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Saddle The Wind: an unmissable and powerful West Country saga of passion and pain guaranteed to capture your heart
by Jess FoleyLet much loved author Jess Foley sweep you away with this beautifully breathtaking saga of one woman's search for love and fulfilment. Fans of Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Katie Flynn will absolutely love this.'An earthy tale of love, longing and tragedy' -- Swindon Evening Advertiser'Dramatic and satisfying' -- Iris Gower'Compulsive and well-paced' -- Wiltshire Times'This is the most moving story I have read in a very long time' -- ***** Reader review'A truly excellent, memorable read' -- ***** Reader review'I just couldn't put it down' -- ***** Reader review************************************************************************BORN INTO POVERTY, RAISED IN RICHES. WHERE DOES SHE BELONG?When little Blanche is born in a small village in the West Country - the fifth child of an impoverished labourer - the future appears bleak. Then one fateful day Blanche's mother is requested at the 'big house' to nurse Marianne, the motherless daughter of John Savill. The two girls, so different in their hopes, are brought up together caring for each other as sisters.As she grows over, Blanche is torn between her roots and her desire for a life of wealth and ease.Her friendship with Marianne remains the one constant in her life but when she meets Marianne's intended husband, tragic consequences await them all.
The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of Britain 660-1649
by N A RodgerThroughout Britain's history, one factor above all others has determined the fate of the nation: its navy. N. A. M. Rodger's definitive account reveals how the political and social progress of Britain has been inextricably intertwined with the strength - and weakness - of its sea power, from the desperate early campaigns against the Vikings to the defeat of the great Spanish Armada. Covering policy, strategy, ships, recruitment and weapons, this is a superb tapestry of nearly 1,000 years of maritime history.'No other historian has examined the subject in anything like the detail found here. The result is an outstanding example of narrative history' Barry Unsworth, Sunday Telegraph
The Saga of Grettir the Strong
by Örnólfur ThorssonComposed at the end of the fourteenth century by an unknown author, The Saga of Grettir the Strong is one of the last great Icelandic sagas. It relates the tale of Grettir, an eleventh-century warrior struggling to hold on to the values of a heroic age becoming eclipsed by Christianity and a more pastoral lifestyle. Unable to settle into a community of farmers, Grettir becomes the aggressive scourge of both honest men and evil monsters - until, following a battle with the sinister ghost Glam, he is cursed to endure a life of tortured loneliness away from civilisation, fighting giants, trolls and berserks. A mesmerising combination of pagan ideals and Christian faith, this is a profoundly moving conclusion to the Golden Age of the saga writing.
The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki
by Jesse ByockComposed in medieval Iceland, Hrolf's Saga is one of the greatest of all mythic-legendary sagas, relating half-fantastical events that were said to have occurred in fifth-century Denmark. It tells of the exploits of King Hrolf and of his famous champions, including Bodvar Bjarki, the 'bear-warrior': a powerful figure whose might and bear-like nature are inspired by the same legendary heritage as Beowulf. Depicting a world of wizards, sorceresses and 'berserker' fighters - originally members of a cult of Odin - this is a compelling tale of ancient magic. A work of timeless power and beauty, it offers both a treasury of Icelandic prose and a masterful gathering of epic, cultic memory, traditional folk tale and myths from the Viking age and far earlier.
The Saga of the People of Laxardal and Bolli Bollason's Tale
by Leifur EirickssonThe action of the saga takes place at the end of the tenth century, at about the time Scandinavia was converting from worship of Norse gods to Christianity. A masterpiece of medieval literature, the story focuses on two families — that of Hoskuld, a prominent farmer with several sons, and that of Gudrun, the most beautiful woman ever born in Iceland.
