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I Saw Eternity the Other Night: King's College, Cambridge, and an English Singing Style

by Timothy Day

The sound of the choir of King's College, Cambridge - its voices perfectly blended, its emotions restrained, its impact sublime - has become famous all over the world, and for many, the distillation of a particular kind of Englishness. This is especially so at Christmas time, with the broadcast of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, whose centenary is celebrated this year. How did this small band of men and boys in a famous fenland town in England come to sing in the extraordinary way they did in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries?It has been widely assumed that the King's style essentially continues an English choral tradition inherited directly from the Middle Ages. In this original and illuminating book, Timothy Day shows that this could hardly be further from the truth. Until the 1930s, the singing at King's was full of high Victorian emotionalism, like that at many other English choral foundations well into the twentieth century.The choir's modern sound was brought about by two intertwined revolutions, one social and one musical. From 1928, singing with the trebles in place of the old lay clerks, the choir was fully made up of choral scholars - college men, reading for a degree. Under two exceptional directors of music - Boris Ord from 1929 and David Willcocks from 1958 - the style was transformed and the choir broadcast and recorded until it became the epitome of English choral singing, setting the benchmark for all other choral foundations either to imitate or to react against. Its style has now been taken over and adapted by classical performers who sing both sacred and secular music in secular settings all over the world with a precision inspired by the King's tradition.I Saw Eternity the Other Night investigates the timbres of voices, the enunciation of words, the use of vibrato. But the singing of all human beings, in whatever style, always reflects in profound and subtle ways their preoccupations and attitudes to life. These are the underlying themes explored by this book.

In Strength And Shadow: The Mervyn Davies Story

by David Roach Mervyn Davies

Few rugby players have matched the achievements of Welshman Mervyn Davies, the shrewd, gutsy number 8 with the heart of a lion. In what was a remarkable career, he won two Grand Slams, three Triple Crowns, earned thirty-eight consecutive Wales caps, was captain of his national team and played in two victorious Lions tours. From the tail end of the 1960s through the first half of the glorious '70s period, 'Merv the Swerve' - with that mop of black hair and trademark headband - cut an iconic figure in the world's great rugby arenas. Teammates and opponents respected him, fans loved him and he was a natural leader of men both on and off the field.Then, in March 1976, everything changed. Mervyn was leading Swansea in a semi-final cup clash when he suffered a massive brain haemorrhage. He began that fateful Sunday preparing for just another high-profile game but ended it fighting for his life. Wales, and the watching sporting world, could do nothing but wait and hope. And just when the odds seemed stacked irreversibly against him, Mervyn did what he had always done: he beat them. Mervyn's life story is one of what was and what might have been. From locker-room tales to the loneliness of rehabilitation, Mervyn's account is funny, moving and honest. He writes about his many highs and lows, about losing rugby but regaining his life, and shares his thoughts on the days he spent in shadow and in strength.

It's All Going Wonderfully Well

by Rosa Hoskins

'Will resonate with any bereaved reader' Daily Mail'A heart-warming memoir' OK‘Laugh. There’s humour to be found everywhere, even in your darkest days there’s something to joke about. Laugh long and loud and make other people laugh. It’s good for you. Whatever you do, always give it a good go. Don’t be afraid of failure and disappointment. If you fall flat on your face then get straight back up. You’ll always regret not trying. Disappointment is temporary; regret is forever. Love with all your heart. In the end, love is the only thing that matters.’These were just some of the lessons that Rosa’s dad, Bob Hoskins, taught her. In the years following his death, they are words that she keeps close to her heart.Remembering the times they shared together and featuring interviews with those who knew and worked with her dad – including Judi Dench, Ray Winstone and Robert Zemeckis – IT’S ALL GOING WONDERFULLY WELL is a revealing portrait of one of the country’s best-loved actors, and a moving story of a close bond between father and daughter.

In The South Seas

by Neil Rennie Robert Louis Stevenson

IN THE SOUTH SEAS records Stevenson's travels with his wife Fanny and their family in the Marquesas, the Paumotus and the Gilbert Islands during 1888-9. Originally drafted in journal form while Stevenson travelled, it was then ambitiously rewrittento describe the islands and islanders as well as Stevenson's own personal experiences. IN THE SOUTH SEAS was published posthumously in 1896. Its combination of personal anecdote and historical account, of autobiography and anthropology, of Stevenson and South Sea Islands, has a particular charm.

