Mortimer is so excited to have a picnic with his friend, Oggy. But when Oggy sends a letter saying he’s sick, Mortimer decides to bring the picnic to Oggy and take care of him instead. On the way, Mortimer has to get past a few big obstacles, including a crocodile, a wolf, and a troll! But Mortimer is willing to do everything it takes to get to Oggy, even if it means giving up all his picnic treats. Kids will love this uplifting book about true friendship, looking after others, and facing one’s fears.
Mortimer is so excited to have a picnic with his friend, Oggy. But when Oggy sends a letter saying he’s sick, Mortimer decides to bring the picnic to Oggy and take care of him instead. On the way, Mortimer has to get past a few big obstacles, including a crocodile, a wolf, and a troll! But Mortimer is willing to do everything it takes to get to Oggy, even if it means giving up all his picnic treats. Kids will love this uplifting book about true friendship, looking after others, and facing one’s fears.
*Best Books of 2014* New Zealand Listener Imagine a typical continent with seemingly endless land in all directions. There are broad valleys and uplands, wide-open vistas across undulating plains, and upstanding mountain ranges far in the distance. There may be prominent features that command attention and draw the eye, such as odd-shaped hills, peaks, pinnacles, mesas and volcanoes. And there may be canyons, valleys, gorges, large depressions and basins. Now imagine this same continent under the sea, and largely drowned. Welcome to Zealandia. Continents are some of Planet Earth's most striking geographic and geological features. To have a continental identity is to be important, significant, recognised. This book makes a compelling claim for Zealandia to take its place alongside Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica. Zealandia is a continent almost entirely submerged. With New Zealand as its largest inhabited land mass, it stretches north to incorporate New Caledonia, south beyond Auckland and Campbell islands, west beyond Australia's Lord Howe Island and east past the Chathams. Its ancestry reaches back more than half a billion years - a long, complex and dramatic story of growth, stretching, break-up, submergence, immersion and collision. The story of its cargo of plant and animal life is also one of change - of extinction, adaption and migration. A big book full of big ideas, and brought to you by renowned GNS scientists Hamish Campbell (co-author of In Search of Ancient New Zealand) and Nick Mortimer, Zealandia: Our Continent Revealed is in every respect a landmark publication - thought-provoking, visually stunning and eminently readable. 'I couldn't resist this superbly illustrated and persuasively written voyage through the distant past. It's fascinating stuff that will undoubtedly generate considerable debate.' - Christopher Moore, New Zealand Listener
For hundreds of years the United Kingdom has been protected by a mysterious guardian known as the Defender. Part myth, part superhero, few truly believed the Defender existed... until now. Alfie thinks he knows his destiny. As Prince Alfred, heir to the throne of Great Britain, he's fated to become the most disappointing king in the nation's history. Alfie longs for a way to prove himself, but little does he realize that with the throne of England comes an ancient secret. He who wears the crown must protect the country as the legendary hero -- the Defender of the Realm.Hayley is an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life. She certainly never believed in the mysterious superhero, the Defender. Then, after witnessing a very public battle at the Tower of London, everything is different, and Hayley is left with no doubt. The Defender is real.Two kids with two very different lives are about to get caught up in a centuries-long battle for the fate of a nation. Monsters and criminals, villains and dragons, together Hayley and Alfie must protect their home at all costs.
To this day The White Hart and The Red Lion are two of the most popular names for a public house in England – both talismans that served as the insignia for Richard II and the banished Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, who usurped the throne in 1399. Nick Asbury acted in the Royal Shakespeare Company's famed Histories cycle which staged Shakespeare's vision of the deposition of Richard II through to the notorious Battle of Bosworth in 1485. With fellow RSC actors for company,Nick travels the country visiting the buildings, landscapes and former sites of war and intrigue that feature in the plays, and asks the question: what is it about the England of Shakespeare's Histories that continues to fascinate? From Alnwick to Eastcheap, Windsor Castle to a Leicester car park, this is his snapshot of England and its people, then and now.
How often do you begin reading a book that makes you—immediately, urgently, desperately—want to read more books?” (Booklist). Nick Hornby has managed to write just such a book in this hilarious, insightful, and infectious volume. Ten Years in the Tub chronicles Hornby's journey through a decade’s worth of books, as related in his wildly popular Believer column “Stuff I’ve Been Reading.” Ten Years in the Tub is a one-way ticket into the mind of one of the most beloved contemporary writers on his favorite pastime, but it's also a meditation on what Celine Dion can teach us about ourselves, a warning about how John Updike can ruin our sex lives, and a recommendation for the way Body Shop Vanilla Shower Gel can add excitement to our days. This "decade-long addiction for many... makes standing in line at the bank a blessed interval for snorting another page.” (the New York Times Book Review)
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson return in six further adventures which display the great detective's brilliance once more. In these adventures set across the span of the duo's lives at 221b Baker Street, Holmes and Watson travel from the highest realms of society to the lowest dens of criminality across London in pursuit of the solution to a host of baffling mysteries. What secret does a simple wedding ring hold? What has become of a young woman fleeing the country? Can Holmes uncover the truth of a haunted house which has baffled all of London? These are but a few of the questions which shall be answered as the pages of Dr. Watson's notebooks are opened once more to reveal The Feats of Sherlock Holmes.
