On the 18th September 2014, a mere 700-and-a-bit years after the Battle of Bannockburn, the struggle for power between Scotland and England will reach another milestone - this time probably without the swords, horses and armour. It is, without question, the most serious subject of the year, but there is a funny side too. Now Ian Black, master of the witty remark, king of the one-liner and enthusiastic unfurler of the Saltire sets his mind to the lighter side of Independence. With more pro-Independence and anti-No-voter jokes and tales than you can shake a stick at, Scotland vs England is the antidote to a very serious year. This book explains that the new Scots currency will be the Dreichma, perfect if our usual weather combines with Greek-style financial meltdown anytime in the future, or possibly the Punt, though apparently all of the punts are in the south-east of England. Mr Black also explains that occasional mutterings of "durty English bastards" north of the border refer not to the great majority of English folk but to the filthy goings-on in Westminster.And there are answers to some of the great questions, like: "What goes 'putt' and what goes 'putt, putt, putt, putt'", to which the answer is: a Scottish golfer and an English golfer on the Old Course at St Andrews. Scotland vs England may not help you make up your mind about which way to vote, but in the serious months ahead when all will seem lost and there will be no escape from politicians, it will be very welcome.
This book meets the demand for a comprehensive introduction to understanding the processes of population limitation. Recognized world-wide as a respected biologist and communicator, Dr. Ian Newton has now written a clear and detailed treatise on local scale population limiting factors in birds. It is based almost entirely on results from field studies, though it is set in a contemporary theoretical framework. The 16 chapters fall under three major section headings: Behavior and Density Regulation; Natural Limiting Factors; and Human Impacts. Population Limitation in Birds serves as a needed resource expanding on Dr. David Lacks research in this area of ornithology in the 1950s. It includes numerous line diagrams and beautiful illustrations by acclaimed wildlife artist Keith Brockie. - Provides a sorely needed introduction to a long-established core subject in ornithology - Focuses on local scale factors - Written by a well-known biologist and effective communicator - Includes numerous line diagrams and beautiful illustrations by acclaimed wildlife artist Keith Brockie
The most comprehensive photographic guide of southern Africa’s birds in one volume, this brings a new dimension to bird ID in the region. It describes and illustrates all 958 birds, plus 17 species from Antarctica and Southern Ocean islands. Over 2,500 photographs show plumage variations and colour morphs. Text by Africa’s top birding authors focuses on identification, call, habitat, status, breeding and diet. Distribution maps show migratory status and bird density, and calendar bars show species’ prevalence and breeding. An indispensable companion in the field.
Fictional comedy drama set in the English holiday town of Blackpool in the off season. A very funny, fast-paced plot that contains sex, drugs, violence, gangsters and plenty of laughs as a teenage boy gets into a world of grief and very dangerous people when all he wanted was to impress the girl of his dreams.
The Graphic Art of the Underground: A Countercultural History takes the reader on a dazzling journey through the visual art and design of alternative and youth cultures from the 1950s to the present day. Ian Lowey and Suzy Prince ’s compelling account draws upon the work of an array of artistic figures – many of whose lives have proved as colourful as their work– such as Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth, Kenny ‘Von Dutch’ Howard, Robert Williams, Robert Crumb, Martin Sharp, Jamie Reid, Linder Sterling, Gee Vaucher, Winston Smith, Barney Bubbles, Mark Ryden, Shag, Camille Rose Garcia, Marion Peck and Pete Fowler among numerous others.
