- Table View
- List View
The Resistance Daughter: An utterly sweeping and unputdownable WW2 historical fiction debut novel for 2025
by Joanne Kormylo"A stunning debut" Robert Dugoni"Action packed and full of drama... A must-read" Kathleen McGurlPoland, 1942. After witnessing the destruction of her hometown in Warsaw, Anna Kowalski joins the Polish Resistance. She is tasked with smuggling as many children as possible out of the Warsaw Ghetto through the sewers and relocating them to safety.Through her work, Anna meets Johnnie Nowak, an RAF pilot who had managed to escape from a prisoner of war camp. He's not safe in Warsaw, so Anna leads him out of the city to protect him...But suddenly Anna is caught by the SS and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp where she is surrounded by even more horror and despair. A female guard, known as The Beast, is renowned for her violence and aggression towards her prisoners, and she's set her sights on Anna.When Anna is relocated to a different camp, she finds herself reunited with Johnnie Nowak, the pilot she had saved. Desperate to escape, the two of them devise a plan that, if caught, could mean a fate far worse than death.Will Anna and Johnnie finally find freedom, and survive the war together?Inspired by true stories of WWII, don't miss this emotional and poignant historical novel debut of courage against all odds, perfect for fans of Anna Stuart and Soraya M Lane.Praise for The Resistance Daughter:"A stunning debut. Kormylo knows how to make history come alive through her tremendous research and storytelling" Robert Rotenberg"Sensitive and thoughtful" Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Never turned pages so quickly" Tara Taylor "Along with a gripping plot, The Resistance Daughter offers an authentic insight into the life of prisoners of war captured by the Nazis during World War II" Leigh Russell "An emotional story of courage" Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"A meticulous and gripping page-turner that sheds light on an overlooked part of the horrors of the Second World War" Richard Woodbury"A sweeping historical fiction novel" Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
History Stinks!: Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time (History Stinks! #2)
by Suzie EdgeWhat's that smell? It's HISTORY - and it STILL STINKS!Did you know that ancient Romans used wee as mouthwash? GROSS! Or that snot was behind some of history's greatest discoveries? HUH?From French kings with boils on their bums to Victorians who liked to catch tears in special bottles, Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time features deadly battlefield diseases, disgusting dukes, beastly bacteria and slimy stories from the Egyptians to the Tudors and beyond.Packed with fascinating facts, hilarious illustrations and the snottiest, wee-tastic tales from our pongy past, get ready to be dunked into the foulest corners of history.
The Gurkha Mindset: 10 Lessons in Courage and Resilience
by Captain Kailash LimbuThe Gurkha Mindset distils the wisdom and experiences of a seasoned Gurkha soldier into ten powerful lessons for life and leadership.Drawing from over two decades of service in the British Army, including five tours in Afghanistan and deployments in Bosnia and Sierra Leone, Captain Kailash Limbu shares the core principles that have shaped his journey as a soldier and a man. Through the metaphor of the khukuri, a symbolic and essential tool for every Gurkha, he illustrates how mindset and behaviour are crucial to overcoming challenges, achieving success and leading with honour.Kailash reveals how the disciplined and courageous mindset of the Gurkhas can be applied to everyday life, helping readers manage emotions, foster teamwork, lead effectively and prioritise self-care. Each lesson is rooted in the simplicity and strength of the Gurkha way of life, offering practical insights that are both timeless and adaptable to any context.Whether you seek to enhance your personal life, advance in your career or simply find greater fulfilment, The Gurkha Mindset provides the tools to sharpen your focus, build resilience and embrace life's challenges with a warrior's spirit.
The Home Barista: From bean to blend, how to make the best coffee at home
by Tom SaxonYour favourite coffee shop in the comfort of your own home - a beautiful and approachable guide to making your own barista-style drinks.You're spending a fortune at coffee shops every week, but can you recreate the perfect flat white at home? The answer is yes, and with a little guidance and TLC from The Home Barista, now you can take your coffee to the next level without breaking either the bank or a sweat.From chalkboards to coffee bar styling, caffeine breaks are getting an upgrade! Coffee is big business around the world and with #cafecore (turning your home into a personalised coffee haven) exploding in 2024 and coffee books flying off the shelves, it's time for us to get in on the action.Coffee made accessible: Debunks the complicated work of DIY barista-style coffee.Inspiring images: Stunning bespoke photography and design make a delicious package.Serving tips: Includes recipes and tips on how to make your coffee look and taste great.Expert author: Learn how to do it from the best in the business!Invest your coffee budget: Use what you save to take your coffee addiction to the next level.Set the tone: Set up your home with the ultimate DIY coffee station.
