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A Sackful of Limericks
by Michael PalinIf you've ever wondered what happened to the young fellow from Malta who bought his grandfather an altar…If you're concerned about the camper called Jack who found a huge snake in his pack…And if you suspect that an eccentric landowner called Grey spent Christmas a very strange way but aren't sure precisely what that entailed…Then a dip into Michael Palin's Sackful of Limericks will provide all the answers – and a lot of fun besides.
The Sack Race: The Story of Football's Gaffers
by Chris GreenThe future of football management is a hot topic of debate. An unprecedented spate of sackings in the 2001-02 season and the manner of many of the dismissals filled the back pages. There has even been talk of managers going on strike to defend their ill-treated colleagues. Packed with big names and exclusive stories, The Sack Race challenges the sanitised picture of football management portrayed in glossy autobiographies. It lays bare a profession where pressure to obtain results is immense and the tolerance of failure is low. Despite football's supposed professionalism, we learn that 'The Gaffer' is often an ill-prepared ex-player who has hopped onto the managerial merry-go-round more as a perceived 'character' than a qualified coach. This remarkable book traces the development of the football manager's role, offers a critique of the way the game trains its coaches for management and raises valid concerns about the suitability of their employers - the directors whose impatience creates a climate of fear and insecurity. Finally, it asks the controversial question - does 'The Gaffer' have a future?
The Sabre's Edge: (The Matthew Hervey Adventures: 5):A gripping, action-packed military adventure from bestselling author Allan Mallinson (Matthew Hervey #5)
by Allan MallinsonThe Sunday Times bestselling author Allan Mallinson, brings us another enthralling Matthew Hervey adventure. If you like Patrick O'Brian, Bernard Cornwell and CS Forester, you will love this!"What a hero! What an author! What a book! A joy for the lover of adventure and military buff alike" -- LYN MACDONALD, THE TIMES"Splendid...the tale is as historically stimulating as it is stirringly exciting" -- ANDREW ROBERTS, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH"Impeccably researched and rooted in both time and place" -- ***** Reader review"A thrilling tale" -- ***** Reader review"Allan Malinson tells an absorbing tale and gives a wonderful insight into life at that time." -- ***** Reader review********************************************************************India, 1824: Matthew Hervey and the 6th Light Dragoons are stationed in India, where conflagration looks set to flair.The usurper prince, Durjan Sal, has taken refuge in the infamous fortress of Bhurtpore. A deep ditch, which can be flooded at a moment's notice, runs round it - and as its notorious Tower of Victory - built with the skulls of defeated men - bears witness, it has withstood all attacks made on it.Until now. Hot and dangerous work lies ahead for Matthew Hervey and his courageous troop who know their fortunes will be decided by the sabre's edge.A Sabre's Edge is the fifth book in Allan Mallinson's Matthew Hervey series. His adventures continue in Rumours of War. Have you read his previous adventures A Close Run Thing, The Nizam's Daughters, A Regimental Affair and A Call to Arms?
Sabre Squadron
by Cameron SpenceWith the outbreak of Gulf War hostilities a unit from 22 SAS slipped quietly over the border and into the enemy's backyard. It would be six weeks before any of the patrol again reached safety.Sabre Squadron recounts in graphic detail their scud-busting operations deep inside Iraq. They were operating alone and out of reach of reinforcements, with the threat of detection and its fatal consequences ever present. Yet their determination to wreak havoc behind enemy lines remained undimmed, culminating in an attack that decisively reconfirmed the regiment's awesome reputation.Cameron Spence, a senior NCO on the operation, takes you as close to the fighting SAS as you are ever likely to get, conveying the relentless tension, black humour and camaraderie punctuated by explosive, nerve-shredding action that characterized the mission.This is the true story of an SAS operation of breathtaking audacity and flair, carried out under unimaginable pressure, in the face of impossible odds._____________'A brilliantly authentic account of war with an SAS patrol, it's a fantastic read' - ANDY MCNAB, bestselling author of Bravo Two Zero'Tense and at times terrifying... a well told action story' - SUNDAY TELEGRAPH'A terrific read' - THE TIMES'Blood, guts and military macho - as authentic as anything you are likely to read' - MAIL ON SUNDAY