This is a true story about a young Englishman's quest to live and work in America after he tragically lost both of his parents to natural causes within two days of each other whilst on holiday on the Mediterranean island of Malta in October 1981. He came to America--to New York City--on the thirtieth of June 1985 with just two hundred dollars in his pocket. He had no relatives' or friends' shoulders to lean on when things became rough; he just had his drive and entrepreneurship to keep him going. It was rough for him during the first seven years--living in squalor in Kansas City, Missouri; not having electric in apartments and not having a car in Columbia, South Carolina; getting involved in a life-threatening car accident in Perry, Florida; having bicycles stolen in Valdosta, Georgia; and working illegally for those seven years with fake Social Security numbers. He eventually ended up living and working in Columbia, where he met and fell in love with his wife-to-be whilst working at a restaurant as a waiter. He proposed to his wife-to-be just before Christmas 1991. In July 1992, the young man travelled back to England to see his siblings, nephews, and nieces, and also to get his B1/B2 visa renewed. When he attempted to come back to America, the INS--the Immigration and Naturalisation Service--cornered him after suspecting that he was coming to America to work illegally. After they searched his pockets, their suspicions were correct. They had no other choice than to deport him and send him back to the UK. He was allowed one telephone call--just like citizens that have been arrested are allowed. That call was made to his fiancee. Sobbing, he said for her to forget about him. He was then escorted back to the aeroplane on which he flew back to England, thinking that he would never see his fiancee again. That's not the end of the story; just like in the fairy tales where the knight in shining armour rescues the damsel in distress, it was the other way around in this story; the damsel rescued the knight by obtaining a passport, travelling by herself to England, and sweeping the knight off his feet by marrying him! It was relatively plain sailing after that for the young man to be able to come back to America to live and work legally and to be with the love of his life.
Australian Bird Names is aimed at anyone with an interest in birds, words, or the history of Australian biology and bird-watching. It discusses common and scientific names of every Australian bird, to tease out the meanings, which may be useful, useless or downright misleading! The authors examine every species: its often many-and-varied common names, its full scientific name, with derivation, translation and a guide to pronunciation. Stories behind the name are included, as well as relevant aspects of biology, conservation and history. Original descriptions, translated by the authors, have been sourced for many species. As well as being a book about names this is a book about the history of ever-developing understandings of birds, about the people who contributed and, most of all, about the birds themselves. 2013 Whitley Award Commendation for Zoological Resource.
The phenomenon of bird migration has fascinated people from time immemorial. The arrivals and departures of different species marked the seasons, heralding spring and autumn, and providing a reliable calendar long before anything better became available.
This revised and expanded edition adds over 300 new expressions that help unlock the meaning of everyday expressions. Both informative and entertaining, the book addresses an important aspect of social communication for people with Asperger Syndrome, who use direct, precise language and `take things literally'. This dictionary aims to dispel any confusion that arises from the misinterpretation of language. It provides explanations of over 5000 idiomatic expressions and a useful guide to their politeness level. Each expression is accompanied by a clear explanation of its meaning and when and how it might be used. The expressions are taken from British and American English, with some Australian expressions included as well. Although the book is primarily intended for people with Asperger Syndrome, it will be useful for anyone who has problems understanding idiomatic and colloquial English. An essential resource and an informative read; this dictionary will assist in a wide range of situations.
Surveys reveal that domestic abuse is more commonplace among teenagers and young adults than older populations, yet surprisingly little is written about young men’s involvement in it. Reporting on a three-year study based in the UK, this book explores young men’s involvement in domestic abuse, whether as victims, perpetrators or witnesses to violent behaviors between adults. Original survey data, focus group material and in-depth biographical interviews are used to make the case for a more thoroughgoing engagement with the meanings young men come to attribute to violent behavior, include the tendency among many to configure violence within families as "fights" that call for acts of male heroism. The book also highlights the dearth of services interventions for young men prone to domestic abuse, and the challenges of developing responsive practice in this area. Each section of the book highlights further online resources that those looking to conduct research in this area or apply its insights in practice can draw upon.
This second edition of Australian Bird Names is a completely updated checklist of Australian birds and the meanings behind their common and scientific names, which may be useful, useless or downright misleading! For each species, the authors examine the many-and-varied common names and full scientific name, with derivation, translation and a guide to pronunciation. Stories behind the name are included, as well as relevant aspects of biology, conservation and history. Original descriptions, translated by the authors, have been sourced for many species. As well as being a book about names, this is a book about the history of the ever-developing understanding of birds, about the people who contributed to this understanding and, most of all, about the birds themselves. This second edition has been revised to follow current taxonomy and understanding of the relationships between families, genera and species. It contains new taxa, updated text and new vagrants and will be interesting reading for anyone with a love of birds, words or the history of Australian biology and bird-watching.