Be Patient: Life, loss and laughter from behind the hospital curtain
by Tilly Rose'Tilly writes beautifully, with such compassion... the insight that she gives the reader is astonishing.' -Donna Ashworth, poet and author of Wild Hope and Growing Brave'A story of perseverance, the importance of advocating for yourself and how the kindness of strangers can have a huge impact... A lesson to us all on what it is to have hope, even when we are at our most depleted. Shocking, brave and raw.' - Giovanna Fletcher, author, podcaster, actress and activist'Darkly funny as well as deeply shocking...this is what it's like to be on the other side of Britain's hospital wards.' -The Times 'What a sensational read. A real, heartfelt, and insightful look into the lived experience of someone managing their chronic health issues.' -Dr Nighat Arif, author of The Knowledge'I found this book both heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. A true story of resilience, hope and unwavering courage. A reminder to us all that life is worth living and that love really can conquer all.' -Frankie Bridge, presenter and author of Open'An inspiring account of a patient journey. Recommended for all.' -Dr Ed Patrick, comedian and author of Catch Your Breath'Nothing short of a literary miracle... I loved it.' - Abi Morgan (OBE), screenwriter and author of This is Not a Pity Memoir***It's the sleepover from hell that no one prepared you for. The doctors have gone to medical school, the nurses have gone to uni - but what about the patients?Be Patient is a warm, darkly comic account of Tilly's desperate search for a diagnosis, against the backdrop of a hilariously funny, heartfelt and, at times, shocking insight into patient life.A 'medical mystery' for over 20 years, Tilly has spent a lifetime navigating GP waiting rooms, A&E departments and hospital wards. She has been given a front row seat watching humanity at its worst (or its best, depending on how you look at it). Along the way, she has become highly qualified at two things: being a patient and being very patient.Now, she is shining a bright hospital strip light onto a space that none of us want to occupy but one we know, with some certainty, that we will. Complete with 'survival tips' and fuelled with humour (the best medicine of all), Be Patient is an extraordinary memoir on resilience, hope and finding strength in the face of adversity.
The Raven Scholar: the masterfully woven and breathtaking epic adult fantasy of cutthroat competition and imperial deceit (The Eternal Path)
by Antonia HodgsonShe might win the throne. She might destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with murder.After twenty-four years on the throne, it is time for Bersun the Brusque, emperor of Orrun, to bring his reign to an end. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders will compete to replace him.Trained at rival monasteries, each contender is inspired by a sacred animal - Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound. An eighth - the Dragon proxy - will be revealed only once the trials have begun. Eight exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists - the best of the best.Then one of them is murdered.It falls to the brilliant but idiosyncratic Neema Kraa to investigate. But as she hunts for a killer, darker forces are gathering.If Neema succeeds, she could win the throne - whether she wants it or not. But if she fails, she will sentence herself to death - and set in motion a sequence of events that could doom the empire . . .
Vanishing Landscapes: The Story of Plants and How We Lost Them
by Bonnie Lander Johnson'Rich and replenishing ... I felt lovesick for it after it was done'ELEANOR CATTON, Booker Prize-winning author'I really loved this book'JENN ASHWORTH'A brilliantly ambitious and authentic cultural history. A real treasure.'ROWAN WILLIAMS, former Archbishop of Canterbury__________In the past, we were deeply bound to all things green and growing. We once knew the landscape and the plants around us as well as we knew ourselves. But today our relationship with plants and nature has grown distant - we have lost a sense of plants as precious.Vanishing Landscapes tells the story of how plants disappeared from our daily lives one by one. First were apples, then household medicines like saffron, cloth dyes like woad, grapes for making wine, and then, eventually, the timber and reeds we used to build our houses and the wheat we grew for our bread. In their place came the first corporation, the first factory, the banking system, private property, global trade, and modern medicine.The history of these plants shows us how we became modern, but it also shows a path to recover some of what we have lost. In Vanishing Landscapes, Bonnie Lander Johnson goes in search of the old life and the people who are still connected to the land. She meets farmers in Ireland, wine makers in Yorkshire and cloth dyers in the Highlands. She cuts reeds in the watery Norfolk fens and camps overnight in a West Country orchard to gaze up at an unchanging sky.Vanishing Landscapes brings to life a world we never knew but still long for, and reminds us that it's not too late to find a way back.