It's a Wonderful Word: The Real Origins of Our Favourite Words

by Albert Jack

Did you know that an assassin is a hashish-eater and a yokel a country woodpecker? That Dr Mesmer mesmerised patients back to health or that Samuel Pepys enjoyed a good game of handicap? While we're at it, what have spondulics to do with spines or lawyers with avocados?In It's a Wonderful Word, bestselling author Albert Jack collects over 500 of the strangest, funniest-sounding and most delightful words in the English language, and traces them back to their often puzzling origins. While brushing up on your gibberish or gobbledygook, discover why bastards should resent travelling salesmen, why sheets should remain on tenterhooks and why you should never set down a tumbler before finishing your drink.From blotto to bamboozle and from claptrap to quango, Albert Jack's addictive anecdotes bring the world's most colourful language to life and are guaranteed to surprise and entertain.

A Home Course In Nutrition

by Eric F Powell

This book provides lessons in nutrition which are intended as a helpful and practical guide to proper feeding, and cover the whole of the necessary matters connected with the subject. Food on the mind has not been neglected.Readers who carry out the suggestions made to the best of their ability will add greatly to life and happiness. Read and apply, and results are assured.

I, Robot: How to Be a Footballer 2

by Peter Crouch

**A Daily Mail Book of the Year**What happens on the pitch is only half the story. Being a footballer is not just kicking a ball about with twenty-one other people on a big grass rectangle. Sometimes being a footballer is about accidentally becoming best mates with Mickey Rourke, or understanding why spitting is considered football’s most heinous crime.In How to be a Footballer, Peter Crouch took us into a world of bad tattoos and even worse haircuts, a world where you’re on the pitch one minute, spending too much money on a personalised number plate the next. In I, Robot, he lifts the lid even further on the beautiful game. We will learn about Gareth Bale’s magic beans, the Golden Rhombus of Saturday night entertainment, and why Crouchy’s dad walks his dog wearing an England tracksuit from 2005. Whether you’re an armchair expert, or out in the stands every Saturday, crazy for five-a-side or haven’t put on a pair of boots since school, this is the real inside story of how to be a footballer.

In Sickness and In Health: Historical Notes from an Attempted Honeymoon

by Mark Clemens

2018 WINNER OF THE BODLEY HEAD | FINANCIAL TIMES ESSAY PRIZEWith honesty and humour, Mark Clemens describes lessons he learned from a honeymoon spent recovering from terrible sickness in a Manhattan hotel room. Years later he considers the complex history of the building in which he and his new bride spent their convalescence. A carpentry shop, a brothel, a butcher's. As Mark reflects on the impermanence of New York and the impermanence of his marriage, he offers insights on history and personal growth.

It's a Vet's Life: (Talyton St George) (Talyton St George #4)

by Cathy Woodman

The fourth novel in Cathy Woodman's hugely popular Talyton St George seriesEach book in the Talyton St George series can be read as a standalone novel, but when Cathy first had the idea of writing about a vet practice, she intended it to be a trilogy about two vets - Maz and Alex. Talyton St George, the story so far:Trust Me, I'm a Vet (Maz and Alex)Must Be Love (Maz and Alex)The Sweetest ThingIt's a Vet's Life (Maz and Alex)The Village Vet Vets in LoveCountry LovingThe Three of Us (Digital short story, companion to Follow Me Home)Follow Me Home

The Home Child: from the Forward Prize-winning author of Black Country

by Liz Berry

I Paint What I Want to See (Penguin Modern Classics)

by Philip Guston

Illuminating reflections on painting and drawing from one of the most revered artists of the twentieth century'Thank God for yellow ochre, cadmium red medium, and permanent green light'How does a painter see the world? Philip Guston, one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, spoke about art with unparalleled candour and commitment. Touching on work from across his career as well as that of his fellow artists and Renaissance heroes, this selection of his writings, talks and interviews draws together some of his most incisive reflections on iconography and abstraction, metaphysics and mysticism, and, above all, the nature of painting and drawing.'Among the most important, powerful and influential American painters of the last 100 years ... he's an art world hero' Jerry Saltz, New York Magazine'Guston's paintings make us think hard' Aindrea Emelife, Guardian

Italian Short Stories

by Dimitri Vittorini

This second volume of Italian Short Stories, with its parallel translations aims - as the first volume did - to exemplify the richness and variety of Italian writing of the twentieth century. In this volume, however, some of the language used is a little more advanced and the translations slightly less literal. Moravia and Calvino, both well known to British and American readers, appear again along with Italo Svevo, Comisso, Vittorini, Rigoni - Stern, Fenoglio and Pasolini so that the literature of both Rome and the provinces is fully represented. There are also discussions of the less familiar words and dialect expressions in the Italian text.