Sabor: Flavours from a Spanish Kitchen
by Nieves Barragan MohachoNieves Barragán Mohacho is the renowned Spanish chef behind London's Michelin star restaurant Sabor.In her cookbook Sabor (meaning flavour in Spanish), the Basque-born chef shares the food that she likes to cook when she's off duty; the food that she grew up eating and the food that she still makes for friends and family.The recipes range from hearty dishes such as braised Iberian pork ribs and chorizo and potato stew, to lighter fare such as seafood skewers, clams in salsa verde and stuffed piquillo peppers, and a wealth of other recipes, from grilled hispi cabbage to baked cauliflower with salted almonds, chilli and shallots.'These are the sort of recipes that I can't wait to cook: honest, rugged and colourful, you know everything is going to taste deeply Spanish' Rick Stein
'S' - A Story Of Submission
by Philippa MastersWhen Margaret answers an advert which seems to promise an escape from her dull life, little does she realise that her fantasies of total submission are soon to be fulfilled. Becoming 'S', she enters into a hidden world of domination, subservience and discipline, in which she is punished for enjoying orgasms without permission and forced to perform humiliating tasks she secretly finds highly arousing.With the help of expert disciplinarians she explores the furthest bounds of her sexuality, finally realising the depravity of her darkest desires.Philippa Masters is the author of the highly popular Lydia series.
Ruthless (Scott & Bailey #3)
by Cath StaincliffeA community on the brink.An abandoned chapel burns. In this part of Manchester, destruction is not unusual. But this time, the body of a man lies inside.And it's down to Scott and Bailey to save them all...Detective Constable Rachel Bailey is struggling to come to terms with huge change, just as her partner, DC Janet Scott grapples with a horrifying tragedy. But they must put aside their own troubles if they are to solve this murder investigation. Especially when a second building goes up in flames...
Ruth
by Elizabeth GaskellRuth Hilton is an orphaned young seamstress who catches the eye of a gentleman, Henry Bellingham, who is captivated by her simplicity and beauty. When she loses her job and home, he offers her comfort and shelter, only to cruelly desert her soon after. Nearly dead with grief and shame, Ruth is offered the chance of a new life among people who give her love and respect, even though they are at first unaware of her secret - an illegitimate child. When Henry enters her life again, however, Ruth must make the impossible choice between social acceptance and personal pride. In writing Ruth, Elizabeth Gaskell daringly confronted prevailing views about sin and illegitimacy with her compassionate and honest portrait of a 'fallen woman'.
A Rusty Gun
by Noel 'Razor' SmithAs a gun-wielding bank robber, Noel 'Razor' Smith was top of the criminal tree, enjoying the excitement and benefits of a dangerous and adrenalin-filled career. But he'd also spent the greater part of his adult life in prison, an environment where respect and basic survival were guaranteed only to those prepared to use the most brutal violence. In his new book, Smith takes the story on from his highly acclaimed memoir A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun, and describes how he came to realize that the game wasn't worth the candle. In his mid-forties he applied to enter Grendon, then the only prison in Britain offering intense therapeutic treatment to hardened criminals. He went from a brutal high-security prison, HMP Whitemoor, to an institution where he was encouraged to investigate just why his life had been given over to violence and crime. Smith paints an unforgettable portrait of the hardened and severely damaged inmates of Grendon, many of them guilty of famous crimes, and their attempts to turn round their lives. And in particular his own arduous five-year journey to re-enter society as a straight citizen.
Russian Thinkers
by Isaiah BerlinFew, if any, English-language critics have written as perceptively as Isaiah Berlin about Russian thought and culture. Russian Thinkers is his unique meditation on the impact that Russia's outstanding writers and philosophers had on its culture. In addition to Tolstoy's philosophy of history, which he addresses in his most famous essay, 'The Hedgehog and the Fox,' Berlin considers the social and political circumstances that produced such men as Herzen, Bakunin, Turgenev, Belinsky, and others of the Russian intelligentsia, who made up, as Berlin describes, 'the largest single Russian contribution to social change in the world.'