Some Body Like Me: A story of unexpected love at the end of the world
by Lucy LapinskaAs the world falls apart around them, piece by piece, Abigail Fuller spends humanity's final days looking after her husband David.But that's not true, not really. Abigail isn't David's wife. She's not even human. She's a replacement, built in the image of the real Abigail, who died sixteen years ago.And in three weeks, when the law changes, Abigail will no longer have to do anything David says. She'll be free to go where she likes, do whatever she wants to do. But having never lived for herself, Abigail now faces profound questions about what she is, how she wants to live, and who she wants to love.Perhaps she should start with herself.Tender, powerful and thought-provoking, Some Body Like Me explores the concept of AI, the boundaries of sexuality and the indefinable human capacity for love at the end of the world. Perfect for fans of Emily St John Mandel, Kazuo Ishiguro and Kaliane Bradley.
The Resistance Daughter: An utterly sweeping and unputdownable WW2 historical fiction debut novel for 2025
by Joanne Kormylo"A stunning debut" Robert Dugoni"Action packed and full of drama... A must-read" Kathleen McGurlPoland, 1942. After witnessing the destruction of her hometown in Warsaw, Anna Kowalski joins the Polish Resistance. She is tasked with smuggling as many children as possible out of the Warsaw Ghetto through the sewers and relocating them to safety.Through her work, Anna meets Johnnie Nowak, an RAF pilot who had managed to escape from a prisoner of war camp. He's not safe in Warsaw, so Anna leads him out of the city to protect him...But suddenly Anna is caught by the SS and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp where she is surrounded by even more horror and despair. A female guard, known as The Beast, is renowned for her violence and aggression towards her prisoners, and she's set her sights on Anna.When Anna is relocated to a different camp, she finds herself reunited with Johnnie Nowak, the pilot she had saved. Desperate to escape, the two of them devise a plan that, if caught, could mean a fate far worse than death.Will Anna and Johnnie finally find freedom, and survive the war together?Inspired by true stories of WWII, don't miss this emotional and poignant historical novel debut of courage against all odds, perfect for fans of Anna Stuart and Soraya M Lane.Praise for The Resistance Daughter:"A stunning debut. Kormylo knows how to make history come alive through her tremendous research and storytelling" Robert Rotenberg"Sensitive and thoughtful" Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Never turned pages so quickly" Tara Taylor "Along with a gripping plot, The Resistance Daughter offers an authentic insight into the life of prisoners of war captured by the Nazis during World War II" Leigh Russell "An emotional story of courage" Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"A meticulous and gripping page-turner that sheds light on an overlooked part of the horrors of the Second World War" Richard Woodbury"A sweeping historical fiction novel" Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Essays Anglican and Analytic: Explorations in Critical Catholicism
by Robert MacSwainExplore the riches at the intersection of Anglican and philosophical theology. In this thought-provoking essay collection, Robert MacSwain explores important connections between Anglican and philosophical theology. Shining a spotlight on the underappreciated theological work of Austin Farrer and David Brown, he brings them into creative conversation with better-known figures such as Joseph Butler, C. S. Lewis, Stanley Hauerwas, and Eleonore Stump. He skillfully leads readers through diverse conceptual territory ranging from the Reformed epistemology of Alvin Plantinga and Nicholas Wolterstorff, to the hiddenness argument of J. L. Schellenberg, to a sacramental vision of human culture and the arts. More broadly, MacSwain outlines what he calls &“Critical Catholicism,&” explaining how it differs from other movements in contemporary Christian thought such as Radical Orthodoxy and Analytic Theology. These perceptive essays will be of particular interest to scholars and pastors who are curious about connections between theology, philosophy, and Anglican studies.