The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic Of Sigurd The Dragon Slayer (Legends from the Ancient North)
by Petra BornerPart of a new series Legends from the Ancient North, Beowulf is one of the classic books that influenced JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings'So the company of men led a careless life,All was well with them: until One beganTo encompass evil, an enemy from hell.Grendel they called this cruel spirit...'J.R.R. Tolkien spent much of his life studying, translating and teaching the great epic stories of northern Europe, filled with heroes, dragons, trolls, dwarves and magic. He was hugely influential for his advocacy of Beowulf as a great work of literature and, even if he had never written The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, would be recognised today as a significant figure in the rediscovery of these extraordinary tales.Legends from the Ancient North brings together from Penguin Classics five of the key works behind Tolkien's fiction.They are startling, brutal, strange pieces of writing, with an elemental power brilliantly preserved in these translations.They plunge the reader into a world of treachery, quests, chivalry, trials of strength.They are the most ancient narratives that exist from northern Europe and bring us as near as we will ever get to the origins of the magical landscape of Middle-earth (Midgard) which Tolkien remade in the 20th century.
The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer
by Jesse ByockThe epic Viking Age stories that inspired J. R. R. Tolkien and Wagner's Ring cycleWritten in thirteenth-century Iceland but based on ancient Norse poetry cycles, The Saga of the Volsungs combines mythology, legend and sheer human drama. It tells of the cursed treasure of the Rhine, a sword reforged and a magic ring of power, and at its heart are the heroic deeds of Sigurd the dragon slayer, who acquires magical knowledge from one of Odin's Valkyries. One of the great books of world literature, the saga is an unforgettable tale of princely jealousy, unrequited love, greed, vengeance and the downfall of a dynasty. Translated with an Introduction by Jesse L. Byock
Sagas and Myths of the Northmen
by Jesse ByockIn a land of ice, great warriors search for glory...When a dragon threatens the people of the north, only one man can destroy the fearsome beast. Elsewhere, a mighty leader gathers a court of champions, including a noble warrior under a terrible curse. The Earth's creation is described; tales of the gods and evil Frost Giants are related; and the dark days of Ragnarok foretold.Journey into a realm of legend, where heroes from an ancient age do battle with savage monsters, and every man must live or die by the sword ...
The Sagas of the Icelanders: Homegrown Stereotypes And Foreign Influences (Skaldic Poetry Of The Scandinavian Middle Ages Ser. #5)
by Jane SmileyIn Iceland, the age of the Vikings is also known as the Saga Age. A unique body of medieval literature, the Sagas rank with the world’s great literary treasures – as epic as Homer, as deep in tragedy as Sophocles, as engagingly human as Shakespeare. Set around the turn of the last millennium, these stories depict with an astonishingly modern realism the lives and deeds of the Norse men and women who first settled in Iceland and of their descendants, who ventured farther west to Greenland and, ultimately, North America. Sailing as far from the archetypal heroic adventure as the long ships did from home, the Sagas are written with psychological intensity, peopled by characters with depth, and explore perennial human issues like love, hate, fate and freedom.
Sagas of Warrior-poets
by Leifur EirickssonKormak's Saga, The Saga of Hallfred Troublesome-Poet, The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue, The Saga of Bjorn, Champion of the Hitardal People, Viglund's Saga Set in the farmsteads of Viking age Iceland at a time when the old ethos of honour and heroic adventure merged with new ideas of romantic infatuation, each of these sagas features poet heroes, complex love triangles, and travels to foreign lands.
The Sailor's Ransom: A Bella Wallis Mystery (Bella Wallis Victorian Mysteries #2)
by Brian ThompsonLondon is alive with gossip about the thrilling new book by sensationalist author Henry Ellis Margam, but only a select group of people know that the real author is beautiful widow, and member of high society, Bella Wallis.One of her confidantes is the dashing Philip Westland, who comes to Bella now with a problem: his best friend Kennet is smitten with the heiress Mary Skillane but Mary's father, Sir William, has promised her to Robert Judd, a vulgar treasure-seeker. Mary is due to inherit the Skillane pearls, which are currently residing in a Cornsih bank vault, but it seems that the pearls were ill-gotten.Can Bella and her friends reunite the young lovers and escape the attention of the villainous Judd?
