense and murder'Good Housekeeping'Has all the usual Cooper ingredients ... but with the added twist of a murder mystery' Linda Roberts, Daily Mail
Scoring At Half-Time: Adventures On and Off the Pitch
by George BestMichael Parkinson: 'What was the nearest to kick-off that you made love to a woman?'George Best: 'Er- I think it was half-time actually'George Best was the first celebrity footballer and to many the greatest British player ever. In Scoring at Half-Time he gathers together his favourite memories, stories and anecdotes from his experiences in and out of the game over the last forty years. No dressing room door is left unopened, no player's bar tale untold and no secret kept in this fond, humorous look at football's golden era from the man who was usually there when it happened. Inside stories and lurid tales about George, Bobby, Denis, Nobby and Fergie amongst others. Scoring at Half-Time will delight anyone who has ever wanted to spend time in the company of the footballing legend.
Scorpion Trail: A deadly mission to hunt a deadly killer…
by Geoffrey Archer_______________________________________Alex Crawford has been out of MI5 and the combat zone for twenty years, but now fate has thrust him back into the front line.Though he is an aid worker, the secret service minders who have protected him for so long have reactivated him: they want information about the man who perpetrated a massacre in a Muslim village in Bosnia at the height of the Kosovo War.His target is the most ruthless killer in the whole war zone: Milan Pravic, codename the Scorpion. And the only eyewitness to the massacre is a twelve-year-old girl whom Pravic will do anything to silence.
Scorsese: Virgin Film
by Jim SangsterMartin Scorsese’s obsession with sin and redemption, conflict and violence runs through much of his work. This essential guide to Scorsese explores his career from his early student works, including It’s Not Just You, Murray!: through his personal examinations of his Italian American heritage in Mean Streets, Italianamerican and Goodfellas: the extreme violence of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Cape Fear: and the religious themes – from a director who originally wanted to be a priest – of The Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun. Including all Scorsese’s films up to Gangs of New York, this is a comprehensive study of the work of this widely respected film maker. Also covering his influences, the controversy surrounding his films, exhaustive music lists and long-time collaborations, this is an extensive analysis of the most consistently passionate, committed and inventive film director of the last thirty years.
Scots: The Mither Tongue
by Billy KayScots: The Mither Tongue is a classic of contemporary Scottish culture and essential reading for those who care about their country's identity in the twenty-first century. It is a passionately written history of how the Scots have come to speak the way they do and has acted as a catalyst for radical changes in attitude towards the language. In this completely revised edition, Kay vigorously renews the social, cultural and political debate on Scotland's linguistic future, and argues convincingly for the necessity to retain and extend Scots if the nation is to hold on to its intrinsic values. Kay places Scots in an international context, comparing and contrasting it with other lesser-used European languages, while at home questioning the Scottish Executive's desire to pay anything more than lip service to this crucial part of our national identity. Language is central to people's existence, and this vivid account celebrates the survival of Scots in its various dialects, its literature and song. The mither tongue is a national treasure that thrives in many parts of the country and underpins the speech of everyone who calls themselves a Scot.
A Scattering Of Daisies: (The Rising Family Book 1): the beginning of an extraordinary West Country family saga by bestselling author Susan Sallis
by Susan SallisThe wonderful and heart-warming story of the Rising Family starts here in A Scattering of Daisies. Multi-million copy seller and Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis expertly transports us back in time to the turn of the twentieth century and immerses us in the lives, loves and fluctuating fortunes of a family we'll never forget. Fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Fiona Valpy will not be disappointed.READERS ARE LOVING A SCATTERING OF DAISIES!'I have read this book so many times over the years, I just LOVE it!' -- ***** Reader review'An amazing inter-generational story that I kept reading way too fast' -- ***** Reader review'Excellent read, very enjoyable.' -- ***** Reader review'Loved this book [...], well written and down to earth. Just the way I like it!' -- ***** Reader review**************************************************************************************************ARE DREAMS AND DETERMINATION ENOUGH TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE?Will Rising had dragged himself from humble beginnings to his own small tailoring business in Gloucester - and on the way he'd fallen violently in love with Florence - who was refined, delicate, and wanting something better for her children.March was the eldest girl - the least loved: plain, unattractive and, with the best will in the world, the household drudge. Yet, as strange, intelligent and unhappy as she was, March had inherited some of her mother's dreams and she was determined to break out of the round of poverty and hard work, to find wealth, and love, and happiness.Did she have it in her to achieve her desires? And what could the future possibly hold in store?A Scattering of Daisies is the first book in the Rising Family sequence and is followed by The Daffodils of Newent, Bluebell Windows and Rosemary for Remembrance.
