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Conjuror's Game
by Catherine FisherAlick is fascinated by Luke Ferris - the Conjuror! Where does he get his strange powers of healing? Why has he got six fingers? What is his connection with the sinister goings-on at the Mere in Halcombe Great Wood?Then Alick follows the Conjuror to the secret chamber under the hillside. There he discovers the ancient game of Fidchell and accidentally removes a key piece in the game - unleashing dark and terrifying forces on to the world.
The Congo and the Cameroons (Great Journeys Ser.)
by Mary KingsleyContemptuous of Europe's 'civilising mission' in Africa, Mary Kingsley's (1862-1900) extraordinary journeys through tropical west Africa are a remarkable record, both of a world which has vanished and of a writer and explorer of immense bravery, wit and humanity. Paddling through mangrove swamps, fending off crocodiles, climbing Mount Cameroon, Kingsley is both admirable and funny.Great Journeys allows readers to travel both around the planet and back through the centuries – but also back into ideas and worlds frightening, ruthless and cruel in different ways from our own. Few reading experiences can begin to match that of engaging with writers who saw astounding things: Great civilisations, walls of ice, violent and implacable jungles, deserts and mountains, multitudes of birds and flowers new to science. Reading these books is to see the world afresh, to rediscover a time when many cultures were quite strange to each other, where legends and stories were treated as facts and in which so much was still to be discovered.
Conflicts Of Interest: Diaries 1977-80
by Tony BennIn this, the fourth volume of Tony Benn’s diaries, the Labour Government continues its fight for survival. Important developments are occurring both at home and internationally. In Britain, Benn as Secretary of State for Energy is directly involved with Windscale and decisions about nuclear power and oil policy. Abroad, the Government is concerned with Carter’s reappraisal of American foreign policy, the overthrow of the Shah of Iran and problems of EEC membership.In the Labour party itself, new forces of radicalism and reform are emerging, resulting in changes in Labour’s policies and the ultimate formation of the SDP.Labour’s unsuccessful economic policy and the widening rift with the labour movement lead to the Winter of Discontent and a near state of emergency. With Labour voters defecting, the scene is set for the Thatcher years.
The Confidence Solution: The essential guide to boosting self-esteem, reducing anxiety and feeling confident
by Chloe BrotheridgeBecome more confident in 2023 with this essential guide from the bestselling author of The Anxiety Solution, renowned hypnotherapist and host of The Calmer You podcast, Chloe Brotheridge'Rebuild your self-esteem with this simple, practical guide to beating anxiety and being brave' GRAZIA'The only way to improve our confidence - in any area of life - is by pushing through our comfort zone . . . This straightforward guide will show you how' Evening Standard, Books to Read for Better Mental Health It's time to be the most confident version of yourself . . . _______ Confidence is not something we either have or don't have - it can be built, and this straightforward guide will show you how. Renowned clinical hypnotherapist and anxiety expert Chloe Brotheridge has helped hundreds of clients with anxiety and low self-confidence, and in this book will use her own stories, scientific research, and the experiences of other women to show you how to: · Feel more confident · Spend less time worrying and people-pleasing · Build self-belief · Reach your full potential · Assertively set boundaries for a happier, healthier you The Confidence Solution reveals how everyone can follow their path to confidence. 'A straightforward guide . . . she uses her own stories, scientific research and the experiences of other women to show her readers how to feel more confident' Stylist Praise for The Anxiety Solution: 'Remarkable, pioneering, could change your life' Daily Mail *Previously published as Brave New Girl*
The Confidence-Man and Billy Budd, Sailor (The\penguin English Library)
by Herman MelvilleWith an essay by Daniel G. Hoffmann.'Life is a pic-nic en costume; one must take a part, assume a character, stand ready in a sensible way to play the fool'In The Confidence-Man, Melville's unnerving and hallucinatory satire on the American dream, a slippery trickster and master of disguise comes to swindle his fellow passengers - who themselves may also be con-men - aboard a Mississippi steamboat. Billy Budd, Sailor, published after Melville's death in 1891, is a gripping allegory of good and evil, as an innocent man, pressed into service on a British man-of-war, is falsely accused of mutiny. Both these late works are animated with the dark genius of the greatest of American writers.The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.