Using archival sources, novels, government reports, and works on tourism and heritage, Ian McKay and Robin Bates look at how state planners, key politicians, and cultural figures such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, long-time premier Angus L. Macdonald, and novelist Thomas Raddall were all instrumental in forming "tourism/history." The authors argue that Longfellow's 1847 poem Evangeline - on the brutal British expulsion of Acadians from Nova Scotia - became a template a new kind of profit-making history that exalted whiteness and excluded ethnic minorities, women, and working class movements. A remarkable look at the intersection of politics, leisure, and the presentation of public history, In the Province of History is a revealing account of how a region has both used and distorted its own past.
The career of Scotland's greatest modern detective. '[Rebus is] the most compelling mind in modern crime fiction' Independent Contains: KNOTS AND CROSSES, HIDE AND SEEK, TOOTH AND NAIL, A GOOD HANGING, STRIP JACK, THE BLACK BOOK, MORTAL CAUSES, LET IT BLEED, BLACK AND BLUE, THE HANGING GARDEN, DEAD SOULS, SET IN DARKNESS, THE FALLS, RESURRECTION MEN, A QUESTION OF BLOOD, FLESHMARKET CLOSE, THE NAMING OF THE DEAD, EXIT MUSIC.
This book should be of value to anyone interested in bird evolution and taxonomy, biogeography, distributional history, dispersal and migration patterns. It provides an up-to-date synthesis of current knowledge on species formation, and the factors influencing current distribution patterns. It draws heavily on new information on Earth history, including past glacial and other climatic changes, on new developments in molecular biology and palaeontology, and on recent studies of bird distribution and migration patterns, to produce a coherent account of the factors that have influenced bird species diversity and distribution patterns worldwide.Received the Best Bird Book of the Year award for 2004 from British Birds magazine.* Winner of the British Birds/British Trust for Ornithology, Bird Book of the Year 2004!* The first book to deal comprehensively with bird speciation and biogeography* Up-to-date synthesis of new information* Clearly written* No previous book covers the same ground* Many maps and diagrams* Makes difficult and widely scattered information accessible and easily understood* A sound base for future research* Takes full account of recent developments in molecular biology
The year is 2034. Power lies in Europe with the bureaucrats in Brussels and London is the centre for the Western Provinces. The Supremo Manipulator of this conglomerate of nations is Pius. With no religious connections and a diminishing hold on power the Union is sustained by nepotism, violence and musical chairs of political appointees. The disintegration of the Union is imminent. Rob, an English tech nerd together with his accomplice David, have to use their cyborg intelligence to survive in this oppressive Euro society in the Western Provinces. The assassination of Teresa, Rob's girlfriend, and a busload of tourists along with the murder of a Czech student at Hull European University, provide the catalyst for Rob and David's dangerous involvement. Together with their minders, Michaela and Kiara, they head full speed into their deadly adventure. Death is catching. With a touch of humor, a satirical political edge, characters that you come to know well and a flowing writing style take the reader through a techno-thriller deep into the 21st century. We see the ambivalence of the revolutionaries, who never intended serious action, faced with orders to destroy and kill. Europe will never be the same again ...
The thirteenth Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES 'No one in Britain writes better crime novels' Evening Standard 'This is Rankin at his best, and, boy, that's saying something' TIME OUT Rebus is off the case - literally. A few days into the murder inquiry of an Edinburgh art dealer, Rebus blows up at a colleague. He is sent to the Scottish Police College for 'retraining' - in other words, he's in the Last Chance Saloon. Rebus is assigned to an old, unsolved case, but there are those in his team who have their own secrets - and they'll stop at nothing to protect them. Rebus is also asked to act as a go-between for gangster 'Big Ger' Cafferty. And as newly promoted DS Siobhan Clarke works the case of the murdered art dealer, she is brought closer to Cafferty than she could ever have anticipated... **** Ian Rankin's A HEART FULL OF HEADSTONES was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 10th October 2022 and w/c 1st May 2023
What if that thing you really feared happened? Ian and Larissa Murphy met in college and fell in love. They talked about getting married. They dreamed about a life together. They did not imagine a car accident. And they could not have imagined how persistent love would be. Theirs and God’s. Read Eight Twenty Eight and gain a picture of love that will challenge what you think you know and what is true.