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden: A Short Guide to Modern Politics, the Coalition and the General Election

by John Crace

Exactly a week after the general election, two men – ‘Call me Dave’ and ‘Call me Nick’ – walked side by side into the rose garden of No. 10 Downing Street to give their first press-conference as Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, looking for all the world like men in love. It was a romance in which people wanted to believe. But it was also one that people couldn't help but mistrust. Most unnerving, however, was the sense that they both couldn't quite believe their luck. Cameron: I can't believe it. All those people out there just for us ...Clegg: I know. It's mad, isn't it? I have to keep pinching myself as well.Cameron: Go on say it again ...Clegg: What?Cameron: Call me Prime Minister ...The storms the Dave and Nick partnership would have to face (same sex marriage, plebgate, triple dip recession, riots ...) were then unclear. Now, almost five years on, this up-to-the-minute portrait of Westminster and the forthcoming General Election exposes the realities of the Coalition, while offering an indispensible guide to a half-decade of madness:· * Foreign Policy - The new 'special relationship' - William Hague and Angelina Jolie· * The Economy - Osborne finally cracks it: boom in London; bust everywhere else.· * Immigration - should the entire population of Bulgaria pick strawberries for us?· * The Opposition - how Labour got the wrong Miliband. Includes:* UKIP, PPI, ISIS and other dubious acronyms.· * The countdown to the General Election 2015: five years of planning since the last one.Insightful, painful, very funny, this is a must-read for all of us with a vote, whichever side we thought we were on.

Home at Grasmere: Extracts from the Journal of Dorothy Wordsworth and from the Poems of William Wordsworth

by Dorothy Wordsworth William Wordsworth

A continuous text made up of extracts from Dorothy Wordsworth's Journal and a selection of her brother's poems. Dorothy Wordsworth kept her Journal 'because I shall give William pleasure by it'. In doing so, she never dreamt that she was giving future readers not only the chance to enjoy her fresh and sensitive delight in the beauties that surrounded her at Grasmere but also a rare opportunity to observe 'the progress of a poet's mind'. Colette Clark's skilful and perceptive arrangement of Dorothy's entries alongside William's poems throws a unique light on his creative process, and shows how the interdependence of brother and sister was a vital part in the writing of many of his great poems. By reading these poems in relation to the Journal it is possible to trace the processes by which they were committed to paper and so achieve a fuller understanding of them. A writer in her own right, Dorothy kept her Journal sparse in personal and emotional detail. Yet there is, nevertheless, a deep emotional undercurrent running beneath the surface which only falters when William marries Mary Hutchinson. Never again was Dorothy to achieve the freedom, spontaneity and the limpidly beautiful prose with which she infused and irradiated the Grasmere Journals.

I Never Knew There Was a Word For It

by Adam Jacot de Boinod

From 'shotclog', a Yorkshire term for a companion only tolerated because he is paying for the drinks, to Albanian having 29 words to describe different kinds of eyebrows, the languages of the world are full of amazing, amusing and illuminating words and expressions that will improve absolutely everybody's quality of life. All they need is this book! This bumper volume gathers all three of Adam Jacot de Boinod's acclaimed books about language - The Wonder of Whiffling, The Meaning of Tingo and Toujours Tingo (their fans include everyone from Stephen Fry to Michael Palin) - into one highly entertaining, keenly priced compendium. As Mariella Frostup said 'You'll never be lost for words again!'

The Italian

by Ann Radcliffe

From the first moment Vincentio di Vivaldi, a young nobleman, sets eyes on the veiled figure of Ellena, he is captivated by her enigmatic beauty and grace. But his haughty and manipulative mother is against the match and enlists the help of her confessor to come between them. Schedoni, previously a leading figure of the Inquisition, is a demonic, scheming monk with no qualms about the task, whether it entails abduction, torture - or even murder. The Italian secured Ann Radcliffe's position as the leading writer of Gothic romance of the age, for its atmosphere of supernatural and nightmarish horrors, combined with her evocation of sublime landscapes and chilling narrative.

The Home and the World

by Rabindranath Tagore

Set on a Bengali noble's estate in 1908, this is both a love story and a novel of political awakening. The central character, Bimala, is torn between the duties owed to her husband, Nikhil, and the demands made on her by the radical leader, Sandip. Her attempts to resolve the irreconciliable pressures of the home and world reflect the conflict in India itself, and the tragic outcome foreshadows the unrest that accompanied Partition in 1947.