A Salad for All Seasons: Delicious, uplifting and easy recipes for the whole year
by Harry Eastwood'Quick and simple to prepare, delicious and good for you.' BBC Good Food'Stunning . . . delicious food that makes you feel good.' Tasty Magazine 'Harry's down-to-earth recipes make cooking effortless.' Sainsbury's Magazine___In A Salad for All Seasons, Harry Eastwood introduces us to over 100 delicious, original and easy-to-make salads to see you through the year.Spring and Summer are packed with vibrant, exciting recipes that can be knocked up in minutes, such as Peach and Mozarella with Sweet Chilli and Tomato Glaze and Thai Beef and Basil with Noodles, while Autumn and Winter offer warm, hearty, nourishing combinations, such as Roasted Squash with Thyme and Taleggio and Spinach, Lamb and Fig with Orange and Honey Dressing.From well-loved favourites to exotic delights inspired by Harry's travels and love of fresh ingredients, A Salad for All Seasons is the ultimate proof that natural, fresh and nutritious food can also be a feast - the whole year round.___Readers love cooking with A Salad for all Seasons:'Really tasty, healthy dishes that are easy to prepare . . . great book.''An enjoyable, comforting and inspiring book, with lovely recipes that have the whole family clearing their plates.''I've never cooked so many recipes from a book . . . this book is fantastic.'u. In A Salad for All Seasons, Harry Eastwood shakes things up, introducing us to over 100 delicious, original and easy-to-make salads to see you through the year. Spring and Summer are packed with vibrant, exciting recipes that can be knocked up in minutes, such as Peach and Mozarella with Sweet Chilli and Tomato Glaze and Thai Beef and Basil with Noodles, while Autumn and Winter offer warm, hearty, nourishing combinations, such as Roasted Squash with Thyme and Taleggio and Spinach, Lamb and Fig with Orange and Honey Dressing. From well-loved favourites to exotic delights inspired by Harry's travels and love of fresh ingredients, A Salad for All Seasons is the ultimate proof that natural, fresh and nutritious food can also be a feast - the whole year round.
A Salad for All Seasons - Bite Sized Edition: Delicious, Uplifting And Easy Recipes For The Whole Year
by Harry EastwoodA mouthwatering collection of twenty seasonal salad recipes from the author of Red Velvet and Chocolate HeartacheLet’s eat more salad! It’s fresh, colourful and healthy fast food. A far cry from the ‘rabbit food’ image of old, salads are now rightfully top of the menu. In A Salad for All Seasons, Harry Eastwood shakes things up, introducing us to original and easy-to-make salads to see you through the year. From well-loved favourites to exotic delights inspired by Harry’s travels and love of fresh ingredients, A Salad for All Seasons is the ultimate proof that natural, fresh and nutritious food can also be a feast – the whole year round.
Salammbo
by Gustave FlaubertAn epic story of lust, cruelty, and sensuality, this historical novel is set in Carthage in the days following the First Punic War with Rome.
Salman Rushdie: The Essential Guide (Vintage Living Texts #11)
by Jonathan Noakes Margaret ReynoldsIn Vintage Living Texts, teachers and students will find the essential guide to the works of Salman Rushdie. Vintage Living Texts is unique in that it offers an in-depth interview with Salman Rushdie, relating specifically to the texts under discussion. This guide deals with Rushdie's themes, genre and narrative technique,and a close reading of the texts will provide a rich source of ideas for intelligent and inventive ways of approaching the novels.Also included in this guide are detailed reading plans for all three novels, questions for essay and discussion, contextual material, suggested texts for complementary and comparative reading, extracts from reviews, a biography, a bibliography and a glossary of literary terms.Texts covered: Midnight's Children, Shame and The Satanic Verses.Whether a teacher, student or general reader, the Vintage Living Texts series gives you the chance to explore new resources and enjoy new pleasures.
Salsa for People Who Probably Shouldn't
by Matt RendellEvery week for much of the year, millions of Brits view and vote on Strictly Come Dancing, with the salsa being one of the most popular dances. Dark, enticing Afro-Caribbean rhythms; moving bodies gently interlaced, responding to the music: at first sight, salsa dancing seems to recover something our regimented British lives suppress. For not much more than a fiver, salsa can reconnect us with our bodies. So we seem to think: with perhaps a million Britons taking a class every week, salsa is statistically our national dance.Matt Rendell learned salsa the British way, as an adult, rote-learning figures and routines. His Colombian wife, Vivi, acquired salsa in early childhood from her parents and grandparents; the dance made her part of her community.A love story about two people from cultures at sometimes comical cross-purposes, Salsa for People Who Probably Shouldn't explores how the world's most popular dance went global, how it reached the UK and whether the saucy, salacious salsa of our national fantasy life is really as exotic as we like to think.