The Confidence-man: His Masquerade (The\penguin English Library)
by Herman MelvilleOnboard the Fidèle, a steamboat floating down the Mississippi to New Orleans, a confidence man sets out to defraud his fellow passengers. In quick succession he assumes numerous guises - from a legless beggar and a worldly businessman to a collector for charitable causes and a 'cosmopolitan' gentleman, who simply swindles a barber out of the price of a shave. Making very little from his hoaxes, the pleasure of trickery seems an end in itself for this slippery conman. Is he the Devil? Is his chicanery merely intended to expose the mercenary concerns of those around him? Set on April Fool's Day, The Confidence-Man (1857) is an engaging comedy of masquerades, digressions and shifting identity, and a devastating satire on the American dream.
The Confidence Man
by Leon GarfieldThe Confidence Man follows 14-year-old Hans Ruppert and a band of Protestants as they leave their home town and seek peace and freedom from Persecution in the New World. They are led by a mysterious hussar, who has offered to lead then to safety. To Hans he is a fascinating figure, but to the others he is a swindler, likely to abandon them at any moment.
Cut-Throat: The Vicious World of Rod McLean - Mercenary, Gun-Runner and International Drug Baron
by Wayne ThallonFact is often stranger than fiction, and when Rod McLean, an escaped drug baron and alleged MI6 agent, was mysteriously found dead in a London flat after two months on the run, even Hollywood couldn't have scripted it better.McLean had only served seven years of his twenty-eight-year sentence he received following a 1996 sting operation off the Caithness coast in which a Customs officer lost his life. Despite being described as one of the most ruthless and important figures on the country's drug scene, McLean had found his security status downgraded from Category A to D and had been transferred to HMP Leyhill, an open prison which had seen 82 prisoners escape in 2002 alone. Shortly after the media had accused the security services of helping him to escape, McLean was found – dead. But not only did it take the Metropolitan Police 29 days to make the news public, it also took them that long to inform Avon and Somerset - the very police force who were still trying to recapture him. Why? Who was McLean and what made him so important? So important, in fact, that the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, had been compelled to order a report into his disappearance, much of which remains secret to this day. Cut-Throat is a truly unique account of Rod McLean's life and death, told in the first person using material from McLean's own hand. Whether as a mercenary in the Congo, an armed robber in Newcastle or as an international drug-smuggler and gun-runner who operated where few others have dared, McLean will take you through his life as he struggles against the darkest realms of humanity and himself until the very end, an end which overshadows the greatest secret of all – not of how he died, but of how he lived.
The Customs of the Kingdoms of India (Great Journeys Ser.)
by Marco PoloAs Marco Polo (1254-1324) returned home across the Indian Ocean, after years in the service of Genghis Khan, he picked up a fabulous array of stories from sailors and merchants, about the peoples of the region, some reliable, some wholly implausible, but all fascinating.Great Journeys allows readers to travel both around the planet and back through the centuries – but also back into ideas and worlds frightening, ruthless and cruel in different ways from our own. Few reading experiences can begin to match that of engaging with writers who saw astounding things: Great civilisations, walls of ice, violent and implacable jungles, deserts and mountains, multitudes of birds and flowers new to science. Reading these books is to see the world afresh, to rediscover a time when many cultures were quite strange to each other, where legends and stories were treated as facts and in which so much was still to be discovered.
Customs Of The Country
by Rupert ThomasThe year is 1924. James Cardell has just left school and is preparing for Oxford. However, before the strict routine of university life begins, he is allowed to spend the summer holidays with his cousins in a tiny village in the Kent countryside. There he can pursue his frowned-upon love for painting, and begin to explore his secret obsession with the male physique. Through his cousin's guidance and the mysterious activities of the village lads, James comes to discover the pleasures of his forbidden impulses. There is one boy in particular whom he longs to possess - the beautiful, muscular Gabriel. Before long, they both find themselves entwined within a web of youthful folly and dark erotic initiation.