Scots And The Sea: A Nation's Lifeblood
by James DavidsonWith over six thousand miles of rugged coastline, nowhere in Scotland is more than forty-five miles from tidal waters, and seven of the biggest towns and cities are seaports. No wonder then that the sea has shaped Scotland, and in turn the Scots have helped to shape maritime history, trade and communications.Scots and the Sea is a unique and compelling account of a small, sparsely populated country's relationship with the most powerful force on earth. It is a celebration of the courage and endurance of fishermen and their families, the selfless bravery of lifeboat volunteers and the individual brilliance of leaders like Admiral Cochrane, who helped establish free nations across the globe. The illicit activities of scoundrels like Captain Kidd also provide a taste of the darker side of the story. Scotland's proud maritime tradition is traced through this volume, which examines the development of trade, the founding of a Scottish merchant navy and the pressures towards Union with England. It explores ports, harbours and shipyards, and outlines the vital role Scotland has played in shipbuilding and marine engineering - from the galleys and longships of early history to clippers, steamships, ocean liners, hovercraft and oil rigs. Also recounted are the exploits and achievements of Scots in all these fields, including those of James Watt, William Symington, Henry Bell and Robert Stevenson. Finally, it takes a look into the future, where Scottish research into wave and tidal power could become vital in providing a source of sustainable energy. Over the years, many Scots have made their living and their fortune from the sea, others have lost their lives to it – Scots and the Sea is a tribute to all of them.
Scots On Scotch: The Book of Whisky
by Philip HillsThis is a book in which Scots tell the truth about their national drink. Ignoring the mythology which surrounds Scotland and her favourite tipple, it is written by people who are passionate about their subject, who know what they write about and who love what they know. It is about whisky and about Scotland - the real Scotland behind the invented one of the advertisers and the gift shops. Over the last 40 years Scots have reasserted their spiritual and cultural independence, and as part of this process they have redicovered the unique quality of their national drink. This renaissance not is a cause for celebrations not only by Scots but also by the rest of the world. Malt whiskies have risen from a minority taste in a small nation to become internationally recognised as the connoisseur's spirit par excellence.Contributors include acclaimed writers Ruth Wishart, George Rosie, Trevor Royle, Colin McArthur, Alan Bold and Derek Cooper; Russell Sharp, formerly chief chemist at Chivas and now president of the Caledonian Brewing Company; and poets Hamish Henderson, Hugh MacDiarmid and Norman McCaig.
Scott on Waterloo
by Sir Walter ScottOn the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo discover a fascinating primary source: Walter Scott's accounts of his journey to the battlefieldIn the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo tourists flocked from Britain to witness the scene of the most important conflict of their generation. Walter Scott was among them, and with a commission from his publisher for a travel book and a long poem. These prose and verse accounts bring to vivid life the carnage, spectacle and excitement of a fascinating period of European history. Brilliantly introduced and annotated by Paul O'Keeffe, this edition elucidates and contextualises Scott's first-hand account of his travels, his dashing epic, ‘The Field of Waterloo’ and the eerily chilling 'Dance of Death'.