Salutation To The Sun: A Daily Exercise for a Vital Life
by Rita BeintemaThe Salutation to the Sun dates back to Vedic times and is therefore three to six thousand years old; although the exact date remains unknown. In ancient India yoga exercises, breathing techniques and body contol were extensively practised in many ashrans. The Salutation to the Sun arose from these yoga postures and techniques.In this book, learn how the Salutation consists of a number of movements which flow into each other and together, form a self-contained whole.- The exercise influences every part of the body including the nervous system, the circulation and respiration.- The back and pelvis can become supple again and, in time, the joints become stronger and more flexible.- The blood circulation in the abdominal cavity improves and the intestines are activated, thus eliminating constipation.- Muscular stiffness in the shoulder and neck disappears.Join thousands of people who enjoy this natural, exhilarating exercise on a variety of levels of competence, fitness and persistence. Equipment and accessories are not needed and you are only asked that you spend as much or as little time as you can spare.By participating you will soon begin to experience the return of your vigour and dynamism.
Sam and Chester: How a Mischievous Pig Transformed the Life of My Autistic Son
by Jo Bailey-MerrittWhen Sam Bailey-Merritt was just two years old, almost overnight he lost the ability to communicate or function. His mother, Jo, was at a loss as to what to do as she saw her son grow increasingly isolated and begin to suffer from uncontrollable meltdowns. Eventually, Sam was diagnosed with autism.Sam's condition continued to worsen and, just when Jo had all but given up hope of being able to help him, the family went on a day trip to a nearby miniature pig farm. Sam immediately bonded with a tiny ginger piglet called Chester, who stood sad and alone, apart from the rest of the litter. The connection between the boy and the animal was immediate and their unusual friendship blossomed from the moment the family brought Chester home. The tiny pig refused to leave Sam's side - it was as if he knew that Sam needed a friend. And, for the first time in five years, Jo saw her son really laugh.While Sam's confidence grew, Chester grew in a different way: the micro pig that was supposed to become the size of a Cocker Spaniel in fact ballooned to three times that size - with hilarious consequences for the family! Chester has turned Sam's life around. He now has the ability to communicate his feelings, make friends and is caring and kind towards others.Sam and Chester is the heart-warming story of how a teacup-sized ginger pig helped to transform the life of a boy with autism. It is the emotional story of a mother's fight to win back her son.
Sam The Magic Genie
by Brian MayneAn enchanting adventure tale which shows by analogy how positive thoughts can enrich and actively change all of our lives. The main character, a boy called Joseph, struggles with life and feelings of being unloved, when lo and behold Sam the magic genie appears to take him on a journey of his mind! Flying around Joseph's mind on a magic carpet, Sam teaches Joseph about positive thinking and how negative thoughts lead to negative consequences. Joseph learns how to achieve happiness and well being even in the face of fear and doubt. Sam the Magic Genie is clear and concise in its teachings and practical in application. It offers a brand new approach to positive thinking helping adults and children alike to create and steer change within their lives through the power of thought.'Think about what you want, not what you fear'
Sam, The Wee Fat Dog
by Ann McDonagh-BengtssonSam is a dog, a wee fat dog with short legs and a fat tummy. When he goes to sleep, he dreams of sausages and juicy bones. That's why Jim packs two whole sausages for Sam when they go on a picnic. But then Sam spots a rabbit...