Customer Is King: How to Exceed Their Expectations
by Robert CravenUpdated eBook editionWhat happens to your customers when you do business with them? Customer is King helps you to approach the problem from the point of view of the clients and work towards the level of customer satisfaction that makes them come back to you again and again.Practical and packed full of easy-to-understand advice, you'll find:* checklists and worksheets* case studies of real businesses* frequently asked questions
Curt: The Alan Curtis Story
by Alan Curtis Stuart Sprake Tim JohnsonWelsh footballer Alan Curtis is synonymous with Swansea City, having played for the club during three different spells, but he also played for Leeds United, Southampton and Cardiff City, and won thirty-five caps for his country during an action-packed playing career that spanned two decades. Alan experienced the highs of the game at the top level with Swansea during their meteoric rise through all four divisions to reach the top flight, but this success came after he'd experienced the low of the Swans having to apply for re-election to the Football League in 1975.In this eventful autobiography, Alan recounts the topsy-turvy turns his career has taken, including a disappointing spell at Leeds United in 1979-80. He was the club's most expensive signing ever at the time, but a nasty clash with Peter Shilton left him sidelined for nine months. Determined to prove his critics wrong and overcome his injury, he played some of the best football of his career upon returning to Swansea, before moving to Southampton in 1983 to help the club challenge the Merseyside dominance of the time.Since his playing career wound down in 1987, Alan has remained in the game as a coach with both Swansea City and Wales, giving back to the game the wisdom and experience he garnered during his years as a player. In Curt, Alan reflects upon his colourful career, highlights just how much the beautiful game has changed since his playing days and explains why he's living proof that nice guys don't always finish second.
The Currabinny Cookbook
by James Kavanagh William MurrayCookbook of the Year, Irish Book Awards 2018Irish Times Best Cookbooks 2018'The book exudes a love of food . . . there are lots of good things to explore inside' Darina Allen, Irish ExaminerIn five years of selling at farmers' markets and hosting dining events and pop-ups, James Kavanagh and William Murray's food business, Currabinny, has grown a huge fanbase. James and William celebrate traditional ingredients (butter, cream, sea salt and the best of fresh and local produce), give them a modern twist, and always produce indulgent delicious dishes.The Currabinny Cookbook includes their favourite recipes, including: - BREAKFAST IDEAS: Macroom Oatmeal with Saturn Peaches, Pomegranate & Raw Honey - SUMPTUOUS SUPPERS: Rustic Rye Galette with Leeks and Fennel and Goats Cheese - SWEET TREATS: Apple, Rosemary & Buttermilk Cake and Fresh Blueberry Pie with Lemon Curd CreamThis book is a one-stop bible of delicious, comforting and irresistible recipes.'Has set the foodie world on fire . . . it's easy to see why. Easy to make but jam-packed with flavour. We're obsessed' WellFest blog'A handsome collection of recipes using traditional, seasonal ingredients, given a contemporary slant' Irish Times'A lovely book of recipes' Sunday Times'The book is a beauty to behold, packed with the best of Irish seasonal products in recipes given a novel and contemporary touch' Irish Examiner
The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo
by Catherine JohnsonShortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2016, this is a very curious tale indeed . . . Out of the blue arrives an exotic young woman from a foreign land. Fearless and strong, 'Princess' Caraboo rises above the suspicions of the wealthy family who take her in. But who is the real Caraboo?In a world where it seems everyone is playing a role, could she be an ordinary girl with a tragic past? Is she a confidence trickster? Or is she the princess everyone wants her to be?This the tale of the ultimate historical hustle, steeped in delectable romance. Whoever Caraboo turns out to be, she will steal your heart . . .
Curious Pleasures: A Gentleman's Collection of Beastliness
by The Reverend Dr Eramus St Jude Croom DDThe best libraries in Victorian Britain kept this tome under lock and key, permitting access only to doctors and professors. Scotland Yard had a copy in their reference library, and even Sherlock Holmes may have had recourse to a copy in certain investigations. In private collections across the English speaking world, it was kept on top shelves, or safely stowed in locked cabinets, beyond the reach of minors, domestics and spouses. Any woman who gazed upon its pages was said to have fainted away. The church campaigned to have it banned and the German translation was burned at Nuremberg. Many antiquarian book sellers believe the book to have been a myth, others claimed it changed hands at enormous cost, and some are certain all original copies are now lost. But Curious Pleasures does exist and is back in print - nearly a century since it's last apocryphal edition. This encyclopaedic treasure of adult pleasures, dysfunctions and unacceptable female behaviour has been fully restored with the original illustrations intact. In modern hands, this forbidden work of scholarly madness will prove hilarious.