This book presents an up-to-date, detailed and thorough review of the most fascinating ecological findings of bird migration. It deals with all aspects of this absorbing subject, including the problems of navigation and vagrancy, the timing and physiological control of migration, the factors that limit their populations, and more. Author, Ian Newton, reveals the extraordinary adaptability of birds to the variable and changing conditions across the globe, including current climate change. This adventurous book places emphasis on ecological aspects, which have received only scant attention in previous publications. Overall, the book provides the most thorough and in-depth appraisal of current information available, with abundant tables, maps and diagrams, and many new insights. Written in a clear and readable style, this book appeals not only to migration researchers in the field and Ornithologists, but to anyone with an interest in this fascinating subject.* Hot ecological aspects include: various types of bird movements, including dispersal and nomadism, and how they relate to food supplies and other external conditions* Contains numerous tables, maps and diagrams, a glossary, and a bibliography of more than 2,700 references* Written by an active researcher with a distinguished career in avian ecology, including migration research
Sheikh Abu Hasif died on the third floor of the Wellington Clinic in London on Monday 12th April, 1976. His assassin emptied a whole clip from an M38 submachine gun into the man. It took off most of his head and right shoulder and left the bed headboard and part of the floor and walls reworked in technicolour. Detective Inspector Jack Regan of the Flying Squad begins his investigation with a search for a group of mysterious murderers among the rich of Belgravia and the richer inhabitants of the high life of the French Riviera At first sight it appears that leading Arab oil sheikhs and entrepreneurs have been murdered to warn others of their kind to pay over multi-million dollar blackmail sums in order to stay alive. But with Jack Regan digging deeper, the truth turns out to be something else again... This is the third of three Sweeney novels published at the time of the original series. Ian Kennedy Martin is the creator of Thames Television's enormously popular TV series.
“MacLeod is a brilliant writer.” —Tim Powers “Ian MacLeod writes like an angel. He strings together ideally chosen words into sentences that are variously lush, sparse, subtle, bold, joyous, mournful, comic and tragic.” —Paul Di Filippo Welcome to the second half of the collected worlds of one of fiction’s great myth-makers. Blending naturalistic settings with real—and unreal—histories, dark presents, strange pasts and star-flung futures, Ian R. MacLeod’s multi award-winning stories defy easy classification, but are always vividly elegant, compelling, and filled with wonder. In The Chop Girl, a young working at a World War Two RAF bomber airbase discovers the true meaning of luck, whilst The Discovered Country projects a world in which the dead enjoy an endless afterlife whilst the merely living struggle to survive, and The Visitor from Taured twists a modern urban myth into a tale of one man’s search for a Theory Of Everything, and Snodgrass tells a very different version of the Beatles’ rise to fame. Nothing in MacLeod’s visions is ever quite what it seems, yet they remain deeply real and involving. If you haven’t read MacLeod before, you can expect to be moved and surprised. If you have, then you need no further introduction other than to say that Nowhere—and its companion volume Everywhere, which features many of his best longer stories—represent a generous and wide-ranging summary of his work, along with many insights into the creative process which are provided by the fresh introductions and afterwords. Praise for Ian R. MacLeod “Ian R. MacLeod is rapidly becoming one of the contemporary stars of the genre.” —Brian Aldiss “MacLeod is set to become a writer of the magnitude of Dickens and Tolkien.” —G. P. Taylor “I have no idea what he looks like, but I picture an angle with polychrome wings, dirty hands and a well-chewed pencil.” —Gene Wolf “...in many ways the mature culmination of the New Wave’s aggressive appropriation of literary tropes and techniques and the skillful integration of them into subtle, penetrating fiction that, like all true and dangerous art, can pierce and transform the reader.” —Jack Dann “Stands beside the achievements of China Mieville.” —Jeff VanderMeer “There are moments when you see a life entire... in a moment. And you smile, because you recognise that smell of the world, that capsule of living.” —John Clute “Ian R. MacLeod is one hell of a writer—literary, inventive, always surprising. Pay attention: this guy is important.” —Michael Swanwick
The summer started with ‘Brown Sugar’ and it ended with The Who at The Oval cricket ground, where they turned live rock music into a mesmerizing, pulsating miracle. And bound up in this heady atmosphere of 1971 was the pure, unadulterated love of football and all its absurdities, where sex, snakebite and the slide tackle scythed their way through everything. Shortfall College, a gaunt and brooding building, reminiscent of the Industrial Revolution cut a dark slice of shadow across the South London sky. It was here that an oddball, dotty selection of students set out in search of the Holy Grail – the South London Intercollegiate Cup – aided by spurious tactics and hindered by countless distractions. From Marlene, the landlord’s wife, a goddess and vixen with a predilection for ice who couldn’t keep her hands off Baz, to Norman, a ringer, with a rather unhealthy lopsided grin who completely snapped when trying to remove an opponent’s ear with his teeth. Driven ever onwards by The Bear, their captain and inspiration, and Baz, his defensive henchman, they try to rein in the Ant, who possesses the aerodynamics of a spear and a footballing philosophy whereby the ball isn’t absolutely necessary.