Sami Hyypiä: From Voikkaa to the Premiership
by Okki Halala Sami HyypiaWhen Gerard Houllier took over as manager of Liverpool FC in 1999, his quest was to bring glory back to Anfield. His prime concern lay with strengthening his defence and to this end he made what is arguably one of his finest signings. Houllier targeted Sami Hyypiä, a relatively unknown player who was at the time captain of the Dutch team Willem II. This candid biography focuses on Hyypiä's eventful journey from the Finnish village of Voikkaa to the heights of the English Premiership, where he has become the inspirational leader of the Liverpool team. It charts his life from childhood and documents his astonishing rise in the game, from youth teams to Finnish senior sides Pallo-Peikot, KUMU and MyPa - as well as his international career - before moving on to his years in Holland and England playing for Willem II and Liverpool respectively. Hyypia reflects on past games in which he competed against the likes of Batistuta, Rivaldo, Van Nistelrooy and Henry, and recalls the Liverpool derbies in which he's played. He also shares his thoughts on the Reds' 2001 UEFA Cup campaign, in which they defeated the mighty Barcelona in the semi-finals before going on the defeat Deportivo Alavés 5-4 in the final to clinch the coveted trophy. In 2001-02 season, during which the team had to contend with the serious illness of their manager, Hyypiä led them to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and second place in the Premiership. Then, in season 2002-03, Liverpool won the Worthington Cup and narrowly missed out on a Champions League place. Featuring exclusive contributions from numerous former and current colleagues and teammates, including Gérard Houllier, Jari Litmanen and Michael Owen, Sami Hyppiä digs deep to reveal all about the man, his views on the game, and his hopes and plans for the future.
Sami's Silver Lining (The Lost and Found)
by Cathy CassidyThe must-have second book in the brilliant Lost and Found series from Cathy Cassidy, bestselling author of the Chocolate Box Girls. Forced to flee his home in Syria for safety in England, Sami attempts to begin a new life but struggles to overcome the pain of the past. Memories of the long and dangerous journey across icy waters, armed with only his dad's old coat, a flute and the hope of a brighter future, are never far away.Can his new friends in the Lost and Found band and a blossoming romance with the girl of his dreams melt his frozen heart or is it too late to find a silver lining?Praise for Cathy's books: Touching, tender and unforgettable. Guardian
The Samurai Inheritance: An adrenalin-fuelled historical thriller that will have you absolutely hooked from the start
by James DouglasJamie Saintclair embarks on another full-throttle historical adventure - an absolute page-turner! If you love Dan Brown, Chris Kuzneski and Scott Mariani - you will love this! READERS ARE LOVING THE SAMURAI INHERITANCE!"Loved this story. It went everywhere and then some. I was happily dragged along on the edge of my seat every step." - 5 STARS"Extremely riveting!!!" - 5 STARS"Another excellent page-turner from Mr Douglas." - 5 STARS*************************************** UNDISTURBED AND FORGOTTEN FOR DECADES. NOW IT'S RESURRECTED AND THREATENS US ALL. April 1943 - A Mitsubishi transport plane, carrying Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto, architect of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, plunges from the sky over the island of Bougainville. In a document case chained to his wrist is the greatest secret of the Second World War...December 2011 - Art recovery expert Jamie Saintclair is offered a lucrative commission: he has been tasked to find the preserved head of a Solomon Island warrior, missing from a German museum since 1945?The search takes Jamie from Berlin to Tokyo and with every turn the significance of the Bougainville skull becomes ever greater. Soon he realizes he's become involved in something much more important than finding a lost piece of history...Have you read The Doomsday Testament, The Isis Covenant and The Excalibur Codex, the previous Jamie Saintclair adventures?
Sanctuary
by Matthew SweeneyIn this, Matthew Sweeney's eighth full-length collection, the disarming fabulist and mythmaker steps out on his own into fresh territory. These are poems from a mapless journey through the backwaters of Europe and the New World - imbued, as always, with the strange, unerring logic of dream, but carrying now a new, fugitive, lyrical note. The sanctuary of the title is fragile and hard-won, and the complexities of the emotional life are written into the architecture of the physical, making for a poetry that is both vulnerable and disturbing. Celebrated for his ability to blend the simple terror of folklore with the more sophisticated anxieties of Kafka and the contemporary, Sweeney moves through this book like a revenant - past monkeys dressed as doormen, through ice-hotels and showers of human hair, towards a scaffold or a lover. Obliquely sinister and wryly engaging, full of fright and grim hilarity, these are rootless poems - unsettled and unsettling, and very far from home.A Poetry Book Society Recommendation.
The Sandman (Penguin Little Black Classics)
by E.T.A. Hoffmann"Strange man, how can you have eyes for sale? Eyes? Eyes?" 'The disturbing tale of a young man's obsession with the Sandman, stealer of eyes, which has inspired writers from Sigmund Freud to Neil Gaiman.One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.