Russian Short Stories from Pushkin to Buida
by Robert ChandlerFrom the reign of the Tsars in the early 19th century to the collapse of the Soviet Union and beyond, the short story has long occupied a central place in Russian culture. Included are pieces from many of the acknowledged masters of Russian literature - including Pushkin, Turgenev, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Solzhenitsyn - alongside tales by long-suppressed figures such as the subversive Kryzhanowsky and the surrealist Shalamov. Whether written in reaction to the cruelty of the bourgeoisie, the bureaucracy of communism or the torture of the prison camps, they offer a wonderfully wide-ranging and exciting representation of one of the most vital and enduring forms of Russian literature.
Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov
by Robert Chandler, Elizabeth Chandler, Sibelan Forrester, Anna Gunin and Olga Meerson Olga Meerson'She turned into a frog, into a lizard, into all kinds of other reptiles and then into a spindle'In these tales, young women go on long and difficult quests, wicked stepmothers turn children into geese and tsars ask dangerous riddles, with help or hindrance from magical dolls, cannibal witches, talking skulls, stolen wives, and brothers disguised as wise birds. Half the tales here are true oral tales, collected by folklorists during the last two centuries, while the others are reworkings of oral tales by four great Russian writers: Alexander Pushkin, Nadezhda Teffi, Pavel Bazhov and Andrey Platonov. In his introduction to these new translations, Robert Chandler writes about the primitive magic inherent in these tales and the taboos around them, while in the afterword, Sibelan Forrester discusses the witch Baba Yaga. This edition also includes an appendix, bibliography and notes. Translated by Robert Chandler and Elizabeth ChandlerWith Sibelan Forrester, Anna Gunin and Olga Meerson
Russian Émigré Short Stories from Bunin to Yanovsky
by Bryan KaretnykSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 READ RUSSIA PRIZE Imagine that many of Russia's greatest writers of the twentieth century were entirely unknown in the West, and only recently discovered in Russia itself. Strange as it may seem, it is in fact true, and their rediscovery is setting the literary world alight. Names such as Gaito Gazdanov and Vasily Yanovsky have excited great interest in Russia, and with stories of gambling, drug abuse, love, death, suicide, madness, espionage, glittering high society and the seedy underworld of Europe's capitals, their appeal is extremely broad. Many of these writers' works are only now being published in Russia for the first time, alongside those of leading contemporary authors - and to great critical acclaim. And we aren't just talking about two or three obscure authors; there are, quite literally, dozens of them.
Rural Rides: In The Counties Of Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Hants, Berks, Oxford, Bucks, Wilts, Somerset, Gloucester, Hereford, Salop, Worcester,j Stafford
by William CobbettTravelling on horseback through southern England in the early 19th century, William Cobbett provides evocative and accurate descriptions of the countryside, colourful accounts of his encounters with labourers, and indignant outbursts at the encroaching cities and the sufferings of the exploited poor. Ian Dyck's new edition places these lively accounts of rural life in the context of Cobbett's political and social beliefs and reveals the volume as his platform for rural radical reform.
Rupert of Hentzau
by Anthony HopeRudolf Rassendyll, having heroically saved the kingdom of Ruritania and nobly given up the hand of the beautiful Princess Flavia, has returned to his normal life in England. But when, three years later, Flavia, now the unhappily married Queen of Ruritania, sends him a love letter, it is stolen by the exiled villain Rupert Hentzau. Rudolf’s former adversary has been waiting for the chance to have his revenge, and this provides the perfect opportunity to stir up trouble. Rudolf must return to the troubled kingdom to defeat Hentzau, where he is embroiled once more in a world of deception, intrigue, deadly swordfights and torn loyalties. With the stakes higher than ever, will he pay the ultimate price?
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: The Official Companion
by Christian GuiltenaneRuPaul's Drag Race UK returns to our screens with a stellar cast of incredible Queens ready to slay the runway.Discover the secrets of the Werk Room and get all the gossip backstage in exclusive interviews with the Queens. Take on mini challenges, learn the secret to a killer Snatch Game performance, and re-live the most iconic moments of RuPaul's Drag Race UK so far with stories from the Queens of the show. With special features, play-along games, secrets and trivia, this is your perfect companion to the Drag Race extravaganza! Remember kids, reading is fundamental!