The Scottish Ambassador
by Robert CrawfordOne of Scotland’s most celebrated poets, Robert Crawford has long been a passionate and articulate ambassador for his country and its culture, its people and its landscape. The Scottish Ambassador fuses individual and communal voices in poems that resonate far beyond their points of origin. Engaging with Zoroastrian, Chinese and Greek as well as with Scottish antecedents, Crawford’s poems have an arresting range and a lyrical energy. He negotiates with intensity and wit between a deep sense of human universals and a heartfelt fidelity to individual places. Ranging from Jerusalem to Iona, New York City to Shetland, this is a collection of international range that continually zeroes in on the particular – and the particularly Scottish. At the book’s centre is a series of intimate, funny, eloquent portraits of cities which are at once remarkable public poems and outpourings of love.
Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales from Burns to Buchan
by Gordon JarvieMystery and excitement abound in this lively collection of fairy tales, folklore and legends, which celebrate Scotland's enormously rich oral tradition and offers a carefully chosen combination of old favourites such as Tam Lin, Thomas Rymer and Adam Bell, as well as more modern stories by master story-tellers like Andrew Lang, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and John Buchan.
A Scottish Football Hall of Fame
by John CairneyThose who have been football supporters all their lives can never forget the first match they ever saw, although they might not recall the result. This is because it is the players that stay in the memory and the magic moments they provided for millions of spectators in their time.Every generation throws up its own football field magicians and The Scottish Football Hall of Fame encapsulates the Saturday afternoon spell cast by fine footballers for ordinary working men who lived to cheer on their heroes every week. Fervour was passed down from father to son, and in this way the future of the clubs as well as the fame of a few golden greats was guaranteed. Players like R.S.McColl (Queen's Park), Bobby Walker (Hearts), Alan Morton (Rangers), Denis Law (Manchester United) and Kenny Dalglish (Celtic) are in this pantheon, and they span the arc of Scottish football from its earliest days till modern times. These, and more than a hundred like them, are the men you will read about in these pages. Men who were once household names are captured here in their sporting immortality and introduced to generations of football enthusiasts who never saw them play. The Scottish Football Hall of Fame gives a unique overview of the beautiful game, where by means of illuminating narrative and anecdote, legend can unite with historical fact to honour not only the wearers of the famous dark blue shirt but every foot-soldier in the Tartan Army who has ever shouted 'Scotland! Scotland!' from the terraces.
Scottish Football Quotations
by Kenny MacdonaldIn this, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed first volume of quotations about our national sport, Kenny MacDonald delves once more into Scotland's sweaty, smelly football dressing-rooms and emerges with a batch of statements which are profond, amusing, acerbic and sometimes plain bizarre.
Scottish History in Verse
by Louis StottScottish history is unarguably rich and a number of notable anniversaries are looming, not least the quincentenary of Flodden in 2013 and the 700-year-anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn in 2014. There’s no better time, then, for Scottish History in Verse.This unique anthology consists of some 230 poems and songs that mark various Scottish occasions and celebrate famous Scots. Topics range from the Carron Ironworks to the launch of the Hillman Imp, from Hardicanute to Georgie Porgie, from Somerled to John Maclean, and from James Watt to Ronald Ross. Places stretch from Clydebank to the Zambezi. Burns and Scott are there of course, but so are Shakespeare and Southey, not to mention W.N. Herbert and Robert Crawford.
Scottish Sporting Legends
by Robert PhilipScotland may not have won a World Cup (yet!), but many of the country’s sportsmen and women are revered as global legends, including Olympic and US Open champion Andy Murray and winner of six Olympic gold medals, Sir Chris Hoy. In football, the likes of Denis Law, ‘Slim’ Jim Baxter and Jimmy ‘Jinky’ Johnstone would not have looked out of place in the canary yellow of Brazil, while managers Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Jock Stein have become part of football folklore, as has Sir Alex Ferguson in more recent times.Amazingly, Scots have reached the top in just about every major sport: Jim Clark and Sir Jackie Stewart in Formula One; Andy Murray in tennis; Ken Buchanan and Benny Lynch in the boxing ring; Chris Hoy in cycling; sprinters Allan Wells and Eric Liddell on the Olympic track; and, as befits a nation renowned as ‘the home of golf’, Sandy Lyle was recognised as the greatest player on the planet upon winning the Masters in 1988.Scottish sport is the richest of tapestries and in Scottish Sporting Legends the cream of the crop are entertainingly profiled in a revealing collection of pen portraits of stars past and present.