Volume 2: An Ecosystemic View of Anthropogenic Impacts (Marine Science Series)
by Juan M. Molina Gabriela E. BlasinaMarine systems face a multitude of anthropogenic stressors such as climate change, recreational and commercial fishing, aquaculture practices, pollution, and coastal urbanization. These stressors exert escalating pressure on marine ecosystems, leading to noticeable changes in habitat conditions as well as alterations in the abundance and diversity of their communities. Understanding the impacts of these stressors proves challenging due to their interactions with various factors, such as species richness, environmental fluctuations, system openness, stressor tolerance, and the occurrence rate and intensity of each stressor. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of the entire ecosystem is crucial. It is essential to consider the unique characteristics of each marine environment when assessing the cumulative stress that affects them. This book provides insights into the functioning of marine ecosystems and their responses to both natural and human-induced drivers within the framework of sustainable marine resource utilization. This book will make a valuable contribution to the scientific community, serving as a resource to inform decision-makers and the general public about the current state of knowledge regarding the marine environment and the human footprints on our seas.
Women-Led Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Case Studies of Sustainable Ventures and Practices (Women in Industry 4.0)
by Esra Sipahi Döngül Şerife Uğuz Arsu Richa Goel Tilottama SinghThere is a glaring lack of recognition for the contributions of women to innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development in literature. This book seeks to address this gap by highlighting the often-overlooked accomplishments of women in these crucial fields.Women- Led Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Case Studies of Sustainable Ventures and Practices features interviews with industry thought leaders and experts, providing exclusive insights into the changing role of women in driving sustainable development through innovation. The book offers a range of resources, including checklists and tools, designed to foster a supportive environment and offer practical advice and strategies for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators. It outlines actionable steps for implementing sustainable practices and provides valuable insights that can be applied in the real world. Furthermore, this book presents in-depth case studies of women from various industries and regions, showcasing their innovative ventures, strategies, and how they have overcome obstacles to achieve success in entrepreneurship while promoting sustainability.It serves as a valuable reference for academics, policymakers, and professionals interested in exploring the intersection of gender, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development.
Microbiology in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: Nanotechnology, Quantum, and Next Generation Sequencing
by Muhammad Ali Syed Shahzad Ali Tanveer HussainWritten by leading experts, the book covers a broad range of topics pertaining to the myriad uses of artificial intelligence in microbiology. The book explores how AI and computation can play a key role in understanding and uncovering microscopic mysteries that defy other means of microbiological study. Like other fields of life science, the impact of next generation sequencing and bioinformatics are revolutionizing microbiology. In addition, the emerging role of quantum and nanotechnology in understanding the nature of microbial life is also explored. A special feature of the book is fascinating discussion of the transformation currently underway from classic microbiology to next generation microbiology. This is a must-read book for microbiology students and researchers who want to be at the forefront of this exciting field.Key Features:• Provides an overview and perspectives on the future of microbiology• Documents recent advances in microbiology• Contributions from an international team of leading researchers• Reviews the emerging role of applications from other fields like nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and genomics• Stimulates academics and researchers to pursue multidisciplinary research
The Hindu Religious Tradition: A New Historical, Anthropological, and Philological Approach
by Thomas J. Hopkins Graham M. SchweigThe Hindu Religious Tradition by Thomas J. Hopkins, originally published in 1971, provided a comprehensive survey of Hindu development from the Indus civilization to the present. This new edition incorporates up-to-date scholarship to provide a more complete history of India’s cultural and religious development, and is an invaluable resource for students in need of an introduction to the history and practice of Hinduism.In addition to textual analysis, this book offers a new approach to the study of Hinduism that reconstructs the history of India through an examination of scientific research on geography, archaeology, genetics, art history, linguistic and inscriptions, bringing to awareness the ways that patterns of cultural development, migration, kingship, and technology impacted the synthesis and integration of a wide range beliefs and practices into what we call Hinduism today. Extending beyond the borders of present-day India, The Hindu Religious Tradition shows how Hinduism was influenced by other civilizations in modern day Greece and Iran, and how it influenced them as well. This volume will provide new students of Indian religion with a detailed understanding of Hinduism’s rich history and scriptural canons, and it will provide scholars of Hinduism with a fresh perspective rooted in historical detail, offering both a more complete picture of how the Hindu religion is a network of beliefs and practices drawn from multiple civilizations and cultures over its vast history.