Running The World: My World-Record-Breaking Adventure to Run a Marathon in Every Country on Earth
by Nick Butter'Superb - a great book to fuel your wanderlust.' Mark Beaumont'The ultimate running book, showcasing the ultimate running adventure.' Sean Conway---In 2019, Nick Butter became the first person to run a marathon in every country on Earth. This is Nick's story of his world record-breaking adventure and the extraordinary people who joined him along the way.On January 6th 2018, Nick Butter tied his laces and stepped out on to an icy pavement in Toronto, where he began to take the first steps of an epic journey that would see him run 196 marathons in every one of the world's 196 countries. Spending almost two years on the road and relying on the kindness of strangers to keep him moving, Nick's odyssey allowed him to travel slowly, on foot, immersing himself in the diverse cultures and customs of his host nations.Running through capital cities and deserts, around islands and through spectacular landscapes, Nick dodges bullets in Guinea-Bissau, crosses battlefields in Syria, survives a wild dog attack in Tunisia and runs around an erupting volcano in Guatemala. Along the way, he is often joined by local supporters and fellow runners, curious children and bemused passers-by. Telling their stories alongside his own, Nick captures the unique spirit of each place he visits and forges a new relationship with the world around him.Running the World captures Nick's journey as he sets three world records and covers over five thousand miles. As he recounts his adventures, he shares his unique perspective on our glorious planet, celebrates the diversity of human experience, and reflects on the overwhelming power of running.
Running with the Krays: My Life in London's Gangland
by Billy WebbRunning with the Krays lifts the liid off London's underworld, from street gangs and race-course con games to protection rackets, beatings, maimings, intimidation and even murders. It reveals elements of police corruption and provides insights into the interdependence of both sides of the underworld scene - a compelling and gruesome account of how the other half of London lives.Born in wartime London's east end, Billy Webb grew up in the violence of air-raids and street warfare. His first weapon was a knuckleduster which he had made to measure for the price of five cigarettes when he was 11. When he first met the Krays they were scraping a living by doorknocking for old clothes to be sold in street markets. For three years he and the twins were on the run together as army deserters, and over the course of time, he was a friend, ally and foe of the Krays in their violent rise to fame.
Running with the Firm
by James Bannon'Of course I'm a f**king hooligan, you pr**k. I am a hooligan...there I've said it...I'm a hooligan. And, do you know why? Because that's my f**king job.'In 1995, a film called I.D., about an ambitious young copper who was sent undercover to track down the ‘generals’ of a football hooligan gang, achieved cult status for its sheer brutality and unsettling insight into the dark and often bloody side of the so-called beautiful game.The film was so shocking it was hard to believe the mindless events that took place could ever happen in the real world. Well, believe it now...Almost twenty years on, the man behind the film has explosively revealed that the script was largely a true story. That man, James Bannon, was the ambitious undercover cop. The football club was Millwall F.C. and the gang that he infiltrated was The Bushwackers, among the most brutal and fearless in English football. In Running with the Firm, Bannon shares his intense and dangerous journey into the underworld of football hooliganism where sickening levels of violence prevail over anything else. He introduces you to the hardest thugs from football’s most notorious gangs, tells all about the secret and almost comical police operations that were meant to bring them down, and, how once you’re on the inside, getting out from the mob proves to be the biggest mission of all.A disturbing but compelling read, this is the book that proves fact really is stranger than fiction.
Running Free: A Runner’s Journey Back to Nature
by Richard AskwithShortlisted for the 2015 Thwaites Wainwright prize for nature writing Richard Askwith wanted more. Not convinced running had to be all about pounding pavements, buying fancy kit and racking up extreme challenges, he looked for ways to liberate himself. His solution: running through muddy fields and up rocky fells, running with his dog at dawn, running because he's being (voluntarily) chased by a pack of bloodhounds, running to get hopelessly, enjoyably lost, running fast for the sheer thrill of it. Running as nature intended. Part diary of a year running through the Northamptonshire countryside, part exploration of why we love to run without limits, Running Free is an eloquent and inspiring account of running in a forgotten, rural way, observing wildlife and celebrating the joys of nature.An opponent of the commercialisation of running, Askwith offers a welcome alternative, with practical tips (learned the hard way) on how to both start and keep running naturally – from thawing frozen toes to avoiding a stampede when crossing a field of cows. Running Free is about getting back to the basics of why we love to run.