I Never Knew That About Yorkshire

by Christopher Winn

Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on an intriguing journey through Britain's largest county, uncovering the hidden places, legends, secrets and fascinating characters of this unique and compelling piece of England. From England's largest vale and northern Europe's largest gothic cathedral to Britain's oldest city, Yorkshire is home to some of Britain's best architecture, most ravishing scenery and is the cradle of some of our country's most influential and individual characters. You will discover the only clog factory in the world, the first English actor to win an Oscar, the world's oldest association football club and largest expanse of medievel stained glass. This gem of a book will act as a wonderfully surprising and highly entertaining guide to one of England's best loved counties.

It Shouldn’t Happen to a Manager

by Harry Redknapp

After 40 years in football management, there’s not a lot I haven’t seen. There’ve been big highs, but a fair share of lows too. When I have to make difficult decisions, I make a point of avoiding newspapers, phone-ins, Twitter – all of it. But there’s always a load of armchair-pundits waiting to start on me. Being a manager has never been easy, but between the fans and the media it often feels impossible to get it right.In It Shouldn’t Happen to a Manager, I talk about how different the job is now from what it was like when I used to play. For one, managers used to drive up and down motorways all day to scout for players – now there’s so much analysis and global scouting. It’s a different thing, completely. In this book, I share everything I’ve learnt from a lifetime of both wins and losses, and wisdom from greats like Cloughie and Ferguson. I’ll tell you about what actually happens in the dressing room, including when Clough smashed the door off its hinges; the bust-ups at full-time, like when I kicked a tray of sandwiches on Don Hutchinson’s head; and the times when I had to swap an arm round a player’s shoulder for a boot up the arse. It’s my guide to being a manager, the Harry way.

I Never Knew That About Wales

by Christopher Winn

The inspiration for the primetime ITV series on Great Britain, this is a spellbinding journey around Wales by bestselling author Christopher Winn. Packed full of legends, firsts, birthplaces, inventions and adventures, I Never Knew That About Wales visits the thirteen traditional Welsh counties and unearths the hidden gems that they each hold. Discover where history and legends happened; where people, ideas and inventions began; where dreams took flight; where famous figures were born and now rest. A glittering pantheon of writers and artists, thinkers and inventors, heroes and villains have lived and toiled in this small country. Remarkable events, noble (and dastardly) deeds and exciting adventures have all taken place with Wales as their backdrop. This book seeks out their heritage, their monuments, their memories and their secrets. You'll be able to visit Britain's smallest city, St David's with its glorious 12th-century cathedral slumbering in a sleepy hollow near the sea. Explore Britain's greatest collection of castles from the first stone fortress at Chepstow to Britain's finest concentric castle at Beaumaris and the magnificent Caernarvon, birthplace of the first Prince of Wales. Browse through the second hand book capital of the world, Hay-on-Wye, wander the glorious Gower peninsula, Britain's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Take a trip to Fishguard, where the last invasion of Britain took place in 1797. Marvel at Thomas Telford's Menai Bridge, the world's first iron suspension bridge or Pontcysyllte, the longest bridged aqueduct in Britain. This irresistible compendium of interesting facts and good stories will give you a captivating insight into the people, ideas and events that have shaped the individual identity of every place you visit, and will have you exclaiming again and again: 'Well, I never knew that!'

It Never Rains

by Roger McGough

It Never Rains by Roger McGough - an expanded edition of comic verse and free line drawings, from the nation's favourite poetWhile up at MagdalenSpent the time dagdalen.Moved on to CaiusBecame the baius knaius.'Oxford Blues' is one of the many new poems in this expanded and revised edition of The State of Poetry, Roger McGough's book of short humorous verse which was published in 2005 as part of Penguin's 70s series celebrating its 70th anniversary. From a poem commissioned to commemorate Dylan Thomas in just 140 characters, which unfortunately comes to an end mid-word, to a pre-emptive erratum notice, these poems show McGough at his inventive, hilarious best - and there are also new line drawings by the author offered at no extra cost.'The patron saint of poetry' Carol Ann DuffyRoger McGough was a member of the group Scaffold in the 1960s when he contributed poems to the Penguin title The Mersey Sound, which has since sold over a million copies and is now available as a Penguin Classic. He has published many books of poems for children and adults, and both his Collected Poems (2004) and Selected Poems (2006) are also available in Penguin. He presents Poetry Please on Radio 4 and is President of the Poetry Society. He was honoured with the Freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2001 and with a CBE in 2005 for services to literature.