Practising Wood in Architecture: Connecting Design, Construction and Sustainability
by James Benedict Brown Francesco CamilliIn the stark light of the climate emergency, using wood instead of concrete, steel, or masonry is increasingly seen as a way of reducing the environmental impact of architecture and construction. More and more new buildings are showcasing innovative ways to work with wood. Wood can help architects achieve ambitious sustainability targets, including the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.How can architects, student architects, and those in the construction industry better understand the qualities, characteristics, and possibilities of building with wood? Practising Wood in Architecture explores the methods, philosophies, and possibilities of contemporary teaching practices in architecture. This book explores how architecture students are learning to build with wood and interrogates the consequences for architectural practice.Based on original research conducted over two years, the book explores innovative projects that use wood in China, England, Finland, Germany, Mongolia, South Africa, and Switzerland. These case studies demonstrate the many advantages of wood, including its simplicity of use, its affordability, and its sustainability. The book focuses on ongoing initiatives that show the educational and professional impact of the use of wood in architecture and construction by students and professionals alike.
AI and Blockchain in Smart Grids: Fundamentals, Methods, and Applications
by Amit Kumar Tyagi Shrikant TiwariAI and Blockchain in Smart Grids: Fundamentals, Methods, and Applications examines the cutting-edge solution that combines artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain technology, and digital twin concepts to innovate the management and optimization of electrical power distribution. This innovative approach enhances the resilience, efficiency, and security of electricity grids while providing real-time insights for grid operators and stakeholders. The book covers such key elements as using: Digital twins in smart grids to gather real-time data from various grid components AI-powered analytics to process the data generated by digital twins and to analyze this information to detect patterns, predict grid failures, and recommend adjustments to enhance a grid's performance Blockchain-based security to ensure the secure and transparent management of data within a smart grid, especially a tamper-resistant ledger to store information related to energy production, distribution, and consumption Decentralized data sharing to allow grid data to be shared securely among various stakeholders, including utilities, regulators, and consumers Grid optimization techniques to improve electricity distribution, reduce energy waste, and balance supply and demand efficiently Select real-world case studies and practical examples demonstrate how AI and blockchain are currently being applied to enhance grid management, energy distribution, and sustainability. By explaining to researchers, academics, and students how AI and blockchain can revolutionize electricity distribution and make grids smarter, more secure, and environmentally friendly, the book points to a future where grid operators, regulators, and consumers will benefit from real-time data and a resilient, efficient energy ecosystem.
Societal Challenges and Opportunities of Low-Carbon Energy Transformations
by Dalia StreimikieneLow-carbon energy transformations to support carbon-neutral societies is an important and urgent topic and subject to current national priorities and socio-economic planning. This book addresses the societal challenges and opportunities that come with the transition in EU member states such as energy poverty and inequality, energy security, gender inequality, energy efficiency improvements, climate change mitigation, growth in green investments, etc. It contains a balanced approach of theoretical concepts with an impressive range of relevant case studies to investigate the issues, develop indicator frameworks, identify barriers and drivers, and create policies and measures to unlock opportunities.Features: Addresses systematically and comprehensively the low-carbon energy transition, its barriers, and its societal implications. Discusses the main societal challenges and opportunities of low-carbon energy transition from theoretical and practical points of view. Provides definitions of concepts, measurement indicators, policies, and a framework for overcoming barriers and enforcing drivers. Includes case studies on low-carbon energy transition challenges and opportunities that are developed for EU countries. Encourages discussion on policies and measures necessary to overcome identified barriers and proposes how to promote a just and smooth low-carbon energy transition. This book is a great reference for academics, researchers, graduate students, and professionals such as energy producers, city planners, policymakers, etc. interested in current and emerging trends in sustainable energy.