For fans of Simone St. James A devious doomsday cult is leading civilization to the brink of extinction. Now when they are needed most, Lilly and Quincy Swansong are worlds apart—both physically and mentally. However, they must set aside their personal struggles for one last time to deal with an ancient evil corrupting the hearts of mankind. Or they’ll die trying. Luckily, the twins are not alone. Across the entire globe, those too strong for Haven’s brainwashing and too fond of the Earth are stoking the flames of rebellion. Unlikely alliances are made, and help arrives from distant places: from beneath the sea, from inside the earth, from the afterlife, and from the spaces between worlds. As Lilly, Quincy, and their friends dive into Europe’s darkest corners in search of answers, four individuals rise to lead the Apocalypse Rebellion. But who are these mysterious four, and can they be trusted? Yet even greater mysteries are afoot. Why is the resurrected corpse of Witchfynder General Matthew Hopkins possessed? And what supernatural event did the late Emily and Tobias Swansong really experience years ago? Lilly and Quincy must piece the puzzle together before it’s too late.
From dealing blackjack in the small-time gangster town of Steubenville, Ohio, to carousing with the famous "Rat Pack" in a Hollywood he called home, Dean Martin lived in a grandstand, guttering life of booze, broads, and big money. He rubbed shoulders with the mob, the Kennedys, and Hollywood's biggest stars. He was one of America's favorite entertainers. But no one really knew him. Now Nick Tosches reveals the man behind the image--the dark side of the American dream. It's a wild, illuminating, sometimes shocking tale of sex, ambition, heartaches--and a life lived hard, fast, and without apologies.
Cardiff has been on the frontline of Anglo-Welsh history, a place where the hammer blow of the past has periodically fallen hard. To really understand the character of a city you have to be aware of its scars: listen to the suffragettes, soldiers, slaves, martyrs, rebels, pirates and priests, and in the testimonies of each and every one you will find a number of prescient truths about Cardiff. Nick Shepley has an eye for a telling anecdote and this, together with his lively and authoritative research, makes The Story of Cardiff appealing to anyone who is seeking to find out more about this fascinating city.
“The story of one of the most heroic fighter aces of the Second World War . . . has been brought to life in this gripping new book.” —Lancashire Living Magazine Air Commodore Peter Malam “Pete” Brothers CBE, DSO, DFC, and Bar (1917-2008) was one of the most highly praised pilots of the Second World War. Decorated extensively, he secured a total of 16 “kills” over the course of the conflict, with 10 of these occurring during the Battle of Britain. Pivotal moments in his career include the time, in August 1940, when his flight encountered around a hundred enemy aircraft, including Messerschmitt 110s; he led the flight in attack against them, and soon found himself in a stalled position, out of which he spun, only to be confronted by a Dornier 215, which he shot down, before later destroying a Messerschmitt 109. Scores of these kind of risky maneuvers and winning victories punctuated a career defined by great courage, leadership and initiative in the face of fierce opposition. This new and engaging biography profiles a pilot who, until now, hasn’t been the subject of such a thorough book-length study. The story of his career is incredibly entertaining, featuring a number of hair-raising episodes, and is sure to appeal to fans of aviation history as well as the more general reader seeking out an action-packed biography offering fresh insights into one of the most pivotal conflicts of the twentieth century. “An engaging story of one of The Few . . . This is a book that entertains, inspires, moves, amuses, surprises—what more could any reader ask for.” —FIRE Project
The Magnet Editor ? the sci-fi adventure series known only to a select few ? was over. But it had an afterlife? Picking up from where The Magnet Editor left off, Life After? was the all-new series that took the space and time escapades of Cabin Relese, all-round adventurer and scientific journalist, to the next level. The Magnet Editor writing team of Nick Goodman and Jo Bunsell return, joined by prolific poet Paul Chandler. Relocating from Mexico to the leafy Sussex village of Handlehead, Cabin ? now without his super powers ? reluctantly takes charge of Base Security and finds it tough at the top. He is plunged into new, perilous and challenging adventures. Accompanied by friends old and new, he faces the darkest terrors, and everything from his marriage to the future of the universe is at stake. Venture deep into the unknown with Life After Magnet Memories, the complete guide to this sequel series!
If you have ever wondered what led to the rise and fall of New Zealand's Telethon, or pondered the appeal of Metro magazine, or sought to understand the popularity of Billy T. James, this book is for you. The Dominion of Signs is a brilliant and provocative commentary on contemporary New Zealand culture.