Running for Gold
by Owen SlotEveryone knows Danny Powell was born to run. But no one knows Danny dreams of beating the fastest man on the planet. Until one day Danny accidentally lets it slip, and that's it. His ambition is out there - and everyone's laughing at him. Except, what if Danny could be the next 100m world champion? With the Olympic Games on his doorstep, there's only one way to find out. Will Danny's family and friends cheer him over that finishing line - and watch his dream come true?** From an award-winning chief sports reporter for The Times. Owen will be reporting on the Olympics for The Times, lending even more authority as the author of this series in the lead-up to the Games.** The 100m mens final is the one of the most popular Olympic events, and Running for Gold features non-fiction facts and figures woven into an inspiring fictional story.
Running Blind (DI Helen Grace Novellas #2)
by M. J. ArlidgeNew to the police force, WPC Helen Grace is assigned to her first clear-cut case. Sure there's something sinister beneath the surface, Helen has a bad feeling . . . but who's going to take the word of a rookie?Running Blind is an exclusive eBook novella featuring DI Helen Grace, from bestselling author M. J. Arlidge.Fresh out of Police College, 18-year-old WPC Helen Grace is the first to arrive on the scene of a fatal collision. Her colleagues see nothing amiss, convinced that the young man's death was a tragic accident. But Helen is not so sure. Who is their mystery victim? Why would he risk life and limb running across a busy highway? And what might he have been running from?There's a dark secret lurking amid the quiet fields of Hampshire, one that Helen is determined to uncover.In this ebook novella, rookie Helen Grace discovers what it's like to be a woman in a man's world, facing impossible odds as she races against time to save vulnerable lives.
Running Away
by Leslie ThomasWritten with the characteristic wit and good humour, Leslie Thomas's novel tells the story of a grown man who runs away from home, and the adventures that befall him in his quest for a new lease of life. His latest love affair discovered (thanks to an observant fifteen-year-old daughter who points out the still-wet suds of expensive soap lingering in his ear), bestselling author Nicholas Boulting sets off amid a torrent of abuse to see what else life can offer. After his fantasy escape to Luxor turns into a nighmarish excursion to Malaga, Nicholas returns hastily to London. He moves into a flat in Little Venice with Sol Solomon, a sex-mad writer of dubious reputation, and sits down to write his next novel, Owls of Desperation. Full of the qualities we have come to expect from his novels, Running Away is Leslie Thomas's eminently readable and enjoyable story of one man's mid-life crisis.
The Runner
by Keith GrayJason has had enough of his parents' arguments. He's running away to stay with his brother in Liverpool. On the train journey he meets a 'runner' called Jam, who lives on the monster Intercity trains and stations. His carefree and adventurous life sounds so exciting that Jason begins to think he might join Jam. Then Jason discovers Jam's secret.
The Runaways
by Megan Rix*2015 RED HOUSE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD SHORTLISTED AUTHOR*A brand new animal adventure for 8+ readers set during World War One from classic-in-the-making and bestselling author, Megan Rix. Perfect for fans of Michael Morpurgo and Sarah Lean.Two friends, fighting their way home . . . SHANTI and her calf TARA are beautiful circus elephants. HARVEY is the faithful old collie who leads the show.In war they will perform their most death-defying trick yet.When the First World War seizes Europe, Cullen's Circus is forced to close. The men are sent to fight and the animals are torn apart from their keepers, and each other. But while Shanti must help on a farm, it's little Tara who faces a far worse fate. . . Separated too soon from her mother, Tara's life is in danger. Only old, brave Harvey can bring them back together. And so side-by-side, dog and elephant set out on an extraordinary journey across the English countryside - but can the unlikely friends find Shanti in time?Praise for Megan Rix:'If you love Michael Morpurgo, you will enjoy this' Sunday Express'A moving tale told with warmth, kindliness and lashings of good sense that lovers of Dick King-Smith will especially appreciate' The Times 'Every now and then a writer comes along with a unique way of storytelling. Meet Megan Rix . . . her novels are deeply moving and will strike a chord with animal lovers.' LoveReading'A perfect story for animal lovers and lovers of adventure stories' Travelling Book CompanyAlso available by Megan Rix:The Great Escape, The Victory Dogs, The Bomber Dog, A Soldier's Friend and The Hero Pup