Designing Therapeutic Environments: Social and Cultural Practice for Health and Well-Being
by Bruno Marques Jacqueline McIntoshThis book draws on the relationship between culture and the environment and its connection with health and well-being. Therapeutic environments are settings that comprise the physical, ecological, psychological, spiritual and social environments associated with treatment and healing. Throughout the chapters, the understanding of therapeutic environments is broadened through the exploration of specific Indigenous cultural and social dimensions. Case studies comprise a combination of research papers regarding the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of therapeutic environments and their application following traditional methods. This book contributes to the expanding body of knowledge focusing on the role of therapeutic environments and their role in shaping health and well-being through the development of new research methods.This book is essential for practitioners, scholars and students in architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, urban design, planning, geography, building science, public health and environmental engineering.
Reimagining Literacy in the Age of AI: Theory and Practice (CRC Press Reference Books in Computer Science)
by Jason D. DeHart Suriati Abas Raúl Alberto Mora Damiana Gibbons PylesThis volume assesses the critical intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and literacy education. Drawing on the concept of "living literacies," it explores the transformative potential of AI in literacy practices, offering a comprehensive narrative that bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications.The book goes beyond the conventional understanding of AI literacy as mere technological proficiency. Instead, it positions AI as a catalyst for expansive, inclusive, and multifaceted literacy practices in the digital age. Scholars from different parts of the world examine how AI is not just changing what we read and write but how we think, create, and express ourselves in a post-human context.KEY FEATURES Explores AI literacy that encompasses critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and creative expression Offers insights into the role of educators and researchers in cultivating AI literacy among learners Discusses how creativity and identity intertwine with AI literacy Suggests practical approaches to integrating AI into classroom instruction across different age groups This timely work serves as an essential guide for educators, researchers, and learners by navigating the evolving terrain of literacy in a world increasingly augmented by AI.
Breaking Through Bytes: Women Shaping the Digital World
by Kelly VeroBreaking Through Bytes: Women Shaping the Digital World celebrates the indomitable spirit of women who redefined technology. Divided into 9 iconic chapters, the book provides vivid portraits of 18 female pioneers who cracked the digital code, women who dared to question, create and conquer, describing the evolution of technology through an inspiring lens.The book spans millennia, tracing the impact of trailblazing women in technology. In early chapters, meet historical figures from the first century to the early 1800s, whose contributions laid the groundwork for today’s advancements. Dive into stories of mixed digital artist Thea Baumann, actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr, and pioneering programmer Betty Snyder alongside virtual reality specialist Claire Blackshaw. Discover modern innovators like Kayleigh Oliver, a woman of colour waving the flag for programming all whilst balancing motherhood and tech, and Rocio Evenett, a fashion technologist revolutionising the supply chain. Whether through games, music, or Artificial Intelligence (AI), women from diverse backgrounds have continually defied conventions and reshaped industries.Breaking Through Bytes uniquely explores women’s contributions to STEM and digital technologies, focusing on underrepresented innovators across the centuries. It blends detailed technical achievements with personal stories to inspire readers interested in the history of technology, gender diversity, and modern digital innovations.
The Missing Hour: the gripping new crime thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller
by Robert Rutherford***Winner of the Lindisfarne Prize for Crime Fiction***YOUR HUSBAND HAS BEEN ARRESTED.Maggie's husband is suddenly arrested in the middle of the night, on suspicion of murder.When Grant dies in custody, her world implodes.EVERYONE BELIEVES HE IS GUILTY. All the evidence points to Grant being a killer - including DNA at the scene.But how can this be true when he was with Maggie all night?ONLY YOU CAN PROVE THEM WRONG.Following a trail of deception, it's up to her to uncover the truth.But Maggie has a secret too. Something she hasn't told anyone.She was with her husband all night - apart from one missing hour...