Empty Promises (HB) By: Nick Shepherd Miguel Perez is not an ambitious person, leading a hedonist but ultimately unfulfilling life as a tennis pro at a high-end club and selling cocaine on the side. As he descends deeper into the cocaine business, the ruling drug cartel tracks him down, shooting Miguel and his friend Steve. With a sheer amount of luck, Miguel escapes just barely with his life, and lands into the clutches of Steve’s wealthy investment financier father, Harry Edison. To Miguel’s dismay, Harry has a plan for the young man: to transform him into a completely new person, someone who is successful, powerful, and driven. In other words, the son he never had.
Arthur Conan Doyle was a GP before he became a writer. He uses his medical knowledge widely in the Sherlock Holmes stories. He bases the deductive skills of his hero detective on the diagnostic techniques a GP uses with a patient. He even gives Sherlock a GP sidekick. This all contributes to the enduring popularity of the Sherlock Holmes stories, over 130 years after the first story was published. An amazing 52 diseases feature in the Sherlock Holmes stories. This includes many that remain significant parts of a GP's workload today - diabetes, asthma, ischaemic heart disease, stroke. There are then other diseases that have largely died out in the UK due to advances in medical science - diphtheria, brain fever, rickets, tetanus. The Medical Casebook of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson takes a definitive look at how Conan Doyle uses these 52 diseases in the stories. It also gives a historical perspective on the Victorian understanding of the diseases, using the textbooks Conan Doyle would very likely have had sitting on his consulting room shelves.
The Cupola (Mafia High Commission) sanctions the execution of a disgraced Capo. He becomes aware of his fate and fears his days are numbered. In order to secure a financial future for himself he plans a bullion heist. It would be suicide to stay, so he decides to flee Italy and settle in Argentina. By various means the serial numbers of the bank vault are obtained. More than thirty million dollars worth of Bullion are stolen from the Italian Reserve bank in Milan. The Bullion is hidden away in readiness for its transfer out of the country, to be sold abroad. Without the Capos famiglia the operation to steal, hide and transport the bullion would have been impossible. Coercion, persuasion, family love and honour are employed, even though the association would endanger their lives. In London a ruthless businessman, becomes aware of a promising crude oil strike in an African country ruled by a corrupt president. He has his own agenda. He plans to overthrow the president in order to liberate the people, with his reward being to gain control of the countrys oil. Funds are needed to equip and hire mercenaries to affect a coup. He hears of the bullion heist, the proceeds of which would suit his cause admirably. He is determined to pursue the possibilities. With the help of his employees and effective intelligence, discovers the whereabouts of the heists instigators and the bullion. By subterfuge he plants a mole to monitor the movement of the gold, with the hope of relieving the perpetrator of his ill-gotten gains. A group of tourists, with their own human stories, and need for adventure, unwittingly get involved. They become entwined in the activities of Mafia, criminals and law enforcers. Relying heavily on each other for comfort and support, they manage tasks none would have imagined could ever have been asked of them. This trip provides far more adventure than could ever have possibly been planned. Africa becomes the epicentre for much activity. Mercenaries have to be hired, plans formulated, and finalised for a coup. South Africa being relatively cosmopolitan and civilised finds itself as a recruiting office and staging post for the activities to come. Central Africa brings challenges from culture, superstition, terrain but also the magic, which is ever present on this continent. The bullion is taken on numerous journeys. Touching the lives of many people; willing, unwilling, corrupt, innocent, with and without knowledge. The movements and people involved span three continents, from as far away as Southern England to Cape Town in South Africa. Using various modes of transport, including an ill fated sea voyage, a trek across savannah, the bullion is transported out of Italy and into Africa. From differing backgrounds, with their dreams, aspirations, agendas, countries, superstitions and cultures, the main characters involved with the bullion, cross paths, in central Africa. They are all effected by the heist, romance blossoms, loyalties change. The outcome being against all expectations. The bullion causes a trail of greed, power lust, corruption, death, bravery and benevolence.
When author and historian Nick Brodie traced his own family tree, he began to see the pattern of European settlement in Australia. As he learnt about the generations of his family, Nick uncovered the social and cultural contexts and historic circumstances that shaped his ancestors: the Irish, the convicts, the early settlers, Cobb & Co coachmen, the men from Snowy River, the Boer war, Galipolli, the Depression and the second world war. His quest is full of suspense, frustrations and red herrings, and makes a gripping story. As Brodie tracks down where key characters lived, what they did, and the decisions they made – to commit treason, immigrate, marry, or move – he pieces together a complex and entertaining puzzle of Australia's history told through the very people who made it: the everyday Australians who contributed to Australia's rich and varied story. In the same way Bill Bryson’s A History of Nearly Everything tells the history of the world through the characters who make the discoveries, Kin is well-written, absolutely accessible (think Tom Keneally’s The Australians) but also invigorated with detailed insights that will delight intelligent lovers of history and a good read.
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