The end of the universe happened at around ten o’clock at night on 22 December, 2032. It’s just that humanity hasn’t realized it yet. And the Chaga, the strange flora deposited from the stars, is still busy terraforming the tropics into someone else’s terra. Gaby McAslan was once a hungry news reporter who compromised her relationship with UNECTA researcher Dr. Shepard for the sake of her story... but Gaby is no longer a journalist and she doesn’t want to be a full-time mother, even though her child Serena is her last link with Shepard. Gaby’s fire has gone out; she’s gone soft. But the massive political and military upheavals rocking the world are about to drag her back into the action. REVIEWS "This is a huge and ambitious novel, the work of a supremely talented writer approaching the top of his game." – SFX "So outstanding a writer that he deserves reading beyond the science-fantasy market ... He has such marvellous talent, so vivid an imagination. His prose sings and zings – simultaneously." – The Times
In this second volume, Karan, a young Sensitive carrying the blood of all three Worlds, comes into possession of the Mirror of Aachen, which holds the power to heal--or destroy--World relations. But as war rages, Tensor, the leader of the Aachim people, steals the mirror and flees with the young chronicler, Lilan, leaving all to wonder how they plan to use this magic.
The fifth Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES 'Ian Rankin is a genius' Lee Child When a close colleague is brutally attacked, Inspector John Rebus is drawn into a case involving a hotel fire, an unidentified body, and a long forgotten night of terror and murder. Pursued by dangerous ghosts and tormented by the coded secrets of his colleague's notebook, Rebus must piece together the most complex and confusing of jigsaws. But not everyone wants the puzzle solved - perhaps not even Rebus himself... **** Ian Rankin's A HEART FULL OF HEADSTONES was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 10th October 2022 and w/c 1st May 2023
‘Ian Simpson is a real find’ – Alexander McCall Smith Despite his fuddled state, Tony Spencer could feel that something was wrong. The poison was in his bloodstream, attacking his nervous system and his heart. Within minutes he was writhing on the ground. Before Ballesteros signed his winning scorecard, he was dead. Forward to St Andrews in 2015 and when the man convicted of Tony Spencer’s murder is released on compassionate grounds and a political activist is killed, Detective Inspector Flick Fortune’s investigation focuses on a group of solicitors calling themselves ‘The Jolly Boys’ and Spencer’s murder thirty-one years earlier. Detective Sergeant Bagawath ‘Baggo’ Chandavarkar comes to her aid. Meanwhile, Flick’s old nemesis, ex-Inspector No, is hired to clear the man convicted in 1984 and he stirs things up in his own intimitable, blundering way. As long-buried crimes are revealed, events move quickly and unpredictably to a startling conclusion. Murder in the Fourth Round has an intelligent plot combined with interesting characters and humour, all while confronting contemporary issues including dementia, the problems of a working wife and mother, a historic miscarriage of justice and the age-old problem of whether the end justifies the means. Ian Simpson has been inspired by the works of Agatha Christie, John Mortimer and PG Wodehouse and his writing style has been compared to Christopher Brookmyre. Murder in the Fourth Round is the fourth in this gripping series. It follows the success of Murder on Page One, Murder on the Second Tee and Murder in Court Three, all of which have received national and local praise.
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