The Scottish World: A Journey Into the Scottish Diaspora
by Billy Kay'Thaim wi a guid Scots tongue in their heid are fit tae gang ower the warld'In The Scottish World, renowned broadcaster Billy Kay takes us on a global journey of discovery, highlighting the extraordinary influence the Scots have had on communities and cultures on almost every continent. While others have questioned the self-confidence of the Scots, Kay has travelled the world from Bangkok to Brazil, Warsaw to Waikiki and found ringing endorsements for the integrity and intellect, the poetry and passion of the Scottish people in every country he has visited. He expands people's view of Scotland by relating remarkable stories of the wealthy Scottish merchant community in Gdansk; of national geniuses of Scots descent, such as Lermontov in Russia and Grieg in Norway; of an American Civil War blamed on Sir Walter Scott and initiated in the St Andrew's Society of Charleston; of inspirational missionaries in Calabar and Budapest; of Scotch professors establishing football in soccer strongholds such as Barcelona and São Paulo; of pioneers like Sandeman and Cockburn, and the Scottish roots of many of the great wines of Europe; and of their amazing involvement in liberation movements in Malawi, Chile, Peru, Greece, Corsica and India. The Scottish World is a celebration of the enormous contribution the Scots have made to the modern world.
Scourge of Rome: (Gaius Valerius Verrens 6): a compelling and gripping Roman adventure that will have you hooked to the very last page (Gaius Valerius Verrens #6)
by Douglas JacksonBestselling author Douglas Jackson expertly brings the Roman Empire to life in this riveting historical adventure of fire, blood and battle. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Ben Kane and Conn Iggulden. Readers are loving Gaius Valerius Verrens! "Storytelling of the highest order" - 5 STARS"Glorious Roman adventure." - 5 STARS"The drama never lets up - it is gripping" - 5 STARS"I'm just gutted to have finished it!" - 5 STARS"Verrens rules, ok?" - 5 STARS************************************************************BETRAYED, BANISHED BUT NOT BROKEN...70 AD: Disgraced, dishonoured and banished on pain of execution if he ever returns to Rome, Gaius Valerius Verrens makes his way East through the death and destruction of the savage Judaean rebellion. He knows his only hope of long term survival lies with his friend Titus, commander of the Army of Judaea and son of the newly crowned Emperor Vespasian.But when he reaches the Roman camps that surround the seemingly impregnable city of Jerusalem he finds Titus a changed man. Gone is the cheerful young officer he knew; in his place, a tough, ruthless soldier under pressure from his father to end the insurrection at any cost. Soon, Valerius finds himself at the centre of a web of intrigue spun by Titus' lover, Queen Berenice of Cilicia, and her sometime ally, the general's turncoat adviser, Flavius Josephus, who together have an ulterior motive for wanting the siege to end quickly.Yet the laurels Valerius needs in order to regain his honour cannot be won in the tunnels that run beneath Jerusalem. Only in the heat and blood of battle can he find the glory that brought him the title Hero of Rome.Gaius Valerius Verrens' adventures continue in Saviour of Rome.
The Scramble for China: Foreign Devils in the Qing Empire, 1832-1914
by Robert BickersIn the early nineteenth century China remained almost untouched by British and European powers - but as new technology started to change this balance, foreigners gathered like wolves around the weakening Qing Empire. Would the Chinese suffer the fate of much of the rest of the world, carved into pieces by Europeans? Or could they adapt rapidly enough to maintain their independence?This important and compelling book explains the roots of China's complex relationship with the West by illuminating a dramatic, colourful and sometimes shocking period of the country's history.