A Curious Guide to London
by Simon LeylandFrom petticoat duels and lucky cats to the Stiffs Express, Lord Nelson's spare nose, the Piccadilly earthquake and the Great Beer Flood of 1814, A Curious Guide to London takes you on a captivating, wildly entertaining tour of the city you think you know, unearthing the capital's secrets and commemorating its rich, colourful and unusual history. Brimming with tales of London's forgotten past, its strangest traditions and its most eccentric inhabitants, this book celebrates the unique, the unusual and the unknown. Perfect for tourists, day-trippers, commuters and the millions of people who call London home, this alternative guidebook will make you look at the city in a whole new light.
Cure Your Phobia in 24 Hours: Confront your fears and achieve your full potential
by Richard ReidBurst through the fear!Is your fear of flying preventing you from taking that life changing holiday? Are you terrified of leaving the house in case you run into a dog? Do you plan your day around avoiding your fears?If your fear, phobia or anxiety is taking over your life and stopping you from living the way you want, then Cure Your Phobia in 24 Hours is here to help. Through carefully honed techniques and strategies, psychotherapist and CBT expert Richard Reid will unlock your true inner potential. As well as overcoming your immediate fear or phobia in record time by expanding your comfort zone in a step-by-step plan, Richard will also help you build long term strategies, teaching you to discredit negative thinking and grow confidence to be the fearless person you’ve always want to be.Reassuring, warm and hugely practical, with accessible guides for every phobia from Agoraphobia to Ornithophobia, advice on how to manage anxiety and panic attacks and easy-to-use, practical guidance to help you on your journey, Richard will be with you every step of the way.In Sky’s Extreme Phobias, Extreme Cures, Richard helped dozens of people overcome their greatest fears in a matter of hours. With his help, in just 24 hours you too can be phobia-free and ready to grab life with both hands.
Cupid's Dart
by David NobbsAlan and Ange are on a train, heading for London. Alan is a philosophy lecturer, still a virgin at fifty-five; Ange a twenty-something, horoscope reading, darts groupie. They certainly don't expect their first casual meeting to lead to anything, but it does. Seizing the day, as they pull into Euston station, Alan asks Ange out to dinner and so begins the unlikeliest of liaisons. As they get to know each other, they are initiated into each other's worlds. From the claustrophobic confines of an Oxford College to the heady excitement of a big dart's match; from Liebfraumilch to Wittgenstein and everything in between. They even travel to Rome seeing many wonderful things as Alan learns to live for the moment and Ange to appreciate the finer things in life. But can they survive their differences in age and background? Are Alan's feelings the stuff of obsession and infatuation or is this true love? And what sort of philosopher is he if he cannot define and understand love? Told through the voice of Alan, this touching and hilarious story is much more than a tale about an unlikely couple. Ultimately, it is a story about the nature of love.
The Cupboard Under the Stairs: A Boy Trapped in Hell...
by Paul MasonPaul Mason’s father was a policeman. He was also a member of a sadistic paedophile ring. He would keep Paul locked up and naked in a tiny cupboard under the stairs of their home before sexually abusing him. This cycle of abuse continued for several years and also affected his brother. The cupboard became a horrific prison where fear and terror filled his every moment.The Cupboard Under the Stairs is a story of abuse at the mercy of adults whom Paul should have been able to trust. There followed a life almost destroyed by their actions. It is the harrowing story of one man’s fight for justice and an end to the horrific memories that still haunt him daily.