Home: A Time Traveller's Tales from Britain's Prehistory

by Francis Pryor

In Home Francis Pryor, author of The Making of the British Landscape, archaeologist and broadcaster, takes us on his lifetime's quest: to discover the origins of family life in prehistoric BritainFrancis Pryor's search for the origins of our island story has been the quest of a lifetime. In Home, the Time Team expert explores the first nine thousand years of life in Britain, from the retreat of the glaciers to the Romans' departure. Tracing the settlement of domestic communities, he shows how archaeology enables us to reconstruct the evolution of habits, traditions and customs. But this, too, is Francis Pryor's own story: of his passion for unearthing our past, from Yorkshire to the west country, Lincolnshire to Wales, digging in freezing winters, arid summers, mud and hurricanes, through frustrated journeys and euphoric discoveries. Evocative and intimate, Home shows how, in going about their daily existence, our prehistoric ancestors created the institution that remains at the heart of the way we live now: the family.'Under his gaze, the land starts to fill with tribes and clans wandering this way and that, leaving traces that can still be seen today . . . Pryor feels the land rather than simply knowing it' - Guardian Former president of the Council for British Archaeology, Dr Francis Pryor has spent over thirty years studying our prehistory. He has excavated sites as diverse as Bronze Age farms, field systems and entire Iron Age villages. He appears frequently on TV's Time Team and is the author of The Making of the British Landscape, Seahenge, as well as Britain BC and Britain AD, both of which he adapted and presented as Channel 4 series.

It Must Have Been the Mistletoe: A hilarious, heart-warming read for the Christmas holidays

by Judy Astley

Let much-loved and ever-popular author Judy Astley gift you an unmissable, hilarious and heart-warming read this Christmas. Perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Trisha Ashley, Jenny Colgan and Milly Johnson.'Witty and warm!' - New!'A lively laughter-packed riot of a story' - Heat'Full of fun and with great characters' -- ***** Reader review'Judy gets the story just right for me' -- ***** Reader review'Gives you a cosy glow and gets you into the Christmas spirit' -- ***** Reader review'A really good Christmas story devoured over a festive week-end' -- ***** Reader review*******************************************************************************************AT CHRISTMAS, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN...Thea's parents decide to host a big family Christmas in a house by the sea... even though they are, in fact, about to split up. And while her sister and brother are both settled, Thea herself is newly single - her boyfriend has ditched her in favour of his pedigree dogs, and Thea can't decide whether or not she minds.There will be copious food and drink, holly and mistletoe, lots of bracing walks and a wintry barbecue on the beach. If it seems an odd way to celebrate the final break-up of a marriage and the Moving On to new partners, no-one is saying so. But then no-one had anticipated that the new partners might actually turn up to complicate the sleeping arrangements...As Cornwall experiences the biggest snowstorm in living memory, the festive atmosphere comes under some strain. Will Thea manage to find some happiness for herself? Will the mistletoe work its magic on them all?

Home: 27 knitted designs for living

by Debbie Bliss

From Debbie Bliss, the UK's foremost knitwear designer, comes this fabulous new collection of 26 contemporary designs for your home. Inspired by three themes - seaside, modern country and urban - Debbie has created beautiful accessories and garments to suit every mood and occasion.Evoking the pleasures of a sunny weekend by the sea, there are cable cushions for lazing on the sand, a moss stitch rug for the beach hut, and a practical duffel bag for collecting treasures from the shoreline. Debbie's modern country designs conjure up the delights of a snug farmhouse kitchen, with slippers, tea cosy and kettle holder, plus a luxurious throw to warm up the cold winter nights. Then for urban living, there's a chic and funky handbag, a colourful plaited scarf and a cool polkadot cushion that will add style to any living room.All the patterns are easy to knit and have clear, step-by-step instructions. And with Pia Tryde's stunning photography throughout, this is the ultimate book both for Debbie's fans everywhere and for today's generation of young knitters.

I Never Knew That About the Scottish

by Christopher Winn

In this captivating book bestselling author Christopher Winn turns his attention to the Scottish people, taking us on an eye-opening journey around their homeland, discovering en route the intriguing and surprising ways the places and their history contribute to the Scottish character. As he travels through Scotland's Highlands and cities he unearths the traditions, triumphs and disasters, foibles, quirks and customs that come together to make up the Scottish people. From the Scottish capital Edinburgh, birthplace of Henry Brougham who made the longest ever speech in the House of Commons, lasting over six hours, to Callander, birthplace of Helen Duncan, the last person in Britain to be imprisoned for witchcraft after correctly diving the sinking of HMS Hood, he accompanies us on a journey uncovering little-known facts, trivia and amusing anecdotes. Illustrated throughout with beguiling pen and ink drawings I Never Knew That About the Scottish is guaranteed to have you exclaiming: 'I never knew that!'

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