The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrate the West
by Shaun Walker'A brilliant historical investigation that's as gripping as a Le Carré novel' Tom Burgis'Shaun Walker skilfully shows how Russia's modern-day election meddling is rooted in the subterfuge and trickery of the bad old days. This is a fascinating read.' Oliver Bullough'A gripping history critical to understanding many of Russia's influence operations today.' Catherine Belton'Sinister, clandestine and deadly - this is essential history, and it is happening now.' Simon Sebag Montefiore'A riveting spy thriller, which doubles as a secret history of Russia.' Peter PomerantsevIn 2010, two decades after the Cold War had ended, ten Russian spies were arrested in America, having hidden their true identities from their friends, neighbours and even their children. They were part of a spy programme that had begun nearly a century earlier, when the revolutionary Bolshevik government began sending Soviet citizens abroad to pose as foreign aristocrats, merchants and students. These deep-cover missions - some remarkable feats of espionage, others high-profile failures - could last for decades.Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews, as well as newly discovered archival material, Shaun Walker brings this history to life in a page-turning tour de force that goes to the heart of what became the most ambitious espionage programme in history. As Moscow continues to infiltrate illegals across the globe, The Illegals shines new light on the long arc of the Soviet experiment and its messy aftermath - and on how that hidden history shaped Russia and the West.
You’re Probably Gayish: The Truth (and Lies) Behind 17 Gay Stereotypes
by Kyle Getz Mike JohnsonWhat if I don't know how to "do stuff" all the other gays can do? What if I don't know the name of that gay Netflix movie? What if I'm not obsessed with Jennifer Coolidge like everyone else? Am I really bad at being gay?While being gay has become more socially and legally acceptable, there's a specific kind of gay that's most accepted. He's hot, jacked, white, loves iced coffee, watches Drag Race, and has a service job but somehow travels to Palm Springs every summer, In this book, Kyle and Mike aim to break down the most prolific gay stereotypes in popular discourse - drawing on personal experience, up-to-date research, social history and maybe even Wikipedia to demonstrate first-hand how we're all a mixture of gay and straight stereotypes. So - whether you're gay or not - you're probably gayish...
Vanishing Landscapes: The Story of Plants and How We Lost Them
by Bonnie Lander Johnson'Rich and replenishing ... I felt lovesick for it after it was done'ELEANOR CATTON, Booker Prize-winning author'I really loved this book'JENN ASHWORTH'A brilliantly ambitious and authentic cultural history. A real treasure.'ROWAN WILLIAMS, former Archbishop of Canterbury__________In the past, we were deeply bound to all things green and growing. We once knew the landscape and the plants around us as well as we knew ourselves. But today our relationship with plants and nature has grown distant - we have lost a sense of plants as precious.Vanishing Landscapes tells the story of how plants disappeared from our daily lives one by one. First were apples, then household medicines like saffron, cloth dyes like woad, grapes for making wine, and then, eventually, the timber and reeds we used to build our houses and the wheat we grew for our bread. In their place came the first corporation, the first factory, the banking system, private property, global trade, and modern medicine.The history of these plants shows us how we became modern, but it also shows a path to recover some of what we have lost. In Vanishing Landscapes, Bonnie Lander Johnson goes in search of the old life and the people who are still connected to the land. She meets farmers in Ireland, wine makers in Yorkshire and cloth dyers in the Highlands. She cuts reeds in the watery Norfolk fens and camps overnight in a West Country orchard to gaze up at an unchanging sky.Vanishing Landscapes brings to life a world we never knew but still long for, and reminds us that it's not too late to find a way back.©2025 Bonnie Lander Johnson (P)2025 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The Gurkha Mindset: 10 Lessons in Courage and Resilience
by Captain Kailash LimbuThe Gurkha Mindset distils the wisdom and experiences of a seasoned Gurkha soldier into ten powerful lessons for life and leadership.Drawing from over two decades of service in the British Army, including five tours in Afghanistan and deployments in Bosnia and Sierra Leone, Captain Kailash Limbu shares the core principles that have shaped his journey as a soldier and a man. Through the metaphor of the khukuri, a symbolic and essential tool for every Gurkha, he illustrates how mindset and behaviour are crucial to overcoming challenges, achieving success and leading with honour.Kailash reveals how the disciplined and courageous mindset of the Gurkhas can be applied to everyday life, helping readers manage emotions, foster teamwork, lead effectively and prioritise self-care. Each lesson is rooted in the simplicity and strength of the Gurkha way of life, offering practical insights that are both timeless and adaptable to any context.Whether you seek to enhance your personal life, advance in your career or simply find greater fulfilment, The Gurkha Mindset provides the tools to sharpen your focus, build resilience and embrace life's challenges with a warrior's spirit.