Diamond (Hetty Feather #4)
by Jacqueline WilsonDiamond wasn't always a star. Born to penniless parents who longed for a strong, healthy son, she was a dainty, delicate daughter - and a bitter disappointment.Discovering an extraordinary gift for acrobatics, Diamond uses her talent to earn a few pennies, but brings shame on her family. When a mysterious, cruel-eyed stranger spots her performing, Diamond is sold - and is taken to become an acrobat at Tanglefield's Travelling Circus.The crowds adore Diamond, but life behind the velvet curtains is far from glamorous. Her wicked master forces Diamond to attempt ever more daring tricks, until she is terrified to step into the ring. But there are true friends to be found, too: the gentle Mister Marvel; the kindly Madame Adeline; and the glorious Emerald Star, Tanglefield's brand-new ringmaster, and Diamond's heroine.When life at the circus becomes too dangerous to bear any longer, what will the future hold for Diamond? And will her beloved Emerald be a part of it?Enter the amazing world of Hetty Feather and follow her adventures throughout the series:1. Hetty Feather2. Sapphire Battersea3. Emerald Star4. Diamond
Cunning Women: A feminist tale of forbidden love after the witch trials
by Elizabeth LeeONE OF GRAZIA'S BEST BOOKS OF 2021'I loved it. Atmospheric and so good' MARIAN KEYES 'A dark, bewitching and captivating read that had my heart in my mouth by the ending' JENNIFER SAINT, author of ARIADNELancashire, 1620. Young Sarah Haworth and her family live as outcasts. They are 'cunning folk', feared by the local villagers by day, but called upon under cover of darkness for healing balms and spells.Against the odds, love blossoms when Sarah meets Daniel, the local farmer's son.But when a new magistrate arrives to investigate a spate of strange deaths, his gaze inevitably turns to Sarah and her family. In a world where cunning women are forced into darkness by powerful men, can Sarah reckon with her fate to protect all she holds dear?'Fans of intensely atmospheric historical fiction will love this' STYLIST'Elizabeth Lee's debut novel is timely in its depiction of hysteria and persecution, and beautifully evokes a historical period poised between dark ignorance and long-overdue enlightenment' OBSERVER'Wonderfully original . . . devastating . . . and fabulously atmospheric' ELODIE HARPER, author of THE WOLF DEN
Culture and Anarchy and Other Selected Prose
by Matthew Arnold'One has often wondered whether upon the whole earth there is anything so unintelligent, so unapt to perceive how the world is really going, as an ordinary young Englishman of our upper class' Poet, education reformer, social theorist and passionate critic of Victorian England, Matthew Arnold condemned an industrial society in 'bondage to machinery' and argued instead that the wonder and joy of culture - in particular the 'sweetness and light' of classical civilization - were essential to human life. The other pieces here, on literary criticism, schools, France, journalism and democracy, form a powerful call to arms from a writer who believed that the English needed to be taught not what to think, but how to think. Edited with an introduction by P. J. Keating.
Culloden Tales: Stories from Scotland's Most Famous Battlefield
by Hugh G. AllisonCulloden was the last battle on British soil. It marked the end of clan culture and was the harbinger of the Highland Clearances. It ensured the inevitability of the American Revolution and increased the outpouring of Scots across the globe. It is the only battle that British Army regiments are not permitted to include in their battle honours; the only battle that Bonnie Prince Charlie ever lost; and the only battle that the Duke of Cumberland ever won.Culloden is a battlefield, a graveyard and an iconic site that draws people from all parts of the world. And as they come, they bring with them their stories and their father's father's stories. These stories tell of civil war, of love, of the unexpected and even of the supernatural. They are peopled by the second-sighted, by clan chiefs and by others who have kept family secrets for centuries.The battlefield is a poignant location, resonant with past deeds and emotive memories. These Culloden tales are offered as a unique record to the power of the place.
Culloden: Battle & Aftermath
by Paul O'Keeffe'Excellent... It is a tremendous tale - one of the most dramatic in our island's history - and O'Keeffe tells it beautifully' The TimesCharles Edward Stuart's campaign to seize the British throne ended with one of the quickest defeats in history: on 16 April 1746, at Culloden, his Jacobite army was overpowered in under forty minutes. Its brutal repercussions, however, endured for years, its legacy for centuries.Paul O'Keeffe follows the Jacobite army from initial victories to calamitous defeat. Exploring the battle's aftermath, he chronicles the Jacobite prisoners paying for their treason on block and gibbet while those granted 'the King's mercy' suffered the fate of forced labour on plantations in the colonies. While Stuart's cause eventually acquired an aura of romanticism, the Jacobite Rising remains one of the most bloody and divisive conflicts in British domestic history, which resonates to this day.'Detailed, vivid - and not for the faint-hearted' Financial Times'Fascinating, meticulously researched... tremendous' Daily Mail'Intensely readable... and vividly written' Neal Ascherson, London Review of Books
Cucumber Man: (Henry Pratt) (Henry Pratt #1)
by David NobbsIt is 1957. The Suez Crisis has been and gone. Henry Pratt has completed his National Service and is putting his unsuccessful career as Thurmarsh's cub journalist behind him. Leaving Yorkshire, he's taking on a new role and a new challenge - working for the Cucumber Marketing Board in Leeds.Stumbling through the fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties, Henry Pratt accumulates jobs, marriages and children on the way as he embarks on a touching, painful and hilarious switchback ride through a divided Britain.